Seven deliciously dark, funny and twisted short stories from one of America’s top crime writers. EXCLUSIVE EBOOK EDITION ALSO INCLUDES A FREE EXTRACT FROM LAURA’S FORTHCOMING NOVEL THE INNOCENTS. If you haven’t discovered Laura Lippman yet, delve into these seven ingenious tales and read an exclusive extract from Laura’s latest novel The Innocents. In this short story collection we are taken back to richly drawn 1975 where we meet Sofia and her degenerate gambling father in ‘Hardly Knew Her’; and in ‘Femme Fatale’ we are introduced to sixty-eight year old Mona who suddenly finds herself in a rather surprising situation. Sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous and always filled with shocking twists and turns, expect the unexpected… If you enjoy this collection, why not try ‘The Accidental Detective and other stories’. Also available now as an exclusive ebook short story collection.

Step behind the hotel room doors of the Chatsfield, London… Abandoned by the harem for the wedding-that-never-was, Libby Lancaster finds herself room-less at the Chatsfield. Making the best of a bad situation, she dons her cousin’s glamorous gala dress and designer heels for a night of being not-Libby! Just this once, good-girl Libby is unleashing her inner bad girl and a night of sin with wickedly sexy Prince Lucaj is just what she needs! But what will happen when the clock strikes twelve on her one-night fantasy?

Step behind the hotel room doors of The Chatsfield, London… When Ben treats girlfriend Joely to a luxurious birthday night at The Chatsfield, he has more than celebration in mind… Joely may be anti-marriage, but Ben is determined to show her they are destined for happy-ever-after! With every proposal attempt ending in disaster, Ben’s last hope is the stunning sapphire engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket… But who would have thought that being walked in on by a stranger—whilst naked!—would be so good for a relationship?

Step behind the hotel room doors of The Chatsfield, London… Each year on this very night, international media mogul Adam Brightman puts away his playboy fa?ade and drowns his painful past in whiskey. Except this year one woman is determined not to let him escape his demons. The only way Adam - and she - can move on is to discuss the one thing that they’ve never spoken of. But opening Pandora’s box has consequences, and the question remains… will it consume them both or finally set them free?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING TITLE THE ORPHAN'S TALE OUT NOW One woman's determination to protect a child from the dangers of war will force her to face those lurking closer to home… Life in rural Poland during WWII brings a new set of challenges to Maria, estranged from her own family and left alone with her in-laws after her husband is sent to the front. For a young, newly pregnant wife, the days are especially cold, the nights unexpectedly lonely. The discovery of a girl hiding in the barn changes everything… Hannah is fleeing the German police who are taking Jews like her to special camps. Ignoring the risk to her own life and that of her unborn child, Maria is compelled to help. But in these dark days, no one can be trusted, and soon Maria finds her courage tested in ways she never expected and herself facing truths about her own family that the quiet village has kept buried for years. From the international bestselling author of The Kommandant's Girl comes a searing historical companion novella to The Winter Guest Praise for Pam Jenoff: ‘[A] heartbreakingly romantic story of forbidden love during WW2’ - Heat ‘Must read’ - Daily Express

Step behind the hotel room doors of The Chatsfield, London… It’s an unusual family business, but being a chauffeur is the only thing that keeps Tanya Singh sane after a truly tough year. That is, until she meets her new client, famous Bollywood superstar John Patel and her teenage fantasy turns out to be more gorgeous in real life! But he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met and soon a clash of words and gazes raises the tension to fever pitch! Spending hours alone with John is sweet torture. But can this Bollywood icon unlock her every desire and make her love again?

A tense and brilliantly dramatic short story from the bestselling author of the Throne of the Caesars Series. Maximinus Thrax is desperate to raise money for the army, but his advisors dissuade him from taxation, fearing another uprising. The spy Censorinus is sent to Abonouteichus to steal the secrets of rich and powerful men who have confided in the oracle there.

Step behind the hotel room doors of The Chatsfield, London… When bride-to-be Sophie’s groom goes AWOL, she decides to go to her dream honeymoon destination anyway. And The Chatsfield, London’s glamour and exquisite luxury is just what she needs to take her mind off her broken heart! But she doesn’t expect that the biggest distraction of all will be meeting gorgeous Spaniard Cristian in the Chatsfield bar! Something about the shadows in his hypnotic gaze tells her he understands her pain more than most – perhaps together, they can help heal the hurts of the past and find a way to a new beginning?

**A 69 page short story** A sparkling Christmassy tale that will make your heart melt. Mel Tinsall knows that if she’s going to get through this manic first year at college, and be a good mum to her baby daughter Lou Lou, she can have no distractions. And after what happened last time she’s sworn off men for a very long time. But then she meets Will. He’s different. He’s special. But Mel has a secret. Christmas is coming and romance is blossoming. As the first snow snow falls over the village of HOPE CHRISTMAS, it’s time to make a choice …

Subject: Sergeant Finn McAllister, K-9 handler Mission: Go undercover...without getting under the covers! Rumor has it someone at the local honkytonk is supplying meth to airmen, and K-9 handler Finn McAllister will find out exactly who's responsible and shut them down. But when the petite, blonde bar owner gets all up in his face—and kicks him out—Finn's blood burns…with raw desire. Tucker Blackburn brings out the devil in Finn, and he can't resist going undercover as her new boyfriend. The sparks between them are part fury, part arousal, and all heat. But Tucker's been hiding the truth about a key piece of evidence...and if Finn isn’t careful he might fall for his number one suspect!

Three friends, three wishesone Christmas! When three friends visit a shopping-mall Santa on a lark, the jolly old elf is full of mysterious predictions about the thing they're all wishing for: the perfect man. Or at least men who are perfect for them. Riley Erickson's fiance turned out to be a dud, dumping her for her bridesmaid three weeks before the wedding. But Santa says that she's soon going to meet her ideal man in a memorable way. And he predicts that a new man is about to come into Jo's life. What on earth does that mean? She's pregnant and already has her hands full with the perfectly stubborn husband she's got. Noel has given up completely on ever finding her perfect match. But apparently Noel is going to get a good man to go with that house she's trying desperately to buy. These friends are about to discover that Christmas wishes can come true, because in spite of romantic setbacks and derailed dreams, this truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Y?rede ya?am??, Halk A???? Emin Demirayak ve Kadir Türen gibi Teke kültürünün en yetkin, en üretken saz ve s?z ustalar?n?n dolu dolu ge?en s?ra d??? ya?am ?ykülerini, folklor zenginli?ini ve s?cak insan ?ykülerini masals? bir dil ile anlatan bir an? romand?r Dirmil ?mürcüsü. ?????????????? ? ? Orman?n bakanl?k eliyle kesili?ine silah?yla kar?? gelip hapis yatan, orman?n dingin gücünün i?inizde b?rakt??? inan?lmaz ya?ama iste?iyle sizi en yak?n ormana ko?turtacak bir ?a?r? ?yküsüdür. Emin Demirayak duyarl? sanat?? ki?ili?iyle haks?zl?klara kar?? duran, türküleri ta? plaklara kaz?nan dostlar? kadar dü?manlar? da olan ve sesiyle var olan Emin Demirayak, ?kavgalar?n birinde a?z? kulaklar?na kadar kesilir, kavgalar?n birinde de g?zü ??kar?l?r. Ve 1980 y?l?nda 12 Eylül’ün ilk saatlerinde 17 kur?unla sinsice ?ldürülür. Dirmil, da?larla ?evrili bir ovan?n ba??nda Oyuk da??na yaslanm??, ayaklar?n?n ucunda duran k?ylere yukardan bak?yordu. Bat?dan toplad??? tepeleri, do?uya da? s?ralar? ve platolar ?eklinde da??tm??t?. Bin y?ll?k sedirler, ard??lar tüm g?rkemiyle K?zlarsivrisi’nden ?ehre do?ru iniyordu. K?z?lc?klar, p?ynarlar, al??lar, ?am a?a?lar?, sedirler; ?i?e?ini a?m?? kekikler, papatyalar, da? menek?eleri, sessizlikte patlayan bin bir tomurcuk ar?lara, ku?lara, kelebeklere ve insanlara kollar?n? a?m?? beklemekteydi. Doruklar?n karlar? nisan ya?murlar?yla eridi. Yapraklardan dü?en damlalar, yama?lardan patlayan kara sular, p?narlar, dereler, kocaman Dirmil ?ay?’ndan k?püre k?püre ?a?layarak akt? ve Yaprakl?’da koca bir deniz olu?turdu. Oluktan akan sular, kal?n ?am a?ac? g?vdelerine oyulmu? yalaklar? doldurup da?lar?n vefal? dostu ke?ileri sulad??? gibi doruk ?ocuklar? i?in de bir plaj i?levini yap?yordu. Gulaz zaman?yd?; bütün ke?iler, koyunlar kuzulay?p sürüler ?o?ald?. Kuzular?n, o?laklar?n a??z sütlerine ?ocuklar, ?obanlar ortak oldu. Duman? tüten topraklar sürüldü. Ta?a, ku?a, topra?a deyip ü? kere at?ld? tohum. Ve bire bin verdi. HAL?L ERDEM ? 1961 Dirmil-Burdur do?umlu. Gazi ?niversitesi E?itim Fakültesi S?n?f ??retmenli?ini bitirdi. Türk?e B?lümünde lisans tamamlad?. Kar Ayd?nl??????? (Roman)?????? Fam Yay?nlar? 2014 Dirmil ?mürcüsü???? (Roman)?????? Fam Yay?nlar?2006- 2014 Goca Meryem? (Roman)?????? Fam Yay?nlar? 2014 Tokat??????????????? (?ocuk Roman?) Kendi Yay?n? 2013 Teke Y?resi Halk ?nan?lar? (Ara?t?rma - inceleme) Kendi Yay?n? 2008 Karacao?lan Gelene?inde Dirmil Güzellemeleri ve ?yküler (Ara?t?rma inceleme) 2011 Alter Yay. Gece Mavisinde A?k?????????????? (?iir)?????? Kendi Yay?n? 1998 Ve Al???ld? ?lüme???? (?iir )????? Temmuz Yay?nlar? 1990 Kardan Adam?? (?ocuk ?iirleri) Kendi Yay?n? 1998 I??k Avc?lar??????? (?ocuk ?iirleri) Kendi Yay?n?) 2013 ??pten ??rendi?im Hayat?? ?ocuk Kitab?????????????? 2015 G?l Hikayeleri?????????? (?ykü)?????????????? ??????????????????????2015 ??iir ve yaz?lar?n? Bah?e, Mavi Umut, Bahar, ?al?, ??retmen Dünyas?, Dirmil, Noktam, Bezuvar, süje, Kar dergilerinde yay?nlad?. Beykonak E?itim ve Kültür Vakf? Yirce ?iir Yar??mas?nda. Ne-Var Yok ?iiriyle Birincilik ald?.(2004) Resim ?al??malar?n? da yürüten Halil ERDEM 3 ki?isel, 25 karma resim sergi etkinli?inde bulundu.

Birileri ?anakkale’de, Kurtulu? Sava??’nda sava??p tutsak olurken, ?ehit olurken baz? az?nl?klar ve a?a tak?m? geride kal?p mal mülk edinme pe?indedirler. Devlet y?netimindeki adamlar?n?n deste?iyle A?alar halk?n elindeki topra?a zorla el koyar. El koyduklar? yetmezmi? gibi halk? adeta k?le gibi ezer, s?mürür; ?nüne ??kan her engeli yok ederler.? Fakat Goca Meryem gibi bir kad?n ??kar ve kendili?inden olu?an hareketin ba??na ge?erek kanl? bir ba?kald?r? ger?ekle?tirir.? Sonras?nda ?smet ?n?nü deste?iyle Ziraat Bankas? kredi verir ve toprak reformu yap?l?r. ?Bu y?nüyle bu ?ykü ülkemizde ya?anm?? benzeri olmayan bir ?yküdür. ?Zulme ra?men romantizmi elden b?rakmayan, a?klar?n? koruyan insan ?ykülerini k?rk kaynak ki?inin anlat?m?na ba?l? olarak ger?ek kahraman ve yer adlar?yla yaz?lm?? bir an? romand?r Goca Meryem. K?y Ak da??n eteklerinde, kü?ük bir ovan?n k?y?s?nda duran tatl? iki tepeci?e yaslanm??t?. Ovalar?nda ahlat armutlar?, güz rengine boyanm?? meyvesiz a?a?lar, kü?ücük da? elmalar?, as?rl?k cevizler toprak daml? evleri sakl?yordu. K?y iki yakas? bir araya gelmemi?, zar zor ge?inen yoksul elli alt? haneden olu?uyordu. Her evin az ?ok ke?isi, koyunu; uysal ?küzleri, inekleri vard?. ???????? 1924 y?l?nda Cumhuriyetle birlikte ??rten k?yü Mu?la’dan al?n?p Burdur iline kat?ld?. Bu nedenle Mu?lal? birka? toprak sahibi topraklar?n? sat?p gitme karar? ald?. ?Bu teklif üzerine birka? kurnaz k?ylü toprak sahiplerine: ????????? “Bekleyin biz aram?zda g?rü?üp karar? size bildirece?iz,”dediler. Bir araya gelen Muhtar Karaca, Habip ve G?k ?akir, oturmu? bu konuyu tart???yorlard?: “Ta?lay?verelim gitsinler. Bu zamanda kim para bulmu? da toprak sat?n alacak. Satamazlar. Satamad??? topra?? ne yapacaklar? Gelip ekebilecekler mi? Sanm?yorum. ?ekip gidecekler, ?yle de?il mi?” dedi G?k ?akir. Habip: “Ta?layal?m vallahi, ta?land??? yere bir daha ad?mlar?n? atamazlar.” “Arkada?lar bu insanlarla y?llarca tarla kom?ulu?u yapm???z, birbirimizin lokmalar?n? yemi?iz, sonra babalar? da baba dostlar?d?r. Ay?p olmaz m? k?yden kuduz k?pek kovar gibi bu insanlar? ta?lamak!” G?k ?akir: “Ay?p diyorsun, ama toprak alacak para m? var?” “Oldu?u kadar veririz, gerisini harman kalk?m?ndan sonra deriz, olmad? taksit taksit ?deriz. Adamlar?n ba?ka bir se?ene?i g?rünmüyor gibi; kabul etmeyip de ne yapacaklar!” “??te ba?ka se?enekleri olmad??? i?in ta?layaca??z ya, ta?layal?m gitsinler!” deyip ?srar?n? sürdürdü G?k ?akir. “Hadi o zaman gazam?z mübarek olsun!”dedi onun silah arkada?? Habip. Zaten G?k ?akir ne derse ona uyard?. ?ünkü seferberlikte yaralan?p dü?tü?ünde kendisini omzuna al?p cephe gerisine ta??y?p kurtaran G?k ?akir’di. Ona bir can borcu vard?. O yüzden, o gün bu gün hep ayn? sibekten i?erlerdi. Karaca ne de olsa muhtard?. Bu i?e kar??mak istemiyordu. G?k ?akir ile Habip, birka? k?ylüyü yanlar?na ald?. Eli ta? tutan ne kadar ?oluk ?ocuk varsa toplad?lar. Mu?lal? toprak sahipleri, Karap?nar’?n ?nünde k?ylülerden gelecek haberi bekliyordu. K?ylüler, gizlendikleri yerden onlar? ta?a tuttular. Her bir yandan ya?mur gibi ta? ya??yordu. Toprak sahipleri neye u?rad?klar?n? anlayamad?lar. “Anam, yand?m! Can?n? seven ka?s?n!” “Hadi atla! “Tak tuk” Mu?lal?lar ka?arken ayaklar? k??lar?na yap???yordu. HAL?L ERDEM ?1961 Dirmil-Burdur do?umlu. Gazi ?niversitesi E?itim Fakültesi S?n?f ??retmenli?ini bitirdi. Türk?e B?lümünde lisans tamamlad?. Kar Ayd?nl??????? (Roman)?????? Fam Yay?nlar? 2014 Dirmil ?mürcüsü????? (Roman)?????? Fam Yay?nlar?2006- 2014 Goca Meryem? (Roman)?????? Fam Yay?nlar? 2014 Tokat??????????????? (?ocuk Roman?) Kendi Yay?n? 2013 Teke Y?resi Halk ?nan?lar? (Ara?t?rma - inceleme) Kendi Yay?n? 2008 Karacao?lan Gelene?inde Dirmil Güzellemeleri ve ?yküler (Ara?t?rma inceleme) 2011 Alter Yay. Gece Mavisinde A?k?????????????? (?iir)?????? Kendi Yay?n? 1998 Ve Al???ld? ?lüme???? (?iir )????? Temmuz Yay?nlar? 1990 Kardan Adam?? (?ocuk ?iirleri) Kendi Yay?n? 1998 I??k Avc?lar??????? (?ocuk ?iirleri) Kendi Yay?n?) 2013 ??pten ??rendi?im Hayat?? ?ocuk Kitab?????????? ????2015 G?l Hikayeleri?????????? (?ykü)???????????????????????????????????? 2015 ? ?iir ve yaz?lar?n? Bah?e, Mavi Umut, Bahar, ?al?, ??retmen Dünyas?, Dirmil, Noktam, Bezuvar, süje, Kar dergilerinde yay?nlad?. Beykonak E?itim ve Kültür Vakf? Yirce ?iir Yar??mas?nda. Ne-Var Yok ?iiriyle Birincilik ald?.(2004) Resim ?al??malar?n? da yürüten Halil ERDEM 3 ki?isel, 25 karma resim sergi etkinli?inde bulundu.

OBAN ve ORMAN Dirmil, dalarla evrili bir ovann banda Oyuk Da’na yaslanm ayaklarnn ucunda duran kylere yukardan bakyordu. Batdan toplad tepeleri, douya da sralar ve platolar eklinde datmt. Bin yllk sedirler, ardlar tüm grkemiyle Kzlar Sivrisi’nden ehre doru iniyordu. Kzlcklar, pynarlar, allar, am aalar, sedirler; ieini am kekikler, papatyalar, da menekeleri, sessizlikte patlayan bin bir tomurcuk; arlara, kelebeklere ve insanlara kollarn am beklemekteydi. Doruklarn kar nisan yamurlaryla eridi. Yapraklardan düen damlalar, yamalardan patlayan kara sular; pnarlar, dereler, kocaman Dirmil ay’ndan kpüre kpüre alayarak akt ve Yaprakl’da koca bir deniz oluturdu. Oluktan akan sular, kaln am aac gvdelerine oyulmu yalaklar doldurup dalarn vefal dostu keileri sulad gibi doruk ocuklar iin de bir plaj saylrd. Gulaz zamanyd (kei ve koyunlarn kuzulama aylar) bütün keiler, koyunlar kuzulayp sürüler oald. Kuzularn, olaklarn az sütlerine ocuklar, obanlar ortak oldu. Duman tüten topraklar sürüldü. Taa, kua, topraa deyip ü kere atld tohum. Ve bire bin verdi tohum. Dirmil ülkesinde gkyüzüne bakp dü kuran, ay dededen pabu isteyen, elledikleri ku yumurtalarnn scaklnda uyuyup kalan ocuklar ve bu ocuklarn askere gidene kadar elik omak oynayan babalar vard. Evimiz Dirmil’dedir: Doduumuz, lülerimizi uurladmz, bizi toplayan, bekleyen evlerimiz. Cumbal, kklü, saaklarnda rtenlerin bakt evlerimiz… Krmz kiremitleriyle yeil bahelere yaslanm ahap sesli evlerimiz. HALL ERDEM 1961 Dirmil-Burdur doumlu. Gazi niversitesi Eitim Fakültesi Snf retmenliini bitirdi. Türke Blümünde lisans tamamlad. Kar Aydnl (Roman) Fam Yaynlar 2014 Dirmil mürcüsü (Roman) Fam Yaynlar2006- 2014 Goca Meryem (Roman) Fam Yaynlar 2014 Tokat (ocuk Roman) Kendi Yayn 2013 Teke Yresi Halk nanlar (Aratrma - inceleme) Kendi Yayn 2008 Karacaolan Geleneinde Dirmil Güzellemeleri ve yküler (Aratrma inceleme) 2011 Alter Yay. Gece Mavisinde Ak (iir) Kendi Yayn 1998 Ve Alld lüme (iir ) Temmuz Yaynlar 1990 Kardan Adam (ocuk iirleri) Kendi Yayn 1998 Ik Avclar (ocuk iirleri) Kendi Yayn) 2013 pten rendiim Hayat ocuk Kitab 2015 Gl Hikayeleri (ykü) 2015 iir ve yazlarn Bahe, Mavi Umut, Bahar, al, retmen Dünyas, Dirmil, Noktam, Bezuvar, süje, Kar dergilerinde yaynlad. Beykonak Eitim ve Kültür Vakf Yirce iir Yarmasnda. Ne-Var Yok iiriyle Birincilik ald. (2004) Resim almalarn da yürüten Halil ERDEM 3 kiisel, 25 karma resim sergi etkinliinde bulundu.

The Magic Fishbone

pten rendiim Hayat/ Oyuncak Yiyen Canavar doada hereyin bir deer olduunu, mütevaz yaam, aile ve hayvan sevgisini ele alan 9-10 ya aras ocuklar iin yazlm bir kitaptr. Sabah karanlnda kap almadan k yand. Ikla birlikte evin kpei Garip ayaa kalkt. Kapdan baba oul grününce, kuyruk sallamaya balad. Garip Umut’un üstüne atlad. Umut ufak tefek bir ocuk olduundan Garip’in iti kakna dayanamayp yere ykld. Ayayla kpei iterek uzaklatrd. Yerden toparlanp elinin tozunu silkti. Koarak babasna yetiti. Ardndan Garip de... Umut on yanda bir oland. Drdüncü snfta okuyordu. Derslerinde baarlyd. Babas geri dnüüme atk p toplamak iin kyordu. Umut daha nce babasyla hi pe kmamt. Bugün pe kma amac hem babasna yardmc olmak, hem pte oyuncak bulmakt. pten oyuncak karsa Umut kendine alacakt. Yoksa babas iki kuru fazla para kazanabilmek iin ne bulursa satard. HALL ERDEM 1961 Dirmil-Burdur doumlu. Gazi niversitesi Eitim Fakültesi Snf retmenliini bitirdi. Türke Blümünde lisans tamamlad. Kar Aydnl (Roman) Fam Yaynlar 2014 Dirmil mürcüsü (Roman) Fam Yaynlar2006- 2014 Goca Meryem (Roman) Fam Yaynlar 2014 Tokat (ocuk Roman) Kendi Yayn 2013 Teke Yresi Halk nanlar (Aratrma - inceleme) Kendi Yayn 2008 Karacaolan Geleneinde Dirmil Güzellemeleri ve yküler (Aratrma inceleme) 2011 Alter Yay. Gece Mavisinde Ak (iir) Kendi Yayn 1998 Ve Alld lüme (iir ) Temmuz Yaynlar 1990 Kardan Adam (ocuk iirleri) Kendi Yayn 1998 Ik Avclar (ocuk iirleri) Kendi Yayn) 2013 pten rendiim Hayat ocuk Kitab 2015 Gl Hikayeleri (ykü) 2015 iir ve yazlarn Bahe, Mavi Umut, Bahar, al, retmen Dünyas, Dirmil, Noktam, Bezuvar, süje, Kar dergilerinde yaynlad. Beykonak Eitim ve Kültür Vakf Yirce iir Yarmasnda. Ne-Var Yok iiriyle Birincilik ald.(2004) Resim almalarn da yürüten Halil ERDEM 3 kiisel, 25 karma resim sergi etkinliinde bulundu.

There was once upon a time a piece of wood in the shop of an old carpenter named Master Antonio. Everybody, however, called him Master Cherry, on account of the end of his nose, which was always as red and polished as a ripe cherry. No sooner had Master Cherry set eyes on the piece of wood than his face beamed with delight, and, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction, he said softly to himself: "This wood has come at the right moment; it will just do to make the leg of a little table."He immediately took a sharp axe with which to remove the bark and the rough surface, but just as he was going to give the first stroke he heard a very small voice say implor-ingly, "Do not strike me so hard!"He turned his terrified eyes all around the room to try and discover where the little voice could possibly have come from, but he saw nobody! He looked under the bench—nobody; he looked into a cupboard that was always shut—nobody; he looked into a basket of shavings and sawdust—nobody; he even opened the door of the shop and gave a glance into the street—and still nobody. Who, then, could it be?

A companion edition of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire novel, to be published alongside the official sequel by his great grand nephew, Dacre Stoker. "I am here to do Your bidding, Master. I am Your slave…" This dark, brooding and powerfully atmospheric novel by Bram Stoker is a classic of gothic literature, casting light on the darkness of the human psyche, and exploiting our deepest fears. When newly qualified solicitor Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help a new client purchase a residence in London, he is unaware that he will be lucky to escape with his life. Harker's fateful visit to Count Dracula's castle begins a series of disturbing events, as the malevolence he discovers there reaches across continents and oceans to twist and abuse his loved ones at home in England.

The setting is a comedy club in a small Israeli town. An audience that has come expecting an evening of amusement instead sees a comedian falling apart on stage; an act of disintegration, a man crumbling, as a matter of choice, before their eyes. They could get up and leave, or boo and whistle and drive him from the stage, if they were not so drawn to glimpse his personal hell. Dovaleh G, a veteran stand-up comic – charming, erratic, repellent – exposes a wound he has been living with for years: a fateful and gruesome choice he had to make between the two people who were dearest to him. A Horse Walks into a Bar is a shocking and breathtaking read. Betrayals between lovers, the treachery of friends, guilt demanding redress. Flaying alive both himself and the people watching him, Dovaleh G provokes both revulsion and empathy from an audience that doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry – and all this in the presence of a former childhood friend who is trying to understand why he’s been summoned to this performance.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. “That these man-like creatures were in truth only bestial monsters, mere grotesque travesties of men, filled me with a vague uncertainty of their possibilities far worse than any definite fear.” Edward Prendick, the sole survivor of a shipwreck in the South Pacific, is set ashore on an island where he meets the mysterious Doctor Moreau. Horrified by the discovery that Moreau is performing vivisection on animals to form monstrous human hybrids, Prendick flees into the jungle. But he soon realises that the island is populated with Moreau’s terrible creations, and not all are divested of their savage habits . . . H. G. Wells pioneered ideas of society, science and progress in his works, which are now considered modern classics. Written in 1896, The Island of Doctor Moreau is an imaginative exploration of the nature of cruelty and what it means to be human.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. “For a time I believed that mankind had been swept out of existence, and that I stood there alone, the last man left alive.” When a strange, meteor-like object lands in the heart of England, the inhabitants of Earth find themselves victims of a terrible attack. A ruthless race of Martians, armed with heat rays and poisonous smoke, is intent on destroying everything that stands in its way. As the unnamed hero struggles to find his way across decimated wastelands, the fate of the planet hangs in the balance . . . H. G. Wells was a pioneer of modern science fiction. First serialised in the UK in 1897, The War of the Worlds is one of the earliest stories to depict conflict with an extraterrestrial race, and has influenced countless adaptations and sequels.