Experienced foster carer, Rosie Lewis, takes on the heart-breaking case of Megan, a baby born with a drug addiction and a cleft palate. Addicted to drugs from birth because of her mother’s substance abuse during pregnancy, new-born Megan is taken into Rosie’s loving care. Rosie is supposed to help Megan find her new permanent home, but it turns out that Megan has already found her ‘forever mummy’ in Rosie. Rosie grows incredibly attached to Megan and applies to adopt her, but the system refuses her in favour of a young couple and Rosie is devastated. Against all her instincts, Rosie does her job and prepares Megan for her new ‘forever family’, but everything about Megan leaving feels wrong. When Rosie learns a few months later that Megan’s adoption has broken down, she is saddened but also filled with hope – will this little girl be allowed to return to her true ‘forever home’?

The nail-bitingly tense sequel to THE OUTLIERS by New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight. “Wylie, trust your instincts.” The line goes dead… Wylie may have escaped the isolated camp in the woods, but she is far from safe. The only way to protect herself is to understand her strange abilities as an Outlier, fast. But allowing herself to read other peoples’ emotions isn't just difficult, it's dangerous. And Wylie isn’t the only one at risk. Ever since they returned home, Jasper has been wracked with guilt. He can’t let go of the blame he so desperately feels, especially when someone has been taunting him with reminders of it. Wylie and Jasper would do anything for each other, but is their bond is strong enough to overcome demons from the past? Amid this uncertainty and fear, Wylie is confronted with a choice. She was willing to do whatever it took to help Cassie, but is she prepared to go to the same extremes for complete strangers… even if they are just like her? New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight raises the stakes in the second book of this heart-pounding series about secrets, betrayal and a group of people are blessed – or cursed – with an incredible power.

A charming and evocative tale of family and fortune from the queen of West Country saga, Linda Finlay. Isabella Carrington has been brought up in a life of privilege in London. Her life seems perfect, until her father suddenly announces bankruptcy. To save Isabella from destitution he sends her to stay with family she has never met, far away on a violet farm deep in Devon. Isabella is horrified to find her uncle expects her to work for her keep, packing up the flowers and selling them in the nearby market. However she soon discovers that life on a violet farm may not be so bad, especially when she meets handsome local farmer Felix Furneaux… Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn.

Christopher Sjuve is a chef and food editor. Based in Norway, his motto is your can never have too much bacon!

A frank and witty memoir of life at the Bar and on the Bench, from former High Court Judge The Hon. Sir Harry Ognall. For many years, Harry Ognall enjoyed a formidable reputation as an advocate at the criminal Bar. As counsel, and later as judge, he was involved in numerous high-profile trials, both in Britain and abroad. Among many cases as a QC, he prosecuted Peter Sutcliffe, the so-called ‘Yorkshire Ripper’. He successfully defended six officers of the Air Force of Zimbabwe at their trial in Harare, where they faced a charge of treasonable sabotage. As a judge, he presided over the trial of Colin Stagg (the alleged ‘Wimbledon Common murderer’), the trial arising from the Lyme Bay canoe tragedy and the trial for the first time in the United Kingdom of a doctor’s alleged involvement in euthanasia. Thoughtful and provocative, Sir Harry has advice for the aspiring young advocate, and invests this penetrating memoir with warmth, humour and understanding. His frank portrait of a lifetime in the criminal law offers unique perspectives on some of the most notorious cases of the twentieth century, as well as fascinating insights into a colourful professional life and the burdens and responsibilities that come with the privilege of high judicial office.

A debut novel by a bestselling non-fiction author, this is a witty, wholly entrancing story of the pleasures, pains and obsessions of contemporary life. Lisa Blaize – teacher, and would-be fashion writer, mother and second wife – feels out of place when her high-flying husband becomes the headmaster of a school in a country town. Isolated and far from her metropolitan upbringing, she turns to the one place where she learns she can be uninhibited. But ‘Twitter may be my undoing’, Lisa discovers as her one-time private life becomes all too public. Soon she is dealing with an online stalker and her husband’s reputation is put at risk, but will she be able to give up her addiction? From the gossip of the classroom to our obsession with instant communication, Look To Your Wife is witty and brilliantly observed, revealing the pleasures and pains of contemporary life.

A white teenage girl clashes with her new black stepmother in this debut thriller with an unforgettable twist ‘Grips the reader with its twisty exploration of the complex relationship between step mother and step daughter’ Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat ‘Oh so good’Elle ‘Told by two unforgettable female narrators, it's urgent, original and genuinely unputdownable’ Clare Fisher, author of All the Good Things ‘Similar in spirit to We Need to Talk About Kevin’ Sunday Times ‘Sure to be a reading group favourite’ Metro ‘Stunning’ Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request ‘Brilliant … the twists and turns left me reeling’ Eleanor Wasserberg, author of Foxlowe ‘Dark, provocative and a refreshing take on the psychological thriller genre. Darling and Lola are both brilliant creations’ Emma Curtis, author of One Little Mistake I knew she was trouble from the moment I saw her. I felt it as she stood in the doorway that day: disaster. Not just because she was so different, that skin and that hair, as different from me as it’s possible to be. There was something wrong about her. Wrong for us. It was never going to work. Now she is dead and only I am left to love him. She is dead, and it’s all my fault.

A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR ? A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR ? A METRO BOOK OF THE YEAR ‘The year’s must read novel’ The Times ‘One of the most important books you’ll pick up this decade’ Harper’s Bazaar ‘An outstanding book that could be this year’s A Little Life’ Guardian ‘You think you’re invincible. You think you won’t ever miss. We need to put the fear on you. You need to surrender yourself to death before you ever begin, and accept your life as a state of grace, and then and only then will you be good enough.’ At 14, Turtle Alveston knows the use of every gun on her wall; That chaos is coming and only the strong will survive it; That her daddy loves her more than anything else in this world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her with him. She doesn’t know why she feels so different from the other girls at school; Why the line between love and pain can be so hard to see; Why making a friend may be the bravest and most terrifying thing she has ever done And what her daddy will do when he finds out … Sometimes strength is not the same as courage. Sometimes leaving is not the only way to escape. Sometimes surviving isn't enough. ‘This book has challenged me like no other. It’s a masterpiece. A work of art on a page. I guarantee this book will take your breath away’ Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep ‘Brutal yet beautiful, My Absolute Darling has floored me. Dear Turtle, a heroine amidst the horror. Exceptional, unflinching storytelling’ Ali Land?, author of Good Me Bad Me ‘An incandescent novel with an extraordinary, unforgettable heroine, both deeply contemplative and utterly thrilling’ Observer – Thriller of the month ‘There are echoes of Ma’s bravery in Emma Donoghue’s Room, or the resilience of Cormac McCarthy’s protagonists as they struggle to stay alive. Tallent’s world is shocking in the truest sense of the word’ Irish Times ‘An utterly fantastic read. Every page is brimming with energy. And Turtle Alveston is as enthralling a character as I’ve encountered in a good long while’ Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds

Archer B. Hemsley and friends are back and yearning for adventure in this second beautifully told, stunningly-illustrated story from author-illustrator Nicholas Gannon. After two years, Archer B. Helmsley’s famous explorer grandparents are finally coming home. They had been missing – abandoned on an iceberg – and Archer and his best friends, Adéla?de L. Belmont and Oliver Grub led an adventurous mission to rescue them. Archer is overjoyed by his grandparents return. However, he seems to be the only one. Rumours begin to surface that Archer’s grandparents weren’t abandoned after all. People are claiming that they made it all up. Well, Archer knows those rumours are false, and with the help of his best friends and new neighbour, Kana, he is going to prove it. Off the foursome set, into a snowstorm and beyond, to restore his grandparent’s reputation.

Tara Button is the CEO and founder of Buymeonce.com. Having worked in advertising for many years and having been a cluttered impulse shopper for all her life, she is now an active campaigner influencing manufacturers to up their game in terms of product longevity and to encourage consumers to buy once and buy well.

From the author of The Madam and The Mother comes a gripping new thriller that will have everyone talking! ‘I absolutely flipping well loved it’ Gingerbookgeek Sometimes you have to take the law into your own hands… DI Laura Jefferson will do whatever it takes to bring down London’s most notorious crime boss. When her team receive a deadly threat – stop their investigation or the police and their families will be targeted – but they aren’t willing to back down… Then the killings begin. A new body is turns up every day, and with no leads, Laura knows she has to take action. Her family is innocent and she’ll stop at nothing to protect them. When someone close to her is hurt, she’ll break every rule in the book to get vengeance.

A forbidden love. A deadly secret. ‘An absorbing, well-researched story that brings to life an extraordinary period in history’ GILL PAUL, bestselling author of The Secret Wife It’s 1943 and Hitler’s Germany is a terrifying place to be. But Magda Ritter’s duty is the most dangerous of all… Assigned to The Berghof, Hitler’s mountain retreat, she must serve the Reich by becoming the Führer’s ‘Taster’ – a woman who checks his food for poison. Magda can see no way out of this hellish existence until she meets Karl, an SS officer who has formed an underground resistance group within Hitler’s inner circle. As their forbidden love grows, Magda and Karl see an opportunity to stop the atrocities of the madman leading their country. But in doing so, they risk their lives, their families and, above all, a love unlike either of them have ever known… Lose yourself in this sweeping, heroic love story fraught with danger. The perfect read for fans of Dinah Jeffries and Gill Paul.

Michael Chaskalson Michael is one of the pioneers of mindfulness teaching and research in Europe. He is the author of the agenda-setting The Mindful Workplace and Mindfulness in Eight Weeks. Based on his 40 years of personal practice of mindfulness and related disciplines, Michael now shares his insights and research with audiences worldwide as a keynote speaker, coach, consultant, and teacher. Michael is founder and CEO of Mindfulness Works and a Professor of Practice at Ashridge Business School. Dr Megan Reitz Megan is Associate Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Ashridge Business School where she speaks, researches, and consults on the intersection of leadership, change, dialogue and mindfulness. She has presented her research to audiences throughout the world and is the author of Dialogue in Organizations.

How do you solve a mystery when you can’t remember the clues? ’A rich tapestry… distinctive and compelling’ Observer ’A stunning whodunnit’ Mail on Sunday ‘A beautiful, original novel, at once funny and tragic and brave’ Sarah Pinborough There are three things you need to know about Jasper. 1. He sees the world completely differently. 2. He can’t recognise faces – not even his own. 3. He is the only witness to the murder of his neighbour, Bee Larkham. But it’s hard to catch a murderer when you can’t recognise their face… An extraordinary and compelling debut which will make you see the world in a way you’ve never seen it before

This novel, based on the groundbreaking BBC TV drama series, shows how it takes both guts and a sense of humour to become a part-time policeman. It was adapted by the series’ creators from all twelve episodes, four of which are published here for the first time. ‘You’ll learn what it’s like out there in the streets, and we’ll learn whether you’re competent to wear the uniform.’ From nine to ?ve, they are like the rest of us. Come the twilight, they don the blue uniform with pride, and volunteer their spare time to share the night vigil of the Bobby on the beat. BOB LOACH, a partner in a coach tour business, is ‘all grease and few graces’, with an ambition to be the first millionaire Special. ANJALI SHA is an NHS physiotherapist who treads the mine?eld of con?icting traditions: ‘My family think it’s a bad business for a well brought-up Hindu girl to prowl the streets at night with a man.’ JOHN REDWOOD is a solicitor with an unshakable belief in the decency of his fellow-man. VIV SMITH is a young bank clerk: ‘It might come as a surprise to you, Sarge, but not all women come with a built-in maternal expertise of how to deal with kids.’ And FREDDY CALDER, an overweight salesman of ladies’ lingerie, conceals a shy and sentimental heart under a brash exterior. Five ordinary people whose commitment makes them extraordinary.

Optimize the powerful techniques of Java 9 to boost your application's performance About This Book ? Tackle all kinds of performance-related issues and streamline your development ? Dive into the new features of Java 9 ? Implement highly efficient and reliable codes with the help of new APIs of Java ? Embedded with assessments that will help you revise the concepts you have learned in this book Who This Book Is For This book is targeted at developers who would like to build reliable and high-performance applications with Java. What You Will Learn ? Familiarize with modular development and its impact on performance ? Learn various string-related performance improvements, including compact string and modify string concatenation ? Explore various underlying compiler improvements, such as tiered attribution and Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation ? Learn security manager improvements ? Understand enhancements in graphics rasterizers ? Use of command-line tools to speed up application development ? Learn how to implement multithreading and reactive programming ? Build microservices in Java 9 ? Implement APIs to improve application code In Detail Java 9 which is one of the most popular application development languages. The latest released version Java 9 comes with a host of new features and new APIs with lots of ready to use components to build efficient and scalable applications. Streams, parallel and asynchronous processing, multithreading, JSON support, reactive programming, and microservices comprise the hallmark of modern programming and are now fully integrated into the JDK. This book focuses on providing quick, practical solutions to enhance your application's performance. You will explore the new features, APIs, and various tools added in Java 9 that help to speed up the development process. You will learn about jshell, Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, and the basic threads related topics including sizing and synchronization. You will also explore various strategies for building microservices including container-less, self-contained, and in-container. This book is ideal for developers who would like to build reliable and high-performance applications with Java. This book is embedded with useful assessments that will help you revise the concepts you have learned in this book. Style and approach This book is a fast-paced guide that provides practical solutions to enhance your application’s performance. Note: This book is a blend of text and quizzes, all packaged up keeping your journey in mind. It includes content from the following Packt product: ? Java 9 High Performance by Mayur Ramgir and Nick Samoylov

Delve deep into various security aspects of AWS to build and maintain a secured environment About This Book ? Learn to secure your network, infrastructure, data, and applications in AWS cloud ? Use AWS managed security services to automate security ? Dive deep into various aspects such as the security model, compliance, access management and much more to build and maintain a secured environment ? Explore Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) and its components ? Embedded with assessments that will help you revise the concepts you have learned in this book Who This Book Is For This book is for all IT professionals, system administrators, security analysts, solution architects, and chief information security officers who are responsible for securing workloads in AWS for their organizations. What You Will Learn ? Get familiar with VPC components, features, and benefits ? Learn to create and secure your private network in AWS ? Explore encryption and decryption fundamentals ? Understand monitoring, logging, and auditing in AWS ? Ensure data security in AWS ? Secure your web and mobile applications in AWS ? Learn security best practices for IAM, VPC, shared security responsibility model, and so on In Detail With organizations moving their workloads, applications, and infrastructure to the cloud at an unprecedented pace, security of all these resources has been a paradigm shift for all those who are responsible for security; experts, novices, and apprentices alike. This book focuses on using native AWS security features and managed AWS services to help you achieve continuous security. Starting with an introduction to Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to secure your AWS VPC, you will quickly explore various components that make up VPC such as subnets, security groups, various gateways, and many more. You will also learn to protect data in the AWS platform for various AWS services by encrypting and decrypting data in AWS. You will also learn to secure web and mobile applications in AWS cloud. This book is ideal for all IT professionals, system administrators, security analysts, solution architects, and chief information security officers who are responsible for securing workloads in AWS for their organizations. This book is embedded with useful assessments that will help you revise the concepts you have learned in this book. Style and approach This book follows a practical approach delving into different aspects of AWS security. It focuses on using native AWS security features and managed AWS services to help you achieve continuous security. Note: This book is a blend of text and quizzes, all packaged up keeping your journey in mind. It includes content from the following Packt product: ? Mastering AWS Security by Albert Anthony

Unlock the power of Spring Boot to build and deploy production-ready microservices About This Book ? Get to know the advanced features of Spring Boot in order to develop and monitor applications ? Use Spring cloud to deploy and manage microservices on the cloud ? Look at embedded servers and deploy a test application to a PaaS Cloud platform ? Embedded with assessments that will help you revise the concepts you have learned in this book Who This Book Is For This book is aimed at Java developers who knows the basics of Spring programming and want to build microservices with Spring Boot. What You Will Learn ? Use Spring Initializr to create a basic spring project ? Build a basic microservice with Spring Boot ? Implement caching and exception handling ? Secure your microservice with Spring security and OAuth2 ? Deploy microservices using self-contained HTTP server ? Monitor your microservices with Spring Boot actuator ? Learn to develop more effectively with developer tools In Detail Microservices helps in decomposing applications into small services and move away from a single monolithic artifact. It helps in building systems that are scalable, flexible, and high resilient. Spring Boot helps in building REST-oriented, production-grade microservices. This book is a quick learning guide on how to build, monitor, and deploy microservices with Spring Boot. You'll be first familiarized with Spring Boot before delving into building microservices. You will learn how to document your microservice with the help of Spring REST docs and Swagger documentation. You will then learn how to secure your microservice with Spring Security and OAuth2. You will deploy your app using a self-contained HTTP server and also learn to monitor a microservice with the help of Spring Boot actuator. This book is ideal for Java developers who knows the basics of Spring programming and want to build microservices with Spring Boot. This book is embedded with useful assessments that will help you revise the concepts you have learned in this book. Style and approach This book follows a practical approach to teach you how to build, monitor, and deploy microservices with Spring Boot. Note: This book is a blend of text and quizzes, all packaged up keeping your journey in mind. It includes content from the following Packt product: ? Mastering Spring 5.0 by Ranga Rao Karanam

Build smarter and efficient database application systems for your organization with SQL Server 2017 About This Book ? Build database applications by using the development features of SQL Server 2017 ? Work with temporal tables to get information stored in a table at any time ? Use adaptive querying to enhance the performance of your queries Who This Book Is For Database developers and solution architects looking to design efficient database applications using SQL Server 2017 will find this book very useful. In addition, this book will be valuable to advanced analysis practitioners and business intelligence developers. Database consultants dealing with performance tuning will get a lot of useful information from this book as well. Some basic understanding of database concepts and T-SQL is required to get the best out of this book. What You Will Learn ? Explore the new development features introduced in SQL Server 2017 ? Identify opportunities for In-Memory OLTP technology ? Use columnstore indexes to get storage and performance improvements ? Exchange JSON data between applications and SQL Server ? Use the new security features to encrypt or mask the data ? Control the access to the data on the row levels ? Discover the potential of R and Python integration ? Model complex relationships with the graph databases in SQL Server 2017 In Detail Microsoft SQL Server 2017 is the next big step in the data platform history of Microsoft as it brings in the power of R and Python for machine learning and containerization-based deployment on Windows and Linux. Compared to its predecessor, SQL Server 2017 has evolved into Machine Learning with R services for statistical analysis and Python packages for analytical processing. This book prepares you for more advanced topics by starting with a quick introduction to SQL Server 2017’s new features and a recapitulation of the possibilities you may have already explored with previous versions of SQL Server. The next part introduces you to enhancements in the Transact-SQL language and new database engine capabilities and then switches to a completely new technology inside SQL Server: JSON support. We also take a look at the Stretch database, security enhancements, and temporal tables. Furthermore, the book focuses on implementing advanced topics, including Query Store, columnstore indexes, and In-Memory OLTP. Towards the end of the book, you’ll be introduced to R and how to use the R language with Transact-SQL for data exploration and analysis. You’ll also learn to integrate Python code in SQL Server and graph database implementations along with deployment options on Linux and SQL Server in containers for development and testing. By the end of this book, you will have the required information to design efficient, high-performance database applications without any hassle. Style and approach This book is a detailed guide to mastering the development features offered by SQL Server 2017, with a unique learn-as-you-do approach. All the concepts are explained in a very easy-to-understand manner and are supplemented with examples to ensure that you—the developer—are able to take that next step in building more powerful, robust applications for your organization with ease.

Build cross-platform solutions with .NET Core 2.0 through real-life scenarios About This Book ? Bridges the gap between learning and doing and improves your software development skills ? Covers the best practices of .NET development to improve your productivity ? Example-based approach to get you started quickly with software programming Who This Book Is For If you are a developer or architect and want to learn how to build cross-platform solutions using Microsoft .NET Core, this book is for you. It is assumed that you have some knowledge of the .NET Framework, OOP, and C# (or a similar programming language). What You Will Learn ? Build cross-platform applications with ASP.NET Core 2.0 and its tools ? Integrate, host, and deploy web apps with the cloud (Microsoft Azure) ? Leverage the ncurses native library to extend console capabilities in .NET Core on Linux and interop with native coden .NET Core on Linux and learn how to interop with existing native code ? Reuse existing .NET Framework and Mono assemblies from .NET Core 2.0 applications ? Develop real-time web applications using ASP.NET Core ? Learn the differences between SOA and microservices and get started with microservice development using ASP.NET Core 2.0 ? Walk through functional programming with F# and .NET Core from scratch In Detail With the rise in the number of tools and technologies available today, developers and architects are always exploring ways to create better and smarter solutions. Before, the differences between target platforms was a major roadblock, but that's not the case now. .NET Core 2.0 By Example will take you on an exciting journey to building better software. This book provides fresh and relevant content to .NET Core 2.0 in a succinct format that’s enjoyable to read. It also delivers concepts, along with the implications, design decisions, and potential pitfalls you might face when targeting Linux and Windows systems, in a logical and simple way. With the .NET framework at its center, the book comprises of five varied projects: a multiplayer Tic-tac-toe game; a real-time chat application, Let'sChat; a chatbot; a microservice-based buying-selling application; and a movie booking application. You will start each chapter with a high-level overview of the content, followed by the above example applications described in detail. By the end of each chapter, you will not only be proficient with the concepts, but you’ll also have created a tangible component in the application. By the end of the book, you will have built five solid projects using all the tools and support provided by the .NET Core 2.0 framework. Style and approach This book takes a concise yet comprehensive project-based approach to teaching the tricks and tools of .NET Core 2.0.

Leverage this step-by-step guide to build a highly secure, fault-tolerant, and scalable Cloud environment About This Book ? Learn how to leverage various Amazon Web Services (AWS) components and services to build a secure, reliable, and robust environment to host your applications on. ? Delve into core AWS service offerings with hands-on tutorials, real-world use case scenarios, and best practices. ? A self-paced, systematic, and step-by-step guide to learning and implementing AWS in your own environment. Who This Book Is For This book is for those who want to learn and leverage the rich plethora of services provided by AWS. Although no prior experience with AWS is required, it is recommended that you have some hands-on experience of Linux, Web Services, and basic networking. What You Will Learn ? Take an in-depth look at what's new with AWS, along with how to effectively manage and automate your EC2 infrastructure with AWS Systems Manager ? Deploy and scale your applications with ease using AWS Elastic Beanstalk and Amazon Elastic File System ? Secure and govern your environments using AWS CloudTrail, AWS Config, and AWS Shield ? Learn the DevOps way using a combination of AWS CodeCommit, AWS CodeDeploy, and AWS CodePipeline ? Run big data analytics and workloads using Amazon EMR and Amazon Redshift ? Learn to back up and safeguard your data using AWS Data Pipeline ? Get started with the Internet of Things using AWS IoT and AWS Greengrass In Detail Many businesses are moving from traditional data centers to AWS because of its reliability, vast service offerings, lower costs, and high rate of innovation. AWS can be used to accomplish a variety of both simple and tedious tasks. Whether you are a seasoned system admin or a rookie, this book will help you to learn all the skills you need to work with the AWS cloud. This book guides you through some of the most popular AWS services, such as EC2, Elastic Beanstalk, EFS, CloudTrail, Redshift, EMR, Data Pipeline, and IoT using a simple, real-world, application-hosting example. This book will also enhance your application delivery skills with the latest AWS services, such as CodeCommit, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline, to provide continuous delivery and deployment, while also securing and monitoring your environment's workflow. Each chapter is designed to provide you with maximal information about each AWS service, coupled with easy to follow, hands-on steps, best practices, tips, and recommendations. By the end of the book, you will be able to create a highly secure, fault-tolerant, and scalable environment for your applications to run on. Style and approach This in-depth and insightful guide is filled with easy-to-follow examples, real-world use cases, best practices, and recommendations that will help you design and leverage some of the most commonly used AWS services.