Robert Hale books catalogue: July - December 2012

Robert Hale jULy–DECEMBER 2012

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july–december 2012

NON-fiction

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Criminal River: The History of the Thames River Police STEPHEN WADE Criminal River explores the social and legal history of the police on the River Thames, from the founding of the Thames Marine Police in 1798 to the contemporary establishment working in co-operation with other security and crime prevention organizations.

The book begins with an account of eighteenth-century crime on the river, and goes on to explain the adaptation to rapid social and industrial change that came with the growth of empire and the ever-evolving challenge of policing the river traffic.

• E xplores the Thames Police’s beginnings and the challenges it met in Georgian, Victorian and modern England • Includes revealing biographies of key figures in Thames Police history • E xplains the wider issues in the social context of policing • Written by a respected crime historian, widely published in police history Stephen Wade is a former university lecturer now writing and researching the history of crime and law. He is widely published in police and prison history and has also written genealogical works, as well as writing regularly for family history magazines.

216 x 138mm • h/b • 240pp • Approx 10 images • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9327-5 • £17.99 • July 2012

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NON-fiction

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Understanding Austen Key Concepts in the Six Novels MAGGIE LANE No other author uses abstract nouns as extensively as Jane Austen. Three of her six novels even draw on such words for their titles: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. Terms like ‘elegance’, ‘gentility’ and ‘propriety’ seem to define her well-ordered, judgemental world.

In making the fine moral, psychological and social discriminations on which her plots depend, Jane Austen draws on the vocabulary of her age, which is both more abstract and more fixed than that of today. But as this study shows, she was capable of subtlety and even ambiguity in her deployment of such key concepts. Here, Maggie Lane, acclaimed author of many Jane Austen books, turns her attention to the fascinating nuances of Austen’s language and the way it embodies her most profound beliefs about human conduct and character.

Maggie Lane is a well-respected authority on Jane Austen and is the Chair of the south-west branch of The Jane Austen Society UK. 234 x 156 mm • h/b • 208pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9078-6 • £16.99 • August 2012

NON-fiction

july–december 2012

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Playwriting From Page to Stage CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM HILL Sitting down to write a play can be a daunting experience and many a script has remained unwritten for fear of trying. Debunking the idea that there is a right way or a wrong way to write a play, Christopher William Hill sets out to demystify the process, guiding the reader every step of the way from page to stage and beyond – because completing a script is only the beginning of the adventure!

With encouraging tips to help first-time writers avoid the pitfalls of constructing a script, and survivor’s-guide notes offering an invaluable insight into how new writing is commissioned and staged, this book has something for every aspiring playwright. Enjoy, and remember: if you can’t get it right, get it written. Then get it right!

Christopher William Hill is an award-winning playwright and radio dramatist. He was writer-in-residence at Plymouth Theatre Royal and tutors regularly for the Arvon Foundation.

216 x 138 mm • p/b • 176pp • Rights: BPTM • 978-0-7090-9099-1 • £9.99 August 2012

Making Money Online ANTONIA CHITTY AND ERICA DOUGLAS Everyone is interested in making money from the internet, and this book shows you how.

Making Money Online takes you step by step through the process of building an online profile, finding fans, creating products and making sales. From the basics of getting started, through deciding what to specialize in, to finding and keeping followers, you will find inspiring case studies and useful resources in every chapter. Whether you need to earn a few pounds in your spare time to boost your budget or make a full-time living online, this is the book for you.

Antonia Chitty is an award-winning entrepreneur and author and Erica Douglas is one of the UK’s leading parenting bloggers. Erica and Antonia provide flexible and affordable training through ACEInspire and help mums start earning through Become a Mumpreneur.

216 x 138 mm • p/b • 192pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9267-4 • £12.99 September 2012

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NON-fiction

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Encyclopaedia of Plants in Myth, Legend, Magic and Lore STUART PHILLIPS In An Encyclopaedia of Plants in Myth, Legend, Magic and Lore Stuart Phillips brings together a collection of the stories, folk tales and legends relating to plants. Whereas at one time these folk stories might have been passed on from parent to child as a way of teaching something of the natural world, many are now largely forgotten – yet they are an important part of our folk heritage.

This collection works as both a ‘dip-in’ book for items of interest and a comprehensive guide to the use of plants in art, literature and common customs.

Stuart Phillips is a director at the Gaia Consultancy Horticultural training company. He trained in horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and worked as a lecturer in horticulture at Reaseheath College in Cheshire and at Moulton College, Northampton.

Stuart has been a regular contributor to BBC radio programmes and has written articles on all aspects of horticulture.

234 x 156 mm • h/b • 664pp • 50 colour drawings • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9150-9 £50 • November 2012

Gardener’s Latin* BILL NEAL Today’s gardeners encounter Latin terms whenever they enter garden centres or pick up mail-order catalogues. They must still, of course, decide whether dahlias or peonies will best complete that floral border. But new questions in an increasingly technical vocabulary are sprouting up among perennial concerns and demanding attention from devoted gardeners.

A fantastic guide for the gardener who needs to know that a plant with isabellinus (tawing yellow) on its nursery tag might not belong in a carefully planned ianthinus (violet-blue) border. Or that the ostensibly similar basilaris and basilicus mean ‘base’ and ‘royal’, respectively. Whether it’s dahlias or peonies that will best complete a garden, Gardener’s Latin is the book to complete any gardener’s bookshelf.

Bill Neal (1951–91) was widely admired as a chef and author of three cookbooks. He was also well known as an avid gardener and edited a collection of gardening columns.

179 x 162 mm • h/b • 144pp • line drawings throughout • Rights: BPTM excl. Can Aust. NZ & PNG • 978-0-7090-5106-0 • £9.99 • November 2012 *Previously published title

NON-fiction

july–december 2012

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Marathon Training NIKALAS COOK Every year, thousands of people are inspired to don their running shoes and take on the challenge of a marathon. On the road to the finish line, though, many marathon hopefuls fall by the wayside, struck down by injury. Plans that are too running intensive or that don’t prepare the body for running and ignore correct technique are largely to blame.

Nikalas Cook adopts a cross-training approach to running.

He incorporates functional strength training, complementary activities such as cycling and swimming and only three focused running sessions per week into his plan to deliver runners to the finish line 100% prepared and injury-free. In 28 weeks, you can go from complete non-runner, through your first 5k, 10k, half-marathon and finally to success in the full 26.2 miles of the marathon.

Nikalas Cook is a writer and coach who specializes in health, fitness, endurance and adventure sports. He worked for eight years as a top personal trainer in London and as well as completing marathons, triathlons, ultra-marathons and other endurance challenges himself, he has successfully trained numerous clients to their own endurance goals.

‘Cook has a global, holistic and highly intelligent view of fitness. I revere him and am eternally grateful.’

Kate Spicer, journalist and broadcaster ‘Not only did I get through with a great personal result, but I also was able to enjoy the race because I was so well prepared.’ Ramez Sousou (Founder and co-CEO of TowerBrook Capital Partners) 216 x 176 mm • h/b • 152pp • Approx 100 illustrations Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9329-9 • £14.99 September 2012

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NON-fiction

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Wearing Combovers and 49 Other Things the Modern Man Shouldn’t Do CARL WALKER Modern men have a tendency to do a lot of unusual things. Some wear comedy socks and ties. Others labour under the curious misapprehension that cycling without using ones hands constitutes a social achievement. You may see a man in the street throwing a sweet up in the air with the sole purpose of trying to catch it in his mouth.

In a moment of historical literary significance matched only by the Domesday book and the first edition of the King James Bible, this book finally brings together an account of the strange and frankly unacceptable habits of modern men with the clear and obvious reasons why these habits must, for the sake of the future of the human race, be cast aside.

Carl Walker is a senior lecturer in psychology and he has ten years’ experience researching and publishing academic work on human behaviour. He is uniquely qualified to write this book on account of being the only man who considers himself a world authority on men who juggle. He lives in Sussex with his family and his hobbies include avoiding men who wear comedy ties and thinking up innovative new ways to hide his man boobs.

178 x 127 mm • h/b • 96pp • 20 original cartoons • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9811-9 • £6.99 • September 2012

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july–december 2012

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The Art of Making a Harpsichord* DARRYL MARTIN For around three hundred years, the harpsichord was the leading domestic musical instrument and often a highly fashionable piece of furniture as well.

Usurped by the piano at the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was taken up again with the first revival of early music at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Beginning with an overview of the instrument, its schools and workshop traditions, the author – himself an experienced maker and researcher – explores the various models and types before leading the reader through the manufacture of an Italian-style instrument. This book has been designed to provide assistance to all harpsichord makers, whatever model they choose to make. It is lavishly illustrated with line drawings and photographs, the latter taken – wherever possible – from antique examples that give the reader as full an understanding as possible of the quality of these beautiful instruments.

Originally from Western Australia, Darryl Martin moved to the United Kingdom in the 1980s to work as a harpsichord maker. Since 2004 he has been curator of the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments. A regular writer for major journals and a speaker at international conferences, Darryl Martin is also active as a lecturer and postgraduate supervisor at the University of Edinburgh.

297 x 210 mm • h/b • 256pp • Approx 400 illustrations • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-8570-6 • £70 • October 2012 *Previously announced

Worcestershire Peter Neville Havins (edited by Anne Bradford) The second longest river in England flows through Worcestershire and its gentle hills have some of the oldest rocks in the world. Now a peaceful county of great beauty, Worcestershire’s history is a rich tapestry.

Among the many famous figures inspired by the Malvern Hills are the composer Edward Elgar, C.S. Lewis, author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

From ancient times to the present day, this book endeavours to provide a comprehensive picture of the county of Worcestershire, which is famous for its sauce but has a wealth of other hidden treasures besides.

After leaving university the late Peter J. Neville Havins worked as a librarian, a schoolmaster and a journalist with Berrow’s Newspapers in Worcester. This is his second history of Worcestershire.

257 x 180 mm • h/b • 368pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-7988-0 • £40.00 • October 2012

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NON-fiction

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Genealogy Essential Research Methods HELEN OSBORN This book is the ideal companion for anybody researching their family tree. It provides advice and inspiration on methods and problem-solving and helps the amateur family historian understand what successful professionals do to get results, and why we should copy them.

Over ten chapters, it examines the various themes that affect the success or failure of all genealogy research. This begins with an overview of common challenges genealogists encounter and continues with an examination of how to both search effectively and find the right documentary sources. Using examples from her own family history as well as client work, teacher and professional genealogist Helen Osborn demonstrates how to get the most from documents, analyze problems and build research plans.

Helen Osborn is co-founder of Pharos Tutors, providers of online genealogy courses. She has worked as a professional genealogist and historical researcher since 1998 with clients worldwide and thousands of hours of research time under her belt. She is a member of AGRA and has been a consultant on the popular TV series Who Do You Think You Are? Helen has written three previous books about public houses and brewing history. This is her first book about genealogy.

216 x 138 mm • h/b • 272pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9197-4 • £17.99 • October 2012

july–december 2012

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Growing for Food and Colour GRAHAM CLARKE Over the past four or five years in the UK, the growyour-own phenomenon has meant that more and more people have been producing their own food.

From salads and root crops to apples, cucumbers, squashes and strawberries, home-grown food is enjoyed in ever-increasing quantities.

Growing for Food and Colour shows that it really is possible to cultivate fruits, vegetables and herbs alongside flowers – and that the beauty of the garden can be enhanced rather than compromised by productive plants. Following the advice in this book will enable the reader to enjoy home-grown food that is fresher, healthier and tastier – but which also looks fantastic.

275 x 210 mm • h/b • 192pp • 160 colour illustrations Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9845-4 • £19.99 October 2012

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TITLES BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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Blackmail for Beginners Eileen Robertson A darkly hilarious romp through middle-England, Blackmail for Beginners is a tale of dubious morality and some totally unexpected consequences.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: BPTM excl. Canada • 978-0-7090-9381-7 • £18.99

England’s Janissary Peter James Cottrell Kevin Flynn thought soldiering would be an adventure but, disillusioned by war, he is unprepared for the bitter troubles dividing his home in Ireland. Flynn must decide what he is prepared to do to save the woman he loves from the vengeance of the men who revile him as a traitor, one of England’s janissaries.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 272pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9330-5 • £19.99

A Narrow Return Faith Martin Ex-Detective Inspector Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley to work on cold cases for her new boss. With something to prove, to both herself and her new boss, she knuckles down to catch a killer …

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World, Eng. Lang. • 978-0-7090-9476-0 • £18.99

Resurrection Raymond Haigh The Prime Minister has been murdered. Whilst under police protection at Chequers, their official country residence, his widow, Helen Cosgrave, discovers her husband’s private and damning bank statements. Samantha Quest knows the late Prime Minister’s secrets and at considerable risk to herself she is persuaded to take a chance and stop the country’s slide into panic and political disaster.

234 x 256 mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9412-8 • £18.99

Sherlock Holmes and the Queen of Diamonds Steve Hayes & David Whitehead Thomas Howard of Missouri came out of nowhere, one foggy night, to rescue Countess Elaina Montague from rape and robbery. To repay him, the beautiful Countess offered to enlist her friend, Sherlock Holmes, to help look for his missing brother. The case leads to their involvement in a vicious blood-feud, a spectacular daylight robbery and a thrilling climax below the brooding River Thames.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9478-4 • £18.99

july–december 2012

general fiction

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Orphans of Chance Peter Taylor Detective Sergeant John Niven was adopted, and believed he had adjusted to that long ago. But a personal crisis makes him wonder about his origins, his career and his future. Simultaneously, he is hunting a killer who might well be a fellow policeman and Niven finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into the case …

Peter Taylor was born in Sedgefield, County Durham, and has worked as both a teacher and a prison lecturer.

A prolific Black Horse Western author and crime thriller writer, Taylor’s previous novels include Trails of Fate, Stitched and Stone Cold.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9904-8 • £19.99 • July 2012

A Small Fortune Patricia Fawcett What would you do if you won the Lottery? Angela and Tom leave their roots and move to a designer home overlooking Morecambe Bay. Despite the money, the family are discontented and when a visit from Angela’s sister brings to a head their disparate relationships, their enviable life starts to unravel.

Born in Preston, Lancashire, Patricia Fawcett now lives in Devon, close to her family. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the West Country Writers’ Association. Her previous novels include Rumours and Red Roses and Just Another Day. 234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World Eng. Lang. • 978-0-7090-9850-8 • £19.99 • July 2012

A Strange Inheritance Mark Neilson Everybody dreams of a surprise inheritance and one comes to Meg at her lowest ebb: a letter, from an uncle she has never heard of, leaving her a derelict mill and bakery in a Yorkshire dale.

With the gift comes a strange final request, asking her to ‘help close the circle’. Meg throws herself into the challenge of running the mill but must answer the nagging questions in her mind about the dead Henry Masterton – and why he left her everything he owned.

Having previously worked as a banker, Mark Neilson went on to become an economics lecturer at Strathclyde University. He is now a full-time writer. His previous novel Valley of the Vines was also published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9950-5 • £19.99 • July 2012

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The Tara Bones K.T. McCaffrey When a number of young women go missing, investigative journalist Emma Boylan explores the circumstances surrounding their disappearance. The Tara Bones takes you on a voyage of unexpected twists and turns as it confronts the abuse meted out to the missing women, in an atmosphere of unnerving suspense.

After graduating from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, McCaffrey worked for a number of Ireland’s leading advertising agencies and graphic design studios before setting up a graphics practice. You can read more about the author, and his previous novels, at www.ktmccaffrey.com 234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9898-0 • £19.99 • July 2012

Young May Moon Sheila Newberry On the silvery sands of West Wick, in Suffolk, just before her sixteenth birthday, Young May Moon, as she is known to family and friends, fulfils the promise made to her late father and becomes the Punch and Judy lady. Discovering that performing is in her blood May experiences first love and the pain of parting …

Sheila has nine children and twenty-two grandchildren. She now lives in Suffolk with her husband and has written many novels for Robert Hale including The Watercress Girls and The Poplar Penny Whistlers.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World Eng. Lang. • 978-0-7090-9906-2 • July 2012

McFeeley’s Rebellion Theresa Murphy The regime of James II is under threat. An intelligence corps, formed under the leadership of Lord John Churchill, is designed to gather information on the Monmouth Rebellion and quash the rebels. Given the perilous missions selected for him, McFeeley is accepting of the fact he is unlikely to survive the rebellion. If he remains alive it will be difficult to adjust. Killing always becomes addictive …

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9949-9 • August 2012

july–december 2012

general fiction

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Blue Dress Girl E.V. Thompson When a Chinese peasant girl is chosen as a concubine to Li Hung, Chief Customs Officer for the bustling port of Canton, her parents tell her it is a great honour – but the seedy reality is far from honourable. After an incident with a lecherous British trader she is sent away and injured during the voyage. But Second Lieutenant Kernow Keats is moved by the young girl’s plight and makes arrangements to take her to a hospital in Hong Kong.

However, a love affair between a British officer and a Chinese peasant girl is unthinkable in 1857 and it seems their love is doomed.

From the author of Chase the Wind and Though the Heavens May Fall this beautifully told saga is majestically woven around the lives of two people, discovering unexpected feelings in unfamiliar territory.

E.V. Thompson was born in London. While in Rhodesia – heading up the Department of Civil Aviation Security Section – he published over 200 short stories before moving back to England to become a full-time award-winning writer. More than thirty novels have won him thousands of admirers around the world. In 2011 Thompson was awarded an MBE for services to literature and to the Cornish community.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 352pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9846-1 • £19.99 August 2012

Nothing is Forever Grace Thompson Ruth has looked after her brothers for ten years since the death of their parents and believes that her role as head of the family will continue for the rest of her life. With two of her brothers already married and living away she has only her youngest brothers to care for. The arrival of a new, very determined sister-in-law makes change inevitable and Ruth struggles to maintain her superior role. She must recognize her priorities in time to salvage her own chance of love and happiness.

Nothing is Forever is a finely drawn portrait of the joys and challenges of close-knit family life, from the much-loved writer of Gull Island and Facing the World.

Grace Thompson lives in Swansea. She has a son and a daughter, as well as five grandchildren. Her previous books, also published by Robert Hale, include Nothing is Forever, Gull Island and Goodbye to Dreams.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 256pp • Rights: BPTM • 978-0-7198-0501-1 • £19.99 August 2012

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Mischief Done J.A. O’Brien When nine-year-old Miranda Watts goes missing, suspicion falls on Samuel Curly, a local man responsible for the abduction of another girl some years previously. When another girl is found dead following Curly’s suicide, where a note is found protesting his innocence, it becomes clear that there is someone out there who knows where Miranda is, and if she’s still alive …

J.A. O’Brien has worked with Irish Railways, as a stock clerk in Smithfield and also at Eircom. Following early retirement he started writing and his previous books include Foul Death and Remains Found, both published

by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0500-4• £19.99 • August 2012

The Shadow of Treason Edward Taylor Autumn 1944. The Battle of Britain has been won, Allied troops are liberating Europe and the Nazi nightmare is almost over. But two unexpected horrors are waiting on the horizon. Edward Taylor’s gripping thriller speeds from Soho, through the Essex marshes, to a stunning double climax: first on Southend Pier, and then in the BBC News studio.

Edward Taylor worked as a writer with the BBC for thirty-six years. During his time at the BBC he produced Just a Minute, Dr Finlay’s Casebook and wrote for Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies. On leaving the BBC in 1991 he returned to the theatre and has written six plays.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: BPTM • 978-0-7090-9966-6 • £19.99 • August 2012

Shadows in the Sky Mary de Laszlo When Clemency and her sister Verity move from London to Caithness during WWII they devise very different ways of coping with the changes. When Clemency escapes, against the wishes of their father, to join her cousin for Air Transport training, Verity is left behind. The sisters begin to realize, at great personal cost, that love and war each hold their own dangers.

Mary de Laszlo worked for Queen Magazine in the 1960s. She also worked in Paris and reported on shows and the Paris collections. Mary has three children and two grandsons and now writes full time. She lives in London.

234 x 156 mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9948-2 • £19.99 • August 2012

july–december 2012

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Blood on the Marsh Peter Tickler When an old woman dies in a care home, it should be a gentle return to duty for DI Holden. But the evidence of drugs misuse suggests otherwise and, as Holden investigates, cracks appear in the emotional fabric of the care home. In this, the third of the Blood in Oxford series, Holden and her team find themselves racing to prevent further bloodshed as a killer runs amok.

Peter Tickler has lived and worked in Oxford for nearly thirty years. He also studied at the University of Oxford.

Previously a non-fiction author, Tickler turned his hand to novels in 2008 with Blood on the Cowley Road.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9907-9• £19.99 • September 2012

Out of the Night Dan Latus One headless body on the beach near Frank Doy’s home on the Cleveland coast was regrettable, two more were disturbing. But when an uncommunicative woman arrives at his house in the dead of night and then disappears again almost immediately, Doy realizes he is involved in something extremely dark and dangerous.

Dan Latus lives in Northumberland with his wife. He grew up in Teesside which has been his inspiration for this particular novel. Out of the Night is Dan’s third novel published by Robert Hale, following Risky Mission and Never Look Back.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0620-9 • £19.99 • September 2012

Poacher’s Moon Ann Cliff When nursemaid Kate Cooper rescues poacher William Thorpe from a mantrap on her employer’s land, they are unaware of the consequences of their meeting. On the night of the poacher’s moon matters come to a head and passion and disaster collide at the Wiggins mansion.

Ann Cliff was born in Yorkshire and brought up in a farming family. She writes frequently about nineteenthcentury Yorkshire and her previous novels include Summer by the Sea and Shadows on the Moor, also published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156 mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0579-0 • £19.99 • September 2012

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Urban Myth James Raven It’s the holiday home from hell, deep in an ancient English forest where no one can hear your screams. Something horrific is going on in the house – something that defies the imagination. Even hardened detective Jeff Temple, hunting down a brutal killer, is shocked to discover the chilling secret …

James Raven was a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for local, regional and national newspapers he moved into television in 1982 as a news scriptwriter with TVS television where he then worked his way up to become Director of News across Meridian, Anglia and HTV. He was Managing Director of Granada Sport before setting up his own production company. James has previously published four novels with Robert Hale, including Rollover.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: BPTM • 978-0-7198-0543-1• £19.99 September 2012

‘My advice is to find a quiet corner and enjoy that rare thing – a tale that makes you hold your breath’ – Nick Knowles, presenter, DIY SOS ‘Extremely well-crafted and readable...with a real sting in the tail’ – Fred Dinenage, face of the Crime and Investigation channel

The Annals of Sherlock Holmes Paul D. Gilbert This sparkling collection of three new Sherlock Holmes stories draws on details and hints from the pages of Conan Doyle’s classic works. From the pen of the acclaimed Doctor John Watson we are introduced to previously unsolved mysteries as referenced in many of the original stories.

Paul Gilbert was born in North London and now lives in Harrow with his wife Jackie and their two sons. As well as his passion for the work of Arthur Conan Doyle, he also enjoys history, science-fiction and Tai Chi. The Annals of Sherlock Holmes follows his previous novels, The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra, also published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9346-6 • £19.99 October 2012

‘Gilbert perfectly strikes the acidic, sarcastic yet humorous tone of the famous detective’ – Historical Novels Review ‘A remarkably original collection’ – Tangled Web UK

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Dark Passage Frances Burke After a devastating fall from high society into dire poverty Nicola Redmond battles to support her mother and herself during the 1890s Depression in Australia. Spurning the ‘charity’ of the man who has claimed her father’s estate, Nicola joins the battle for the empowerment of the women slaving in factories under dreadful conditions, or forced by starvation to sell themselves on the streets.

Frances Burke lives in Sydney and loves to travel. She gained some invaluable experience as inaugurator of the local Fellowship of Australian Writers and her novels are inspired by a sense of place. Her previous novels include Scarlet Wind and Windstorm.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0667-4• £19.99 • October 2012

The House on Gallows Green Frances Lloyd The house on Gallows Green is a charming, chocolate-box cottage in an idyllic Somerset village.

Dick and Rosemary Brown move there to escape the city and its spiralling gang violence. But why did the previous owners suddenly disappear and why will no one talk about them? When the mystery deepens and corpses start appearing, the murders must be solved …

Frances Lloyd was born in Dagenham and spent her childhood moving between RAF stations. She began writing fiction in 2000 and won several prizes for her short stories. She now lives in the Scottish Highlands and writes full time. Her previous novels include The Colour of Death.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: BPTM • 978-0-7198-0665-0 • £19.99 • October 2012

Hurricane Hole John Kerr Tom Hamilton, a young American undercover agent, arrives in Nassau in late 1942, when German U-boats are sinking dozens of Allied merchant ships in the Caribbean. Master storyteller John Kerr’s Hurricane Hole is a gripping combination of espionage and tragic love, set against the backdrop of the tropical Bahamas and the celebrated murder of Sir Harry Oakes, the wealthiest man in the British Empire.

John Kerr’s writing draws on substantial research of European and American history. Kerr studied at the University of Texas and Stanford University. He lives in San Antonio, Texas. Hurricane Hole is his second novel published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9905-5 • £19.99 • October 2012

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The Invisible Murder Joyce Cato When travelling cook Jenny Starling starts her new job for the aristocracy living in a genuine castle, she is thrilled. But when a jewelled dagger is used to murder a member of the staff and the lady of the house insists that Jenny – quite literally – helps the police with their enquiries, it seems as if the reluctant sleuth must once again discover the identity of the killer amongst them.

Joyce Cato was born in Oxford and is a full-time writer. This is the fourth book in the Jenny Starling series, the first three, Birthdays Can Be Murder, A Fatal Fall of Snow and Dying for a Cruise, were also published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World Eng. Lang. • 978-0-7198-0592-9• £19.99 • October 2012

Requiem David Hodges It is two years since psychotic undertaker Larry ‘Twister’ Wadman disappeared after embarking on a murderous rampage across the Somerset Levels. For most, memories have dulled, but the sole survivor of the carnage, police sergeant Kate Hamblin, cannot forget. So when a prostitute’s body is found dumped in a coffin in Twister’s now derelict funeral parlour she realizes that her old enemy is back – and out to get her.

A former superintendent with Thames Valley Police, David Hodges is a prolific writer and former essayist. His previous novels, Slice and Firetrap were both published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0661-2 • £19.99 • October 2012

Where There’s Smoke Penny Grubb Private investigator Annie Raymond is now working in London, on a case that has suddenly turned nasty, when she’s asked to travel back to Yorkshire. But no one wants her there. The fourth outing for PI Annie Raymond sees her pick her way through a minefield of double-dealing and return to a past she thought she had left well behind.

Penny is a scientist, an academic, a trade unionist and the current Chair of the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society. Her previous novels include the award-winning Like False Money, The Doll Makers and The Jawbone Gang. www.pennygrubb.com 234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0729-9• £19.99 • October 2012

july–december 2012

The Bonds of Earth E.V. Thompson In 1837 when rich deposits of copper ore are discovered, a huge influx of out-of-work miners flock to the area from Cornwall’s far west. Young Goran Trebartha, whose working life is divided by two farms, finds himself caught between the seemingly incompatible cultures, his problems added to when life is further complicated by the arrival of a mine captain and all his female family.

Avarice and intrigue, the vicissitudes of farming life and the sheer desperation of hungry miners all add to the bewildering changes that will irrevocably alter the course of Goran’s life.

E.V. Thompson was born in London. After spending nine years in the Royal Navy, he served as a Vice Squad policeman in Bristol, became an investigator for British Overseas Airways, then headed Rhodesia’s Department of Civil Aviation Security Section. While in Rhodesia, he published over 200 short stories before moving back to England to become a full-time award-winning writer.

In 2011 E.V. Thompson was awarded an MBE for services to literature and to the Cornish community. Ernest died in 2012 and The Bonds of Earth will be his last published novel.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 288pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7090-9965-9 £19.99 • November 2012 234 x 156mm • Trade paperback • 288pp • Rights: World 978-0-7090-9968-0 • £11.99 • November 2012

This title will also be released as an ebook in December 2012. Please see page 40 for further details.

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‘Nobody has written better historical fiction … this is storytelling that scales the heights’

Cornish Guardian

‘Compelling and perceptive’ Western Daily Press

‘A vigorous and fascinating piece of storytelling’ The Sunday Times

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Hot Ice Gregg Loomis Jason Peters: classical music enthusiast, artist, animal lover. Assassin.

In an effort to evade his past, Jason lives on a tiny Italian island but his past catches up with him when he accepts what he tells himself will be his last job. On the trail of a conspiracy to weaken, if not destroy, the West, Jason is out to expose the plot. But there are those whose lives depend on getting him out of the way first …

Gregg Loomis is a former racing-car driver and a licensed commercial pilot. He has published several books in the US and currently practises law in his native Atlanta. He lives with his wife, Suzanne, and their golden retrievers, Henry Tudor and Charles Stuart.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: BPTM • 978-0-7198-0730-5 • £19.99 • November 2012

No. 1 Suspect The Mulgray Twins When a murder is witnessed on a webcam at the Seabird Centre near Edinburgh, D.J. Smith – undercover agent for HMRC – knows that drug baron Hiram J. Spinks has returned to Scotland.

Never one to stick to orders, Smith rents an apartment in the hunting lodge Spinks is using as a front, posing as upper-crust Vanessa Dewar-Smyth. Which of her fellow residents is involved with the drug ring?

The Mulgray Twins have lived in Edinburgh all their lives. After university, they taught English for thirty years in Midlothian. Following an early retirement they took up writing. The twins have written Under Suspicion, Above Suspicion and Suspects All!, all published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: BPTM excl. Canada • 978-0-7198-0732-9 • £19.99 • November 2012

On Track to Murder Heather Graves Against a background of horse racing and intrigue, this is a compelling story of Cinderella in reverse. After leaving her cheating husband, Larissa must rebuild her life with new friends.

Jealous of his wife’s new-found happiness, Miles uses his power and influence to meddle in the lives of the people she loves...

Heather Graves lives in Australia, with her husband and daughter. A writer for over twenty years, her books include Red for Danger, Starshine Blue, Indigo Nights and Magenta Magic.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World Eng. Lang. • 978-0-7198-0728-2 • £19.99 • November 2012

july–december 2012

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Snake in the Grass Dominic Luke Lydia Taylor’s dog is dead. A gift from her ex-boyfriend, Prize has been her companion for more years than she cares to think about. Now, nearing forty, in mourning and haunted by the ghost of her mother, Lydia finds herself acting in ways she never expected – not least when she seduces eighteen-year-old Dean Morley by the side of a country lane.

In trying to extricate herself from this moment of madness, Lydia unwittingly gets involved in organizing an exhibition of village artwork. The exhibition takes on a life of its own, but to Lydia it is an imposition; to Imelda Darkley – lady of the manor and doyenne of the parish council – the exhibition is anathema; but to Dean’s mother Gwen it proves to be unexpectedly liberating …

With a cast of superbly drawn characters this witty and insightful story delves deep into village life and captures finely depicted personalities with all their strengths, desires and foibles.

Dominic Luke was born in London and studied history at the University of Birmingham. He lives in Northamptonshire and Aunt Letitia, his debut novel, was published in May 2012.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 256pp • Rights: World 978-0-7198-0668-1 • £19.99 • November 2012

This title will be released as an ebook in December 2012. Please see page 40 for further details.

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To Honour the Dead John Dean The unveiling of a new memorial stirs deep emotions in a remote North Pennines village as the people honour their war dead. That night, the memorial is vandalized and an elderly war veteran is murdered, apparently by thieves after his Victoria Cross. Are the incidents connected?

John Dean is an award-winning journalist from Darlington, Co. Durham. He has contributed to papers such as the Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Times and the Daily Express. His previous novels include The Long Dead, Strange Little Girl, The Railway Man, To Die Alone and The Secrets Man. 234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0701-5 • £19.99 • November 2012

True Colours Jeanne Whitmee Frances, Sophie and Katie meet again at a school reunion and discover how their lives have changed. Each builds an idealized picture of her life – Katie is a successful fashion designer; Frances has a young son and a wealthy husband; Sophie has a happy marriage and a dream home. They resolve to keep in touch, but gradually each of them discovers that her friends’ wonderful lives are far from perfect.

Jeanne Whitmee originally trained as an actress and later taught Speech and Drama until taking up writing full-time. She has written many novels including Should I Forget You and The Wise Child, which were also published by Robert Hale.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: BPTM • 978-0-7198-0748-0 • £19.99 • November 2012

The Dark Side of the Heart David Wiltshire When Jean Sinclair’s parents are killed in an accident she travels from the US to Scotland to trace her family roots. There she meets Adam Crawford, a handsome but arrogant landowner and, despite her initial and intense dislike, has a tempestuous physical union with him one night at a glamorous highland ball. But Jean has to face the possibility that her parents’ deaths might not have been accidental, and that brutality and fear might well force her into a loveless future.

Having spent his childhood in Cheltenham, David Wiltshire went on to complete his National Service in Aden and Singapore. He then returned to England to work as a dentist and now lives with his wife in Bedford.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0717-6 • £19.99 • December 2012

july–december 2012

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The Diamond Rosary Murders Roger Silverwood Detective Inspector Michael Angel is summoned to the backstreets of Bromersley, in South Yorkshire, to investigate the murder of a young girl. But the body disappears before Angel arrives.... Added to Angel’s troubles, millionaire Haydn King is suffering frequent nightmares portraying his death and, two days later he is found dead, exactly as the nightmares had indicated. As the investigation becomes more dangerous, Angel must race to find the explanation and stop more mayhem and murder.

Roger Silverwood was educated in Gloucestershire before National Service. He later worked in the toy trade and as a copywriter in an advertising agency. His Inspector Angel series is now on its nineteenth book and has been extremely successful.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0733-6 • £19.99 • December 2012

Honey Brown is Married Sara Judge In March 1950 Honey Brown marries the farmer she adores – August Blake Esq. With her mother-in-law determined to turn Honey, an ex-showgirl, into a respectable lady of the manor she has a struggle on her hands. Honey longs for the bright lights and glamour of the Windmill Theatre. When enmity between Honey and a local dairyman turns to disaster, she wonders if her life on the farm is really worth fighting for.

Sara Judge was born in Zambia but brought up in England. She trained as a dancer and spent several years on the stage, taking part in pantomimes and night club acts. Now retired she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and attending Pilates classes. Honey Brown is Married is her tenth novel.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0721-3 • £19.99 • December 2012

Murder in Montague Place Martyn Beardsley 1844: When the beautiful Eleanora Scambles turns to Inspector Bucket of the recently formed Detective Department for help clearing her husband’s name as a murderer, there are problems.

The case is already being handled by Inspector Bucket’s colleague and someone else observed the conversation between Bucket and Mrs Scambles: someone who will go to great lengths to ensure that the truth never gets out. How can Inspector Bucket and Sergeant Gordon investigate without breaching professional etiquette? And who is the mysterious figure stalking Mrs Scambles?

Martyn Beardsley has lived in Nottingham all his life. A civil servant for many years, he is now concentrating on his writing career. As well as being a children’s author, one of his great passions is history. A committed Buddhist, he is interested in reading, sport, keep-fit and yoga.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0704-6 • £19.99 • December 2012

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The One a Month Man Michael Litchfield Oxford is turning into a city of fear for female students terrorized by a killer dubbed ‘The One a Month Man’ because of the ritualistic regularity of his crimes. The perpetrator’s hideous calling-card is a condom thrust into the mouth of each victim.

Thirty years later, and DNA-profiling has enabled son of a US senator, and frontline CIA operative Richard Pope to be identified as the killer.

A survivor, Tina Marlowe, finds herself in danger once more, from the man who would benefit most from her silence.

The race is on and the man assigned to trace Tina before she is tracked down by her lethal enemy is Mike Lorenzo, the brilliant detective inspector who has fallen from grace. This is just the challenge he needs to redeem himself and bring him in from the cold.

A journalist for many years, Michael Litchfield wrote for the Daily Mail and Sunday Express. He also worked for Time, as an investigative journalist exposing mafia corruption, which resulted in several contracts being taken out on his life. After changing his name and stowing away to the Bahamas, Michael returned to England and has been a parliamentary correspondent for many newspapers. Robert Hale also published his novels Bullet For An Encore, Last Bus to the Grave and Deadline.

234 x 156mm • h/b • 224pp • Rights: World • 978-0-7198-0734-3 £19.99 • December 2012

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Rights mentioned are those held by Robert Hale. For Black Horse Westerns see separate list. For J.A. Allen equestrian titles see separate list. It should be noted that this list contains forthcoming books, and only approximate dates of publication, prices and production details can be given at this stage. The latest information will gladly be supplied on application.