Here, a young father is haunted by the consequences of a moment of distraction; tragedy is complicated by the inexplicable appearance of an injured horse; an attempted poisoning leads two writers to startling conclusions; a lonely woman’s charity is rewarded with home-invasion. And in the shocking opening story, a mother surfaces from the depths of the lake behind her house, where she saw something awful yet alluring.

Guilt, grief and relationships severed permeate this mesmerizing collection – but so do unspeakable bonds of family, love and longing, each sinister and beautiful.

Step by step these unnerving stories lure us into the shadows to confront the monsters of everyday life – ourselves.

Un’avvincente miscela di crudo, sorprendente e tragico, ogni storia è inaspettata come una trappola: tesa, squisitamente avvolta, pronta a spezzarsi al minimo tocco.

Qui, un giovane padre è tormentato dalle conseguenze di un momento di distrazione; la tragedia è complicata dall’inspiegabile comparsa di un cavallo ferito; un tentativo di avvelenamento porta due scrittori a conclusioni sorprendenti; la carità di una donna sola viene ricompensata con un’invasione domestica. E nella sconvolgente storia d’apertura, una madre emerge dalle profondità del lago dietro casa sua, dove ha visto qualcosa di orribile ma affascinante.

Colpa, dolore e relazioni interrotte permeano questa affascinante raccolta, ma lo fanno anche i legami indicibili di famiglia, amore e desiderio, ognuno sinistro e meraviglioso.

Passo dopo passo, queste storie inquietanti ci attirano nell’ombra per affrontare i mostri della vita quotidiana: noi stessi.

Join cultural and social anthropologist Max Carocci as he explores an eclectic array of shamanic artefacts and images, decoding the symbolism and explaining their extraordinary shamanic ritual practices. Marvel at the adornments of a Siberian shaman’s coat; examine the prehistoric rock art that depicts mystical transformations of shamans into animals; and discover the psychotropic plants that open our minds to interdimensional journeys of healing and wisdom.

Carocci makes the manifold meanings encoded in the forms, colours and purposes of shamanic images and objects clear, painting a vibrant and in-depth picture of shamanic cultures past and present.

Infamous warrior, queen of the British Iceni tribe and mastermind of one of history’s greatest revolts. Her defeat spelled ruin for her people, yet still her name is enough to strike fear into Roman hearts.

But what of the woman who grew up in her shadow?

The woman who has her mother’s looks and cunning but a spirit all of her own?

The woman whose desperate bid for survival will take her from Britain’s sacred marshlands to the glittering facades of Nero’s Roman Empire…

Born to a legend. Forced to fight.

Determined to succeed.

Meet Solina.

Boudicca’s Daughter.

All evening, with only the television and a bottle of champagne for company, thoughts of this woman and others intrude – and the true significance of this particular date is revealed. From one of the world’s great writers, So Late in the Day asks if a lack of generosity might ruin what could be between men and women.

But it’s about to become a whole lot bigger. For years she’s tucked away her dreams, shrinking herself into the space left behind – like the delicate origami she creates alone in her room. Then hope comes from an unlikely place: an astronomer from the local observatory.

He teaches her to look up at the stars, and to see a world far bigger and more beautiful than she ever imagined. And perhaps in that big, beautiful universe there’s someone waiting for her. If she can find the courage to open her heart.

Pip never stopped dreaming, but now it’s time for her to live – and maybe even to fall in love.

Il mondo di Pip è piccolo.

Ma sta per diventare molto più grande. Per anni ha nascosto i suoi sogni, rimpicciolendosi nello spazio lasciato indietro, come i delicati origami che crea da sola nella sua stanza. Poi la speranza arriva da un luogo improbabile: un astronomo dell’osservatorio locale.

Lui le insegna a guardare le stelle e a vedere un mondo molto più grande e bello di quanto avesse mai immaginato. E forse in quell’universo grande e meraviglioso c’è qualcuno che la aspetta. Se riuscirà a trovare il coraggio di aprire il suo cuore.

Pip non ha mai smesso di sognare, ma ora è tempo per lei di vivere, e forse anche di innamorarsi.

With a gentle introduction to the themes of climate change, this is David McKee’s (1935–2022) 31st Elmer story with artwork by his dear friend and fine artist, Marysia Milewski.

This idyll is shattered when his father returns home with a new wife, Nunziata. Barely older than Arturo, one of the only women he has ever met, she awakens his fierce longing for tenderness, a longing which draws the family towards a painful reckoning in this powerful story of disillusionment and desire.

The empty nest will once again be full of friends, family and young love.Yet from the moment she sees Zac, Connie feels a deep unease. Zac reminds her of the worst mistake she has ever made: a man whose charm and good looks nearly destroyed her marriage. Then, Fran announces she’s pregnant.Reeling from Fran’s news and terrified that her past might threaten her family’s future, Connie desperately tries to navigate a path forward.

But there’s a much greater menace looming, because she’s not the only one who has something to hide. Someone in the house has another devastating secret. A deception which will put everyone Connie loves in shocking danger, and one of them will pay the ultimate price.
Number One bestseller Adele Parks returns with an explosive and deeply emotional family drama which explores the lengths a parent will go to protect a child; for there’s nothing stronger than a woman whose family is under threat.