Philip Gooden

It's the summer of 1604 and the Spanish are in London. Many years after the ill-fated Armada, they are negotiating a peace treaty with the English. Nick Revill's acting company is given a ceremonial role at the celebrations. But not everybody welcomes this outbreak of peace. In the shifting world of the court there are factions. In the Tower of London sits that implacable enemy of the Spanish, Sir Walter Raleigh, and he has friends on the outside...

Second in the gripping new 19th century 'Cathedral' murder mystery series from the acclaimed author of the 'Nick Revill' mysteries - For the newly-weds Tom and Helen Ansell life is no honeymoon, as they are drawn into a murky underworld of Victorian spiritualism and stage magic when they're sent on a mission to the stunning cathedral city of Durham. Not only must they investigate Helen's Aunt Julia, who has mysteriously fallen for a medium, but

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Third in the highly-acclaimed nineteenth-century 'Cathedral' mystery series When Mr Lye, an elderly partner at Tom Ansell's law firm, drops dead at his desk, Tom is dispatched to Ely to search for Mr Lye's will at Phoenix House, the home of his brother, Ernest. At the same time, Tom's wife Helen has been commissioned by New Moon magazine to write a piece on a town with 'inner beauty' - and what better place than Ely? But shortly after they arrive

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Oliver Twist is poor. Always has been, always will be. Being born in a workhouse means that you'll probably always be treated like rubbish. Oliver does not want a life of hard work and measly meals, but he soon learns that it's never safe to ask for more.

The English language that is spoken by one billion people around the world is a linguistic mongrel, its vocabulary a diverse mix resulting from centuries of borrowing from other tongues. From the Celtic languages of pre-Roman Britain to Norman French; from the Vikings' Old Scandinavian to Persian, Arawak, Cantonese, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Inuit and Erdu - amongst a host of others - we have enriched our modern language with such words as tulip, slogan,...

An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic - at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages! Filled with rusting relics and tattered treasure maps, The Old Curiosity Shop is Nell Trent's favourite place in the whole world. This is lucky because it's also her home. Nell and her grandfather have always been happy with their simple lives. But when money gets tight, the pair are thrown out of their beloved shop and into the unknown....

An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic - at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages! After surviving fourteen long years with her horrible aunt, and nothing but a doll and an old handkerchief for company, Esther Summerson's life is finally looking a little brighter. She's going to school and making friends, real friends! The only thing Esther's missing now is a mother. But long-lost parents don't just turn up out...

An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic - at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages! Kate and Nicholas Nickelby's life is bliss until their father dies. After that they're left penniless, living in London with only their horrible uncle to help them. Sent away to work as a teacher, Nicholas soon learns that things can get worse. Dotheboys Hall isn't the marvellous manor of education it's supposed to be, and the vicious...