British Classics

You can’t fight love. Darcy knows he is falling for Elizabeth Bennet, but he doesn’t want to be connected to her ill-bred family, so he struggles to put her out of his mind. Until he receives an anonymous valentine. Caroline Bingley sent the valentine, but Darcy thinks it is from Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth thinks Mr. Darcy is an arrogant, disagreeable man, until he shows up on her doorstep, declaring his undying love for her. She is astonished. He is only half as obnoxious as he was before. What could have made the difference? A Valentine for Darcy is a Pride and Prejudice Variation ...

A fun adventure in a Spain that never was, in the vein of Dumas and Stevenson, with more than a taste of Cervantes. Don Rodriguez is a young nobleman who is banished from the family castle, and must set out with his rapier and mandolin to win his own estate, and perhaps even a bride. Along with his trusty servant Morano, he journeys far into the heart of the mythical Shadow Valley. Echoes of The Princess Bride resonate throughout.

Josef Vadassy, a Hungarian refugee and language teacher living in France, is enjoying his first break for years in a small hotel on the Riviera. But when he takes his holiday photographs to be developed at a local chemists, he suddenly finds himself mistaken for a Gestapo agent, and a charge of espionage is levelled at him. To prove himself innocent to the French police, he must discover which one of his fellow guests at his pension is the real spy. As he desperately tries to uncover the true culprit's identity, Vadassy must risk his job, his safety and everything he holds dear.

With his partner away on a honeymoon, Yorkshire detective Andrew Dalziel tries to beat the blues by taking a vacation of his own. But after getting caught in a torrential rain and running into a funeral procession, he winds up accompanying a crowd of upper-class mourners to a crumbling country house. Dalziel isn't known for his elegant manners, but he has bigger problems than not fitting in: The owner of the home has died under unusual circumstances, and soon more bodies are turning up.

“Are you a detective, Mr Terhune? If you will forgive my saying so, you do not look like one.” Theodore Terhune, bookseller in the tranquil Kent village of Bray-in-the-Marsh, interrupts the attempted robbery of Helena Armstrong, secretary-companion to Lady Kylstone. Someone was trying to steal the key to the Kylstone burial vault, which will shortly be open to the public for the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt. When the key goes missing, Terhune is certain there must be something in the vault the thieves are after, but why bother when it will shortly be accessible to all? A ...

Stanley Featherstonehough Ukridge is positively convinced that his complete ignorance of chicken farming gives him a particular advantage in the subject. A bombastic blowhard, he persuades his wife and his mild-mannered chum to start a chicken farm with him. What could go wrong?

Patrick O’Brian is acclaimed as one of the greatest historical novelists of the twentieth century, celebrated throughout the world for his masterful roman fleuve, the Aubrey‒Maturin series. But he was also a prolific writer of short stories, and it is in this form that he first made his mark. Encompassing stories written in his unvarnished youth to tales told by a seasoned traveller, this is the most comprehensive collection of O’Brian’s short fiction ever published. It is a treasure chest, containing more than sixty tales, including rarities, uncollected works, and forgotten jewels.

A Man Could Stand Up—is the third of four installments in Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End tetralogy, which follows Christopher Tietjens, a wealthy British landowner and the last British Tory; his unfaithful wife, Sylvia; and his mistress, Valentine Wannop. Opening on Armistice Day (November 11, 1918), A Man Could Stand Up—serves as the climax of the series. Highlighting the tension between traditional values and a rapidly changing social order, the novel details Christopher and Valentine's trials as the post-war world takes shape around them.

Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers star in 10 rare episodes of The Goon Show, plus a plethora of bonus features.

This anthology looks back over some of the great love affairs of literary history. It includes readings of poetry, letters and scenes from fiction written by British poets and authors from Shakespearian times to the twentieth century. Here are real-life romantic couples, such as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats and Fanny Brawne, Lord Byron and Lady Caroline Lamb, Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore are as different as England and America themselves, and yet almost two centuries later these two iconic tales remain an important part of Christmas tradition all over the world. Now they are brought together in this very special holiday recording.

‘Is it wise to evoke these memories—to raise these ghosts—after all these years?’ After attending a burial in an old country churchyard, Superintendent Mallett and his friends are struck by the sight of two elderly ladies, regally dressed in black and accompanied by their uniformed chauffeur, placing an elaborate wreath on the graveyard’s most imposing monument. The vicar confirms that the Misses de Boulter of Chetwode Lodge have placed fresh flowers on the tomb of their father and brother every week for the last fifty years. In the opposite corner of the churchyard lies the small...

‘Eric is dead……and I am certain his death was murder.’ Stories of Crime & Detection Volume Eleven contains a novel and a novella. The Sealed Room Murder Eric Winter is murdered by his Uncle Godfrey, who has made it look like natural causes. The victim’s sister Patricia suspects foul play and writes a letter to her brother’s friend Alan. Godfrey learns of his niece’s prying and tries to kill her, but Alan and reporter Larry Milner arrive in the nick of time. Milner is then determined to prove that Eric Winters death is murder and get the scoop of a lifetime. He turns amateur ...

When a beautiful guest arrives at the hotel, she has clearly arrived under a cloud of pretense, but what motive does she have for deception? To Samuel, the maitre d' of the Balfour Hotel, it is obvious that the newly arrived guest, Miss Lorna Hastings, is not who she claims. Samuel finds himself in a precarious position—torn between his loyalty to his employers, the Balfours, and the comely young woman who awakens every protective instinct he possesses. Why he feels the need to chivalrously come to the aid of Miss Hastings, he's uncertain. Perhaps he feels a kinship towards her because he...

"You can’t expect a murderer to be able to have everything his own way “ Scientist James Hardwicke is invited to progressive co-educational Scrope House School to investigate a case of apparent pyromania among the student body. Although inclined to ignore this odd invitation, he is persuaded to accept by his friend Caroline, who wants a job at the school. It is May 1939, German refugees are streaming into England to escape the horrors of the Hitler regime, and the headmaster is worried about the ramifications of a refugee child being the culprit. Soon enough, James’ rather desultory (...

Elizabeth Bennet has taken to walking near Hunsford to avoid any more chance encounters with Mr. Darcy while he visits his aunt at Rosings. When that very man comes to aid her during a rainstorm, Mr. Collins catches them unawares. Certain Elizabeth's virtue has been compromised, Mr. Collins insists on their immediate marriage. Darcy claims he intended to marry Elizabeth all along. Lady Catherine is furious. Mr. Collins is adamant. The rest of their friends and family hardly know what to say. Can our dear couple overcome the challenges of such a precipitous wedding? Compromised is a clean ...

Elizabeth Bennet is a pickpocket, and she first meets Mr. Darcy when she tries to steal his watch. Mr. Darcy has never met a young woman like Elizabeth Bennet. She is intelligent and pretty, and she has her own opinions. Against his better judgement, he finds himself falling madly in love with her. Mr. Darcy and the Pickpocket is based on Jane Austen’s iconic lovers, with a fun twist – Elizabeth comes from a crime family and considers herself like Robin Hood. Yes, she is a thief, but she wants to help the poor. She thinks most wealthy men are arrogant and selfish, so how can she fall in...

A delightfully oddball classic by G.K. Chesterton—now with illustrations and bonus whimsy! Dancing stars, leaping gentlemen, and poetic nonsense await in Greybeards at Play, Chesterton’s very first published work. This lighthearted collection pokes fun at literary seriousness while celebrating imagination in its purest form. This edition features 25 quirky poems (including a dedication, moral, and envoy), each paired with illustrations that capture the spirit and wit of the original work—bringing Chesterton’s humor to life like never before. BONUS CONTENT INCLUDED: At the end of the...

‘You’ve promised me a murder. Now go out and bring it in!’ Stories of Crime & Detection Volume Eight contains a novel, a novelette and two short stories: Hard-Boiled Gangster Mike Flannery is out of jail and looking to expand his protection racket in West London. Journalist Julian Mendoza is on his trail, and must defend the owner of Kenley stadium from kidnapping, blackmail and murder. Hanging’s Too Good Old Dan Riordan is worried about something and has asked reporter Julian Mendoza to meet him at the factory where he is night watchman. Nearing the building, Mendoza is held at ...

The story that inspired the famous Twilight Zone episode! "People Are Alike All Over" (which starred Roddy McDowall) became one of the most famous episodes of that classic television series. That memorable script was adapted from veteran science fiction author Paul W. Fairman's story for Fantastic Adventures magazine, where it was published under it's original title "Brothers Beyond the Void".