The Ringer

Edgar Wallace

Perhaps Edgar Wallaces best-known book, originally published under the title The Gaunt Stranger in 1925. Inspector Wemburys day turns from bad to worse when a legendary assassin who was supposed dead in Australia returns to London seeking vengeance for the murder of his sister. Scotland Yard know the Ringer had left his sister in the care of unscrupulous lawyer Maurice Meister and that she was later found drowned, so they warn Meister that the Ringer is in London. Who is the Ringer? It will be a clever reader who can spot him before the very end of the story. An exiting page tuner full of intrigue and mystery, The Ringer is a must-read for all fans of thrilling crime fiction.

The Adventures of Kirby ODonnell

Robert E. Howard

One of Robert E. Howards lesser known fictional characters, Kirby ODonnell is an American treasure hunter in early-twentieth century Afghanistan disguised as a Kurdish merchant, Ali el Ghazi. Ali el Ghazi is a master of edged weapons, fiercely intelligent, tigerishly quick, and a merciless killer when threatened. Kirby ODonnell is similar to another of Howards characters, El Borak, in many ways. However, ODonnell seeks hidden treasures in all of his stories (Swords of Shahrazar, The Treasures of Tartary, The Curse of the Crimson God) while El Borak is more concerned with his own form of justice and stability in Afghanistan. There are betrayals, vicious swordfights, hot pursuits through brutally harsh Himalayan terrain, a hidden treasure and enough spilled entrails to satisfy the most discerning Howard fan.

The Shape of Things to Come

Herbert George Wells

The Shape of Things to Come is one of the great classics of science fiction. Originally written in 1929, this masterly work of science fiction has already confirmed H G Wells status as a remarkable soothsayer, and provides glimpses of what is perhaps yet to come. The book is written as a sort of historical account. It tells of how a world state could be considered an answer to Earths problems. After a large plague wipes out much of humanity, a dictatorship takes over, taking away all religion and uniting the world. If someone opposes the dictatorship, they are given a choice to commit suicide in an environment of their choice. However, the dictatorship is later overthrown and the world state dissolves. Spanning the years from 1929 to 2105, it describes future generations and predicts the advent of wars, advancing technology and sweeping cultural changes.

Hania

Henryk Sienkiewicz

Historia romantycznej miłości. Młody panicz Henryk i jego rówieśnik, syn bogatego ziemianina tatarskiego Selim Mirza, zakochują się w tej samej dziewczynie. Hania jest sierotą, córką wiernego sługi ojca Henryka. Między młodzieńcami dochodzi do ostrej rywalizacji o względy dziewczyny...

The Half-Hearted

John Buchan

Set in the closing years of the nineteenth century, The Half-Hearted tells the story of Lewis Haystoun, a dilettante and coward. Part I of the novel is a story of manners and romance in upper class Scotland. Part II is an adventure story on the North West frontier of India where Lewis saves the British Empire. The novel follows the life of Lewis Haystoun, a young Scottish laird, who finds himself unable to commit wholeheartedly to any course of action. His failure to seize the opportunity results in the woman he loves agreeing to marry a rival. Determined to face up to what he considers to be his cowardice, Haystoun departs for the Empires north west frontier where he dies attempting to hold a narrow mountain pass single-handedly against an invading Cossack army. Beautifully composed, evocative and compelling, this is a love story but not with the conventional happy ending. Our hero and heroine fall in love and meet the usual obstacles, but fail to overcome them.

Mother Goose in Prose

L. Frank Baum

None of us, whether children or adults, needs an introduction to Mother Goose. Those things which are earliest impressed upon our minds cling to them most tenaciously. Published three years before L. Frank Baum achieved fame with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, this engaging volume added an exciting new dimension to old, much-loved verses. The book contains 22 prose fables based on famous nursery rhymes: Old King Cole, Little Miss Muffet, The Cat and the Fiddle and many others. Baum gives the stories English settings and ambience, with mentions of London, the Sussex downs, and the River Dee. His tactic in the book is to take the often-nonsensical nursery rhymes and weave coherent, or at least self-consistent, stories from them. This wonderful collection of short stories is another delightful addition to anyone who is a fan of Baums work. Based on famous Mother Goose rhymes, all stories are fascinating background tales of the various characters involved.

The Call of the Canyon

Zane Grey

From the master of the western novel comes a tale full of romance and adventure. This is the story of Carley Burch, a young wealthy socialite living in New York City. As the story begins soldiers are coming home from the trenches of WWI, many of them damaged physically and emotionally. Among them is Carleys fiancé, Glenn Kilbourne. He goes West to find his health and himself, with the idea that hell return when all is well. They correspond until she eventually heads West to find and woo him, in the process realizing that she too has changed. How can she reconcile the love for this man and her love for this place he has gone so far away from? Their fate together remains in doubt until the end.

Anna the Adventuress

E. Phillips Oppenheim

Annabelle Pelissier, for his own reasons, allows Sir John Ferringhall to believe that she is his sister Hannah. Anna continues to cheat and bear the burden of her sisters reputation, which in any case in Paris is a coquette. Infinite complications occur when both sisters return to London. This is one of the most intriguing stories of E. Philips Oppenheim.