St George: Let's Hear it For England!
by Alison Maloney

Pope Gelasius, who canonized St George in 494, described him as one of those ‘whose names are rightly reverenced among us, but whose actions are known only to God.’ The story of England’s Patron Saint is so encased in myth and legend that the truth of his remarkable life is unknown to the great majority of us.

In many ways the attitude of the English, reflects the many contradictions in the story of St George and the growth of his legend worldwide. A Christian martyr, murdered by a Roman emperor in Palestine, he is a legendary dragon-slayer who saved a virgin princess from sacrifice – but not before insisting her entire town converts to Christianity. Yet he is also the model for mythical Islamic hero Al Khidr. He is the Patron Saint of England but never set foot on English soil and the legend of his knightly deeds came from the imagination of a bishop in Italy.

In recent years, through national pride more than religious fervour, the popularity of St George’s Day has risen sharply, with more parades, parties and pub get-togethers than we saw in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Terror's Reach
by Tom Bale

A burning summer’s day explodes into violence. A murderous gang targets the exclusive south coast island of Terror’s Reach, home to rival business tycoons Robert Felton and Valentin Nasenko. The residents are facing annihilation, and only one man stands a chance of saving them.

Four years ago, after an undercover police operation went disastrously wrong, CID officer Joe Clayton lost his career and his family. Forced to adopt a new identity, he drifted from place to place and ended up on the Reach, working as a bodyguard to Nasenko’s wife, Cassie, and her children. Now he must draw upon all his experience and reserves of strength to keep them alive.

But nothing is as it seems on Terror’s Reach, and a long night of betrayal and murder leaves Joe fighting for his own survival ...

The Betrayer
by Kimberley Chambers

Based in Stepney, this book is set on a rough and ready Council Estate, in the heart of London's East End. A story that starts in 1975 ends in 2005, it tells the trials and tribulations of the Hutton family. Maureen - the gutsy mum, separated from her alcoholic husband, she scrimps and saves for years to bring up her children and instil life's good values in them. She tries her utmost, but with only moderate success. Tommy, the eldest son, does ten years for murder. On his release he promises to go straight. The trouble is that the underworld beckons and he struggles to keep his promise. Susan, the daughter, unpopular and spiteful as a child, she finally makes her family proud when she gets pregnant and moves in with her boyfriend. But what has she forgotten to tell him? James, the youngest son. Does mummy's blue-eyed boy stay on the straight and narrow? Or does he get stuck into a life of crime, just like his elder brother? Ethel - gran and mother-in-law. A wise old owl, granny could sense disaster looming all along. What a tragedy that no one would listen to her. And finally, Maria, the girl next door and the love of James's life. Will they? Won't they? Who knows - because Maria holds the biggest secret of them all. Or does she?

The Cleaner
by Brett Battles

Meet Jonathan Quinn: a freelance operative with a take-no-prisoners style and the heart of a loner. His job? Professional 'cleaner'. Nothing too violent, just disposing of bodies, doing a little cleanup if necessary. But in Brett Battles's thrilling debut novel, Quinn's latest assignment will change everything, igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal and revenge. The job seemed simple enough: investigating a suspicious case of arson. But when a dead body turns up where it doesn't belong - and Quinn's handlers at 'the Office' turn strangely silent - he knows he's in over his head. With only a handful of clues, Quinn scrambles for cover, struggling to find out why someone wants him dead - and if it is linked to a larger attempt to wipe out the Office.

The Cloud Maker
by Patrick Woodhead

To Luca Matthews the dangers of the high mountain peaks are the air upon which he thrives. In the ruthless pursuit of his goals he would sacrifice anything – even another climber's life. His friends and family know and fear it. So when he sights a virgin peak in the Himalayas that exists on no map, no one is surprised when he becomes obsessed with being the first to scale it.

Together with his climbing partner, Bill Taylor, they set off into a region of Tibet highly restricted by the Chinese. But a freak accident puts one of their team in mortal danger and it is left to a local Tibetan girl to lead them to Geltang, a monastery that has been hidden from the outside world since the Chinese Cultural Revolution, when most of the monasteries were pillaged and burned. Soon, as the Chinese secret police get wind of them, Luca and Bill find themselves embroiled in an age-old struggle, not for their lives but to protect the precious secret that Geltang hides and the legacy of Tibet itself.