Long Time Dead
by Tony Black

Gus Dury is back on the drink. While in hospital after a hit-and-run accident, his best friend, Hod, asks him to investigate the ritual, on-campus hanging of an Edinburgh University student. The murder victim's mother is a high-profile actress, who has promised a big-money reward. Gus, desperate for money, goes undercover at the university, taking a janitor's job, and soon uncovers a similar ritualistic hanging which took place in the 70s. Few of the students are prepared to talk about it – until another one of their group turns up dead by the same method. But Gus now moves into very dangerous waters as he begins to discover what and who is really behind it all – and he becomes the next target for the executioner.

Blood Counts
by Martin O'Brien

Daniel Jacquot doesn't know it yet, but someone is after his blood.

When you're a cop in Marseilles, threats of violence and revenge go with the territory. Usually they come to nothing, but when friends and colleagues start turning up dead it soon becomes clear that someone from Jacquot's past has a score to settle and intends to see it through.

But this killer is different. To sweeten the revenge, and cause the greatest pain, it's always the target's nearest and dearest who die. When Jacquot discovers that he's in the firing line, he knows that unless he can track down the killer then someone he loves will pay the ultimate price.

Aled Jones' Favourite Christmas Carols
by Aled Jones

The perfect gift for Christmas, this book includes all your favourite carols brought vividly to life with Aled's personal reminiscences of singing them and thoughts on why each is so special. Accompanied by the history of the words and music, and for nine of the carols the sheet music for piano.

Includes: 'Away in a Manger', 'Come All Ye Faithful', 'In the Bleak Midwinter', 'Angel Gabriel', 'O Come Emmanuel', 'Hark the Herald Angels', 'Silent Night', 'O Little Town Of Bethlehem', 'Little Drummer Boy', 'Joy to the World', 'Deck the Halls', 'Ding Dong Merrily', 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen', 'Once In Royal David's City', 'The First Noel', 'While Shepherds Watched', 'Coventry Carol', 'Calypso Carol', 'Still, Still, Still', 'Do You Hear What I Hear?', 'Good King Wenceslas', 'Mary's Boy Child', 'Holy Night', 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', 'The Little Road To Bethlehem', 'Mary Had a Baby', 'Little Donkey'.

Popular Errors Explained
by Stewart McCartney

In 1841 John Timbs wrote a book called Popular Errors Explained. It went on – with Timbs' other great series 'Curiosities of …’ – to become one of the great popular books of the 19th century, running into many editions and selling hundreds of thousands of copies. Some say the popularity of his one hundred and fifty volumes led him to outsell a certain Mr Dickens.

Stewart McCartney, under the Timb's title of Popular Errors Explained has created a new book, capturing the zeal and enthusiasm of the original, to be 'agreeable, by way of abstract and anecdote so as to become an advantageous and amusing guest at any intellectual fireside.'

The book has completely new material - around 200 or so 'popular errors' from science and literature, history, sport, popular culture and so on. Each entry will have that eyebrow raising 'I didn't know that!' or 'Surely that cannot be true!' feel. Every one will explode a commonly held misbelief.

Tommy Cooper's Mirth, Magic and Mischief
by John Fisher

Relive the mirth, magic and mischief of everybody's favourite magic man with gags galore, tricks unlimited and a priceless trip down memory lane courtesy of many previously unpublished photographs from the Cooper archives - jus like that!