Showing results by narrator "Tom Fria" in All Categories

Moby Dick by Herman Melville is one of the most celebrated works of fiction in the English language, a cornerstone of American literature, and an unflinching exploration of the human spirit. First published in 1851, this timeless classic has captivated generations with its daring narrative and profound themes, earning its place as a touchstone of literary excellence.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic novel set in Puritanical Boston in the mid-17th century. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, a young woman who is publicly shamed and ostracized for having a child out of wedlock. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet “A” on her clothing to signify her status as an adulterer.

His legacy trashed, Fredrick took up the gauntlet. Full of resentment and a desire to get even, his step into stock market investments reaped far more than dollars. Never trust a certainty, someone in the dark is untrustworthy, his father's words unheeded as Fredrick forged on. Not wishing to fall into the same trap as his father, moving in circles unimagined, his close association with Sheikh Akeem reaped further dividends.

Chester Bryers knows a secret. He has kept it for decades but now, as he nears his final days, he is finally telling his tale. A tale of what really happened to the lost Franklin Expedition. A tale of cold vengeance, long planned and of the adventurer George Greener, who discovered a terrible truth. It is a truth that must not be known and by breaking his long silence, Bryers’ life may be coming to a swifter and more violent end than he imagined; because some secrets must be kept, and The Thin man is watching.

In Irish Mythology, Otherworld is a happy land and Underworld is a foul land. These worlds exist alongside Earth. Wizard Drowe is sentenced to be a swan, but he escapes. He has tricked Ciarán, his apprentice, into becoming the swan. Granny and Aoife pursue the swan because Granny believes it will lead her to her lost village. Hunted by Wizard Drowe and the vampire Dearg-due, Ciarán and Aoife move from initial dislike to romance. These, in turn, are pursued by Venus and the Drimnagh Witches, servants of the Faerie Queen.

This book tells of a young woman who was found to have killed as a child. She was detained in various mental institutes, and then on to prison. It shows how she learned to control herself and whether or not prison reformed her.

Back then, hot-headed gangsters, not-so-gentle dames and bullet-riddled corpses filled the newspaper headlines. And some of the stories below the headlines were even true. The 1920s was a period in American history when even the respectable were unwilling to stay sober. And not-so-fast cars carried assassins across Chicago, a city that for many captures the essence of the USA. In Tough Guys in the Room, the story of Al Capone and his rivals is told in separate and stand-alone topics that cover key figures and events.

When news of an electrical disturbance reaches the Millers Fall Police Department, no one imagined the fate of the officers sent to investigate. Unable to contact their colleagues, the remaining officers plan their own search, but stop as the night sky turns to an amber haze. With five officers missing, Sheriff Mason Palmer is forced to investigate. Anomalies befall the town, worrying its residents. With no explanation of these events, Palmer’s only lead appears with Mitchum Hoyt, the leader of a backwoods cult living in isolation.

Lucy and her young family have moved to a cottage on a quiet lane in a peaceful coastal town. Her husband is moving work but she is running away from the memory of the son she lost. She wants a fresh start, but the house is not going to let her look to the future, not when the past has so much it wants to show her. The first night in the house will confuse her. The second night will terrify her. The third will change everything, because a door to the other side has opened and they are coming…

Daniel is the poster boy for wasted talent and finds himself at rock bottom. One despairing suicide later, and he is about to discover that death is not as final as he had thought it might be, and that his troubles are only just beginning.

In one single day the entire UK changed, and could never revert back to normality. Bombs detonated in every major city across England, releasing the little known ‘Non Compos Mentis Virus,’ and with it destroying seventy-five percent of the population. However, the virus didn’t kill those who contracted it, but instead infected their minds and senses, turning them in to violent psychopaths that can feel no pain and also gave them a new goal in life; to destroy anyone who does not carry the same virus.

Experience the action, adventure and fantasy of the Tales of Averon books, brought together for the first time in one complete volume! The forest of Averon befalls a great evil when Streak, a lone fox from the Great Vast Open stumbles upon it during an escape from the Dark Army. Streak finds sanctuary, but soon realises the consequence of leading such a ruthless pack of hunters to the peaceful forest.

It is 1962. Imagine leaving behind all that is familiar and comfortable in Norfolk, to travel to an uncharted posting in Tanganyika, with three small children and all your worldly goods, whilst your friends and relations predict doom and disaster in the ‘Dark Continent’. This is the adventure that Brian Dawtrey and his family embarked upon, armed with a black rolled umbrella with a gold band to fight off primitive savages, and a brand new hoover washing machine.

Bound to a tree and left to die, Ellie is discovered just minutes from death by Sister Luna, an old hag haunting the forest. Sensing great power within the young woman, Luna barters with Samael, the spirit entrusted to deliver Ellie to the afterlife, agreeing a greater amount of souls in place of Ellie, if she be spared.

The peaceful, humdrum life of the tiny community at Little Bidwell is shaken to the core by the arrival of several and various visitors. Some have come to appreciate the respite and solitude this secluded and semi-isolated spot offers, but others have a more sinister purpose in mind.

It is 1904, and every day the coaches plying between Lynmouth and Minehead scramble theirway up and slither their way down the 1 in 4 gradient of Porlock Hill, the most feared hill in all of England. It takes six sturdy horses to drag a laden carriage to the top.

Alistair Duncan is nearly killed, and it’s unclear this is an accident or deliberate attempt on his life. He returns from hospital to find his girlfriend has thrown him out, and he takes refuge with Jon, a War Gaming loner with perceptive insight into people.

The stark realisation that his attempt to rescue his ailing marriage using his extraordinary skill with Computers had turned into a fiasco of epic proportion, William Forester quickly realises that in order to survive his assailants attempt to remove him from the face of the earth is to fight back the only way he knows.

The authors tell how they grew up in China, met in India and were reunited in England and Japan. They share their discovery of the key to reconciliation between China and Japan.

The alienation process described as well as the characteristics of the alienator has so many reassuring parallels to my own experiences. The author has a complete understanding and explains alienation in simple, powerful terms.