Showing results by narrator "Lorna Bennett" in All Categories

Born on Christmas Day, 1936, Princess Alexandra's birth was almost overshadowed by the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII. Yet public affection for this new addition to the Royal Family has only grown during a lifetime of dedicated royal service. In this biography, Helen Cathcart chronicles the first thirty years of Princess Alexandra's life, from the tragic death of her father when she was just five years old to her wartime childhood at Badminton living with her grandmother Queen Mary.

With Christmas around the corner, Izzie Jenkins is ready to kickstart the new Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes course at Villa Limoncello with chef and business partner Luca Castelotti. However, secrets are stirring with their latest guests, and when nasty accidents keep befalling the group, it looks like Izzie will have to turn detective once more to protect the Villa’s fledgling reputation.

Valoree no longer has to masquerade as her murdered brother and scour the oceans as Captain Red. She no longer has to command his pirate band in a quest to regain his birthright. She has been named heir to Ainsley Castle. But no executor would ever hand over the estate to an unmarried pirate wench and her infamous crew - no matter to whom she'd been born. And the will distinctly states that in order to inherit, Valoree must be married to a nobleman...and pregnant.

To celebrate their engagement, DCI Arthur St. Just and Portia De’Ath visit the quiet village of Maidsfell in Cornwall. Upon arriving, they find the villagers in an uproar over plans to redevelop the local seafront.

Something is clearly bothering Sir Flyte Rascallian, Master of Hardwick College at the University of Cambridge and renowned art expert. Are all the grimy paintings he's recently inherited from his aunt's old attic really as worthless as he claims? When Sir Flyte is found murdered in his study on campus, Detective Chief Inspection Arthur St. Just must unravel his sudden unusual behavior to get to the bottom of the death of the old master, but in doing so, St. Just becomes entangled in a web of priceless artwork, deadly intentions, and dangerous secrets.

University of Oxford tutor and bestselling author Jason Verdoodt has it all: acclaim, women, money…and an enemy or two. When he's found dead at the bottom of the stairs during a celebratory reception at St Rumwold's College, many wonder if seething jealousy of his literary success has turned someone's mind to murder. Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just becomes inescapably drawn into an investigation that takes him down the historic streets of Oxford and into the hallowed halls of its university.

Loyal sister and friend to Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret grew up in the public gaze and was one of the most-discussed women in the world. But what was early life like for the younger sibling of the future monarch? And what role did she carve for herself within the Royal Family?

Here is the first full story of the Queen's racing enthusiasms and the first authentic account of Her Majesty's personal experience as a racehorse owner and racegoer, told with the help of trainers, jockeys, and others. This exhilarating volume traces the early years of the Queen's racing story, from childhood horse-lover to ebullient racegoer and owner of one of the finest string of racehorses in the world.

Royal biographer Helen Cathcart's fascinatingly intimate account charts Elizabeth's extraordinary life, from her birth and early years growing up in the royal palaces—sleeping in the dungeons of Windsor Castle during the air raids of the Blitz—through to her marriage to Prince Philip in 1947, and their life together as new parents.

Sandringham, the much-loved Norfolk retreat of Queen Elizabeth II, has been the private home of four generations of monarchs since 1862, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought the country estate for their eldest son Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. Written with warmth and wit, Helen Cathcart charts a hundred years of royal domestic history at Sandringham, from earliest days through to celebrated visitor attraction. A blend of narrative history and family chronicle, Sandringham commemorates the centenary of one of the best-known private country houses in the world.

Fifteen years ago, teenage Erin had an affair with her teacher that led to tragedy and changed her life. Today, she’s a married woman who keeps to herself and stays close to home, still scarred by the experience. When she’s attacked while running in the park, Erin doesn’t tell her husband - but she does confide in Nick, the man who came to her rescue. Then letters start to arrive, making references to her past and leaving her even more unnerved. When a neighbor reports that someone’s been watching her house, her world starts to crumble.

When Isabella Jenkins is unceremoniously fired from her fancy London job, she escapes to Tuscany. A few weeks hiding amongst rolling hills and grapevines at Villa Limoncello sounds exactly like the distraction she needs. But Italy holds emotional memories for Izzie and with a hapless handyman, a matchmaking village matriarch and a gorgeous - if infuriating - local chef named Luca Castelotti, her quiet Italian getaway turns into an unending cacophony of chaos. Suddenly Izzie finds herself on a mission to pull off the wedding of the century.

Meet the intelligent insects, marvelous minibeasts, and inspirational invertebrates that help shape our planet - and discover how you can help them help us by rebugging your attitude today! Remember when there were bugs on your windshield? Ever wonder where they went? We need to act now if we are to help the insects survive. Robin Wall Kimmerer, David Attenborough, and Elizabeth Kolbert are but a few voices championing the rewilding of our world. Rebugging the Planet shows us small changes we can make to have a big impact on our littlest allies.

Antony Armstrong-Jones, photographer, designer and film-maker, gained worldwide attention when he married Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister, Princess Margaret in 1960—the first non-aristocrat to marry into the Royal Family for 400 years. How did a "commoner" come to marry a princess, a woman whom he had long admired from afar? In fact, "Tony" descended from Welsh gentry, the son of a barrister and a society hostess. His family shared a long-established link with the Mountbatten arm of the Royal Family.

In this detailed biographical study of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Helen Cathcart tells an enchanting story of a Yorkshire soldier squire's daughter who grew up to become an admired and popular member of the Royal Family. In this intimate and illuminating account, Cathcart charts the first forty years of the Duchess's life, from her birth during a snowstorm at the family home, Hovingham Hall, and wartime childhood through to schooldays at Castle Howard and early career working in a children's home.

Within this audiobook, you'll find myriad approaches to Alice, from horror to historical, taking us from the nightmarish reaches of the imagination to tales that will shock, surprise, and tug on the heart-strings. So, it's time now to go down the rabbit hole, or through the looking-glass or...but no, wait. By picking up this audiobook and starting to listen to it, you're already there, can't you see?

Izzie Jenkins never expected to find herself living in a gorgeous oasis in Tuscany, but when life gives you Villa Limoncello, you say thank you and bake treats to celebrate!Izzie and debonair chef Luca Castelotti are officially setting up shop together, but when their inaugural "Pasta and Painting" venture is sabotaged and one of their guests poisoned, they’re forced to turn detective. Because if they can’t find the culprit, they’ll be out of business before they’ve even begun....

The vampires have gone wild in this collection of never-before-published stories by best-selling authors Kerrelyn Sparks and Pamela Palmer, and two rising stars of paranormal romance! Contains V is for VampWoman by Kerrelyn Sparks, A Forever Love by Pamela Palmer, First Dates Are Hell by Amanda Arista, and Blood and Water by Kim Falconer.

1872. Marguerite has fled to London, leaving behind a traumatic past in Paris. When she is offered work as a cook for mysterious French widow Madame Riel, she seizes the chance to start afresh. But as soon as Marguerite arrives, she is stifled by the tension in the house and before long she comes to resent her stingy and volatile employer, as well as her unfriendly housemaid. Just as Marguerite is about to resign, Madame Riel’s beautiful actress daughter Julie returns to the house and charms her into staying.

The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles has been heir to the British throne since he was three years old. In this lively and illuminating account, royal biographer Helen Cathcart charts the first thirty years of Prince Charles's life, from his birth at Buckingham Palace in 1948 and rugby-playing schooldays at Gordonstoun, through his undergraduate years cycling to lectures at Trinity College, Cambridge, and subsequent military career in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.