Agatha Raisin : Killing time (VO)

Murder on the Orient Express is a tour-de-force variation on the theme of the English house-party, gathering a remarkable set of characters, each a secretive soul, for a journey on the fabled Orient Express train as it travels from Istanbul to Paris. On hand to resolve the murder of an American passenger is Hercule Poirot, the dapper Belgian detective, dependent only on his wit, who tucks away obscure, seemingly unrelated minutiae in his facile mind. When he determines that the corpse was a renowned child kidnapper/killer, he begins to wonder about connections between the passengers and the victim. A misplaced button, overheard conversations, a monogrammed handkerchief, and an elusive figure clad in a scarlet kimono all become clues as Hercule Poirot interrogates the snow-trapped travelers and comes to his own conclusions. Murder on the Orient Express, with its skill plot construction, adroit writing, and thought-provoking revelations, reminds us that what is "just" is not always what is legal..

When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships,gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.

The other side of Gone with the Wind - and just as unputdownable (The Sunday Times )A big, warm girlfriend of a book (The Times )Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird has changed lives. It's direct descendent The Help has the same potential...an astonishing feat of accomplishment (Daily Express )Outstanding, immensely funny, very compelling, brilliant (Daily Telegraph )Immensely readable (Observer )Daring, vitally important and very courageous, I loved and admired The Help. Fantastic (Marian Keyes )A laugh-out-loud, vociferously angry must-read (Marie Claire )Touching, disgraceful, funny. Highly recommended (Daily Mail )Utterly brilliant (She )Remarkable, shocking, brave, brilliant (Easy Living )Wonderfully engaging dialogue (Good Housekeeping )A compelling, great first novel, with soaring highs, poignant side stories and laugh-out-loud anecdotes. You'll be sorry to finish it (Psychologies )A winning story of courage and truth (Woman & Home )A brisk, involving read (Metro )An exciting and atmospheric story (Rachel Cooke Observer Books of the Year )A wise, poignant novel. You'll catch yourself cheering out loud (People )

One of the New Windmills series for schools, this is the story of Offred, one of the few women in the Republic of Gilead left with functioning ovaries, whose only function it is to breed. If she deviates, she will be hanged as a dissenter. But Offred is determined to find a way out.