You might already consider yourself a stellar conversationalist, but could you be even better? This book will help enrich your life, one conversation at a time. 'Ground-breaking research that changed my life' Mel Robbins 'Reading TALK is like having a conversation with the world's best conversationalist' Angela Duckworth _________ Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and decision-making - but the science behind our everyday interactions, and how to improve them, is little known. In Talk, Harvard Professor Alison Wood Brooks provides fascinating insights into the power of effective communication. She gives you the tools that her MBA students say transform their lives, bringing together psychology, linguistics, sociology and neuroscience in her original framework: T - Topics - including the surprising impact of preparing topics before a conversation A - Asking - why we need to do more (and why we do less than we think) L - Levity - how to find the fun in conversations with anyone K - Kindness - how to be a better listener and not simply pretend to be one! Through her own original research, Brooks shows readers how small changes in how we communicate can make a big difference to our relationships, our careers and our lives.

'A classic' - Simon Kuper, Financial Times 'Brilliant' - James O'Brien, author of How to be Right The five laws that confirm our worst fears: stupid people can and do rule the world. Since time immemorial, a powerful dark force has hindered the growth of human welfare and happiness. It is more powerful than the Mafia or the military. It has global catastrophic effects and can be found anywhere from the world's most powerful boardrooms to your local pub. This is the immensely powerful force of human stupidity. Seeing the shambolic state of human affairs, and sensing the dark force at work behind it, Carlo M. Cipolla, the late, noted professor of economic history at the University of California, Berkeley, created a vitally important economic model that would allow us to detect, know and neutralise this threat: The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity. If you've ever found yourself despairing at the ubiquity of stupidity among even the most 'intellectual' of people, then this hilarious, timely and slightly alarming little book is for you. Arm yourself in the face of baffling political realities, unreasonable colleagues or the unbridled misery of dinner with the in-laws with the first and only economic model for stupidity.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From Tessa Bailey—#1 New York Times bestselling author, TikTok favorite, and "the Michelangelo of dirty talk" (Entertainment Weekly)—comes a spicy Grumpy Sunshine rom-com about a grumpy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn... Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to Napa Valley, and when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if this second chance romance will finally get her that smooch. But the starchy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly in an addictive opposites attract romance. One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless—and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit. On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction and a serious case of forced proximity. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt—and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s grayscale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down. "Tessa Bailey is the queen of rom-coms. Long may she reign!" — Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction…literally; from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics. Eileen Merriweather knows a thing or two about romance. As a professor of literature, she teaches prestigious courses on history’s greatest romantics, but one week out of the year she abandons her dusty textbooks and makes a pilgrimage to the Hudson Valley with her best friend Pru to meet their Super Smutty Book Club in person, and celebrate the romance series that brought them together—Quixotic Falls. It’s a week of wine and happily-ever-afters. Or it’s supposed to be. Pru bails at the last minute, and Elsy winds up lost in Hudson Valley—alone. In a thunderstorm. When she takes shelter in a bookstore, she immediately gets on the bad side of its grumpy (and infuriatingly sexy) owner, and finds herself in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a book… Because it is. Eloraton can’t be real, and yet… she’s here. The town is everything she imagined from her favorite series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, and the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It’s perfect. A place built on meet-cutes and storybook endings. Except, there’s something off in Eloraton. Because nothing changes, nothing moves, trapped in the last place the late author of Quixotic Falls left them. Which must be why Elsy is here: to find an ending to this last story, the one the author never finished. The only problem? The bookstore owner never wants the story to end, and he might be the one person who can help her imagine this final happily-ever-after. And maybe find one for herself.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From Tessa Bailey — #1 New York Times bestselling author, TikTok favorite, and "the Michelangelo of dirty talk" (Entertainment Weekly) — comes a spicy small town rom-com about a grumpy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn... Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to Napa Valley, and when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the starchy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless—and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit. On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt—and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s grayscale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down. "Tessa Bailey is the queen of rom-coms. Long may she reign!" — Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction…literally; from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics. Eileen Merriweather knows a thing or two about romance. As a professor of literature, she teaches prestigious courses on history’s greatest romantics, but one week out of the year she abandons her dusty textbooks and makes a pilgrimage to the Hudson Valley with her best friend Pru to meet their Super Smutty Book Club in person, and celebrate the romance series that brought them together—Quixotic Falls. It’s a week of wine and happily-ever-afters. Or it’s supposed to be. Pru bails at the last minute, and Elsy winds up lost in Hudson Valley—alone. In a thunderstorm. When she takes shelter in a bookstore, she immediately gets on the bad side of its grumpy (and infuriatingly sexy) owner, and finds herself in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a book… Because it is. Eloraton can’t be real, and yet… she’s here. The town is everything she imagined from her favorite series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, and the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It’s perfect. A place built on meet-cutes and storybook endings. Except, there’s something off in Eloraton. Because nothing changes, nothing moves, trapped in the last place the late author of Quixotic Falls left them. Which must be why Elsy is here: to find an ending to this last story, the one the author never finished. The only problem? The bookstore owner never wants the story to end, and he might be the one person who can help her imagine this final happily-ever-after. And maybe find one for herself.

It is time for Christian patriarchy to end. Historian Beth Allison Barr shows that "biblical womanhood" isn't biblical, but arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments. She presents a better way forward for the contemporary church. "Throughout this book, Barr talks about how her world was transformed. Readers should be ready to have their worlds transformed too. The Making of Biblical Womanhood is about unmaking the harmful patterns of patriarchy in the church, society, and our own hearts." -- Jemar Tisby , CEO of The Witness Inc.; New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise "This fervent, bold, and sweeping history of Christianity and patriarchy is an absolute game changer. Any future debates will need to reckon with Barr's contention that the subjugation of women has nothing to do with gospel truth." -- Kristin Kobes Du Mez , professor, Calvin University; author of Jesus and John Wayne "This book has the power to help Christians build a faith where 'there is neither male nor female, ' to liberate women from patriarchal hierarchies, and to heal the pain inflicted by countless churches. I have waited my entire adult life for a book like this." -- Jonathan Merritt , contributing writer for The Atlantic; author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch "It's time--no, it's way past time--that we take a critical look at how complementarians have been leaving women leaders and teachers out of church history books and expose the movement of 'biblical womanhood' for what it is. Read this book and be challenged and encouraged." -- Aimee Byrd , author of Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and No Little Women "Barr's careful historical examples drawn especially from medieval history hold together a brilliant, thunderous narrative that untells the complementarian narrative. I could not put this book down." -- Scot McKnight , professor, Northern Seminary "A powerful work of skillful research and personal insight."--Publishers Weekly

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From Tessa Bailey—#1 New York Times bestselling author, TikTok favorite, and "the Michelangelo of dirty talk" (Entertainment Weekly)—comes a spicy Grumpy Sunshine rom-com about a grumpy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn... Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to Napa Valley, and when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if this second chance romance will finally get her that smooch. But the starchy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly in an addictive opposites attract romance. One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless—and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit. On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction and a serious case of forced proximity. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt—and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s grayscale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down. "Tessa Bailey is the queen of rom-coms. Long may she reign!" — Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute

Sendhil Mullainathan, the 'most interesting young economist in the world', and Eldar Shafir, the 'most brilliant psychologist' of his generation, explain the hidden problem behind everything with Scarcity Why can we never seem to keep on top of our workload, social diary or chores? Why does poverty persist around the world? Why do successful people do things at the last minute in a sudden rush of energy? Here, economist Sendhil Mullainathan and psychologist Eldar Shafir reveal that the hidden side behind all these problems is that they're all about scarcity. Using the new science of scarcity, they explain why obesity is rampant; why people find it difficult to sleep when most sleep deprived; and why the lonely find it so hard to make friends. Scarcity will change the way you think about both the little everyday tasks and the big issues of global urgency. 'Stars in their respective disciplines, and the combination is greater than the sum of its parts. Their project has a unique feel to it: it is the finest combination of heart and head that I have seen in our field' - Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow 'Scarcity is a captivating book, overflowing with new ideas, fantastic stories, and simple suggestions that just might change the way you live' - Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of Freakonomics 'An ultimately humane and very welcome book' - Oliver Burkeman, Guardian Sendhil Mullainathan is a Professor of Economics at Harvard, and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant". He conducts research on development economics, behavioural economics, and corporate finance. He is Executive Director of Ideas 42, Institute of Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University. Eldar Shafir is William Stewart Tod Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Most of his work focuses on descriptive analyses of inference, judgment, and decision making, and on issues related to behavioural economics.

THE HOTTEST BOOK OF 2026! Pre-order IF BOOKS COULD KILL now ready for your summer holiday reading as the 'must have' book of the summer. She thought she was in a romance. Fate threw her into a thriller. Will happily-ever-after still be on the cards when fiction and reality blur for Roxie? When Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favourite author's next novel, she has romance in mind - namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted by a mysterious busker, and she finds herself swept into a fairy tale first date with a dashing stranger who seems destined to take her breath away. Except for one little hiccup: that dashing stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist - but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller. Thrown into a perilous genre she's never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So, when her escape from a potential murderer takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman - an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels - she decides a little light kidnapping is a small price to pay for survival. Together, Roxie and Grant team up to navigate a madcap story where the lines between fiction and reality blur and find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End - or maybe even Happily Ever After. Perfect for fans of THE FLAT SHARE, IN FIVE YEARS, A NOVEL LOVE STORY and movie hits THE LOST CITY and HIT MAN

You might already consider yourself a stellar conversationalist, but could you be even better? This book will help enrich your life, one conversation at a time. 'Ground-breaking research that changed my life' Mel Robbins 'Reading TALK is like having a conversation with the world's best conversationalist' Angela Duckworth _________ Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and decision-making - but the science behind our everyday interactions, and how to improve them, is little known. In Talk, Harvard Professor Alison Wood Brooks provides fascinating insights into the power of effective communication. She gives you the tools that her MBA students say transform their lives, bringing together psychology, linguistics, sociology and neuroscience in her original framework: T - Topics - including the surprising impact of preparing topics before a conversation A - Asking - why we need to do more (and why we do less than we think) L - Levity - how to find the fun in conversations with anyone K - Kindness - how to be a better listener and not simply pretend to be one! Through her own original research, Brooks shows readers how small changes in how we communicate can make a big difference to our relationships, our careers and our lives.

'A classic' - Simon Kuper, Financial Times 'Brilliant' - James O'Brien, author of How to be Right The five laws that confirm our worst fears: stupid people can and do rule the world. Since time immemorial, a powerful dark force has hindered the growth of human welfare and happiness. It is more powerful than the Mafia or the military. It has global catastrophic effects and can be found anywhere from the world's most powerful boardrooms to your local pub. This is the immensely powerful force of human stupidity. Seeing the shambolic state of human affairs, and sensing the dark force at work behind it, Carlo M. Cipolla, the late, noted professor of economic history at the University of California, Berkeley, created a vitally important economic model that would allow us to detect, know and neutralise this threat: The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity. If you've ever found yourself despairing at the ubiquity of stupidity among even the most 'intellectual' of people, then this hilarious, timely and slightly alarming little book is for you. Arm yourself in the face of baffling political realities, unreasonable colleagues or the unbridled misery of dinner with the in-laws with the first and only economic model for stupidity.

Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 - 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the celebrated headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator. Matthew Arnold has been characterised as a sage writer, a type of writer who chastises and instructs the reader on contemporary social issues. He was also an inspector of schools for thirty-five years, and supported the concept of state-regulated secondary education. Harold Bloom writes that "Whatever his achievement as a critic of literature, society or religion, his work as a poet may not merit the reputation it has continued to hold in the twentieth century. Arnold is, at his best, a very good, but highly derivative poet, unlike Tennyson, Browning, Hopkins, Swinburne and Rossetti, all of whom individualized their voices." The writer John Cowper Powys, an admirer, wrote that, "with the possible exception of Merope, Matthew Arnold's poetry is arresting from cover to cover - [he] is the great amateur of English poetry [he] always has the air of an ironic and urbane scholar chatting freely, perhaps a little indiscreetly, with his not very respectful pupils." (wikipedia.org)

Im unscheinbaren Schatten der Geschichte stehen Dorfkirchen als stille, aber beständige Wächter der Zeit. Sie sind die steinernen Zeugen einer weitreichenden und vielschichtigen Vergangenheit. Dies wird eindrucksvoll durch die Dorfkirche in Grube belegt, deren ereignisreiche Geschichte weit bis zu einem verschollenen Vorgängerbau aus dem 16.­­­Jahrhundert reicht. Die Chronik der Dorfkirche Grube ist eine erstmalige chronologisch umfassende Aufarbeitung der Geschichte der Grubener Kirche. Sie löst jahrhundertealte Rätsel, bringt bisher verborgene Erkenntnisse und Fotografien ans Licht und vereint wissenschaftliche Methodik mit lebendigen Erzählungen und Anekdoten. Die Chronik beleuchtet nicht nur die Geschichte des Bauwerkes, sondern auch den kulturellen und sozialen Wandel über die vergangenen Jahrhunderte. Sie führt den Leser in die Tiefe einer lokalen Geschichte, die exemplarisch für die Vergangenheit vieler Dörfer in Brandenburg stehen kann. Kein Schuss! Ein Sieger? Welche Gefühle bewegen seine liebevoll gezeichneten Menschen, wie den kleinen pfiffigen Ole, den geistvollen Geologen, Knut, den rauchenden Arbeiterführer oder die abgewickelte Professorin? In seinen Episoden stemmen sich die Personen gegen eine Stigmatisierung in Ost –und Westdeutsche. Klaus-D. Becker Let the oats sting you! Read the enjoyable and exciting stories of a contemporary witness who invites you on his journey between East and West. It is a life of different experiences. 40 years of his life in the GDR are in duel with almost 40 years in the united Germany. Not a shot ! A winner? What feelings move his lovingly drawn people, such as the smart little Ole, the witty geologist, Knut, the smoking labor leader or the worn-out professor? In his episodes, the characters resist stigmatization into East and West Germans.

Im unscheinbaren Schatten der Geschichte stehen Dorfkirchen als stille, aber beständige Wächter der Zeit. Sie sind die steinernen Zeugen einer weitreichenden und vielschichtigen Vergangenheit. Dies wird eindrucksvoll durch die Dorfkirche in Grube belegt, deren ereignisreiche Geschichte weit bis zu einem verschollenen Vorgängerbau aus dem 16.­­­Jahrhundert reicht. Die Chronik der Dorfkirche Grube ist eine erstmalige chronologisch umfassende Aufarbeitung der Geschichte der Grubener Kirche. Sie löst jahrhundertealte Rätsel, bringt bisher verborgene Erkenntnisse und Fotografien ans Licht und vereint wissenschaftliche Methodik mit lebendigen Erzählungen und Anekdoten. Die Chronik beleuchtet nicht nur die Geschichte des Bauwerkes, sondern auch den kulturellen und sozialen Wandel über die vergangenen Jahrhunderte. Sie führt den Leser in die Tiefe einer lokalen Geschichte, die exemplarisch für die Vergangenheit vieler Dörfer in Brandenburg stehen kann. Kein Schuss! Ein Sieger? Welche Gefühle bewegen seine liebevoll gezeichneten Menschen, wie den kleinen pfiffigen Ole, den geistvollen Geologen, Knut, den rauchenden Arbeiterführer oder die abgewickelte Professorin? In seinen Episoden stemmen sich die Personen gegen eine Stigmatisierung in Ost –und Westdeutsche. Klaus-D. Becker Let the oats sting you!
 Read the enjoyable and exciting stories of a contemporary witness who invites you on his journey between East and West.
 It is a life of different experiences. 40 years of his life in the GDR are in duel with almost 40 years in the united Germany.
 Not a shot ! A winner? What feelings move his lovingly drawn people, such as the smart little Ole, the witty geologist, Knut, the smoking labor leader or the worn-out professor?
 In his episodes, the characters resist stigmatization into East and West Germans.

To find her brother, she'll bring them all to their knees... They think I'm half angel and half human. They think I have no magic. They think that because I grew up in the human world, I'm clueless about what to expect at Seraphim Academy. They're wrong. I'm not half human. I'm half demon. And this little succubus has come to play. My brother vanished from Seraphim Academy without a trace, and I'll do whatever it takes to find him, including infiltrating the school myself. Even if it means going up against my brother's best friends, who know something about his disappearance and aren't talking. They may be angel royalty, but if they think they can intimidate me into leaving the school, they're wrong. There's also the problem of the delicious professor who knows my secret. He's hiding something too, and I'm going to find out what it is. But I'll have to be careful, because if anyone finds out I'm part demon? I won't just get kicked out of Seraphim Academy. I'll be dead. This collection contains all three books in the Seraphim Academy series: Wicked Wings, Sinful Things, and Fallen Kings.

Every day we face the challenge of persuading others to do what we want. But what makes people say yes to our requests? Persuasion is not only an art, it is also a science, and researchers who study it have uncovered a series of hidden rules for moving people in your direction. Based on more than sixty years of research into the psychology of persuasion, Yes! reveals fifty simple but remarkably effective strategies that will make you much more persuasive at work and in your personal life, too. Cowritten by the world's most quoted expert on influence, Professor Robert Cialdini, Yes! presents dozens of surprising discoveries from the science of persuasion in short, enjoyable, and insightful chapters that you can apply immediately to become a more effective persuader. Often counterintuitive, the findings presented in Yes! will steer you away from common pitfalls while empowering you with little known but proven wisdom. Whether you are in advertising, marketing, management, on sales, or just curious about how to be more influential in everyday life, Yes! shows how making small, scientifically proven changes to your approach can have a dramatic effect on your persuasive powers.

Bloomsbury presents Petrified by Graham Masterton, read by John Moraitis. ONE LOOK AND YOU'LL BE FROZEN WITH FEAR. Braydon Harris and Suki, his little girl, are leaving her grandparent's house when a huge truck jack-knifes in front of their car. Suki is thrown from the vehicle and ends up in hospital suffering with terrible burns. Luckily, cryptozoology professor Nathan Underhill is working on a perfect cure. Underhill breeds mythological beasts, and lately he's been working with the legendary phoenix – whose cells he believes might hold exceptional healing properties against burns. Despite the treatment, Suki finds that the pain from the burns only exacerbates a terrible nightmare she's had for years – one that's becoming realer by the minute, about scary things flying through the sky… and now they're headed straight for her. Petrified is an original and terrifying fantasy horror thriller from the Master of Horror himself, Graham Masterton. Praise for Graham Masterton: 'One of the most original and frightening storytellers of our time' Peter James 'Suspenseful and tension-filled... all the finesse of a master storyteller' Guardian 'One of Britain's finest horror writers' Daily Mail 'You are in for a hell of a ride' Grimdark Magazine

This book begins your exploration of the culture and traditions of the Akans of Ghana, West Africa. It introduces the reader to the lifestyle of the traditional Akans living in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, and other West African Countries. Little has been written on the Akan culture and spirituality especially in the style and with the sensitivity of this author. The reader gets a glimpse of the traditional life of the Akan with its protocols, hospitality, and embedded cultural spirituality. This is a user friendly guide to anyone seeking knowledge on the culture and/or spirituality of the Akans. The author has spent more than 15 years traveling throughout Ghana, observing and participating in cultural activities as well as studying day-to-day life. Additionally, the Author has spent many years interviewing practitioners of traditional Akan customs and rituals in Ghana. This book is a must read for social workers, psychologists, professors, teachers, and students. It is a great reference guide for those who plan to travel to Ghana and other parts of West Africa. Akan Protocol is infused with stories of interest and humor that will place you in the heart of Ghana, West Africa with Nana Kyerewaa.

DEEP DECEPTION. TWISTED FATE. 'Move over morse' Val McDermid 'A superb series' Sunday Times Thames Valley has a new Superintendent - DCS Wainwright - young, charismatic and ruthless, charged with pushing through big reforms. Her in-tray is full of problems - and at the top of the pile is the problem of Wilkins and Wilkins. Trailer park boy DI Ryan Wilkins, interesting looking in baggy trackies and over-large lime-green puffa. In his personnel file is a handwritten note scribbled by the outgoing Super: 'Do not, repeat not, give him responsibility.' And posh boy DI Ray Wilkins, improbably handsome in navy blazer and tan chinos: 'Thinks too highly of himself. More experience needed at the wet end.' Their previous investigations - though somehow successful - were models of disorder and dysfunction. The new Super needs to take action. There's been a shocking murder in the heart of Oxford, the stabbing of a security guard during an attempted armed robbery. Meanwhile, an elderly professor of linguistics goes missing from his home in cosy Iffley Village. The high-profile murder investigation can be safely handled by reliable detective DI Hare. The entry-level enquiry into the wandering academic can be given to the problem duo, with instructions to keep it simple. But when the body of the professor is found, still dressed in his pyjamas and dripping wet, spreadeagled on a hotel lawn miles from home, things get a little unexpected for the Wilkinses. Will Ray keep on top of the brief? Will Ryan keep it together? PRAISE FOR SIMON MASON 'Terrific' Mick Herron 'This moody, atmospheric novel is full of surprises' Sunday Times (Crime Book of the Month) '[W]ell plotted and very funny' Sun 'This has a TV series written all over it' Daily Mail