The Magdeburg Relic

In his novel The Magdeburg Relic, author C. M. Chadwick takes his readers on an exploration of black magic, paganism and folklore in this, his debut novel.

It is an occult novel following in the fine traditions established by one of the founders of this genre, the late Dennis Wheatley.

In fact C. M. Chadwick states: "My book is a serious attempt to write a heavyweight occult novel in order to continue Wheatley's tradition."

It is his hope and desire that the book will be an enjoyable read for those readers who like exploring paganism, black magic and folklore.

The novel is set in the mystical English county of Wiltshire and follows the story of a vicar, who is also an occult investigator, Callum Dood.

He uncovers the conflicting forces of devil worship and paganism.

Togetrher with a group of trusted compatriots, Dood fights with a Satanic cult for possession of the Magdburg Relic, the rediscovered relics of Adolf Hitler.

It is the intention of the cult to use them for occult purposes; It is the intent of Dood and his helpers to thwart them.

The action takes place in a variety of locations, including Nuremberg, the site of Nazi rallies and to a necromantic ceremony, where the soul of Hitler is raised.

The action then moves to a mysterious crypt beneath the former home of occultist Aleister Crowley where the battle nearly ends with the death of Dood and his plucky band of fellow workers.

Later they face, at Carn Brea, in Wiltshire, the opening of a gateway to the underworld through which the Satanic cult hopes to draw legions of the former followers of Hitler.

However, they were not counting on the fact that Dood would be able to recruit the assistance of a pagan group who still hold firm to the old religion and who still converse in the Celtic language of their ancient forefathers. They hold in veneration the Celtic god Taranis and together both groups work together to defeat the cult.

But will they succeed? Read this thrilling novel to find out!

This book is definitely in the tradition of the late Dennis Wheatley and the only way one can tell that it is not a book by Wheatley is that there are references to modern matters such as emails. And, yes, I do mran that as a complement to the author, C. M. Chadwick.

It is published in hardback by Matador at £12.99 an d you can buy it here >>> https://goo.gl/zmYo4p.

The Seven Letters

In her debut novel 'newly minted' author Jan Harvey brings readers a poignant and moving novel that weaves a fascinating series of deeply interwoven stories that proceed through the decades of wartime Europe and toward the present day.

Claudette Bourvil is a timid country girl who, after her recruitment by the French Resistance, is directed to work in Paris, as an undercover agent within a bordello that is operated by the calculating and hard Madame Odile.

Whilst she is at the bordello of Madame Odile, Claudette meets and falls in love with one of the habitues of the bordello, a German Nazi officer, Fritz Keber.  

He is a deeply complex man with secrets of his own, which, when she discovers them, absolutely horrifies Claudette.

The story progresses to England some seven decades later. It is 2014 and Connie Webber is a witness when her friend the playwright, Freddie March, ends his own life by suicide.

Matt Varney, a kindly stranger, who is also on the scene offers her his comfort and they become firm friends.

Matt offers to assist Connie in the task of sorting through Freddy's possessions and they discover a cache of seven letters which are the key to the mystery of his mother.

The letters lead them to Paris. There, they meet a former prostitute who reveals the story of a maid who worked at the bordello who was, in reality, an agent of the French Resistance.

Connie and Matt follow the trail to a quiet village in the Normandy countryside where they discover a terrible truth relating to the fate of Freddy's mother.

The book will be published in February 2017 at £9.99 by Matador.

It will be available for purchase here>>> https://goo.gl/zmYo4p.

The Universe is a Machine

The Universe is a Machine is a debut non-fiction work by Chartered Engineer James Hughes.

In it offers a new and unique explanation of the science of what might have happened during the Big Bang, when our universe came into being.

It is a novel solution to the problem of where all the antimatter went after the Big Bang, why it is still in existence and the reasons as to why it has never, at least so far, been detected.

It is written in the form of a treatise which explores the so-called "smoking gun" of a clue that points to there having been a distinct mechanical process that took place during the aftermath of the Big Bang, superimposed, as Hughes argue, upon the thermodynamic and nuclear processes that are linked to the evolution of the early stages of our universe.

It is the current orthodoxy that the antimatter was utterly destroyed in the events of the aftermath of the Big Bang.

However, Cambridge alumnus and chartered engineer James Hughes argues that this was not the case.

He has a unique explanation to what happened to the antimatter, where it is and why it has not -at least, yet!- been subject to detection.

This paperback book is published in paperback by Matador at £78.00, though a Kindle version is available for £68.00.

It is available for purchase or download at our shop>>> https://goo.gl/zmYo4p.

That's Christmas: The Funniest Stuff

That's Christmas: The Funniest Stuff: This is the latest book from Colin West and it's going to be a must buy Chirstmas gift for the children in your life!" It's...

Under the Knife

Under the Knife is a fascinating new book by autohr Gulzar Mufti.

A retired urologist with decades of experience in the UK and abroad, Gulzar Mufti brings his readers a wide ranging array of medical and surgical stories from all over the globe.

Some of the anecdotes are light-hearted, some dramatic,  some tinged with sadness, but they are all very real examples of what happens in medical establishments the world over.

It also shows the human side of the doctors, the surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other healthcare professionals who look after patients to the best of their abilities and, sometimes who go the extra mile and then some in order to help the sick people who are in their care.

Read how Professor K was able to make a diseased appendix just 'pop out', how the Kashmiri barbers dealt with hair and also with other matters such as teeth, removal of earwax, draining of abscesses and circumcision, too.

Also read how a simple typographical error was, actually, quite well received and how not everyone a doctor meets should be fully trusted!

This book is a must buy Christmas gift for everyone involved in medicine and also, everyone else, too!

It is published by the Book Guild at the modest price of £8.99 and is available for purchase from our own book and gift shop here>>> https://goo.gl/AzQ0XD but please do remember you might need to use the express delivery option as it is so close to Christmas.

Portals of Discovery

Portals of Discovery is a fascinating new book by George Norrie, the second Baron Norrie of Wellington, New Zealand.

Lord George Norrie has had a fascinating life. He has served as a member of the armed services as a soldier, worked as a horticulturalist and is, by inclination, an entrepreneur and has served as a parliamentarian.

In his memoir which is frank and honest, he raises some very interesting points. For example he argues that the choices that we make during our lifetime should not, usually, be considered to be mistakes.

He concurs with the Irish author James Joyce, they are not to be considered to be mistakes, they are, "portals of discovery," or gateways inot new worlds and are opportunities for bus to learn more about life.

Lord Norrie is a delight as he does not take himself too seriously and employs a self-deprecating wit and casts an eye on contemporary life.

He details the story of his life that begins in the Gloucestershire of the Second World War, to South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East.

He shares with his readers an important account of the vital role that the House of Lords plays in the examination and reviewing of new proposed legislation, pointing out some changes that he was able to introduce to legislation as it progressed through the Upper Chamber on key environmental matters.

His time in parliament was brought to a somewhat abrupt termination when reductions in the number of hereditary peers allowed to sit in the House of Lords was reduced, but he is still very active in helping to look after the natural world.

The key themes of this memoir are self-knowledge and the importance of looking for new understandings.

It is published by the Book Guild and in hardback it costs £14.95 and is available here from our own bookshop and gift shop >>> https://goo.gl/AzQ0XD, but do please remember if it is a Christmas present, do please use the express delivery option.

Broccoli and Bloody-Mindedness

This is the story of Antonia Lister-Kaye as she takes a highly illuminating look back over her roller-coaster of a life.

She was born prematurely and was not a wanted child, in army barracks in the year of 1931.

She had cerebral palsy, yet she had a mind that was sharp and she had what was described as "a sense of fun."

Her childhood was chaotic and tinged with rage, some naughtiness and a few escapades and narrow scrapes.

Somehow, and it has to be said, the odds were somewhat stacked against her, Antonia was able to attend university and after leaving university she took up a career as a teacher in London.

She discovered sex and found that she quite like it and, after a few exciting and exhilarating years she, perhaps unexpectedly, got married to Hugo.

This brought about adventures of their own, as Hugo took her off to live in the African country of Nigeria.

Some time later they move to South Africa where Antonia discovers apartheid and realises that she hates it, which brings her suppressed rebellious nature to the surface.

She decides that she will make her way into Black zones that are normally forbidden to white people.

How does she do this? By the simple expedient of selling coffins ad teaching black students.

The South African authorities find her attitudes if not in breach of the apartheid regulations, certainly somewhat disturbing so they "invite" the family to return to the UK.

Domestic tasks were beyond her -due to three small children- and she eventually suffers from a breakdown in her physical health, with resultant chronic back pain.

Eventually Hugo leaves her and things get a little chaotic.

She finds that teaching is now too physically demanding and so she takes the decision to retrain as a psychotherapist, which results in more years of work that she found utterly fascinating and rewarding, in the main.

In later years she has campaigned for the re-legalisation of cannabis for medical use and when asked recently by her doctor how she had survived so long she responded with the improtal line: "Broccoli and bloody-mindedness!"

The book is illustrated with photographs and it is an autobiography that really shoulds be bought as a  Christmas present for those who like autobiographies about real people.

It is published by Matador at £7.99 and is available for purchase here >>> https://goo.gl/AzQ0XD but od use the express delivery option if you ant it before Christmas.