Books published by publisher Allison

Lights. Camera. Action!The Earl of Burford can’t believe his luck; the famous actor Rex Ransom wants to film his next feature at Alderley, the family’s beautiful country estate. Somewhat less enthusiastic is the Countess, who suddenly finds herself hosting an impromptu house party for the incoming Hollywood crowd. It’s almost too much for poor Merryweather, the family’s imperturbable butler, to cope with. And that’s before the murder in the dead of night…By morning, Inspector Wilkins is cast in the unlikely role of hero, as he tiptoes through the evidence and endeavours to unravel the thoroughly baffling mystery…and work out just what a mutilated mink coat has to do with anything.

Monsieur Pamplemousse, inspector of food and detective extraordinaire, is delighted to have the chance to dine once more at the famed La Langoustine, a restaurant nestling in the hills of Provence. Life as an undercover researcher for a top-class culinary guide can be lonely, and Monsieur Pamplemousse is ever grateful for the companionship of his friend and helper, Pommes Frites, a bloodhound with a finely-tuned nose.Will La Langoustine win the longed-for jewel in the chef’s crown, a third Red Stockpot? The signs are promising as Monsieur Pamplemousse and Pommes Frites await the delicacy of the house, chicken wrapped in a pig’s bladder and stuffed with truffles and foie gras, and the room is filled with a mouth-watering aroma of herbs, wine and spices. As Monsieur Pamplemousse stands to make his first cut with a characteristically deft movement, the outer casing collapses to reveal not the expected treat but a dish of far more grisly proportions. Clearly someone wants Monsieur Pamplemousse out of the way, but nothing delights the detective more than the chance to practise the skills he learnt in his sleuthing days at the Sûreté…

Iris Origo was one of the twentieth century's most attractive and intriguing women, a brilliantly perceptive historian and biographer whose works remains widely admired. Iris grew up in Italy with her Irish mother after the death of her wealthy American father. They settled in the Villa Medici in Florence, where they became part of the colourful and privileged Anglo-Florentine set that included Edith Wharton, Harold Acton and the Berensons.When Iris married Antonio Origo, they bought and revived La Foce, a derelict stretch of the beautiful Val d'Orcia valley in Tuscany and created an estate that thrives to this day. During World War II they sided firmly with the Allies, taking considerable risks in protecting children and sheltering partisans and Iris's diary from that time, War in Val d'Orcia, is now considered a modern classic. Caroline Moorehead has drawn on many previously unpublished letters, diaries, and papers to write the definitive biography of a very remarkable woman.

The New York Times BestsellerIf you think you know where the world is headed, think again Mexico making a bid for global supremacy?Poland becoming America’s closest ally?World War III taking place in space?It might sound fantastic but all these things can happen. In The Next 100 Years, George Friedman, author of the huge bestseller America’s Secret War offers a lucid, highly readable forecast of the changes we can expect around the world during the 21st century. He predicts where and why future wars will erupt, and how they will be fought; which nations will gain and lose economic and political power; and how new technologies and cultural trends will alter the way we live in the new century.

The Great War is over, and change is in the air, in this novel that brings to life the exciting days of early British radio ...and one woman who finds her voice while working alongside the brilliant women and men of the BBC.London, 1926. American-raised Maisie Musgrave is thrilled to land a job as a secretary at the upstart British Broadcasting Corporation, whose use of radio-still new, strange, and electrifying-is captivating the nation. But the hectic pace, smart young staff, and intimidating bosses only add to Maisie's insecurity. Soon, she is seduced by the work-gaining confidence as she arranges broadcasts by the most famous writers, scientists, and politicians in Britain. She is also caught up in a growing conflict between her two bosses, John Reith, the formidable Director-General of the BBC, and Hilda Matheson, the extraordinary director of the hugely popular Talks programming, who each have very different visions of what radio should be. Under Hilda's tutelage, Maisie discovers her talent, passion, and ambition. But when she unearths a shocking conspiracy, she and Hilda join forces to make their voices heard both on and off the air...and then face the dangerous consequences of telling the truth for a living.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.

‘WRY AND IMMENSELY READABLE’ DAILY MAILSpring, 1940. With Britons facing what has becomeknown as the Bore War – nothing much seems to have happened yet – Maisie Dobbs is asked to investigate the disappearance of a local lad, a young apprentice craftsman working on a hush-hush government contract.As Maisie’s inquiry reveals a potential link to the London underworld, the country is bracing for a possible enemy invasion amid news of the British expeditionary force stranded along the French coast. And another mother is worried about a missing son – but this time the boy in question is one beloved by Maisie.‘A SERIES THAT SEEMS TO GET BETTER WITH EVERY ENTRY’ WALL STREET JOURNAL

Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time. In 48 AD, a fire set by the troops of Julius Caesar destroyed much of the Great Library of Alexandria. It was the first of several disasters that resulted in the destruction of the accumulated knowledge of the ancient world. But what if the fire had been stopped? What would the Library have become? Fast forward: the Great Library is now a separate country, protected by its own standing army. It has grown into a vast power, with unquestioned and unrivalled supremacy. Jess Brightwell, seventeen and very smart, with a gift for mechanical engineering, has been sent into the Great Library as a spy for his criminal family. Magical spells and riots abound in this epic new YA series.