Books published by publisher Assembled Stories

The last of John Buchan’s thrillers and the final appearance of Richard Hannay, now in retirement reverie deep in the comfortable Cotswolds. However, he and Sandy [Lord Clanroyden] are roused to action once more to help the son of a recently deceased treasure hunter, called Haraldsen. The heir is receiving threats from Lancelot Troth, a man who believes himself ill treated financially by Haraldsen’s father and seeks revenge and reparation. The mission is complicated when the villain is aided by accomplices prepared to use extortion and child kidnap to achieve their aims. The action moves from Norfolk to the Scottish Borders and on to the Norlands where the conspirators are finally confronted in a thrilling climax with Hannay’s son and Haraldsen’s daughter involved in the resolution. Beautiful descriptive passages written by a man obviously at home in the natural world and some philosophic reflections about finding personal peace and contentment make this a fitting end to both Buchan’s important contribution to the genre and the history of Brigadier General Richard Hannay-a man of his time but with an everlasting popularity. About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as ‘excellent’, ‘remarkable’, ‘entrancing’, ‘superb’, ‘magic for sure’, ‘masterly’, ‘wonderful’, ‘a class act’ and ‘a splendid example of audio at its best’.

Heroes Ralph, Jack and Peterkin set sail on the Arrow and are the only three survivors of a fearful shipwreck. They are washed ashore on a seemingly idyllic coral island. This tranquillity is violently disturbed, first by a tribe of bloodthirsty cannibals and then by the invasion of a vicious pirate and his gang of cut-throats. Will the boys thwart their enemies and live to see England again? Largely based on Ballantyne’s own experience, as he sailed the seas and roved the countries of the World, ‘The Coral Island’ is a classic adventure story of the Victorian period. About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as "excellent", "remarkable", "entrancing", "superb", "magic for sure", "masterly", "wonderful", "a class act" and "a splendid example of audio at its best".

The 'sketches' in this... volume are more the substance and length of short stories illustrating the development of the tools of the Masters trade: farce, parody, irony, black humour and wonderful one liners which unerringly hit the mark.The ensuing narrative, however, brings the listener bumpily back to earth with a reminder of the mean and often tragic lives that were being endured in the busy, uncaring metropolis. The stories are in the following order and entitled; The Dancing Academy, Shabby Genteel People, The Prisoners Van, The Boarding House, Mr Minns and his Cousin, Sentiment, The Tuggses' at Ramsgate, Horatio Sparkins, The Black Veil, The Steam Excursion, The Great Winglebury Duel, Mrs Joseph Porter, A Passage in the life of Mr Watkins Tottle, The Bloomsbury Christening, The Drunkards Death.

On one level... Melville's tale is an historical adventure telling the story of life aboard ship shortly after the mutiny at Spithead in 1797. Billy is taken from a homeward bound merchantman to serve on the 'Seventy Four' HMS Indomitable. He falls foul of Claggart, the 'Master at Arms', and the final confrontation results in death. Billy becomes an unwilling martyr - what passes for justice must be implemented because of the rebellious climate of the time. However, below the surface lie some of Melville's thematic obsessions: the aristocratic savage placed against an inhumanity born of service in time of war, innocence overtaken by fate and the worthy encompassed by the inevitable. The natures of evil and conscience are explored and 'Billy Budd' is the author's "last word upon the strange mystery of himself and human destiny". Melville is regarded by many as the finest author America has produced.

The hugely successful romantic adventure story which continues to thrill a century after it was written. It has all the classic ingredients - a twisting plot of betrayal and deception, love interest, great swashbuckling action and a most beguiling villain in Rupert of Hentzau, who captured the public’s imagination and had them begging the author for a sequel.Rudolph Rassendyll visits Ruritania, with whose Royal Family he has a connection because of a scandalous sexual indiscretion in the past. When the heir apparent is kidnapped, Rudolph by virtue of his physical similarity to the new ruler, is plunged into a sequence of events in which he is crowned, then must rescue ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ in order to continue the royal line and pay court to the Princess Flavia - the latter task coming very easy to him as he falls deeply in love. A terrific, original tale much imitated by succeeding authors - but never bettered. Great entertainment and part of literary history!

Charles Dickens started his literary career as a journalist reporting for ‘The Morning Chronicle,’ a profession which encouraged his observing eye. This collection of essays and short stories was first published in that journal and anticipates, and frequently demonstrates, the genius that was to come. The Sketches ‘Illustrative of Everyday Life and Everyday People’ are a valuable documentary account of existence in the great metropolis during the early part of the nineteenth century and exhibit to the full the waspish wit, joie de vivre and compassion, for which the author was known. From the humorous gossip of ‘The Curate’ to the informative ‘Scotland Yard’ and on to a campaigning descriptive piece about Newgate Prison, Dickens takes us on a rewarding journey across our capital city, enlivened by the quirks and foibles of its inhabitants. This is the first of several volumes of Dickens’ journalistic writing to be published in audio format by Assembled Stories. We are sure you will enjoy them.

Hannay to the rescue once more! This time...our hero is summoned from his tranquil life in rural Oxfordshire to save the world from a financial conspiracy which threatens the global economy. Hannay comes to believe that the villain behind all this must be Dominick Medina. But can such a brilliant, charming idol of the nation be using Eastern magic to suborn industrialists, magnates and other such pillars of society as his slaves? Is Medina also capable of holding hostages as insurance against the failure of his dastardly schemes and to guarantee his escape from justice? Infiltrating the organisation, Hannay befriends Medina and starts to investigate. His mission takes him from England to Norway and culminates in Scotland, where the protagonists stalk each other in a most thrilling chase and the outcome is death - but who will be the victor?

Bobby, a sparky, silver-haired Skye terrier, adopts Auld Jock, a worn-out simple shepherd, as his master. Jock is let go by the farmer and dies in poverty, having suffered one winter too many. The farmer tries to reclaim Bobby as a pet for his daughter, but the dog owes allegiance only to Auld Jock, guarding his grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard. His devotion changes the lives of those around him and ultimately the conditions of the poor in Edinburgh. Bobby's loyalty is eventually rewarded, and he becomes a famous dog indeed!

William Crimsworth escapes the brutal employment of his brother in a Yorkshire mill town, changes profession and takes a position as tutor in a boys' school in Brussels. The authoress is unusually frank, for the time, in her scrutiny of the relationship between the teacher and the domineering headmistress of the adjoining girls' school, Zoraide Reuter. Crimsworth manages to avoid the older woman's manipulation and begins a relationship with a poor pupil/teacher only to have these advances briefly frustrated by the headmistress' jealousy and dislike of the younger woman."The Professor is as good as I can write; it contains more pith, more substance, and more reality, in my judgement!"Charlotte Bronte. About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as "excellent", "remarkable", "entrancing", "superb", "magic for sure", "masterly", "wonderful", "a class act" and "a splendid example of audio at its best". Unfortunately, the titles and composition of the music played within this audiobook are unknown.

John Buchan's hero Edward Leithen chances upon a worldwide plan for domination. With his own life (and those of his friends) depending on the outcome of his struggle, he engages in combat the anarchic brain behind "The Power-House". The author, despite being very busy in Public Service, wrote over 50 books during his life, but his particular talent was for writing fast-moving adventure stories. The Power-House, a good example of this genre, was first published in 1916.

At the end of the 19th Century W.H.Davies hustled his way across America, working when he could, begging and stealing when he couldn't. He saw life on the breadline. He was beaten up in New Orleans, thrown into prison in Michigan and was present at lynching's in Tennessee, truly a diarist of the nether side of the American dream. After travelling with some of the most interesting and adventurous characters, an accident forced him to return to a similar poverty filled world back in England. "The incorrigible Super-tramp who wrote this amazing book. I have read it through from beginning to end, and would have read more of it had there been any more to read." George Bernard Shaw.

Richard Wardour leaves England on a voyage to the African coast under the impression he is engaged to delicate orphan Clara Burnham. Despite sending him a letter stating the contrary Clara is anxious for her honour. She is aware that he may not have received the missive and is now betrothed to another, Frank Aldersley.When Richard returns and is refused, he immediately sets sail on an expedition to the Arctic, unaware that in the same party is Clara's accepted lover.The expedition fails, the ships are marooned on the ice and Wardour and Aldersley, the spurned and the successful, are sent across the treacherous ice to reach the nearest settlement and effect a rescue!'The Frozen Deep' was first performed as a play (once by Royal command), as a reading in America by the author himself and finally written as prose. It reinforces Wilkie Collins' reputation as the 'novelist who invented sensation'.