Showing results by narrator "Sarah Slimani" in All Categories

In the shadows of an ancient wood, guests gather for the opening weekend of The Manor: a beautiful new countryside retreat. But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. And the candles have barely been lit for a solstice supper when the body is found.

Bekhal Mahmod was one of six siblings from a Sunni Muslim family in Iraqi Kurdistan who sought a new life as asylum seekers and arrived in London in 1998. When Bekhal's father tried to force her into an arranged marriage at 15, she ran away. This caused her father to ‘lose respect’ within the Kurdish community and Bekhal became the target of an honour killing and her younger sisters Banaz and Payzee were quickly married off to restore the family's reputation. When Banaz left her husband, Mahmod decided this 'shame' to the family meant Banaz must die. Within weeks, she had vanished.

The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost. They never shy away from a challenging case. But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake, the Wilbies soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see the nation turned on its head.

In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside—mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meager rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.

When Dee arrives on the beautiful Île de Ré, she's hoping to escape the secret that's been suffocating her for years. And what better way to forget than a lavish holiday with her boyfriend and a family wedding to celebrate? Meanwhile, bride-to-be Willa is meant to be basking in a pre-wedding glow. After all, her fiancé's whole family have gathered on the island to celebrate her marriage to their handsome, wealthy son. But Willa isn't telling the whole truth - and she can't wait for this sham to be over. By the end of the holiday no one's secret will be safe. And two people will be dead.

Diana Zahrani is Formula One’s first female racing driver. All the other drivers are told to race carefully around her, and leave her to her real job: being a pretty face and good advertising for a hypermasculine sport. But Diana’s not worked this hard her whole life just to be a mascot. World Championship favourite Miguel de la Fuente is not taking any rookie seriously, let alone a woman. But motorsports is a small world, and as Diana and Miguel race their way through the season, they’re forced to face each other again and again.

A customer service assistant spends her long workdays printing letters. Her one friend is the printer and, in the dark confines of her office, she begins to open up to him, talking about her fears, her past, her hopes and dreams. To her, it seems like a beautiful friendship is blossoming. To her boss, it seems like she’s losing her mind.

Over one night, alone in the Punta della Dogana Museum in Venice, Leïla Slimani grapples with the self as it is revealed in solitude. In a place of old and new, she confronts her past and her present, through her life as a Moroccan woman, as a writer, and as a daughter. Surrounded by art, she explores what it means to behold and clasp beauty; enveloped by night, she confronts the meaning of life and death.

Layla. Kai. Liam. Fliss. Terrified big sister. Troubled surfer. Insecure genius. Pampered princess. They have nothing in common, except they were all on the school bus that morning. The morning of the crash. The morning they discovered the dead driver’s holdall, containing one million pounds – and a gun. All of them have secrets, and all of them need that money. But someone dangerous is hunting it down, and drawing closer every minute. If Layla, Kai, Liam and Fliss want to survive, they’ll need to stick together. But can four good liars really trust one another?

Forty years ago, local teacher Sister Francesca Pepitone was found strangled in a parking lot on the outskirts of Boweridge. One week later, seventeen-year-old Minna Larson disappeared. No one has seen or heard from her since. The cases were never linked, and neither was solved, but Minna's niece Maggie is certain there's a connection because before she vanished, Minna was telling people she knew who had murdered Sister Fran, and that she had the evidence to prove it. But no one believed her because there is one thing everyone can agree on. Minna lies.

In a day when the culture dictated that women were to be seen and not heard, God raised up a woman with the faith, wisdom and courage to lead her people as a judge over Israel. After settling in the Promised Land, the people of Israel repeatedly turned their backs on God and went their own way. But by His grace, God mercifully responded to His people’s cries for help by raising up judges to lead His people back to Him. This is the story of one of those judges—the one called Deborah.