Author:Peter Smalley,Michael Tudor Barnes
Spring 1791
Though deeply disturbed by a terrible incident during his previous commission, James Hayter is nevertheless on the verge of taking command of HMS Sloop Eglantine as Master and Commander when personal tragedy shatters his life. The twin blows convince Hayter that he is not fit to command and he must turn his back on the sea forever. Even the intervention of his friend and former captain, William Rennie cannot not dissuade him from derelicting his duty.
Though repenting in the end of his decision, Hayter's career in the Navy appears to be over until the intervention of an agent, Mr Brough Mappin, working for Hayter's old nemesis, the British Secret Service Fund.
Mappin's plan offers Hayter a chance to revive his career on a special mission, with the promise of reinstatement in the Royal Naval List if he is successful. But it is also the single most dangerous mission of his life. He must sail for France with Rennie in HMS Expedient and there rescue some persons of interest from the grasp of the French Revolutionary forces searching for them.
What no one mentions is that the rescue will bring to bear on Expedient and her crew, a force so fierce and mighty that, if it can, it will wipe all trace of the incident, Hayter and the ship from the memory of everyone involved in the forthcoming struggle.
Open the covers of Jilly Cooper's latest novel and you lift the lid of a Pandora's box. From the pages flies a host of delicious and deadly vices... Cooper's sheer exuberance and energy are contagious... Cooper fans will be waiting eagerly for the next novel
—— The TimesThe whole thing is a riot - vastly superior to anything else in a glossy cover
—— Daily TelegraphThis is Jilly in top form with her most sparkling novel to date
—— Evening StandardOne reads her for her joie de vivre, her maudlin romanticism, her love of arty references and her razor sharp sense of humour. Oh, and the sex
—— New StatesmanCooper is astute when describing the complex relationships between men and women. She's also on the nail when it comes to teenage-speak and can bring the English countryside alive more deftly than many literary stars... She's irresistible... Like Harvey Nicks and the promise of romantic dalliance, she frees you from the daily drudge and deposits you in an alternative universe where love, sex and laughter rule
—— Independent on SundayA new Jilly Cooper novel guarantees a great summer for everyone... She tells a marvellous story with total conviction, and also hooks the reader from the first page. Her latest, an irreverant look at the international art world is full of fun and sex - and quite unputdownable. This is Jilly at her irrepressible best
—— Publishing NewsPandora is a smart portrait of the venal, greedy and pretentious underbelly of the high art scene... Most impressive is [Cooper's] gift for crowd scenes... Cooper moves her cast about in ways that elaborate their characters, fuel the plot and ensure that set pieces are never boring
—— Irish IndependentPandora is the best book Jilly has produced since Rivals... the action is priceless
—— Sunday ExpressTriumphantly good
—— The Sunday TimesThe prospect of Jilly's return, with a novel set in the glamorous international art world and promising "oodles of bad behaviour, intrigue, passion, tears and laughter", will surely cheer all but the most misanthropic
—— BooksellerThere is enough plot for several novels here (enough sex for dozens), all vividly conveyed in the author's excitable style... Her many fans will not be disappointed
—— Literary ReviewHarris does it again with this brilliantly told tale.
—— THE SUNVoluptuous helpings of magic, mystery, love and, of course, mouthwatering discriptions of her favourite chocolates, combine to make a rich, satisfying story that should keep you riveted to your sun lounger page after page
—— SHE magazineThe Lollipop Shoes is a sensory fantasy, Harris writes with an original and satisfying poetic flair.
—— DAILY TELEGRAPH...the magic still enchants
—— MAIL ON SUNDAY...a sumptuous treat.
—— HEAT Magazine, May 2007...a sensory fantasy, Harris writes with an original and satisfying poetic flair. Harris is a delicious treat.
—— DAILY TELEGRAPHThis novel has the richness of the best quality dark chocolate.
—— INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAYSparkling black comedy
—— PlayPearson is a hilarious author who captures the guilt and the exhaustion of the working mother's life perfectly
—— Dublin DailyIt's the incisive details and Pearson's vivid writing that propel the story
—— New York Times BooksSmart book...great fun
—— New York TimesPearson is insightful, witty and full of fun
—— Daily TelegraphWonderfully warm, witty and intelligent
—— Sunday independentA Bible for the working woman
—— Oprah WinfreyHer social observation is unerringly accurate...so beautifully written that it brought tears to my eyes, as well as a wry smile
—— Daily TelegraphPearson...to write a novel...that has already sold a gazillion copies and is going to become a film. Hats off to you, madam!
—— Ok MagazineShe will...make you laugh
—— Culture, Sunday TimesPearson...has made it all fresh again
—— TimeEntertaining, compulsively readable, and brilliantly written
—— Daily CandyHilarious and...poignant
—— Publisher's WeeklyThis terrific novel is alternately hilarious and sad
—— UpfrontIt may change your life
—— The ObserverPearson is a very witty and moving writer. Her prose is spare and skilful...waspish truisms and spot-on social observations
—— Daily ExpressIntelligent, witty and of-the-moment, it mixes sassy, brittle perceptions with barefaced sentimentality
—— The Herald, GlasgowBrilliantly captures and defines the mood of the moment...sparkling wit and razor sharp insights
—— XW MagazineSharply observed and frequently funny
—— Evening Standard