Item category 1: Classic

After listening to a story told by a condemned man, Inspector Maigret undertakes an investigation that leads him to the Guinguette à Deux Sous, a bar by the Seine, and into the seamy underbelly of bourgeois Paris

Thekla von Stift is causing more trouble for the Chalet School than any other pupil in its history - but trying to influence Joyce Linton finally proves her undoing, with dramatic results.

'The Shadow Puppet' is a family tragedy, newly translated as part of the new 'Inspector Maigret' series.

Stolen from his easy life as a pet, Buck is propelled into the harsh Canadian wilderness. His story becomes one of adaption and survival as he is lured by the call of the wild.

After being shot following a man who has mysteriously jumped off a moving train, Maigret gets caught up in an investigation in a provincial French town terrorized by a maniacal murderer. 'The Madman of Bergerac' captures the obsessive snobbery and hypocrisy of the small-town bourgeoisie.

Set in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, 'Cousin Bette' relates the story of the vengeful Bette who, along with her scheming accomplice Valérie Marneffe, sets out to ruin her extended family. Exploring themes of lust, greed and virtue, Balzac delivers a powerful, absorbing literary classic.