Cirrus@Austlit

'West Wickham, England, 1871

'A quiet country village is rocked by murder. Police have no leads and no clues, apart from the grisly state of the victim's body.

'Evidence points to a supernatural killer, but Professor Twickham is curiously reluctant to lend his assistance.

'Roberta, his daughter, has no such qualms, and she involves me in the case as well... only to turn around and abandon me for a sick friend.

'Now I must unmask the vicious killer on my own, but had I only known the truth, I'd never have got involved...'

Source : publisher's blurb

'First a dead body shows up on Harriet's favourite beach.

'Then she discovers the whole place is going to be bulldozed for an apartment complex.

'Now, Harriet must untangle a web of lies and corruption to reach the truth.

'Meanwhile, someone has decided that the best way to avoid discovery is to silence Harriet for good...'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Hal Spacejock loves to watch cargo ships taking off for distant star systems.

'One day, he promises himself. One day I'll leave this dump of a planet and explore the galaxy!

'But Hal's not supposed to watch the ships. No, his job is to load cargo into them... and he's not very good at it.

'After a particularly bad mixup, Hal flees from his boss, certain he'll get the sack. Instead, he runs smack-bang into an adventure that will alter the course of his life.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Everyone has been scarred by the war, and Sam Willet is no exception.

'Sam is convinced she has what it takes to become a fighter pilot... to hunt down and destroy the enemy in deep space.

'Instead she's assigned to Tactical Operations training. It's vital work, but it's still a desk job, far from the front line.

'Then, terrible news: Sam's older brother is killed in combat.

'Sam is given leave to attend his memorial service, but she's barely boarded the transport when the enemy launches a surprise attack, striking far behind friendly lines to take the entire sector.

'Desperately short of pilots, the transport's captain asks Sam to step up.

'Now, at last, she has the chance to prove herself.

'But will that chance end in death... or glory?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Sam Willet has just been assigned to fighter training, achieving a lifelong goal. Now, at last, she can help to win a decades-long interstellar war that's ripping two inhabited systems apart.

'Unfortunately, she's in for a shock. Facilities on the frontier planet are second-rate, her tutors are tired and jaded, and the training is as basic as it gets.

'When things go badly wrong during a live combat exercise, Sam's hauled before the squadron leader for punishment.

'Her career as a fighter pilot appears to be over before it really began.

'Then, without warning, the enemy launches a major attack. Against this overwhelming force, every pilot is needed... Sam included.

'Now is her chance to redeem herself.

'Now is her chance to fight back.

'But the enemy's ambitions go far beyond the destruction of a second-rate training base and the capture of a frontier planet. If their bold plan succeeds, it could change the entire course of the war.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The Spacers' Guild needs a new president, and Hal Spacejock is determined to cast his vote... even though he's not a member.

'Meanwhile, Hal's latest cargo job belongs to someone else, his shiny new ship is losing money hand over fist, and doing a good favour could turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When I applied for the position of bookkeeper with Professor Twickham and his daughter, I lied about my qualifications.

'As it turns out, they lied about the job for which I was applying.

'Had we not been so untruthful with each other, there might have been fewer night terrors stalking the inhabitants of the City.

'Fewer unexplained disappearances.

'Fewer deaths.

'Now, nobody is safe from the creeping horrors we've unleashed.

'With no time to spare, we face an impossible task: we must discover the mysteries in metal in order to right this wrong.

'But is it already too late?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Space Station Oberon is on high alert, because a comet is about to whizz past the nearby planet of Gyris. All the scientists are preparing for the exciting event, and all the kids are planning on watching.

'All the kids except Hal Junior, who's been given detention.

'Unfortunately the comet passes a whole lot closer than expected. Fortunately nobody is hurt, but the kids are trapped in one half, the adults in the other.

'Never mind. They have air and supplies, and they can all sit tight and wait for rescue.
Or can they?

'The scientists discover Space Station Oberon is now falling towards Gyris, faster and faster, and it's going to crash into the planet long before anyone can be rescued!

'Now it's up to Hal Junior and his friends. Not only do they have to save themselves, they've also got to save all the scientists and the space station! But how?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Hal Spacejock and Clunk return in an all-new novel!Hal and Clunk answer a distress call, and they discover a fellow pilot stranded deep inside an asteroid field. Clunk is busy at the controls, dodging incoming rocks, so Hal dons a spacesuit, takes the jetbike and sets off on a heroic rescue mission.If he'd only known the trouble he was getting himself into, he wouldn't have bothered...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Hal takes an odd call from a team of scientists, and minutes later he and Clunk are boarding a shuttle for the nearby orbiter. Turns out the scientists need some vital information, and only Hal can help.

'Before long he's embroiled in a new adventure, and this one's really dangerous.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Hal Spacejock lands on planet Alteia, where he's so distracted by his own problems that he forgets to collect Clunk from the luggage rack. Not to worry, because a couple of old friends free Clunk from the spaceport ... only to reveal a great big ulterior motive: they want him to join their gang ... er, group.

'Meanwhile, Hal's remembered his trusty co-pilot at last ... but only because everyone's trying to kill him, and Clunk is big and metal and bulletproof-ish.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ahh, the Old Kingdom.

'Come and admire our angry dragons close up. Take a dip with mighty sea serpents in our warm seas. Play catch-the-arrow with merry elven warriors. Drink beer* with the dwarves.

'For an unforgettable experience, the Old Kingdom is the ideal destination for your next holiday**

'Survival is optional, and highly unlikely.

'*Similarity to actual beer not guaranteed.

'**Travel insurance not available.

'***This is what three asterisks look like when you put them in a row.

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Events are unfolding at a breakneck pace in the Old Kingdom!

'Laugh as your favourite characters spit in the face of danger ... then run for the hills.

'Admire the verbal jousting and witty wordplay ... or is it the other way round?

'Gasp as kings and queens lose their heads.

''Enjoy' the groanworthy puns and suffer the slings and arrows of poorly-trained archers.

'But wait, there's more ...

'Prepare to be amazed as you learn exactly what Clunk's building in his makeshift workshop!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Welcome to the Old Kingdom!

'It's a wonderful time to visit! There's lots to do and plenty to see!

'Participate* in a public execution!
Wave a pathetic little sword at the Queen's Champion! (With luck**, become the new queen's champion!)
Practice real magic***, in public!
Make fun of the Halfling**** and experience excruciating pain!

'What are you waiting for? Dive into the Old Kingdom right now! *****

'Clunk, an elderly robot, just did exactly that. He plunges into the sea off the coast of the Old Kingdom, and if he knew what was coming next he'd have sat down on the ocean floor and waited for rescue.

'Dragged from the ocean, coughing up seaweed, salty water and stray pieces of jellyfish, he's taken to the nearby city of Chatter's Reach, where he's given a sword and told to fight the Queen's Champion, Sur Loyne.

'As if that wasn't bad enough, the Old Kingdom still thinks the wheel is a pretty nifty idea, and his chances of finding spare parts - or his missing memory modules - are nil.

'Still, Clunk is an optimist, and it's not long before he's embarking on a quest to find his way home.

'It's going to be a really tough ask, given the lack of charging points ...

'* Note: you won't be the one swinging the axe.
** You'll need it.
*** Abracadon't. Seriously.
**** His name is Runt, and he's just tall enough to reach your groin. With his knife.
***** Try not to land on a giant sea serpent. Tourists give them indigestion.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Planet Dismolle is supposed to be a peaceful haven. So what's with all the gunfire?

'A criminal gang has moved into Chirless, Dismolle's second major city. Elderly residents are fed up with the loud music, noisy cars and late night parties, not to mention hold-ups, muggings and the occasional gunfight.

'Chirless has no Peace Force, so Harriet Walsh of the Dismolle City branch has to help out. That puts her up against a gang of hardened criminals with only her training pistol and a few old allies to lend a hand.

'And these allies aren't just old, they're positively ancient!'

Source:Publisher's blurb.

'The Peace Force has a new recruit, and she's driving everyone crazy. From disobeying orders to handling unauthorised cases, nothing is off-limits.

'Worse, Harriet Walsh is forced to team up with the newbie, because the recruit's shady past has just caught up with her.

'Meanwhile, a dignitary wants to complain about rogue officers working out of the station. She insists on meeting the station's commanding officer ... and they don't have one.

'All up, it's another typical day in the Peace Force!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.