Showing results by narrator "Clive Mantle" in All Categories

When Freddie is given an ancient map for his birthday by his eccentric Uncle Patrick, it seems an odd gift, but Freddie is thrilled. Little does he realise that the mysterious map is about to turn his world upside down. Plunged into a perilous adventure between two worlds, and pursued in turn by a ruthless bully and a determined adversary who each go to any lengths to get what they want, Freddie must fight for what's right - and for his very life....

The day I was appointed Chair of the shop union was the same day the Pope was elected. There the similarities end, however. For while his elevation took place beneath the fine art of the Sistine Chapel, with the mysterious white smoke rising, mine took place in the cold store, with nothing more mysterious than the bacon delivery and yesterday's waste...A vicar for twenty years, Simon Parke trades in his dog collar for a job on the tills in his local supermarket.

Arriving at harvest-time in a sleepy rural village on the outskirts of Wells, the Palmer family are making a fresh start. At first, this smaller, slower world seems to offer few distractions, but even before winter has arrived, the open fields, cobbled streets, and steamy coffee shops begin to yield opportunities - especially for Jim with his eye for easy money and a pretty face.

India. The country of curry, chutney, tigers, the Taj Mahal... and the Blue Rat Gang! In Delhi, hundreds of children have been enslaved. Will no one help them? Does no one care? One person does. And one dog too. On trains and rickshaws, travelling from slums to palaces, Tim and Grk plunge into the heart of India for the most exciting adventure of their lives.

All major social advances have started with a complaint. Emmeline Pankhurst, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela each brought about changes by beginning with a complaint that the status quo was wrong and needed to change. It's time to reclaim complaint as a progressive, positive force again, and this book explores every kind of complaint that people make.

Thanks to his Uncle Patrick's mysterious map, Freddie is about to embark on another incredible adventure through time - except now he's not alone. Join Freddie and his best friend, Connor, as a feisty new neighbour, Ruby, threatens to disrupt the boys plans. Clive Mantle brings all the drama of his TV, film and stage career to the second in a thrilling series of incredible time-travel adventures.

In 1828, the beautiful Rosina Wheeler married one of Victorian England’s most successful and prolific writers, Edward Bulwer-Lytton. What followed shocked and entertained the public for over thirty years. After their marriage broke down, Rosina refused to be silenced. She pursued her husband with a single-minded and very public crusade to prove she was in the right. She even interrupted her husband’s election campaign to denounce him to the assembled voters. Edward responded by threatening to have her committed to a lunatic asylum.

James Fynch doesn't believe in magic. He is an ordinary boy, immersed in the world of modern technology—until his 14th birthday, when something extraordinary happens. Turning the dials of an ancient clock, he finds himself mysteriously transported to a magical, parallel world. Here, he begins to learn of the firestone, one of four mythical crystals able to defeat the rising darkness. The barrier between worlds hasn't been broken for centuries, but with dark powers rising, it is more fragile than ever before.

Old Grumbly has begun to spew smoke and rumble noisily and many Urks fear it’s The End of the World. The tribe decides that Iggy and Chief Hammerhead must climb the deadly mountain to ‘sort things out’. Little do they know that something much more dangerous is racing through the forest towards their village. Now would be an excellent time for one of Iggy’s cunning plans. First he just needs to figure out how to avoid being barbecued alive.… The fourth fantastic Iggy the Urk story from bestselling author Alan MacDonald.

St. Sebastian's School in Grimesford is the pits. Can James and his friends get to the bottom of the problem and flush out the ghosts, or will every term at the school be plagued with misery?

Race to the Pole tells of several expeditions into the unknown. It looks at Scott, the old fashioned hero whose lack of preparation led to tragedy, and at Shackleton, who refused to sacrifice his men to the cause.

Join Freddie, Connor and Ruby as they travel to the plague-stricken and fire-ravaged London of the 17th century, where the streets are ruled by a merciless gang of criminals and kidnappers. Stalked through time by the menacing, shrouded figure of the Collector, can the friends outwit their enemies and save history? It's all just a question of time....

Despite warnings from his new found friends, ex-university lecturer Frank spies on his old life from beyond the grave.

Sports day gets off to a shaky start when a bump to Stacey’s head kicks off a chain of events that aren’t on the programme. It soon becomes clear that the pupils are up against more than just each other, and James, Lenny and Alexander find themselves in a race to save their school from winning first prize for freakiness...The fifth spooky story in the 'Too Ghoul for School' series.

Westering and Wanting brings to a conclusion the life of Derek Johns’ semi-autobiographical character Billy Palmer. In 'Westering', Billy is in his early 30s and living in New York. He has married an American, and is attempting to pursue a career in the arts whilst discovering married life and contemplating starting a family.

In 'Wanting', Billy is middle-aged. Divorced from Alice, and 3,000 miles away from both her and his teenage son, Michael, he is back in London....

When Mr Watts, the science teacher, turns up for class and tries to open his briefcase with his teeth, James, Alexander and Lemmy realise he's not quite himself. The friends investigate, and uncover a plot so dangerous that the life of every pupil and teacher is at risk. How will they possibly foil it and restore Mr Watts to normal? The third spooky story in the 'Too Ghoul for School' series.

St. Sebastian's School in Grimesford is the pits. Can James and his friends get to the bottom of the problem and flush out the ghosts, or will every term at the school be plagued with misery?

This is a follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Wintering, in which our hero, Billy Palmer, comes of age in the swinging sixties - he moves to London, grows his hair, chats up girls, and dreams of finding himself in Marrakesh.

The school inspectors are here! The visit seems to go smoothly until the gym display arranged in their honour takes an unusual twist. James, Alexander and Lenny realise something’s up - in more ways than one! - and the friends soon find themselves with double trouble on their hands as they try to save their school from closure.