Maria Grazia Griffini Books

A flamboyant party host is murdered in full view of a roomful of bridge players... Mr Shaitana was famous as a flamboyant party host. Nevertheless, he was a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation to view Shaitana's private collection. Indeed, what began as an absorbing evening of bridge was to turn into a more dangerous game altogether...

"On a June day, a young woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-bound bus into a small midwestern town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is just passing through. Yet her stopping here has a reason and it is part of a story that you will never forget." The time is the 1950s, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is a small midwestern town with a high school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on a tree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinary set of events begins to unfold. And gradually what seems serendipitous is tinged with purpose. A happy home is shattered by a child's senseless death. A loving marriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives--a young woman who will touch many lives before she moves on. She and a young man will meet and fall in love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family's dreams. And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious gift she leaves them. "The Gift," Danielle Steel's thirty-third best-selling work, is a magical story told with stunning simplicity and power. It reveals a relationship so moving it will take your breath away. And it tells a haunting and beautiful truth about the unpredictability--and the wonder--of life.

After the wedding of Diana Goode and Andrew Douglas, Diana teases that they will make a baby on their honeymoon. But long afterward, she is still not pregnant. As Diana and Andrew wait out each month only to be bitterly disappointed, they are forced to question just how much they are willing to go through to have a baby. Charlie Winwood dreams of a house filled with children. His bride, party-girl actress Barbie Mason, has other ideas. When he discovers he is sterile, Charlie has to rethink his deepest values -- and his marriage to a woman who shares none of his dreams. After ten years of living together, Pilar Graham, a prominent Santa Barbara attorney, marries Judge Brad Coleman, who is nineteen years her senior and father of two grown children. They are happy with their comfortable life together, à deux, until Pilar begins to wonder if she will someday regret not having a baby with Brad. Are they crazy to begin now -- with Brad about to become a grandfather and Pilar with a busy career, and in her early forties, possibly putting herself at risk? Through the lives of these couples, Danielle Steel shows us the mixed blessingswe face as we build our families and live our modern lives. She touches us with the triumphant people who prevail, their victories, their defeats, their tragedies and joys, their compromises, their lives.

When a notice appears in the local newspaper, the villagers are curious. Is it a joke, or is there really going to be a murder at Little Paddocks? At the announced time, the lights go out. Gunshots are heard. What is happening? Will Miss Marple be able to explain the mystery?

La Londra vittoriana nasconde accuratamente i suoi peccati e i suoi segreti. Solo il tenace ispettore Thomas Pitt riesce a portarli alla luce, con la determinazione del segugio di razza e l'aiuto di un'arma segreta: sua moglie Charlotte. Figlia di ottima famiglia, Charlotte svolge per conto del marito indagini delicate nei salotti della buona borghesia, arrivando dove un poliiziotto non potrebbe mai avere accesso. In questa raccolta, che comprende tre dei casi più complessi dell'ispettore, si rivela tutta la bravura di Anne Perry, autrice amatissima dai giallisti di tutto il mondo per la sua capacità di ridar vita a un'epoca affascinante e torbida come quella della Londra dell'Ottocento.

Fin da bambina, Cassie ha sognato di pilotare un aereo, nonostante la disapprovazione della famiglia, proprietaria di un campo d'aviazione. Ma Nick, il giovane socio del padre, segretamente innamorato di lei, l'asseconda e l'aiuta a diventare una provetta pilota. Cassie, però, sposa un astuto industriale che, sfruttando la sua bravura, la trasforma in una celebrità, con all'attivo record mondiali e imprese rischiose. Nel frattempo - siamo negli anni Quaranta - Nick parte per la guerra e Cassie realizza di non essere felice...

A young couple survives World War II and rebuilds their lives by benevolently purchasing family jewels from war survivors and beginning their own gem business. Reprint.

Three women who were inseparable during their college years meet again after 20 years at a ranch in Wyoming to find courage, healing and truth as they reach out to one another and rekindle old relationships.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Was it just a weak heart and too much sun that killed her, or has one of Mrs Boynton's many victims found revenge? By chance, the great detective Hercule Poirot has some useful information, but is it enough to find the killer? He has 24 hours to solve the case.

The year is 1861. The American Civil War has just begun, and London arms dealer Daniel Alberton is becoming a very wealthy man. His quiet dinner party seems remote indeed from the passions rending America. Yet investigator William Monk and his bride, Hester, sense growing tensions and barely concealed violence. For two of the guests are Americans, each vying to buy Albertons armaments. Soon Monk and Hesters forebodings are fulfilled as one member of the party is brutally murdered and two others disappear along with Albertons entire inventory of weapons. As Monk and Hester track the man they believe to be the murderer all the way to Washington, D.C., and the bloody battlefield at Manassas, Slaves of Obsession twists and turns like a powder-keg fuse and holds the reader breathless and spellbound

Queen of crime, PD James delivers another Adam Dalgliesh mystery, The Private Patient. The scar on Rhoda Gradwyn's face was to be the death of her . . . When the notorious investigative journalist, Rhoda Gradwyn, books into Mr Chandler-Powell's private clinic in Dorset for the removal of a disfiguring and long-standing scar, she has every prospect of a successful operation and the beginning of a new life. But the Manor holds a secret and deadly enemy. While she lies drowsily recovering from the anaesthetic a white-shrouded figure stealthily enters her bedroom and within minutes Rhoda is dead. Dalgliesh and his team, called in to investigate the murder, and later a second equally horrific death, find themselves confronted with problems even more complicated than the question of innocence or guilt. From the author of Death in Holy Ordersand Original Sincomes The Private Patient. PD James' hero Adam Dalgliesh returns to investigate. Praise for The Private Patient- 'Dagliesh is one of the great police detectives in the history of crime fiction' The Times 'Plenty of suspense' Daily Mail P.D. James is the queen of crime fiction and the author of numerous bestsellers including A Taste for Death, Original Sin, A Certain Justiceand Death in Holy Orders. She lives in London.

A small, private museum on the edge of Hampstead Heath has been inherited by three siblings, all of whom are required by the family trust to sign any new lease. Without the new lease the museum will have to close. One brother, Neville Dupayne, is adamant he won't sign. And then the housekeeper, Mrs Tally Clutton, discovers Neville's body in his still blazing car...

Kate is only eighteen when she meets Tom Harper, one of America's biggest pro-football stars. They share an idyllic and glamorous first love. But the bullet that suddenly ends Tom's career also ends their life together. A failed suicide attempt will leave him mentally and physically disabled forever. Kate will be left alone, heartbroken, and pregnant with their son. Soon she will have another chance at love, but it will mean learning to let go of the past and learning to trust again.

The restoration of a majestic old home serves as the backdrop for a captivating story of dreams, gifts, and unexpected surprises. Perched on a hill overlooking San Francisco, this magnificent house, built in 1923, has fallen into disrepair. Sarah Anderson, a sensible estate lawyer, finds herself drawn to its empty rooms after an elderly client leaves her a generous inheritance and a powerful message: to use the money for something wonderful and daring. Despite her workaholic nature and a steady but lackluster relationship, Sarah feels compelled to explore the mansion's history, including the story of a woman who once lived there and the drama that unfolded in war-torn France. Taking a significant risk, Sarah enlists architect Jeff Parker, who shares her passion for restoring the house. As they work together, Sarah faces the collapse of one relationship while the potential for another blossoms. Throughout the restoration, she uncovers profound truths about the dying man's last gift, the extraordinary legacies passed down through generations, and a future she is only beginning to envision. In this tale of daring and hope, the author beautifully illustrates one woman's courageous choice to invest herself in a dream and the unexpected rewards that come from embracing life and taking chances.

Agatha Christie is more than the most popular mystery writer of all time. In a career that spans over half a century, her name is synonymous with brilliant deception, ingenious puzzles, and the surprise denouement. By virtually inventing the modern mystery novel she has earned her title as the Queen of Crime. Curious? Then you're invited to read....THE SITTAFORD MYSTERY M-U-R-D-E-R. It began as an innocent parlor game intended to while away the hours on a bitter winter night. But the message that appeared before the amateur occultists at the snowbound Sittaford House was spelled out as loud and clear as a scream. Of course, the notion that they had foretold doom was pure bunk. Wasn't it? And the discovery of a corpse was pure coincidence. Wasn't it? If they're to discover the answer to this baffling murder, perhaps they should play again. But a journey into the spirit world could prove terribly dangerous-especially when the killer is lurking in this one.

The story of a temple of high fashion where the wealthy and chic sip champagne, browse and gossip. It is the dreamchild of the fabled Billy Ikehorn, whose ruthless search for fulfilment leads her from lover to lover. The author's other titles include Mistral's Daughter and Princess Daisy.

Life was good for Liz and Jack Sutherland. In eighteen years of marriage they had built a family, a sucessful law practice, and a warm happy home near San Francisco, in a house on Hope Street. But one Christmas morning, in the midst of joy and children's laughter, tragedy strikes - and Liz is left alone, facing painful questions in the face of unbearable loss. How can she go on without her husband, her partner, her best friend?

In 1940 a young girl fallsin love with a dashing yong pilot, only to find their wants and needs are totoally different.

In Rome, Isabella and her husband, Amadeo, have created an idyllic marriage and the House of San Gregorio, the most exciting name in European high fashion. But in an act of terrorism, Amadeo is kidnapped and taken from Isabella forever. Fleeing to New York, she fights to build a new life for herself and her son, as they discover new worlds and a new life together.

In her 56th bestselling novel, Danielle Steel explores themes of family, friendship, and personal transformation through the journey of Faith Madison. On the surface, Faith embodies the ideal New Yorker—stylish and accomplished, with a seemingly perfect life as a mother and wife in Manhattan. However, beneath this façade lies a painful secret stemming from her childhood, compounded by the recent death of her stepfather, a man who always felt just out of reach. This loss triggers a profound journey of self-discovery for Faith. At the funeral, she reconnects with Brad Patterson, her brother's childhood best friend, who brings back cherished memories. Their bond, once forged in childhood, reignites as they navigate their respective griefs and the complexities of their adult lives. Faith, yearning for independence, decides to pursue a law degree against her husband’s wishes, which leads to marital strife. Amidst this turmoil, her correspondence with Brad becomes a lifeline, allowing them to share laughter and support across the miles. As their friendship deepens, both Faith and Brad find the courage to confront their pasts and embrace their dreams. Faith begins to believe in herself and prepares to reveal her long-held secret, while Brad contemplates a decision he has long delayed. With poignant insights into relationships and the healing power of second chances, Steel crafts a moving narrative about love, loss, and the transf

At 59, Jack Watson is a successful boutique owner in Beverly Hills, enjoying life as a bachelor after a failed marriage and a brief affair. He has two adult children and a string of beautiful women, relishing his independence. Amanda Robbins, a former Hollywood star, knows Jack only as her daughter’s father-in-law and dislikes him for his playboy reputation. Their relationship is limited to family ties until Amanda unexpectedly becomes a widow after years of dedicating herself to family life. Navigating this new reality, she finds herself drawn to Jack, discovering a depth to him that surprises her. This attraction shocks both Amanda and her children. Just as they begin to explore this unexpected connection, a startling announcement changes everything, presenting both families with a challenge they never anticipated. Amid confusion and opposition, Jack and Amanda find joy and a renewed sense of youth, embracing the happiness they thought had passed them by. This story explores how two people can rediscover love and fulfillment when life surprises them, even years later than they expected. In her 40th bestselling novel, the author captures the complexities of love and happiness with humor and heartfelt emotion.

Francesca Thayer's life takes a turn as she seeks boarders for her struggling Greenwich Village townhouse. Eileen, Chris, and Marya, each with their own stories, move in and transform the house into a lively home filled with laughter, heartbreak, and hope, redefining what makes a house a true home.

It is New Year's Eve when the storm of the century hits northern California. For Quinn Thompson, what happens in the storm's wake will bring down a barrier he has built around himself since his wife's death. For neighbor Maggie Dartman, it will spark friendship at a time when she needs it most. Then, something extraordinary begins to happen.

A superb collection of treats for mystery lovers, featuring both the indomitable English gentlewoman, Miss Marple, and the inimitable Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

Meredith and Steve struggle with their marriage as their jobs have them on opposite sides of America.

Vowing never to love again after a disastrous marriage, Melanie Adams encounters surgeon Peter Hallam, and as their powerful feelings for each other develop, Melanie must choose between her career, Peter, and her family.

Peter Haskell, president of a major pharmaceutical company, has everything: power, position, and a family which mean everything to him. Olivia Thatcher is the wife of a famous senator. She has given to her husband's ambitions and career until her soul is bone-dry. She is trapped in a web of duty and obligation, married to a man she once loved and no longer even knows; when her son died, a piece of Olivia died too. On the night of a bomb threat, Olivia and Peter meet accidentally in Paris. Their lives converge for one magical moment in the Place Vend me, and in a caf in Montmartre their hearts are laid bare. Peter, once so sure of his marriage and success, is faced with his professional career in jeopardy - Olivia, no longer sure of anything, knows that she cannot go on any more. When Olivia disappears, only Peter suspects that it may not be foul play, and he has to find her again. But where will they go from there? Five days in Paris is all they have. Home again, they must both pursue their lives, despite challenges, compromise and betrayal. Everything they believe is put on the line, until they both realise that they must face life's challenges head-on.