Books From University Presses

If you're intrigued by the marriage of traditional Chinese culture with the timeless allure of detective fiction, "Judge Dee at Work" might just hit the spot. Each story is a window into the ancient world, where you'd navigate through puzzles wrapped in the subtleties of Confucian philosophy. Van Gulik, with his authentic touch and academic rigor, crafts a series that's not only entertaining but also rich in historical detail.

If you enjoy immersing yourself in a different era while getting your dose of mystery, "Poets And Murder" might just be your next favorite read. It's not just about the thrill of solving crimes; it's the journey through ancient China's scholarly world with the wise Judge Dee that sets this book apart. Judge Dee is particularly appealing for his astute detective skills which make following along as he unravels the knotted threads of deception all the more satisfying.

When Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are called to a sinister house, they discover the body of a man whose face is filled with horror. Yet there are no signs of a struggle, just some letters written on the wall in blood. The police are baffled, but the brilliant Holmes uses his powers of deduction to trace the mystery through the damp, murky streets of London and back to the sun-scorched plains of America.About the Series: Oxford Children's Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told. Complete and unabridged text allows children to discover the stories as they were meant to be read. Produced in beautifully designed hardback editions, the collection features well-loved classic stories readers will treasure and return to again and again.

If you're drawn to works that delve into the instinctual, darker side of human nature, "Thérèse Raquin" is a must-read. Zola's masterpiece, an exemplar of Naturalism, doesn't shy away from the grim realities of passion and crime. It's a raw, unflinching examination of human beings as creatures of desire, where the suspense and psychological depth can grip you as tightly today as it did readers in the 19th century.

When Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are called to a sinister house, they discover the body of a man whose face is filled with horror. Yet there are no signs of a struggle, just some letters written on the wall in blood. The police are baffled, but the brilliant Holmes uses his powers of deduction to trace the mystery through the damp, murky streets of London and back to the sun-scorched plains of America.About the Series: Oxford Children's Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told. Complete and unabridged text allows children to discover the stories as they were meant to be read. Produced in beautifully designed hardback editions, the collection features well-loved classic stories readers will treasure and return to again and again.

This Victorian bestseller, along with Braddon's other famous novel, Aurora Floyd, established her as the main rival of the master of the sensational novel, Wilkie Collins. A protest against the passive, insipid 19th-century heroine, Lady Audley was described by one critic of the time as"high-strung, full of passion, purpose, and movement." Her crime (the secret of the title) is shown to threaten the apparently respectable middle-class world of Victorian England.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expertintroductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

A sensational story of murder and pie-making, Sweeney Todd is a classic of British horror writing, widely adapted in print and on stage, most famously by Stephen Sondheim, whose unlikely "musical thriller" won eight Tony awards. This edition offers the original story with all its atmospheric Victorian trimmings. The story of Todd's murderous partnership with pie-maker Margery Lovett--at once inconceivably unpalatable and undeniably compelling--has subsequently set the table for a seemingly endless series of successful dramatic adaptations, popular songs and ballads, novellas, radio plays, graphic novels, ballets, films, and musicals. Both gleeful and ghoulish, the original tale of Sweeney Todd, first published under the title The String of Pearls, combines the story of Todd's grisly method of robbing and dispatching his victims--by way of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies--with a romantic sub-plot involving deception, disguise, and detective work, set against the backdrop of London's darkand unsavory streets. Editor Robert Mack 'fleshes' out the story with a fascinating introduction touching on the origins of the tale, the growth of the legend, and a history of its many retellings. Mack also includes explanatory notes that point out interesting aspects, plus a full chronology of the many versions of Sweeney Todd.Since Sweeney Todd first entered the public imagination in the mid-nineteenth-century, his exploits have chilled and fascinated audiences around the world. This new edition allows modern readers to savor the ghastly original in all its gruesome glory.

Cambridge Literature is a series of literary texts edited for study by students aged 14–18 in English-speaking classrooms. It will include novels, poetry, short stories, essays, travel-writing and other non-fiction. The series will be extensive and open-ended and will provide school students with a range of edited texts taken from a wide geographical spread. It will feature writing in English from various genres and differing times. After the First Death by Robert Cormier is edited by John Lancaster, Head of English at the Ken Simpton Community School in Peterborough.