Showing results by author "Alan Titchmarsh" in Literature & Fiction

Tom and Pippa Drummond have the perfect life. Tom is a partner in the successful restaurant The Pelican, and Pippa grows and sells herbs whilst bringing up their lively daughter, Tally. As they arrive in Tuscany on a much needed family holiday, it seems life couldn't be better. But overnight their whole world is turned upside down, and life will never be the same again. From being the perfect family and the envy of all their friends, they are thrust into a world that nobody would wish upon them.

Britain's favourite gardener and TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh takes us to the scenic highlands of Scotland for his new tale of betrayal, mystery and romance. The author of eight bestselling novels including The Haunting and Folly, Titchmarsh's new multi-generational novel makes the perfect gift this Mother's Day. It seems a perfect afternoon in the Highlands. Standing at the door of the lochside castle that has been his family's home for generations, Charlie Stuart welcomes his guests to the annual summer drinks party.

Nick Robertson has become used to his grandmother Rosie's dotty behaviour. At 86, a widow now, she is determined that before life passes her by, she will live a little. Or preferably a lot. It wouldn't be so bad if Nick had nothing else to do, but with a job to find, two warring parents to cope with and a love life in terminal decline, he would prefer his grandmother to get on with things quietly. But, Rosie insists, there is no time like the present....

Timothy Gandy has kept his lifetime's ambition secret for 40 years. Now, suddenly (if tragically) released from the henpecked tedium of his ordinary existence, he is unexpectedly free to realize his dreams. He will embark on a grand tour of Europe, following in the footsteps of the aristocrats of the 18th century. He anticipates high art, culture and pleasant weather. He never expects to encounter new friendships - and possibly even love - along the way.

Rupert Lavery is a well-known conservationist. When he dies, his son, Kit, returns from 10 years in Australia to inherit a nature reserve in the heart of the British countryside. Kit finds the nature reserve and the two determined women who staff it are more trouble than they are worth. Elizabeth Punch is single, middle-aged, and on a mission to save wildlife from inconsiderate mankind. Jess Wetherby has dyed orange hair, a nose stud, and aspirations to be a hunt saboteur.

How can the mysterious disappearance of Anne Flint in 1816 and the drowning of a young girl in a chalk stream so long ago possibly affect the life of schoolteacher Harry Flint some two centuries later? Having left his job and with a failed marriage behind him, Harry begins to research his ancestors. The deeper he digs, the more he realises that the past is closer than he had ever imagined.

Adam Gabriel has always been a child of nature. Raised on his parents' remote Yorkshire farm, where life is measured by the rhythms of the flock, the turn of the seasons and the yearly arrival of an itinerant local monk, he seems destined for a quietly contented life. As Adam grows, Luke and Bethany see flickers of something extraordinary in their son - a healing touch that goes beyond his love for the land. But Adam's gentleness has always made him an outsider, and a powerful gift can also be a heavy burden.

Tragedy struck early in Will's life. Willingly haunted by ghosts of the past and content with his own company, he's an ideal lighthouse keeper. Yet as automated beacons replace men, Will's job on the rugged Cornish coast finally goes. Although sad at the change, Will can now fulfil his dream - to sail solo around the British coast. It's a simple idea, but complications arise.

As war rages across Europe, one young woman faces an impossible choice. Will she save her country...or the man she loves? It is the late 1930s. In London, socialite Rosamund Hanbury is determined to give up the parties and social sets of which she is a prominent member to join the war effort, along with scores of other young women.

For three generations the family-run auction houses of the Dashwoods and the Kings have been fierce rivals. The grandparents Henry Dashwood and Edward King were once best friends, despite their different backgrounds. Best friends until they fell for the same girl Eleanor Faraday eventually picked Henry but the seeds had been sown for a bitter feud that flourished between the two clans for over six decades.

From touching poems on the peony, the snowdrop and the sweet pea to hilarious verse on Emily the Gardener and the Garden Design Course, this is Alan Titchmarsh's heartfelt and entertaining celebration of his favourite space - the garden.

Will Elliott is out of a job. The lighthouse he's been manning on Prince Albert Rock, off the wild Cornish coast, is about to become automated. So Will decides to fulfil his lifelong ambition - to sail round the coastline of Britain. Determined to continue his solitary existence, Will begins his preparations for his epic voyage. But before he has time to so much as paint his hull, he meets Amy Finn - a beautiful artist and fellow loner.

According to their friends, Tom and Pippa Drummond have the perfect existence - an enviable lifestyle, a happy marriage, and a great kid in Tally. A rare summer holiday is planned - an idyllic retreat in the Italian hills. Tom takes time off from running his restaurant, Pippa leaves her herb garden in the charge of a dotty neighbour and Tally takes a break from the two men in her life.