"The fertility of Hill's imagination, the range of his power, the sheer quality of his literary style never ceases to delight." —Val McDermid, author of Fever of the Bone In a stand-alone psychological thriller from acclaimed mystery master Reginald Hill, a mysterious ex-con returns to his remote childhood home on a deadly hunt for revenge. Combining the chilling atmospheres of Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs, the narrative ingenuity of P.D. James’s The Private Patient, and the compelling characterizations of Hill’s own Dalziel and Pascoe series, Hill delivers a frightful, fast-paced study of suspense at its most sinister in The Woodcutter.
Deep within the Wood, a young woman lies dead. Not a mark on her body. No trace of her murderer. Only her chipped glass slippers hint at her identity. The Woodcutter, keeper of the peace between the Twelve Kingdoms of Man and the Realm of the Faerie, must find the maiden s killer before others share her fate. Guided by the wind and aided by three charmed axes won from the River God, the Woodcutter begins his hunt, searching for clues in the whispering dominions of the enchanted unknown. But quickly he finds that one murdered maiden is not the only nefarious mystery afoot: one of Odin s hellhounds has escaped, a pixie dust drug trade runs rampant, and more young girls go missing. Looming in the shadows is a malevolent, power-hungry queen, and she will stop at nothing to destroy the Twelve Kingdoms and annihilate the Royal Fae unless the Woodcutter can outmaneuver her and save the gentle souls of the Wood."
Fiercely observed, often hilarious, and “reminiscent of Ibsen and Strindberg” (The New York Times Book Review), this exquisitely controversial novel was initially banned in its author’s homeland. A searing portrayal of Vienna’s bourgeoisie, it begins with the arrival of an unnamed writer at an ‘artistic dinner’ hosted by a composer and his society wife—a couple he once admired and has come to loathe. The guest of honor, a distinguished actor from the Burgtheater, is late. As the other guests wait impatiently, they are seen through the critical eye of the writer, who narrates a silent but frenzied tirade against these former friends, most of whom have been brought together by Joana, a woman they buried earlier that day. Reflections on Joana’s life and suicide are mixed with these denunciations until the famous actor arrives, bringing an explosive end to the evening that even the writer could not have seen coming.
The determined woodcutter stands before The Most Beautiful Tree on four occasions. In the spring, summer, and autumn, the Tree is able to use her wits and generosity to cleverly avoid his axe. In the dead cold of winter, she finds herself barren and defenseless when he comes calling one last time.
The ax is an indispensable tool for every woodsman. The Ax Book is a thorough guide to cutting wood with hand tools. Even those who use chainsaws and other power equipment need to be familiar with the hand tools of their craft. An ideal resource for anyone who wants to fell trees and take lumber or firewood from the wood lot or forest. The author explains how to use various types of axes, hatchets, mauls, saws, and wedges, and their use and care to take down trees, section and split and prepare firewood. In addition he shows every aspect of dealing with wood from the forest right to the hearth or stove.
‘The Woodcutter and the Fox’ is a traditional children’s fairy-tale with adult themes. It is about conflict within the Care System. Kevin the fox is determined to save money and orders the closure of a perfectly successful children’s home. At the same time he makes arrangements for the Woodcutter’s key child to be placed in one of the most damaging environments imaginable. The Woodcutter is adamant that addressing the budget should not be done at the child’s expense and decides to fight the little girl’s corner, come-what-may. Inevitably, the conflict escalates when Kevin the fox interprets the Woodcutter’s actions as a direct attack upon his Management, particularly when the Woodcutter writes to the queen of the system and tells her of his concerns for the little girl. Determined that the Woodcutter should pay for his boldness, Kevin the fox calls the Woodcutter a whistle-blower and decides to mark his cards by engineering his future dismissal, which the fox does by ensuring that the Woodcutter is isolated professionally and is prevented from doing his job: being a key person involved in the little girl’s immediate future. Inevitably, the fox’s actions are executed at the child’s expense, when she is taken away in the middle of the night and becomes isolated from both her key worker and the land of her birth. Kevin the fox and his animal team dress in identical attire: grey suits with large lapels. The one exception is the fox’s large dickey-bow, which is the status symbol of his Management. The ‘Yes People’ will resort to anything in order to wear that dickey-bow one day and they are quite prepared to back the fox to the hilt, having no conscience whatsoever when it comes to blaming the Woodcutter for the failure of the child’s Care Plan. They are determined to please Kevin the fox, as he is the one who pays their wages. He is also the source of any future promotion, ensuring that both Sleazy the weasel and Toothy the white-headed rabbit do not displease him in any way whatsoever. Good intentions quickly go out of the window when they are encouraged by the fox to bear false witness against the Woodcutter, which they do without a moment’s hesitation. ‘The Woodcutter and the Fox’ is a fairy-tale which has the make-up to entertain children and the subject-matter to interest adults, depicting conflict that could so easily arise in any one of the many children’s homes that operate in the Care System today. The book is a battleground where animals concern themselves with budgeting, promotion and the continued delivery of their individual pay packets. The Woodcutter and the Good Witch, on the other hand, represent the humanity that is so important when looking after human offspring. When Kevin the fox closes a perfectly stable Children’s Home to save money, the Woodcutter - who is experienced enough to know that plans for his key child are not in her best interests – decides to fight her corner. It is also an attempt by the author to evaluate what a good Care Plan should be. It should certainly consider the views of all relevant persons prior to its formulation; and if the child’s best interests are to be served appropriately, the good Care Plan should not ignore the existence of the child’s own key worker, since the child relies on this ‘special’ link-person to ensure that his/her feelings and wishes are known to all relevant persons prior to the formulation of that action plan. A good Care Plan must always consider the views of the child and try to recognize and identify the overall needs of that child. It should not give priority to an abusive dad, particularly if he is in agreement with everything that makes his child unhappy. The inspiration behind ‘The Woodcutter and the Fox’ grew from a decision on the part of the author to explore the Woodcutter’s actions, particularly in the light of a Care Plan that had the potential to do real harm to a child in the local authority’s care. The Woodcutter is adamant that the pri
The stories in this Fairy Book come from all quarters of the world. For example, the adventures of 'Ball-Carrier and the Bad One' are told by Red Indian grandmothers to Red Indian children who never go to school, nor see pen and ink. 'The Bunyip' is known to even more uneducated little ones, running about with no clothes at all in the bush, in Australia. You may see photographs of these merry little black fellows before their troubles begin, in 'Northern Races of Central Australia, ' by Messrs. Spencer and Gillen. They have no lessons except in tracking and catching birds, beasts, fishes, lizards, and snakes, all of which they eat. But when they grow up to be big boys and girls, they are cruelly cut about with stone knives and frightened with sham bogies all for their good' their parents say and I think they would rather go to school, if they had their choice, and take their chance of being birched and bullied
Set against the backdrop of the Civil War comes a tale of love lost and found... Mary Thomson is no ordinary woman. She works alongside her husband William cutting firewood to sell in the city, earning herself the nickname "The Woodcutter's Wife." She kills a bear with her bare hands. And she prefers plowing a field to cooking a meal. The one thing she cannot seem to handle is the melancholy that has enveloped her. Mary lost four children before they were a year old, and the doctor says she will no longer be able to conceive. Mary's world flies apart when William disappears, leaving her with the arduous task of tending their farm by herself. Using her fierce independent spirit to cope as the war rages around her, she finds help in the form of a freed slave. But after fate throws her another dramatic curve, Mary is forced to make the most difficult choice of her life. David Johnson, author of the bestselling Tucker Series, has written another of his signature "Books with Heart" that will sweep you into its whirlwind of emotion and leave you sad to see the story end.
A classic fairy tale set in the renaissance period, the story begins in a humble woodcutters cottage on the edge of the forest in the kingdom of Antwin, with a couple who desperately desire a child of their own. Suddenly they discover one day they are expecting. Their little girl is brought into their world like every other child, with one exception: she is born extremely ugly. From then on she finds herself rejected and friendless because no one is able to see her value and worth beyond her appearance, including herself, until she has the most heartbreaking day of her life. It is on that same day that she has an unusual meeting with a mystical being in light. After this encounter, it seems everything in her life begins to change. Follow this young girls story as she journeys through fear, love, and hopelessness to finally find real joy as well as acceptance from others and from herself.
