A retired engineer in rural Britain finds himself caught up in the murderous machinations of an ancient pagan blood cult A former British mining engineer, Yarrow is hoping to start over in the English countryside as the owner and operator of a small combination inn and garage. But while staying the night at a prospective property near Avalon, he is awakened by a loud pounding at the door—and opens it to discover a distraught, seemingly mad visitor babbling on about all manner of incomprehensible concerns. Intrigued by the engaging lunatic Barnabas Fosworthy and unable to turn a deaf ear to his desperate pleas for help in finding a missing young woman, the all-too-good-hearted Yarrow inadvertently invites grave danger into his life. Fosworthy is part of a circle of crazed fanatics tied to ancient and terrifying beliefs—and before Yarrow realizes what he has gotten himself into, he finds himself trapped in an underground cavern, the prisoner of determined...

When the Rogue Male misses his chance to assassinate Hitler in peacetime, he goes undercover in Nazi Germany looking for a second opportunity. Here, he declares his own personal war and recklessly fights his way across occupied Europe, with the Gestapo hot on his heels. Battling against Nazi ideology, he's transported across a continent, allied with escaping Jews and resistance groups, as he seeks justice for the evils done to the land, the people and the woman that he loved.

A twelve year-old boy finds terror and adventure inside a Spanish cave When his parents died, Dick stepped aboard a ship on the Thames and left England behind forever. He made his way to Spain, where he found work as a fisherman. Life at sea is difficult, but since learning to speak their language, Dick has found the Spanish to be the most hospitable people on earth. They call him Ricardito and treat him as one of their own. It is an idyllic life—until the day he makes his discovery. Dick is fishing with a friend when their net drags the skull up from the bottom of the forbidding Cave of the Angels. Although the locals warn against exploring the mysterious cave, Dick cannot resist. Dared by one of his friends to spend a night there, Dick ventures inside. Something terrible lurks inside the Cave of the Angels, but there is no creature of the sea that can frighten Ricardito.

Twelve evocative and unforgettable tales of adventure, self-discovery, and flawed humanity by one of the twentieth century's most able storytellers The literary career of the remarkable Geoffrey Household spanned more than half a century, from the 1930s to the late 1980s, and it began with the publication of his first short story, "The Salvation of Pisco Gabar," in the Atlantic Monthly in 1936. A powerful, moving tale of a fateful bargain struck between a nonbelieving entrepreneur and a mad Indian priest at a treacherous impasse in the mountains of Peru, it begins a sterling collect of short fiction by a successor of Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson. Here are a dozen masterful yarns and parables that span the world, transporting the reader from the quaint, picturesque hamlets of Europe to the remote villages of South America, from the bustle of New York City to the Mediterranean dockside. Whether he's spinning the tale of a downtrodden Cockney...

In this remarkable thriller, a British estate owner with psychic powers senses he's being hunted on his own land by a bloodthirsty beast Alfgif Hollaston, a cultured English gentleman and painter, has returned to his childhood home in remote Somerset following the death of his father. In this confusing time, he is grateful for the nascent friendship and support of Paddy Gadsden, an amiable saddler on the family estate. But only days after his arrival, Alfgil is shocked to learn Paddy has been violently murdered. After assuming ownership of Paddy's beloved pet, a tame and playful polecat named Meg, Hollaston—who is more attuned to the mystical than some—begins receiving strange psychic sensations. An instinctual, animalistic sense of impending danger is telling him to flee this place as fast and as far as possible. Before he knows it, this man of class and breeding finds himself abruptly and frighteningly transformed into that most primal of creatures:...

An English university professor on holiday in Spain is drawn into a web of intrigue and murder surrounding an intoxicating woman of mystery Dr. Philip Ardower is fascinated by the stunning beauty in a red cape he encounters on a beach in Spain outside the Hostal de las Olas. While immediately charmed by the lady's sophistication and pluck, the British academic knows nothing of the enchanting Olura's personal history, or the rumors that have accompanied her recent arrival as the companion of an African politician. But when an Italian paparazzo in search of scandal is discovered dead in her hotel room, Olura has no one but Ardower to turn to for help. Suddenly they are on the run together, fleeing the police, the hungry press, and determined assailants who wish them grievous harm, on a furious flight that leads them into the treacherous mines and mountains of Basque Country. In a single day, Andower's once-quiet life is transformed by passion, terror, and violent...

With a stroll on the beach, a young man's lifetime of adventure begins Bernardo Brown is walking along the Spanish seashore when he hears the bullets fly, and he takes shelter in the water, where he escapes the firefight in a stolen dinghy. After a treacherous journey along the rocky coastline, he falls into the hands of a Hungarian count who will do whatever it takes to keep Bernardo from ever telling his story to the police. He ships the baffled young man off to Eastern Europe, where he will get into more trouble than he ever imagined. After a lifetime working the Bilbao docks, Bernardo finds himself among monarchs and empresses, soldiers of fortune and devilish spies. As the whirlwind of adventure carries him from court to court, the fate of Europe hangs in the balance—but Bernardo just wants to stop running.

A terrorist with a conscience turns against his radical cadre in a desperate attempt to prevent a nuclear nightmare Julian Despard has devoted his life to the New Revolution. As cell leader for the notorious international terrorist organization Magma, he works tirelessly in the shadows for the downfall of established governments. But in the aftermath of the successful theft of a large arms shipment in the Mediterranean—a criminal operation that he masterminded—Despard suddenly finds himself questioning his radical ideals. Magma's recent victory has brought Despard and his cohorts nuclear materials to be deployed against one of the world's most populous cities: London. Despard's conscience will not allow him to take part in the horrific slaughter of many thousands—perhaps millions—of innocents, but attempting to prevent the organization from going through with its plan will turn his former compatriots into lethal, unforgiving...

A collection of poignant stories of men and women who yearn for home An Englishman adrift in New York, Harry Breown dreams of London's tube, its gardens, and its sleepy little pubs. In America, he has been forced to settle for a domineering wife and a bar full of gruff Americans who treat the gentle Englishman as an object of fun. He finds peace only in the shady pathways of the Bronx Zoo, where he has befriended a caged kangaroo—a fellow exile that recognizes Breown as a kindred spirit. Harry's greatest desire is to step into that cage and greet his friend face to face. He resolves that no matter what, he will get past the bars. As an author of thrillers and science fiction, Geoffrey Household distinguished himself with his unerring sense of the longing that lies within all mankind. In this collection of stories, he introduces us to unforgettable characters like Harry, who dream of the home they will never see again.

A reckless Spanish adventurer and a British workingman join forces in a dangerous hunt for hidden treasure By the age of twenty-seven, Manuel Vargas has already lived more than most men. A restless adventurer and world traveler, he has journeyed far from his home in Spain, and now fate and tragedy have deposited him into the ranks of the Mexican revolutionary army. But when he discovers that a passenger train he and his fellow rebel confederates have blown off the tracks is carrying a fortune in gold, his life takes yet another strange turn. Meanwhile, in London, a traveling salesman named Toby plies his ordinary trade, unaware of what destiny has in store for him. When Vargas and Toby cross paths, two very different men will be united by their wild desires and dreams as they set off together on a perilous quest for treasure that could be their salvation—or their doom. In the decade preceding the Second World War, the remarkable Geoffrey...

Accused of treason, a former British security operative and his ally must run for their lives across a vast and wild English landscape According to British intelligence, Alwyn Rory is a traitor to his country. They say the ex–security officer accepted a considerable sum of money from enemy agents, and in return, helped to facilitate the escape of a dangerous spy. Now the supposed turncoat is believed to be in the Soviet Union, having freely defected to the Russian side, leaving his once-beloved homeland behind forever. The reality, however, is far more complicated. Alwyn Rory never left the island. Instead, he has gone to ground in the English countryside with fellow fugitive Adrian Gurney. Survival is the name of the game, but with the CIA, the KGB, and MI6 all dedicated to the covert termination of Rory and Gurney, two men without a country don't stand a chance. Acclaimed author Geoffrey Household combines peerless storytelling...

As the republic of Guayanas teeters on the brink of civil war, the revolution depends on one man When Miro Kucera arrived in Guayanas, the glorious army of the republic was little more than an expensively costumed joke. Born in Czechoslovakia, Kucera learned to fight under the tutelage of the Free French, and it took him less than a decade to make the Guayanan army the envy of Latin America. As President Vidal modernized the country, Kucera's forces backed him up. But though they pledged allegiance to the president, their loyalty was to Kucera alone. After years in power, Vidal finds that his hold on the country is slipping. An army of reformers is gathering in the shadows, and a coup is coming fast. When the rebellion begins, Kucera's army will be the deciding factor. But after years preparing for war, will this leader be ready to fight a revolution?

In this fascinating and uniquely colorful autobiography, a twentieth-century master of suspense fiction candidly examines his extraordinary life, times, and art One of the twentieth century's most respected writers of adventure and espionage thrillers, Geoffrey Household penned more than twenty novels and short story collections in a career that spanned more than fifty years—and lived a life as eventful and surprising as his acclaimed, pulse-pounding fiction. In Against the Wind, the author whom the New York Times credits with having "helped to develop the suspense story into an art form" shares his remarkable personal history with candor and wit, while exploring the creative process and his roles as a husband, father, bestselling popular artist, and citizen of his uniquely eventful time. From his years as a student at the University of Oxford to his early career in the cutthroat world of international business and finance to his patriotic...