When he loses his son and his wife in childbirth James is totally bereft. An introduction to a hermit gradually changes his life irrevocably. Although the Hermit turns out to be a Roman Catholic, James finds he can completely identify with his profound spirituality, precisely because it is so scriptural and drawn from the same Christian Masters who had originally inspired him.

A modern life of St Francis with his unique vision for the contemporary world and revolutionary exposition of Christian spirituality. ,

When Quietism was condemned in 1687 it resulted in an antipathy, if not an open hostility to authentic mystical theology. This situation has lasted down to the present day and has been aggravated by many forms of counterfeit mysticism that are self-centred, not God-centred. The consequences have been disastrous. To restore the balance lost to Christian spirituality, the author returns to the profound mystical teaching that Jesus himself lived and handed on to the early Church through his disciples. His research has resulted in a book that details a practical daily spirituality for all, that mirrors that which was lived by our earliest Christian forebears. It emphasises the original balance between personal and communal prayer in such a way that our whole lives become the place where we continually offer our lives through Christ to the Father.

From the time Jesus first taught his disciples how to pray to the present day, the Church has pointed out a variety of ways in which a person can fruitfully communicate with God and grow in the spiritual life. Lectio divina, meditation, contemplation, the recitation of the rosary and prayer in action are all covered in these forty brief reflections which encourage us to pray as you can, not as you can't. Taking a quote from the Gospels or a thought from a saintly expert in the art of prayer as a springboard for the suggestions made in these pages the author draws on his own experience as a spiritual director and retreat master to show how the advice given can be put into practice in one's daily life. He concludes with a series of brief prayers with which one can begin and end each day in the presence of God in whose Spirit we are called to pray.

**A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 5 BESTSELLER** **A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK** **FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BLACKHOUSE, CAST IRON AND I'LL KEEP YOU SAFE** MILLION-SELLING PETER MAY MIXES MURDER, MYSTERY and MEMORY . . . AND MARKS HIS RETURN TO THE OUTER HEBRIDES A man stands bewildered on a deserted beach on the Hebridean Isle of Harris. He cannot remember who he is. The only clue to his identity is a folded map of a path named the Coffin Road. He does not know where this search will take him. A detective from Lewis sits aboard a boat, filled with doubt. DS George Gunn knows that a bludgeoned corpse has been discovered on a remote rock twenty miles offshore. He does not know if he has what it takes to uncover how and why. A teenage girl lies in her Edinburgh bedroom, desperate to discover the truth about her scientist father's suicide. Two years on, Karen Fleming still cannot accept that he would wilfully abandon her. She does not yet know his secret. Coffin Road follows three perilous journeys towards one shocking truth - and the realisation that ignorance can kill us. 'A riveting, atmospheric read' The Times 'A chilling standalone mystery' Daily Record 'Clever, twisty . . . in the mode of Le Carré's The Constant Gardener' Guardian LOVE PETER MAY? Order his new thriller, A SILENT DEATH!

Mairi Hedderwick embarks on a six-month-long journey to 40 islands from Arran to Lewis, recounting her pilgrimage around the archipelago of the Western Isles with which she has had a lifelong love affair. Filled with wit and wisdom that is matched by her spell-binding illustrations, Mairi Hedderwick portrays the islands in all their diversity, with swift and perceptive cameos of everyday life drawn with humour and affection alongside gorgeous landscapes which capture the truly magical beauty of the Hebrides.