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Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Nov 13, 2024 11:52 PM

Author:Jonathan Agnew,Phil Tufnell

Test Match Special

Who played the best pranks on his fellow team-mates? Which member of the TMS team terrorised his teachers in the annual staff-pupil game? And the truth behind 'the greatest sporting commentary of all time'...

Between them, Jonathan Agnew and Phil Tufnell have probably watched more cricket than anyone alive, and they have many stories to tell, both as players and as commentators for Test Match Special. From their days as schoolboy cricketers, learning the ropes, to the shenanigans of the county circuit, and now their careers as commentators, they have seen it all.

Joined by colleagues from TMS such as Isa Guha, Ebony Rainford Brent, Alison Mitchell, Carlos Brathwaite and Aatif Nawaz, Aggers and Tuffers share the highlights, mishaps and moments of brilliance and emotion that they have witnessed and experienced on pitches around the world.

Reviews

Inspiring and moving

—— Adharanand Finn

A hymn to the benefits of running, of being active, of the resilience of the human spirit, no matter your age. Inspirational

—— Observer

This is a particularly inspiring book for everyone, not just older runners. An excellent read!

—— Stride

Brilliant

—— Jo Pavey

Wonderful

—— Athletics Weekly

[An] inspiring book for everyone, not just older runners

—— Stride

Many great stories

—— Connacht Tribune

Frank Vandenbroucke had the world at his pedals in the late 1990s ... but off [the bike] the Belgian lived in a soap opera, a mess of addictions, marital problems and, finally, death. McGrath is a sensitive yet compelling guide through this turbulence.

—— Ben East , The Observer

'I sometimes wonder if he was too intelligent to be a rider. He was a genius.'

—— Patrick Lefevere

'In Belgium, we need heroes, examples. People who don't break, people who release us from our daily mediocrity. People who can fly, who do things that we cannot. VDB on the Saint-Nicolas.'

—— Matthias Declercq

'Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke was one of the sport's greatest ever talents - a charismatic but hard-partying maverick who was nicknamed 'God' by his legions of fans. So how did he end up dead in a Senegal hotel room at the age of just 34? Andy McGrath tells his tragic story.'

—— The Daily Telegraph

9/10

—— Road.cc

A cautionary tale. Gripping yet harrowing.

—— Bikeradar

'He was shy and introverted, not the extrovert. We could think that he was macho, but he wanted to be loved.'

—— Jef Brouwers

'People always love comeback stories. Because they recognise that in life, it's all about falling down and standing up.'

—— Steve De Wolf

'A riveting, warts-an-all dive into a complex, deeply flawed rider and man'

—— Cycling Plus

'McGrath covers the rise and fall of Frank Vandenbroucke with sensitivity and not sensationalism... from winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège to doping and addiction, suicide attempts, court appearances and his death, no stone is left unturned when delivering the truth about 'cycling's great wasted talent'

—— Cyclist

'Poignant, painful but utterly riveting...covered with careful sensitivity by McGrath, painted in all its grey complexity with an absence of judgment. A captivating read'
Irish Independent

—— .

A chillingly vivid thriller in a fantastic setting - you can almost feel the icy Alpine wind on your face as you turn the pages.

—— T M Logan, bestselling author of THE HOLIDAY

A tense page-turner.

—— Sunday Times Style magazine

One of the most eagerly awaited debuts of the year.

—— Sunday Express magazine

The nail-biting suspense and spooky atmosphere of Sarah Pearse's thrilling debut novel kept me reading until late in the night. I loved Sarah's masterful descriptions of the Alpine setting, the creepy history of the hotel, and the growing sense of danger as the hapless characters are cut off from the outside world by a massive storm . . . just as the realisation dawns that a deranged killer is on the loose.

—— Ann Gosslin, author of THE SHADOW BIRD and THE DOUBLE

Tense, claustrophobic and chilling in every sense of the word.

—— Tammy Cohen, author of WHEN SHE WAS BAD

Dark and suspenseful - I had shivers running down my spine as I read this chilling thriller.

—— Good Housekeeping

An addictive, creepy and twisting read. The perfect gothic story for a cold February night.

—— Stylist

An eerie, atmospheric novel that had me completely on the edge of my seat.

—— Reese Witherspoon, for Reese's Book Club

[A] menacing, creepy debut [...] There are echoes of Hitchcock and du Maurier, but Pearse has her own distinctive, emotional voice - one to be admired.

—— Daily Mail

Tense, chilling and full of surprises.

—— Sun, Pick of the Week

Locked-room mysteries a la Agatha Christie are proving to be very popular right now, and this one doesn't disappoint.

—— Prima

This atmospheric chiller has a few shocks up its sleeve.

—— Crime Monthly

A mix of whodunnit and psychological thriller with hints of horror, this fine debut [...] is smartly structured and often powerful.

—— Sunday Times

Spooky, chilling and claustrophobic.

—— Observer

This impressive debut is a twist on the classic locked-room mystery in a wonderfully eerie Gothic setting. Its sharp prose builds suspense through a series of twists that will send an Alpine chill up your spine, building to an unpredictable finale. This clever, compelling thriller deserves to be a bestseller and marks out Sarah Pearse as one to watch.

—— Sunday Express S Magazine

Want a book that's going to leave you chilled to the bone? This is it!

—— Fabulous Magazine

Sarah Pearse's chilling debut is making waves. The Sanatorium certainly has an eerie, cinematic appeal [...] With whispers of The Shining in setting and The Girl on the Train in pace.

—— Vanity Fair

I absolutely loved The Sanatorium - it gave me all the wintry thrills and chills. It was just wonderful.

—— Lucy Foley, bestselling author of THE HUNTING PARTY and THE GUEST LIST

Genuinely scary and deliciously atmospheric, and one of the best books of 2021, this international bestseller is guaranteed to give you goosebumps.

—— Woman & Home

What a page-turner! Like Agatha Christie crossed with Scandi noir, and doing with Swiss mountains what Jane Harper books do with the Australian outback. Loved it, and can't wait for the next Elin book!

—— Andrea Mara, author of ALL HER FAULT
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