'Poetry in prose. Astutely observed' Fiona Erskine Rachel, a trainee vicar struggling to bond with her flock in the coastal town of Holthorpe, learns the terrifying power of the North Sea when her six-year-old daughter goes missing on the beach. Meanwhile Mary, a defiant and distrustful loner, is fighting her own battle against nature as the crumbling Norfolk shoreline brings her clifftop home ever closer to destruction. Both scarred by life, the two women are drawn into an unlikely friendship, but Mary's misfit son Adam is nursing a secret. For Rachel, it will subject her battered faith to its greatest test: will she be strong enough to forgive? In her taut, lyrical debut novel, Hilary Taylor weaves the bleak power of the East Anglian winter into a searingly honest psychological drama, as gripping as any thriller. The formatting of the reviews is also incorrect too. Please format as below: 'Poetry in prose. Written with warmth and wit, this astutely observed study in grief is balanced by an exploration of faith, friendship and love' - Fiona Erskine 'A heartbreaking exploration of grief and faith, with undercurrents of unease and intrigue, this is a tender, poignant and compassionate literary thriller' Philippa East 'A stunning debut: evocative descriptions, strong characterisation and a simmering tension which builds to a thrilling finale. Fans of Broadchurch, in particular, will love it.' Sarah Linley 'Utterly engrossing and atmospheric, Sea Defences is an extraordinarily accomplished debut novel with its bare but beguiling prose and poignant exploration of loss. I loved it!' Jane Jesmond

Coastal Defences aims to present the broad spectrum of methods that engineers use to protect the coastline and investigates the sorts of issues that can arise as a result. The first section of the book examines 'traditional' hard techniques, such as sea walls and groynes, whilst the second looks at the more recent trend of using techniques more sympathetic to nature. By looking at each of the main methods of coastal protection in detail, the book investigates the rationale for using each method and the consequent management issues, presenting a case for and against each of the techniques.

These conference proceedings include 41 papers from the Seventh International Conference on Coastlines, Structures and Breakwaters organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

"Over 200 billion worth of assets are at risk around British rivers and coasts and those risks are likely to increase over the next 100 years due to changes in climate and in society." Sir David King, Government Chief Scientific Adviser This book presents a comprehensive insight into the flooding system, spanning multiple disciplines across different sectors of the flood and flood management professions. It forecasts the manner in which flooding and coastal erosion risks may increase during the 21st century due to climate change.

Around 469,000 households and business in England are at risk of flooding and this figure is likely to rise of the next century because of factors such as climate change. The Environment Agency is responsible for managing the risk from main rivers and the sea in England and Wales. This report looks at their maintenance of 24,000 miles of flood defences and the construction of new defences. It notes the progress made since the last report in 2001 (HC 299 2000-01) and sets out the areas where there is room for further improvement.

This volume presents the proceedings of the fifth international conference on coastal mangement, held 15-17 October 2003 in Brighton. The purpose of the conference was to translate policy into practice in terms of the management of coastal zones within the overall goal of achieving sustainable development. The objectives of the conference were fully supported by the Eurpean Commission and Defra, the lead government department for coastal issues in the UK.

The United Nations estimate that by 2004, in excess of 75% of the world's population will live within the coastal zone. These regions are therefore of critical importance to a majority of the world's citizens. The coastal zone provides important economic, transport, residential and recreational functions, all of which depend upon its physical chara