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Mysterious Tales of Coastal North Carolina (Forgotten Tales)
by Sherman Carmichael Sarah HaynesMaster storyteller Sherman Carmichael ventures into the Tar Heel State to deliver strange and mysterious tales along the coast. Read about shipwrecks such as that of the SS Liberator, which still sits at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Diamond Shoals, and legendary storms like the 1911 Water Spouts, which were described as tornadoes spinning wildly atop the ocean. Find out why the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is said to be haunted by a large black cat. Learn about the origins of Boo Hag, a fiendish creature that sucks the life out of her victims as they sleep at night--a tale that originates from the rich Gullah culture of the Carolinas. Join Carmichael as he contemplates these stories and more from the mysterious side of North Carolina's beloved coastal counties.
Mystery at Chilkoot Pass (Mysteries through History #17)
by Barbara SteinerGold fever sweeps the country as a twelve-year-old aspiring writer travels to the Yukon with her family and best friend, fighting natural disasters and a clever thiefAfter traveling from San Francisco by steam ship, Hetty McKinley, her best friend, Alma, and their families prepare for the five-hundred-mile trek north to the gold fields of the Yukon. It&’s only September, but the Arctic Circle is already frigid. As the two families, along with hundreds of other prospectors, camp out for the night near the outpost of Dyea, Hetty catches a glimpse of the legendary Chilkoot Pass, the narrow gap through which they&’ll cross Alaska into Canada. But the next morning, Alma&’s mother discovers that all their money is gone! A few days later, Hetty&’s cherished locket, containing a photograph of her dead mother, disappears. More thefts soon follow, but these are the least of their problems. Soon, the group is battling typhoid, blizzards, and a terrifying avalanche. Will Hetty and her family and friends survive their journey to the top of the world? This ebook includes a historical afterword.
Mystery at Chilkoot Pass: An American Girl® Book (Mysteries through History #17)
by Barbara SteinerGold fever sweeps the country as a twelve-year-old aspiring writer travels to the Yukon with her family and best friend, fighting natural disasters and a clever thiefAfter traveling from San Francisco by steam ship, Hetty McKinley, her best friend, Alma, and their families prepare for the five-hundred-mile trek north to the gold fields of the Yukon. It&’s only September, but the Arctic Circle is already frigid. As the two families, along with hundreds of other prospectors, camp out for the night near the outpost of Dyea, Hetty catches a glimpse of the legendary Chilkoot Pass, the narrow gap through which they&’ll cross Alaska into Canada. But the next morning, Alma&’s mother discovers that all their money is gone! A few days later, Hetty&’s cherished locket, containing a photograph of her dead mother, disappears. More thefts soon follow, but these are the least of their problems. Soon, the group is battling typhoid, blizzards, and a terrifying avalanche. Will Hetty and her family and friends survive their journey to the top of the world? This ebook includes a historical afterword.
Mystic (Images of Modern America)
by Meredith Fuller Kent Fuller Lisa SaundersSince Mystic, Connecticut, celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1954, it has evolved from a working-class village into a tourist-driven community while embracing its quaint New England charm and keeping its rich history alive. The shoreline village of two townships (Stonington to the east; Groton to the west) is divided by the Mystic River, which passes through the downtown center where the iconic bascule bridge unites the community. Many establishments occupy buildings preserved from Mystic's deeply anchored shipbuilding past. Towering wooden ships, beluga whales, creative arts, shops, restaurants, and events overflowing with Mystic's heart and soul attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Mystic (Postcard History Series)
by M. Earl Smith J. HugueninOn the banks of the Mystic River, the Connecticut community of Mystic has a maritime history that stretches back beyond the founding of the nation. Starting as a Native American settlement, the area switched hands—first to the Dutch, then to the English—before finally becoming a part of the United States after the Revolutionary War. Mystic’s location made it an ideal port for coastal commerce. As the nation grew, so did Mystic, with the village using its unique location to serve both the coastal fishing industry and the US Navy. The Mystic drawbridge serves as a reminder of the community’s maritime heritage. In its current state, Mystic serves as both a cradle to some of Connecticut’s oldest families and a tourist attraction for those wanting to sample vintage New England life.
Myth and History in the Creation of Yellowstone National Park
by Lee Whittlesey Paul SchulleryYellowstone National Park, a global icon of conservation and natural beauty, was born at the most improbable of times: the American Gilded Age, when altruism seemed extinct and society’s vision seemed focused solely on greed and growth. Perhaps that is why the park’s “creation myth” recounted how a few saintlike pioneer conservationists labored to set aside this unique wilderness against all odds, when in fact, the establishment of Yellowstone was the result of complex social, scientific, economic, and aesthetic forces. Paul Schullery and Lee Whittlesey, both longtime students of Yellowstone’s complex history, present the first full account of how the fairy-tale origins of the park found universal public acceptance, and of the long process by which the myth was reconsidered and replaced with a more realistic and ultimately more satisfying story.
N is for Nebraska (ABC Regional Board Books)
by Stephanie Miles Christin FarleyTake an alphabetized field trip around the Cornhusker State and discover the plants, animals, foods, and places that make it, well, Nebraska!
N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia
by Mark Piesing"GRIPPING. ... One of the greatest polar rescue efforts ever mounted." —Wall Street JournalThe riveting true story of the largest polar rescue mission in history: the desperate race to find the survivors of the glamorous Arctic airship Italia, which crashed near the North Pole in 1928.Triumphantly returning from the North Pole on May 24, 1928, the world-famous exploring airship Italia—code-named N-4—was struck by a terrible storm and crashed somewhere over the Arctic ice, triggering the largest polar rescue mission in history. Helping lead the search was Roald Amundsen, the poles’ greatest explorer, who himself soon went missing in the frozen wastes. Amundsen’s body has never been found, the last victim of one of the Arctic’s most enduring mysteries . . .During the Roaring Twenties, zeppelin travel embodied the exuberant spirit of the age. Germany’s luxurious Graf Zeppelin would run passenger service from Germany to Brazil; Britain’s Imperial Airship was launched to connect an empire; in America, the iconic spire of the rising Empire State Building was designed as a docking tower for airships.But the novel mode of transport offered something else, too: a new frontier of exploration. Whereas previous Arctic and Antarctic explorers had subjected themselves to horrific—often deadly—conditions in their attempts to reach uncharted lands, airships held out the possibility of speedily soaring over the hazards. In 1926, the famed Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen—the first man to reach the South Pole—partnered with the Italian airship designer General Umberto Nobile to pioneer flight over the North Pole. As Mark Piesing uncovers in this masterful account, while that mission was thought of as a great success, it was in fact riddled with near disasters and political pitfalls.In May 1928, his relationship with Amundsen corroded beyond the point of collaboration, Nobile, his dog, and a crew of fourteen Italians, one Swede, and one Czech, set off on their own in the airship Italia to discover new lands in the Arctic Circle and to become the first airship to land men on the pole. But near the North Pole they hit a terrible storm and crashed onto the ice. Six crew members were never seen again; the injured (including Nobile) took refuge on ice flows,unprepared for the wretched conditions and with little hope for survival.Coincidentally, in Oslo a gathering of famous Arctic explorers had assembled for a celebration of the first successful flight from Alaska to Norway. Hearing of the accident, Amundsen set off on his own desperate attempt to find Nobile and his men. As the weeks passed and the largest international polar rescue expedition mobilized, the survivors engaged in a last-ditch struggle against weather, polar bears, and despair. When they were spotted at last, the search plane landed—but the pilot announced that there was room for only one passenger. . . .Braiding together the gripping accounts of the survivors and their heroic rescuers, N-4 Down tells the unforgettable true story of what happened when the glamour and restless daring of the zeppelin age collided with the harsh reality of earth’s extremes.
NASCAR: Then & Now
by Ben WhiteIn this unique gallery book, historical shots of people, cars, events, tracks, shops, and other NASCAR landmarks are paired with comparable modern shots to present a fascinating review of America’s top motorsport. See what Darlington looked like when it was built in 1950 compared to what it looks like now. Get a real sense of how pit stops have changed between 1949 and today. Compare a Ford stock car from 1962 with one from 2009. Nowhere else can NASCAR fans so graphically trace the evolution of their favorite motorsport.
NCA&T vs. NCCU: More Than Just A Game (Images of America)
by Dr. Charles Johnson Dr. Arwin SmallwoodMore Than Just a Game tells the story of the 100-year football rivalry between NCA&T and NCCU through never-before-seen photographs and images. The work seeks to honor the many coaches, players, and participants in this storied rivalry. These vintage images illustrate the importance of the schools' rare and special rivalry, something students and alumni already know. Written with the fans of both institutions in mind, this book seeks to recount the jubilant victories and heartbreaking losses of each school. It is the story of HBCUs at their best and documents their contributions to the state of North Carolina and the nation. It is a story of perseverance, accomplishment, and pride.
NY DOGS
by Violet Lemay Jorge BenderskyNew York is the City of Dreams, and NY DOGS is a celebration of the Big Apple’s furriest, friendliest, funniest sidewalk stompers. . .and the humans who pick up their poo. Written and illustrated by Violet Lemay (New York Baby, 100 Pablo Picassos), this stylish book offers a humorous window to the uniqueness of dogs living in America’s largest city.With an Introduction by Jorge Bendersky, author of DIY Dog Grooming, From Puppy Cuts to Best in Show.
NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette
by Nathan W. PyleLiving in New York City for five years as a transplant from Ohio, illustrator and T-shirt designer Nathan Pyle was fascinated by the unique habits and unspoken customs New Yorkers follow to make life bearable in a city with 8 million people (and seemingly twice the number of tourists). <P><P>In NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette, Pyle reveals the secrets and unwritten rules for living in and visiting New York including the answers to such burning questions as, how do I hail a cab? What is a bodega? Which way is Uptown? Why are there so many doors in the sidewalk? How do I walk on an escalator? Do we need be touching right now? Where should I inhale or exhale while passing sidewalk garbage? How long should I honk my horn? If New York were a game show, how would I win? What happens when I stand in the bike lane? Who should get the empty subway seats? How do I stay safe during a trash tornado? Each tip is a little story illustrated in simple black and white drawings.
Nachhaltigkeit als Erfolgsfaktor in Hotellerie & Gastronomie
by Willy Legrand Axel Gruner Burkhard von FreybergEin Blick auf den Hotel- und Gastronomiemarkt zeigt, dass Nachhaltigkeit keine Modeerscheinung ist. Die Autoren erläutern, was Nachhaltigkeit im Gastgewerbe bedeutet, welche erfolgversprechenden Strategien existieren und welche Werkzeuge eingesetzt werden können. Insbesondere Antworten auf folgende Fragen unterstützen gastgewerbliche Unternehmer bei der Entscheidung, ob und in welchem Maße sie auf Nachhaltigkeit setzen sollten: Bringt das Investment in Nachhaltigkeit einen Return on Investment? Welche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie passt zum eigenen Betrieb? Welche Maßnahmen sind für welchen gastgewerblichen Betriebstyp geeignet? Welche Vorschriften gelten für mein Unternehmen in Bezug auf die Berichterstattung oder die Vermarktung von Nachhaltigkeit? Was bedeuten die Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive und die EU-Taxonomie für den eigenen Betrieb?
Nacidos para ser héroes
by Christopher McDougallTras el ultramaratón por las Barrancas del Cobre narrado en el bestseller Nacidos para correr, Christopher McDougall encuentra su siguiente aventura en las escarpadas montañas de Creta, donde un grupo de guerrilleros de la Resistencia planearon el secuestro de un general nazi durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ¿Cómo es que un artista arruinado, un joven pastor y un poeta bohemio lograron esconder a un general alemán de miles de soldados nazis solo con su ingenio y su valentía? McDougall viaja hasta la isla para seguir sus pasos y encontrar la respuesta, para experimentar de primera mano los extraordinarios retos físicos que tuvieron que afrontar los combatientes de la Resistencia y sus aliados locales. En Creta, la cuna de héroes clásicos como Hércules o Ulises, McDougall descubre cuáles son las habilidades del héroe: movimientos naturales, una resistencia extraordinaria y una nutrición e?ciente. Nacidos para ser héroes es una investigación fascinante sobre la fuerzay la capacidad de superación del cuerpo humano, que nos lleva desde las calles de Londres a medianoche hasta el amanecer en las playas de Brasil, desde las montañas de Colorado al patio de McDougall en Pennsylvania, lugares donde atletas modernos perfeccionan técnicas antiguas para ser capaces de todo. Del mismo modo que Nacidos para correr animó a miles de lectores a dejar la cinta, quitarse las zapatillas y salir a la naturaleza, Nacidos para ser héroes les motivará para dejar el gimnasio y hacer sus ejercicios al aire libre: trepar, nadar, saltar y emprender sus propias hazañas.
Nacidos para ser héroes: Cómo un audaz grupo de rebeldes redescubrieron los secretos de la fuerza y la resistencia (A Vintage Español Original)
by Christopher McdougallTras el ultramaratón por las Barrancas del Cobre narrado en el bestseller Nacidos para correr, Christopher McDougall encuentra su siguiente aventura en las escarpadas montañas de Creta, donde un grupo de guerrilleros de la Resistencia planearon el secuestro de un general nazi durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ¿Cómo es que un artista arruinado, un joven pastor y un poeta bohemio lograron esconder a un general alemán de miles de soldados nazis solo con su ingenio y su valentía?McDougall viaja hasta la isla para seguir sus pasos y encontrar la respuesta, para experimentar de primera mano los extraordinarios retos físicos que tuvieron que afrontar los combatientes de la Resistencia y sus aliados locales. En Creta, la cuna de héroes clásicos como Hércules o Ulises, McDougall descubre cuáles son las habilidades del héroe: movimientos naturales, una resistencia extraordinaria y una nutrición eficiente.Nacidos para ser héroes es una investigación fascinante sobre la fuerza y la capacidad de superación del cuerpo humano, que nos lleva desde las calles de Londres a medianoche hasta el amanecer en las playas de Brasil, desde las montañas de Colorado al patio de McDougall en Pennsylvania, lugares donde atletas modernos perfeccionan técnicas antiguas para ser capaces de todo. Del mismo modo que Nacidos para correr animó a miles de lectores a dejar la cinta, quitarse las zapatillas y salir a la naturaleza, Nacidos para ser héroes les motivará para dejar el gimnasio y hacer sus ejercicios al aire libre: trepar, nadar, saltar y emprender sus propias hazañas.
Nacogdoches
by Hardy Meredith Archie P. McdonaldNacogdoches derives its name from the Caddo tribe that once lived in central East Texas along Banita and LaNana Creeks. Franciscan father Antonio Jesus de Margil established a mission for the Caddo people there in 1716. In 1779, Antonio Gil Y'Barbo founded the puebla of Nacogdoches and built the Stone House, or Stone Fort, the town's most enduring symbol of European influence. Nacogdoches served as headquarters for one of three administrative districts in Texas under Mexican authority and played a significant role in the Texas Revolution before stabilizing into a predominately rural and agricultural society. Two notable 20th-century developments--the selection of Nacogdoches as the home of Stephen F. Austin State University and the founding of Texas Farm Products, the city's first major industry--changed the community into a regional education, medical, and commercial center.
Nainai's Mountain
by Livia BlackburneA Taiwanese-American girl is nervous about visiting Taiwan— until her paternal grandmother, her Nainai, takes her on a mountain-climbing adventure and shows her its wonders.Traveling from California to Taiwan for the first time, even with her parents and her Nainai around her, is a lot for a little girl to take in. The plane ride lasts forever, she can&’t read any of the signs, and she&’s worried there will be unfamiliar bugs. But then Nainai becomes her tour guide, and Taiwan transforms. As they huff and puff up Nainai&’s favorite mountain, stomachs full of bao and juicy sausage, Nainai spins yarns about riding to the movies in pedicabs, eating frozen pineapple, and playing pinball to win snacks. Even the bugs turn out to be more cool than scary.At the top of the mountain is a surprise: all sorts of people playing and exercising—and they all remember Nainai. The little girl is filled with pride when they can tell just who she is: &“your granddaughter!&”Author Livia Blackburne shares an author&’s note about the inspiration she drew from childhood visits to Taiwan, her parents&’ childhoods there, and her own mountain-climbing grandmother. The deep well of lived experience is evident on every page, and is perfectly evoked by Joey Chou&’s intricate, colorful illustration. Whether it&’s a reflection of home or a window into somewhere brand-new, kids, grandparents, and everyone in between will love following Nainai to the top of her mountain.
Nairn's London (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Ian NairnTELEGRAPH BOOKS OF THE YEAR and OBSERVER BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2014'This book is a record of what has moved me between Uxbridge and Dagenham. My hope is that it moves you, too.' Nairn's London is an idiosyncratic, poetic and intensely subjective meditation on a city and its buildings. Including railway stations, synagogues, abandoned gasworks, dock cranes, suburban gardens, East End markets, Hawksmoor churches, a Gothic cinema and twenty-seven different pubs, it is a portrait of the soul of a place, from a writer of genius.
Nairn's Paris
by Andrew Hussey Ian Nairn50th Anniversary of original publication; this is a unique Paris guidebook from the late, great, architecture and travel writer Ian Nairn.Illustrated with the author's black and white snaps of the city, Nairn shows his eye for detail - whether it is stonework on an archway, shadows cast by a railing, or an empty chair in a Paris park, in this book which celebrates the City of Light. Nairn's Paris captures the city on the cusp of great changes and provides a glimpse of a city that is about to disappear. Here is an idiosyncratic and unpretentious portrait of the 'collective masterpiece' that is Paris.Introduced by writer and BBC presenter Andrew Hussey, author of the popular Paris: The Secret History. 'About one third of the book is discovery, in the sense that I came upon the sites by accident or by following a topographical hunch. There must be many more, and all you need for the search is the ability to turn off the main road, switch on your antennae and respond. Good luck.' - Ian Nairn
Naked and Marooned
by Ed StaffordWhat do you do after you walk the Amazon? Ed Stafford--adventurer extraordinaire and Guinness World Record holder for walking the length of the Amazon River--likes a challenge. Casting about for an adventure that would top the extraordinary feat he recounts in Walking the Amazon, Stafford decides to maroon himself on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific. His mission: to survive for sixty days equipped with nothing--no food, water, or even clothing--except the video cameras he would use to document his time. Detailing Stafford's jaw-dropping sojourn on the island of Olourua, Naked and Marooned is a tale of unparalleled adventure and of one man's will to push himself to the outer limits--and survive.
Naked at Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World
by Mark Haskell Smith&“A delightful and informative look at nudism throughout history and around the world.&” —The Seattle Times People have been getting naked in public for reasons other than sex for centuries. But as Mark Haskell Smith reveals, being a nudist is more complicated than simply dropping trou. &“Nonsexual social nudism,&” as it&’s called, rose to prominence in the late nineteenth century. Intellectuals, outcasts, and health nuts from Victorian England and colonial India to Belle Époque France and Gilded Age Manhattan disrobed and wrote manifestos about the joys of going clothing-free. From stories of ancient Greek athletes slathered in olive oil to the millions of Germans who fled the cities for a naked frolic during the Weimar Republic to American soldiers given &“naturist&” magazines by the Pentagon in the interest of preventing sexually transmitted diseases, this book uncovers nudism&’s amusing and provocative past. Coated in multiple layers of high SPF sunblock, Haskell Smith publicly disrobes for the first time in Palm Springs; observes the culture of family nudism in a clothing-free Spanish town; and travels to the largest nudist resort in the world, a hedonist&’s paradise in the south of France. He reports on San Francisco&’s controversial ban on public nudity, participates in a week of naked hiking in the Austrian Alps, and caps off his adventures with a week on a Caribbean cruise known as the Big Nude Boat. Equal parts cultural history and gonzo participatory journalism, Naked at Lunch is &“an absolute hoot&” (Los Angeles Magazine) and &“a total joy&” (Meghan Daum). &“Smith puts on his reporter&’s hat and takes off everything else as he explores the history and sociology of nudism.&” —Los Angeles Times
Nala's World: One Man, His Rescue Cat, and a Bike Ride around the Globe
by Dean NicholsonDiscover the heartwarming true story of a life-changing friendship between a man and his rescue cat, Nala, as they adventure together on a bike journey around the world -- from the Instagram phenomenon @1bike1world. When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn't bargained on the lessons he'd learn from his unlikely companion. Three months after leaving home, on a remote road in the mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia, he came across an abandoned kitten. Something about the piercing eyes and plaintive meowing of the bedraggled little cat proved irresistible. He couldn't leave her to her fate, so he put her on his bike and then, with the help of local vets, nursed her back to health. Soon on his travels with the cat he named Nala, they forged an unbreakable bond -- both curious, independent, resilient and adventurous. The video of how they met has had 20 million views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers -- and still counting! Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala's inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.
Nala's World: One man, his rescue cat and a bike ride around the globe
by Dean Nicholson**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**'As a chronicle of an extraordinary friendship between man and animal, and its unexpected consequences, it's entirely delightful' DAILY MAIL'This uplifting retelling of their adventures together proves a welcome tonic' THE SUN'Heartwarming and utterly charming' GUARDIAN'A heart-warming and captivating travelogue' THE i'A gorgeous book about their adventures, complete with photos that will melt your heart' Lorraine Kelly, ITV***Instagram phenomenon @1bike1world Dean Nicholson reveals the full story of his life-changing friendship with rescue cat Nala and their inspiring adventures together on a bike journey around the world.When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn't bargained on the lessons he'd learn from his unlikely companion.Three months after leaving home, on a remote road in the mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia, he came across an abandoned kitten. Something about the piercing eyes and plaintive meowing of the bedraggled little cat proved irresistible. He couldn't leave her to her fate, so he put her on his bike and then, with the help of local vets, nursed her back to health.Soon on his travels with the cat he named Nala, they forged an unbreakable bond - both curious, independent, resilient and adventurous. The video of how they met has had 20 million views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers - and still counting!Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala's inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.
Nala's World: One man, his rescue cat and a bike ride around the globe
by Dean NicholsonInstagram phenomenon @1bike1world Dean Nicholson reveals the full story of his life-changing friendship with rescue cat Nala and their inspiring adventures together on a bike journey around the world.When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn't bargained on the lessons he'd learn from his unlikely companion.Three months after leaving home, on a remote road in the mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia, he came across an abandoned kitten. Something about the piercing eyes and plaintive meowing of the bedraggled little cat proved irresistible. He couldn't leave her to her fate, so he put her on his bike and then, with the help of local vets, nursed her back to health.Soon on his travels with the cat he named Nala, they forged an unbreakable bond - both curious, independent, resilient and adventurous. The video of how they met has had 20 million views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers - and still counting!Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala's inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Name of the Dog: A Lefty Mendieta Investigation (Book 3)
by Élmer MendozaPerfect for fans of Mick Herron and John Le Carré"The most important thing that's happened in Mexican literature in the last thirty years" Gaby Wood, Sunday Telegraph.It's Christmas in Culiacán and Detective Edgar "Lefty" Mendieta can't believe his luck. An old flame has returned with a teenage son he knew nothing about. Happiness seems to finally beckon for our careworn hero. The only snag is that Jason Mendieta wants to follow in his father's footsteps-even as Mexico's drug war descends a slippery slope toward chaos.While Lefty pursues a lunatic who has taken to bumping off dentists with a heavy-calibre pistol, a secret agent infiltrates a meeting of the drug lords and hears Pacific Cartel boss Samantha Valdés implore her underlings to stay out of the war. But an audacious murder provokes Samantha to change her mind and launch a wave of grisly killings across the country.Samantha then persuades Lefty to help her find the killer that pushed her over the edge. The truth he discovers will underline an old adage: revenge is a dish best served cold. No quiet family Christmas for our detective.