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Agile L&D: A Toolkit to Improve Organizational Learning and Drive Performance
by Natal DankAgility is no longer a buzzword, it's now a business imperative. Apply agile thinking, tools and processes to the learning function with this expert guide written specifically for learning and organizational development (OD) professionals.Written by an author at the forefront of agility in the people profession, Agile L&D explains how to develop an agile approach to workplace learning. The business context has dramatically changed, so the way you approach specialisms like learning and OD must also change.Based on five design principles: Product-led, Human-centric design, T-shaped people in T-shaped teams, Experimentation and Deliver with impact, Agile L&D provides a dedicated toolkit to help you design learning and OD solutions that solve workplace challenges and impact business performance. How we design work, upskill people and deploy teams is now intrinsically linked with modern business strategy. To continuously adapt to a complex business environment, companies need a more fluid movement of people and skills across the organization to better reflect customer needs, market opportunities and capability requirements. This book has the answer. Full of tools, tips and frameworks as well as real world examples from global organizations including Macmillan Cancer Support, TomTom, Diageo, Arup and Citizens Advice, this is essential reading for all learning and development, OD and people professionals in this constantly changing world of work.
Transformations in Mobility: Trends, Disruptions and the Future of Mobility and Transportation
by Gilles RoucolleTransformations in Mobility provides a panoramic overview of the changing mobility business landscape, helping transportation leaders and consultants make sense of the most important trends, challenges and opportunities impacting this sector. Drawing on exclusive interviews from thirty of the most important leaders, experts and financiers in transportation spanning all modes and from around the world, the book delves into the practical lessons learned from a demand, regulatory, strategic, technology and leadership perspective and explores the way mobility might evolve in the future. It looks into pressing issues such as fragmentation of demand in mobility, technological disruptions impacting the sector and how far it is possible to decarbonize transport when it is the world's second biggest source of emissions.Drawing on cutting-edge insights, this book explores mobility's shift from supply-driven to demand-driven growth, the role of regulation and standards, digitalization, the emergence of cross-industry coalitions and the decarbonization agenda and its impact on future transport shares. It offers insightful stories and lessons learned from some of the world's leading industry experts, including some never heard before. It also features exciting case studies such as European Rail Signalling Systems ERTMS and Class 1 Freight Railways in North America.
Armstrong's Essential Skills for People Professionals: A Complete Guide for HR Practitioners
by Michael ArmstrongA complete guide to the skills needed to be a successful people professional written by the UK's bestselling human resource management author.Armstrong's Essential Skills for People Professionals is a crucial resource for all current and aspiring HR practitioners. With coverage of fundamental skills such as interviewing, managing performance, reward and employee engagement, this book will equip you with the skills and confidence you need to be an outstanding people professional.Full of techniques for handling conflict and navigating challenging conversations, there is also guidance on managing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), supporting and communicating organizational change and contributing to the organization's environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating. This book also provides advice on the essential personal skills needed for success including problem-solving, decision-making and negotiation. Comprehensive yet accessible, this book provides you with the expertise required to deal with business issues as a HR professional.
Customer-Centric Innovation in Finance: Leveraging Human Insights to Drive Product Innovation in the Digital Age
by Dr Erin B Taylor Dr Anette BroløsThe competition landscape of finance is changing fast and it has never been so important for the finance industry to truly understand their customers.Customer-Centric Innovation in Finance helps finance and fintech innovators understand customers' behavioural motivations to drive effective product development. Relying on quantitative data is not enough: numbers can be great at telling us what people are doing but they often fail to explain why people do what they do. And if a service doesn't exist yet, there is no data to tell us how people use it. Human insights, behavioural science and qualitative data add immense value to product development. Readers will learn to innovate smarter by getting a firm understanding of why customers like their solutions and how they adapt them to suit their needs.The book presents real-life examples throughout of how customers are changing their behaviour in response to a fast-evolving financial landscape and provides practical advice on how to transform such insights into innovation. It explores how to produce customer insights for services that don't exist yet, for instance Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). It also provides descriptions of hands-on tools to build new insights and apply them to innovation and of methodologies such as portable kits, personas, digital ethnography, observations and interviews.
Hacked: The Secrets Behind Cyber Attacks
by Dr Jessica BarkerWhen it comes to cyber attacks, everyone's a potential victim. But you don't have to be helpless against these threats. Hacked offers the knowledge and strategies you need to protect yourself and your business. In this book, cybersecurity expert Jessica Barker uncovers how hackers are weaponizing cutting-edge tactics and technologies to target individuals and organizations, before showing how you can safeguard yourself against any potential attacks and how to react if you do become a target.Featuring expert commentary from world-leading cybersecurity experts and ethical hackers, this book uncovers the fascinating stories of the most insidious and notorious cyber attacks, including how the Mirai malware almost took down the internet and how a supply chain attack infiltrated the US government and other global institutions.From social engineering and data theft to ransomware and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, there are numerous strategies that hackers use to target our finances and data. Uncover their secrets and learn how to safeguard your data with Hacked.
Open Banking and Financial Inclusion: Creating a Financial System That Provides Security and Equity
by Ellie DuncanOpen Banking and Financial Inclusion enables readers to make informed decisions about open banking. Open Banking creates opportunities to develop more innovative products, increase customer satisfaction, and has the potential to open up access to financial services to those previously excluded and underbanked. Open Banking and Financial Inclusion reviews the opportunities, realities and limitations of open banking as it pertains to social inclusion, acknowledging the importance of impact and authenticity in ESG actions. It considers whether open banking is really working for the benefit of consumers by speaking to key people across the open banking, fintech and data sharing industry and also explores how banks and fintechs are measuring their social impact. Readers will gain insights from real people about their journey from financial exclusion to inclusion, and the part played by open banking. They will also access case studies offering an in-depth picture of how open banking has developed in both emerging and developed markets and where open banking has been successful in promoting financial inclusion. Open Banking and Financial Inclusion investigates the ultimate intention of open banking and its lead up to open finance.
Internal Communication Strategy: Design, Develop and Transform your Organizational Communication
by Rachel MillerGetting internal communication right starts with having a clear strategy. Internal Communication Strategy is your all-in-one guide to designing, developing and delivering an effective internal communication strategy that will inspire and motivate your employees. Written by award-winning communications professional Rachel Miller and featuring key insights from companies such as Marks & Spencer, Hilton, BBC and The Met Office, this book covers not only how to develop and write an internal communication strategy, but also how to practically implement it throughout your organization to create a shared understanding and vision. With workplaces constantly evolving, this book gives you a solid framework to return to when you need to refresh your strategy, providing actionable guidance and inspirational insights throughout. Drawing on the author's 20 years of experience, it also tackles the key topics facing communicators today including communicating with neurodivergent employees, how to influence at C-suite level, the effect of hybrid working and how to measure the impact and prove the value of internal communication.
My Poetics
by Maureen N. McLaneAcclaimed poet and critic Maureen N. McLane offers an experimental work of criticism ranging across Romantic and contemporary poetry. In My Poetics, Maureen N. McLane writes as a poet, critic, theorist, and scholar—but above all as an impassioned reader. Written in an innovative, conversable style, McLane’s essays illuminate her own poetics and suggest more generally all that poetics can encompass. Ranging widely from romantic-era odes and hymns to anonymous ballads to haikus and haibuns to modernist and contemporary poetries in English, My Poetics explores poems as speculative instruments and as ways of registering our very sense of being alive. McLane pursues a number of open questions: How do poems generate modes for thinking? How does rhyme help us measure out thought? What is the relation of poetry to its surroundings, and how do specific poems activate that relation? If, as Wallace Stevens wrote, “poetry is the scholar’s art,” My Poetics flies under a slightly different banner: study and criticism are also the poet’s art. Punctuated with McLane’s poems and drawing variously on Hannah Arendt, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Roland Barthes, Bruno Latour, and other writers and poets, My Poetics is a formally as well as intellectually adventurous work. Its artful arrangement of readings and divagations shows us a way to be with poems and poetics.
Structured Luck: Downstream Effects of the U.S. Diversity Visa Program
by Onoso ImoageneThe Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is a lottery that awards winners from underrepresented countries the chance to apply for legal permanent residence in the United States. Most lottery winners think of themselves as lucky, viewing the win as an opportunity to pursue better lives for themselves and their families. In Structured Luck, sociologist Onoso Imoagene uses immigrants’ stories to show that while the visa program benefits many recipients, the program’s design can also lead to exploitation in their countries of origin and reduced potential once they are in the United States. Combining ethnographic observation in Africa and interviews with immigrants, their family members, and friends from Ghana and Nigeria, Imoagene demonstrates that the visa program is a process of “structured luck,” from how people hear about the lottery, who registers for it, and who participates in it to the application requirements for the visa. In Ghana and Nigeria, people often learn about the lottery through friends, colleagues, or relatives who persuade them to enter for the perceived benefits of receiving a visa: opportunities for upward mobility, permanent legal status, and the ability to bring along family members. Though anyone can enter the lottery, not everyone who wins obtains a visa. The visa application process requires proof of a high school diploma or artisan skills, a medical exam, a criminal background check, an interview with U.S. consular officers, and payment of fees. Such requirements have led to the growth of visa entrepreneurs, who often charge exorbitant fees to steer immigrants through the process. Visa recipients who were on track to obtain university degrees at home often leave in the middle of their studies for the United States but struggle to continue their education due to high U.S. tuition costs. And though their legal status allows them to escape the demoralizing situations that face the undocumented, these immigrants lack the social support that the government sometimes provides for refugees and other migrants. Ultimately, Imoagene notes, the real winner of the visa lottery is not the immigrants themselves but the United States, which benefits from their relatively higher levels of education. Consequently, she argues, the U.S. must do more to minimize the visa program’s negative consequences. Structured Luck illuminates the trauma, resilience, and determination of immigrants who come to the United States through the Diversity Visa Program and calls for the United States to develop policies that will better integrate them into society.
Natural Dyes and Sustainability (Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing, Manufacturing & Chemistry)
by Subramanian Senthilkannan MuthuNatural dyes offer a time-tested and generally more sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes in the textile industry. The issues surrounding synthetic dyes are well-known, and in the literature it is generally accepted that natural dyes have a smaller environmental impact. However, even natural dyes have issues that must be dealt with in order to ensure sustainability in the industry. For example, the mordants needed to improve the dyeing process may release hazardous heavy metal pollutants when used. This book is dedicated to exploring cases such as this that illustrate the benefits and drawbacks to natural dyes and steps that must be taken for their sustainable use in the textile industry.
Guts Glory and Blunder: Noreuil, 1917 – The Forgotten Fight
by Andrew FaulknerThis is a story of a forgotten battle. Other than in the haunted memories of those who fought there, and the families of those who died there, this battle is a footnote in the history books: a backwater off a side road at the end of a cul-de-sac on the battlefield tour trail. Guts Glory and Blunder reaches into the valley beneath the vaunted Hindenburg Line to draw out the men who fought and died seizing the French village of Noreuil in 1917. It finds hardened Anzacs and raw reinforcements fighting and dying shoulder-to-shoulder, step by bloody step, on the path to victory. Beginning on Gallipoli&’s fatal shore, Guts Glory and Blunder follows the Anzacs to the Somme trenches and the race to the Hindenburg Line. This is a story of the 50th Battalion&’s uncommon valour in its fiercest battle. How ordinary men performed superhuman feats despite a flawed plan, &‘friendly&’ fire, enemy atrocities – a POW massacre and human shield tactics – and a combat mutiny. How a larrikin private was awarded a Victoria Cross for one of the most audacious stunts in the history of the medal. Guts Glory and Blunder is a story of how the diggers prevailed against all odds.
Desert Diggers: Writings From a War Zone 'Somewhere in the Middle East' 1940-1942
by David Mitchelhill-GreenDesert Diggers: Writings from a War Zone &‘Somewhere in the Middle East&’ 1940-1942 draws upon hundreds of soldiers&’ letters in a fresh and captivating narrative of the war in North Africa. Desert Diggers follows the first men to volunteer after the outbreak of war in 1939, tracing their adventures in exotic ports before further training in Palestine. A hunger for action grew: &‘Most of the chaps are ... anxious to get into anything that looks like a fight&’, one soldier wrote to his brother. From Egypt, &‘the hottest and dustiest place on God's earth&’ was the Diggers&’ next destination and their &‘blooding&’ in the battles for Bardia and Tobruk. After Rommel failed to storm Tobruk in April-May 1941, Nazi propaganda denigrated the garrison, &‘caught like rats in a trap&’. Amid frequent bombing and shelling, Berlin&’s scornful broadcasts were an unintended tonic. &‘Frequently we laughed and joked until the tears came into our eyes&’, a Digger quipped. From Tobruk, to the blunting of Rommel&’s attacks at El Alamein, the price of victory was palpably high: &‘some of my best mates didn't come out of it&’, lamented a corporal to his sister. Returning to Australia in 1943, some men maimed or traumatised, brought a further test for the Diggers ...Told in the words of the men who served, Desert Diggers offers a new personal perspective on the Western Desert campaign. With immediacy and raw emotion, these skillfully woven letters provide a remarkable and compelling account of the Australian experience of war.
Easy Target: Taming the Black Dog
by Adam Blum&‘I was an easy target. You didn&’t have to be a trained sniper to take the shot.&’Easy Target is the inspirational story of a young man&’s journey from being an easy target and victim of bullying to forging fortitude and resilience in order to battle the bullies and the black dog of depression. Adam tells his story with raw honesty which at times is heartbreaking and at other times, hilarious. Easy Target outlines the real-life steps Adam has taken in order to overcome his darkest days, change his mindset and transform his life. With contributing chapters by best-selling authors, this book is about change, hope, and belief for a brighter future. &“A must read to nurture perspective and understanding of those around us and especially ourselves.&” -PAUL DE GELDER Endorsements&“This book is a must read for anyone who thinks that `nasty words&’ whether written or spoken don&’t leave a lasting legacy. When those words are critical, mean, and constant, the damage can run deep, and affect a person&’s life in ways that are unimaginable. But this isn&’t a sad tale that will leave you feeling flat… It is a powerful story of someone who faced all those demons and came out on top. I have no doubt Adam&’s honesty, courage, openness, and journey of self-help, self-discovery, and healing, will no doubt assist others that are struggling with their mental health. He has shared his darkest moments, and explained the constructive and helpful steps he took to regain control of his life. Bravo Adam.&” JOHANNA GRIGGS, TV Presenter and Beyond Blue Director &“A truly inspiring tale of one man&’s struggles to overcome life&’s pitfalls. Adam&’s story is full of heart-wrenching and at times, hilarious reflections which leave the reader feeling there is always a way forward, no matter how tough the road. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and take life by the horns!&” AMELIA ADAMS, 60 Minutes Reporter &‘If someone had given me a book like this when I was a budding young man, I don&’t think I would have felt as lost and alone all those years. A must read to nurture perspective and understanding of those around us and especially ourselves. Paul de Gelder, Author, Veteran, TV Presenter, and International Speaker
Let the Bastards Come: The Battle for Kapyong Korea, 23 – 25 April 1951
by David W. CameronAnzac Day 2024 represents the 73rd anniversary of the critical battle of Kapyong (23 to 25 April 1951) This book for the first time tells the full story of the Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and American units involved. Fewer than 1,000 Australian and Canadian infantrymen, supported by New Zealand artillery and 15 American Sherman tanks fought off an entire Chinese Division of over 12,000 men and contributed significantly to defeating the great Chinese August offensive. The battle of Kapyong was fought during a heavy downpour in mountainous terrain, with Chinese units infiltrating the Australian lines which extended for seven kilometres. Given the small number of men involved and the long defensive line, several strong points were quickly established. The Australians almost alone, but with support from New Zealand gunners and some American tanks, for the first 24 hours held back the Chinese and were at times surrounded by large numbers of Chinese who launched ongoing human wave attacks against their isolated positions — but the line held with Australians leading bayonet counter charges against the Chinese. Within 24 hours, Canadian troops were committed to the battle and for 12 hours also faced significant attempts by the Chinese to surround their position – they too held their ground. The battle of Kapyong was truly a decisive battle of the Korean War, and for their heroic actions during the battle of Kapyong, the Australian and Canadian infantrymen and American tankers were awarded a rare US Presidential Unit citation.
The Birth Book, 2nd Edition: Your Ultimate Guide to Safe and Confident Childbirth
by Professor Stephen TongEverything You Need to Know to Prepare for Labour and BirthThe Birth Book is the ultimate guide for expectant parents-to-be. From one of Australia&’s leading obstetricians, this best-selling book combines expert information, real stories and up-to-date research to earn its reputation as the essential &‘birth-bible&’. Packed with vital information – the stages of labour, modern pain relief options, vaginal birth, inducing labour, caesareans, monitoring the baby and post-birth recovery – your birth options are expertly explained and demystified. With new chapters examining birthing of twins and options for those who have previously had a caesarean section, The Birth Book simplifies complex medical information to transform childbirth anxiety into empowerment. Professor Stephen Tong has guided thousands of births and is renowned as a leading specialist obstetrician in Australia and internationally. He steers global research programs chasing discoveries to make pregnancy and birth safer for mothers and babies. His mission is to prepare you for an informed, confident and safe birth experience.A warm, wonderful and reassuring birth day companion.Praise for &‘The Birth Book&’ From Mums..."Stephen's unique way of approaching birth, steeped in science but swathed in soul, is an uplifting one that brings joy and laughter instead of fear and tears to the birthing suite." Dani Venn, Celebrity Chef, mum of two &“It&’s like no book that I read before the birth of my three children, and without a doubt the one book that I needed.&” Melissa Wilson, teacher, mum of three &“It was INCREDIBLE! One minute I was wowing, then I was LOLING and at times even crying- especially at the end! This book honestly gave me goosebumps.&” Kristie Gatanios, professional singer, mum of Pia " Humorous anecdotes coupled with a clear, unbiased and supportive view on what to expect makes this a must-read for every soon-to-be Mum and her birthing team." Sarah Ng, banker, mum of three &“I loved the book, it was fantastic! It was very informative and easy reading without getting lost in technical talk.&” Gaby Cahill, teacher, mum of three &“A complete & comprehensive journey through labour & birth. Filled with current evidence, witty humour and raw honesty.&” Cassie Penca, mother of threeFrom doctors, midwives and pregnancy researchers …&“This is the birth-bible for expecting parents. It will provide you with all the knowledge that you need to feel safe throughout pregnancy and when giving birth.&” Associate Professor Lina Bergman, Obstetrician, Eminent Pregnancy Researcher, mum of twins Uppsala, Sweden "We assume all will go to plan but during birth things can change in an instant. What better way to be prepared than to have all the information in an entertaining and easy to read book …Funny, entertaining and educational. Read it and thank me later." Associate Professor Cathy Cluver, Obstetrician, Eminent Pregnancy Researcher, Mum of three. Cape Town, South Africa. &“Using humour and plain language, Professor Tong details how obstetricians think, and why. A great read for doctors; a must read for expectant parents. &“ Dr Nick Walker, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Auckland "An absolute gem in the jungle of obstetric (mis)information, and laugh-out-loud easy reading. Accurate and passionate writing. Loved it!" Dr Aleide Vandewal, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Belgium. &“A great book explaining the workings of an obstetrician&’s mind! A must read for soon-to-be parents&” Dr Prathima Chowdary, Gynaecologist, advanced laparoscopic surgeon, Auckland &“Hugely informative, witty and compassionate, this book completely demystified birth…&rdquo
Run For Your Life: The remarkable true story of a family forced into hiding after leaking Russian secrets
by Sue WilliamsThe remarkable true story of a family forced into hiding after leaking Russian secrets What started out as a great adventure turned into a terrifying nightmare when Nick Stride and his family were forced to flee for their lives from one of the richest, most powerful men in the world. Nick moved to Russia in 1998 to help build the British Embassy in Moscow, but ended up on the run with his wife and two children after leaking secrets from Vladimir Putin&’s one-time deputy. Hiding off grid on Australia&’s final frontier – remote beaches on the Dampier Peninsula on the far north Kimberley coast – the family faced crocodiles, sharks, snakes, raging bushfires and the devastating Cyclone Yvette, and survived only by catching fish and crabs and learning how to kill wild animals. It was a life-or-death move, but Nick felt he had no choice. Now, emerging from isolation, the family are finally ready to share their incredible story.
Death on Bloody Ridge: Chunuk Bair - the battle that decided the fate of the Gallipoli Campaign
by David W. CameronThe August Offensive or &‘Anzac Breakout&’ at Gallipoli was an attempt to break the stalemate of the campaign. It saw some of the bloodiest fighting since the landing as Commonwealth and Turkish troops fought desperate battles at Lone Pine, German Officers&’ Trench, Turkish Quinn&’s, The Chessboard, The Nek, The Farm, Hill Q, Chunuk Bair, and Hill 971. The offensive was designed to allow the allied forces to &‘break out&’ of the Anzac beachhead below the Sari Bair Range. The capture of Chunuk Bair by the New Zealanders resulted in some of the bloodiest fighting at Gallipoli and was key to the entire August offensive. While it was taken and held for a few days - it&’s recapture by the Turks on 10 August 1915 decided the fate of the Gallipoli Campaign. Within four months the Allies were forced to evacuate the peninsula, leaving it to the Turks - a decisive victory for the Ottoman Empire Death on Bloody Ridge: Chunuk Bair - the battle that decided the fate of the Gallipoli Campaign, focuses solely on this one decisive battle.
The Beauties
by Lauren ChaterAn incomparable beauty. A promise to a king. A portrait that can never be completed. When Emilia Lennox loses everything after her husband&’s lands and title are confiscated, her beauty is her best bargaining chip with the only man who can restore their fortunes: King Charles II himself. But the king&’s favour comes at a price. He will pardon Emilia&’s husband only if she agrees to be his mistress. Torn, Emilia comes up with a condition of her own: she will consent, but not until her portrait hangs among the famed Windsor Beauties, a series commissioned by the Duchess of York to showcase the fairest women in the royal retinue. For Henry Greenhill, ambitious assistant to the court painter, the opportunity to paint Emilia&’s portrait is a chance to step out of his master&’s shadow. But his sitter proves as evasive as she is beautiful, and with barely a sketch to show for his efforts, Henry&’s career is on the line. As the king&’s patience wears thin, it&’s clear that more than creative talent will be needed to capture this incomparable beauty on canvas ... From the bestselling author of The Lace Weavercomes this seductive story of rivalry, artistic passion and a woman bold enough to wield her beauty as a weapon.
Growing with Grace: A journey into self-discovery, wellbeing and the art of living consciously
by Simone CallahanSimone Callahan&’s wellness journey was instrumental to her healing process when her marriage ended. Now, she&’s determined to guide and support others in their search for inner peace during difficult times. In Growing with Grace, Simone explores the power of self-care, resilience, bravery and positivity. She also shares the skills she has learned as a qualified yoga instructor – skills that have transformed her physically and emotionally.Growing with Grace uncovers the holistic relationship between yogic wisdom, inner peace, nature, and spiritual wellbeing. This book offers meditation and breathing techniques, hour-long yoga sequences and tips for healthy, conscious living.
Lunch with the Deadly Dozen: A brand new totally brilliant cozy crime novel
by Peter BerryA secret group of retired experts hunt a methodical serial killer, in this compelling debut crime thriller set in London . . . Widowed and in his sixties, Thomas Quinn has been invited to lunch by Lexington Smith, the leader of a covert team who call themselves The Twelve. When Thomas decides to join group, he finds himself united with other retired specialists—from a surgeon to a locksmith to a cabbie—in a quest to capture and assassinate a killer targeting homeless victims on London&’s transport system. Also on the team is Monica Lodhia, a retired chemistry professor with a tragic past to whom Quinn feels drawn. As the body count rises, Thomas, Monica, and the crew try to determine a pattern. But can they protect this vulnerable population by identifying a predator before he strikes again?
Undercurrents (Faye Longchamp Archaeological Mysteries #11)
by Mary Anna EvansSomething frightening is happening in the mountain community of Mason County, Virginia. Pets are vanishing mysteriously and "Missing Dog" posters cover the waiting room walls at Dr. Rachel Goddard's veterinary clinic. A pack of feral canines roams at night, attacking livestock in a desperate search for food.Then prominent physician Gordon Hall is found dead in his yard, his throat ripped open. Sheriff's Department investigator Tom Bridger believes the killing was premeditated murder using a trained attack dog as the weapon. He also suspects it is connected to the resurgence of an old problem: illegal dog fighting. But Dr. Hall's son insists the feral pack killed his father, and he organizes a group of men to find and shoot the animals.Rachel and her friend Holly Turner make enemies by trying to rescue the dogs and move them to the sanctuary Holly has created. Tom, in love with Rachel and worried about her safety, must divide his time between the escalating controversy, shutting down the dog-fighting operation (if he can locate it), and hunting for Gordon Hall's killer....
A Hard Bargain: A Maclin Investigations Mystery (Madeline Maclin Series #0)
by Jane TeshAfter solving her first big murder case in the small town of Celosia, North Carolina, Madeline Maclin hopes at last to be taken seriously as a private investigator. She's opened an office in the home of her best friend Jerry Fairweather, a man haunted by his past who enjoys running harmless scams. Jerry doesn't feel worthy of anyone's love—bad news for Madeline—although she thinks Jerry's sister Harriet knows more about the accident that killed their parents than she'll say.Madeline is hired to find Kirby Willet, an eccentric inventor who left boxes of his belongings, including one filled with money, at Frannie Thomas' house. Meanwhile Voltage Films director, Josh Gaskins, is in town and thinks Jerry's old house will be perfect for his horror film, "Curse of the Mantis Man," about Celosia's mythical beast. Is this monster actually real?Celosia is also hopping with the Pageantoids, rabid fans from Madeline's days as a beauty queen, who have come to Celosia to produce more pageants. And then there's Rick Rialto, one of Jerry's shady con artist friends. When Gaskins is murdered, Madeline uncovers several suspects and is forced to make—and investigate—some hard bargains. At least one of which is with Jerry.
The Singularity Race
by Mark de CastriqueThe Singularity—the looming point of no return when Artificial Intelligence surpasses human cognitive abilities, with consequences no one can foresee, and only a handful of people understand.Rusty Mullins, ex-Secret Service, has never heard of the Singularity. He only knows that after the deadly challenges of his last job for security firm Prime Protection, he swore he'd stop risking his life on assignments. Then his good friend Ted Lewison, head of Prime Protection, asks him back for a routine mission guarding Chinese scientist Dr. Lisa Li and her seven-year-old nephew, Peter, and Mullins agrees.The conference on AI bringing Dr. Li to Washington, DC, is barely under way when a team of assassins storms the room. The carnage is great but Mullins saves Dr. Li and Peter while the attackers kill the two other AI experts, along with Lewison.His widow begs Mullins to uncover the power behind the group claiming credit for the assassinations. Is "Double H" homegrown, or part of a larger international conspiracy? Enter eccentric tech billionaire Robert Brentwood who requests Mullins continue to guard Dr. Li and Peter. Brentwood seeks the Singularity and believes Dr. Li holds the key. Mullins agrees in exchange for running his investigation through Brentwood's extraordinary computer resources.The quest leads him on an unexpected path from Naval Intelligence and the Oval Office to a secret research lab in the North Carolina mountains. No one can be trusted—the race for the Singularity is a global winner-takes-all contest.Yet, terrifyingly, a machine with capacity exceeding human intelligence can outstrip all controls while possessing no moral or ethical brakes. As the AI stakeholders go all out, Mullins must face his own singularity—the point of no return—when not just he but his family and Dr. Li's will become casualties in what amounts to war.
Head Wounds (Daniel Rinaldi Thrillers #5)
by Dennis Palumbo"Dennis Palumbo's Head Wounds is a spectacular ride." —THOMAS PERRY, New York Times bestselling author"This is a book that'll make you lock your doors and check your computer's security settings." —JOSEPH FINDER, New York Times bestselling authorPsychologist Dr. Daniel Rinaldi consults with the Pittsburgh Police. His specialty is treating victims of violent crime—those who've survived an armed robbery, kidnapping, or sexual assault, but whose traumatic experience still haunts them. Head Wounds picks up where Rinaldi's investigation in Phantom Limb left off, turning the tables on him as he, himself, becomes the target of a vicious killer."Miles Davis saved my life." With these words Rinaldi becomes a participant in a domestic drama that blows up right outside his front door, saved from a bullet to the brain by pure chance. In the chaos that follows, Rinaldi learns his bad-girl, wealthy neighbor has told her hair-triggered boyfriend Rinaldi is her lover. As things heat up, Rinaldi becomes a murder suspect.But this is just the first act in this chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller. As one savagery follows another, Rinaldi is forced to relive a terrible night that haunts him still. And to realize that now he—and those he loves—are being victimized by a brilliant killer still in the grip of delusion. Determined to destroy Rinaldi by systematically targeting those close to him—his patients, colleagues, and friends—computer genius Sebastian Maddox strives to cause as much psychological pain as possible, before finally orchestrating a bold, macabre death for his quarry.How ironic. As Pittsburgh morphs from a blue-collar town to a tech giant, a psychopath deploys technology in a murderous way.Enter two other figures from Rinaldi's past: retired FBI profiler Lyle Barnes, once a patient who Rinaldi treated for night terrors; and Special Agent Gloria Reese, with whom he falls into a surprising, erotically charged affair. Warned by Maddox not to engage the authorities or else random innocents throughout the city will die, Rinaldi and these two unlikely allies engage in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game with an elusive killer who'll stop at nothing in pursuit of what he imagines is revenge.A true page-turner, Head Wounds is the electrifying fifth in a critically acclaimed series of thrillers by Dennis Palumbo. Formerly a Hollywood screenwriter, Dennis Palumbo is now a licensed psychotherapist in private practice.
The Serpent Pool: A Lake District Mystery (Lake District Mysteries #4)
by Martin Edwards"An unusual and challenging puzzle mystery that will keep [you] guessing until the final pages. Wow!" —Library Journal STARRED reviewSeven years ago, Bethany Friend was found drowned in mere inches of water in the lonely Serpent Pool in England's Lake District. Was it suicide or murder? Now, determined to win justice for Bethany's dying mother, DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Cold Case Squad re-opens the case.But Hannah has problems of her own: a new sergeant with a reputation for causing trouble, a new house close to the Serpent Pool, and new cause to doubt her partner, second-hand bookseller Marc Amos. Worried by dwindling finances and the horrific death of one of his best customers, Marc finds himself drawn to the lovely and enigmatic Cassie Weston, who works in his shop.Then Hannah meets Louise Kind, sister of historian Daniel Kind. Louise has been living with book collector and lawyer Stuart Wagg, and has just confessed to her brother that she struck Wagg with a knife. Searching for the supposed victim, Hannah and Daniel—who is writing a book about the brilliant but opium-addicted 19th-century English writer Thomas De Quincey—encounter dark secrets and strange obsessions that oddly echo De Quincey's drug-fueled writings.