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Cold Poison (The Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #13)
by Stuart PalmerWhen a Hollywood cartoonist is poisoned, sharp-witted sleuth Miss Withers must draw her own conclusions. &“[Miss Withers is] . . . still one of the best&” (Anthony Boucher). At Hollywood&’s most renowned cartoon studio, there are a few things you simply do not draw: snakes, cows with udders, violence, and death. So when Janet Poole finds a doodle of the studio&’s famous cartoon penguin with a noose around its neck, she takes the drawing as a threat. Someone at the studio has murder on the mind. The top brass reach out to Hildegarde Withers, a retired amateur sleuth who has come to Los Angeles to relieve her asthma. The obvious suspect is Larry Reed, a disturbed cartoonist with a dark sense of mischief, but on Miss Withers&’s first day working the case, something happens that suggests Larry is likely innocent: He&’s murdered. This studio may work in animation, but Miss Withers will find the violence on the lot anything but cartoonish. Cold Poison is part of the Hildegarde Withers Mysteries series, which also includes The Penguin Pool Murder and Murder on the Blackboard.
Female Friends: A Novel (Picador Bks.)
by Fay WeldonFrom bestselling author Fay Weldon comes the story of three women&’s enduring friendship They first met as children in 1940s London. Thirty years later, Marjorie, Chloe, and Grace make their way through an almost unrecognizable post-war society, coping with husbands, children, parents, and the messy business of life. Trapped by her dependency on her tormented screenwriter husband, Chloe finds a novel way of liberating herself from his sexual and domestic oppression. Marjorie, a childless BBC director, is overwhelmed with guilt upon seeing her mother, the woman who abandoned her thirty years earlier, dying in a hospital bed. And egocentric Grace, who lives with a much younger man, her husband having passed away, sacrifices the wellbeing of her son upon the altar of pleasure. A smart, prescient novel that speaks for a generation of women struggling to find their place in a male-dominated world, Female Friends is a masterwork from a storyteller at the top of her game.
Preservation Hall
by Scott SpencerA romantic getaway becomes the setting for a terrible act of violence when two unlikely couples are stranded by a fierce snowstorm in this masterful novel from bestselling author Scott Spencer Virgil Morgan&’s precarious relationship with his father has served to cut him off from the world at large for most of his life. But when he meets Tracy, their immediate, intense love for each other grounds him in a way that nothing else can—until his old insecurities return in the form of his father&’s new stepson. And the tensions between them will come to a head during one fateful snowbound stay at a secluded country house.Preservation Hall is the spellbinding tale of a man who has trapped himself in a fortress of money and success, and of the redemptive power of unconditional love. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Scott Spencer, including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
Keeplock: A Novel of Crime
by Stephen SolomitaA repeat offender freshly sprung from prison tries to do the impossible: Stay out troublePeter Frangello hasn&’t spent three straight years out of jail since he was sixteen. Now past thirty, he&’s nearing parole when his prison block neighbor is burned alive in his cell, a vicious attack that was intended for Frangello himself. He spends his last week in protective custody, and when he is released back into the world he makes a resolution to stay clean—not for morality&’s sake, but because if he goes back inside, the next hit won&’t miss. But for a man whose only skills are stealing and doing time, staying out of trouble is not easy. As old associates and an army of crooked cops put pressure on him, Frangello will find that, inside or out, he&’s doomed to remain a prisoner for life.
Taste of Honey: Stranger In Paradise, Taste Of Honey, And Wish Come True (The Carson Springs Trilogy #2)
by Eileen GoudgeA divorced woman revisits a life-changing decision and confronts her church in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Stranger in Paradise. Gerry Fitzgerald kneels before the altar, moments away from the most important decision of her life. She is about to take her vows in the sisterhood of God, and yet she is not at peace. Anything but. Doubt fills her heart and she is torn with guilt. She found illicit passion in the arms of Father Jim, and now she is pregnant with the baby they have conceived. Is she ready to give it up? When it is her turn to speak, she runs. She has the child but gives her up for adoption, and thirty years later begins to question her decision. A reunion with her long-lost daughter reopens old wounds, and she begins to consider confronting Father Jim about his baby. Once Gerry ran from the church; this time the church will fight back. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Eileen Goudge including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection. Taste of Honey is the 2nd book in the Carson Springs Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Gamma Option: The Omega Command, The Alpha Deception, And The Gamma Option (The Blaine McCracken Novels #3)
by Jon LandWhen his estranged son is kidnapped, Blaine McCracken goes to work for a group of Arab militants to recover the child he never knew Since he first went behind enemy lines in Vietnam, Blaine McCracken has faced death on every continent. In the line of fire he is an iron man, but now he faces a different challenge: fatherhood. His son, Matt, is thirteen—the unknown product of a long ago tryst. When the boy&’s mother dies, McCracken goes to England to meet him. He finds a son cut in his father&’s mold: a young athlete determined to put his body at risk to serve his country. But before Blaine can explain their relationship, Matt is snatched away, kidnapped by a band of Arab nationals intent on using McCracken&’s strength to serve their own cause. The target? An Israeli weapon that they claim threatens the entire Arab world. To recover his son, McCracken must bring the Middle East back from the brink of war. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jon Land including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
After the War: A Novel (Modern Masters Ser.)
by Daniel SternAfter a tour of combat abroad, a young man determined to keep to himself is drawn into the dramas of his East Village neighborsWorld War II veteran Richard Stone is attempting to transition back into normal life. An aspiring writer, he&’s surviving off the GI Bill and the help of friends. Living free of attachments and responsibilities, he thinks, is the best way to defend himself from the world&’s pain, like his unhappy upbringing or his best friend&’s death in the war.But his neighborhood on Second Avenue won&’t permit such seclusion. The characters around Richard include a lonely poet, an unhappy literary couple, and a widower who can&’t stop thinking about the plight of Europe&’s Jews. Gradually they pull Richard into their lives, and even introduce him to the lovely Jemmy Gordon—but life and happiness are not so simple.
A Prayer for the Dying (The Martin Fallon Novels #2)
by Jack HigginsAn IRA hit man is on the run and out for redemption in this novel from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Eagle Has Landed and Dark Justice. Martin Fallon has more blood on his hands than any man has a right to. And once upon a time he had no problem with that, killing for his IRA brethren without remorse or regret. But when a mistake leads to the explosion of a school bus full of children, Fallon flees to London to hide with his guilt. His seclusion is broken when he agrees to make one last killing on behalf of the criminal Meehan brothers—and that may be his greatest mistake. For the hit is witnessed by a priest—and now the Meehans want him dead, too. But Fallon has had enough innocent blood. In a desperate struggle for his soul, Fallon must protect the clergyman while fighting not only the ruthless Meehans but also his former IRA comrades who have decided that Fallon himself needs to be silenced. For decades, Jack Higgins has delivered edge-of-the-seat thrills for millions of fans all over the world, and has truly earned his status as &“the master&” of international action and intrigue (Tom Clancy). A Prayer for the Dying is the 2nd book in the Martin Fallon Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Return
by Brian FreemantleReborn generation after generation, a serial killer is steps away from true immortality in this tale of horror from &“a master storyteller&” (Publishers Weekly). Death is no obstacle for Harold Taylor. Since the eighteenth century he has been reincarnated into a handful of identities. He won fame as an eye surgeon in Victorian England, established St. Louis&’s first brothels as an American settler, and survived the trenches of the First World War only to be executed in a court martial. But despite his different lives, one thing always remains the same: Harold Taylor is a murderer. Blood is the secret to Taylor&’s reincarnation. At each rebirth, he marks for death those who wronged him in the past, and by spilling their blood he guarantees himself another try at life. This time he has a new plan: to avoid death altogether by leaping into the body of another. For Harold Taylor, murder is only the beginning—unless, of course, someone can stop him. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
Blessing in Disguise
by Eileen GoudgeA southern senator&’s daughter reveals a secret that will shake her family and their town to its core, in this novel by a New York Times–bestselling author. Raised in the waning days of the Jim Crow South, Grace Truscott has a unique perspective on race. Her father was a senator from Georgia whose liberalism sparked controversy during the civil rights movement, and who after his death becomes a hero in their small hometown. When she begins writing his biography, no one in her family expects anything surprising to come of it. But Grace knows the dead senator&’s secret. She was there that long ago day when Ned Emory came to her father&’s office with a gun. The black man had learned of the senator&’s ongoing affair with his wife, and he had come to kill. But Emory took the bullet instead. The town goes into uproar when Grace reveals the truth. And as she quickly learns, it is only the first secret to be revealed. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Eileen Goudge including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
The Glitter Dome (Mysterious Press-highbridge Audio Classics Ser.)
by Joseph WambaughA New York Times–bestselling police thriller by the author of Harbor Nocturne: Two LAPD detectives look into the murder of a Hollywood studio boss. It&’s the wildest bar in Chinatown, run by a proprietor named Wing who will steal your bar change every chance he gets. On payday the groupies mingle there with off-duty LAPD cops, including homicide detectives Martin Welborn and Al Mackey, who get assigned the case of a murdered Hollywood studio boss who may have been involved in some very strange and dangerous filmmaking. Hilarious at times, heartbreaking at others, this book was likened by theNew York Daily News to a &“one-two combination that leaves the reader reeling.&”
The Silicon Mage (The Windrose Chronicles #2)
by Barbara HamblyA computer programmer must rescue an imprisoned wizard to save the universe in this sequel to The Silent Tower from the New York Times–bestselling author. There was a time when Joanna Sheraton knew nothing of the Void. She was an ordinary computer programmer, toiling in a cubicle in air-conditioned Southern California comfort, unaware that sinister forces had penetrated her universe. But from across the interdimensional divide, an evil mage had put in motion a scheme for eternal life, by transferring himself into a computer that feeds on Earth&’s life force. Called upon to help by the wizard Antryg, Joanna could do nothing more than delay. At the end of her first sojourn across the Void, Antryg was imprisoned and their task seemed hopeless. Now she must depart from Earth once more, to rescue Antryg and save humanity. She is friendless, and the dark mage&’s forces hound her every step. But a good hacker is not easily deterred. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Barbara Hambly, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s personal collection.
Selected Stories (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Andre Dubus IIITwenty-three unforgettable short stories from one of America&’s most celebrated literary masters. John Updike once said of his friend and fellow writer Andre Dubus: &“[He] is a shrewd student of people who come to accept pain as a fair price for pleasure, and to view right and wrong as a matter of degree.&” Dubus&’s characters are depicted in all their imperfection, but with the author&’s requisite tenderness and compassion. After all, they are just as human as we are, and there is much to learn from their complicated, tragic, irrepressible lives. Including such acclaimed masterworks as &‘A Father&’s Story&’, &‘Townies&’, &‘The Winter Father&’, and &‘Killings&’, the short stories and novellas compiled here represent the best work of one of our most accomplished and acutely sensitive authors. Dubus&’s Selected Stories is an anthology unmatched in its collective portrayal of the human condition. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Andre Dubus including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s estate.
Broken Vessels: Essays
by Andre Dubus IIIThe reflective essays of one of America&’s most accomplished authors. Andre Dubus is celebrated for depicting the subtlest of human emotions and finding compassion for the most damaged, and damaging, of characters. In the essays collected here, the author turns the microscope on himself, and the results are no less illuminating. Intimate and evocative, these autobiographical accounts of his childhood in Louisiana, his experiences in the Marine Corps, and, later, his life as a husband and father, paint a vivid portrait of this acclaimed author. Written with the sapience and depth of feeling that made his reputation in fiction, Broken Vessels is perhaps Dubus&’s most intimate work of all. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Andre Dubus including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s estate.
Half a Mind (The Kate Teague Mysteries #2)
by Wendy HornsbyA severed head washes ashore, drawing Kate into a bizarre murder caseIt&’s been months since the pistol cracked Roger Tejeda&’s skull. Though the police officer&’s memory gaps are beginning to fill in, any strain could endanger his recovery, and his girlfriend—the super-rich, super-intelligent Kate Teague—has been slowly nursing him back to health. He&’s still a long way from returning to work, but jogging down the beach one afternoon, he sees a crowd of cops, and can&’t resist saying hello for old time&’s sake. They&’re homicide cops, just like Tejeda, and though he can&’t remember their names they all know him. A head has washed ashore, with semen in its mouth and an armed-forces haircut. It was found just down the shore from Kate&’s mansion, meaning that she and Tejeda are involved—whether his doctors like it or not.
The Education of Patrick Silver (The Isaac Sidel Novels #3)
by Jerome CharynWhen his best friend is killed, Isaac Sidel looks for revenge in the BronxThough incorruptible—at least by New York Police Department standards—Detective Isaac Sidel knows that sometimes it&’s useful to look a little dirty. To gain access to the Bronx-based Guzmann crime syndicate, rumored to be building a human trafficking operation in Spanish Harlem, Sidel had himself kicked off the force on a corruption charge. With the help of Manfred Coen, a young cop whom Sidel once mentored, he posed as a desperate, dirty cop in hopes of infiltrating the Guzmann family. The gamble got Coen killed, and left Sidel with nothing but guilt, bruises, and a tapeworm. Now the detective craves revenge. To break down the syndicate, he targets Patrick Silver, the Guinness-addicted handler of forty-four-year-old man-child Jerónimo Guzmann. When a crush on Odile, porn queen of the Bronx, confuses Patrick&’s loyalty, the family begins to tear itself apart. It&’s up to Isaac Sidel to make sure they don&’t take the city with them.
The Incredible Tito: Man of the Hour
by Howard FastFast&’s fascinating biography of Joseph Broz, known to the world as Tito, including his rise to power and his remarkable stand against fascismThe world was mired in the Second World War when Howard Fast wrote The Incredible Tito. Upon the book&’s publication in 1944, there was still no united Yugoslavia, the Axis controlled most of Europe, and D-Day was only in the planning stages. In the Balkans, Tito was a beacon of hope against the advancing Nazis. He led a force of resistance fighters that bedeviled the occupying German army throughout Slavic regions and empowered people&’s committees to act as local government in all liberated areas. For observers on the political left, Tito seemed uniquely poised to unite the East and West against fascism—once and for all. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author&’s estate.
Cloud Nine
by James M. CainA twisted tale of heinous crimes and hidden motives by the legendary author of Double Indemnity.Graham meets Sonya outside of his real estate office. She is sixteen, beautiful, and drops a bombshell—she’s there because Graham’s half-brother, Burl, raped her, leaving her frightened, pregnant, and very much alone.All she wants is the $1,111 it will cost to hide out for the next few months in a convalescent home before she gives the baby up for adoption, but Burl won’t give her the money. Sonya’s vengeful father, meanwhile, wants far more from Burl—he is determined to make the scoundrel pay for harming his daughter. Graham offers Sonya a better choice: He’ll marry her so that she can get a legal abortion. The plan will save the family, and the business, from scandal. But Graham has no idea that, as he asks for Sonya’s hand, he will be risking much more than just local gossip . . . Praise for James M. Cain’s fiction“Swift and absorbing.” —The Wall Street Journal“Lean, racing . . . stripped of inessentials.” —The New York Times“Nobody has quite pulled it off the way Cain does . . . not even Raymond Chandler.” —Tom Wolfe
A Night to Remember: The Sinking of the Titanic (The Titanic Chronicles #1)
by Walter Lord#1 New York Times Bestseller: The definitive book on the sinking of the Titanic, based on interviews with survivors, by the author of The Miracle of Dunkirk. At first, no one but the lookout recognized the sound. Passengers described it as the impact of a heavy wave, a scraping noise, or the tearing of a long calico strip. In fact, it was the sound of the world&’s most famous ocean liner striking an iceberg, and it served as the death knell for 1,500 souls. In the next two hours and forty minutes, the maiden voyage of the Titanic became one of history&’s worst maritime accidents. As the ship&’s deck slipped closer to the icy waterline, women pleaded with their husbands to join them on lifeboats. Men changed into their evening clothes to meet death with dignity. And in steerage, hundreds fought bitterly against certain death. At 2:15 a.m. the ship&’s band played &“Autumn.&” Five minutes later, the Titanic was gone. Based on interviews with sixty-three survivors, Lord&’s moment-by-moment account is among the finest books written about one of the twentieth century&’s bleakest nights.
Stress: A Novel Of Detroit (The Detroit Novels #5)
by Loren D. EstlemanA young black cop goes head-to-head with Detroit&’s elite undercover squad when one of its officers is accused of a racially fraught murderFor Paul Kubicek and the city of Detroit, 1972 ends in a haze of blood. A police officer in need of extra work, Kubicek spends New Year&’s Eve moonlighting as a security guard at an upscale Grosse Pointe party. Just before midnight, in the sea of white faces, he sees three black men, a shotgun, and a pistol. Shooting more accurately than he ever has on the firing range, he takes out the would-be burglars in less than a minute. Only after they are all dead does he realize one man was unarmed. The police department asks Charlie Battle, one of its few African American officers, to head up the investigation into Kubicek&’s shooting. As racial tensions threaten to tear Detroit apart, Battle tries to break through the department&’s code of silence, fighting for truth in a city where lies are a way of life. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Loren D. Estleman including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Prose (Women's Press Classics Ser.)
by Alice WalkerA collection of early personal and political essays from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Color Purple.Includes a new letter written by the author What is a womanist? Alice Walker sets out to define the concept in this anthology of early essays and other nonfiction pieces. As she outlines it, a womanist is a person who prefers to side with the oppressed: with women, with people of color, with the poor. As a writer, Walker has always taken such people as her primary subjects, and her search for paths toward self-possession and freedom always holds out hope for the transformative power of compassion and love. Whether she&’s taking on nuclear proliferation, the promise and problems of the civil rights movement, or her own creative process, Walker always brings to bear a fearless determination to tell the truth. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Alice Walker including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
Out of My Later Years: The Scientist, Philosopher, and Man Portrayed Through His Own Words
by Albert EinsteinAn inspiring collection of essays, in which Albert Einstein addresses the topics that fascinated him as a scientist, philosopher, and humanitarian Divided by subject matter—&“Science,&” &“Convictions and Beliefs,&” &“Public Affairs,&” etc.—these essays consider everything from the need for a &“supranational&” governing body to control war in the atomic age to freedom in research and education to Jewish history and Zionism to explanations of the physics and scientific thought that brought Albert Einstein world recognition. Throughout, Einstein&’s clear, eloquent voice presents an idealist&’s vision and relays complex theories to the layperson. Einstein&’s essays share his philosophical beliefs, scientific reasoning, and hopes for a brighter future, and show how one of the greatest minds of all time fully engaged with the changing world around him. This authorized ebook features rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The Second Silence (Compass Ser.)
by Eileen GoudgeA woman fights to free herself from a heartless husband in a novel that &“delivers romance, a variety of relationships, and suspense in one appealing package&” (Library Journal). Noelle realizes it is time to move on when, rubbing lotion on her leg, she cuts herself with her wedding ring. The cut is slight, but it makes her realize that her marriage to Robert Van Doren is causing her nothing but pain. Although successful, wealthy, and boyishly handsome, her husband is a heartless man, who cheats on his wife and makes a living at the expense of the environment. Although it takes time to build up the courage, Noelle knows that leaving him is the right thing. But Robert Van Doren is not one to accept defeat. He punishes Nora by using his considerable power to get custody of their child. Leaving Robert is not the end of Noelle&’s struggle; it is merely the first step on a treacherous journey towards freedom. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Eileen Goudge including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
Cheers, Mr Churchill!: Winston in Scotland
by Andrew LiddleIn 1922 Winston Churchill prepared to defend his parliamentary seat of Dundee in the General Election. He had represented the city since 1908, enjoyed a majority of more than 15,000 and, after five previous victories, confidently described it as a ‘life seat’. But one man had other ideas, and Churchill was in for the fight of his life. This is the story of how god-fearing teetotaller Edwin Scrymgeour fought and won an election against Britain’s most famous politician. It begins with their first electoral contest in 1908 and follows their political sparring over the next 15 years until Scrymgeour’s eventual victory in 1922, when he became the only prohibitionist ever elected to the House of Commons. As well as vividly bringing to life an extraordinary personal and political rivalry, the book also explores for the first time Churchill’s controversial relationship with Scotland, including his attitude to devolution.
Rutland Place: A Charlotte And Thomas Pitt Novel (The Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novels #5)
by Anne PerryA mystery set in Victorian England by the New York Times–bestselling author whose &“novels attain the societal sweep of Trollope or Thackeray&” (Booklist, starred review). When her mother asks her help in finding a lost locket with a compromising picture, neither Charlotte Pitt, nor her mother, has any idea that the locket may be at the center of a bizarre chain of events leading to murder. Arriving at her mother&’s home at Rutland Place, Charlotte discovers that other residents of the exclusive neighborhood have also suffered similar small thefts. It all appears quite mild as crimes go—a light-fingered servant, perhaps. That is, until Mina Spencer-Brown, a woman known for her prying, is poisoned and dies. Inspector Thomas Pitt quickly surmises that Mina&’s snooping might have led to her murder, but what secrets had she stumbled upon? And whose? As Pitt patiently struggles to break down the protective silence of high-born neighbors, Charlotte works behind the closed doors of society&’s drawing rooms to help unravel a mystery that reveals sordid secrets and the chilling, dark corners of human behavior.