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Karma (The Jill Smith Mysteries #1)
by Susan DunlapHard-nosed beat cop Jill Smith combs Berkeley for a Buddhist guru-killing cultistIn Berkeley, California, Telegraph Avenue is the headquarters for the city&’s strangest inhabitants. Cultists, drug addicts, and hippie burnouts wander its streets, looking to raise their consciousness or, if that fails, to just get high. And Jill Smith walks with them, a beat cop with her finger on the pulse of one of the most unique neighborhoods in America. With time on her hands after her divorce, Jill lets a friend drag her to hear the district&’s hot new guru, a Buddhist holy man from Bhutan. As his disciples clap and cheer , Jill tries to keep from smirking. The guru finally draws her attention, however, when he slumps forward with a knife in his back. She calls for backup and cordons off the temple. Jill doesn&’t care about karma, but she knows when justice is due.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Susan Dunlap including rare images from the author&’s personal collection.
The Shortest Day: Murder at the Revels (The Homer Kelly Mysteries #Bk. 11)
by Jane LangtonPrompted by his wife, Mary, Harvard scholar/sleuth Homer Kelly looks into the suspicious death of a folk singer in this &“enormously appealing&” mystery (Publishers Weekly). Each year, the beautiful Sarah Bailey marks the winter solstice by organizing a pageant of drama and song for the citizens of Harvard University. Last year, the star of the show was Henry Shady, an Appalachian folk singer whose homespun charm won the eye of every young woman in Cambridge. On the eve of this year&’s Revels, the singer is struck down in the street by an SUV driven by Sarah&’s husband. The police dismiss it as a freak accident, but Mary Kelly, who witnessed the singer&’s death, is not so sure. Her husband, Harvard professor and sometime sleuth Homer, dismisses her suspicion. But when more of the revelers suffer untimely deaths, Homer sees a pattern. Winter has gripped Cambridge, and Sarah&’s husband may have been seized with murderous jealousy.
He Got Hungry and Forgot His Manners: A Fable
by Jimmy BreslinA Catholic priest sets his sights on sin&’s frontline: New York CityFather D&’Arcy Cosgrove honed his special talents during a mission to Africa, where he ministered to locals about the dangers of sex. To Cosgrove, sex is a menace to societies all across the world, with no country more stricken than the United States. And so, to fight his war on impropriety, Cosgrove moves to New York City, a place he believes is rotten with lust. Cosgrove and his lieutenant—a towering African named Great Big—land in the wilds of an impoverished Brooklyn neighborhood, not far from the site of a heinous hate crime. There the two crusaders start their assault on immorality, where their attacks always land below the belt. They&’re determined to save New York—as long as it doesn&’t corrupt them first. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jimmy Breslin including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s personal collection.
Common Sense for the Common Good: Libertarianism As the End of Two-Party Tyranny
by Gary E. JohnsonWith the contentious 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle spinning into its final phases, only one thing seems clear: the American people are less than satisfied with the two major political parties’ candidates. Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party candidate for president and former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, stakes his claim to the very center of the political spectrum. His new e-pamphlet Common Sense for the Common Good offers his approach to how a member of a third party, acting as the Chief Arbiter of the U.S., can restore sanity and functionality to the highest office in the land.Johnson succinctly shares his views on how the two-party system is dysfunctional. How its binary approach to issues doesn’t reflect the multiplicity of viewpoints inherent in our contemporary society. How the nasty divisiveness that rules public and private discourse is endemic to this flawed and outdated system. He offers his alternative to the dualistic electoral process—and why he believes the on/off, black/white, I’m right/you’re wrong thinking—cripples our minds and grinds government to a halt. He takes on the challenge of explaining Libertarianism as a philosophy that espouses:Freedom of choiceLimited government intrusion into our personal livesFree market capitalismEqualizing opportunity for allThis e-pamphlet sets the stage for Johnson’s forthcoming book, which is part memoir and part manifesto. In just 50 pages he describes his own personal and political evolution. He firmly believes that, if the rigged electoral polling and debate processes were fair, the vast majority of Americans would come to understand that their beliefs and values are best represented by the Libertarian Party.
The Lucifer Directive
by Jon LandYears after hijackers killed his father, an ordinary college student gets a chance to fight terrorists who have hatched a plan to destroy the United States A ringing phone awakes Dan Lennigin, college student, in the middle of the night, and the caller baffles him with a stream of panicked gibberish. It is a code, meant for someone else&’s ears, and it draws Dan inexorably into a tangled international conspiracy. Minutes after the call, an operative for antiterrorist agency Lucifer is killed, and his superiors come for Dan. He is the only one who heard the warning, and now that he knows what is happening, he can&’t say no. Ever since his vacationing father was murdered by hijackers, Dan has dreamed about taking revenge on the world&’s terrorists. But this threat is no fantasy. It has already claimed the lives of several professional terrorist hunters, and Dan is no professional. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jon Land including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
The Last Bridge
by Brian GarfieldA crack team of American specialists makes a deadly run into North VietnamCliffs hang over the rail bridge that crosses the Sang Chu River, protecting the vital North Vietnamese supply line from attack by American bombers. It&’s only accessible by a parachute drop that would put American GIs deep behind enemy lines. No point on the Ho Chi Minh Trail is more crucial to the Viet Cong war effort, and nowhere is more tightly guarded. Colonel David Tyreen has just sent a team to destroy the bridge, and none returned. It&’s time to assemble another team. The weather is awful, and the only plane available is a rickety old captured jet. Tyreen&’s mission is suicide, pure and simple, and he asks only for volunteers. The eight men who sign on have nothing to fear from death. This is lucky, for death approaches with all the speed of the swirling Sang Chu current.
In the Balance: A Miss Silver Mystery (book Four) (The Miss Silver Mysteries #4)
by Patricia WentworthThe &“marvelous&” British governess-turned-sleuth helps a new bride who fears her husband intends to murder her (Daily Mail). Former schoolteacher Miss Maud Silver is on her way back to London when, with a violent shudder of the train, a young woman is thrust into her compartment. She&’s beautiful, well dressed, newly married, and wealthy—a lethal combination. In a state of shock, Lisle Jerningham explains that she fled her home in a hurry after overhearing a sinister conversation. Her new husband&’s first wife died in an apparent accident, and the resultant infusion of cash saved his family home. Now, he&’s broke again—and attempting to engineer a second convenient mishap. Miss Silver is unsure whether the drama is real or a figment of Lisle&’s imagination—but if this frightened young lady is a target for murder, the killer will have to deal with the governess-turned-sleuth first. Starring a mature sleuth who &“has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot&”, In the Balance is a classic British mystery (Manchester Evening News).
The House of Stairs
by Ruth RendellFrom a New York Times–bestselling author: A novelist pieces together the murderous past of an old friend—&“smoldering suspense . . . literally unputdownable&” (Time Out). When writer Lizzie Vetch has tea with her old friend, Bell Sanger, the women are reunited for the first time in nearly two decades. Limbo years, Lizzie calls them, full of &“all the terrible things&” that passed between them. Specifically, a murder for which Bell served time, and has only recently been released from prison. Seemingly out of kindness, Lizzie agrees to let Bell move back into the House of Stairs, the five-story Notting Hill boardinghouse where, seventeen years ago, a dreadful crime was committed. Maybe here, among the other odd residents, Lizzie can help pull Bell&’s life together again. But is it compassion or something else? Because the more Lizzie&’s long-suppressed memories are stirred, the more her motives for keeping Bell close are called into question. As for Bell, she has her own reasons for moving back into the House of Stairs with Lizzie. It&’s not to put the past behind them. It&’s to confront it, step by step. &“Revealed in baleful flashbacks, a chilly obsession takes shape, a convicted murderess and a cruel design sidle out of the shadows&” (The Observer) in Edgar Award winner Ruth Rendell&’s &“compelling and disturbing&” psychological thriller (The Sunday Times).
Lucky Bastard: A Novel
by Charles McCarryThe KGB grooms a long-lost Kennedy for an explosive assignment in this thriller by an ex-CIA agent and New York Times–bestselling spy novelist. Although in the mid-1940s no one had ever heard of JFK, Jack Adams&’s mother insisted her new son be christened John Fitzgerald. Years after his parents&’ death, Jack learns the reason for his name: a packet of photos showing his mother in bed with young John Kennedy. As a student at Columbia University, Jack demonstrates that he inherited more than JFK&’s good looks. His irresistible charisma and political instinct make him a natural campus leader, but he has his sights set on something bigger than the student council. Young Jack Adams wants to be president of the United States, and the Soviet Union is prepared to help. A KGB spy named Dmitri recruits Jack, promising him the presidency in exchange for treason. Dmitri guides Jack for decades, putting him in a position to become the largest intelligence coup in history—unless the candidate&’s libido derails him first.
The Case of William Smith: The Case Of William Smith, Eternity Ring, And The Catherine Wheel (The Miss Silver Mysteries #13)
by Patricia WentworthGoverness-turned-sleuth Miss Silver looks into the case of a Holocaust survivor who may have enemies to elude. William Smith isn&’t sure what his name is, but he knows it isn&’t William Smith. That was the name the Nazis gave him in 1942, when he was herded, along with so many others, into one of their nightmarish camps. They did their best to kill him, but he survived. Now the war is over and he&’s back in England, ready to start over. But even a man with no past can&’t escape history. William may yet learn his real name—but it could cost him his life in this suspenseful mystery starring an investigator who &“has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot&” (Manchester Evening News).
A Death in China
by Carl Hiaasen Bill MontalbanoAn American investigates a murder amid the secrecy and corruption of China in this crime thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author of Razor Girl. Art history professor Tom Stratton hasn&’t seen his former mentor David Wang for years—until they unexpectedly run into each other while Stratton is on a guided tour of China. But the reunion doesn&’t last long. After Wang is found dead—and the American embassy fumbles the investigation—Stratton sets out to solve the mystery of the killing on his own. Before long, he&’s tangled in a web of corruption that reaches the highest seats of power. Beset by the suffocating secrecy and subterfuge of communist China, Stratton must find his friend&’s murderer—before the fury of a brutal conspiracy closes in on him. Along with Powder Burn and Trap Line, this international mystery is one of the early suspense thrillers written by Carl Hiaasen and Bill Montalbano, a writing team praised for their &“fine flair for characters and settings&” (Library Journal).
Parts Unknown (The Devlin Kirk Mysteries #2)
by Rex BurnsDevlin investigates a missing Salvadoran&’s gruesome fateDevlin Kirk and his partner Bunchcroft are Denver&’s finest industrial security experts, even if Denver doesn&’t see it that way. Their last big case got them out of debt, but since then the well has been dry. Their firm is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy when Nestor Calamaro, a young illegal immigrant whose family is close to Bunch, disappears. Kirk can&’t afford any pro bono work, but Bunch talks him into the good deed. Missing persons cases are usually simple. This one is not. Nestor&’s trail leads Kirk and Bunch to two more missing immigrants, all of whom are connected to Antibodies Research, a biotech start-up whose work is shrouded in extreme secrecy. For Kirk and Bunch, penetrating their security system is the easy part. But when they learn the terrible truth behind Nestor&’s disappearance, they risk becoming missing persons themselves.
Oscar Wilde: Reminiscences
by André GidePersonal recollections from André Gide on a man who profoundly influenced his work—Oscar Wilde André Gide, a towering figure in French letters, draws upon his friendship with Oscar Wilde to sketch a compelling portrait of the tragic, doomed author, both celebrated and shunned in his time. Rather than compile a complete biography, Gide invites us to discover Wilde as he did—from their first meeting in 1891 to their final parting just two years before Wilde&’s death—all told through Gide&’s sensitive, incomparable prose. Using his notes, recollections, and conversations, Gide illuminates Wilde as a man whose true art was not writing, but living. This ebook features a new introduction by Jeanine Parisier Plottel, selected quotes, and an image gallery.
Sad Wind from the Sea (Bride Series)
by Jack HigginsA gunrunner&’s hunt for a fortune leads to a life-and-death struggle in Communist China in New York Times–bestselling author Jack Higgins&’s very first novel. Mark Hagen is a far cry from the man he once was as a naval officer in World War II. Broken down and drunk, he&’s been reduced to living outside the law, gunrunning and smuggling with his dilapidated boat. Then he rescues a woman from attackers in Macao. She&’s alone, she needs help—and she claims to know the whereabouts of a quarter-million dollars in gold, lying in a scuttled craft at the bottom of a lagoon in the blighted marshlands of southern China. With this one quick score, Hagen could change his luck for good. Unfortunately, he&’s not the only one looking for the gold. There&’s the Chinese. And the Russians. And so many others. But there&’s only one Mark Hagen—and he&’s not about to give up easily . . . Originally published in 1963 under the name Harry Patterson, Sad Wind from the Sea is a searing debut set in the dangerous criminal underworld of the Pacific Rim, a gripping read that showcases the talents of a young writer whom Tom Clancy would one day hail as &“the master.&”
Born to Kill: The Rise and Fall of America's Bloodiest Asian Gang
by T. J. EnglishThe &“riveting&” true story of the Vietnamese gang that terrorized Manhattan&’s Chinatown, from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Westies (Newsday). They are children of the Vietnam War. Born and raised in the wasteland left by American bombs and napalm, these young men know a particular brand of cruelty—which they are about to export to the United States. When the Vietnamese gangs come to Chinatown, they adopt a name remembered from GI&’s helmets: &“Born to Kill.&” And kill they do, in a frenzy of violence that shocks even the old-school Chinese gangsters who once ran Canal Street. Killing brings them turf, money, and power, but also draws the government&’s eye. Even as Born to Kill reaches its height, it is marked for destruction. This story is told from the perspective of Tinh Ngo, a young gang member who eventually grows disenchanted with murder and death. When he decides to inform on his brothers to the police, he enters a shadow world far more dangerous than any gangland.
The Wisdom of Leonardo da Vinci (Wisdom)
by The Wisdom SeriesAn intriguing look inside the mind of the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci stood on a bridge between medieval thought and the modern mind. In this selection of entries from his dozens of coded notebooks and unpublished manuscripts, his unending curiosity in the universe and deep knowledge come through in his energetic style. The self-educated da Vinci developed a philosophical system that set him apart from his contemporaries and marked him as the oracle of a new age, and his vivid imagination and straightforward writing style capture the reader&’s attention whether he is writing about his scientific analysis, his opinion of necromancy, discoveries in nature, or the nature of man. Accompanied by a thorough introduction, The Wisdom of Leonardo da Vinci unveils the man&’s deepest thoughts and musings and proves why he remains an intriguing and enduring figure.
Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics
by Maureen FurnissArt in Motion, Revised Edition is the first comprehensive examination of the aesthetics of animation in its many forms. It gives an overview of the relationship between animation studies and media studies, then focuses on specific aesthetic issues concerning flat and dimensional animation, full and limited animation, and new technologies. A series of studies on abstract animation, audiences, representation, and institutional regulators is also included.
Mickelsson's Ghosts
by John GardnerGardner&’s final novel: a delicate tapestry of literary genres that create a wonderfully mysterious and ambitious narrative As Peter Mickelsson&’s brilliant career as a professor at Brown University winds down, he suffers from alcoholism and is on the brink of divorce. Seeking a new start, Mickelsson moves to an old farmhouse in the Pennsylvania countryside to take a position at Bingham University. But when mysterious supernatural events begin to occur, it becomes clear that these new surroundings will not provide a refuge for this troubled man, but rather prompt an introspective look into the ultimate value of his life&’s work. With distinctive style and linguistic mastery, author John Gardner weaves together a string of extraordinary plots that culminate in an unforgettable conclusion. This ebook features a new illustrated biography of John Gardner, including original letters, rare photos, and never-before-seen documents from the Gardner family and the University of Rochester Archives.
The Nature of the Game
by James GradyAn ex-CIA operative is on the run from his former employers in this &“brutal, moving&” thriller from the author of Six Days of the Condor (James Ellroy). Jud is not too drunk to recognize the assassin. How the hit man found him in this hard-bitten roadhouse, Jud isn&’t sure, but he&’s not going down without a fight. His hands shaking too much for close combat, Jud perches himself on the bar&’s roof and drops onto the assassin as he steps out into the darkness. Though Jud only meant to stun, the man is dead. Jud doesn&’t care. Quitting the CIA hasn&’t been easy. Once one of the agency&’s top killers, Jud&’s skills have been dulled by civilian life, and his only chance of survival is to go into hiding. But before disappearing completely, he calls one of the few people he can trust, DC journalist Nick Kelley. Together, they&’re about to take on the deadly rot at the heart of the CIA. James Grady revolutionized the thriller genre with his CIA analyst codenamed Condor, immortalized by Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor, and currently portrayed by Max Irons in the all-new TV series Condor. In The Nature of the Game, Grady introduces another complex hero in a &“brooding, ambitious&” thriller that offers a &“wrap-up of everything awful in the spy business&” (Kirkus Reviews).
Sliphammer
by Brian GarfieldAn Arizona sheriff takes an impossible job: arresting Wyatt EarpWyatt Earp rides the train to Tucson alongside his brother Morgan, who makes the trip in the comfort of a wooden casket. Earp comes from Tombstone, along with his two surviving brothers and Doc Holliday, on a mission of vengeance for his murdered kin. They suspect Frank Stillwell of being the shooter, and are not interested in the bandit&’s denials. Earp is hardly off the train before he kills Stillwell, and he&’s on his way north before the body is cold. Unfortunately for the Earp gang, Stillwell had friends in high places. The governor issues warrants for their arrest, and sends a pair of lawmen north to Colorado to apprehend them. Jeremiah Tree, a sheriff nicknamed &“Sliphammer&” for his choice of pistol, is given the unenviable task of arresting Wyatt and his brother Warren. It&’s a suicide mission, but Sliphammer is too cool to fear any gunman, legendary or not.
Negotiating with Evil: When to Talk to Terrorists
by Mitchell B. ReissIn a career spanning decades, Mitchell B. Reiss has been at the center of some of America&’s most sensitive diplomatic negotiations. He is internationally recognized for his negotiation efforts to forge peace in Northern Ireland and to stem the nuclear crisis in North Korea. In Negotiating with Evil, Reiss distills his experience to answer two questions more vital today than ever: Should we talk to terrorists? And if we do, how should we conduct the negotiations in order to gain what we want? To research this book, Reiss traveled the globe for three years, unearthing hidden aspects of the most secret and sensitive negotiations from recent history. He has interviewed hundreds of individuals, including prime ministers, generals, intelligence operatives, and former terrorists in conflict-torn regions of Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. The result is a fascinating examination of the different methods countries have employed to confront terrorist movements, the mistakes made, the victories achieved, and the lessons learned. Negotiating with Evil is a penetrating and insightful look into high-stakes diplomacy in the post-9/11 world and a vital contribution to the global security debate as the United States and its allies struggle to confront terrorist threats abroad and at home.
The Killing Doll
by Ruth RendellA girl experiments with the occult to keep her family together in this psychological thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author of Dark Corners. In a quiet house in the London suburb of Manningtree, fifteen-year-old Pup and his emotionally damaged older sister, Dolly, have become closer than ever since the death of the their mother. Pup&’s bookish obsession with witchcraft gives their disordered life a sense of purpose. Dolly isn&’t sure what to expect from the talisman Pup makes her, until their father brings home a vulgar new wife. Then, Dolly, resentful and suddenly empowered, makes a deadly wish—the first of many. In a depressed neighborhood on the other side of town, a paranoid hermit has been questioned in a series of brutal murders. Lately, he&’s taken to living in a tunnel behind a fort of mattresses, where he keeps his knives. Soon, his life and the lives of Pup and Dolly will converge. As one of them struggles toward something close to sanity, the other two will descend even further into darkness. &“Only Rendell can show us how chillingly easy it is for ordinary people to slide into criminal behavior,&” and in The Killing Doll, the tumble is relentless (Oprah.com). &“Rendell, who perfected the art of the truly suspenseful psychological thriller&” is a three-time recipient of the Edgar Award, and the author of numerous bestsellers (The Boston Globe).
The Time of the Angels: A Novel (The\collected Works Of Iris Murdoch Ser.)
by Iris MurdochFrom &“one of the most significant novelists of her generation&” and a Man Booker Prize winner, a priest descends into madness in a London rectory after WWII (The Guardian). Carel Fisher was once a bastion of faith, a shining example of Anglican goodness and Christian values. But time and circumstance have worn him down as surely as the bombs of the Blitz have broken apart the very walls around him. His convictions have vanished and his belief in mankind has tarnished. Imprisoned within his own mind and the decaying walls of his ruined rectory, he has few companions left: his niece and his household staff, all of whom become collateral damage as Father Carel&’s reality becomes a twisted mirror for his views on the human condition. As relationships and desires, resentments and retributions, begin to crowd the small church, secrets are revealed that will shatter the lives of all involved, no matter how good or innocent they are. At once haunting and mysterious, The Time of the Angels is a captivating tale of madness and morality that &“excites and delights,&” while calling into question ideas of religion and decency in a world torn apart by the aftereffects of war (The New York Times).
Flesh and Blood: A Frank Clemons Mystery (The Frank Clemons Mysteries #2)
by Thomas H. CookNow living in New York, ex-cop Frank Clemons investigates a brutal slashing The sleek high-rises of Park Avenue make Frank Clemons uneasy. The former Atlanta homicide detective came to New York after a sickening murder case soured him on the South, but despite the glitz of his new surroundings and the beauty of the woman he shares them with, the city makes his skin crawl. Now a private eye, he is only at ease in the city&’s darker corners, among the whores, gamblers, and pimps who call Eighth Avenue home. That affinity for the isolated is what draws him to Hannah Karlsberg, an elderly seamstress who deserved a better death than she got. Hannah&’s employer asks Clemons to find the victim&’s next of kin, so the police can release the body for burial. As he learns about the dead woman&’s past, which stretches back to the Lower East Side of the 1930s, Clemons becomes obsessed with unearthing the decades-old secret that led to her death. Flesh and Blood is the second book in the Frank Clemons Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Crimean War (Images of War)
by John Grehan Martin MaceThe Crimean War was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, British Empire, Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining Ottoman Empire. Most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula, but there were smaller campaigns in western Anatolia, the Caucasus, the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the White Sea. The Crimean War is known for the logistical and tactical errors during the land campaign on both sides (the naval side saw a successful Allied campaign which eliminated most of the ships of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea). Nonetheless, it is sometimes considered to be one of the first modern wars as it introduced technical changes which affected the future course of warfare, including the first tactical use of railways and the electric telegraph. It is also famous for the work of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, who pioneered modern nursing practices while caring for wounded British soldiers. The war also led to the establishment of the Victoria Cross in 1856 (backdated to 1854), the British Army's first universal award for valor. The Crimean War was one of the first wars to be documented extensively in photographs. News correspondence reaching Britain from the Crimea was the first time the public were kept informed of the day-to-day realities of war. This unique collection of images will prove to be an invaluable resource for historians, students and all those interested in what was one of the most significant periods in British military history. Each picture will tell its own story, and will be fully captioned with historical detail.