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Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter
by Phoebe DamroschA head server at a renowned NYC restaurant dishes out stories and trade secrets from the world of fine dining in this behind-the-scenes memoir.While recent college grad Phoebe Damrosch was figuring out what to do with her life, she supported herself by working as a waiter. Before long she was a captain at the legendary four-star restaurant Per Se, the culinary creation of master chef Thomas Keller.Service Included is the story of her experiences there: her obsession with food, her love affair with a sommelier, and her observations of the highly competitive and frenetic world of fine dining. Along the way, she provides insider dining tips, such as: Never ask your waiter what else he or she does.Never send something back after eating most of it.Never make gagging noises when hearing the specials—someone else at the table might like to order one.
Maximum Bob
by Elmore LeonardHard-ass Palm Beach County judge Bob Isom Gibbs enjoys sending even petty offenders away to do hard time -- which has made the list of miscreants who want him dead longer than a fully grown Florida gator's tail. And a good number of his illwishers are probation officer Kathy Baker's clients, including young Dale Crowe and his psycho uncle Elvin. Now, Kathy's got an even more daunting task than keeping BIG's horny hands off her: keeping "Maximum Bob" alive. Because Gibbs's many enemies seem to be willing to go to any lengths -- be it death by amphibian or some more tried-and-true method -- to permanently end the career of an oversexed, racist jurist who's more interested in scoring than in saving his own red neck.
The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage
by Laura SchlessingerDr. Laura Schlessinger reveals how to bring a marriage back from the brink of disaster. Jumping off her million-copy bestseller The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, Dr. Laura Schlessinger exposes the sensitive and loving truths necessary to produce and sustain a wonderfully satisfying marriage. First and foremost, men and women need to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of masculinity and femininity. Both husband and wife have power in their relationship, and both need to realize this to ensure for themselves the personal satisfaction they yearn for. Dr. Laura explores the best ways a couple can relate, caretake, and nurture each other, and how to rescue a troubled marriage that seems doomed to fail. Using real-life examples from her call-in radio show, Dr. Laura focuses on the typical mistakes made by men and women in their relationships, and gives us real-life solutions for keeping our unions strong, loving, and lasting.
The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage
by Dr Laura SchlessingerDr. Laura Schlessinger reveals how to bring a marriage back from the brink of disaster.Jumping off her million-copy bestseller The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, Dr. Laura Schlessinger exposes the sensitive and loving truths necessary to produce and sustain a wonderfully satisfying marriage. First and foremost, men and women need to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of masculinity and femininity. Both husband and wife have power in their relationship, and both need to realize this to ensure for themselves the personal satisfaction they yearn for. Dr. Laura explores the best ways a couple can relate, caretake, and nurture each other, and how to rescue a troubled marriage that seems doomed to fail. Using real-life examples from her call-in radio show, Dr. Laura focuses on the typical mistakes made by men and women in their relationships, and gives us real-life solutions for keeping our unions strong, loving, and lasting.
California Girl: A Novel
by T. Jefferson Parker“Love, lust, murder, betrayal, suffering, and redemption all parade by as a brilliant tale-spinner once again has his way with us.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Edgar Award–Winner, Best Novel of the YearThe Orange County, California, that the Becker brothers knew as boys is no more—unrecognizably altered since the afternoon in 1954 when Nick, Clay, David, and Andy rumbled with the lowlife Vonns, while five-year-old Janelle Vonn watched from the sidelines. The new decade has ushered in the era of Johnson, hippies, John Birchers, and LSD. Clay becomes a casualty of a far-off jungle war. Nick becomes a cop, Andy a reporter, David a minister. And a terrible crime touches them all in ways they could never have anticipated when the mutilated corpse of teenage beauty queen Janelle Vonn is discovered in an abandoned warehouse.“Parker’s drum-tight prose and richly layered characters borrow a bit from Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled L.A. noirs as well as the more psychologically lurid novels of Dennis Lehane, but California Girl easily earns Parker his own spot on the shelf between these two masters.” —Entertainment Weekly, Editor’s Choice“A masterpiece filled with intriguing, multidimensional characters, an enthralling, sweeping plot, and some of the finest writing you’ll ever read.” —Chicago Sun-Times“Subtle—and effective . . . as much a family saga as it is a crime novel . . . an abundance of richly drawn characters.” —San Francisco Chronicle“An evocative trip back to the days of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll, hippies, LSD, Charles Manson, peace protests, and the rising anger against the war in Vietnam. Parker perfectly captures the turbulence of the times.” —Orlando Sentinel
The Burglar in the Closet (The Bernie Rhodenbarr Series #2)
by Lawrence BlockA thief finds himself in the wrong place and suspected of the wrong crime in the “unfailingly entertaining” series from bestselling author (The New York Times). It’s hard to ignore someone with his hands in your mouth. Bernie Rhodenbarr’s all ears when Dr. Sheldrake, his dentist, starts complaining about his detestable, soon-to-be-ex wife, and happens to mention the valuable diamonds she keeps lying around the apartment. Since Bernie’s been known to supplement his income as a bookstore owner with the not-so-occasional bout of high-rise burglary, a couple of nights later he’s in the Sheldrake apartment with larceny on his mind—and has to duck into a closet when the lady of the house makes an unexpected entrance. Unfortunately he’s still there when an unseen assailant does Mrs. Sheldrake in . . . and then vanishes with the jewels.Bernie’s got to come out of the closet some time. But when he does, he’ll be facing a rap for a murder he didn’t commit—and for a burglary he certainly attempted—unless he can hunt down the killer who left him hanging.“Light-hearted crime at its very best.” —Robert Ludlum“Hilarious.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch “A forgery ring turns up—along with the breezy Manhattan repartee and charmingly crude New Yorkers we’ve come to expect from the likably smart-alecky Mr. Block.” —Kirkus Reviews
Changer of Days
by Alma AlexanderThe child Anghara Kir Hama was forced to flee the kingdom she rightfully ruled, escaping the murderous wrath of her brother, the usurper, who would see her dead to secure the throne. But her years spent in a strange desert land -- honing the miraculous power called Sight -- have forever changed the young queen. And now it is time to claim what is hers. But treachery greets Anghara upon her return to a realm suffering under the cruelty of the bloodthirsty tyrant Sif. In the dungeons of her enemy, she awaits an inevitable death, robbed of the gift that set her apart from all others. Yet those who have sworn to defend her will not rest until their cherished queen is safe, including one whose noble heart belongs to her alone. For young Anghara's remarkable destiny is greater than crowns and countries -- greater even than the fearsome Old Gods who must stand down to make way for the Changer of Days.
Cuba Libre
by Elmore LeonardWar in Cuba isn't Ben Tyler's concern. Still, sailing mares and guns into Havana harbor in 1898--right past the submerged wreckage of the U.S. battleship Maine--may not be the smartest thing the recently prison-sprung horse wrangler ever did. Neither is shooting one of the local Guardia, though the pompous peacock deserved it. Now Tyler's sitting tight in a vermin-infested Cuban stockade waiting to face a firing squad. But he's not dying until he gets the money he's owed from a two-timing American sugar baron. And there's one smart, pistol-hot lady at the rich man's side who could help Ben get everything he's got rightfully coming...even when the whole damn island's going straight to hell.
Innocent Graves (Inspector Banks #8)
by Peter RobinsonThe worst that can possibly happen . . . has.A beautiful child is dead--defiled and murdered in a lonely graveyard on a fog-shrouded evening. It is the sort of horrific crime Chief Inspector Alan Banks fled the city to escape. But the slaying of a bright and lovely teenager from a wealthy, respected family is not the end of a nightmare. Lies, dark secrets, unholy accusations, and hints of sexual depravity swirl around this abomination like leaves in an autumn wind, leading to a shattering travesty of justice that will brutally divide a devastated community with suspicion and hatred. But Banks must remain vigilant in his hunt--because when the devil is left free to pursue his terrible calling, more blood will surely flow.
Die for Love
by Elizabeth PetersThe annual Historical Romance Writers of the World convention in New York City is calling to Jacqueline Kirby, a Nebraska librarian who desperately desires some excitement. But all is not love and kisses at this august gathering of starry-eyed eccentrics and sentimental scribes. As far as Jacqueline is concerned, the sudden "natural" death of a gossip columnist seems anything but. And when she's approached by a popular genre star who fears for her own life, the resourceful Ms. Kirby quickly goes back to work...as a sleuth. Because there's a sinister scenario being penned at this purple prose congregation. And when jealousy and passion are given free rein beyond the boundaries of the printed page, the result can be murder.
Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China
by Peter HesslerA century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.
Sharpe's Devil: Napoleon and South America, 1820-1821 (Sharpe #23)
by Bernard CornwellFrom New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, another exciting adventure in the world-renowned Sharpe series, chronicling the rise of Richard Sharpe, a Private in His Majesty’s Army at the siege of Seringapatam. Five years after the Battle of Waterloo, Sharpe’s peaceful retirement in Normandy is shattered. An old friend, Don Blas Vivar, is missing in Chile, reported dead at rebel hands – a report his wife refuses to believe. She appeals to Sharpe to find out the truth.Sharpe, along with Patrick Harper, find themselves bound for Chile via St. Helena, where they have a fateful meeting with the fallen Emperor Napoleon. Convinced that they are on their way to collect a corpse, neither man can imagine that dangers that await them in Chile…
Devil May Care
by Elizabeth PetersA classic mystery tale from prolific New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Peters.Ellie is young, rich, engaged and in love. These are the carefree days before marriage and new responsibility, and anything goes -- including house-sitting at eccentric Aunt Kate's palatial estate in Burton, Virginia. Ellie feels right at home here with the nearly invisible housekeepers and the plethora of pets, but she soon realizes that there are disturbing secrets about the local aristocracy buried in a dusty old book she has carried into the mansion. And her sudden interest in the past is attracting a slew of unwelcome guests -- some of them living and some, perhaps not. And the terrible vengeance that Ellie and her friends seem to have aroused -- now aimed at them -- surely cannot be...satanic.
Sleeping Beauty
by Phillip MargolinAuthor Miles Van Meter is on a book tour to promote his sensational bestseller Sleeping Beauty, a true-crime account of a deeply personal subject: the attack by a serial killer that left his twin sister, Casey, in a coma. Tonight the audience waits to hear Miles discuss recent developments in his sister's case -- unaware that pieces of this complex puzzle of violence, unknown even to the author, are about to be revealed. Six years earlier, life was much simpler for everyone involved, especially seventeen-year-old Ashley Spencer, a popular high school soccer star. Then one night an intruder entered Ashley's home and murdered her father and her best friend. Traumatized and suffering from a crippling sense of survivor guilt, Ashley is ready to give up on both soccer and life until help comes from an unexpected source -- a scholarship to the Oregon Academy, an elite private school, is extended to her by school dean Casey Van Meter. The school quickly becomes a haven for both Ashley and her mother, Terri. As Ashley regains her sense of self through the school's soccer program, Terri joins a writing group for adults led by Joshua Maxfield, a former literary wunderkind who has disappeared from the bestseller lists since his second book was panned by both critics and fans. Then tragedy strikes again and Ashley has to run for her life, unaware that the key to her survival is in the one book she's afraid to read -- Sleeping Beauty. With its blend of dizzying plot twists and thrilling suspense, Sleeping Beauty shows Phillip Margolin at the very top of his form.
City of Shadows: A Novel of Suspense
by Ariana FranklinAs a killer stalks Weimar Berlin, a Russian woman with a mysterious past is drawn into an audacious scheme in this historical thriller.Berlin, 1922. Scarred by the Great War, the German capital struggles to regain a glimmer of its former glory. Among the troubled city’s influx of refugees, Esther Solomonova survives by working for the charming, unscrupulous cabaret owner “Prince” Nick. But now she finds herself roped into his latest shady endeavor: passing off a young asylum patient as Grand Duchess Anastasia, the last surviving heir to the murdered czar of Russia. Pulling off such a hoax could lead to a fortune. But their found “princess,” Anna Anderson, fears that she’s being hunted. And this may turn out to be more than paranoia when innocent people all around her begin to die.
Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800
by Jeff Sypeck“Magnificently chronicles four significant years in the emperor’s life . . . A splendid portrait [with] dazzling glimpses of Charlemagne’s life and times.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)On Christmas morning in the year 800, Pope Leo III placed the crown of imperial Rome on the brow of a Germanic king named Karl. With one gesture, the man later hailed as Charlemagne claimed his empire and forever shaped the destiny of Europe. Becoming Charlemagne tells the story of the international power struggle that led to this world-changing event.“Illuminat[ing] the shadowy corners of an era shrouded in the mists of legend” (Kirkus Reviews), this far-ranging book shows how the Frankish king and his wise counselors built an empire not only through warfare but also by careful diplomacy. With consummate political skill, Charlemagne partnered with a scandal-ridden pope, fended off a ruthless Byzantine empress, nurtured Jewish communities in his empire, and fostered ties with a famous Islamic caliph. For 1,200 years, the deeds of Charlemagne captured the imagination of his descendants, inspiring kings and crusaders, the conquests of Napoléon and Hitler, and the optimistic architects of the European Union.Evoking a long-ago world of kings, caliphs, merchants, and monks, Jeff Sypeck crafts a vivid portrait of Karl, the ruler who became a legend, and transports readers beyond Europe to the glittering palaces of Constantinople and streets of medieval Baghdad, bringing alive an age of empire building that still resonates today.“Vibrant . . . an inspired, instantly readable work of popular history.” —Booklist“Describes in wonderful detail the Byzantine empire and Queen Irene, the Arab world of Harun al-Rashid, and the nation-state headed by Pope Leo III.” —Providence Journal
Stop Whining, Start Living
by Laura SchlessingerLiving life is about action: courageous, benevolent, worthy, Wise, and productive action. Start living with some help from Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Dr. Laura Schlessinger agrees that there are things worth whining about. A certain amount of whining allows for venting of reasonable pain, disappointment, fear, frustration, or rage. However, staying stuck in whining mode can become a lifelong problem. This is where Dr. Laura steps in with Stop Whining, Start Living to help folks conquer the temptation to retreat from living life to the fullest. Illustrated by calls and letters from members of Dr. Laura's huge international audience, Stop Whining, Start Living features testimonials from real people facing real challenges. These folks have benefited enormously from Dr. Laura's powerful lessons. Stop Whining, Start Living gives readers the jump start they need to break out of reactive mode and get proactive, moving in the direction of a joyful, meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful future. Everyone can use a kick in the pants sometimes, and Dr. Laura, who "preaches, teaches, and nags" to millions every day on her radio program, is here to deliver it!
Stop Whining, Start Living
by Dr Laura SchlessingerLiving life is about action: courageous, benevolent, worthy, Wise, and productive action. Start living with some help from Dr. Laura Schlessinger.Dr. Laura Schlessinger agrees that there are things worth whining about. A certain amount of whining allows for venting of reasonable pain, disappointment, fear, frustration, or rage. However, staying stuck in whining mode can become a lifelong problem. This is where Dr. Laura steps in with Stop Whining, Start Living to help folks conquer the temptation to retreat from living life to the fullest.Illustrated by calls and letters from members of Dr. Laura's huge international audience, Stop Whining, Start Living features testimonials from real people facing real challenges. These folks have benefited enormously from Dr. Laura's powerful lessons.Stop Whining, Start Living gives readers the jump start they need to break out of reactive mode and get proactive, moving in the direction of a joyful, meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful future. Everyone can use a kick in the pants sometimes, and Dr. Laura, who "preaches, teaches, and nags" to millions every day on her radio program, is here to deliver it!
Black Silk
by Judith IvoryFrom a RITA award-winning author, opposites attract in this Victorian romance between a widow and a rogue brought together by a deathbed request.As befitting her name, lovely Submit Channing-Downes was the proper, obedient wife of an aging Marquess—until her husband's death left her penniless and alone . . . with one final obligation to fulfill. Entrusted with delivering a small black box to its rightful owner, she calls upon Graham Wessit, the notorious Earl of Netham, whose life has been marred by rumor and scandal. But Graham wants nothing to do with her gift. Fate however, has entwined these two lives in astonishing ways neither Submit nor Graham could ever imagine.“Ivory’s writing is pure magic.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Gallows Thief
by Bernard CornwellThe year is 1820. Rider Sandman, a hero of Waterloo, returns to London to wed his fiancée. But instead of settling down to fame and glory, he finds himself penniless in a country where high unemployment and social unrest rage, and where men--innocent or guilty--are hanged for the merest of crimes.When he's offered a job as private investigator to re-open the case of a painter due to be hanged for a murder he didn't commit, Sandman readily accepts--as much for the money as for a chance to see justice done in a country gone to ruins.Soon, however, he's mired in a grisly murder plot that keeps thickening. Sandman makes his way through gentlemen's clubs and shady taverns, aristocratic mansions, and fashionable painters' studios determined to rescue the innocent young man from the rope. But someone doesn't want the truth revealed.
Pagan Babies
by Elmore LeonardFather Terry Dunn thought he'd seen everything on the mean streets of Detroit, but that was before he went on a little retreat to Rwanda to evade a tax-fraud indictment. Now the whiskey-drinking, Nine Inch Nails T-shirt-wearing padre is back trying to hustle up a score to help the little orphans of Rwanda. But the fund-raising gets complicated when a former tattletale cohort pops up on Terry's tail. And then there's the lovely Debbie Dewey. A freshly sprung ex-con turned stand-up comic, Debbie needs some fast cash, too, to settle an old score. Now they're in together for a bigger payoff than either could finagle alone. After all, it makes sense . . . unless Father Terry is working a con of his own.
The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep (Evan Tanner Ser. #1)
by Lawrence BlockA “rousing, often comic” series debut featuring a globe-trotting spy with nothing to lose—even sleep—from the New York Times–bestselling author (Library Journal).Evan Michael Tanner hasn’t slept in more than a decade—not since a small piece of battlefield shrapnel invaded his skull and obliterated his brain’s sleep center. Still, he’s managed to find numerous inventive ways to occupy his waking hours.Tanner is a card-carrying member of hundreds of international organizations, from the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Order to the Flat Earth Society—not because he believes in their myriad lost causes, he’s simply a joiner by nature. Besides, it gives him something to do.The Russians think Tanner is a CIA operative on a covert mission. The CIA is certain he’s a Soviet agent. Actually, he’s in Turkey pursuing a fortune in hidden Armenian gold. But Tanner’s up for anything, including a little spycraft, if it helps him reach his big payday. And if need be, he’ll even start a small revolution . . .Praise for Lawrence Block“Block is one of the best!” —The Washington Post“Block is a deft surgeon, sure and precise.” —The New York Times“Block generates nonstop suspense.” —Publishers Weekly“One of our best authors.” —San Diego Union-Tribune
Death Walked In: A Death On Demand Mystery (The Death on Demand Mysteries Series #18)
by Carolyn HartA bookstore owner and her husband hunt for hidden treasure—and a killer: “This tight, Agatha Christie–style puzzler will keep readers guessing to the end.” —Publishers WeeklyIn this “scintillating” mystery by the New York Times–bestselling Agatha Award winner (Publishers Weekly), a frightened caller asks for help and says that she’s hidden something in the South Carolina antebellum house that Max and Annie Darling are restoring. Annie hurries to the woman’s home—only to discover she’s been murdered.Evidence links the dead woman to a fortune in gold coins that has recently gone missing. When the victim’s son is accused, Max and Annie plunge wholeheartedly into the case. Are the coins hidden in Annie and Max’s house? The intruder who shoots at Max seems to think so. And when Annie discovers the secret of their old house, death arrives at their door . . . “The reigning monarch of the amateur sleuth mystery.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer“Absorbing.” —Kirkus Reviews
Dark Heart (Dragon's Disciple)
by Margaret Weis David BaldwinSomeone, or something, is ripping the hearts from living men. Justinian, Lord Sterling, has lived for centuries, serving an ancient entity known only as the Dragon. Immortality is Justin's reward. But to keep it, he must keep killing. Lt. Sandra McCormick is a dedicated cop, a loner whose job is her refuge from a twisted past. But to keep it, she must stop the killing. Two loners, each stalking the other. Each destined to be the other's savior--and downfall. For love, unexpected, unstoppable, draws them together. And love is the one vice the Dragon will not allow . . .
Dark Heart
by Margaret Weis David BaldwinSomeone,or something,is rippingthe hearts from living men.Justinian, Lord Sterling, has lived for centuries, serving an ancient entity known only as the Dragon. Immortality is Justin's reward. But to keep it, he must keep killing. Lt. Sandra McCormick is a dedicated cop, a loner whose job is her refuge from a twisted past. But to keep it, she must stop the killing.Two loners, each stalking the other. Each destined to be the other's savior--and downfall. For love, unexpected, unstoppable, draws them together. And love is the one vice the Dragon will not allow . . .