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Tree Surgery for Beginners: A Novel
by Patrick GaleBestselling British author Patrick Gale chronicles the misadventures of a misfit tree surgeon in this &“modern-day myth of self-discovery&” (The Guardian). It was in the ancient cathedral city of Barrowcester that eight-year-old Lawrence Frost began his love affair with the trees that had &“sprung up on the site of an ancient plague grave and unconsecrated resting place for the city&’s outcasts.&” And it is there that the thirty-two-year-old forester and arborist returns one night, after sleeping out in his truck in his beloved Wumpett Woods, to find blood staining the kitchen sink and floor of his farmhouse—his wife and daughter gone. Lawrence is suspected of beating his wife, Bonnie, for cheating on him with an American architect. It appears Bonnie and their daughter, Lucy, have done the sensible thing and fled. But when a corpse turns up, burned beyond recognition, the police decide to comb Wumpett Woods in search of a second body. Soon Lawrence is branded a murderer and arrested. Then Bonnie and Lucy turn up alive, and Lawrence is cleared. But he has lost his family. He takes a five-hundred-passenger cruise on the SS Paulina, where a chanteuse of a certain age—and uncertain gender—captivates him. Lawrence begins a new journey, a spiritual and erotic odyssey that takes him back to the buried secrets of his past and then onward toward the future. From the English provinces to the Caribbean to America—and the giant redwoods of northern California—filled with Shakespearean twists and turns and happy coincidences, Tree Surgery for Beginners is a sprawling, Dickensian carnival of a book. With multiple viewpoints and cameo appearances that include a vacillating tiger, it sweeps readers along as Lawrence himself learns to move forward. By turns moving and tragic, this is a triumphant novel of growth, love, and healing from the bestselling author of Notes from an Exhibition.
Dark Chant in a Crimson Key (The Mongo Mysteries #11)
by George C. ChesbroA circus-performer-turned-PI matches wits with an international assassin in another of Chesbro&’s &“wild roller-coaster rides&” (Ellery Queen&’s Mystery Magazine). With a genius IQ, a past career as a circus acrobat, and a black belt in karate, criminology professor Dr. Robert Frederickson—better known as &“Mongo the Magnificent&”—has a decidedly unusual background for a private investigator. He also just so happens to be a dwarf. Hired to investigate an audacious theft, Mongo travels to Zurich, Switzerland, where rich philanthropist Emmet P. Neuberger claims terrorist and criminal John &“Chant&” Sinclair has swindled his charitable organization, the Cornucopia Foundation, out of $10 million. Several agencies, including Interpol, are already on the case, but Neuberger wants a private eye to monitor the situation. It quickly becomes clear it&’s much more than a simple case of embezzlement. As the bodies pile up and suspicions turn to Mongo himself, the detective decides to hunt down Chant on his own. But the deeper he digs into this peculiar case, the more he begins to think that Chant may not be the one to blame . . . This thrilling entry in the Mongo series introduces international assassin Chant, who goes on to star in his own series of adventures from the author who &“writes wonderfully strange mystery novels . . . [with] perfectly calculated nail-biting tension&” (Boston Sunday Herald). Dark Chant in a Crimson Key is the 11th book in the Mongo Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Monday or Tuesday (Xist Classics Ser.)
by Virginia WoolfA stylistically innovative volume of short stories from the groundbreaking author of Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Orlando. First presented as one volume in 1921, Monday or Tuesday was the only collection of stories Virginia Woolf published in her lifetime. Written in her experimental, stream-of-consciousness style, these eight unconventional stories eschew traditional plot and character development in favor of interior thoughts, emotions, memories, and associations. From a heron&’s in-flight perceptions in &“Monday or Tuesday&” to a ghost couple searching for treasure in &“A Haunted House,&” from a meditation on color as a catalyst for imagination and emotional connections in &“Blue and Green&” to the invented stories of a narrator on a train observing a fellow passenger in &“An Unwritten Novel,&” Woolf&’s poetic explorations take readers in directions previously unexamined, revealing an intensity of feeling and depth of insight that would continue to characterize her later work. Michael Cunningham, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Hours, has said of Woolf: &“She was doing with language something like what Jimi Hendrix does with a guitar.&” Taken together, these lyrical and evocative stories create a rich mosaic of the artist&’s radically unique sensibility. Monday or Tuesday includes&“A Haunted House,&” &“A Society,&” &“Monday or Tuesday,&”&“An Unwritten Novel,&” &“The String Quartet,&” &“Blue and Green,&” &“Kew Gardens,&” and &“The Mark on the Wall.&” This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Ask the Right Question: Ask The Right Question, The Way We Die Now, And The Enemies Within (The Albert Samson Mysteries #1)
by Michael Z. Lewin&“A smoothly written private‐eye story&” and Edgar Award Finalist: Indianapolis PI Albert Samson stirs up a wealthy family&’s secrets (The New York Times). It&’s a slow afternoon for Indianapolis private detective Albert Samson. He&’s just awoken from an office doze when a new client walks in. Sixteen-year-old Eloise Crystal recently discovered that her blood type doesn&’t match either of her parents&’, and she wants Samson to find her biological father. Skeptical, but one hundred dollars richer, Samson begins some preliminary digging into the past of one of the most respected family names in Indiana. What he unearths is the kind of dirt that makes people do desperate things—and it thrusts him into a shifting world of lies, old money, and murderous secrets. A beloved series by a Shamus Award–winning author, Ask the Right Question introduces the smart-mouthed midwestern detective &“who&’s always good, wry company&” (Kirkus Reviews). Ask the Right Question is the 1st book in the Albert Samson Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Arly Hanks Mysteries Volume One: Malice in Maggody, Mischief in Maggody, and Much Ado in Maggody (The Arly Hanks Mysteries)
by Joan HessPolice chief Arly Hanks investigates murder in her Ozark hometown in three books of a beloved series by an Agatha Award–winning author. Her marriage and career over, Arly Hanks heads home to Maggody, Arkansas, for a fresh start. Not much ever happens in a village this size, so Arly figures her new job as chief of police will be pretty quiet. But the seemingly peaceful Maggody residents have a few secrets of their own . . . Malice in Maggody: Something stinks, and it&’s not the polluted fishing hole. An escaped convict is coming home to roost, an infamous EPA agent has disappeared, and there&’s a corpse with an arrow in its neck at a nearby seedy motel. Now it&’s up to Arly and her half-witted deputy, Paulie, to discover the source of the rot. Mischief in Maggody: Maggody&’s population is suddenly booming, and among its new residents are a doom-obsessed psychic and a handsome high school guidance counselor. But after a local moonshiner and prostitute are found dead in a booby-trapped field of cannabis, Arly must root out the killer before they make another deadly deduction. Much Ado in Maggody: The bank president&’s playboy son, Brandon Bernswallow, is now the head teller, and his sexist behavior has women ready to tell him off. When the bank burns down with Bernswallow inside, Arly must quickly uncover what really happened if she hopes to cool the town&’s tensions.
The Confidential Agent: An Entertainment (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics)
by Graham GreeneIn Greene&’s &“magnificent tour-de-force among tales of international intrigue,&” rival agents engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse in prewar England (The New York Times). D., a widowed professor of Romance literature, has arrived in Dover on a peaceful yet important mission. He&’s to negotiate a contract to buy coal for his country, one torn by civil war. With it, there&’s a chance to defeat fascist influences. Without it, the loyalists will fail. When D. strikes up a romantic acquaintance with the estranged but solicitous daughter of a powerful coal-mining magnate, everything appears to be in his favor—if not for a counteragent who has come to England with the intent of sabotaging every move he makes. Accused of forgery and theft, and roped into a charge of murder, D. becomes a hunted man, hemmed in at every turn by an ever-tightening net of intrigue and double cross, with no one left to trust but himself. Written during the height of the Spanish Civil War, Graham Greene&’s &“exciting . . . kaleidoscopic affair&” was the basis for the classic 1945 thriller starring Charles Boyer and Lauren Bacall (The Sunday Times).
This Is the Story of the Child Ruled by Fear
by David Gagnon WalkerDavid has written a play for himself and a gathering of friends and strangers to read together out loud. It tells the story of the rise and fall of an imaginary civilization in an imaginary land. Some of it is fact, some fiction. But at any point you may be part of a Greek chorus, playing a main character, or collectively confronting your fears about a world on the verge of collapse. Are you ready to take a leap of faith? It’s okay if you feel nervous. David is nervous too. With so much to be fearful of these days, it’s best to brave this thing together.An ingenious exercise in interactive storytelling, This Is the Story of the Child Ruled by Fear is a poetic and participatory fable about how to live with the slowly unfolding emergencies of our time. Playwright David Gagnon Walker guides us through an enchanting performance ritual that provides a communal, cathartic release for those prone to anxiety, fear, and depression. It’s an invitation to share the joys of creating a story together so that maybe we can all feel less alone.
我的名是张欣恩 (Gimme chance leh)
by Kris Vanessa Teo Xin-EnKris, a young diasporic Chinese woman, attempts to reconcile her upbringing between Canada and Singapore. In doing so, she comes face to face with herself as she pulls apart the tactics she uses in an attempt to fit into two wildly different cultures. Weaving in and out of English, Mandarin, and Singlish, Kris uses storytelling to navigate beauty standards, body image, family, food, and an unexpected friendship with a Chicken Rice Uncle.Deftly unravelling stereotypes and addressing the universal through Kris’s determined persistence and heartwarming sense of humour, 我的名是张欣恩 (Gimme chance leh) is about celebrating difference and existing in the in-between.
Fare Play (The Marian Larch Mysteries #6)
by Barbara PaulA pair of impossible murders leads Marian Larch to a ring of hired assassins Virgil is a businessman, and his product is murder. With operatives scattered across New York, he needs only a few thousand dollars and a photo to erase an unsuspecting citizen from the earth. Virgil&’s business is boutique, exclusive, and highly confidential. None of his killers know his face. None of them even know his last name. The system is perfect, unbreakable—until Virgil crosses Marian Larch, the toughest detective in the New York Police Department. A retired businessman is shot with a silencer while riding a crosstown bus, and no one sees the gunman escape. A similar murder occurs on a packed subway car, but this time a witness gets a glimpse of the shooter. Larch doesn&’t know it, but she&’s just stumbled onto the strangest cases of her career. And while the invisible hitman will lead her to Virgil, the kingpin of murder won&’t go down without a fight.Fare Play is the 6th book in the Marian Larch Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Black Amber (Premier Romance Ser.)
by Phyllis A. WhitneyA Manhattan editor investigates her sister&’s suspicious death in Istanbul in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling &“queen of the American gothics&” (TheNew York Times). Tracy Hubbard, an up-and-comer at a prestigious New York City publisher, has arrived at a sprawling villa on the Bosporus strait in Istanbul for an enviable arrangement. She&’s come to assist celebrated artist Miles Radburn with his new book on the history of Turkish art. Everything Tracy has heard about the man turns out to be true: He&’s brooding, handsome, brilliant, short-tempered, and loath to discuss the tragic secrets of his past. But the young editor is keeping a secret of her own . . . Tracy&’s position at the villa is a charade. It was here, six months ago, that her sister, Anabel, spent the last days of her life. Somewhere, among the conspiratorial staff, nocturnal visits from furtive strangers, and cold dark corridors, is hidden the mystery of Anabel&’s death. And as each new clue leads Tracy closer to Miles, a man she has come to both love and fear, she realizes she could be heading toward the same inevitable and chilling fate. Hailed by Time magazine as &“one of the best&” in the gothic romance field that included Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney was the recipient of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Phyllis A. Whitney including rare images from the author&’s estate.
Roald Dahl: A Biography
by Jeremy TreglownA New York Times Notable Book: A revealing look at the famous twentieth-century children&’s author who brought us The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Few writers have had the enduring cultural influence of Roald Dahl, who inspired generations of loyal readers. Acclaimed biographer Jeremy Treglown cuts no corners in humanizing this longstanding immortal of juvenile fiction. Roald Dahl explores this master of children&’s literature from childhood—focusing a tight lens on the relationship between Dahl and his mother, who lovingly referred to him as &“Apple&”—through to his death. Treglown deftly navigates Dahl&’s time as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force, exploring how the experience transformed many of the beliefs that influenced the English writer&’s work, including The Gremlins, which was commissioned by Walt Disney. A former editor of the Times Literary Supplement, Treglown discusses many of Dahl&’s most famous works, such as James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr. Fox, while also delving into his marriage to actress Patricia Neal, combing through letters and archives to show a man who could be both comic and vitriolic, thoughtful yet manipulative and irascible. Treglown highlights many of Dahl&’s literary achievements as well as his breakdowns and shortcomings, presenting a very personal and telling picture of the author and the inner turmoil that crippled him. Separating the man from the myth, Treglown&’s frank, intimate portrait of Dahl illuminates the contradictions within the mind of this beloved author, a man who could be both a monster and a hero. It is required reading for book lovers and film buffs alike.
The Alistair Cooke Collection Volume One: Letters from America, Talk About America, and The Americans
by Alistair CookeThree volumes of BBC broadcasts about the US from the New York Times–bestselling author, host of Masterpiece Theater, and &“international treasure&” (Booklist). In addition to his most visible presence as the host of PBS&’s Masterpiece Theater for over two decades, British-born Alistair Cooke entertained and informed millions of listeners around the globe with his weekly BBC radio program, Letters from America, for over half a century. An outstanding observer of the American scene, he became one of the world&’s best-loved broadcasters. The three works in this collection gather together his most memorable insights into American history and culture. &“Reading [Cooke] is like spending an evening with him: you may have heard it all before, but never told with such grace and sparkle&” (The New York Times Book Review). Letters from America: Beginning with his first letter in 1946, a powerful description of American GIs returning home, and ending with his last broadcast in February 2004, reflecting on the presidential campaign, this comprehensive collection displays Cooke&’s &“virtuosity approaching genius in talking about America in human terms&” (Lord Hill of Luton, chairman of the BBC). Highlights include an eyewitness account of Robert Kennedy&’s assassination, a moving evocation of 9/11, personal reflections on presidents, and warm remembrances of celebrity friends and cultural icons. &“In this tightly edited collection . . . Cooke captures the expanding soul of a nation and people.&” —Publishers Weekly Talk About America: Personally selected by Cooke, these dispatches cover a tumultuous time in American history, including the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. Along with cogent commentary, Cooke offers characteristically incisive portraits of political and cultural figures such as John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert Frost, H. L. Mencken, Charles Lindbergh, and John Glenn. &“There is great political penetration here, and there are flashes on every page of wit, humanity, and wisdom.&” —The New York Times The Americans: Always entertaining, provocative, and enlightening, the &“best storyteller in America&” reports on an extraordinarily diverse range of topics, from Vietnam, Watergate, and the constitutional definition of free speech to the jogging craze and the pleasures of a family Christmas in Vermont (James Reston). In this New York Times bestseller, Cooke eulogizes Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, pays an affectionate and moving tribute to Duke Ellington, and treats readers to a night at the opera with Jimmy Carter. &“One of the most gifted and urbane essayists of the century.&” —The Spectator
Murder in the Navy
by Ed McBainA visiting nurse is found murdered aboard a US Navy destroyer in this gripping mystery from the bestselling author of the 87th Precinct series. When Claire Cole meets a sailor at the hospital, he&’s just another enlisted man in need of her care . . . until he mistakes a nurse&’s compassion for true love, and a few dates as the beginning of a grand romance. But then Claire visits the USS Sykes to tell him that it&’s over, and something in him snaps. He curses. He begs. And when that doesn&’t work, he gets angry, wrapping his hands around her throat and squeezing until he sees the life leave her eyes. The nurse&’s death sends a shockwave through the ship, and the brass immediately start an official investigation. When a yeoman sailor commits suicide, the men in charge are content to write him off as the killer, but communications officer Chuck Masters doesn&’t buy it. There&’s a murderer on the Sykes, and Chuck must find him before he claims his next victim. Drawing heavily from firsthand experience—legendary author Ed McBain served on a naval destroyer during World War II—Murder in the Navy, also published as Death of a Nurse, showcases a master of crime fiction at his best.
The Kremlin Letter
by Noel BehnNew York Times Bestseller: Six American spies embark on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines in this classic Cold War espionage thriller. Lt. Cmdr. Charles Rone, a young naval intelligence officer with a sterling record, finds himself abruptly discharged from the service. Without his consent, Rone has been recruited to join a top-secret network of agents who operate independently of the US government. Led by a cynical spymaster known only as the Highwayman, the group will break any law and destroy as many innocent lives as necessary to stop the spread of communism. In Moscow, the Americans must make contact with a high-level mole in the Kremlin and recover a letter that could spark a nuclear war if it falls into the wrong hands. But treachery is an integral part of this shadow conflict between superpowers, and no sooner has the team arrived in the Soviet capital than the double-crossing begins. One devastating betrayal follows the next as Rone desperately tries to stay alive and out of the clutches of the KGB long enough to find out who compromised the mission. Inspired by author Noel Behn&’s service in the US Army&’s Counterintelligence Corps, The Kremlin Letter is a realistic and hard-edged tale of international intrigue that ranks with the best of John Le Carré and Len Deighton. A New York Times bestseller, it was the basis for a John Huston film starring Orson Welles and Max von Sydow.
Jungle of Steel and Stone (The Veil Kendry Suspense Novels #2)
by George C. ChesbroFrom the author of the Mongo Mysteries: Former CIA operative Veil Kendry uses his paranormal powers to track down a stolen African artifact. When Veil Kendry dreams, he possesses a clarity normal people never experience, along with the power of volition, which allows him to enter the minds of others. Veil&’s strange gift was invaluable as an operative for the CIA, but now he&’s left that life behind and instead channels his unusual ability into art. When needed, though, he still applies his supernatural and clandestine skills to helping those in trouble. So when Veil crosses paths with a thief who stole a K&’ung tribe religious idol from the same midtown art gallery that exhibits his dream-paintings, he&’s compelled to get involved—despite threats from a corrupt cop named Carl Nagle. Using his dream powers, Veil attempts to enter the mind of the thief in order to apprehend him. But there are others on the hunt, desperate to possess the artifact— and soon, Veil will find himself fighting just to stay alive. Jungle of Steel and Stone is the 2nd book in the Veil KendrySuspense Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Cirak's Daughter
by Charlotte MacLeodA young woman investigates the death of her wealthy, estranged father in a small Rhode Island town in this novel by the author of the Peter Shandy Mysteries. Murder can happen anywhere, even in sleepy Meldrum, Rhode Island. And while the town&’s old-money families may prefer to sweep such unseemliness under their Oriental rugs, its newest resident can think of nothing else. Nineteen-year-old Jenny Cirak has moved into the house her father, a once-famous movie producer, willed to her. She&’s also using an assumed name, just like he did when he lived—and died—in Meldrum. But why did he leave a fortune to the child he abandoned . . . and what really killed him? Hoping to make sense of the father she never knew, Jenny must get to know his neighbors and expose their secrets and feuds. Somewhere among this cast of characters, which includes a retired corporate accountant from Baltimore who shows up on her doorstep with a clue, is a person who knows the truth—and will do anything to keep Cirak&’s daughter from uncovering it. From the acclaimed author of the Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn series and other popular mysteries, this is a twisting tale of small-town secrets and suspense.
Like My Father Always Said . . .: Gruff Advice, Sweet Wisdom, and Half-Baked Instructions on How to Fix Your Stuff and Your Life
by Erin McHughA collection of crowd-sourced quips and quotes from real-life dads—from the profound to the hilarious. The author of Like My Mother Always Said . . . presents a new volume that focuses on fatherly advice—gathered from contributors around the world. Dads may come from different places and have wildly varying personalities, but sometimes their wisdom is universal. Other times, it&’s just plain bizarre . . . &“You can have as much freedom as you can pay for.&” &“Nothing happens when you stay home.&” &“Drink only one beer at a time.&” Covering a variety of subjects including &“The Facts of Life,&” &“Growing Up Right,&” and &“Ask Your Mother,&” Like My Father Always Said . . . is packed with hundreds of gems—the perfect book for anyone whose dad ever tried to steer them right.
Fortunoff's Child: A Novel
by Leslie TonnerIn her quest to be normal, Josie discovers something much better: how to be exceptional Josie Goodman just wants to be normal—but how can she be when her family is comprised of a Hare Krishna, an antitobacco crusader, and a famous pop psychologist/syndicated columnist? Determined to be different from her outlandish relatives, Josie dedicates her life to fitting in with the mainstream. But her fatuous marriage to a misguided student radical quickly fails, and the next man in her life, an underwear manufacturer, is contemptuous of her lack of skills in a kosher kitchen. Eventually, motherhood introduces Josie to unexpected challenges, and as she attends to an exceptional child with special needs, she begins to reconcile her relationship with the rest of her family.
The Golden Apples
by Eudora WeltyThis collection of short stories of the Mississippi Delta by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author is &“a work of art&” (The New York Times Book Review). Here in Morgana, Mississippi, the young dream of other places; the old can tell you every name on every stone in the cemetery on the town&’s edge; and cuckolded husbands and love-starved piano teachers share the same paths. It&’s also where one neighbor has disappeared on the horizon, slipping away into local legend. Black and white, lonely and the gregarious, sexually adventurous and repressed, vengeful and resigned, restless and settled, the vividly realized characters that make up this collection of interrelated stories, with elements drawn from ancient myth and transplanted to the American South, prove that this National Book Award–winning writer, as Katherine Anne Porter once wrote, had &“an ear sharp, shrewd, and true as a tuning fork.&” &“I doubt that a better book about &‘the South&’—one that more completely gets the feel of the particular texture of Southern life, and its special tone and pattern—has ever been written.&” —The New Yorker
Inside the Dream Palace: The Life and Times of New York's Legendary Chelsea Hotel
by Sherill TippinsWinner of the National Award for Arts Writing: &“If there were a course in Chelsea Hotel-iana, this would be the textbook&” (The New York Times). It&’s where Dylan Thomas lived his last days, Bob Dylan wrote Blonde on Blonde, and Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is memorialized by many of its famous inhabitants: Andy Warhol filmed Chelsea Girls there, and Leonard Cohen wrote Chelsea Hotel #2 about his tryst with Janis Joplin. Since its founding by a utopian-minded French architect in 1884, New York&’s Chelsea Hotel has been a hotbed of artistic invention and inspiration. Cultural luminaries from Sid Vicious to Thomas Wolfe, Edith Piaf to Patti Smith, Jean-Paul Sartre to Dee Dee Ramone—all made the Chelsea the largest and longest-lived artist community in the world. Inside the Dream Palace tells the hotel&’s story, from its earliest days as a cooperative community, through its pop art, rock-and-roll, and punk periods, to its later transformations under new ownership. With this lively and fascinating history, &“Tippins tells riveting stories about the Chelsea&’s artists, but she also captures a much grander, and more pressing, narrative: that of the ongoing battle between art and capitalism in the city&” (The New Yorker). &“An inspired investigation into the utopian spirit of the Chelsea Hotel.&” —Elle &“An impossible order for any writer: Get the Chelsea&’s romance down on paper and try to keep up with Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell and Arthur Miller. But Sherill Tippins&’s history does a vivid job of taking you up into those seedy, splendid hallways, now gone forever.&” —New York magazine &“Tippins succeeds where other historians studying New York landmarks have failed: She understands that even the most splendid buildings are mere settings for the personalities that inhabit them, and wisely bypasses rote chronology for the vigor of cultural excavation.&” —Time Out New York &“Not only essential to the understanding of this crucial New York City—and therefore American—cultural landmark, but as majestic and populous as the edifice itself, and completely entertaining.&” —Daniel Menaker, author of My Mistake
The Named: The Complete Series (The Named #2)
by Clare BellAll five books in one volume: This fantasy epic about sentient prehistoric wild cats is &“powerful, moving, and memorable&” (Booklist, starred review). In this adventurous series by a PEN Award–winnning author, Ratha belongs to the Named, a clan of intelligent prehistoric cats who roam a primal landscape and battle for their lives against the savage enemies that stalk the territory. Ratha&’s Creature: Young Ratha is a herder, not a hunter. But when she&’s exiled from her clan after mastering the power of fire, she must survive the unforgiving wild with only her blazing &“creature&” to aid her. Clan Ground: Ratha&’s ability to control fire could help her clan grow stronger and even dominant—or wreak havoc from within. Now, she must choose the correct path to prosperity, or the Named will surely be doomed. Ratha and Thistle-Chaser: When Ratha clashes with a cat who guards an ocean and its creatures, the two discover a common bond—and unite against a demonic enemy. Ratha&’s Challenge: The Named encounter another tribe, and Ratha is torn between friendship and conquest. But her daughter may hold the solution—if she and Ratha can overcome their dark past. Ratha&’s Courage: When Ratha&’s clan shares the power of fire with another tribe, a disastrous blaze ignites a clash between them, and it&’s up to Ratha to end the carnage.
Sea Jade
by Phyllis A. WhitneyFrom a New York Times–bestselling author: In nineteenth-century New England, a desperate young woman&’s only refuge becomes an inescapable trap. It was fitting that Miranda Heath&’s first glimpse of the forbidding home at Bascomb&’s Point was in the fury of a thunderstorm. Despite her late father&’s caution to steer clear of his friend Obadiah Bascomb&’s New England mansion, Miranda, destitute as she was, had no choice but to accept the old captain&’s charitable request. Besides, her father and Obadiah&’s adventurous past was as much a part of her heritage as their legendary ship, the Sea Jade. But it&’s beyond Miranda&’s imaginings when she finds herself swept up in an impetuous marriage with a friend of the Bascomb family, a virtual stranger to her. More victim than bride, and at the mercy of her imposing new mother-in-law as well as Obadiah&’s mysterious wife and a threatening housekeeper, Miranda fears the invitation to the isolated house was more a matter of revenge than rescue. She has no way of knowing that buried in her own past is the key to a tragic mystery that&’s been left to her to solve—if she&’s to make it out of Bascomb&’s Point alive. The recipient of the Agatha Award for Lifetime Achievement, Phyllis A. Whitney is &“a superb and gifted story teller&” (Mary Higgins Clark). This ebook features an illustrated biography of Phyllis A. Whitney including rare images from the author&’s estate.
The Christmas Tree
by Julie SalamonThe classic New York Times–bestselling tale of friendship, generosity, and the magic and wonder of the Christmas spirit On his annual search for Rockefeller Center&’s next Christmas tree, the chief gardener spots an ideal candidate: a stately Norway spruce located on the grounds of a convent. There he meets Sister Anthony, a nun for whom the tree has special meaning. Orphaned and sent to the convent as a lonely young girl, Sister Anthony befriended the then-tiny spruce whom she lovingly named &“Tree.&” Over the following decades, as the tree grew, so did Sister Anthony&’s appreciation for the beauty and wonder of nature. She is reluctant to see her oldest and closest friend chopped down and sent away to New York City. But when a fierce blizzard threatens the old tree&’s existence, Sister Anthony realizes it&’s time to let the world enjoy Tree as she has for nearly her whole life. Accompanied by charming illustrations and a new introduction by the author, The Christmas Tree is a heartwarming story of love and friendship, a modern holiday classic for all ages.
Vatican Vendetta: An Art-World Mystery
by Peter WatsonAn ambitious American pope makes powerful enemies—from the Italian Mafia to the US President—in this fascinating thriller that &“could be next week&’s news&” (Daily Mail). What if the unused riches of the Catholic Church were called upon to combat global poverty? Following a tragic earthquake in Italy, Pope Thomas—the first American pontiff and a transformative leader—auctions off one of the Vatican&’s Renaissance masterpieces to aid in the recovery. The sale is such a success that he decides to go even further: organizing the greatest art auction ever held, with the proceeds going to help the poor. But as the pope&’s charitable designs acquire political overtones, he encounters resistance from world leaders, including the president of the United States. And closer to the Vatican, the Mafia have as much interest in the poor as do popes and presidents . . . &“Master of the art-world thriller&” (Publishers Weekly), Peter Watson turns his attention to a different kind of political thriller, as Vatican Vendetta—previously published as Crusade—delivers &“nonstop action&” (The Guardian).
Death Under the Lilacs (The Lyon and Bea Wentworth Mysteries #6)
by Richard ForrestChildren&’s author Lyon Wentworth races to save his abducted wife, Bea, in this intense small-town thriller. Every Thursday night, Bea Wentworth follows the same routine. She visits the bookshop, the discount store, and the supermarket, and she&’s home by nine o&’clock. It&’s utterly innocuous, but Bea Wentworth is a state senator, one of the most powerful women in Connecticut, and for that she must be punished. The kidnapper has been tracking her routine for weeks, and soon he&’ll make his move. When Bea is abducted, she awakens in a damp, underground dungeon, tied to a table and left to die. It falls to her husband, gentle children&’s book author Lyon Wentworth, to save her from a horrible fate. With the help of the local chief of police, Rocco Herbert, Lyon must rescue the woman he loves—and determine which of her many enemies is sick enough to perpetrate this horrible crime. Few authors understand how to balance suspense and emotional realism as well as Richard Forrest does. His Lyon and Bea Wentworth Mysteries are classic, page-turning thrillers, anchored by the genuine emotional bond between the two main characters. In all of mystery fiction, there&’s absolutely nothing like them. Death Under the Lilacs is the 6th book in the Lyon and Bea Wentworth Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.