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Sub Rosa: The O. S. S. and American Espionage
by Stewart Alsop Thomas BradenA thrilling history of the Office of Strategic Services, America&’s precursor to the CIA, and its secret operations behind enemy lines during World War II. Born in the fires of the Second World War, the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, was the brainchild of legendary US Maj. Gen. William &“Wild Bill&” Donovan, designed to provide covert aid to resistance fighters in European nations occupied by Germany&’s Nazi aggressors. Paratroopers Stewart Alsop and Thomas Braden—both of whom would become important political columnists in postwar years—became part of Wild Bill&’s able collection of soldiers, spies, and covert operatives. Sub Rosa is an enthralling insider&’s history of the remarkable intelligence operation that gave birth to the CIA. In Sub Rosa, Alsop and Braden take readers on a breathtaking journey through the birth and development of the top secret wartime espionage organization and detail many of the extraordinary OSS missions in France, Germany, Dakar and Casablanca in North Africa, and in the jungles of Burma that helped to hasten the end of the Japanese Empire and the fall of Adolf Hitler&’s powerful Reich. As exciting as any international thriller written by Eric Ambler or Graham Greene, Alsop and Braden&’s Sub Rosa is an indispensable addition to the literary history of American espionage and intelligence.
The Defiant Agents: With Linked Table Of Contents (The Time Traders Series #3)
by Andre NortonA battle for survival begins and ends in the human mind in the thrilling novel from the Time Traders series. The latest gambit by the Western powers to outmaneuver the Russians was Operation Cochise—which launched Travis Fox and his crew on a ship bound for the planet Topaz. At least that&’s what Fox thinks . . . All he knows for sure is that something went wrong and they crash landed. Everything else is a fog of warped memories. When they come across a band of Russians who have also had their memories obliterated, Fox begins to suspect they are all pawns in a much larger game. And his speculations are right. Someone is manipulating them. Observing them. And if Fox and his newfound allies cannot find a way to break free from their mental bonds, their captors may never be stopped.The Defiant Agents is the third book in the Time Traders Series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Lady of Situations: A Novel
by Louis AuchinclossThe New York Times–bestselling author &“picks up where Wharton and James left off, with [a] stylish, tasteful novel of manners&” (Publishers Weekly). Natica Chauncey, the daughter of a financier ruined by the Great Depression, is determined to regain the social status she has lost. She relies on a kindly matron for her glancing acquaintance with the aristocracy of Long Island—but she is haunted by a yearning for more. Coming of age at a time when anything more than a modest show of ambition does not become a lady, she must seek her own fortune in the fortunes of others. And so, with little more than her wits and determination, she makes her way through the social shoals of New England prep schools, Hudson Valley estates, and New York drawing rooms. Natica has a gift for finding opportunity in improbable situations, even at the risk of scandal—and almost in spite of herself, she will emerge as an unlikely, and unforgettable, femme fatale.
Clifford's Blues: A Novel
by John A. WilliamsA black musician arrested by Nazis in 1930s Germany endures the horrors of the Dachau death camp in this harrowing novel based on historical fact A self-proclaimed &“gay negro&” from New Orleans, Clifford Pepperidge made his name in the smoky nightclubs of Harlem in the 1920s, playing piano alongside Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, and other jazz greats. A decade later, he thrills crowds nightly in the cabarets of Weimar Berlin. But dark days are on the horizon as the Nazi Party rises to power. Arrested by Hitler&’s Gestapo during a roundup of homosexuals, Clifford finds himself placed in &“protective custody&” and transported to a concentration camp. Stripped of his dignity and his identity, and plunged into a nightmare of forced labor, starvation, and abuse, he seeks escape in his music. When a camp SS officer and jazz aficionado recognizes Clifford, the gentle musician learns just how far a desperate man will go in order to survive. Shining a light on a little-known aspect of the Holocaust, Clifford&’s Blues is a disturbing portrait of a dark era in world history and a poignant celebration of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of music.
Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons
by George PendleNow a CBS All Access series: &“A riveting tale of rocketry, the occult, and boom-and-bust 1920s and 1930s Los Angeles&” (Booklist). The Los Angeles Times headline screamed: ROCKET SCIENTIST KILLED IN PASADENA EXPLOSION. The man known as Jack Parsons, a maverick rocketeer who helped transform a derided sci-fi plotline into actuality, was at first mourned as a scientific prodigy. But reporters soon uncovered a more shocking story: Parsons had been a devotee of the city&’s occult scene. Fueled by childhood dreams of space flight, Parsons was a leader of the motley band of enthusiastic young men who founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a cornerstone of the American space program. But Parsons&’s wild imagination also led him into a world of incantations and orgiastic rituals—if he could make rocketry a reality, why not black magic? George Pendle re-creates the world of John Parsons in this dazzling portrait of prewar superstition, cold war paranoia, and futuristic possibility. Peopled with such formidable real-life figures as Howard Hughes, Aleister Crowley, L. Ron Hubbard, and Robert Heinlein, Strange Angel explores the unruly consequences of genius. The basis for a new miniseries created by Mark Heyman and produced by Ridley Scott, this biography &“vividly tells the story of a mysterious and forgotten man who embodied the contradictions of his time . . . when science fiction crashed into science fact. . . . [It] would make a compelling work of fiction if it weren&’t so astonishingly true&” (Publishers Weekly).
The League of Peoples Books 1–3: Expendable, Commitment Hour, and Vigilant (League of Peoples)
by James Alan GardnerThree &“riveting&” novels of space adventure set in a dystopian future from a Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated author and &“brilliant&” voice (David Feintuch). In the twenty-fifth century, sentient races are ruled by the League of Peoples. War has been eliminated and killing is forbidden, but insidious secrets are concealed in the dark corners of this would-be utopia, in these three action-packed novels. Expendable: Festina Ramos serves in the Explorer Corps—better known as the Expendable Crew Members—whose mission is to risk their lives on potentially hostile unexplored planets. When the Admiralty finally sends her on a suicide mission, Festina is determined to escape certain death, but the consequences of defiance are beyond what she ever imagined. Commitment Hour: When citizens of Tober Cove—one of few settlements left on Earth since interstellar travel became possible—turn twenty, they make a permanent decision affecting the rest of their lives. As Fullin reaches the age of commitment and considers the ramifications of his choice, the village is shaken by the arrival of a Spark Lord—a being charged by the League with maintaining order on Earth—who has the unusual request to observe the Commitment Day ceremony. Vigilant: Humans and Ooloms—a race of flying squirrel–like humanoids—share the planet Demoth. When Faye Smallwood was a teenager, a plague almost wiped out the Oolom population before her father developed a cure. As an adult, Faye wants to make a difference on Demoth and joins the Vigil, a watchdog group that can link into government data. When she uncovers a conspiracy around long-abandoned alien technology, her life is endangered and she finds an unexpected ally in an outcast admiral.
City of Darkness, City of Light: A Novel
by Marge PiercyThis novel by a New York Times–bestselling author follows three &“bold, courageous, and entertaining&” women through the tumult of the French Revolution (Booklist). For Claire Lacombe and Pauline Leon, two poor women of eighteenth-century France, the lofty ideals of the coming revolution could not seem more abstract. But when Claire sees the gaping disparity between the poverty she has known and the lavish lives of aristocrats as her theater group performs in their homes, and Pauline witnesses the execution of local bread riot leaders, both are driven to join the uprising. They, along with upper-class women like Madame Manon Roland, who ghostwrites speeches for her politician husband and runs a Parisian salon where revolutionaries gather, will play critical roles in the French people&’s bloody battle for liberty and equality. Based on a true story, author Marge Piercy&’s thrilling and scrupulously researched account shines with emotional depth and strikingly animated action. By interweaving their tales with the exploits of men whose names have become synonymous with the revolution, like Robespierre and Danton, Piercy reveals how the contributions of these courageous women may be lesser known, but no less important. Rich in detail and broad in scope, City of Darkness, City of Light is a riveting portrayal of an extraordinary era and the women who helped shape an important chapter in history.
Cromartie vs. the God Shiva: A Novel (Virago Modern Classics Ser. #177)
by Rumer GoddenLove, intrigue, and death ensue when a statue of a Hindu god is stolen from an Indian hotel in this masterwork from a New York Times–bestselling author. Sydney Cromartie is aghast when London officials inform him that his precious statuette of the Hindu god Shiva is in fact an artifact stolen from India, its mother country. But, despite the insistence of the Indian government, the irate Canadian art collector will not give it up without a legal fight. English barrister Michael Dean is thrilled to be assigned to a case that will allow him to return to his native India. Arriving at Patna Hall—the quaint seaside hotel on the Coromandel coast where the theft allegedly took place—he quickly launches into his investigation, casting suspicion on everyone, including the inn&’s vivacious Anglo-Indian proprietress, Auntie Sanni. But there are complexities Dean never anticipated—and one very serious distraction: his emerging feelings for a mysterious archaeologist. Still, he must remain resolute, even if the facts he&’s at risk of uncovering could lead to disappointment, disillusionment, even tragedy. In her final novel, award-winning author Rumer Godden returns to southern India and the charming beachfront resort that was the site of her popular Coromandel Sea Change. Based on a real late twentieth-century incident—when a Hindu god became, in essence, the plaintiff in a sensational legal case—Cromartie vs. the God Shiva is an unforgettable tale from a writer of &“depth and sensitivity&” (Los Angeles Times) and &“a novelist of many gifts&” (TheDaily Telegraph). This ebook features an illustrated biography of the author including rare images from the Rumer Godden Literary Estate.
The Collected Novels Volume One: Captains and the Kings, Testimony of Two Men, and The Sound of Thunder
by Taylor CaldwellA collection of New York Times–bestselling novels about wealth, power, ambition, and the American Dream from &“a wonderful storyteller&” (A. Scott Berg). From one of the most prolific and widely read authors of the twentieth century, these three mesmerizing turn-of-the-century sagas are now available in one volume. Captains and the Kings: Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh is twelve years old when he gets his first glimpse of the promised land through a dirty porthole on an Irish immigrant ship. In America, his long journey will eventually catapult him from the bigoted, small town of Winfield, Pennsylvania, to the highest echelons of society, and grant him entry into the most elite political circles. And even as misfortune follows the Armagh family like an ancient curse, Joseph will exact his revenge against the uncaring world that once took everything from him, settling for nothing less than the pinnacle of glory: the crowning of his son as the first Catholic president of the United States. Sweeping from the 1850s through the 1920s, this &“spellbinding tale&” was the basis for the 1976 Emmy Award winning television miniseries (Hartford Courant). Testimony of Two Men: Hambledon, Pennsylvania, is still reeling from the sensational murder trial that shattered the peace of the bucolic hamlet less than a year ago. Accused of killing his beautiful young wife, Dr. Jonathan Ferrier hired the best attorneys money could buy and was acquitted. Many townspeople believe he bought his freedom, but Robert Morgen, a young, idealistic doctor, is determined to make up his own mind about the accused&’s innocence or guilt. Is Dr. Ferrier a cold-blooded murderer or a brilliant physician unjustly accused and wrongly maligned? This powerful story touches on faith, religion, and the then-new field of mental health as it explores the evolution of modern medicine. The Sound of Thunder: The son of a socialist German shopkeeper, Edward Enger has one dream: to turn his father&’s modest delicatessen into an empire. With an astute head for business, he achieves success beyond his wildest imagination. Yet something is keeping him from enjoying his extraordinary good fortune. As a boy, Edward thought he would love Margaret Proster all the days of his life . . . until she moved away. Now she is engaged to another man, someone very close to Edward. He vows to take on this latest challenge, along with more mortgages, more debt, and speculative investments on Manhattan&’s burgeoning Wall Street. As his family life begins to unravel, a day of reckoning nears. Soon Edward will have to confront a painful event from his boyhood—a secret buried deep inside that he has never told another living soul.
Flappers and Philosophers: Large Print (Enriched Classics)
by F. Scott FitzgeraldShort stories by the author of The Great Gatsby, including the Jazz Age classic &“Bernice Bobs Her Hair.&” Bernice is pretty but awkward—she can&’t dance, flirt, or hold her liquor. When her sophisticated cousin, Marjorie, finally decides to help the poor girl, the results are dramatic—suddenly the boys are interested in Bernice. Too interested, thinks Marjorie. So she decides to play a cruel trick—but Bernice gets the last laugh. First published in the Saturday Evening Post, &“Bernice Bobs Her Hair&” is a classic tale of the Jazz Age and just one of the highlights of this classic story collection. Other gems include &“The Ice Palace,&” &“The Cut-Glass Bowl,&” and &“The Offshore Pirate,&” a delightfully clever story about a spoiled young girl who falls in love with an unlikely suitor. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Red Carnelian: Woman Without A Past, The Red Carnelian, And Feather On The Moon
by Phyllis A. WhitneyA Chicago department store is the scene of gruesome crime in this mystery by a New York Times–bestselling Edgar Award winner. Linell Wynn, copywriter for Chicago department store Cunningham&’s, knows how to put a clever spin on everything. But she&’s at a loss for words when, after closing time, she finds a corpse in a window display. There he is, as cold and lifeless as a mannequin, his skull pulverized with a golf club: valued store manager Michael &“Monty&” Montgomery. And while red might be the color for the new spring season, Linell never expected to see quite so much of it . . . Linell had a history with the too-charming-to-be-believed victim—and being intimately acquainted with his cruel side has made her a suspect in his murder. But as everyone at Cunningham&’s knows, finding someone who didn&’t want Monty dead would be tough. When a second murder throws the store detective off track, Linell is plunged into the investigation. Now, she&’s working after hours to find a killer, and she has more to lose than her job. The recipient of an Agatha Award for Lifetime Achievement, &“Phyllis Whitney is, and always will be, the Grand Master of her craft&” (Barbara Michaels). This ebook features an illustrated biography of Phyllis A. Whitney including rare images from the author&’s estate.
From the Earth to the Moon and Round the Moon (Mobi Classics Series)
by Jules VerneA team of nineteenth-century American engineers builds a rocket to the moon in this visionary novel from the author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days During the Civil War, the members of the Baltimore Gun Club delighted themselves by designing artillery the likes of which the world had never seen. But when the South eventually surrenders, the gun club languishes, until its president, Impey Barbicane, conceives of a project so preposterous it must be attempted: to build a gun large enough to fire a rocket to the moon. From raising the money to casting the cannon to readying it to fire, the gun club overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after another. But when a rival engineer and an intrepid French adventurer join Barbicane on the spaceship&’s inaugural voyage, the three men soon discover that getting to the moon is only half the battle: Making it home will be their toughest challenge yet. From the Earth to the Moon and its sequel, Round the Moon, were published nearly a century before the Apollo missions. Suspenseful, humorous, and prophetic, these captivating adventure stories sparked mankind&’s enduring fascination with space travel. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
City of Whispering Stone (The Mongo Mysteries #2)
by George C. ChesbroA circus-performer-turned-PI takes on &“murder and intrigue from New York to Iran&” in this &“well done, suspenseful&” unconventional mystery (Newsday). 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. When his former big-top boss asks him to find a missing Iranian strongman, Mongo is plunged into a three-ring circus of murder, espionage, and international intrigue. And when Mongo&’s own brother—police officer Garth Frederickson—gets involved, the detective must fly to Iran, a country on the brink of a revolution. Now he&’s searching for two missing men, from Tehran to the ancient city of Persepolis, playing a game of a cat-and-mouse with forces far beyond his control. And unlike his days as an acrobat, this time, if he slips up, there&’s no net . . . With a fearless sense of fun, author George C. Chesbro continues the adventures of &“one of the most appealing creations in the detective world&” (Publishers Weekly). City of Whispering Stone is the 2nd book in the Mongo Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Vengeance Valley
by Luke ShortA riveting story of feuding brothers in a fight to the death from an early master of the western genre. Years ago, Owen Daybright was an orphan on a railroad crew when old Arch Stobie took him under his wing at the Acorn ranch. He needed the quiet, hardworking Owen for a special job: to act as a friend and be a calming influence on his fiery-tempered son, Lee. But, instead, the boys showed an immediate hatred for each other that never waned. Only out of loyalty to Arch did Owen cover for Lee&’s stupidity and carelessness. But now Lee&’s crossed the line. There are some angry men after him for disgracing their sister. And he&’s put a target on Owen&’s back. Unless Owen is very fast and very careful, he&’s going to end up taking a bullet for the brother he&’d like to kill himself. Luke Short, a winner of the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award from the Western Writers of America, blazed the trail for authors such as Louis L&’Amour and Elmore Leonard. Vengeance Valley is one of his most compelling tales of western adventure.
Thomas H. Cook's True Crime: Blood Echoes and Early Graves
by Thomas H. CookTwo gripping accounts of true crime and its devastating aftermath from an Edgar Award winner hailed as &“a writer of poetic gifts&” (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Blood Echoes: In May 1973, three men escaped from a Maryland prison—and went on to commit one of the most horrific murders in American history, slaughtering six members of the Alday family in Donalsonville, Georgia. Their depredations were followed by a trial that only continued the nightmare for those whose loved ones were murdered. Based on court documents, police records, and interviews with the surviving family members, this is a chilling look at a kind of blind, inhuman evil rarely seen in our world. &“[A] scorching indictment of the legal and court systems.&” —Publishers Weekly Early Graves: Alvin and Judith Ann Neelley were perfect for each other; both shared twisted urges the other could appreciate. At first playing pranks and committing vandalism, their sick ambitions grew, until they targeted thirteen-year-old Lisa Ann Millican—whose brutalized corpse was found three days later. And she was only the first to die. Drawing on police records and extensive interviews, Thomas H. Cook recounts the killing spree of Alvin and Judith, who at nineteen became the youngest woman ever sentenced to death row. &“Strong writing . . .enhances the book&’s grisly appeal.&” —Publishers Weekly
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner: Stories (Bull's-eye Ser.)
by Alan SillitoeNine classic short stories portraying the isolation, criminality, morality, and rebellion of the working class from award-winning, bestselling author Alan Sillitoe The titular story follows the internal decisions and external oppressions of a seventeen-year-old inmate in a juvenile detention center who is known only by his surname, Smith. The wardens have given the boy a light workload because he shows talent as a runner. But if he wins the national long-distance running competition as everyone is counting on him to do, Smith will only vindicate the very system and society that has locked him up. &“The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner&” has long been considered a masterpiece on both the page and the silver screen. Adapted for film by Sillitoe himself in 1962, it became an instant classic of British New Wave cinema. In &“Uncle Ernest,&” a middle-aged furniture upholsterer traumatized in World War II, now leads a lonely life. His wife has left him, his brothers have moved away, and the townsfolk treat him as if he were a ghost. When the old man finally finds companionship with two young girls whom he enjoys buying pastries for at a café, the local authorities find his behavior morally suspect. &“Mr. Raynor the School Teacher&” delves into a different kind of isolation—that of a voyeuristic teacher who fantasizes constantly about the women who work in a draper&’s shop across the street. When his students distract him from his lustful daydreams, Mr. Raynor becomes violent. The six stories that follow in this iconic collection continue to cement Alan Sillitoe&’s reputation as one of Britain&’s foremost storytellers, and a champion of the condemned, the oppressed, and the overlooked. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Alan Sillitoe including rare images from the author&’s estate.
Five Gothic Masterpieces: The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Great God Pan, Frankenstein, Carmilla, and Dracula
by Arthur Machen Bram Stoker Ann Radcliffe Mary Shelley J. Sheridan Le FanuThe iconic Gothic horror classics that gave birth to the monstrous myths that still inhabit our nightmares. Tragic heroines, windswept moors, dark and stormy nights, castle prisons, and forbidden desires realized at the greatest cost—these are the elements of Gothic horror, given its finest expression in these five enduring novels. Frankenstein: Obsessed with the secret of creation, Swiss scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein cobbles together a body he is determined to bring to life. When the creature opens his eyes one fateful night, the doctor is repulsed: His vision of perfection is a hideous monster. Dr. Frankenstein abandons his creation, but the furious, lonely monster will not be ignored, setting in motion a chain of violence and terror. A gripping story about the ethics of creation and the consequences of trauma, Frankenstein is as relevant today as it is haunting. Dracula: Upon a visit to Transylvania, young English lawyer Jonathan Harker makes a horrifying discovery about Castle Dracula and its resident count, who survives on the blood of human beings. Thus a battle of wits ensues between the vicious count and his various adversaries in this legendary Gothic novel of horror, dark romance, and chilling suspense. Carmilla: Published twenty-five years before Stoker&’s Dracula, Carmilla is the passionate, thrilling tale of a mysterious young woman&’s dramatic arrival at an isolated castle. The innocent Laura has never seen anyone like the seductive, secretive Carmilla, except in her dreams—and an antique portrait, which resembles the visitor perfectly, down to the mole on her tempting neck. Laura quickly realizes there is something far more dark and sinister about Carmilla than meets the eye. The Great God Pan: When Mr. Clarke agrees to visit his friend Dr. Raymond, he is dubious about the proceedings he is to witness. In pursuit of what Raymond calls &“transcendental medicine,&” the doctor intends to make a small incision in a woman&’s brain, allowing her to see past the world of the senses to a reality beyond imagining—a realm where, Raymond says, one can see the great god Pan. Stephen King has called The Great God Pan &“one of the best horror stories ever written.&” The Mysteries of Udolpho: Orphaned heroine Emily St. Aubert has been imprisoned by Signor Montoni, her evil guardian, in his gloomy medieval fortress in the Apennines. Terror is the order of the day inside the walls of Udolpho, as Emily struggles against Montoni&’s rapacious schemes and the threat of her own psychological disintegration. A bestseller in its day and a potent influence on Walpole and Poe, this dreamlike, nearly hallucinatory classic remains one of the most important works in the history of European fiction. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Murder at McDonald's: The Killers Next Door
by Phonse JessomeThe true story of the Sydney River McDonald&’s massacre, a botched robbery that would become the most sensational murder case in Canadian history. It started with a broken conveyor belt. When the mechanical malfunction brought eighteen-year-old McDonald&’s employee Derek Wood into the restaurant&’s back room, he saw the safe and got a dangerous idea. It would be so easy to prop the back door open, allowing two friends to sneak inside and steal the money. Wood assumed there was at least $200,000 in the cashbox—an incredible haul for just a few minutes&’ work—but things would not go according to plan. The robbery went wrong from the start, and within minutes, a fast-food restaurant in the wilds of Nova Scotia was turned into a bloodbath. Wood and his accomplices attacked the employees, killing three instantly and leaving the fourth for dead. In the safe, where they had expected to find a fortune, there was barely $2,000. They fled the scene, instigating a manhunt that would captivate the nation. In the tradition of In Cold Blood and The Onion Field, this stunning work of true crime tells the story of the small-town murder that shocked a nation. Phonse Jessome brings a trained journalist&’s eye to the case, which remains one of the most horrifying incidents of suburban violence in recent history.
Hardcase
by Luke ShortWhen the postman sees the letter addressed to Dave Coyle, he knows trouble is coming to Yellow Jacket and guns will soon be blazing. Coyle&’s face is plastered all over town on Wanted posters offering $7,000, dead or alive, but there&’s not a man in the territory fast enough to take him on. As word spreads that Coyle is to return, every man in town grabs a gun. But that won&’t be nearly enough. Coyle sneaks back under cover of darkness. He wears his guns, but he hasn&’t come to use them. He&’s here for Carol McFee, the only woman who ever saw any good in him and needs him desperately now. In a town where every man wants him dead, Coyle will do a good deed—or die trying. One of legendary author Luke Short&’s most popular westerns, Hardcase delivers a pulse-pounding story that twists and turns, and a wide cast of vibrant characters, including the memorable Dave Coyle, who embodies the courage, toughness, and loyalty of American frontiersmen.
Last Summer: A Novel
by Evan HunterThree teenagers turn an idyllic summer vacation into a violent nightmare in this &“compelling and unforgettable&” novel by the bestselling author of The Blackboard Jungle (Harper&’s). Bored, restless, privileged teenagers Sandy, David, and Peter meet while vacationing with their families on remote Greensward Island. The two boys, both sixteen, are immediately entranced by Sandy&’s beauty and frank sexuality. Over the course of the summer, the trio creates an illicit teenage paradise far removed from adult supervision. Stolen beers and lustful teasing lead to more nefarious games, however, when Rhoda appears. Shy, quiet, and unsophisticated, the fifteen-year-old desperately wants to fit in with her more glamorous peers. Her awkwardness brings out a vicious cruel streak in Sandy, who has David and Peter so tightly wrapped around her finger they&’ll do whatever she wants—even if it means destroying an innocent life. A fearless, unflinching portrait of youth gone wild, Last Summer was the basis for an Academy Award–nominated film starring Barbara Hershey, Bruce Davison, Richard Thomas, and Catherine Burns. Originally published in 1968 and heralded by Cosmopolitan as &“the most chilling novel of this—or any—autumn,&” Last Summer transforms a coming-of-age story into a dark and twisted fable and confirms Evan Hunter&’s reputation as a master of suspense.
Anna and the King of Siam: The Book That Inspired The Musical And Film The King And I
by Margaret LandonBased on the incredible true story of one woman&’s journey to the exotic world of nineteenth-century Siam, the riveting novel that inspired The King and I. In 1862, recently widowed and with two small children to support, British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens agrees to serve as governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam (present-day Thailand), unaware that her years in the royal palace will change not only her own life, but also the future of a nation. Her relationship with King Mongkut, famously portrayed by Yul Brynner in the classic film The King and I, is complicated from the start, pitting two headstrong personalities against each other: While the king favors tradition, Anna embraces change. As governess, Anna often finds herself at cross-purposes, marveling at the foreign customs, fascinating people, and striking landscape of the kingdom and its harems, while simultaneously trying to influence her pupils—especially young Prince Chulalongkorn—with her Western ideals and values. Years later, as king, this very influence leads Chulalongkorn to abolish slavery in Siam and introduce democratic reform based on the ideas of freedom and human dignity he first learned from his beloved tutor. This captivating novel brilliantly combines in-depth research—author Margaret Landon drew from Siamese court records and Anna&’s own writings—with richly imagined details to create a lush portrait of 1860s Siam. As a Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway musical and an Academy Award–winning film, the story of Anna and the King of Siam has enchanted millions over the years. It is a gripping tale of cultural differences and shared humanity that invites readers into a vivid and sensory world populated by unforgettable characters.
The Black Cabinet: A Golden Age Mystery
by Patricia WentworthChloe Dane inherits a fabled ancestral estate—and plunges into deadly danger—in this novel of romance and suspense from the author of the acclaimed Miss Silver Mysteries The lowly assistant to a London dressmaker, Chloe Dane yearns for a new life. She has bittersweet memories of being a carefree child playing hide-and-seek at Danesborough, her family&’s magnificent country estate. Decades later, the ancestral mansion has been restored to its former glory—and Chloe is shocked to discover that she is the sole heir. Danesborough is not the sun-filled, evergreen place she remembers. The trees are bare and the house is shrouded in mist. But the enormous gold-and-black lacquered Chinese cabinet in the drawing room is exactly the same. Chloe&’s childhood imagination created an entire story out of the intricate carvings on the cabinet: a flowing river filled with boats and fishermen and one frightening man she called Mr. Dark. But now, as Chloe begins to uncover Mitchell Dane&’s true motives for bequeathing her the centuries-old manse, she has a very real reason to be afraid: The truth about what&’s hidden in the black cabinet will soon threaten her life.
The Spy in the Ointment
by Donald E. WestlakeThe three-time Edgar Award–winning Grand Master of Mystery serves up a dangerous case of mistaken identity in &“the best spy comedy I have ever read&” (The New York Times). J. Eugene Raxford is not what anyone would call a debonair man of action. He has no class, no skills, and all the physical prowess of a napping tree sloth. James Bond would think twice before letting him park the Aston Martin. Though he is a devoted pacifist, Raxford is also—thanks to a tragically consequential typo—the supposed leader of a half-baked and violent radical organization. That&’s why the FBI wants him to go undercover and spy on the consortium of real-life terrorists and deadly assassins. Now, with the help of his girlfriend—who is even more clueless than he—Raxford is about to enter a realm of danger and deception unlike any he has ever imagined. And the safety of the entire world depends on his every move. &“If the suspense doesn&’t kill you, the laughter will.&” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution &“Inventive . . . Wholly delightful.&” —The New York Times &“No writer can excel Donald E. Westlake . . . but he has excelled himself . . . If you miss it, you&’ll regret it.&” —Los Angeles Times Praise for Donald E. Westlake &“Westlake has no peer in the realm of comic mystery novelists.&” —San Francisco Chronicle
Classic Household Hints: Over 500 Old and New Tips for a Happier Home
by Susan WaggonerAn illustrated, nostalgic how-to guide to achieving a clean, organized, and happy home—with over 500 retro tips and tricks! Return your household to the simpler times of yesteryear with this delightful guide full of time- and money-saving tips on everything from cleaning and organizing your home to buying and handling food. Even in an age of endless new household products and devices, these old-fashioned, tried-and-true methods can help any homeowner keep a cleaner, happier home. A thoroughly researched compendium of the best American home life tips from the 1920s through the &’60s, Classic Household Hints is filled with useful information, full-color illustrations, fascinating sidebars, and quotes—providing practical help as well as fun for housekeepers and neat freaks everywhere.
Anyone Got a Match?: A Novel
by Max ShulmanBig tobacco meets the boob tube in this incendiary satire from the bestselling author of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Jefferson Tatum is a self-made man. Founder of Tatum Cigarette Company, he wrote the brand&’s advertising jingle—&“Tatums smoke mild like an innocent child&”—and has been bringing home big money—and hunting huge bears—ever since. But this year his tobacco sales are down 3 percent thanks to the surgeon general&’s cancer warnings. To make matters worse, Tatum&’s forty-three-year-old son, Virgil, shows more interest in presiding over his unaccredited college and its undefeated football team than learning about the family business. Hoping to kill two birds with one stone, Tatum sets out to reinvigorate his company by transforming Acanthus College into a top-tier research institution. The school&’s scientists will prove that food is more dangerous than cigarettes, making everyone so anxious they&’ll start smoking again. But when Tatum hires a New York theater director turned Hollywood bigwig to produce a documentary about the research, nothing goes as planned. Secrets are unearthed, old loves are rekindled, and a TV director with a conscience (will wonders never cease?) threatens to expose the whole scam.