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1968: A Novel
by Joe Haldeman&“So many tensions and so much emotion . . . A powerful novel&” of the Vietnam era by the award-winning author of The Forever War (Booklist). John &“Spider&” Spiedel is a college dropout who is drafted into the war as a combat engineer. Scared, he tries to keep his head down and stay safe, a plan that works until the Tet Offensive, when he is wounded and sent stateside—and receives a devastating diagnosis. And while he&’s been away fighting, his girlfriend, Beverly, has fallen in with the hippie movement in an attempt to rebel against the repressive values of American society and the injustice of the war that took her boyfriend overseas. Vietnam was the conflict that changed America&’s relationship with war forever, and this novel by Nebula and Hugo Award–winning author Joe Haldeman, inspired by his own experience in the military, is a look at this turbulent time in US history as seen through the eyes of the people most affected: the soldiers and their loved ones. 1968 is not just a story of two young people attempting to find themselves in a tumultuous world—it&’s the account of a country trying to find itself as well.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Joe Haldeman including rare images from the author&’s personal collection.
Another Word for Murder (Crossword Mysteries #10)
by Nero BlancMurder moves into the neighborhood in this witty and suspenseful crossword mystery featuring husband-and-wife sleuth team Belle Graham and Rosco Polycrates Belle Graham and her canine bodyguards, Kit and Gabby, are enjoying their daily outing in the local dog park with new friends Karen Tacete, her daughter Lily, and their dog Bear. But Karen&’s picture-perfect life shatters when her husband, Dan, fails to return home. He&’s barely been declared officially missing when Karen receives a ransom note that includes a dire warning: If she contacts the police or the FBI, Dan dies. Who would kidnap the popular dentist against whom no one ever had a cross word? That&’s what Belle and her husband, PI Rosco Polycrates, need to find out. When the Tacete abduction escalates to murder, Belle and Rosco realize the solution may lie in the baffling nursery rhyme–themed crosswords Belle has been receiving. As they dig into the life of Newcastle&’s most charitable DDS, they soon find themselves up to their eyeteeth in danger, racing to fill in the blanks of a plan orchestrated by someone out to make a killing. This ebook includes six crossword puzzles that can be downloaded as PDFs, with answers in the back of the book.Another Word for Murder is the 7th book in the Crossword Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Tempting Fate
by Meryl SawyerAn Arizona journalist enters a world of danger—and desire—when she blows the cover of a deadly covert operative in this spellbinding romantic suspense novel from New York Times–bestselling author Meryl Sawyer Kelly Taylor&’s career as an investigative journalist was derailed by a news story that resulted in tragedy. Now, she&’s back in Sedona lying low as a local reporter for her grandfather&’s paper. But she may get another shot at the brass ring. After vanishing twenty-five years ago, the long-lost son of a powerful state senator has turned up in her Arizona town. With few memories of his childhood, Logan McCord grew up to become a trained killer who fights terrorism. A twist of fate reunites the Special Ops agent with his family, but the homecoming isn&’t what he expected. With his true identity exposed, Logan&’s enemies know where to find him. As Kelly and Logan start to fall for each other, her quest to find an abandoned child takes them to Venezuela. But in Logan&’s dangerous world, there&’s no shortage of enemies who want to make him disappear and nowhere for him and Kelly to hide from a killer whose lust for money and power runs lethally deep.
Moon over Tangier: Fires Of London, The Prisoner Of The Riviera, And Moon Over Tangier (The Francis Bacon Mysteries #3)
by Janice LawIn colonial Morocco, a painter navigates a conspiracy of forgery, corruption, and murderFor Francis, life with David grows more dangerous by the day. When sober, he is charming, but when he drinks, he is violent, slashing Francis&’s paintings and threatening to gut the painter, too. When David leaves London for Morocco, Francis cannot help but follow this man whom he loves but can no longer trust. In Tangier, they find a thriving community of expats who guzzle champagne while revolutionaries gather in the desert. But in Morocco&’s International Zone, death does not wait for rebellion.After Francis identifies a friend&’s Picasso as a fake, the police call him in to investigate the forger&’s demise. If he refuses, they will throw David in jail, where inmates and the DTs will kill him within the week. Between the bustle of the city and the emptiness of the desert, Francis finds that in Morocco, even the fakes can be worth killing for.
The Trials of Radclyffe Hall
by Diana SouhamiDiana Souhami&’s Lambda Award–winning biography is a fascinating look at one of the twentieth century&’s most intriguing lesbian literary figures. Born in 1880, Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall was a young unwanted child when her parents put an end to their tempestuous marriage by filing for divorce. She had already made tentative forays into lesbian love when her father died, leaving her an heiress at eighteen. Her income assured, Hall moved out of her mother&’s house, renamed herself John in honor of her great-great-grandfather, and divided her time among hunting, traveling, and pursuing women. She began to write—songs, poetry, prose, and short stories—and achieved success as a novelist, but it was with the publication of The Well of Loneliness in 1928 that Radclyffe Hall became an internationally known figure. Dubbed the &“bible of lesbianism,&” the book caused a scandal on both sides of the Atlantic. Though moralistic in tone, because of its subject matter it was tried as obscene in America and in the United Kingdom, where it was censored under the Obscene Publications Act. The Trials of Radclyffe Hall is a fascinating, no-holds-barred account of the life of this controversial woman, including her torrid relationship with the married artist Una Troubridge, who was Hall&’s devoted partner for twenty-eight years.
Holloway Falls: Captured, Holloway Falls, And Mr. In-between
by Neil CrossThe paths of a cult leader, a precognitive man with a secret, and a detective with a troubled past intersect in this dark and absorbing mystery from the creator of Luther Andrew Taylor was a typical, pleasant lower-middle-class Bristol boy, content with his dependable life and loving family . . . until the dreams started coming. He has violent, visceral, powerful visions at night, whispering about darkness, death, murdered women, nationwide grief. Even worse, the dreams appear to be coming true, and soon Taylor finds himself living in a nightmare. William Holloway is the investigator called on to examine Taylor&’s unexpected disappearance. It looks like an open-and-shut case of suicide: Family man has mental breakdown, walks into sea to end pain. But strange clues nag at Holloway, especially after an old adversary rises from the grave to torment the detective. How, if at all, is this spirit connected to Taylor&’s disappearance?
Wrapped Up in Crosswords: A Holiday Novel (Crossword Mysteries #9)
by Nero BlancSanta comes to town, but crossword editor Belle Graham and her PI husband, Rosco Polycrates, may find this holiday more naughty than nice With Christmas approaching, Belle Graham and her husband, Rosco Polycrates, are getting into the holiday spirit. While Belle does her part creating a Noel crossword contest, Rosco dons red suit and snowy beard to collect toys for the town&’s annual children&’s drive. But his good will starts to dim when he and two Newcastle Police Department colleagues are mistaken for escaped convicts masquerading as small-town Santas. On the domestic front, Belle&’s canine bodyguards, Kit and Gabby, have their own ideas about holiday gift giving. Turns out everyone may be barking up the wrong tree. Can the canine corps come to the rescue in time for Christmas? This ebook includes four crossword puzzles that can be downloaded as PDFs, with answers in the back of the book.
Caesar's Bicycle (The Timeline Wars #3)
by John BarnesIn an alternate Roman Empire, the ultimate battle is being waged for domination of the multiverse in the epic conclusion of the war for a million EarthsThere are a million different Earths across an infinite number of timelines—and every one of them is in peril.John Barnes&’s ingenious science fiction saga the Timeline Wars reaches a breathtaking climax in Caesar&’s Bicycle as former Pittsburgh private investigator–turned–Crux Op agent Mark Strang pursues the alien Closer enemy to a new battleground: an alternate ancient Rome of Caesar and Pompey.Strang&’s investigation into the disappearance of a fellow ATN operative has carried him along a new timeline to a Roman Empire at once strikingly similar and remarkably different from the one recalled in history books on his own Earth. What he discovers is a world in the process of radical transformation through the introduction of new technologies, centuries before their time, by both sides in the war for the multiverse—enemy Closers and ATN alike. And this time, Strang&’s mission carries a new urgency, for the timelines are becoming dangerously unstable and mysteriously starting to close. To prevent the total enslavement of every one of the million Earths, Strang himself will now have to make history. But by ensuring that an infamous assassination actually does take place, Mark Strang could be condemning himself to the most horrible death the Romans ever devised.
The Furys: A Novel (The Furys Saga #1)
by James HanleyA boy returns home from seminary to a family on the verge of collapse For almost seven years, Mrs. Fury has done nothing but think of Peter. Of her five children, he is the youngest, her darling boy whose future she planned out long ago. It was for Peter that she took one child out of college and married another off—for Peter that she sent a third to work at sea. She has sacrificed everything so that Peter could return to Ireland to study for the priesthood. He is to be the family&’s salvation—but after seven years in seminary, Peter has failed. Mrs. Fury receives two telegrams: One telling her that Peter is coming home, the other bearing the news that her eldest son, Anthony, has fallen from his ship&’s mast and is in a hospital in New York. With two slips of paper, Mrs. Fury&’s hopes for the future are dashed. But this Irishwoman is strong as iron, and she will do whatever it takes to keep her family together—if only for Peter&’s sake. The Furys is the first book of James Hanley&’s acclaimed Furys Saga.
Angel of Mercy
by Andrew NeidermanA police detective confronts a nurse with an unusual bedside manner and her chilling twin sister in Andrew Neiderman&’s page-turning thriller Palm Springs detective Frankie Samuels is on medical leave when a rash of suspicious suicides rock his town. Against the advice of his doctor and his supervisor, he investigates the case of a grieving widower who died of insulin shock, overdosing on his wife&’s meds, along with a sleep aid called Dilantin. But the police can&’t find any Dilantin in the man&’s medicine cabinet. The second victim, another surviving spouse, perishes from a lethal dose of chloral hydrate. Private-duty nurse Faye Sullivan seems to be the common denominator in the deaths. But Faye has a sister: an identical twin named Susie, who also has a connection to the victims. As Samuels discovers more clues that don&’t add up, his suspicion begins to fall decisively on the two women. But the truth is more terrifying—and deadly—than he can imagine.
Death on the Diagonal (Crossword Mysteries #12)
by Nero BlancWhat&’s an eight-letter word for killjoy? Find out in this devilishly clever crossword mystery featuring husband-and-wife sleuth team Belle Graham and Rosco Polycrates Belle Graham hears it first from the gossip columnist for the Evening Crier, where Belle is resident crossword editor. Fire has destroyed one of the stables at King Wenstarin Farms, the multimillion-dollar corporation owned by the notorious Collins clan, and the barn manager lies in a coma. Did someone torch the place? That&’s what Belle&’s PI husband, Rosco Polycrates has been hired to find out. Former Prohibition–era bootleggers, the Collinses live in a mansion that is more Newport, Rhode Island, than Newcastle, Massachusetts. Todd Collins, the seventy-four-year-old patriarch, is currently married to much-younger wife number three, his three children&’s horsey stepmom from hell. But the family&’s infamous infighting is about to morph into a nasty case of murder. With a media circus heating up, a second homicide rocks the New England town. Now Belle has to solve some cryptic brainteasers before she becomes the next victim of a killer ready to ride off into the sunset . . . after burying Belle six feet down—and three across. This ebook includes six crossword puzzles that can be downloaded as PDFs, with answers in the back of the book.Death on the Diagonal is the 8th book in the Crossword Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Raising Hell: A Concise History of the Black Arts and Those Who Dared to Practice Them
by Robert MaselloAn occultism reference chronicling the quest for metaphysical truth, from astronomers to astrologers, necromancers to sorcerers, alchemists to prophets. If the history of black magic and the occult reveals anything, it&’s that the drive to marshal the unseen powers of the dark, and bend them to mortal will, is as old as mankind itself. Men and women have believed, in virtually every age and in every land, that there is another world—a world of spirits and souls, angels and demons, gods and monsters, a world that might hold the answers to the great mysteries: What is the meaning of life? Do humans decide their own fate? Is there a Heaven? And, perhaps more important, is there a Hell? As they sought the answers to these questions, the occult pioneers often stumbled upon real and verifiable truths. Here, in one spellbinding volume, is a history of the major occult arts—necromancy, sorcery, astrology, alchemy, and prophecy—as they have been practiced from ancient Babylon to the present day. Raising Hell weaves history with mythology, quotes, anecdotes, and illustrations to provide a vivid chronicle of the evolution of the occult arts. From the origins of the pentagram and the sacred circle, to the incantations of necromancers, to the prophecies of Nostradamus, this definitive source offers a compelling look at the black arts and those who risked their lives—and some say their souls—to explore them.
Mention My Name in Atlantis
by John JakesA courtesan for hire, a brainless hunk, and alien invaders combine to bring about ancient history&’s most momentous catastrophe in John Jakes&’s hilarious take on the fall of Atlantis For centuries the mystery of the lost continent of Atlantis has intrigued mortals everywhere. Who lost it? Where did it go? At last the truth is out—or at least the truth according to Hoptor the Vintner, respectable Atlantean wine merchant and not-so-respectable pimp. According to Hoptor, the blame for Atlantis&’s destruction can be placed squarely on the incredibly broad shoulders of Conax the Chimerical, a none-too-bright, broadsword-wielding barbarian chieftain. Conax washed ashore just as Atlantis&’s ruler was losing his health and his grip on the kingdom, creating chaos throughout the island. Now things were really about to go south. All of a sudden Hoptor had a lot more to worry about than how to silence the unrelenting nagging of Aphrodisia, the beautiful, strident prostitute he had promised to marry in a moment of weakness. Now the ever-resourceful, vino-loving procurer of female flesh was being called on to possibly save the world as well as his own skin—which would prove to be no small feat, with Conax mucking up everything he touched in his inimitable fashion. And then there were those strange golden discs flying high above everybody&’s heads . . .
Hot Pursuit
by Roderick ThorpFrom the author of Nothing Lasts Forever, the basis for the movie Die Hard, comes a heart-pounding thriller! When a young coast guard lieutenant commander, Sam Merrill, finds a &“ghost&” yacht full of one billion dollars&’ worth of gold, money, and contraband, he becomes a national sensation and the poster boy for America&’s war on drugs. As a reward, the government sends Sam and his wife, Amy, on an all-expenses-paid vacation to the Bahamas. Sam&’s newfound fame becomes a nightmare when Amy is kidnapped not long after they arrive in the tropical paradise. Sam is confronted with the pursuit of his life, fighting to save Amy and ultimately himself as he faces death-defying challenges at every turn and a drug kingpin named Chino who will stop at nothing to see him dead. In way over his head, outgunned, and outnumbered when the chase leads him to Cartagena, Sam has to overcome overwhelming odds as he races against time to figure out why his wife was kidnapped and where she is being held—and save her from bad guys who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
In an Evil Time
by Bill PronziniA desperate father&’s world explodes when his plan to eliminate his abusive son-in-law goes shockingly awry in this riveting thriller from a true American master of suspense fiction Many people would love to see powerful San Francisco attorney David Rakubian dead, but none more than his father-in-law, Jack Hollis. Rakubian has threatened to kill Hollis&’s daughter and her toddler son from an earlier marriage if she tries to leave him. Enough, Hollis feels, is enough. This monster must die. But when the shark lawyer fails to show up for his own carefully planned assassination, Hollis seeks him out—only to find that someone has beaten him to the lethal punch. Now Hollis is being blackmailed for a murder he did not commit. And if he can&’t uncover the true killer, he stands to lose everything in the world that he loves.Multiple award-winner Bill Pronzini delivers a riveting tale of desperate acts and personal justice, and the shocking lengths to which a parent will go to protect his family.
Texas Storm (The Executioner #18)
by Don PendletonIn the oil fields of Texas, the Executioner discovers a daring Mafia plot The plane comes in low, dropping its sole passenger on the edge of the oilfield known as Klingman&’s Wells. Wearing all black, his chest crisscrossed with ammunition, Mack Bolan begins his assault on the facility. With his two favorite pistols and a handful of grenades, he cripples this mob-run drilling site, causing enough chaos to allow him to escape unharmed—and rescue the kidnapped woman who is trapped inside. Bolan&’s one-man war against organized crime has hamstrung the mob&’s gambling operations and stopped its corruption of Washington. Desperate for funds, the syndicate has infiltrated the Texas oil industry, starting with Klingman&’s Wells. To save the Lone Star State from mob rule, the Executioner hits one Mafia stronghold after another in a tornado of destruction that is appropriately Texas size. Texas Storm is the 18th book in the Executioner series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Home Truths: Selected Canadian Stories
by Mavis GallantFrom a PEN Award winner, these tales ranging from Depression-era Quebec to contemporary Vancouver offer &“irresistible storytelling through and through&” (Kirkus Reviews). Canada is one of the world&’s most diverse and gorgeous countries, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, with a wealth of experiences and people to match its incredible size and breadth. The nation&’s impressive variety is on display in Home Truths, Mavis Gallant&’s ode to her home country through stories. Gallant moves effortlessly through time and place, taking the reader from Depression-era Quebec to 1950s Paris to contemporary Vancouver while dealing with the universal themes of the innocence of youth, intrafamily relations, and the expat&’s growing feeling of distance from home. The pinnacle of the collection is Gallant&’s moving Linnet Muir series, an autobiographical look at a young woman&’s return to Montreal at eighteen after living abroad.Home Truths is a compelling testament to Gallant&’s enduring grace and humor.
Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder
by Samuel Wilson FussellFrom skinny scholar to muscle-bound showman. &“Easily the best memoir ever written about weight training, steroids and all&” (Men&’s Journal). When blue-blooded, storklike Samuel Wilson Fussell arrived in New York City fresh from the University of Oxford, the ethereal young graduate seemed like the last person on Earth who would be interested in bodybuilding. But he was intimidated by the dangers of the city—and decided to do something about it. At twenty-six, Fussell walked into the YMCA gym. Four solid years of intensive training, protein powders, and steroid injections later, he had gained eighty pounds of pure muscle and was competing for bodybuilding titles. And yet, with forearms like bowling pins and calves like watermelons, Fussell felt weaker than ever before. His punishing regimen of workouts, drugs, and diet had reduced him to near-infant-like helplessness and immobility, leaving him hungry, nauseated, and prone to outbursts of &“ &’roid rage.&” But he had come to succeed, and there was no backing down now. Alternately funny and fascinating, Muscle is the true story of one man&’s obsession with the pursuit of perfection. With insight, wit, and refreshing candor, Fussell ushers readers into the wild world of juicers and gym rats who sacrifice their lives, minds, bodies, and souls to their dreams of glory in Southern California&’s so-called iron mecca.
Siddhartha: An Indian Tale (Modern Library Classics Ser.)
by Hermann HesseNobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse&’s most lauded book: The enchanting story of one man&’s journey in search of enlightenment Born into the privileged life of a Brahmin, young Siddhartha came of age surrounded by the teachings of the Buddha. But despite his earnest pursuit of enlightenment, Siddhartha is left unfulfilled. Determined to find his own path to the nirvana, Siddhartha leaves home to embark on a spiritual voyage, spurning the comforts of his caste and leaving behind all loved ones save for his best friend, Govinda. Homeless, without food, and dedicated to their austere lifestyle, the friends diverge along two separate paths. Govinda grows ever more dedicated to Buddhist teachings while Siddhartha travels a more meandering road—through asceticism, into an embrace of the joys of the flesh, and finally to an understanding of the nature of time, truth, and the ultimate path to self-realization. First published in Germany in 1922, Siddhartha grew in popularity through the 1960s, when it became a touchstone of the American counterculture movement. The book endures today as a stirring and lyrical exploration of self-discovery. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Watchdogs of Abaddon
by Ib MelchiorHitler&’s minions live in Los Angeles A brutal street killing. A tough LA cop. A faded snapshot. A poster adorned with a swastika. A cruel nightmare of bloody intrigue. A sensational thriller, violent as a burst of machine gun fire. Hitler&’s evil is reborn. The Third Reich will rise again!
Twice Blessed (The Haven Trilogy #1)
by Jo Ann FergusonA small town in 1870s Indiana is the perfect place for two people to fall in love while fleeing their pasts and searching for their futures in the first novel in Jo Ann Ferguson&’s captivating Haven Trilogy The bucolic town of Haven seemed like the perfect place for Emma Delancy to make a new life far from Kansas—and away from the threat of the hangman&’s noose. For seven years, her secret has been safe. Until she rescues an orphaned boy . . . and clashes with local newcomer Noah Sawyer. Now everyone seems to be conspiring to fix her up with the handsome single father. If Noah had wanted anonymity, he wouldn&’t have chosen this close-knit community on the Ohio River as his new home. But after five years, it was time to stop running. Now beautiful, plucky Emma Delancy is threatening his hard-won peace of mind. His growing attraction to this remarkable woman who takes in an abandoned child and is already bonding with his young daughter makes Noah start to believe in the future. Until his Chicago past comes calling.Twice Blessed is the 1st book in the Haven Trilogy, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Ascendancies: The Best of Bruce Sterling
by Bruce SterlingTwo dozen tales of future shock and twisted history from an undisputed king of cyberpunk science fiction, including Nebula Award finalists &“Sunken Garden&” and &“Dori Bangs.&”Time magazine describes Bruce Sterling as &“one of America&’s best-known science fiction writers and perhaps the sharpest observer of our media-choked culture working today in any genre.&” Sterling&’s abilities are on full display in Ascendancies, a collection of speculative fiction from a world-class world-building futurist, alternate historian, and mad prophet operating at the peak of his extraordinary powers. Here are twenty-four stories that span the illustrious career of the author who, along with William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, injected the word cyberpunk into the science fiction lexicon. These tales not only traverse galaxies and employ mind-boggling technologies, they also cut back across the centuries into a richly imagined past with style and a sharp satiric edge. Sterling&’s unparalleled imagination and courageous originality carry the reader into the future universe of the warring Shapers and Mechanists, rival sects of exiled humanity with radically opposed views of human augmentation. Several stories feature the questionable adventures of the footloose con man Leggy Starlitz in a somewhat-skewed and still-dangerous post–Cold War world. Sterling explores the cyberpunk trope of technology gone wild and the resultant decline of civilization with appropriate gravity, while presenting parables of strangers stuck in very strange lands in a more whimsical vein. Whether chronicling an alien&’s encounter with Crusaders in disputed Palestine, depicting the discovery of the key to immortality in a nineteenth-century Times Square magic shop, or portraying bicycles and bad guys in a near-future Tennessee, Sterling&’s stories are smart, surprising, genre bending, bold, and outstanding, one and all.
Come to Castlemoor
by Jennifer WildeA woman is caught up in a world of ancient rituals and human sacrifice in this enthralling, suspenseful Gothic romance by New York Times–bestselling author Jennifer Wilde When Katherine Hunt receives word that her archaeologist brother has died, his battered body found on the moors, she leaves London immediately for the remote village of Darkmead. There she vows to carry on his life&’s work: a comprehensive history of the primitive rites of the ancient Celts. But soon she discovers that her brother&’s half-completed manuscript is gone. Rumors swirl around the village and among the inhabitants of the magnificent ancestral estate called Castlemoor: seductive Burton Rodd, who runs the local pottery factory and warns Katherine to leave; beautiful, unbalanced Nicola; and Edward Clark, Rodd&’s charismatic cousin. The discovery of a strange amulet sweeps Katherine into a secret circle where chilling blood rituals are carried out under cover of night. Amid whispers of a secret Druid cult, violence claims more and more innocent lives. As Katherine begins to uncover the unspeakable truth, she grows desperate to find someone she can trust . . . before she becomes the next sacrifice.
Jersey Guns (The Executioner #17)
by Don PendletonHemmed in by killers, the Executioner fertilizes the Garden State with blood Mack Bolan bombs down the Jersey Turnpike in a stolen Mustang, a bullet lodged in his ribs and blood seeping down his leg. A dragnet is closing in on the Executioner, whose one-man war against the Mafia has crippled the international crime syndicate but has not yet destroyed it. To evade the roadblocks, he turns onto a lonely two-lane highway when he sees a car full of killers coming up behind him. Bolan only has three bullets, so he lures the hit men into a car wreck, killing them but sacrificing the Mustang. On foot, he limps into the Jersey night. This is the most corrupt state in the union—the place where mob bosses come to retire in tacky little towns whose police are proud to be on the Mafia payroll. The Executioner is alone, unarmed, and hunted by every killer in the state. But that&’s his comfort zone. Jersey Guns is the 17th book in the Executioner series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Coffins
by Rodman PhilbrickIn rural Maine, a stop on the Underground Railroad is menaced by a supernatural force in this terrifying novel of pre–Civil War horror. Davis Bentwood has nearly finished medical school when he meets an abolitionist dwarf walking across Harvard Yard. Jeb Coffin is a nonpracticing doctor, a devoted student of transcendentalism whose home life has been shaken by tragedy. The two men become friends, and Coffin invites Bentwood to rural Maine to save his family from itself. The Coffins are noted abolitionists, their home a stop on the Underground Railroad, and lately they have been menaced by a supernatural terror. The tragedies are countless: two brothers killed, a father driven mad, and a baby frozen solid in its crib. At first Bentwood cannot bring himself to acknowledge the impossible horrors that have cursed this family. But he will not survive his sojourn in Maine unless he can open his mind to the possibility that something evil is waiting in the dark.