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The Case of the Sliding Pool

A rare California deluge unearths a hidden body—and a decades-old crime. Rain has spoiled Masao Masuto's vacation. For six days the storm has trapped the Zen Buddhist detective and his family inside their Los Angeles cottage. By the morning of his vacation's final day, he is so stir crazy that the call to come to work is a relief. Detective Masuto knows no better cure for boredom than a puzzling murder.  Nothing remains of the deceased man but his bones. A mudslide caused by the long, punishing storm destroyed the terrace of a Beverly Hills mansion, dislodging the swimming pool and opening a grave which had been covered for three decades. The skeleton's deep stab wound suggests a professional's hand—possibly a World War II veteran with commando training. As Masuto pries into the past, the aged murderer takes deadly steps to cover up his long-forgotten crime. The detective finds himself locked in a game of cat and mouse with a brilliant and ruthless killer.
Views: 136

The Wolfen

The Wolfen (1978), the debut novel by Whitley Strieber, tells the story of two police detectives in New York City who, while investigating the violent deaths of two policemen in a junk yard, discover that a pack of intelligent and savage wolf-like creatures are stalking the city. These predators are not traditional werewolves, as they are a separate race of intelligent beings descended from wolves that live secretly alongside mankind in our cities and quickly killing anyone who learns about their existence. What is unique about this novel is that some of the story is told from the point of view of the alpha creatures and this causes the reader to be sympathetic of the creatures' needs.
Views: 134

Clash of the Titans

PLAYTHING OF THE GODS He was Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, born in disgrace, exiled to perish at sea, fated to survive at heavenly caprice—until he met his love, defied the Gods and dared to fight them or die. She was Andromeda, enslaved by her own beauty which beggared the heavens and brought a curse upon her city, her home, her heart . . . until Perseus accepted the Devil's own challenge, answered the deadly riddle and rode forth on his winged horse Pegasus to claim his love and to face the last of the Titans, armed only with a bloody hand, a witches' curse, and a severed head . . .
Views: 123

Masters of Everon

SUMMARY: The planet Everon is just another planet colonized in the name of manifest destiny among the stars--or is it? Jef Robini must find out, for the cat-like malots of Everon somehow hold the key to the planet's power . . . a power that may save mankind.
Views: 111

Reflex

Longtime jockey Philip Nore suspects that a racetrack photographer's fatal accident was really murder—and unravels some nasty secrets of corruption, blackmail, and murder.
Views: 92

Tesla: Man Out of Time

In *Tesla: Man Out of Time,* Margaret Cheney explores the brilliant and prescient mind of one of the twentieth century's greatest scientists and inventors. Called a madman by his enemies, a genius by others, and an enigma by nearly everyone, Nikola Tesla was, without a doubt, a trailblazing inventor who created astonishing, sometimes world-transforming devices that were virtually without theoretical precedent. Tesla not only discovered the rotating magnetic field -- the basis of most alternating-current machinery -- but also introduced us to the fundamentals of robotics, computers, and missile science. Almost supernaturally gifted, unfailingly flamboyant and neurotic, Tesla was troubled by an array of compulsions and phobias and was fond of extravagant, visionary experimentations. He was also a popular man-about-town, admired by men as diverse as Mark Twain and George Westinghouse, and adored by scores of society beauties. From Tesla's childhood in Yugoslavia to his death in New York in the 1940s, Cheney paints a compelling human portrait and chronicles a lifetime of discoveries that radically altered -- and continue to alter -- the world in which we live. *Tesla: Man Out of Time* is an in-depth look at the seminal accomplishments of a scientific wizard and a thoughtful examination of the obsessions and eccentricities of the man behind the science.
Views: 86

The Floating Outfit 48

Can the Ysabel Kid keep his bet with the others of the Floating Outfit and keep out of trouble?When the young newcomer to the town of Wet Slim discovered that Mavis Dearington had been kidnapped, he knew it was imperative that the ransom be paid. For Ramon Peraro, the bandido's leader, would then honor the girl's safe return—unharmed. But no money would mean an unpleasant death...Learning that Mavis' uncle was gathering a force of men to cross the border into Mexico to try and rescue her, the newcomer knew there was not the slightest hope of them succeeding without causing an international incident. There was only one way to prevent such a foolish attempt—cross the border and rescue the girl himself!An impossibly dangerous mission for one man pitted against a ruthless gang of bandidos ... except when the man in question was the Ysabel Kid!
Views: 83

The Golden Space

An elegant and far-ranging novel exploring the nature of life, death, and humanity Josepha is more than three hundred years old, but she doesn't look a day over twenty-two. When she was fourteen, she wanted to die, but an overdose of pills was not enough to kill her. Soon after that came the Transition—the great breakthrough that offered extended life to all humanity—and so for three centuries, death has been denied her. There are those who flee from immortality to death cults, taking refuge in seppuku—starvation—or ritual duels, but Josepha is about to become the mother of the children who will change humankind. In this sweeping novel, hailed as "a major intellectual achievement . . . a landmark" by noted science fiction writer and reviewer Algis Budrys, Pamela Sargent explores the vast changes immortality might bring to those compelled by older instincts as they struggle to master the technology that could offer them...
Views: 72

The Lady Next Door

Marianne Findlay lives next door to the Earl of Latteridge’s York townhouse. Though she has never met him, it was his mother who sealed her fate years before—and drove her from polite society. Now she and Aunt Effie take in boarders and live a modest life, which is soon disrupted by the handsome earl, his scapegrace younger brother, his charming and determined sister—and that vengeful mother of his. Georgian Romance by Laura Matthews writing as Elizabeth Neff Walker; originally published by Fawcett
Views: 70

Design for Murder

Arriving for work at the Design Studio in the Coach House of Haslop Hall in the Cotswolds, Tracy Yorke finds her boss murdered. The police investigation shows that many people might have had cause to kill Oliver Medway — including Tim Baxter whom Tracy has started to love. She can trust nobody, and finds her life in grave danger. British Mystery by Nancy Buckingham writing as Erica Quest; originally published by Doubleday for the Crime Club
Views: 70

Sea Leopard

While charting the new Soviet underwater defense system, HMS Proteus, a British nuclear submarine, is unaware that the Soviets are waiting to spring a deadly trap and steal the British submarine's equipment
Views: 69

The Curious Rogue

It was a strange experience for Elizabeth Jeffries to have a rogue jump into her carriage on a rainy night—and kiss her passionately. She was disturbed more by the excitement of his embrace than fear of him. And though he vanished, the memory of him lingered, making it difficult for Elizabeth to marry the foppish Comte de Cavilon—though Cavilon’s tender ways intrigued her. Georgian Romance by Joan Vincent; originally published by Dell Candlelight Georgian Special
Views: 69