Davinia Blythe had lost her young husband suddenly. So she went to his family home, Blythe Wyngate, and was originally welcomed. Until it became known that she was pregnant, with the possible heir if her child was a boy. Then she was pushed off the windmill stairs. Who could have done it but Homer, who had assumed he was the heir and taken charge of Wyngate? Victorian Romantic Suspense by Joan Smith; originally published by Fawcett Crest Views: 43
First published in 1957, A Man of Affairs is one of John D. MacDonald's rare forays into writing a pure 'business' thriller. One of JDM's strengths is to render financial and corporate problems down to their human essences - explaining shares and dividends in terms of small towns, family homes and personal relationships. In A Man of Affairs, the focus is solely on the lattermost point. From the set-up, JDM makes it clear that the stakes of the book aren't about life and death, or even wealth and discomfort. The conflict is about pride and ambition. How far will some men go for power, and where are the limits of self-respect? The protagonist is Sam Glidden, an executive (not a shareholder) in a small-town manufacturing company. He owes a debt of honor to the company's founder - a debt which he maintains by sticking about at the business (despite being a 'bright young thing'). Unfortunately, the second generation of the company's ownership is not as worthy of Sam's loyalty (or are they?). The book begins with the advent of an ambitious corporate shark, Mike Dean. Glidden and the company's current lackadaisical ownership are flown to a secluded island, so that he can seduce them into a buy-out (to be followed by a barely-legal stock inflation and unloading). The island is filled with debauchery - 1957-style. The drinking begins at dawn, followed by sun-tanning, barracuda-fishing and prolific adultery. When the sun goes down, there's a brief and sodden discussion of business, followed by more drinking, a bit of singing and shameless bed-swapping. Against this background, Glidden is tempted (repeatedly) by the nubile flesh of those around him (including one of the [married] bosses) and by the generous, Faustian offers of Mike Dean. Although the conflict of the book is set up nicely - Sam vs. Mike, Sam vs. the Old Guard, Sam vs. himself - everything is resolved far too neatly. After positioning everything so nicely, John D. MacDonald effectively punts for the final third of the book. Sam makes tough, terrible decisions, but never needs to fret about them, as the rest of the world invariably maneuvers to prove him right (posthumously). Awkward interjections of physical violence make the conclusion all the sillier - despite Glidden's moral and intellectual challenges, his 'success' eventually hinges on his upper arm strength. The one tiny, golden highlight of the book's conclusion is the final page. The denouement of the story is surprisingly romantic, and even a bit poignant. It does not, however, redeem the lackluster fumbling of the previous pages. This book is excellently set up, but poorly resolved - John D. MacDonald comes down with ill-timed cold feet and sabotages his own work. Views: 43
A step in an odd direction - a moment of dizziness - and archeologist Dan Fielding was thrust through an invisible barrier four hundred years into the post. He was still in the Mexican desert - but it was the desert of the 16th century, and Mexico was in the grip of the conquistador Hernando Cortez. Views: 43
A reissue of classic backlist titles from the author of the best selling Farseer Trilogy and The Liveship Traders books. The third book in the Megan Lindholm (Robin Hobb) backlist . The Limbreth Gate is book three in The Windsingers series, following Harpy's Flight and The Windsingers, which introduced her popular gypsy characters, Ki and Vandien. Views: 43
Review"An eloquent victory of the human spirit in combat with itself."— Globe and Mail "One of the most honest and courageous attempts in Canadian writing to grapple with ultimate truth."— Books in CanadaFrom the Trade Paperback edition.Product DescriptionPopular since its original publication more than 25 years ago, Leonard Cohen's classic book of contemporary psalms is now beautifully repackaged.Internationally celebrated for his writing and his music, Leonard Cohen is revered as one of the great writers, performers, and most consistently daring artists of our time. Now beautifully repackaged, the poems in Book of Mercy brim with praise, despair, anger, doubt and trust. Speaking from the heart of the modern world, yet in tones that resonate with an older devotional tradition, these verses give voice to our deepest, most powerful intuitions.From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 43
When beautiful Caroline Carruther visited Jay Hamilton at his ranch in Wyoming, she knew his appraising look and incredible blue eyes spelled danger. Caroline, the daughter of an ambassador, had no intention of rushing into an affair--but when Jay swept her into his arms for the first time, she knew she was lost. The exquisite days and blazing nights they spent together were unforgettable. Caroline wanted to be with Jay, but their lifestyles were so unalike. Would the passion that drew them together be enough to withstand their differences? Views: 42
Their love was meant to last a lifetime—but tragedy tore them apart. Amanda and Dane Maxwell had a marriage made in heaven until their infant son died and grief turned them into strangers. When Amanda decided divorce was all that remained for them, Dane was left with only one choice. He must win back the woman he loved before she was lost to him forever. Contemporary Romance by Karen Toller Whittenburg; originally published by Dell Candlelight Ecstasy Views: 42
Original, irreverent, and thought-provoking—for fans of Chrisopher Moore. It is 2047. The true Messiah has come in the form of a grifter, a scoundrel— —who has no idea that he fulfills all four Biblical signs that foretold him. Jeremiah the B, the last possible descendant of the line of David, finds himself in an epic struggle with an underworld boss distinctly similar to a certain Prince of Darkness. As they reveal their low-life selves, you'll wonder which one is actually the hero. Will Jeremiah the B redeem the human race, or put the world in its greatest jeopardy since the Great Flood? The Branch will have you questioning your understanding of good and evil. Views: 41
A favor for her ex-husband leads Jill Smith to a blood-soaked crime sceneSomeone is stealing hubcaps from the Berkeley police department. An afternoon spent chasing the petty thief leaves beat cop Jill Smith exhausted, flustered, and in no mood to talk when her ex-husband Nat calls asking for a favor. A colleague of his at the county welfare department, Anne Spaulding, is missing. Jill doesn’t care about her husband’s new crush, but a note of fear in his voice compels her to investigate. She drives to Anne’s house, where she finds the back door open, the living room trashed, and the walls caked in dried blood. Searching the apartment yields few clues. The woman liked make-up, exercise, and credit cards. The only item that points to a possible suspect is a pewter pen, which Jill recognizes as one of Nat’s. She has no love for her ex-husband, but is she ready to arrest him for murder?This ebook features an illustrated biography of Susan Dunlap including rare images from the author’s personal collection. Views: 40
Crash-landing on a remote South Pacific island put fashion executive Skye Delaney at a distinct disadvantage. And when she learned that her arrogant pilot was none other than Kyle Jagger, the mysteriously reclusive international entrepreneur, she knew that survival was the least of her problems.Remote and domineering one minute, tender and passionate the next, he was everything she despised --and wanted--in a man. But what of his wife in California? And why was it that whenever she tried to envision her own fiance, all she could see was Kyle's laughing sea-green eyes? Sensible, independent, had she found the man of her dreams on an idyllic paradise isle? Would rescue and return to reality mean losing him forever? Views: 40
To escape arrest for her best friend's murder, Vejay must find the real killer-before it's too late In the small woodsy town of Henderson, California, the electric company is strict about sick days. So when meter-reader Vejay Haskell decides to play hooky, her first concern is staying out of sight. She skirts around the edge of town, making her way to Frank's Place, a cozy saloon owned by her friend Frank Goulet. After two cups of hot buttered rum, they have an argument and she storms out into the pouring rain. She goes home, takes a nap, and awakens sober, embarrassed, and ready to apologize. But by the time she gets back to Frank's bar, he is dead. Vejay was seen leaving Frank's house in a huff, and her lack of an alibi combined with her suspicious sick day makes her the number-one suspect. As the police close in on her, Vejay turns detective in search of Frank's real killer. It's a perilous task, but she has one advantage when she puts on her work clothes: Nobody ever notices the meter-reader. " Haskell is] intelligent, unpretentious, efficient and very, very likeable." -San Francisco Chronicle "Susan Dunlap is the leading proponent of gutsy, nontraditional women who nimbly tread in he-man territory." -The Washington Times "As long as writers like Dunlap continue to play with the form, genre fans need not lament the mystery's demise." -San Francisco Chronicle Susan Dunlap is a prolific author of mystery novels. Born in New York City, Dunlap majored in English at Bucknell University and earned a masters degree in education from the University of North Carolina. She was a social worker before an Agatha Christie novel inspired her to try her hand at writing mysteries. Six attempts and six years later, she published Karma (1981), which began a ten-book series about brash Berkeley cop Jill Smith. Since then, Dunlap has published more than twenty novels and numerous short stories. Her other ongoing characters include the meter-reading detective Vejay Haskell, former forensic pathologist Kiernan O'Shaughnessy, and Zen student/stunt double Darcy Lott. In addition to writing, Dunlap has taught yoga, worked as a paralegal, and helped found Sisters in Crime, an organization created to support women in the field of mystery writing. She lives near San Francisco. Views: 40
Young Lydee had always known this strange comet-world to be Home. She had always felt the presence and control of the omnipresent Homesmind, an intelligence force that guides the fate of her world and the people in it. Struggling with her future, Lydee discovers the destiny she is meant for--the fate she will fulfill within her community. And it frightens her.... She will act as a bridge between her comet Home and her species' native Earth. She is disgusted by her primitive ancestors on that planet, but knows that she now has a mission in life to complete. But will the Earthlings welcome her? Or is this a journey through grave danger? Lydee hopes that she will live to fulfill her destiny.... Views: 39
It was a time of fear. The great Civil War which had split the country from top to bottom still raged. The King was rumoured to have fled but robber bands of his troop still luked in the mist, marouding gangs of deadly spectres waiting for the innocent. In the absence of King and Parliament, terror ruled with mistrust and murder close behind. But there was no greater terror than the Witchfinders.....Living on torture, bribery and lust they took rich pickings as they scoured each parish and hamlet for victims. John Ferris was sworn to fight their rule of bloody atrocities-to take revenge for his father's death and his lover's abduction - to fight the storm of darkness with the sword. Views: 39
