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The Highly Effective Detective Crosses the Line

In this fourth installment of Rick Yancey's touching and funny Highly Effective Detective Series, lovable but bumbling PI Teddy Ruzak is out of his league again, and this time, things are getting serious. Farrell, one of Teddy's old friends, is in desperate need of Teddy's help. His daughter Isabella's ex-boyfriend, locked up for assault, is days away from being released from jail, and Farrell knows his first stop out of the slammer will be at his daughter's door. Farrell enlists Teddy to keep any eye on Isabella. But when the bad seed ex-boyfriend turns out to have associates even more alarming than he is,Teddy finds himself dealing with truly dangerous criminals. To make matters worse, Felicia, his secretary, is being threatened by mysterious men whom she can't seem to shake. Can Teddy keep Felicia getting hurt while still protecting Isabella? And do his strong feelings towards Felicia run deeper than just a friend looking out for a friend? This funny...
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High Lonesome

Lassiter rode into a mess for $250. He was to kill a man that had killed his employer's brother.When he rode into the town of McDade, he found himself in the middle of a civil war. Two old war officers, a Yankee who hated the Confederacy and a Rebel who loved the South were vying for control of the territory. Lassiter had been in town for four hours, been braced by the Sheriff, offered a job by the Rebel, and when he tried to ride out of town, had to kill the Sheriff and his deputy.Now he's the Sheriff and charged, for a piece of the action, with getting rid of the Yankee and his pet gunman, a black gunfighter, who had already killed the man Lassiter had come to town looking for.But, as usual, Lassiter has his own agenda.
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The Godfather returns

Even before you open the book, the stark red, white and black cover sparks the strains of Nino Rota's "The Godfather Waltz" begin playing in your mind. Mark Winegardner has been granted to task of writing a sequel to Mario Puzo's essential 1969 novel The Godfather, a novel which not only must pick up the story of that book, but must also fit the characters and situations Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, and others traced through three epic films. The result in The Godfather Returns. Perhaps most of Winegardner's readers will be more familiar with the films than with the novel, which followed several different characters, many of whom, such as Johnny Fontane or Lucy Mancini, are only peripheral to the films. Winegardner returns to Puzo's novel to follow several different characters. Taking a technique for the second film, however, he also moves through time to present Michael Corleone's story before the first film, between the first two films, and between the second and third films. Winegardner's decisions to fill in the blanks between the films is one of the weaknesses of The Godfather Returns. The films left out much of the empire building Michael had to do between them in his attempt to go legitimate. While Winegardner manages to add interesting layers of intrigue to Michaels' quest, and to the characters who surround him, the novel really works best when the characters are engaging in mafioso wheeling and dealing. One of the strengths of Puzo's work was the characters he made come to life, and Winegardner does an excellent job not only with the lives of Puzo's characters, but with his own. Just as Puzo eventually picked up the story of Santino's son, Vincent, in "The Godfather, Part III," Winegardner also elects to follow Santino's offspring, in this case his twin daughters, as they take their first steps at breaking from the family business. Fredo, a pivotal character in the first two films, is actually fleshed out in The Godfather Returns, in which Winegardner adds to the appetites he exhibits in the first films and gives a deeper look into his need to become his own man and gain his older brother's approval. The central character to the novel, however, is Nick Geraci, a member of the Corleone family who, Winegardner reveals, becomes the button man who killed Sal Tessio, his mentor. After proving his loyalty to the Corleones, it is clear that Geraci will eventually turn on the family as he tries to strike out on his own, setting up an eventual confrontation with Michael. Although it is clear Michael will be victorious, the cost of his victory helps build tension. In many ways, Winegardner manages to recapture the style and spirit of Puzo's original novel. Nevertheless, there is the feeling that something is missing from The Godfather Returns. Winegardner successfully captures every individual aspect of Puzo's work, whether in the original novel or the films, but there is a magic beneath it that is missing. Despite missing the Puzo magic, The Godfather Returns is a welcome reintroduction to the Corleone clan. Steven H Silver
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Model Murder

A beautiful woman found in the woods, strangled and raped, horrifies Detective Chief Inspector Kate Maddox. But she also feels a shameful twist of relief that the glamorous Corinne Saxon is no longer her rival. While investigating the murder, Kate is forced to suspect her boyfriend, newspaperman Richard Gower, who formerly was Corinne's lover. British Mystery by Nancy Buckingham writing as Erica Quest; originally published by Doubleday for the Crime Club
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The Girl from Felony Bay

The last year has been rougher than sandpaper for Abbey Force and her dad. He's in a coma after his accident a year back, wherein he was framed for a terrible crime he didn't commit. And their home, Reward Plantation, an idyllic spot on the eastern coast of South Carolina, had to be sold to pay off his debt to society. Abbey is stuck living with her uncle Charlie, who, even in the few hours a day when he's sober, ain't exactly your ideal parental role model.But it turns out the new family that moved into Abbey's old house has a daughter named Bee. And she's just as curious about all the No Trespassing signs and holes being dug out by Felony Bay, in the corner of what used to be Abbey's home. It appears someone's been poking around a mystery that dates all the way back to the Civil War--and it just might be the same someone who framed Abbey's dad.Fresh, funny, and heartwarming, Girl from Felony Bay is the perfect book for fans of Rebecca Stead's...
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Eight Skilled Gentlemen mlanto-3

Once again Master Li and Number Ten Ox, the most incongruous and eccentric pair of sleuths in the realms of fantasy, take on another case. It begins with a vampire ghoul interrupting an execution and leads to a murdered mandarin and the sightings of some very terrible creatures.
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R.I.P. Eliza Hart

When Eliza Hart, the most popular girl at Ventana Ranch boarding school, is found dead, Ellie Sokoloff is determined to figure out what happened to her. After all, Eliza was Ellie's childhood best friend. Never mind that ever since Ellie arrived at school Eliza has spread terrible rumors about her, calling her a liar and a stalker, when all Ellie wanted to do was rekindle their old friendship. Or that Ellie's claustrophobia limits where she can go and what she can do. Or that Ellie's suitemate, Sam, is the only one who will help her . . . because to everyone else, Ellie looks like the top suspect. Can Ellie clear her name and solve the mystery behind Eliza's death? Her hunt for the truth will uncover secrets she never imagined, sending her deep into her own memories of her childhood with Eliza Hart. New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel delivers a gripping mystery and a sensitive and moving examination of the secrets that can hold us back—and even destroy us.
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How Do You Go to the Bathroom In Space?

Have you ever wondered what it's really like for an astronaut in outer space? From the exciting moments to the day-to-day details, from the serious to the humorous, you'll find answers to every question you've ever had about living in space!

What does it feel like to be weightless? Would a sneeze propel you backward? What happens to your body in space? And, most importantly, how do you go to the bathroom in space?

Find out the answers from the astronaut who for more than a decade held the world record for the number of days spent living in space!

To take advantage of the renewed interest in space travel, thanks to the success of Packing for Mars, this re-release of the bestseller (with over a quarter million copies in print) features a fresh look, dozens of authentic NASA photographs, and an introduction by John...

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Can't Just Stop

The first book to examine the science behind both mild and extreme compulsive behavior—using fascinating case studies to understand its deeper meaning and reveal the truth about human compulsion.Whether shopping with military precision or hanging the tea towels just so, compulsion is something most of us have witnessed in daily life. But compulsions exist along a broad continuum, and at the opposite end of these mild forms exist life altering disorders. Sharon Begley's meticulously researched book is the first of its kind to examine all of these behaviors—mild and extreme (OCD, hoarding, acquiring, exercise, even compulsions to do good)—together, as they should be, because while forms of compulsion may look incredibly different, these are actually all coping responses to varying degrees of anxiety. With a focus on personal stories of dozens of interviewees, Begley employs genuine compassion and gives meaningful context to their plight. Along...
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One Secret Too Many

It had been sheer fantasy"Alex" would never forget the magic of the night she met "Sam" on a deserted beach in Vancouver.Now the spell was broken and Alex Diamond, crime writer extraordinaire, was forced to return to her solitary existence as ordinary Mary Houseman from Prince Rupert.When Sam Dempsey, her "Sam," arrived to take up residence as the local doctor, Mary panicked. If the secret of their one fateful night together became known, she'd never find a happy ending to her adventurous fairy tale!
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