After a six-year absence from the bestseller lists, Dick Francis roared out of the gate with 2006's Under Orders, demonstrating once again every ounce of his famed narrative drive, brilliant plotting, and simmering suspense. Hard on the heels of that triumph comes Dead Heat, set against the backdrop of Britain 's famed Two Thousand Guineas Stakes. Max Moreton is a rising culinary star and his Newmarket restaurant, The Hay Net, has brought him great acclaim and a widening circle of admirers. But when nearly all the guests who enjoyed one of his meals at a private catered affair fall victim to severe food poisoning, his kitchen is shuttered and his reputation takes a hit. Scrambling to meet his next obligation, an exclusive luncheon for forty in the glass-fronted private boxes at the Two Thousand Guineas, Max must overcome the previous evening's disaster and provide the new American sponsors of the year's first classic race with a day to remember. Then a bomb blast rips through the private boxes, killing some of Max's trusted staff as well as many of the guests. As survivors are rushed to the hospital, Max is left to survey the ruins of the grandstand-and of his career. Two close calls are too close for comfort, and Max vows to protect his name-and himself-before it's too late. Views: 55
Days before Stevie Garrett's Beverly Hills wedding; his fiancée, actress Edie McCall, discovers the murdered bodies of her three close friends. Stevie is plunged into a manhunt for the killer and a lost girl, only to discover that the leading suspect is Edie's father.The trail leads to the Mojave Desert and the mountains outside Tucson, where the killer lures Stevie to Las Vegas with strange, Bible-influenced clues. While there, Stevie meets two gorgeous twins who seem vaguely familiar. When one of them goes missing, Stevie must solve more clues, leading him on a hunt through the pleasure palaces of Sin City in order to find the killer and the answers to the mysteries of the beautiful women that have needed his help for almost a decade. Views: 55
Feeding strawberries to pigs' 'The people you see when you haven't got a gun' 'For every old sock, there's an old shoe' 'Be civil, but strange.' 'Nature shines through the eyes of a cat.' 'As delicate as bully, when he ate the dishcloth.' I grew up with these sayings: my parents were Irish immigrants to England so I am the product of my Anglo- Irish upbringing. I live in a world that is in-between two cultures. I used to feel that I belonged nowhere. Now I realise that I have been enriched by these diverse influences and my obsession with these issues has informed my writing. When I am in Ireland I feel there is a bond with the people and their outlook, but unfortunately for me, when I speak people think I must be English. Many Irish people cannot accept that I am Irish. I also recognise that a part of me is English, and this makes for an interesting creative mix. These stories seek to show, what it has been like to grow up Irish in England. I have also attempted to explore... Views: 55
A Terran Times TaleIn Guardian custody, Amy finds out how to live within the strictures of a new society when her host is anything but formal. A criminal consortium has targeted Amy to become one of them. She has refused, and their answer was to have her imprisoned under false charges. By the time someone figures out the botched paperwork, she could be dead.An image of her in the arms of an ex-Guardian gets attention, and she is removed from Janial Prison and into secure custody on Rai. The formality of the clothing is second only to the amount of etiquette required to navigate an average day.Lord Akutan of Rai is curious to see what his Guardian niece, Blade, has left in his home, under his care. The elegant woman with the pansy purple eyes sends shockwaves through him, and only the threat of ruining her reputation keeps him from her at first sight. The moment he gets her alone, however, things take a decidedly sensual turn. Views: 55
Surrender the Dark, the first novel in the Three Musketeers series by Donna Kauffman, offers the tantalizing story of a hardened, highly trained operative—and the woman who must save him.They call themselves the Three Musketeers: three lifelong friends, men who will put it all on the line in the name of honor and loyalty. Jarrett McCullough values those bonds as seriously as he values his job heading a covert group of operatives skilled in handling sensitive international information. But his current mission has suddenly gone very wrong—and he finds himself wounded and near death in the last place he ever expected to be.Rae Gannon is stunned to find her ex-boss bleeding from a gunshot wound, mere paces from her front door. It has been two years since her move to the remote Blue Ridge Mountains, where she tried to erase the memories and the pain she suffered from having been part of McCullough’s team. Yet as Rae tends to Jarrett’s battered body she realizes that the air between them is still sizzling with a slow-burning need. But this time there are more than just hearts at stake. The mission that almost got Jarrett killed threatens to put Rae back in harm’s way. And if they surrender to their desires, it may cost them their lives.Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: Blaze of Winter, Light My Fire, and Santerra’s Sin. Views: 55
On a broken ship orbiting a doomed sun, dwellers have grown complacent with their aging metal world. But when a serving girl frees a captive noblewoman, the old order is about to change.... Ariane, Princess of the House of Rule, was known to be fiercely cold-blooded. But severing an angel’s wings on the battlefield—even after she had surrendered—proved her completely without honor. Captive, the angel Perceval waits for Ariane not only to finish her off—but to devour her very memories and mind. Surely her gruesome death will cause war between the houses—exactly as Ariane desires. But Ariane’s plan may yet be opposed, for Perceval at once recognizes the young servant charged with her care. Rien is the lost child: her sister. Soon they will escape, hoping to stop the impending war and save both their houses. But it is a perilous journey through the crumbling hulk of a dying ship, and they do not pass unnoticed. Because at the hub of their turning world waits Jacob Dust, all that remains of God, following the vapor wisp of the angel. And he knows they will meet very soon. Views: 55
In a blink of an eye Allyson Roberts loses her fiancé, her employment, and her fortune. Just when she seems to have hit the bottom, Ally is recruited by an undercover agency that is interested in her skills. She takes the job with only one goal in mind: to clear her father's name. Payback is the only thought on her mind as she convinces herself that her heart has no room for love–or does it?A former top agent in his field, Jake Morrissey has inner demons he can't put to rest. Now he bides his time as a training instructor. He's sworn off women, but try as he might he can't keep his eyes off Allyson Roberts. When he's asked to partner up with Ally on a new assignment, Jake is tempted to end his retirement. Will he keep running from his fears or will he find the strength to become the man he once was? Views: 55
