With the smart suspense of Emma Donoghue's Room and the atmospheric claustrophobia of Grey Gardens, Catherine Burns's debut novel The Visitors explores the complex truths we are able to keep hidden from ourselves and the twisted realities that can lurk beneath even the most serene of surfaces."Once you start Catherine Burns's dark, disturbing, and enthralling debut novel, it's hard to stop. The Visitors is bizarrely unsettling, yet compulsively readable." —Iain Reid, internationally bestselling author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things Marion Zetland lives with her domineering older brother John in a crumbling mansion on the edge of a northern seaside resort. A timid spinster in her fifties who still sleeps with teddy bears, Marion does her best to live by John's rules, even if it means turning a blind eye to the noises she hears coming from behind the cellar door...and turning a blind eye to the women's laundry in the... Views: 29
Most years Corby likes summer vacation, but not now. He's stuck at his grandparents' house in Wisconsin, where his grandfather constantly reminds him how timid he is and how different his father was at his age. And his new friend Buck seems to think he's chicken, too, just because he'd rather be sensible than risk getting hurt. To prove he's tough, Corby joins Buck for a nighttime journey into the woods to find the Wish Master, a fierce, giant statue that is rumored to grant wishes. Soon it seems as if the Wish Master does have special powers—though it doesn't always get things exactly right. When Corby wishes for a puppy, a mangy stray comes into his life. He soon grows attached to the loyal mutt. Then the dog gets Corby in big trouble, and Corby decides it's time to wish for what he really wants: to go home. But will this wish bring more harm than good? Views: 29
A medical shocker Twin gynecologists are found dead in their trash-littered Upper East Side Manhattan apartment. Who killed them? And why? Based on a true story that Linda Wolfe was the first journalist to write about, her novel explores the mystery behind the deaths of these wealthy and prominent doctors, and the dark and perverse secret that ruled their lives—one that they tried desperately to hide until the final moments of their deaths. Views: 29
After his wife, Pam, had died, Tom’s virtual household assistant, Valerye, had adapted from just helping around the house to being becoming more of a friend. She was also able to increase the interactions with him through Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Though this interaction was really helping him cope, some of Valerye’s actions caused Tom to question her intent. LIMITED TIME - FREE! Views: 29
From Publishers WeeklyExpatriate Englishman Morris Duckworth, the conman, serial murderer and psychopath last seen in Juggling the Stars, is back, in the egregious effulgence of his evil and charmed life. What is a literary fellow like British author Parks (Europa) doing with a slime like Morris? Having fun, writing a wild and wacky thriller that's like sharing a roller-coaster ride with a suave maniac. Morris is an inspired mixture of loony self-regard and stupidity fueled by obtuseness. Having fatally dispatched Massamina (Mimi) Trevesan, the heiress he kidnapped in the first book, evaded the law and even ingratiated himself with Mimi's family, Morris is now married to her sister, the voraciously libidinous Paola. He's living in a luxury condominium in Verona, swanning around in his Mercedes and battling with his brother-in-law for control of the family wine company. What makes Morris so fascinating is his utterly amoral mindset. Far from suffering true guilt, Morris engages in consummate self-justification. He believes Mimi has forgiven him for her murder, which was merely a reaction "to extreme circumstances." Exhibiting unmistakable signs of schizophrenia, he "sees" Mimi and talks to her, often by car phone. It's Mimi, he thinks, who advises him to dispatch three new victims. Parks applies a wicked imagination to his ingenious plot, getting Morris into one farcically dangerous situation after another. One need not have read the first book to enjoy the frissons of suspense in this one, and readers will hope they haven't seen the last of Morris and his bizarrely lethal adventures. (Feb.) Forecast: It may be his very proflicacy (10 novels and three nonfiction books) that has kept Parks from establishing an identity on this side of the Atlantic. With the right breaks, this very funny novel could find a niche in the mode established by Elmore Leonard. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistA study of psychosis or a riveting ghost story? Just as scholars have debated this question in discussions of James' The Turn * of the Screw, so too may readers dissect Parks' latest mystery. The fortune-hunting Englishman, Morris Duckworth, misses his Italian Mimi, the great love of his life, an unfortunate development because he murdered her in a previous book and married her older sister, Paola. He can, strangely enough, clearly hear and see Mimi, taking solace in their telephone (cordless, of course) conversations as he awaits the death of her and Paolo's mother, a demise that will give him the 50 percent control of the family winery he has long desired. Hoping to finally earn genuine membership into the family that had spurned his courtship of Mimi, he views his brother-in-law Bobo's management of Trevisan Wineries as a mere detail to deal with once he's fully on board. Enter a flesh-and-blood "ghost" from the past that can implicate Morris in Mimi's death, and Parks' deeply dark humor unfurls as Morris takes Mimi's advice and commits yet another murder. Whitney ScottCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved* Views: 29
A craftsman, visionary, and warrior, Shef has risen from slavery to become king of a mighty Viking nation. But his growing kingdom menaces all of Europe, and he has made many powerful enemies. Chief among his enemies are the Knights of the Lance, a fanatical order of soldiers sworn to bring Shef down, no matter what the cost. To defeat Shef, they will go to extraordinary lengths to find the sacred spear of Christ—and resurrect the Holy Roman Empire. Driven by dreams, Shef battles to change the course of history, but even the gods themselves may be plotting against him… Views: 29
Ivan Doig is the author of ten previous books, including the novels Prairie Nocturne and Dancing at the Rascal Fair. A former ranch hand, newspaperman, and magazine editor, Doig holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington. He lives in Seattle. Views: 29
Savor gorgeous writing and the pleasure of romance with Best Lesbian Romance 2014. The lesbian literati in this volume comprising the very best of the year raise the bar with tales that grab readers' attention, and their libidos, and have them coming back for more. Romance is many things: thrilling, inspiring, passionate, and life-altering. But most of all, love — whether new or lifelong — is filled with endless possibility. These 18 stories of love, intimacy, and soaring romance from Andrea Dale, Anna Meadows, Lee Lynch, Radclyffe, and the rest of the best, guide readers on an unforgettable journey of adventure, desire, excitement, and discovery. Views: 29
A cozy mystery set in a glass domed, solar powered town with robots and cake. When Grippy Factor Peggy is called to investigate the attempted kidnapping of a genetically modified miniature sheep in Malltown, she is still grieving over the loss of her old robot. But does Peggy's new robot have anything to do with the mysterious crime? Views: 29
The start of seventh grade and the first football game of the year keep Alex and Ava on their toes in the second book of the It Takes Two series. Seventh grade has finally begun, and the Sackett twins are ready to take their new school by storm! Alex thinks she still has a shot at getting in with the popular crowd and becoming class president—but is she willing to sacrifice having cute quarterback Corey be her boyfriend? Meanwhile, Ava's worst fears are coming true: middle school is really hard, and she's already failing English! When Alex reveals that she's breezing through her class, they investigate a mix-up that leads to a surprising discovery about Ava. Then, at the first football game of the season, the twins find out just how football-crazy their new town really is. Because their dad is the coach, their reputations depend on whether the Tigers win or lose—will they be celebrating a victory, or will they be defeated from the start? Views: 29
Bad times for Lark. Once, he used to work for heaviest racket in a city filled with cults, magic and monstrosity. But a job went wrong and now he's alone and hunted by the freaks and sorcerers he used to police. Then a gig falls into Lark's lap. Some famous actress is getting stalked. By the Devil, she says. Easy money. 'There's no such thing as the devil'. That's what Lark thinks. He's wrong. Views: 29
