On the tranquil shores of Lake Champlain sits the Bard's B & B -- not your typical vacation spot. Run by a Shakespearean scholar and a former bookstore owner, both with roots in the intelligence community, guests are often unruly, secretive, and occasionally downright dangerous. When a Syrian rebel leader's daughters are sent for safe-keeping, it's a spy free-for-all Shakespeare would have envied. Views: 19
IT'S THE CELEBRITY WEDDING OF THE YEAR AND EVERYONE'S INVITED! Portia Davenport is officially the lucklest woman in the world. She and her drop-dead gorgeous husband, Andrew, have just finished ploughing a fortune into renovating her ancestral home, Davenport Hall, and are now planning to unveil it as one of the most fabulous, luxurious, five-star country house hotels in Kildare... But life never turns out like you think, and no sooner has the red ribbon been cut at the grand opening party, than Andrew is jetting off to New York, back to his old job, old apartment, old friends and Portia very much fears, his bachelor ways... And so the smooth running of Davenport Hall is entrusted to her beautiful younger sister, Daisy, which is a bit like leaving Country Barbie in charge of the United Nations. Especially as Eleanor Armstrong, daughter of the Irish President has chosen the Hall as the perfect backdrop for her society wedding to footballing legend, Oldcastle United's star striker and general all-round sex god, Mark Lloyd... Meanwhile, in New York Portia meets Lynn Fairweather, a single woman who's looking for Mr Right in much the same way that Scott was looking for the Antarctic. And if he just happens to be married to Portia, then that's her problem... And what is that smell coming from the cowsheds??? Views: 19
This set includes the three first volume of the Age of Night series, Kitty Cat, Pretty Kitten and Catnip. Kitty CatAisling has every reason in the world to like her life as it is: away from the shifter community. Tucked in her little corner of the world, she sees no reason to gets involved in the drama of the ever warring packs, until trouble knocks at her door.Trouble wrapped in a delicious package her cat wants to claw. Raygan didn't know what he expected when he moved his pride to the loner's territory; maybe having to deal with a criminal, or someone in hiding. Instead, he found a fiercely protective, insanely attractive lunatic with secrets he wants to unravel. A lunatic who might very well be his fated mate.Pretty KittenOut of every kind of paranormal out there, shifters are incontestably the least frightening; until now. It's a closely guarded secret... Views: 19
From BooklistPro football player turned lawyer Jake Lassiter is savoring a drink at a South Beach bar when a beautiful young woman shoots the man on the next bar stool and faints in Lassiter's arms. It's one way to get clients, he figures. The woman, Chrissy Bernhardt, is charged with the first-degree murder of her father, whom Chrissy believes abused her as a child. Lassiter takes the case, which is complicated by the fact that Chrissy's repressed memories of her father's abuse have been "unlocked" with the help of a therapist who turns out to be her late mother's former lover. The seventh Lassiter novel continues the series' steady improvement. Lassiter is smart, tough, funny, and very human. He's coming on fast as one of the most entertaining series characters in contemporary crime fiction. Wes LukowskyFrom Kirkus ReviewsNot even a lawyer as light on his feet as Jake Lassiter can find much wiggle room when he himself was one of the dozens of witnesses who watched his client, model Chrissy Bernhardt, walk up to her father in a crowded bar and shoot him three times, sending him spiraling into a fatal heart attack. And things just get worse when Chrissy's psychiatrist, obliging Dr. Lawrence Schein, hands Jake solid-gold evidence of Chrissy's childhood abuse by Harry Bernhardt--something Schein claims is a perfect defense, though it's nothing more or less, to Jake's disillusioned eyes, than the perfect motive for premeditated murder. With no hope of winning acquittal for a client who tells him she wanted to hurt the old man as badly as he'd hurt her and who cheerfully disclaims the slightest sign of remorse, Jake's only prayer is to go for manslaughter. But armed with all those tapes of Dr. Schein's (including the prizewinner, in which Chrissy tells him she's just bought the gun she's going to shoot her father with), who could doubt the premeditation the prosecution alleges--unless of course it's Jake himself, who's broken his usual rule against sleeping with his clients in favor of the deeper rule that draws him to every guilty-looking dame in Miami? Jake just never learns about women--luckily for his fans, who'll find this impossible case, his seventh (Fool Me Twice, 1995, etc.), more tightly wound than any since his debut in To Speak for the Dead (1990). -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Views: 19
When biologist Chris Bacon headed for the unspoiled rainforests of Papua New Guinea in search of medicinal plants, he had no idea that he would bring home a rare flower rumored by a tribal shaman to prevent human aging. Driven by fountain-of-youth dreams, he plans to turn the flower into an elixir of youth and health. But as Chris begins tampering with the ultimate secret of nature, he unleashes forces that not only threaten his own family, but expose the world to unimaginably horrific consequences. *** "Elixir has something smart to say, and combines the best of the thriller genre to say it: engrossing story, hot science, interesting characters, stylish prose, and runaway pacing." – Robert B. Parker, New York Times bestselling author of the Spenser novels "Elixir is stylish, finely tuned and terrifying-the best thriller I've curled up with in a long while. If you need a good night's sleep, wait until morning to start this one." – Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of Miracle Cure "Exceeds in the art of storytelling… Taut, fast, bullet-sleek, with that hauntingly persistent question: How far would you be willing to go to obtain immortality, and what price are you willing to pay for it?" – The Charleston Post Courier "Fast paced and well-plotted… Braver's larger purpose is to explore the moral and ethical dilemmas proposed by anti-aging technologies. He does so with compelling plot twists, as well as down-to-earth writing that brings his characters to life as ordinary yet complex people. The drug itself may produce a fatal addiction, but the story behind its development makes for an intoxicating read." – Publishers Weekly "A roller-coaster ride… a fascinating story that leads to philosophical pondering as well." – The Port St. Lucie News "A fast-paced gem of a thriller." – The Capital Times, Madison Wisconsin "Gary Braver has produced a stimulating mixture of villainy, science and the philosophical and practical issues that underlie the new found ability to create 'immortality' or, at least, a major deferment of the aging process. Along the way, Mr. Braver introduces us to some of the scientific issues underlying the aging process, the role of telomerase and whether aging is in fact inevitable… Enough science to make the narrative plausible, but not too much to paralyze the narrative development… Once started, Elixir could not be easily put down. Elixir should be a deservedly popular read by scientists and non-scientists alike." – Pharmaceutical News, Vol. 7, No. 4 "Elixir delivers all the suspense and excitement you could ask for, and asks a hard question, too: What would you do if you found that you could live forever? Read Elixir and find out." – William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Cap Cod and Annapolis "Among the best of recent contributions to its genre because of its engaging plot and the issues it addresses, this is an outstanding addition to all fiction collections." – Library Journal "A terrifying novel… fast-paced, filled with action, twists and turns." – Midwest Book Review "Engaging prose and plausible character development… Braver's background in physics and his extensive knowledge of the mechanisms of aging, make much of the technical aspects of Elixir ring true." – The Arlington Advocate "A first-rate biotech thriller that explores the ethical and moral dilemma projected by anti-aging technologies… This is an excellent [book] with a lot of important ideas about the real-life rush to strip the rainforest to find botanical cures, and the agonizing decisions we face as to who should control the finds." – Sullivan County Democrat "Elixir [is the] new, heady literary thriller by Arlington author Gary Braver… Braver has taped into an American obsession and come up with a relentless page-turner that manages to deal with technical, scientific and medical material while still being entertaining, witty and very unnevering." – Watertown Tab Press "In Gary Braver's page-turning thriller Elixir, a biologist stumbles across an anti-aging drug that works. Once the secret is out in the open, everyone gets into the act, from the drug lords to corporate management to the FBI… Can biologist Christopher Bacon resist the drug, even if it means that he'll stay young and vibrant while his family ages? Wouldn't want to spoil the fun." – The Herald (WA) "This novel has some winning twists and even a nostalgic visit with Ronald Reagan… Elixir is really bad science but awfully good fiction." – Tampa Tribune Times "If you're tired of the Grisham legal drama and the Clancy spy novel, and if you're looking for an exciting, fun, read, pick up Elixir. It is wonderfully written… The characters are beautifully realized… Lots of drama; lots of suspense. This is a great thriller!" – Entertainment Tomorrow "A fantastic thriller and an intriguing ethical study… A thrilling cascade of drama and paranoia." – The Northeastern News "A novel of commendable skill and literary craftsmanship." – The Armenian Mirror Spectator "Braver makes sure that every twist and turn makes sense… He is a master craftsman when it comes to creating characters. There is not a single character major or minor, that feels as if they are two-dimensional, put on the pages as if to serve a purpose… Elixir has all the makings of a great movie… I expect to see it on the silver screen." – Shelflife "I found myself thinking about this book every time I put it down. And it was very hard to put down. It races to a heart-stopping conclusion but lingers with you long after the last page. This is a great book for that long plane ride or a day at the beach." – Kate's Mystery Books Newsletter "[Braver] has tapped into an American obsession and come up with a relentless page-turner that manages to deal with technical, scientific, and medical material while still being entertaining, witty, and very unnerving." – Metrowest and Community Newspapers "Gary Braver's plot is informed by a real-world sensibility in which the heroes may be smart, but are given to blindness and ambition-and the bad guys, while evil, are far from stupid. A breathtaking series of moves and countermoves propels the story toward unforeseeable, tragic consequences, but at its heart the book remains a meditation on the nature of life and its need for family. This is one terrific thriller." – Wigglefish.com "A fasten-your-seatbelt thriller… with never an obvious or cliched moment… Elixir not only gives us a complex story but also features characters who are complex and richly textured, and who act in ways that surprise but make perfect sense given what we come to know about their personalities… While he has produced an unabashedly commercial page-turner, Braver has also probed, in a profound and often disturbing fashion, some fundamental questions about the ever-expanding role of biotechnology in modern life… Perhaps Elixir is not only entertaining and provocative, but prophetic as well." – Northeastern University Magazine Views: 19
England, 1870: His health failing, his most important work all but done, Charles Dickens is readying himself for the final bed. But there is still one more story that he must tell. As a young journalist just getting his start, Dickens encountered a story that would affect him for the rest of his life.As his Sketches by Boz" column is just beginning to find acclaim, young Dickens encounters the wealthy and powerful Charles Wingate. While researching the mysterious businessman, Dickens uncovers a horrific story of corruption and violence, centered on a mutilated prostitute and the murder of her lover. Dickens's investigation could wreak havoc on Wingate and, more importantly, his beautiful wife Amanda. Dickens, already betrothed to his publisher's daughter, realizes just how loveless his future marriage will be as he falls in love with Amanda – even as his story threatens to ruin the Wingates.The Final Recollections of Charles Dickensblends a... Views: 19
Lea is having the worst Valentine’s day ever. Her boyfriend dumped her… …for her best friend. Her mother’s getting remarried… …to a jerk. Her step brother is insanely hot… …and an asshole. Just when she asks if anything else can go wrong… Her step brother kisses her. In front of their parents. FML. Views: 19
Juniper Sawfeather is choosing which college to attend after graduation from West Olympia High School next year. She wants to go to San Diego to be far away from her environmental activist parents. They expect her to think the way they do, but having to be constantly fighting causes makes it difficult to be an average seventeen-year-old high school student. Why do her parents have to be so "out there?" Her feelings on the subject are changed when she and her father rush to the beach after a reported oil spill. As they document the damage, June discovers three humans washed up on the beach, struggling to breathe through the oil coating their skin. At first she thinks they must be surfers, but as she gets closer, she finds out that these aren't humans at all. They're mermaids!Now begins a complex story of intrigue, conspiracy and manipulation as June, her parents, a marine biologist and his handsome young intern, her best friend, the popular clique at school and the oil company... Views: 19
When twenty-year-old Kendall Jordan transfers clear across country to Garrison University, the last thing she’s looking for is a one-night stand. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what, gorgeous, Cruise Elton offers. Kendall has long since come to realize that love is an illusion that never lasts, and Cruise couldn’t agree more—but something deep inside her wants him all for herself. Views: 19
Martha Moody's national bestseller—a compassionate and tender novel about best friends from college. A testament to the power of female friendship. When Clare Mann arrives at Oberlin in 1973, she's never met anyone like Sally Rose. Rich and beautiful, Sally is utterly foreign to a middle-class, Midwestern Protestant like Clare—and utterly fascinating. The fascination only grows when Sally brings her home to L.A. Mr. Rose—charismatic, charming, and owner of a profitable business shrouded in secrey—is nearly as compelling a figure to Clare as he is to his own daughter. California seems like paradise after winters in Ohio. And Clare begins to look forward desperately to these visits, to carefree rides in Sally's Kharmann Ghia and lazy poolside days. As the years pass, Clare becomes a doctor and Sally a lawyer, always remaining roommates at heart, a plane ride or phone call away. Marriages and divorces and births and deaths do not separate... Views: 19
Eleven fictional experiments in genetic engineering…
In this thought-provoking anthology, eleven cutting-edge science fiction writers explore both the promise and peril of genetic engineering.
“The Invisible Country” by Paul J. McAuley
“The Kindly Isle” by Frederik Pohl
“Chaff” by Greg Egan
“Stable Strategies for Middle Management” by Eileen Gunn
“Good With Rice” by John Brunner
“Sunken Gardens” by Bruce Sterling
“The Other Shore” by J. R. Dunn
“Written in Blood” by Chris Lawson
“The Pipes of Pan” by Brian Stableford
“Whiptail” by Robert Reed
“A Planet Named Shayol” by Cordwainer Smith
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