Francis King's range, both geographical and emotional, was always as remarkable in his short stories as in his novels. In this collection, there are stories that are poignantly valedictory, like the title one, with its unflinching examination of the relationships between a tough, self-willed elderly man and the young woman determined to exploit him. There are three chilling stories of the supernatural, 'Now You See It', set in Egypt, 'The Pushchair', set in Brighton, and 'The Sitting Tenant', set in contemporary London. In 'Dreams', an old man recollects an event—the most important of his whole life, he now realises—that took place during a school holiday in Belgium during the immediate prelude to World War Two. 'Everyone is Nobody' is a devastating study of bereavement. Without exception, all the stories show King's characteristic combination of subtlety and force of emotion.'His voice is utterly convincing' Beryl Bainbridge, Daily Telegraph Views: 53
By day, Risika sleeps in shaded room in Concord, Massachusetts. By night, she hunts the streets of New York City. She is used to being alone. But someone is following Risika. He has left her a black rose, the same sort of rose that sealed her fate three hundred years ago. Three hundred years ago Risika had a family- a brother and a father who loved her. Three hundred years ago she was human. Now she was a vampire, a powerful one. And her past has come back to torment her. Views: 53
What are cyborgs?The Seven Sleepers don't know. But they offer to help their new friend Rainor rescue his sweetheart from them, anyway. And does that ever get them into a pack of trouble.The city of the cyborgs is totally weird. In the first place, travelers who go in can't get out. The Sleepers can't get out. And what's with the cyborg people? How come they all wear these antennas on their heads? And who in the world are the annihilators?Watch Josh and Sarah and your other Sleeper friends tackle their rescue mission. And see them get the advice they need from Goel, their good leader, at just the right time. Views: 53
Richly imagined and as irresistible as its magical setting, Carnevale evokes the three great loves of the painter Cecilia Cornaro: Casanova, Byron and La Serenissima herself. Views: 53
The greatest secret in the history of mankind is a secret worth killing for...
During the Middle Ages a rumor was born about a mysterious and sacred Ancient Egyptian text. Known as the Emerald Tablet, it was said to contain the secret of creation.
But the greatest secret of all is who wrote it... Views: 53
Johanna Coco is finally home in Bitterly, Connecticut, to attend her beloved grandmother's funeral--only to be confronted by the very reason she's stayed away to begin with--Charlie McCallan. Her high school sweetheart is now divorced, and no longer the skinny boy Johanna once loved. Hometown handsome and dependable as always, Charlie is the kind of man she needs to lean on as she and her sisters grapple with their grief--as well as the mystery of their long-missing mother, Carolina. But Johanna's heart isn't only haunted by her ghosts; it's haunted by what happened between her and Charlie... Charlie is determined to do things right this time, and he has to do it before Johanna vanishes from his life again. First he needs to prove to her that the past is past, and they can overcome it--no easy task when he's up against the ghosts lingering in her life, trying to convince her that happily-ever-after is not in the cards for any of the catastrophe-prone Coco sisters, least... Views: 53
Bad guys tremble at the sound of his name!From: [email protected]: [email protected] Melvin, We need your help. Someone has been sending us threatening letters. We don't know who it is. Please come to our concert tonight, just in case.Sincerely,Fred of The Grateful FredSomeone is out to get the Grateful Fred, Melvin Beederman's all-time favorite rock-and-roll band. Can he and his partner-in-uncrime, Candace, find out who it is before it's too late? Or will Joe the Okay Guy turn into Joe the Bad Guy and put an end to the Grateful Fred once and for all? In this third installment of the Melvin Beederman series, only the narrator knows for sure! Views: 53
What's the best way to create artificial intelligence? In 1950, Alan Turing wrote, “Many people think that a very abstract activity, like the playing of chess, would be best. It can also be maintained that it is best to provide the machine with the best sense organs that money can buy, and then teach it to understand and speak English. This process could follow the normal teaching of a child. Things would be pointed out and named, etc. Again I do not know what the right answer is, but I think both approaches should be tried.” The first approach has been tried many times in both science fiction and reality. In this new novella, at over 30,000 words, his longest work to date, Ted Chiang offers a detailed imagining of how the second approach might work within the contemporary landscape of startup companies, massively-multiplayer online gaming, and open-source software. It's a story of two people and the artificial intelligences they helped create, following them for more than a decade as they deal with the upgrades and obsolescence that are inevitable in the world of software. At the same time, it's an examination of the difference between processing power and intelligence, and of what it means to have a real relationship with an artificial entity. Views: 53
Nina Reilly takes on the most dangerous and difficult case of her career in New York Times bestselling author Perri O'Shaughnessy's latest thriller. An ingenious blend of forensic science, history, and gripping suspense, Unlucky in Law pits the tough but compassionate attorney against the most unbeatable adversary of all: the law. Nina has just received a last-minute call from her old boss and mentor in Monterey County, California, where she is enjoying the breathtaking scenery and spending time with her boyfriend, P.I. Paul van Wagoner. Klaus Pohlmann is in desperate straits and begs Nina to take over a seemingly unwinnable case: A luckless two-time felon named Stefan Wyatt has robbed a grave and made off with the long-buried bones of a Russian émigré. When he is caught and arrested, further devastating evidence found in the grave suggests that Stefan is guilty of a far more deadly crime. A young woman, a classmate of Stefan's, has been killed, and he is accused of her murder. Now, as a result of California's Third Strike law, Wyatt is looking at twenty-five years to life whether he's convicted of grand theft or murder. Either way, he's in big trouble. With her client's blood DNA found in the dead woman's apartment, Nina faces an uphill battle. Suspecting that her hapless client has been set up, Nina brings in a brilliant forensic pathologist who comes up with a startling theory about the case that could rewrite a crucial page of European history. As the evidence mounts against Nina's client, Paul launches his own investigation into the shadowy past of the two-decades-old skeleton. But long-held secrets nearly get him killed and reveal a more insidious evil at work – and an extraordinary story dating back to tsarist Russia and the Romanov court. As Wyatt edges closer to the unluckiest verdict of his young life, Nina makes an astounding discovery that just might save her client – or expose a killer who could bury them all. Brilliantly imagined and compulsively readable, Unlucky in Law is a beguiling mix of wrenching drama and gripping action. And it is Perri O'Shaughnessy's most accomplished novel to date. Views: 53
On the cobbled streets of Bradford in 1931, Lily Briggs does all she can to keep trouble at bay for her and her family.She works hard at Calvert Mill to make ends meet and take care of her parents and younger siblings. Saturday nights at the dance hall and dressmaking with her two best friends keep Lily upbeat, and now there's a blossoming romance with childhood friend Harry Bainbridge to put an extra spring in her step, too.But then a run of misfortune threatens Lily's work, home and personal life, and she has to rely on the community at the mill to rally together for support. With so many others to worry about, will Lily always put them first or can she find her own happy ending?A heart-warming, nostalgic tale of triumph over adversity that readers of Katie Flynn, Margaret Dickinson and Call the Midwife will adore. Views: 53
When their mother goes missing from her nursing home, three estranged siblings must fulfill the requests left in her will before they can find closure—or receive their inheritance.Mattie Benson feels trapped in Grand Oak Acres Nursing Home. Abandoned by her adult children and missing her deceased husband, she takes matters into her own hands and leaves the facility. A Mattie's Call is issued, and soon, the siblings learn things about their mother they never knew—namely, her ability to bring them together through the conditions of her will. Gabrielle, the eldest daughter, must stop living life on her looks, get a job, and move out of the family home. This feat proves difficult for a forty-nine-year-old woman accustomed to the generosity of wealthy men. Joshua, the runaway groom, must reconnect with the son he never knew existed. He isn't against the idea, but facing the only love of his life proves more difficult than he anticipated. Alice,... Views: 53
