When a crimson-haired stranger strips for Isla’s life drawing class she never expected him to end up in her bed. But he wants more than her… Four hundred years ago, Nik was tricked by his lover and left stranded as a human. Now he craves only one thing: to reclaim the book that was once his tail and become a water Elemental again. Losing his heart to an art student was never part of his plan. Views: 57
The same week William Jefferson Clinton was sworn in as head of our national family, I became a father.And so begins one columnist's journey through the Clinton presidency. For humorist and political commentator Michael Graham, the trip is a hilarious tour de farce of America at its most ridiculous, and its most real. In the tradition of H. L. Menken (after whom his son is named) and P. J. O'Rourke, Michael Graham lets fly his lampoons on deserving targets across the American landscape. From Al Gore on the left ("the ideology of Ralph Nader, the ethics of Richard Nixon") to Strom Thurmond on the right (campaign slogan: "Getting Out of Bed for More Than 94% of a Century!"), Graham casts his merrily cynical eye and sees all. Graham begins this collection of contemporary humor with an overview of the Clinton years and how they have changed him as a citizen, a father, and a writer ("What other president could turn the phrase 'face time' into an instant punchline?")... Views: 57
Amazon.com ReviewWhen Calvin Jeffries's body is found in the courthouse parking garage, eyes widen and horrified tongues wag. The fact that Jeffries was a thoroughly reprehensible human being doesn't detract from the notoriety of the first murder of a sitting Oregon judge. Defense attorney extraordinaire Joe Antonelli has a long history with Jeffries. Years ago the judge threw him into jail for contempt in a vain attempt to deter Antonelli from winning yet another case. But one of Antonelli's colleagues suffered even more. As the curious Antonelli pieces together fragments of the legendary judge's past, he discovers that Jeffries apparently drove Elliott Winston insane, had him committed, and married his wife. If only Elliott weren't still securely in the psychiatric hospital, what a sterling suspect he'd make!But the police find the killer, a homeless man with the murder weapon and a willingness to confess, who promptly commits suicide after being taken into custody. The legal community breathes a sigh of relief--until a second judge is murdered in the same manner. When another homeless man is arrested, Antonelli's "bizarre coincidence" antennae start to quiver, and he offers his services to the defendant. So convinced is he of Danny's innocence that he plunges undercover into the vagrant's world, searching for evidence of a setup. But his discoveries seem to point directly to the impossible--for how could Elliott Winston, safely tucked behind bars, be the murderer?At some point during The Judgment (the exact moment will vary according to individual tolerance), you may find yourself putting the book aside and picking up an Elmore Leonard for an emergency infusion of quality dialogue. Along with everyone with whom he comes in contact, Antonelli suffers from an apparent speech impediment that usually makes him sound like a particularly pompous 19th-century pundit. When author D.W. Buffa lets his courtroom savvy take center stage, the novel moves along briskly (even though Antonelli takes some rather remarkable legal liberties, it's all in good fun). The subplot involving the return of Antonelli's high-school sweetheart, however, feels less integral than afterthought-ish. Though Buffa tries to tie everything together at the end with a heavily contrived twist that probably set O. Henry yawning in his grave, the novel's final note isn't one of ringing irony. It's more like a dull thud. --Kelly FlynnFrom Publishers WeeklyInventing a perfectly odious victim and an obvious killer with the perfect alibi, Buffa cooks up a convoluted legal thriller littered with plot-twist land mines that explode when least expected. Toss in a poignant midlife romance and an innocent, put-upon defendant, and you have a novel with wide appeal. So few people grieve when loathsome circuit judge Calvin Jeffries is stabbed to death and gutted in the courthouse parking garage that it comes as a shock when the confessed killer is revealed to be a homeless man with no apparent ties to the victim. When a second sharp-tongued judge is killed the same way in the same spot, the cops call it a copycat killing and arrest a retarded homeless man on an anonymous tip, finding him with the murder weapon. Seasoned defense attorney Joseph Antonelli, himself a particularly maligned target of the venomous Jeffries, is persuaded to take the case and becomes convinced that both murders were planned by the same brilliant criminal one Antonelli is particularly familiar with, since the man once shot him. Antonelli's investigator, disbarred lawyer and recovering alcoholic Howard Flynn, sees his own dead son in the retarded defendant and throws himself wholeheartedly into the case. Unfortunately, Antonelli's suspect has been in the state home for the criminally insane for the past 12 years and could not possibly have committed the crimes. Meanwhile, bachelor Antonelli's high school sweetheart re-enters his life after a bout with manic depression and a rough divorce. Buffa (The Prosecution) once again produces a fast-spinning tale that jolts and veers enticingly off-track, but always stays comfortably in sight of the main objective. Well-developed characters and the rich Portland, Ore., milieu add depth to this excellent thriller. Agent, Wendy Sherman. Major ad/ promo; author tour; audio. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Views: 57
The wind and I playtug-of-war with my new kite.The wind is winning.When you're a guy, nature is one big playground—no matter what the season. There are puddles to splash in the spring, pine trees to climb in the summer, maple seeds to catch in the fall, and icicles to swordfight with in the winter.Nature also has a way of making a guy appreciate important stuff—like how many rocks it takes to dam up a stream, or how much snow equals a day off from school.So what kind of poetry best captures these special moments, at a length that lets guys get right back to tree-climbing and kite-flying? Why, guyku, of course! Views: 57
Brady Coyne is a middle-aged Boston attorney with a small, select clientele - one that leaves him sufficient time to pursue a personal life. That personal life currently focuses on Evie Banyon, a hospital administrator Brady has been seeing for the past year. While they are on a weekend vacation in Cape Cod, though, a determined stalker from Evie's past turns up to torment her anew. After an unpleasant confrontation with him, Brady and Evie return to their vacation cabin with a dark cloud hanging over them. The next morning, Brady wakes up to the sound of Evie, just outside the cabin, screaming for help. What he finds is the stalker's murdered body lying at Evie's feet, a body she claims to have discovered when she returned from her morning run. Now both Brady and Evie are considered prime suspects in the murder of a man with deep ties to the local community. Released by the police after intense questioning, they return to Boston, whereupon Evie disappears without word or much of a trace. Realizing just how little he knows about Evie's life, Brady Coyne must now delve into her past if he is to uncover the truth about the dead body in his front yard and find the missing Evie in time. Views: 57
Eric Wright introduced Mel Pickett in Buried In Stone. In his newest adventure, the retired officer from Toronto becomes involved in police work when a body is discovered in the cabin he owns. The day shift at the Ontario Provincial Police Station had just come on duty when they received a disturbing call - a homicide in a log cabin on Larch River. Sergeant Wilkie fears it's Mel who has been killed and is almost relieved when he sees that the victim is Norbert Thompson, a local "hired man" who had been renting Pickett's cabin. Just as Wilkie starts looking for a motive, Pickett arrives in town and learns of the murder. His immediate thought is, was he the intended victim?
Sergeant Wilkie and ex-Sergeant Mel pursue their investigations separately but each keeps a watchful eye on the other. Wilkie's lead brings him to rural Ontario, where Thompson used to work as a "hired man" on his brother's farm. Mel looks for the killer among violent men who threatened him as they were led off to jail. Will they catch the killer before he or she strikes again? Views: 57
From the bestselling author of The Horse Thief comes a historical story of love, intrigue and danger in the majestic cedar forests of the Hunter Valley.Even if time heals all wounds, you still bear the scars...Wollombi: 1855. When Roisin Ogilvie moves to Wollombi her thoughts are only of protecting her illegitimate son, Ruan, from the grasps of his powerful and dangerous father. Posing as an impoverished widow, she settles into a quiet existence as a local dressmaker. She doesn't expect to catch the attention of Irish champion cedar cutter Carrick O'Connor, or any other man for that matter.Carrick O'Connor may have won the coveted Wollombi Wood Chop, but his mind is on the beautiful seamstress and her son. Or rather, on who they remind him of. Determined to exact revenge for the horrors of his past, Carrick plans to return to Ireland to seek revenge on the land agent who was responsible for the death of his wife and child, and his... Views: 57
Cussler's most dazzling bestseller. Dirk Pitt's most dangerous adventure. ****Dirk Pitt proved invincible in *Raise the Titanic!* Now, with the future of virtually every person in the world at stake, he is enlisted to spearhead his most daring mission yet—the rescue of a vital document for the United States. To an energy-starved, economically devastated America, possession of this document is worth billions. But to Great Britain, it’s worth a war. Pitt’s quest plunges him into a head-to-head confrontation with Britian’s most cunning secret agent—and into the throes of a torrid love triangle. As time runs out for a desperate America, Dirk Pitt races toward an underwater clash more terrifying than anything Clive Cussler has ever created—the breathtaking climax of **Night Probe!**** Views: 57
Bennie Rosato the founder of the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm hides her big heart beneath her tough-as-nails exterior and she doesn't like to fail. Now, a case from her past shows her how differently things might have turned out. Thirteen years ago, Bennie Rosato took on Jason Leftavick, a twelve-year-old boy who was sent to a juvenile detention center after fighting a class bully. Bennie couldn't free Jason, and to this day it's the case that haunts her. Jason has grown up in and out of juvenile prison, and his adulthood hasn't been any easier. Bennie no longer represents those accused of murder, but when Jason is indicted for killing the same bully he fought with as a kid, she sees no choice but to represent him. She doesn't know whether or not to believe his claims of innocence, but she knows she owes him for past failures—of the law, of the juvenile justice system, and of herself. Forced to relive the darkest period of her life, Bennie will do everything in her power to... Views: 57
Like Rip Van Winkle returning to his hometown to find that all has changed, Nathan Zuckerman comes back to New York, the city he left eleven years before. Alone on his New England mountain, Zuckerman has been nothing but a writer: no voices, no media, no terrorist threats, no women, no news, no tasks other than his work and the enduring of old age.Walking the streets like a revenant, he quickly makes three connections that explode his carefully protected solitude. One is with a young couple with whom, in a rash moment, he offers to swap homes. They will flee post-9/11 Manhattan for his country refuge, and he will return to city life. But from the time he meets them, Zuckerman also wants to swap his solitude for the erotic challenge of the young woman, Jamie, whose allure draws him back to all that he thought he had left behind: intimacy, the vibrant play of heart and body.The second connection is with a figure from Zuckerman's youth, Amy Bellette, companion and muse to... Views: 57
