In In the Bleak Midwinter, Julia Spencer-Fleming's Malice Domestic-winning first mystery, Reverend Clare Fergusson was quickly introduced to a more eventful life than she had expected after moving to the small town of Millers Kill in upstate New York. But the Episcopal priest and former Army Air Force chopper pilot proved to her flock--and to police chief Russ Van Alstyne--that she could cope with the unexpected, even when it was as dire as murder. In this new adventure for the two ill-matched friends (who are gamely resisting something beyond friendship), evidence shows that a small town can hold just as much evil as the Wicked City.The Chicago Tribune says "[Spencer-Fleming] pulls it off again" in A Fountain Filled With Blood. Views: 127
Francis Hopkinson Smith was a famous author, artist, and accomplished engineer. He is best known for his fiction which often depicts the Old South. Views: 126
"The Blessing of Pan portrays English rural life under a sign of paganism, after the fashion of writers like T.F. Powys." -- The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
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When devastating news brings an abrupt end to a romantic rendezvous, Livvy Holland struggles to accept the death of one of her closest mentors. Livvy’s artwork has always been an expression of her emotions, and avoiding the pain she feels from her recent loss makes painting seem impossible. Her inspiration gone, she devotes her attention to the future she’s planning with Jon Scott. Views: 125
For Frank, L.A.P.D. Homicide Lieutenant L.A. Franco and her homicide squad, it's business as usual -- a multiple murder, ugly as it is, at least seems to have an easy explanation. Until it coincides with an untimely drive-by shooting. The investigation ultimately pulls Frank and her squad in conflicting directions while drawing Frank closer to the county's new Chief Coroner, Gail Lawless. Through a series of twists and turns, all Frank's leads eventually bring her to the disquieting possibility that the killer she seeks might well be one of her own brothers in blue.From the PublisherBaxter Clare lives on a ranch in Southern California with her longtime companion. Views: 124
The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Descendants—a hilarious and charming story about a quirky single mom in San Francisco who tiptoes through the minefields of the "Mommy Wars" and manages to find friendship and love.When Mele Bart told her boyfriend Bobby she was pregnant with his child, he stunned her with an announcement of his own: he was engaged to someone else. Fast forward two years, Mele's daughter is a toddler, and Bobby and his fiancée want Ellie to be the flower girl at their wedding. Mele, who also has agreed to attend the nuptials, knows she can't continue obsessing about Bobby and his cheese making, Napa-residing, fiancée. She needs something to do. So she answers a questionnaire provided by the San Francisco Mommy Club in elaborate and shocking detail and decides to enter their cookbook writing contest. Even though she joined the group out of desperation, Mele has found her people: Annie,... Views: 122
Never let it be said that a Cynster male can't face up to the one unassailable truth: A successful marriage gives life its fullest meaning. To all of English society, Simon Frederick Cynster has a perfect life—one of enormous wealth and impeccable social status. His lean handsomeness turns the heads of naïve debutantes, while his sensual allure ensures he never lacks for more sophisticated partners for a night, or more, of pleasure. Yet despite all of this, Simon knows that there is something—or rather someone—missing in his life.
To achieve true contentment, Simon must find a lady accomplished enough to be his wife, someone who will spend her days as a member of one of England's most influential families ... and her nights pursuing duties of a more private—and personal—nature.
But Simon knows what to expect if he reveals his intention to choose a bride; nothing could be more tiresome than having every blushing miss on the marriage mart thrust upon him. So he discreetly begins his search at a house party at Glossup Hall . . . and is astonished that the lady who immediately captures his interest is Portia Ashford.
Simon has never considered Portia as a potential wife. He's known the raven-haired beauty since childhood; she's willfully independent and has always claimed to be uninterested in marriage. But an unexpectedly heated kiss abruptly alters the rules of their decade-long interaction. Soon they begin to long for the moments they can spend in each other's arms.
But all is not as it seems at Glossup Hall. As Simon and Portia begin to explore the depths of their mutual passion, a shocking murder is committed ... and it appears that the next victim will be Portia herself. And even more shocking than the fact that a murderer secretly walks among them is the realization that all of Simon's considerable strength and influence may not be enough to protect Portia—his once and always perfect lover . . .
**Amazon.com Review
Setting: England, 1835
Sensuality: 8
A wealthy and powerful rake of the English ton, Simon Cynster has known Portia Ashford, equally wealthy and well-educated, since they were children. By sheer chance, he decides it's time to find a wife at the same time that she decides she wants children and must find a husband. Knowing each other so well is both a blessing and a curse, for when it dawns on Simon that he's in love with Portia, he's well aware that she'll feel challenged by his protectiveness and wary of having her independence curtailed. For her part, Portia feels safe exploring her newly awakened sensuality with Simon, but she’s not at all sure that he'll make a suitable husband. While they're feeling their way through a minefield of turbulent emotions, they're distracted by several unexplained "accidents," and when a member of the weekend house party they’re attending dies, Simon is confronted with the urgent need to keep Portia safe from harm.
Readers who have followed Laurens's tales of the Cynster family will be delighted with this latest novel from the author, for it brings together the "last unmarried male Cynster of his generation" and the lady who was his childhood nemesis. New readers, as well as dedicated fans, will be intrigued by the well-crafted plot, impeccable English setting, and the charming cast of characters. --Lois Faye Dyer
From Publishers Weekly
A genteel party in England in 1835 becomes the setting for romance and a dash of violence as prolific romance author Laurens (On a Wicked Dawn) makes her hardcover debut, the 10th entry in a series about the arrogant Cynster males. Portia Ashford has one goal in mind as she accompanies her eccentric mentor, Lady Osbaldestone, to Glossup Hall in Dorset. Portia wants children, and has reluctantly accepted that she must marry in order to have them. She is determined to learn as much as possible about men, with an eye to choosing one. Also seeking a spouse at the gathering is a man whom she's detested since childhood, the self-satisfied Simon Cynster. He playfully tutors her on the subject of men while hiding his true intent, and he soon progresses far beyond the bounds of propriety. Portia plays along, unconcerned about pregnancy or social ostracism. When they're not thus frolicking, the couple glower disapprovingly at their married hostess, Kitty Glossup, who flings herself at male guests and a gardener or two. Half way through the book, Portia stumbles over Kitty's corpse and finds that she, too, is a target. Simon and Portia help a police inspector plan a scheme that causes further jeopardy for Portia, then a rousing conclusion and matrimonial bliss-no surprise, given there was never any serious obstacle between the young lovers. As with Laurens's earlier titles, the generous doses of erotica will appeal to devotees of romantic suspense.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 122
Andrew, his cousin Judy, and super-smart robot Thudd hitch a ride out of the kitchen on the back of a fly and end up in the garden. The view is awfully nice from the head of a daisy, but time is running out. . . . They have to get back to the Atom Sucker and unshrink themselves before it’s too late! Views: 122
Bad Girl #3: Expert thief Nicole Bennett Her Motto: Anything worth having is worth stealing... Nicole Bennett isn't just a bad girl--she's a thief, too! And although she's been in some tight spots over the years, she's never been tailed by a guy like Alex Cassevetis before. It wouldn't be so bad...if she didn't want to drag the sexy insurance investigator into the closest tight spot with her. So she decides to lead him on a sensual, merry chase. And when he catches her, the pleasure will be all his.... Alex has never met a woman like Nicole. She's wild, she's uninhibited...and she has him in a permanent state of arousal. She's also his only lead in a major burglary case. Like fighting fire with fire, Alex intends to use a thief to catch one. Only, he never dreams he'll be the one who ends up getting burned.... Views: 119
From School Library JournalGrade 5-7-Forty years after the publication of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Doubleday, 1963), Aiken presents a new and vibrant adventure of indomitable Dido Twite in this eighth book in the series. Dido gets involved in a plot by an exceedingly evil werewolf-Baron fresh from 15 years incarceration in the Tower of London. The Baron connives to place his own son on the throne of England, rather than Dido's friend Simon. Energetic, imaginative characterization, suspense, and superb timing drive the story to a satisfying conclusion. Although titles in the "Wolves" series may be read independently, readers of the earlier books are the best audience for this romp of a Victorian parody. Aiken's faux-historical novels should appeal to readers of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (HarperCollins).Susan Patron, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistGr. 5-8. The latest installment of the Wolves Chronicles finds Simon, Duke of Battersea, hiding the dying King Richard from enemies and on the lookout for a missing coronet needed for the coronation of the new king (who will probably be the unwilling Simon). Also back on the scene is Dido Twite, who, following her return from America, is almost immediately kidnapped. There is much to like here, including a vampire and his nasty son, some Russian bears, and plenty of cliffhangers that lead from one chapter to the next. But the book will be best appreciated by series followers, who have a background in the complicated politics that permeate the story, and are already familiar with those characters whose stories were told in previous books. The last chapter, which finds Simon crowned king and Dido in tears (fearing that Simon's love is now forever lost), signals more adventures to come. Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Views: 119
Frederic Stewart Isham wrote this popular book that continues to be widely read today despite its age. Views: 118
