To the delight of millions of Patrick O'Brian fans, here is the final, partial installment of the Aubrey/Maturin series, for the first time in paperback.
Blue at the Mizzen (novel #20) ended with Jack Aubrey getting the news, in Chile, of his elevation to flag rank: Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron, with orders to sail to the South Africa station. The next novel, unfinished and untitled at the time of the author's death, would have been the chronicle of that mission, and much else besides. The three chapters left on O'Brian's desk are presented here both in printed version-including his corrections to the typescript-and a facsimile of his manuscript, which goes several pages beyond the end of the typescript to include a duel between Stephen Maturin and an impertinent officer who is courting his fiancée.
Of course we would rather have had the whole story; instead we have this proof that O'Brian's powers of observation, his humor, and his understanding of his characters were undiminished to the end. Views: 442
My name is Ratichon - Hector Ratichon, at your service, and I make so bold as to say that not even my worst enemy would think of minimizing the value of my services to the State. For twenty years now have I placed my powers at the disposal of my country: I have served the Republic, and was confidential agent to Citizen Robespierre; I have served the Empire, and was secret factotum to our great Napoleon; I have served King Louis - with a brief interval of one hundred days - for the past two years, and I can only repeat that no one, in the whole of France, has been so useful or so zealous in tracking criminals, nosing out conspiracies, or denouncing traitors as I have been. And yet you see me a poor man to this day: there has been a persistently malignant Fate which has worked against me all these years, and would - but for a happy circumstance of which I hope anon to tell you - have left me just as I was, in the matter of fortune, when I first came to Paris and set up in business as a volunteer police agent at No, 96 Rue Daunou. Views: 441
In this "wonderfully entertaining" novel, a famous domestic diva finds her perfect life falling to pieces (Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City). She's the goddess of hearth and home, America's millionaire media maven of domesticity, Connecticut's most dazzling hostess, and everything in her world is perfect—except that Maggie Darling's picture-book life has suddenly gone off the rails. Amid the extravagant trappings of a Christmas Eve bash, she spies her swinish stockbroker husband slipping out of a powder room moments after his creamy young colleague. The ensuing matrimonial meltdown launches Maggie on a year of romance and misadventure, starting with an ill-fated fling with a British rock star-turned-movie-actor. Back home, a sniper is loose on the Merritt Parkway and a gang known as the Businessman's Lunch Posse is terrorizing patrons of Manhattan's four-star restaurants. Meanwhile, Maggie's son Hooper drops out of... Views: 440
This book is perfectly layout for reading on e-Reader. Views: 439
Margaret Penrose was one of the various pen names used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate to put out popular series of kids books. The Penrose name was used for Dorothy Dale, the Radio Girls, and the Motor Girls series. Views: 439
In the too-quiet town of Oakwood, only the lucky die of boredom…and new homeowner Zack Walker isn’t feeling lucky. Whoever said the burbs were boring will think twice after reading Linwood Barclay’s hilarious debut mystery, in which Dad learns the hard way that he doesn’t always know best.
Zack wouldn’t blame you for thinking he’s safety-obsessed. True, he masterminded a plot to trade his family’s exciting city lifestyle for one of suburban tranquillity. True, even after this strategic move, Zack still has issues with family members who forget their keys in the front door, leave their cars unlocked, or park their backpacks at the top of the stairs—where you could kill yourself tripping over them. Just ask his wife, Sarah, or his teenage kids, Paul and Angie, who endure their share of lectures.
Zack knows that he needs to chill out and assume the best for once—but we know what happens to those who assume.
When Zack realizes their two-faced developer sent a petty thief to fix their leaky shower, he starts fighting hard to ignore the fact that Oakwood isn’t the crime-free paradise he was hoping for. But his brief state of denial comes to an abrupt end when, during a walk by the creek, he stumbles across a dead body. Even more shocking, Zack actually knows who the victim is—and who might want him dead.
With a killer roaming around their neighborhood and Zack’s overactive imagination in overdrive, he’s sure things can’t get any worse. But then another local is murdered—and Zack’s paranoid tendencies get him implicated in the crime. While his wife is trying to remember why she married him in the first place, and his kids are considering whether it’s time to have him committed, Zack decides there’s only one thing he can do. To protect his family—and avoid being busted for a crime he didn’t commit—he’s going to have to override his safety-first instincts, tap into his delusions of machismo, and track down the killer himself.
From the Hardcover edition. Views: 439
After two tough years practicing law, Stan and his family take a well deserved vacation to Colorado. Unfortunately the vacation is cut short when a client is found standing over the body of a dead IRS agent. It appears to be an open and shut case since Dusty Thomas has had a long feud with the dead agent Bobby Tuttle, and more than enough motive to kill him, yet he claims to be innocent. Stan's new partner Paula Waters convinces Stan to finish his vacation promising to handle Dusty Thomas' arraignment and get an investigation underway. While Stan is away, she makes good on her promise and even manages to arrange financing for Dusty's defense. But Stan is mortified when he reads in the Colorado papers that a radical paramilitary group, the Citizens Defense Alliance or CDA, is doing the funding. Since the CDA denies the legitimacy of the federal income tax and has been a target of federal prosecutors for many years, Stan and Paula immediately come under the close scrutiny of the FBI and the press. To further complicate matters, Stan's best client and close friend, Tex Weller, is reported missing by his wife. When Stan investigates his disappearance he finds a letter that leads him to believe Tex is in Ecuador. While Stan is searching for Tex in Ecuador, Paula continues her investigation of Bobby Tuttle's murder and quickly discovers a long list of enemies with motive to kill him. But her investigation is sidetracked when she learns Stan is missing and may have been kidnaped. As weeks go by and Stan isn't found, she is forced to turn her attention back to the Dusty Thomas case and leave the search for Stan up to the FBI and the local Ecuadorian authorities. Barely able to concentrate, she plods on and day by day and soon becomes convinced that Dusty Thomas is innocent.Review"Manchee serves up a fast, punchy, legal thriller with plenty of twists and an international flavor." -- Carl Brookins, Mystery Historian, author of Inner Passages and A Superior MysteryIn manchee's novel, things are never quite what they seem. Manchee's intimate knowledge of the law shows through every page." -- Daniel J. Hale, Agatha Winner and co-author of Red Card, A Zeke Armstrong Mystery.From the AuthorAlthough Deadly Distractions is pure fiction, it was inspired by actual cases and events that I have witnessed over the years. Views: 437
Retribution by Ruth Langan released on Jun 24, 2004 is available now for purchase. Views: 436
AN ADVENTUROUS LADY is a sweet Regency romance. There are no paranormal or contemporary elements in this story. The novel is heartwarming and family oriented, perfect for readers who want a story focused on sweet romance. Valerie King has published over 50 sweet Regency novels and novellas and has won the prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement award in Regency Romance! And now, more about the story!The scourge of his neighbors, the reclusive Earl of Rotherstone bargains three requests of Lady Evelina in exchange for the right to hunt for treasure on his vast estate...He had never known a woman like her before...Disappointed in love, the Earl of Rotherstone had given up on ever finding a woman worthy of his title and fortune. But when the unusual Lady Evelina takes to visiting his estate in the dark hours of the night, his interest is caught. Discovering that she wants to hunt for treasure on his land, he sets her down as another interfering, untrustworthy woman. But holding... Views: 435
BEFORE "UNDERWORLD, " THE WAR RAGED ON.... For untold centuries, a secret conflict has been waged between two immortal rivals:
The vampires -- ageless aristocrats with a sensual appetite for blood and luxury. Among their ranks are the Death Dealers, an elite corps of the undead sworn to the destruction of their ancestral enemies....
The werewolves -- feral warriors capable of transforming into hellish beasts of unearthly power and ferocity. Once the faithful servants of the vampires, the savage lycans now fight toothand claw against their former masters.
Throughout history, the clandestine war has been fought in the shadows of the mortal world. And the seeds of this destructive conflict were sown long ago, when a courageous lycan daredto lose his heart to a beautiful vampire princess. Views: 435
This book features Shannon Storm from the "Storm For All Seasons" series. Fall Fury is also Book 2 of that series. Shannon Storm is the feisty, independent director of Public Relations for her family-run hotel, The Rising Storm. She's less than thrilled at the arrival of Max Devlin, hotshot PR guru from Boston, but has no choice other than work with him on the new casino venture. Like the magical elements of fall that she possesses, Shannon's emotions run hot and cold where Max is concerned. She guards her heart under leaves of indifference, but beneath she's boiling with need for what only Max can give her. Max Devlin is on more than just a PR mission on his trek to New Orleans. Not only is he there to work on the casino project, but he's setting down roots in Louisiana. And the first step is to find a mate. The trouble is, Max harbors a secret that he's going to have to very carefully reveal to the woman he's chosen. That woman is the cool on the surface, hot within Shannon Storm. He wonders if Shannon's feelings are powerful enough to accept who-and what-he is. By the light of a full New Orleans moon, their magic will merge, and two people with secrets to hide must learn to trust in their love before their destinies can unfold. Views: 434
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher. Views: 433
