Start with a tough but vulnerable Chicago cop. Add a hyperactive cat, an ailing mother, a jealous boyfriend, a high-maintenance ex-husband, and a partner in the throes of a mid-life crisis.
Stir in a psychopath littering the city with body parts. Mix with equal parts humor and suspense, and enjoy Bloody Mary--the second novel in the funny, frightening world of Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels.
Join Jack as she struggles to repair her train wreck of a personal life while tracking down and convicting one of the scariest serial killers in recent memory--a killer for whom getting caught is only the beginning... Views: 47
During a fleet exercise in India, Alan Craik faces a minefield of explosive events that threaten to tear the country and a US battlegroup apart. A military base is attacked by 'fringe elements'; an Indian submarine mutinies and then shoots down a US Navy aircraft and a group of Indian scientists are killed when they are attacked with Sarin gas. Craik, ignoring the conventional wisdom that the incidents are unrelated, believes that a fanatical group have control of certain elements of both the Indian government and its armed forces. Then the rebels seize part of India's nuclear arsenal. Suddenly, a U. S. carrier battle group joins Pakistan, China, and Saudi Arabia on the target list. The world is faced with the spectacle of a nuclear-capable nation in the hands of a self-destructive religious cult, and it's up to Craik and a team of specialists to re-capture the nukes and prevent massive devastation. But with time running out and the cult leader still at large, are they already... Views: 47
SUMMARY:In 1981, Marilynne Robinson wrote Housekeeping, which won the PEN/Hemingway Award and became a modern classic. Since then, she has written two pieces of nonfiction: Mother Country and The Death of Adam. With Gilead, we have, at last, another work of fiction. As with The Great Fire, Shirley Hazzards's return, 22 years after The Transit of Venus, it was worth the long wait. Books such as these take time, and thought, and a certain kind of genius. There are no invidious comparisons to be made. Robinson's books are unalike in every way but one: the same incisive thought and careful prose illuminate both. The narrator, John Ames, is 76, a preacher who has lived almost all of his life in Gilead, Iowa. He is writing a letter to his almost seven-year-old son, the blessing of his second marriage. It is a summing-up, an apologia, a consideration of his life. Robinson takes the story away from being simply the reminiscences of one man and moves it into the realm of a meditation on fathers and children, particularly sons, on faith, and on the imperfectability of man. The reason for the letter is Ames's failing health. He wants to leave an account of himself for this son who will never really know him. His greatest regret is that he hasn't much to leave them, in worldly terms. "Your mother told you I'm writing your begats, and you seemed very pleased with the idea. Well, then. What should I record for you?" In the course of the narrative, John Ames records himself, inside and out, in a meditative style. Robinson's prose asks the reader to slow down to the pace of an old man in Gilead, Iowa, in 1956. Ames writes of his father and grandfather, estranged over his grandfather's departure for Kansas to march for abolition and his father's lifelong pacifism. The tension between them, their love for each other and their inability to bridge the chasm of their beliefs is a constant source of rumination for John Ames. Fathers and sons. The other constant in the book is Ames's friendship since childhood with "old Boughton," a Presbyterian minister. Boughton, father of many children, favors his son, named John Ames Boughton, above all others. Ames must constantly monitor his tendency to be envious of Boughton's bounteous family; his first wife died in childbirth and the baby died almost immediately after her. Jack Boughton is a ne'er-do-well, Ames knows it and strives to love him as he knows he should. Jack arrives in Gilead after a long absence, full of charm and mischief, causing Ames to wonder what influence he might have on Ames's young wife and son when Ames dies. These are the things that Ames tells his son about: his ancestors, the nature of love and friendship, the part that faith and prayer play in every life and an awareness of one's own culpability. There is also reconciliation without resignation, self-awareness without deprecation, abundant good humor, philosophical queries--Jack asks, "'Do you ever wonder why American Christianity seems to wait for the real thinking to be done elsewhere?'"--and an ongoing sense of childlike wonder at the beauty and variety of God's world. In Marilynne Robinson's hands, there is a balm in Gilead, as the old spiritual tells us. --Valerie Ryan Views: 47
Cassie Sheridan has all a television news reporter could want: an important beat in Washington D.C., a skyrocketing career, and a talent that everyone acknowledges. But then, she makes a critical mistake. Suddenly, her career is in shambles, her credibility is questioned, and her teenaged daughter makes her realize just how much time she hasn't spent with her. The repercussions of ambitious reporting have now derailed the career of KEY News justice correspondent Cassie Sheridan. Cassie is transferred to Miami, to wait out the end of her contract-separated from her family, her friends, and the familiarity of Washington. But in an unsuspecting south Florida town, a killer is watching...and waiting. While covering a hurricane that's moving up Florida's west coast, Cassie meets 11-year-old Vincent, who has just made a grisly discovery on the beach. In one week, Cassie traces the connection between Vincent's newfound "treasure" and a secret operation in... Views: 47
A top secret Pentagon wargame is hacked. Only Net Force has the expertise to track down the culprit, but they are tied up with other priorities. Due to shifting budget priorities, Net Force is moved onto the DoD budget. That means that as a military operation, they can now give top priority to the Pentagon's problem. They soon make a connection between the attack and a Chinese general in Macau. But this investigation is too big for Net Force and they are forced to work with members of Cybernation, the virtual reality nation which has opposed Net Force in the past. Views: 47
Erotica/Romance. 66401 words long. First published in 2007, 2007 Views: 47
SOMETHING ROTTEN IS LURKING AT THIS RANCH!It's winter in Bayport, but things are heating up at the Morton family farm. It looks like someone is wreaking havoc with the property, and Chet and Iola Morton are worried that their grandparents are in danger of losing it! With their parents out of reach, the Mortons call on Frank and Joe Hardy for help. They need to figure out who's behind the trouble--and fast.The Hardys are hot on the trail, but the Mortons' grandparents do something unexpected--and the boys are stopped in their tracks. Can Frank and Joe plow through this mystery before the farm is snowed under? Views: 47
It is a generation after the fall of Camelot. The legendary figures of Britain's brief but shining renaissance--Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere--are gone but not forgotten. Their memories live on in song and story. But Arthur's dream of a united Britain is fading fast. The hard-won alliance of independent kingdoms is fracturing. Sensing weakness, defeated enemies are returning.Such is the world of Tristan, Prince of Lyonesse. Born with the soul of a poet and the heart of a warrior, Tristan has been pushed aside by his uncle, Markion, who is determined to succeed King Constantine. Because he shares Markion's dream of restoring the faded glory of Camelot, Tristan supports his Uncle's claims to the High King's throne, against the better judgment of his friends.Markion dispatches Tristan as his trusted agent to fetch his new bride, the daughter of King Percival. As soon as Tristan sets his eyes on the beautiful Essylte, and Essylte sees the handsome... Views: 47
Manchester’s criminal underworld is brought shockingly to life by the bestselling author of THE CLUB. Maria Price is a survivor of the care system who thought she would never have a family or security again. She’s just inherited a house and a bank account. Joel Parry – good-looking, charming and a wonderful lover – seems to know everyone who is anyone in Manchester. Joel just happens to need a place to stay. Before long he’s moved into Maria’s house and is helping her to spend her money. But Joel isn’t what he seems to be. He’s deep in the drug scene, and his terrifying past is about to catch up with him – and the naïve girl who trusts him . . . Views: 47
When Lord Rupert Brooke and his wife are killed in an accident, their only child, Titania, was forced to live with her uncle, the Duke of Starbrooke, who had never approved of her father's marriage and did not consider her grand enough to be a member of the Starbrooke family.Titania is forced to serve her cousin Sophie as no more than a lady's maid.Sophie is to marry Prince Frederick of Velidos, a small country in the Balkans and Titania is taken with her to pander to her every whim.Titania is brokenhearted leaving behind her horse which she adores and her Nanny who is the only person who really loves her.When she reaches Velidos, the King, who is the halfbrother of Prince Frederick, finds her in tears and does his best to comfort her.Secretly Titania rides with the King early in the morning before her cousin is awake and discovers that he prides himself on having no heart.How she gains the King's confidence, how she manages to save the King from being... Views: 47
House of Winslow Book 15- Betsy Winslow had always thought that she never measured up to her beautiful older sister, Lanie. So Betsy was deeply flattered when a handsome stranger began showering her with attention-for once she felt beautiful and desirable. Foolishly deciding to elope, Betsy and Vic leave for Indian Territory. Envisioning a life of grandeur as a rancher's wife, she is sorely disappointed when all her dreams come crashing down. When Lanie hears the news about her sister, she is certain that something is wrong and immediately sets out to help. But Lanie discovers that the only hope of finding Betsy is a shiftless outlaw named Lobo. Views: 47
Award-winning author Denise Hunter captivates the readers with her latest fiction about a single mother running a crisis pregnancy center.As if the jolt of becoming a single mom to her two sons wasn't enough, Natalie Coombs is facing new stresses as the director of the crisis pregnancy center. A teenager who comes in for testing brings back memories of another pregnant girl whose life tragically ended in suicide. Desperate to reach out to this client, Natalie crosses professional boundaries and incurs the wrath of a mysterious assailant. Even within her family, all is not well as her relationship with her sister becomes increasingly tense. Natalie is compelled to carefully count the cost of following her heart and her convictions amid betrayal, physical danger, and strained family relationships. Filled with human drama, readers will be easily drawn in as national issues become highly personal in this gripping tale of conflict and commitment. Views: 47
May Sarton's sharp exploration of how men and women love—and how they clash—as shown through one tempestuous relationship Ned Fraser has never seen himself as a husband. His distinguished job at a Boston bank has kept him satisfied while a string of failed love affairs has concerned him little. But no woman has ever affected him the way Anna Lindstrom does. A concert singer of immense charm and beauty, Anna is possessed of a vibrant presence that stands in stark contrast to Ned's diffidence. And yet despite herself, she can't help but be drawn to the persistent suitor who plies her with flowers. Their courtship is short and intense, and the spark that brought them together fuels not only their love, but also a needling undercurrent of volatility. Her passion and narcissism agitate him, while his tempered restraint bores her into resentment. Their opposing personalities lead to anger and conflict, and ultimately to a crossroads that will... Views: 47
