Review'The best book of the year...a truly astonishing take on what appears on the surface to be mental illness and turns out to be something far darker' -- Virginia Blackburn SUNDAY EXPRESS 'This is an exciting novel - part love story, part psychological thriller - which confounds your expectations as it tightens its grip.' -- John Koski YOU, MAIL ON SUNDAY 'The story of Michael Gascoigne's strange affinity with the wilderness unravels slowly, tantalisingly...' GUARDIAN 'Torday carries off a surprising, suspenseful update of Stevenson in the 21st-century Jekyll-and-Hyde thriller.' OBSERVER 'Torday is clearly having fun' SUNDAY TIMES 'A highly unusual fusion of atmospheric ghost story and sensitive protrayal of mental illness' GOOD BOOK GUIDE Product DescriptionMichael is dressing for dinner at a friend's country house in Ireland. As he descends the staircase, he spots a small painting of a landing with an old linen press and the white marble statue of an angel. In the background is a woman clad in a dark green dress. During dinner, Michael comments on the painting to his hosts but they say there is no woman in the picture. When Michael goes up to bed later, he sees that they are correct. This is only the first in a series of incidents that lead Michael to question his grip on reality. His wife Elilzabeth is unsettled by the changes she sees in a man she originally married because he was dependable and steady, not because she loved him. She realises she has never really known Michael and as he changes, she sees glimpses of someone she could fall in love with. Michael, in the meantime, is disturbed by events at his family's ancestral home in the wilds of Scotland and by a past that is threatening to destroy everything, and everyone, he has ever loved. Views: 69
Fresh from the curious and unsettling matter of Caroline Bingley (as related in Pride and Prescience), Mr. and Mrs. Darcy have every intention of enjoying their still newlywed status at Pemberly until they are confronted with another mysterious situation, ... one ofSuspense and SensibilityElizabeth Darcy and her beloved husband Fitzwilliam are taking on the responsibility of finding a suitable suitor for Elizabeth's younger sister Kitty, thereby assuring her a proper place in society.The angels smile on the young and a perfect match is found, and wedding plans are soon under way. Suddenly a change in personality occurs in Kitty's soon to be model husband-a change so striking as to jeopardize not just the Darcys' social standing, but their lives as well.A mysterious mirror, an insidious reprobate from the past, and matters far beyond the social circles around Pemberly all come into play in a dangerous puzzle, where the... Views: 69
Daryus Gaunt used to be a crusader, before a questionable battlefield decision forced him to desert his unit. Pathfinder Shiera Tristane is an adventuring scholar obsessed with gaining the recognition she feels was stolen from her. When both are contacted by a sinister talking weasel and warned of a witch about to release a magical threat long trapped beneath an ancient temple, the two have no choice but to venture into the demon-haunted Worldwound in order to stop the disaster. Yet there's more to the situation than either realizes, and neither fame nor redemption will matter unless they can first survive.Based on the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.With more than a million players worldwide, Pathfidner is the world's most popular tabletop RPG.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. Views: 69
Alexis Morgan's seductive Paladin series continues with a red-hot romance between a powerful warrior sworn to secrecy and the irresistible woman who makes him lose control.... Gwen Mosely's life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, bleeding and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. But the real shock is how his wounds heal overnight -- a trait he shares with Gwen's teenaged half-brother Chase. Jarvis Donahue can't keep his eyes -- or his hands -- off the sexy redhead who rescued him. Gwen's warm smile and lust-filled eyes are impossible to resist...but Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Although Gwen may hate Jarvis for it, he is dutybound to introduce Chase to the Paladins' dangerous lifestyle. As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen's farm. Jarvis is determined to protect his lover --... Views: 68
A sly, witty mystery features two extraordinary sisters--one a master chef and the other a renowned actress--who juggle husbands, lovers, the Hollywood media, and their own identities to catch a thief. By the author of Frost the Fiddler. Views: 68
Fourteen-year-old Trixie Jackson hoped she had a future to look forward to. But when she is sacked from the local factory she is forced to work as a housekeeper for one of her father's friends -- a man she instinctively dislikes.Kept under lock and key, her life soon becomes a living hell. But in her haste to escape she injures herself and ends up in hospital. However, her troubles are only just beginning. When her mother is involved in a tragic accident and dies, Trixie and her younger sister Cilla are left at the mercy of their bullying father. All too quickly he brings his mistress Daisy into the house. And she will stop at nothing to make the girls' lives utter misery. Views: 68
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. œA gun-toting, cursing, former Amish female chief of police stars in this excellent first in a new suspense series from romance veteran Castillo (Fade to Red). When a serial killer strikes bucolic Painters Mill, Ohio, the killer's signature—Roman numerals ritualistically carved into each victim's abdomen—matches the MO of four unsolved murders from 16 years earlier. Police chief Kate Burkholder, who's reluctant to dredge up the past, must keep secret that she knows why the old murders stopped. Not satisfied with the case's progress, local politicos set up a multijurisdictional task force to assist, including a law-enforcement agent battling his own demons. The added scrutiny and the rising body count threaten to push the chief over the edge. Adept at creating characters with depth and nuance, Castillo smoothly integrates their backstories into a well-paced plot that illuminates the divide between the Amish and œEnglish worlds. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistStarred Review Ohio’s Amish country serves as the bucolic backdrop for romance novelist Castillo’s consistently chilling mystery debut. Kate Burkholder grew up in idyllic Painters Mill, where many residents drive buggies, shun electricity, and distance themselves from the complications of modern life. The presence of a serial killer shatters the stillness of the town, leaving its citizenry terrified and on guard. During this time, young Kate’s life takes a fateful turn when she is sexually assaulted by an Amish man named Daniel Lapp. She shoots Lapp in self-defense and, seeing blood splattered across the floor, is certain he’s dead. (Her father drags away the body, and the family banishes the incident from their memories, never reporting it to police.) With Lapp’s demise, the area murders cease. Rattled residents rest easily once again. Fast-forward 16 years. Kate, now chief of police in Painters Mill, is faced with a series of brutal crimes in which the female victims are tortured and raped. Could Daniel Lapp still be alive? Kate battles her inner demons as she tracks down a killer who shows no sign of letting up. Can she come clean about her past without losing her job? Deeply flawed characters in a distinctive setting make this a crackling good series opener, recommended for fans of T. Jefferson Parker and Robert Ellis, whose books take place in very un-Amish settings but who generate the same kind of chills and suspense. --Allison Block Views: 68
Manchester House was built upon secrets and blood. Even the land upon which it was built was considered…bad. ITEM: Native Americans for untold centuries believed that if a bird flew over the property it would die. ITEM: On the forced “Trail of Tears” march to Oklahoma, a rival tribe invaded a campsite of a sworn enemy, resting upon the property, decapitated the women and cooked their heads. No reason was ever given. ITEM: While traveling to Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant had an experience that changed his life forever – he never would say what. ITEM: On his travels, Grant lost an entire squad of soldiers, two field surgeons, a team of horses and mules, and one Gatlin gun. No explanation given. Grant, himself, refused to investigate. No one in the town wanted to admit that the ancient house even existed. All homes facing the ruin had their windows boarded shut. All roads to the thing were blocked, overgrown, or forbidden. Manchester House was a beacon of evil at the center of a small Kansas Town with a dark and mysterious past that would not go away. All tried to forget it even existed -- until the police had to bring the bodies out. When a group of professional "ghost hunters" explore a local haunted house, they descend into absolute darkness and terror, learning the incredible truth behind the legend of MANCHESTER HOUSE. Views: 68
