The lovely young Isabel is far too naive for her own good. When she takes a position as a live-in assistant to Laurence Povey, a former adventurer, who was blinded in a terrible accident, she believes she'll be writing down his memoirs. Instead she records a shocking narrative about the self-mortification of nuns - a racy work of fiction. After suffering through this indelicate tale, it's not surprising when the eccentric Povey spanks her for being tardy to one of their sessions. But what awaits the frightened Isabel doesn't end there. She discovers the real purpose of her employment late one night when the kindly housekeeper Margaret leads her into a ghastly dungeon beneath the house. Much to her horror and despair, she finds that this is her new home. Not only will she suffer harsh abuse in this dreadful place, she's to be turned into her master's guide dog, a perfectly obedient puppy! Laurence Povey's aide, John, takes on 'Bella's training. She's forced to crawl on all fours, sleep in a cage and relieve herself in the straw, just like a common dog. She's flogged for any transgression, suffering brutal punishments, then is quickly introduced to the pleasures of the flesh, culminating in the loss of her virginity. Now the master's pet, she serves at his command, offering up her body for both sexual pleasure and the hard abuse from her sadistic master. She becomes nothing but a play toy for Povey and his band of fellow sadists. Though repeatedly shamed and humiliated, strong urges to surrender herself to the defilement rise up unbidden in the once innocent Isabel, as each new twist in her tainted life propels her deeper into submission. Views: 54
From Publishers WeeklyA cast of eccentric Southern characters, several of whom could have escaped from the pages of Gone with the Wind, lifts Deutermann's winning fourth novel to feature PI Cam Richter (after The Moonpool). Cam, tired of suburban life, is buying Glory's End, a rundown plantation in Rockwell County, N.C. First, he must deal with a modern-day œghost—in cop parlance, someone just released from prison who decides to get revenge on the person who put him in jail. Then it's on to an even deadlier, more mysterious malefactor who's trying to kill him for reasons unknown. Cam's next door neighbors are Valeria Lee and her mother, Hester, who along with their lunatic relative, Maj. Courtney Woodruff Lee, dress and live in a strange antebellum past. The major likes to wear Confederate gray while spending his nights riding horseback around the countryside looking for Yankee spies. Cam's German shepherds, Frick, Frack and Kitty, help propel the action to an electrifying conclusion. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ReviewPraise for P.T. Deutermann’sTHE MOONPOOL“Exciting...Chilling.... Thriller fans will look forward to further entries in this fine series.”—_Publishers Weekly _“Richter is an easygoing, likable series hero, and Deutermann has a strong, fluid writing style.... The series is still relatively young, but it’s already proven to be a winner.”—_Booklist_ SPIDER MOUNTAIN“Fast-paced... imaginative plotting.”—_Publishers Weekly_ “Another pulse-pounding thrill ride...An unnerving, tightly-woven thriller.”—_Cincinatti Library_“The stuff of series heroes...a battle royal.”—_Kirkus Reviews_“Non-stop action.”—Mysterylovers.com“One of the crime genre’s more original and memorable creations...a welcome change from the usual sort of thriller villain.”—_Booklist_Praise for THE CAT DANCERS“A spellbinding novel of suspense...quite possibly his best.”—Nelson DeMilleHUNTING SEASON“Explosive tour de force.... The author exceeds his near-perfect _Train Man with this ripped-from-the-headlines-plot pitting a middle-aged Rambo with a small but deadly arsenal of spy gadgets against spine-chilling villains, corrupt agency brass and powerful political forces. Deutermann never sounds a wrong note in this nonstop page-turner.”—Publishers Weekly _(starred review)“You think you have read this before. Trust me. You haven’t. And you should...a great read.”—_Tribune _(Greensburg, PA)“One of the lasting conventions in thriller-writing involves putting the hero in a situation where the reader is forced to ask, ‘How can he possibly get out of that?’...Deutermann...exploits that convention to the hilt in Hunting Season.”—_Houston Chronicle_“Enough techno and black ops to satisfy Clancy fans, enough double-dealing, back pedaling internecine treachery to keep Carre fans reading and enough plot turns and suspense to keep Crichton and Higgins Clark devotees guessing.” —_The Florida Times-Union_“Deutermann’s previous novel, Train Man, was a marvelous, bang-up action novel...in Hunting Season he equals the thrills...Deutermann writes with authority and inventiveness. Add in top-secret gizmos, heroes meaner than villains...and you’ve got one of the best by one of the best at what he does.” —_Telegraph [Macon, GA]_“The tale is loaded with political and bureaucratic skullduggery, and there are plenty of well-banked curves and clever twists. A solid read from an author whose own tradecraft is every bit as good as that of his characters.”—_Booklist___“Deutermann has sold three novels to Hollywood already. They’re blind if they pass on this one.”—_Kirkus Reviews_ Views: 54
Three of Benson's Lucia stories. "Queen Lucia" was published in 1920, "Miss Mapp" in 1922 and "Lucia in London" in 1927. They are much-loved novels of provincial snobbery and became a successful television series. Views: 54
Can work, family life, and sanity itself survive a three-legged cat's one-track obsession? Clayton "the Tripod" is a special-needs rescue who quickly established himself as king of the house—a "loveable doofus" and natural clown with a heart big enough for ten cats. The day he teaches himself to play fetch, however, Clayton transforms from loving lap cat to ruthless slave driver, demanding round-the-clock games of toss/retrieve/repeat from his hapless human mom. He interrupts her work, her sleep, even her alone time with her husband. But how can any loving (if exhausted!) cat parent look into an adorable feline's big hopeful eyes and say no? From the Curl Up with a Cat Tale series of true-life short stories from Gwen Cooper—bestselling author of the smash hit Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale—"Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen" is full of Gwen's trademark humor and heart. It's a tale sure to resonate with animal lovers... Views: 54
Skeeter is the best batter in the league but seems to be all thumbs when fielding or trying to make friends. Views: 54
SUMMARY:It's a simple if shocking question, and former librarian Aurora Teagarden is just the person to find the answer. Basking in an inheritance that makes her financially independent, Roe's looking for a new occupation. Her days as a librarian are over. Real estate might be fun, she thinks. And who better to teach her the tricks of the trade than her Lauren Bacall look-alike mother, Aida Brattle Teagarden Queensland, who happens to own one of the major real estate firms in town? Signing on as an apprentice, Roe agrees to show an expensive house to some out-of-town clients. The house has its charms, but the clients are not too thrilled with what's been left behind in the master bedroom: the corpse of real estate woman Tonia Lee Greenhouse. And Tonia's only the first victim. It quickly becomes clear that the killer is someone familiar with the real estate community in Lawrenceton, someone who has access to the houses that are on the market. Roe's not too sure she likes real estate, after all. She hadn't counted on murder. But she definitely likes her well-to-do client, Martin Bartell. In fact, it may be love at first sight. With memorable characters and lots of small-town southern charm, this witty and wise mystery proves that author Charlaine Harris is among the best of the new generation of crime writers. Views: 54
