Once the toast of good society in Victoria's England, the extraordinary conjurer Edward Moon no longer commands the respect that he did in earlier times. Still, each night he returns to the stage of his theater to amaze his devoted, albeit dwindling, audience, aided by his partner, the Somnambulist—a silent, hairless, hulking giant who, when stabbed, does not bleed. But these are strange, strange times in England, with the oddest of sorts prowling London's dank underbelly. And the very bizarre death of a disreputable actor has compelled a baffled police constabulary to turn once again to Edward Moon for help—inevitably setting in motion events that will shatter his increasingly tenuous grasp on reality. From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Set in Victorian London, this superb debut from British author Barnes raises the bar for historical thrillers, starting with its curious opening line: Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. A page-turner, it's full of peculiar characters, notably Edward Moon, a highly unorthodox detective, and Moon's bizarre sidekick, known only as the Somnambulist. Moon, a conjuror by profession whose act has fallen on hard times, has cracked some of the city's most notorious murders. Now, he's leading the investigation into a shadowy religious group aiming to overtake London and do away with its oppressive, bourgeois tendencies. Moon is a remarkable invention, a master of logic and harborer of all sorts of unnatural habits and mannerisms. The Somnambulist—a giant, milk-swigging mute—doesn't appear to be human at all, yet serves as Moon's moral as well as intellectual compass. Together, they wend their way through a London rich in period detail. Barnes saves his best surprise for the story's homestretch, when he reveals the identity of his narrator, who's been cleverly pulling strings since the opening. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"A cheeky tale...salvaged from the sensationalist novels of the past three centuries....it doesn't take an English-lit wonk to appreciate the antic mind that would name two of the grotesquely deformed prostitutes in Mrs. Puggsley's brothel after virginal victims of Count Dracula." (New York Times )"A cheeky tale...salvaged from the sensationalist novels of the past three centuries....it doesn’t take an English-lit wonk to appreciate the antic mind that would name two of the grotesquely deformed prostitutes in Mrs. Puggsley’s brothel after virginal victims of Count Dracula." -- New York Times"A comic extravaganza, deftly plotted, fiendishly clever, and wonderfully funny. . . . One of the classiest entertainments I've read." (Christopher Bram, author of Exiles in America )"A comic extravaganza, deftly plotted, fiendishly clever, and wonderfully funny. . . . One of the classiest entertainments I’ve read." -- Christopher Bram, author of Exiles in America"A first novel that shows all the polish and poise of a master storyteller..By turns disquieting, funny, and taunting." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch )"Anyone who loves a good, kind of creepy thriller most likely will find something to love in [these] pages.. Thoroughly enjoyable." (Kansas City Star )"Macabre wit and stylistic panache. Parliament should immediately pass a law requiring Barnes to write a sequel." (James Morrow, author of The Last Witchfinder and The Philosopher's Apprentice )"Magical, dark, beautifully odd-and utterly compelling-this is an astonishing debut." (Michael Marshall, author of The Intruders )"Old school entertainment in the penny-dreadful tradition that almost succeeds in being as sublime as it is ridiculous." (Entertainment Weekly )"Sneaky, cheeky, and dark in the best possible way, Jonathan Barnes' massively entertaining THE SOMNAMBULIST manages to make the familiar daringly unfamiliar. I enjoyed the heck out of this novel." (Jeff Vandermeer )"Strange, outrageous, and wonderful . There is much that is strange, magical, and darkly hilarious about this book . An original and monumentally inventive piece of work by a writer still in his 20s. Barnes seems to leave himself room for a sequel-a consummation devoutly to be wished." (Washington Post )"The Somnambulist is not your great-grandfather's mystery yarn." (Richmond Times-Dispatch )"This superb debut from British author Barnes raises the bar for historical thrillers." (Publishers Weekly )"This superb debut from British author Barnes raises the bar for historical thrillers." -- Publishers Weekly"[B]rilliant...Barnes crafts one of the finest first novels of the young century...Truly surprising plot twists and red herrings abound." (Austin Chronicle )"[B]rilliant...Barnes crafts one of the finest first novels of the young century...Truly surprising plot twists and red herrings abound." -- Austin Chronicle Views: 6
It was a murder made for TV: a trail of tiny bloody footprints. An innocent toddler playing beside her mother's bludgeoned body. Pretty young Corinne Wolff, seven months pregnant, brutally murdered in her own home.Cameras and questions don't usually faze Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson, but the media frenzy surrounding the Wolff case is particularly nasty...and thorough. When the seemingly model mommy is linked to an amateur porn Web site with underage actresses and unwitting players, the sharks begin to circle.The shock is magnified when an old adversary uses the sexy secret footage to implicate Taylor in a murder—an accusation that threatens her career, her reputation and her relationship.Both cases hinge on the evidence—real or manufactured—of crimes that go beyond passion, into the realm of obsessive vengeance and shocking betrayal. Just what the networks love. Views: 6
When you're the Alpha Male there are certain things that are expected of you, and finding a suitable mate is at the top of the list. For Jax, a powerful and dangerous werewolf, that's not so easy because the one woman he's deeply attracted to is a girl that will never be accepted by the pack. A woman that he can't seem to get out of his head. A first for him.Beautiful, curvy Nikki Avery hates her job at the local strip club, but she's struggling just to get by. Her dream of ever finding a decent guy worth loving shattered as night after night she stands before a crowd of drunken men, their jeers and catcalls burning a hole in her heart. To make things worse, there's a killer on the loose, stalking the dancers, waiting to attack. But when a handsome stranger appears at the club, his dangerous, feral presence commanding attention, the sexual charge between them is so strong that she can barely breathe, Nikki finds herself swept into a world she never dreamed existed. A world where nothing is as it seems and once she enters, there is no turning back. Author's warning: this novella contains explicit, sexual material and scenes. Readers 18+ only. Views: 6
'I really am quite useless as a wizard.'But Class Three thinks Mr Majeika is an excellent wizard, particularly when his spells go wrong! First Hamish Bigmore ends up on TV, then a real giant appears in the school play. And finally Mr Majeika gets the whole class lost on a magic carpet! There's always an adventure with Mr Majeika around... Views: 6
Silver Bells by Debbie MacomberIn this classic story, Debbie brings those Manning men and Manning sisters home for a mistletoe marriage when a single dad finally says "I do."The Perfect Holiday by Sherryl WoodsWill bachelor Trace Franklin become a groom-to-be by Christmastime? He sure will...if Savannah Holiday's aunt Mae has anything to do with it.Under the Christmas Tree by Robyn CarrWhen the folks of Virgin River discover a box of adorable puppies under the town's Christmas tree they call on local vet Nathaniel Jensen for help. But it's his budding romance with Annie McCarty that really has tongues—and tails—wagging! Views: 6
Sexy producer Brandon didn’t need a woman to complicate things. After seeing blonde goddess Mindy he had to meet her. But she didn’t want any man. Reluctantly spending time together and having mind blowing sex they can’t resist each other or deny the deep connection. With their exes trying to get them back and tearing the two apart can they find their way back to each other and discover true love? Views: 6
Liz Townsend's love for Senator Adam MacKenzie had never lessened. Widowed for some time, Liz senses Adam still wants her. But if she can get him back, the price may be too terrible to pay. Views: 6
Heartbreaks, lies, confusion, and infidelities—good girl, Ava Romano-Morris has had enough. Using seduction, manipulation, and intended deceit, she decides to pursue the unexpected. Would her life spiral out of control because of it, or would she learn to bear the damages of her heart? Views: 6
England, 1810: When Lady Gabriella Banning receives word that her half-brother, the Earl of Wickham, has died on his tea plantation in Ceylon, she faces the reality that she and her younger sisters, Claire and Elizabeth, are suddenly penniless. The family's riches will pass to the next male heir -- a distant cousin -- and the Banning sisters are doomed unless Gabby thinks fast.Which she does. Pretending that Marcus is still alive, Gabby arranges beautiful Claire's London season. She'll keep up the pretense just long enough for Claire to marry a fabulously wealthy nobleman. But when a handsome gentleman arrives at the door and claims to be Marcus, Gabby's plan backfires. For if she exposes this mysterious stranger's deceit, she exposes her own. Bound by secrets and lies, Gabby and the roguish adventurer strike sparks off each other -- and soon London society is abuzz over the scandalous pair of "siblings" who appear to be falling in love....With this beautifully rende... Views: 6
In a southern California town ablaze with sordid secrets, a free-spirited biologist and a straitlaced sheriff join forces to investigate a suspicious killing -- and find themselves getting a little too close to the flames... Shay Phillips knows her way around Dark Canyon. She's handy with a gun and can track a wild animal with the best of them. It's humans who usually give her the most trouble. And with a hormonally charged teenage brother to raise -- and an admitted weakness for the wrong kind of man -- they're giving her plenty of trouble these days. Then there's the matter of murder. As an expert on mountain lions, Shay is skeptical when a local prostitute turns up mauled without a drop of blood near the body. Now, together with the town's newly arrived sheriff, Luke Meza -- a Las Vegas city boy with his own dark secrets -- Shay must navigate a dangerous valley filled with angry ex-lovers, unfaithful spouses, and poisonous snakes in a desperate search for the killer. But when suspicion falls on her own brother, and her attraction to Luke rages into a full-on erotic affair, can Shay quell the fires inside her long enough to uncover the truth? Views: 6
