Penguin delivers two more vintage Inspector Maigret novels by the legendary mystery authorIn The Hotel Majestic, Maigret investigates the murder of Mrs. Clark, the wife of a wealthy American industrialist, whose strangled body is found in the basement of an upscale hotel near the Champs-Elysees. Maigret's inquiries take him from the endless corridors of the Hotel Majestic to the countryside of the Bois de Boulogne and sun-drenched Cannes, into a world of prostitution, drug addiction, and blackmail. Views: 12
SUMMARY: The latest delightful tale in Albert’s Beatrix Potter series. Out of spite for having his haystacks burnt, Mr. Harmsworth barricades a common path through his orchard—and Tabitha Twitchet and her Cat Council want answers. Reliable witnesses, including some Big Folk, say the arson was the handiwork of a lantern-wielding specter. The mournful ghost has a message—and Miss Potter, for one, hopes to figure it out. Meanwhile in Sawrey, romance buds between the schoolmarm and a confirmed bachelor; Hyacinth Badger hopes to be the first female to earn the Badger Badge of Honor; and a rumor has Beatrix and the solicitor practically betrothed. But the matter of the barricade involves everyone—and Miss Potter and her friends might have to take matters into their own hands—and paws. Views: 12
Boxers, lovers, killers and online daters collide in Lewis' murderous, drug-fuelled portrayal of one long weekend in south-east London. The Laundry Basket overflows with stories, both darkly comic and tragically tender, which are woven together with fiendish intricacy. As each piece of the puzzle slots into place, the bigger picture materialises with jaw-dropping breadth, exposing the workings of a corrupt organisation and the lives of those who intersect its dark machinations, flinging the reader along an emotional rollercoaster to a jubilant and gut-wrenching climax. Using a symbolic item of laundry to title each chapter, signifying the story's contents. 'Suspenders' sees the protagonist of this particular tale exchanging explicit messages with girls via online dating sites, while 'Strip' sees three friends head off to a football game. The author explores each colourful character in depth. The Laundry Basket is the first novel in a collection of four, each being composed of... Views: 12
A hundred years ago, a treaty joined the seven provinces under a King and created a system of equal justice for nobles and commoners. The treaty prevented a revolution by the commoners and an end to nobility. The Sisters of Astraea were proclaimed the Judicators of the land because they could tell truth from lie. A gift—a golden viper—bestowed on each by the god Naga. Now many nobles want to go back to being above the law. DUKE CHANEY is using this discontent to raise an army against the King and the judicators. JOLA, a newly promoted judicator and Sister of Astraea, sets out with her mentor, TENZEN, to investigate the growing hostility. Pretending it's a normal training circuit, Jola judges a variety of tangled cases—the perception of truth is not the same as truth—involving deceit, assault, and murder as they travel through the provinces. Having started life as a homeless child and later a bonded servant, Jola has an unconventional perspective and style—and a viper to match. Trained at the monastery in the art of the sword, Jola and Tenzen are tested repeatedly. They encounter revenge, greed, and the desire for power while attempting to discover who is behind the unrest and violence. When they enter the provinces allied with Duke Chaney, they must defend themselves against repeated attacks. In the process Jola is captured by Chaney and imprisoned. A duel of wits ensues and she escapes. Reunited with Tenzen, they return to inform the King that Duke Chaney has assembled an army and intends to break the treaty. The King sends an army accompanied by Jola and Tenzen to ensure justice not revenge. On the way, Tenzen is assassinated and Jola seriously injured. She is devastated but determined to continue although she has doubts about her ability to carry on in Tenzen's place. As the army proceeds through the provinces, she encounters a small child of the streets, KIT. A child she learns to love and takes as her ward. Jola and a small contingent outmaneuver Chaney when they capture his undermanned stronghold and cut off his safe retreat from the King's army. He loses the final battle against the King's forces and is captured. The death of Tenzen makes its Jola responsibility to judge Chaney and his supporters. He is sentenced to death, and his supporters are rooted out and punished. The war over, Jola sets out with her ward for the judicator's monastery. She is accosted on the way by father and son intent on revenge for a previous judgment. Jola prevails with a little help from Kit. The journey ends when Kit's future home, the Monastery of Astraea, comes into sight. Views: 12
SUMMARY: From the neo-feudalistic slubs and cornfields of his youth to his apprenticeship among the saleswarriors of Seattlehama--the sex-and-shopping capital of the world--to the rarefied heights of power that Tain now treads, Yarn takes its readers on a roller coaster ride through his life. Vada, the stylish revolutionary and love of Tane's life draws him back into a world he had thought was long behind him. The swirling threads of violence and passion threaten to destroy him and the world he has made for himself. Author Jon Armstrong returns to the high fashion dystopia first glimpsed in Grey, weaving a stylish and scintillating tale of a dark past colliding with Tane's supposedly safe and secure present. Views: 12
