Mystery and intrigue in the beautiful Cotswold countryside.Following a string of disastrous house-sitting assignments, and with troubles in her recent personal life, Thea Osborne is understandably apprehensive about her latest commission: a wintery month in an isolated farmhouse with only an assortment of animals, including her loyal spaniel Hepzie, for company.With the summer lushness of the Cotswolds turned icy grey, Thea spends her first few days exploring the tiny but beautiful hamlet of Hampnett, and the nearby town of Northleach. While discovering more of the surrounding area she meets some of the mysterious local characters: the unappreciated au pair from Bulgaria and the elusive Kate from a neighbouring farm. But then the weather turns extreme, and so do events.When she stumbles across a man lying dead in a snow-filled field, Thea is once again at the heart of a mystery in the gorgeous Cotswold countryside...Exciting and thought-provoking, with a plot which... Views: 65
For Lauren Parker, being a submissive has been nothing but a road to ruin. Sure her slick-talking dominant boyfriend is an effective spanker, but she learns too late that he`s also a lying user. And to make matters worse, her dream job turns into a nightmare after she spurns the sexual advances of her creepy boss. Suddenly set up and abandoned and almost overnight she goes from a self-assured career woman living her fantasy to an unemployed convicted felon sitting before the only man in her life, her probation officer.
As if life wasn`t mocking her enough, Ethan Landry is just the kind of man that Lauren has always dreamed of - firm, old-fashioned and masterful. But she swears to quell her troublesome submissive tendencies. Besides, she`s a convicted felon who`s sure her claims of innocence won`t be believed. Or will they? To Ethan Landry, Lauren doesn`t fit the regular criminal profile. Soon Lauren realizes that her probation officer may be able to help clear her name. But in her haste to help him set the record straight, Lauren breaks probation and learns what it`s really like when a good, caring man decides to lay down the law. Views: 65
Cupcakes, crafting and love at The Cherry Tree Cafe...Lizzie Dixon's life feels as though it's fallen apart. Instead of the marriage proposal she was hoping for from her boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped, and her job is about to go the same way. So, there's only one option: to go back home to the village she grew up in and to try to start again. Her best friend Jemma is delighted Lizzie has come back home. She has just bought a little cafe and needs help in getting it ready for the grand opening. And Lizzie's sewing skills are just what she needs. With a new venture and a new home, things are looking much brighter for Lizzie. But can she get over her broken heart, and will an old flame reignite a love from long ago...? For everyone who loves settling down to watch Great British Bake-Off, the Great British Sewing Bee, or curling up to read Milly Johnson or Jenny Colgan, The Cherry Tree Cafe is a coffee-break treat. Views: 65
Harry Markopolos and his team of financial sleuths discuss first-hand how they cracked the Madoff Ponzi schemeNo One Would Listen is the thrilling story of how the Harry Markopolos, a little-known number cruncher from a Boston equity derivatives firm, and his investigative team uncovered Bernie Madoff's scam years before it made headlines, and how they desperately tried to warn the government, the industry, and the financial press.Page by page, Markopolos details his pursuit of the greatest financial criminal in history, and reveals the massive fraud, governmental incompetence, and criminal collusion that has changed thousands of lives forever-as well as the world's financial system.The only book to tell the story of Madoff's scam and the SEC's failings by those who saw both first handDescribes how Madoff was enabled by investors and fiduciaries alikeDiscusses how the SEC missed the red flags raised by MarkopolosDespite repeated written and verbal warnings to the SEC by Harry Markopolos, Bernie Madoff was allowed to continue his operations. No One Would Listen paints a vivid portrait of Markopolos and his determined team of financial sleuths, and what impact Madoff's scam will have on financial markets and regulation for decades to come.Amazon.com ReviewHarry Markopolos and his team of financial sleuths discuss first-hand how they cracked the Madoff Ponzi schemeNo One Would Listen is the exclusive story of the Harry Markopolos-lead investigation into Bernie Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme. While a lot has been written about Madoff's scam, few actually know how Markopolos and his team-affectionately called "The Fox Hounds" by Markopolos himself, uncovered what Madoff was doing years before this financial disaster reached its pinnacle. Unfortunately, no one listened, until the damage of the world's largest financial fraud ever was irreversible.Since that time, Markopolos openly has testified and questioned the enforcement and fraud investigation capabilities of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), shared a sliver of this page-turning story with 60 Minutes, and become perhaps the world's most visible and insightful whistleblower on fraud and conflicts of interest in financial markets.Throughout the book, Markopolos and his Fox Hounds tell their first-hand story of investigating Madoff-with the help of bestselling author David Fisher. They explain how they discovered the fraud, and then how they provided credible and detailed evidence to major newspapers and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) many times between 2000 and 2008, only to have his warnings ignored repeatedly by the SEC.Provides a firsthand account of how Markopolos uncovered Madoff's scam years before it actually fell apart Discusses how the SEC missed the red flags raised by Markopolos Describes how Madoff was enabled by investors and fiduciaries alike The only book to tell the story of Madoff's scam and the SEC's failings by those who saw both first hand Despite repeated written and verbal warnings to the SEC by Harry Markopolos, Bernie Madoff was allowed to continue his operations. No One Would Listen paints a vivid portrait of Markopolos and his determined team of financial sleuths, and what impact they will have on financial markets and financial regulation for decades to come.A Timeline of a Take-DownAmazon-exclusive content from author Harry MarkopolosHow long did it take to uncover and expose a $40 billion crook? Ten years.1998-1999• 1998: My Firm “discovers” Bernie Madoff• Late 1999: I am asked to reverse engineer Madoff’s returns2000• I knew he was a fraudster in 5 minutes• May: Submission to SEC Boston Regional Office’s Director of Enforcement with 12 Red Flags2001• January: Team Member Frank Casey recruits MAR Hedge investigative journalist Michael Ocrant onto the team during a chance meeting in Barcelona, Spain• March: My 2nd SEC Submission on how I think Madoff is running the scheme and his investment process• I offer to go undercover to assist the SEC• Apr: Michael Ocrant interviews Madoff• May: MAR Hedge publishes Madoff expose, “Madoff Tops Charts; skeptics ask how”; Barron’s publishes, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Bernie Madoff is so secretive, he even asks investors to keep mum”2002• Jun: Key trip to UK, France & Switzerland; met with 20 Fund of Funds & Private Client Banks: 14 have Madoff and report “special access to Madoff”; two have admitted Madoff losses – Dexia Asset Management and Fix Family Office; 12 have not admitted Madoff losses and all 12 were turned into SEC Chairwoman on Feb. 5, 2009; off-Shore funds attract three types of investors who won’t report losses or file SIPC claims with the US government2003-2004• E-mail records of investigation lost; attempting to recover data from non-functioning hard drives2005• Jun: Frank Casey discovers Madoff attempting to borrow money from European banks (first sign that Madoff scheme is in trouble)• Oct: Boston SEC’s Ed Manion arranges for 3rd SEC Submission• Oct: Meeting with Boston SEC Branch Chief Mike Garrity, who quickly investigates, finds irregularities, and forwards my submission to SEC’s New York Office• Nov: Boston Whistleblower calls NYC Branch Chief Meaghen Cheung and reveals his identity• Nov: 29 Red Flags submitted • Dec: I doubt NYC SEC’s ability, fear for my life, and contact Wall Street Journal and go to local law enforcement for protection2006• Jan: Integral Partners’ $40 million derivatives Ponzi Scheme goes to trial five years and five months after discovery, causing us to further doubt SEC competence• Sep: Chicago Board Options Exchange VP tells me that several OEX option traders also think Madoff is a fraudster; if SEC had called the CBOE’s marketing office, they would have cooperated2007• Feb 28: Neil Chelo obtains a Madoff portfolio which shows zero ability to earn a return• Jun: Casey obtains Wickford Fund LP prospectus showing Madoff is short of cash and offering a 3:1 leverage via bank loans, another clear warning sign that Madoff is running short of cash• Jul: Chelo obtains Fairfield Greenwich Sentry LP financial statements for 2004 – 2006 and discovers three year-end audits with three different auditors in three different countries!• Aug: Chelo conducts a 45 minute telephone interview with Fairfield Greenwich’s head of risk management; hedge funds all lose money except for Madoff!2008• Apr 2: Undelivered e-mail to Sokobin, SEC’s Director of Risk Assessment, entitled, “$30 Billion Equity Derivatives Hedge Fund Fraud in New York”• Dec 11: Madoff runs out of money, turns himself in• Dec 12: SEC insider calls me and warns “watch your back, Operation Cover-up has begun.”2009• Feb 4: My U.S. House testimony followed by SEC’s senior staff and FINRA acting CEO• Sep 4: 477-page SEC IG Report on the Madoff Fiasco released• Sep 10: I testify before US Senate Banking Committee with SEC IGFrom Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Markopolos, the whistleblower who filed five unheeded complaints against Ponzi king Bernie Madoff over nine years, has produced an astonishing true-life whodunit set amidst the personalities, plots, and international intrigue of Wall Street. Having collected damning information on money manager Madoff-the respected co-founder of NASDAQ who ran the largest financial scam in history-since 1999, Markopolos's work as a chartered financial analyst and certified fraud examiner, aided by an industry journalist and two colleagues from his days as a derivatives portfolio manager, lays bare the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a tragically inept regulating agency that "didn't give a rat's ass about protecting investors," and seemed to consider Madoff "just another guy cutting some corners." Realizing he had not one but two powerful opponents-"Madoff and this nonfunctioning agency"-Markopolos refused to give up, despite fearing for his life and his family; accordingly, he transmits his team's determination and fascination in contagious detail. The hows and whys of Madoff's eventual arrest, Markopolos's subsequent appearances before Congress, and the carnival of press coverage makes a satisfying conclusion to this strange epic; Markopolos also includes complete documentation of his formal submissions to the SEC, plus his recommendations for much-needed reform at the agency. Views: 65
Deep in the Brazilian rain forest, a team of Navy SEALs has been nearly wiped out by something sinister and superhuman, sending shock waves through the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO). Now ACRO agents Sela Kahne and Marlena West head to the world's most unforgiving jungle to find and kill a mythical monstrosity with a taste for human blood. But to succeed in their mission, they will need the help of two men, each hiding his own dark secret. Sela is an expert on cryptozoology with a sideline skill that could prove invaluable: When she makes love to a man, she engulfs his innermost thoughts. Teamed with Marlena, Sela makes contact with the lone SEAL survivor, Chance McCormack. Meanwhile, Logan Mills, the man who rescued Chance, leads his private company on a hunt that has nothing to do with saving lives. Soon, Sela will put her supernatural charms to work on Logan, determined to extract information about the creature they are seeking. But in this sweat-drenched realm of danger and deception, Logan is more than just a passive target. He has the power to lead a highly trained seducer into a jungle without any rules, without any limits - and with no end to the heat. Views: 65
Suze Wilding and Lloyd Rockwell are complete strangers. She lives in London; he lives in New York. But when their advertising firm sponsors a job swap, having them trade apartments and jobs for the summer, they find themselves living each other's lives. From the beginning, these two seem polar opposites—Suze is impetuous, brash, and commitment phobic, whereas Lloyd, cautious and thoughtful, is looking to settle down with his suitable girlfriend. But when Suze discovers a plot at work to get Lloyd fired, the two begin communicating long-distance, and can't help wondering if they might just be perfect for one another. Views: 65
Invited by the oldest customer of his rural Lincolnshire pub to a local Horse Trial event, Ex-Met Inspector John Cannon suspects there is an ulterior motive. There is, the first of many with more deadly outcomes as Cannon finds himself plunged into the ruthless ambitions of some in this horse focussed world. The inheritance of a family fortune is also an issue. The stakes just get bigger all the time. Local tragedies, murder and kidnap take the action to America. Now Cannon begins to realise the scale of gangland crime involved, and just how many lives have been blighted. In Kentucky it is made worse by two rival gang leaders both believing they have a horse that will win the Kentucky Derby. The climax comes on the track as this world famous race is taking place, but not before Cannon has experienced the wilder, lonelier, beautiful stretches of Louisiana as he tries to rescue the maltreated kidnap victim. Views: 65
