A fatal drunk driving accident in the suburbs of Chicago sets in place a series of events that echo through the lives of those close to both the victim and the perpetrator in this radiant novel-in-stories debut from a prize-winning short story writer.When Sonia, the prominent wife of a local cemetery owner, is killed in the worst accident anyone can remember, Hartley Nolan, a lifelong teetotaler, is hardly the person police expect to find behind the wheel. After all, Hartley's something of an inspiration in a town that hasn't seen much luck in decades, the local boy who made it big in Chicago as a commodities trader without ever forgetting his struggling family back home. But Tower Hill, Illinois, close knit and alive with old rivalries, is fertile ground for resentments. With Hartley up for parole four years after his arrest, an old friend of Sonia's takes justice into his own hands. Set in the days leading up to Sonia's death and those surrounding Hartley's... Views: 56
When fiery Bridget Cummings advertised for a lodger, she did not expect a policeman to apply for the room. She wasn't fond of the coppers, believing them to be traitors to the poor of Whitechapel, but her younger brother and sister moved P.C.Fred Billings in the moment Bridget's back was turned, and she seemed to have little say in the matter. Still, she had to admit that she was glad of his company in the walk back from her late-night washing up job, particularly when a young girl was found in a nearby street with her throat cut.The discovery of the body of Maureen Flanagan, who was, the neighbours believed, a respectable woman, naturally stirred memories of Jack the Ripper. His horrific crimes had shocked the neighbourhood only twelve years before., but Chief Inspector Dobbs of the City of London Police believed, like most other police officers, that the Ripper was dead. But when a second body was discovered, and Bridget noticed a strange man following her,... Views: 56
Science Fiction. 79505 words long. Views: 56
The art of writing great science fiction is that it challenges the imagination, pushing it to extreme limits and in this anthology, selecting some of the best modern science fiction from the last fifty years, twenty leading authors of the genre ask the question 'What if...?' and then give their own very personal views of the changes and surprises which may befall humanity in the centuries to come. In Ulla, Ulla Eric Brown recounts the first manned Martian expedition and discovers that H. G. Wells may have been right after all. In The Infinite Assassin Greg Egan polices the dimensions, seeking those who are taking over their alternate selves. Geoffrey A. Landis takes us into the depths of a black hole in Approaching Perimelasma. Is the ultimate Utopia heaven or hell? Robert Sheckley finds out in the classic A Ticket to Tranai. These and other stories by James White, Eric Frank Russell, Robert Reed, H. Beam Piper and H. Chandler Elliot make this one of the most entertaining and thought-provoking science fiction anthologies in lightyears." Views: 56
Product DescriptionMaggie Monroe stopped looking for magic ten months, twenty-two days and eight hours ago. Maybe it's his gift for fixing things. Or maybe it's because Rory's known Maggie is the woman for him since the day they met. But he seems intent on bringing the Christmas spirit back into the grieving widow's life...starting with a unique holiday surprise.Try as she might, Maggie's finding it awfully hard to resist a man as persistent—and appealing—as Rory. Hired to restore her uncle's century-old inn, the Michigan carpenter has taken her on as another task. With his faith and love, can she help along that special miracle only two can create? Views: 56
Harry desperately wants to join the RAF to take an injured pilot's place, but his mother repeatedly denies him permission to join. He is ready to give up until he sees the familiar new recruit assigned to Hampton. A startling discovery leads to a lesson in patience and enjoying childhood - Harry will grow up soon enough. Views: 56
A Novella, Romance and Adventure in the African Jungle (Golden Sofala) and the Kingdom of Prester John. A love story, a mystery, an impossible dream, and a daring plan to capture one man's heart. A tale of lovers that have traveled through time itself to find each other. Views: 56
Willig switches the setting of her Pink Carnation series from eighteenth-century England to colonial India in the sixth installment, which finds wild Penelope Deveraux married off to Lord Frederick Staines after the two are caught in a compromising position. Though they connect physically, the spirited, witty Penelope and the pompous, hedonistic Freddy have little in common. Freddy’s new position as special envoy to an English ambassador has brought them both to India, where rumors of intrigue involving a French spy known as the Marigold are afoot. Already floundering in her loveless marriage, Penelope sets out to unmask the spy, suspecting that their serious escort, Captain Alex Reid, might be the culprit. But as Penelope grows closer to Alex, her suspicions give way to a deep mutual attraction. Willig brings colonial India to vibrant life through Penelope’s eyes, and the sparks flying between Penelope and Alex generate plenty of heat. By taking the story to India, Willig injects a new energy in her already thriving, thrilling series, and presents the best entry to date. Views: 56
It was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen and I didn't have the words to describe it.� It felt it though.� I let out an incredible whoop of joy and skipped into the air, laughing and laughing; there was so much joy inside me.� For the first time in all my memory, I could not contain myself. As a boy in the early 1940s, young Boden Black finds his life changed for ever the day his neighbour Dudley drives him over the hills into the vast snow-covered plains of the Mackenzie country.� Unexpectedly his world opens up and he discovers a love of landscape and a fascination with words that will guide him throughout his life, as he forges a career as a butcher and poet, spends a joyous summer building a hut on the slopes of Mount Cook and climbs to the summit in the company of Sir Edmund Hillary. A moving exploration of onw man's journey and the events which shape him, The Hut Builder is also an evocative celebration of the mountain world and the wonder of life.... Views: 56
Issue #45 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies online magazine, featuring stories by Aliette de Bodard and Adam Corbin Fusco. Views: 56
