From Publishers WeeklyIn bestseller Jance's middling fifth Ali Reynolds thriller (after Cruel Intent), the ex–TV journalist takes over a media-relations job at the county police department in her hometown of Sedona, Ariz., after the previous flack is sent on administrative leave for misconduct. Soon after being fitted for the mandatory Kevlar vest, Ali goes to the site of a subdivision fire that has left an unidentified woman in critical condition. All signs point to arson, but the fire's amnesia-ridden survivor is the only one who knows the truth. With the help of a hospital nurse who's also a nun, Ali—mostly undercover in a red wig in the hospital's burn unit waiting room—slowly pieces together the victim's identity and her relationship to the fire. That Ali is essentially cast as a stenographer, surreptitiously transcribing the conversations of those visiting the victim's room, narrows the window for heart-racing action. A desert shoot-out tacked on toward the end adds some excitement. (Dec.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistFormer L.A. anchorwoman Ali Reynolds, now living in Sedona, Arizona, is asked by the county sheriff to fill in for his media-relations officer. Soon she becomes involved in the case of a woman who was badly injured in an arson fire and has no memory of the event or even her name. The feds take over the investigation from the county, but Ali is asked to help out by the victim’s hospital-appointed advocate, Sister Anselm. When the sister disappears, a worried Ali goes to find her and discovers she has been kidnapped. Fast pacing, surprising plot twists, and a strong, principled heroine make for a satisfying read. The fifth in the series. --Sue O'Brien Views: 579
Against a background of modern corporate culture and a tragic death, this bitter-sweet comedy weaves stories of love and relationships, ambition and folly.Rob Hamilton, a disaffected insurance lawyer, and Toni Haast, a quietly ambitious claims clerk, are sent to Exmouth, a small town on New Zealand's West Coast, to investigate the suspicious death of Artemis Washburn. On family holidays in Exmouth, Rob's father had filled his young son's mind with ideas of the fifth season - the time when things don't quite fit, like rain when it's sunny. As they delve into the truth behind Artemis's death and their relationship develops, Rob and Toni glimpse life in the fifth season. Meanwhile, back in Wellington, the gilded life of Andy Wu, the Dependable Insurance Company’s stellar CEO, starts to tarnish. Can his marriage to Samantha survive his jealousy of Owen Huntly, top salesman and Lothario? Against a background of modern corporate culture and a tragic death, this bitter-sweet comedy weaves stories of love and relationships, ambition and folly. Views: 578
A dangerous old friend stalks out of Bulays' past, as she finds herself back-to-back with Erica Joan Stark in the gladiator arena of the Slave Pits of Valkis!A series planetary romance.Bulays and Ghaavn #11.Terra Branford. Naïve and innocent, yet she caused so much death. Passionate and powerful, yet the epitome of purity.Now a forgotten evil threatens her children, her friends, and her very existence. Will Edgar, Locke, and company stop the madman before Terra falls into the depths of madness?Or will Edgar lose his last chance to confess his love?*(this is a work of fan-fiction; events take place after those of Final Fantasy VI) Views: 578
The question is, how can you tell the President's brain is missing? And are we sure we need it back? Views: 578
Eric Thompson's wolf howl can ruin electronics and send aircraft tumbling from the sky. Considered dangerous even by his fellow Sazi, Eric has become a lone wolf, living in self-imposed isolation. Yet when the very foundations of Sazi life come under attack, Eric knows he must defend his fellow shapeshifters at any cost.Attacked by a band of vicious Sazi, Holly Sanchez should have died. Instead, she survives, emerging as a powerful Sazi healer. Sent to return Eric to the Sazi world he rejected, Holly finds herself by his side as the lone wolf tracks the monster that is killing the Sazi. Holly soon realizes she must make a choice—between a Sazi life with Eric, and life as a "normal" human being. But first, she must survive long enough to make that choice—and she must save her people, and the world, from evil. Views: 578
While Buddhism has no central text comparable to the Bible or Koran, there is a powerful body of scripture from across Asia that encompasses the dharma, or the teachings of the Buddha. In this rich anthology, eminent scholar Donald S. Lopez, Jr., brings together works from a broad historical and geographical range, and from such languages as Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese. There are tales of the Buddha's past lives, a discussion of qualities and qualifications for a monk, and an exploration of the many meanings of enlightenment. Together they provide a vivid picture of the Buddha and of the vast and profound nature of the Buddhist tradition. Views: 578
A Dominique Flyndry story.On a one woman mission, hunderworld intelligence gathering led to one drink too many, and she finds herself kidnapped in the clutches of a barbarian space princess. The problem for the barbarians is that they do not know what they have in their clutches, as Flyndry starts her manipulations to prevent a Galactic War with the Terran Empire.A Gender Switch Adventure.Dark Tales of FantasyWhen evil things happen to good people there never is a happy ending!An Anthology of magic and mayhem.Set in a world of Dark Sorcery, where sacrificed life brings forth the vilest of magic.And Creatures of Chaos, bent on destruction, subvert the morals of good.In the end, Evil Things will happen to Good People. Views: 577
Meet Victoria. She’s a girl and pretty laid back. And meet Cat. He’s a cat and…well, he’s just Cat. He’s good at inventing things. That’s what he tells everyone, anyway. But actually, not all of his inventions go wrong…What could have caused the dragons to decide they are tired of being pushed around by lesser beings? For the first time they've chosen to spread their wings and have taken over the second largest city in the Dwarven kingdom. Join with the Magical Seven as they react to this revolt.More than any other time in their history the Dwarves need heroes, a crazy inventor and his family are the ones who step up to the challenge. Dr. Kilgen is a Dwarf on a mission. Since the dragons attacked his village he has spent every minute that he isn’t saving Dwarves at the hospital inventing steam powered machines of mass dragon destruction.Can the Dwarven Dragon Hunters of THE DIRGE and the Magical Seven put down the dragon uprising and reclaim their fallen city? Or will the dragon's fire ultimately leave their inventions in a cloud of smoke? Views: 577
For the writer and anyone else interested in Renaissance England (1485-1649), this remarkable resource covers the day-to-day details: fashions, food, customs, family life, the Royal Court, law and punishment, holidays, city and rural living, seafaring and land occupations, alehouses, marriage, birth and death rituals--and a great deal more, written with authority in a wonderfully readable style. Included are bibliographies and internet addresses for further research. Author Kathy Lynn Emerson has written many historical mysteries and romances set in the Renaissance. Views: 576
Working for his ex and his boyfriend, Dino's past and present cross.Dino is caught off guard when his ex shows up out of the blue asking for help. His current lover, Seth, is pushing him to find dirt on his sister’s boyfriend. Juggling between two cases – and his boyfriend and ex – isn’t easy, but what choice does he have?Working with his ex takes Dino on a trip down memory lane, raising a few doubts and stirring up Seth’s jealousy. Now he must save his ex’s restaurant and his relationship with Seth before it’s too late.Explicit sexual situations, M/M sex and mild violence. Views: 576
When asked to choose his “very best” stories, Charles de Lint went directly to his fans, who helped him select this collection of timeless, magical tales. From his beloved Newford to the streets of modern Ottawa, these stories take you effortlessly to a place where mystery and myth are right next door. To quote his readers: “His stories are good for the heart and soul…he reminds you of hope and strength and Beauty and Grace that you may have forgotten.”
“Just as Charles de Lint’s pen drips magic and enchantment, he is also never afraid to write about the darker and painful side of life, and he writes it in a way that moves you. Give this wonderful book a chance; I promise you it won’t disappoint you. Even more, I can assure you, you won’t be the same person when you are done with it: de Lint will have changed you with his magic.”
Reviews:
Contemporary fantasist de Lint built this winning compilation with help from his readers, who voted on their favorite stories. The result is an outstanding and widely varied collection of 29 tales. The delightfully light-hearted "Pixel Pixies" adds magic and mischief to innocent online interactions. ("If you're lucky, [the pixies are] still on the Internet and didn't follow you home.") "Merlin Dreams in the Mondream Wood" investigates the nature and meaning of memories. The heart-wrenching "In the House of My Enemy," later developed into the novel The Onion Girl, narrates the decisions made by a pregnant girl with an abusive past. Longtime fans and newcomers alike will fall in love with de Lint's graceful, poetic language and characters like "an old man who wore the shape of a red-haired boy with crackernut eyes that seemed as bright as salmon tails glinting up the water."
—Publishers Weekly
When it comes to urban waifs and strays, Ottawa fantasy writer Charles de Lint has his own unusual take, creating in his fiction a fantastic world populated by artists, musicians, booksellers, scholars, runaways and, well, magic. With The Very Best of Charles de Lint, the author, who is also a musician, has created a greatest-hits set with a twist. To determine which stories to include (from a body of work spanning 25 years), he asked his fans for their favourites via Facebook and Twitter. The resulting volume is more than 400 pages of the finest urban fantasy fiction of the past three decades, characterized by de Lint’s deep and passionate humanism.
—Robert Wiersema, National Post
There are a number of stories here—quite an impressive number of them—that are simply perfect. By that, I mean that they hit the mark they've aimed at. (And de Lint never aims low.) They've achieved the intended effect. An artistic balance has been achieved between lyricism and clarity of language, consistent and well-developed characterisation that propel the plot at a good pace, and the elements of myth dosed out carefully enough that they retain the elements of mystery. And it's easy to miss that exquisite feat of craft in sheer enjoyment of the story, and the set of feelings the author has evoked. And that, my friends, is storytelling at its best.
—Green Man Review Views: 576
The play “Flight of the Soul” contrasts several points of view about eternal life but features a “brain uploading” concept proffered by Ray Kurtzweil and others including the author. In the play Ray Kurtzweil is thinly disguised as Ray Kurtz. Others are archetypes of other points of view except Bob Mover (a Bill Moyers type) and Mrs. Altevine, a rich widow in search of eternal life.When an autopsy finds traces of the banned insecticide Chlordane in the anointing oil on the corpse of a local big-wig, Pittsburgh police bring Lupa Schwartz, an outspoken non-believer, into an investigation focused on a well-liked local clergyman. Worried that the police are planning to use him as a political fall-guy, Schwartz coerces Cattleya Hoskin, a magazine reporter with a connection to his family’s past, to chronicle his process and squelch any misgiving that his world-view influenced the outcome. Suspicion in the case is focused on Fr. Coneely, an outspoken euthanasia advocate who had earlier made the mistake of telling the family of the now-dead man that, hypothetically, he could safely apply poison-laden oil to their suffering father during last rites, and nobody need be the wiser. Was Mr. Hanson the willing victim of a mercy killing, or was a lapsing insurance policy the real motive for one of Hanson’s five children to taint the oil?All of the elements which are to become the unique hallmarks of the Lupa Schwartz series are birthed in this story: Schwartz’s compulsion to flatten the tires of parking rule scofflaws, Cattleya’s frustration with Schwartz’s refusal to carry a credit card or cell phone, their unspoken agreement to never discuss their shared history, and Schwartz’s fondness for comedy movies. We also meet the supporting cast who populate each of the stories: Mia, the feisty mechanic who lives in Schwartz’s large Victorian during the week to work on his car collection, but who visits her grandmother on weekends; Beverly, the cook and housekeeper who may or may not be in love with Schwartz; and Trevor Johns, the Pittsburgh police homicide detective by day, and Jazz/Blues clarinet player by night. We also meet most of the circulating cast of bit-players who appear in stories as needed: Jana, Cat’s friend at Gamut Magazine HQ; the Five Seekers, members of a discussion group Schwartz belongs to; and Victor Jenkins, a newspaper reporter. Views: 576
Runa expects to live her entire life isolated in the woods until she meets Thorkell the Tall. She tries to conform to society through a traditional marriage, but at a very high cost to them both. The Lost Tales are ten short stories set in Viking Age England (and related areas). They introduce the characters of the novel, "Eadric the Grasper," but each story stands alone.**A short story**Brooke writes "LEAVE THIS PAGE BLANK" on the inside of her yearbook so her best friend has a place to sign. But after the book is passed around at school, she finds that someone else has written there first. The handwriting is bizarre and unrecognizable, and instead of well-wishes for the upcoming summer, the message contains a creepy warning. Brooke wants to believe it's all a joke... but her growing sense of dread is making her think otherwise. Views: 576
Photographer Dominique Jeffries has come to Wyoming to find herself--her creative self, her sexual self. After escaping the engagement from hell, she's dying to break loose and live a little. And seducing a shirtless, sweaty cowhand looks like just the place to start....Nick Chance isn't exactly a cowhand but, hey, he'll be whatever the lady wants! Only he soon realizes that this is more than just a quick roll in the hay. There's something about Dominique that calls to him, something about her that completes him.There's only one problem. Dominique wants a fling, not another relationship.Little does she guess how easily she'll be persuaded to take a Chance--again and again and again! Views: 576
Secret In Her BedTina Alexander wanted her wealthy playboy neighbor gone–he was too much of a distraction for the normally straitlaced good girl. But Reid Danforth, one of Savannah's most eligible bachelors, had other plans for the curvy beauty–and most of them included teaching Tina all the ways a man could please a woman...over and over again.But passion had a price. If word spread, their scandalous affair would ruin both their reputations. They found heaven in each other's arms, but if their interfering families found out, there would be hell to pay....Dynasties: The DanforthsA Family 0f Prominence...Tested By Scandal, Sustained By Passion! Views: 575
