A spirited look at the history of alcohol from the dawn of civilization to the twenty first century For better or worse, alcohol has helped shape our civilization. Throughout history, it has been consumed not just to quench our thirsts or nourish our bodies but also for cultural reasons. It has been associated since antiquity with celebration, creativity, friendship, and danger, for every drinking culture has acknowledged it possesses a dark side. In Drink, Iain Gately traces the course of humanity’s 10,000 year old love affair with the substance which has been dubbed “the cause of—and solution to—all of life’s problems. ” Along the way he scrutinises the drinking habits of presidents, prophets, and barbarian hordes, and features drinkers as diverse as Homer, Hemmingway, Shakespeare, Al Capone, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Covering matters as varied as bacchanals in Imperial Rome, the gin craze in 17th century London, the rise and fall of the temperance movement,... Views: 14
As has been said before, Mary Ann Shaughnessy is no ordinary child. She first won a place in the hearts of thousands of readers in A Grand Man, described by Alan Melville in a broadcast as “a quite enchanting novel, written by someone who obviously knows the mind of a child as well as she knows the mean back streets of Tyneside.” Mary Ann firmly believed that when her father took on the farm job she had largely contrived to find for him, he would be set for life. Away from the temptations of the town, doing the kind of work he was meant for, he must slowly but surely turn into the angelic being Mary Ann knew him to be. But Mary Ann did not count on the frailties of human nature nor the sheer contrariness of others, which destroyed all her well-laid plans…In this second novel of the Shaughnessy saga, Mary Ann returns in this delightful, warm-hearted and humorously observed story of life set in northern England. Views: 14
Dwayne S. Joseph's talents shine in this compelling coming-of-age novel about seventeen-year-old Brian Moore, who seems to be a "bad kid" thanks to his friends, but who's also struggling to escape the streets. Despite the straight A's Brian gets in school, there's still plenty of trouble swirling around him all the time, threatening to drag him down into it. Brian has no father and his mother, Deahnna, works two jobs so she's never around. His teacher, Jawan White, came from the same streets as Brian, and he knows there's more in Brian's future than being a thug, but his constant lecturing isn't helping matters any. But when Jawan falls for Deahnna, and Brian's girlfriend learns she's pregnant—that's when the real drama begins. Views: 14
William Drake’s living an ordinary life—he's got a job, a dog, and a house near Lake Superior—when a frantic call for help from his ne'er-do-well sister, Katrina, throws a big rancher-shaped kink in the works. Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, Will’s arrival at the Montana ranch belonging to Katrina's fiancé, Martin, is marked by a flat tire and unexpected help from a tall, dark, and handsome Good Samaritan who turns out to be Elijah Hunter, Martin's brother, and the most unsettling man Will has ever met. Eli’s fury over Katrina’s misdeeds boils over onto Will, and he demands that Will remain on the ranch until the matter is resolved. While Will can take Katrina's place, Eli doesn’t make it easy, testing Will at every turn, but Will’s uncompromising morals exceed even Eli’s exacting standards. The attraction growing between them is further complicated by Eli’s ultimatum: he's still holding Katrina to the pre-nup she signed... unless Will agrees to marry Eli instead. Views: 14
Sophie Clarkston is shocked to learn that she
isn't who she thinks. Her birth certificate is forged. Her name -- made
up. And her widowed "father" is suddenly missing, leaving behind a
heartbreaking letter asking forgiveness. Desperate for answers, Sophie
turns to private investigator Cain Garrison in tiny Promise, Virginia.
But the moment they leave his office, her life is threatened and her
home ransacked. Who is after her? And who, exactly, is she? With
questions about his own past, Cain vows to help Sophie uncover the
truth. Before someone comes out of the shadows to keep it hidden
forever. Views: 14
A fourth collection of stories by the award-winning author.From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 14
"Busbee is back and better than ever!" —Julia QuinnShe Couldn't Escape Her PastRipped from her dying mother's arms, Morgana Fowler was cast into a life of desperate thievery. With a tongue even sharper than the blade she deftly wields, she has all but mastered her devious trade—until she picks the pocket of a dashing American who wrests her from the sordid streets of London. In the arms of her gallant protector, she is helpless against the longing he elicits within her. . .He Couldn't Contain His PassionRoyce Manchester basks in a world of privilege and power in the decadent British Regency, and lowborn Morgana finds in him a love she's never known. But the secret of her true parentage threatens to bring her new life crashing down. With a sinister figure from her past ever lurking at her heels, she and Royce must confront one of Regency England's most diabolical villains—a challenge that fans the flame of a love that knows no bounds.... Views: 14
ReviewPraise for the Detective Murdoch Mysteries:"Jennings has a wonderful feel for the places and tasks that give life and context to a character." — *New York Times Book Review"When it comes to evoking a bygone era . . . Jennings has [Anne] Perry beat hands down." — Calgary Herald"Jennings writes with the lilt and assurance of an old hand. She deftly wields historic details without impeding the story." — San Jose Mercury News"If you want to step back in time . . . let Jennings be your guide. There's really none better."— Ottawa Citizen*From the Trade Paperback edition.Product DescriptionThe creator of the acclaimed Detective Murdoch Mysteries turns her exceptional storytelling skills to a murder mystery set in rural Shropshire, England, in the darkest days of the Second World War.Following the disastrous retreat of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940, England is plunged into a state of fear. The threat of a German invasion is real, and many German Nationals are interned in camps across the country. One such camp is on the ancient moor land of Prees Heath, near the small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, where Tom Tyler is the sole detective inspector.Young women from all walks of life have joined the Land Army, to help desperate farmers keep the country fed. When one of these young women is found murdered on a desolate country road, Tyler is almost glad for the challenge; he has been fretting for some time about the dullness of policing in a rural community. In addition, a former lover has reappeared and turned his emotions upside down; his soldier son seems utterly changed by his experience at Dunkirk; and his sixteen year old daughter is unhappy. As he pursues the murderer, Tyler finds himself drawn into an uneasy alliance with one of the Prees Heath internees, a psychiatrist, who claims to be an expert on the criminal mind.From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 14
A stunning narrative account of the mysterious Jordanian who penetrated both the inner circle of al-Qaeda and the highest reaches of the CIA, with a devastating impact on the war on terror. In December 2009, a group of the CIA’s top terrorist hunters gathered at a secret base in Khost, Afghanistan, to greet a rising superspy: Humam Khalil al-Balawi, a Jordanian double-agent who infiltrated the upper ranks of al-Qaeda. For months, he had sent shocking revelations from inside the terrorist network and now promised to help the CIA assassinate Osama bin Laden’s top deputy. Instead, as he stepped from his car, he detonated a thirty-pound bomb strapped to his chest, instantly killing seven CIA operatives, the agency’s worst loss of life in decades. In The Triple Agent, Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Joby Warrick takes us deep inside the CIA’s secret war against al-Qaeda, a war that pits robotic planes and laser-guided missiles against a cunning enemy intent on unleashing carnage in American cities. Flitting precariously between the two sides was Balawi, a young man with extraordinary gifts who managed to win the confidence of hardened terrorists as well as veteran spymasters. With his breathtaking accounts from inside al-Qaeda’s lair, Balawi appeared poised to become America’s greatest double-agent in half a century-but he was not at all what he seemed. Combining the powerful momentum of Black Hawk Down with the institutional insight of Jane Mayer’s The Dark Side, Warrick takes the readers on a harrowing journey from the slums of Amman to the inner chambers of the White House in an untold true story of miscalculation, deception, and revenge. Views: 14
Product DescriptionWomen to WatchA WOMAN NEVER FORGETS HER FIRST LOVER…Handsome cowboy Ryder McCall was everything sheltered virgin Ashley Bennet had ever wanted in a man. His rugged good looks and seductive Texas charm were impossible to resist. Little did she know that nine months after she relinquished her virtue, the stork would be delivering to her two tiny mementos!Ryder would rather eat his Stetson than take a wife. But when he discovered that Ashley carried his babies, Ryder vowed to make the mother of his children an honest woman. Could he hope for marital bliss after he said "I do"?For a sizzling romance that will warm your heart, Shirley Rogers is our Woman To Watch…. Views: 14
Still reeling from the tragic loss of his girlfriend and his treasured boat, retired U.S. Naval officer and private investigator John Caine returns to action when a wealthy San Diego woman hires him to investigate the death of her software mogul husband. From Hawaii to California to Mexico, Caine sets out to find what happened to Paul Peters-and the millions embezzled from his firm.With the comely widow barely an arm's length away, Caine dives into a hotbed of Mexican justice, predatory sex, bullets and border politics to follow the money and find the truth. Award-winning author Charles Knief plots a spine-tingling read with a hair-raising payoff in this brilliant new mystery. Views: 14
Book 1 of the NEVER SAY SPY series Despite her penchant for weapons and ripe language, Aydan Kelly’s resumé reads ‘bookkeeper’, not ‘badass’. She’s leaving the city to fulfill her dream of rural tranquillity when she gets carjacked by a man who shouldn’t exist. When RCMP officer John Kane kills her would-be abductor, Aydan thinks her troubles are over. But Kane’s investigation implicates her in an international espionage plot, and criminal charges become the least of her worries when she’s targeted by the very spies Kane suspects her of aiding. Pity her enemies. Because nobody’s tougher than a middle-aged woman who wants her dream back. - Spicy suspense served hard-boiled - Books in the series: Book 1: Never Say SpyBook 2: The Spy Is CastBook 3: Reach For The SpyBook 4: Tell Me No SpiesBook 5: How Spy I AmBook 6: A Spy For A SpyBook 7: Spy, Spy AwayBook 8: Spy Now, Pay LaterBook 9: Spy HighMore books coming... Views: 14
In his time investigating crimes for both the Boston cops and General Ike's European forces, Lieutenant Billy Boyle hasn't encountered a serial killer. But now it looks like he may--a serial killer with a particularly frightening agenda. Two officers from the American troops stationed in Caserta, Italy, not far from Naples, have been found murdered. Lieutenant Norman Landry was found behind a supply tent with his neck snapped. Captain Max Galante, MD, was strangled on the same night, and his body left in a garden outside HQ. The MOs are completely different, and it seems like the officers had no connection to each other, but one frightening fact links the murders: each body was discovered with a single playing card: the Lieutenant, the ten of hearts; the Captain, the jack of hearts. The message seems to be clear--if the murderer isn't apprehended, the higher ranks will be next. Billy is sent to Italy for the investigation, which grows... Views: 14
