J. D. Cooper had left no stone unturned when investigating a cold case that hit much too close to home. Or so he'd thought. Thanks to small-town deputy Natalie Becker, new evidence had surfaced that might lead J.D. closer to the truth. But Natalie had a stake in this situation, too, and claimed that joining forces was their best strategy -- and their best hope. Problem was, after years of working alone to solve a seemingly unsolvable crime, J.D. found himself distracted by his beautiful partner and her passion for doing the right thing. He'd never met anyone like her and that scared him as much as this unidentifiable madman...until Natalie was made his next target. Views: 71
After a difficult delivery and birth of her daughter, control freak Ginger Davies, is losing control. She cares only for the care of her daughter and has no time or energy for anything else. Her home, business, and relationships are suffering. She knows something needs to change, but she is too overwhelmed to do anything about it. As someone who has always prided herself on being strong and capable, and disciplined, she can't bring herself to admit what she is really going through.Her husband Beau has been content to take a break from domestic discipline to give Ginger the time and space she needs to recover, but he soon realizes that he's not doing her any favors by letting things go. He realizes that break or no break, it's time to regain control of his home and step up in a way that he never has before. Views: 71
In this free Rizzoli & Isles short story from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen, author of The Silent Girl, a bizarre death comes with a supernatural twist. Homicide cop Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have seen their fair share of mortal crimes, but the death of Kimberly Rayner may qualify as inhuman in more ways than one. When corpse of the emaciated seventeen-year-old girl is discovered next to an empty coffin in an abandoned church, mysterious bruises around the throat suggest foul play. Caught fleeing the scene is the victim’s closest friend, Lucas Henry, an equally skeletal, pale teenager who claims he’s guilty only of having a taste for blood—a craving he shared with Kimberly. But the victim’s distraught father doesn’t believe in vampires, only vengeance. And now, another life may be at risk unless Rizzoli and Isles can uncover the astonishing truth. Views: 71
In a future world of deadly solar flares and cloned dinosaurs, an investigative journalist sets out to uncover the truth about an urban myth: the Laundress of Silver Lake. As he wanders the banks of the lake he discovers some mysteries are better left unsolved.A short story from our Orbits sci-fi/fantasy line. Views: 71
One of the most critical battles of the Afghan War is now revealed as never before. Lions of Kandahar is an inside account from the unique perspective of an active-duty U.S. Army Special Forces commander, an unparalled warrior with multiple deployments to the theater who has only recently returned from combat there.Southern Afghanistan was slipping away. That was clear to then-Captain Rusty Bradley as he began his third tour of duty there in 2006. The Taliban and their allies were infiltrating everywhere, poised to reclaim Kandahar Province, their strategically vital onetime capital. To stop them, the NATO coalition launched Operation Medusa, the largest offensive in its history. The battlefield was the Panjwayi Valley, a densely packed warren of walled compounds that doubled neatly as enemy bunkers, lush orchards, and towering marijuana stands, all laced with treacherous irrigation ditches. A mass exodus of civilians heralded the carnage to come.Dispatched as a diversionary force in support of the main coalition attack, Bradley’s Special Forces A-team and two others, along with their longtime Afghan Army allies, watched from across the valley as the NATO force was quickly engulfed in a vicious counterattack. Key to relieving it and calling in effective air strikes was possession of a modest patch of high ground called Sperwan Ghar. Bradley’s small detachment assaulted the hill and, in the midst of a savage and unforgettable firefight, soon learned they were facing nearly a thousand seasoned fighters—from whom they seized an impossible victory.Now Bradley recounts the whole remarkable story as it actually happened. The blistering trek across Afghanistan’s infamous Red Desert. The eerie traces of the elusive Taliban. The close relations with the Afghan people and army, a primary mission focus. Sperwan Ghar itself: unremitting waves of fire from machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades; a targeted truck turned into an inferno; the death trap of a cut-off compound. Most important: the men, Americans and Afghans alike—the “shaky” medic with nerves of steel and a surgeon’s hands in battle; the tireless sergeant who seems to be everywhere at once; the soft-spoken intelligence officer with laser-sharp insight; the diminutive Afghan commander with a Goliath-sized heart; the cool maverick who risks all to rescue a grievously wounded comrade—each unique, all indelible in their everyday exercise of extraordinary heroism.From the Hardcover edition. Views: 71
Whirlwind Redemption by Debra CowanWhen a bullet left Quentin Prescott's spine and spirit shattered, he broke up with first love Zoe Keeler so he wouldn't be a burden. Now Zoe must burden him. She needs a fake fiancé to get her inheritance. Could this be Quentin's chance for redemption?The Maverick and Miss Prim by Lynna BanningSchoolteacher Eleanora Stevenson and her pupils are heading for safety after a renegade Indian attack when they stumble into the camp of gruff, trail-roughened Matt Johnson. From the glint in his eye and her body's tingling response, Eleanora suspects the trouble's just beginning....Texas Cinderella by Judith StacyKnowing she'll never tie the knot herself, Molly Douglas is content organizing other people's ceremonies. Adam Crawford is planning a wedding—for his brother—but Molly makes such an impression, he's seriously thinking about having one himself! Views: 71
