New York Times bestselling author James Grippando delivers a powerful, nonstop thrill ride ripped from the headlines. Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck is back in his most frightening case yet, and this time the price of victory is measured in blood.It is the most sensational murder trial since O. J. Simpson's. The nation is obsessed with Sydney Bennett, a sexy nightclub waitress and good-time girl accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter for cramping her party life. When he had agreed to defend Sydney, Jack Swyteck knew he'd be taking on the toughest and most controversial case of his career.Millions of "TV jurors" have convicted Sydney in the court of public opinion.When the shocking verdict of not guilty is announced, citizens across the country are outraged, and Jack is bombarded by the fallout: angry, profanity-laced phone calls and even outright threats. Media-fed rumors of "blood money"--purported... Views: 34
The masterfully told story of twelve volatile days in the life of Chicago, when an aviation disaster, a race riot, a crippling transit strike, and a sensational child murder transfixed and roiled a city already on the brink of collapse.When 1919 began, the city of Chicago seemed on the verge of transformation. Modernizers had an audacious, expensive plan to turn the city from a brawling, unglamorous place into "the Metropolis of the World." But just as the dream seemed within reach, pandemonium broke loose and the city's highest ambitions were suddenly under attack by the same unbridled energies that had given birth to them in the first place.It began on a balmy Monday afternoon when a blimp in flames crashed through the roof of a busy downtown bank, incinerating those inside. Within days, a racial incident at a hot, crowded South Side beach spiraled into one of the worst urban riots in American history, followed by a transit strike that paralyzed the city. Then, when it seemed as if things could get no worse, police searching for a six-year-old girl discovered her body in a dark North Side basement.Meticulously researched and expertly paced, City of Scoundrels captures the tumultuous birth of the modern American city, with all of its light and dark aspects in vivid relief.ReviewA Vanity Fair and Daily Beast Hot Read"City of Scoundrels is a lavishly intricate, well-paced account of a great city lashed to the breaking point by a political perfect storm." - James McManus, New York Times Book Review"History that feels like the most compelling adventure yarn, full of crashing dirigibles, bloody riots and classic crooks. Loved it." - Scott Turow "A raucous, briskly paced, thoroughly American tale...Reminds us how rich and enthralling reality can be in the hands of a great storyteller..." -- John Wilwol, The Weekly Standard"Spectacular and vivid...'City of Scoundrels' hits with the force of Lake Michigan's winds." -- Mark Caro, The Washington Post"Krist serves up a solid, well-informed, and vibrant slice of urban history." -- Publishers Weekly"Fast-paced...Krist handles these overlapping events with remarkable skill, weaving what in less-talented hands could have been a tangle of incidents and anecdotes into a driving narrative. At its best, "City of Scoundrels" is utterly absorbing." -- Kevin Boyle, The Chicago Tribune"Gary Krist has crafted a wild and appropriately explosive tale about mayhem, murder, corruption, and paranoia.... This taut, hour-by-hour account of 12 days that forever changed the city will thrill history buffs and fiction fans alike." -- Karen Abbott, bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and American Rose"(An) eager narrative that delivers vivid reading." -- Kirkus Reviews"The most compelling adventure yarn, full of crashing dirigibles, bloody riots, and classic crooks. Loved it." --Scott Turow, author of *Presumed Innocent*"A lavishly intricate, well-paced account of a great city lashed to the breaking point by a political perfect storm." --*New York Times*From the Hardcover edition.About the AuthorGary Krist has written for the New York Times, Esquire, Salon, the Washington Post Book World, and other publications. He is the author of the acclaimed The White Cascade as well as several works of fiction.From the Hardcover edition. Views: 34
In a stark, troubling, yet ultimately triumphant celebration of self-determination, award-winning author A. Manette Ansay re-creates a stifling world of guilty and pain, and the tormented souls who inhabit it. It is 1972 when circumstance carries Ellen Grier and her family back to Holly's Field, Wisconsin. Dutifully accompanying her newly unemployed husband, Ellen has brought her two children into the home of her in-laws on Vinegar Hill -- a loveless house suffused with the settling dust of bitterness and routine -- where calculated cruelty is a way of life preserved and perpetuated in the service of a rigid, exacting and angry God. Behind a facade of false piety, there are sins and secrets in this place that could crush a vibrant young woman's passionate spirit. And here Ellen must find the straight to endure, change, and grow in the all-pervading darkness that threatens to destroy everything she is and everyone she loves. Views: 34
In Seraphine Caelum's world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them. A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence—Illysia (the Light Realm), Earth (the Mortal Realm), and Xibalba (the Dark Realm). Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera's avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos. A chaos that Azraiel, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azraiel before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn't come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he's telling. Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to... Views: 34
To marry a rake When heiress Sophie Ravel finds herself in a compromising situation, notorious Richard Crawford, Viscount Bingfield, swoops in and saves her reputation. She might have escaped the attentions of one undesirable, but will Richard's protection expose her to even more scandal? Richard curses his impetuousness at offering a betrothal in the heat of the moment. He gladly accepts Sophie's terms that their engagement remain a pretense…until, quite by chance, he unlocks his shy fiancée's passionate nature. Now nothing will steer him from wedding -- then bedding -- his blushing bride…. Views: 34
Can an unconventional liaison turn into the love match of the season? After the scandalous duel that made her a widow, Alberta Brown was left destitute-and in possession of a cache of ill-gotten goods. Determined to right the wrongs of her thieving husband, she sailed to England to locate the owner of a gentleman's ring bearing an intriguing coat of arms. But a series of mishaps on- board soon convinced Allie that she was enmeshed in a perilous game. Yet none was more dangerous-or irresistibly tempting-than the dashing stranger waiting on the dock. The marriage-minded Lord Robert Jamison was searching for a woman who aroused that certain something. He never expected to find her in this uncommonly pretty, fiercely independent American he'd been asked to escort back to a splendid country estate. Allie was in grave danger-worse, she vowed never to marry again. Yet Lord Robert's will was just as strong-and he planned to make this maddening creature his wife, even as passion drove them into each other's arms…and a reckless liaison flamed into the season's most indiscreet and irresistible affair of the heart. Views: 34
"Spencer loves movies, but real life is boring, right? When his late grandfather's will reveals the tasks he wants his grandsons to undertake, Spencer thinks he got screwed. He's not going to France or Spain or Africa. He's not even getting a cool tattoo, like his younger brother. No, he's going to Buffalo to get a kiss from an ancient movie star. Gross. And he's supposed to film it. Grosser. But Spencer hasn't bargained on Gloria Lorraine, star of the silver screen back in the day. Gloria has big plans--plans that involve her granddaughter AmberLea, a gun, a baker who might be a gangster, some real gangsters and a road trip to Nowheresville, Ontario. After being shot at, jumping into an icy lake and confronting some angry bikers, Spencer finally realizes that real life can be as exciting (and dangerous) as reel life." (20120901)Review"Staunton offers plenty of action, intrigue, and well-placed humour. The way the story intertwines with Spencer's younger brother's journey adds further interest and keeps readers guessing to the end. The film allusions throughout are clever and appropriate, and the cast of characters is both interesting and convincing...Readers will thoroughly enjoy Jump Cut on its own or as part of this unique new series. Highly Recommended." (CM Magazine 20120802)"A zany adventure...In the course of the story, Spencer tangles with Mafia toughs and motorcycle gang members, finding maturity, smarts and personal strength in the process...[An] entertaining story with a heart of gold." (Kirkus Reviews )"An inspirational story of tying up loose ends even when it might seem that it's too late." (YALSA Teens' Top Ten Galley Review ) Views: 34
