Jonathan Selkirk—make your will'. Hours after opening this letter, high-powered solicitor Jonathan Selkirk is in hospital recovering from a suspected heart attack. That night, he vanishes from his private room. Has he discharged himself? Or been abducted? In the same hospital, Detective Inspector Joanna Pierce finds herself coping with a murder investigation, a broken arm, and the arrival of the Regional Crime Squad. Superintendent Karen Pugh thinks there is a contracted killer at work—but who, in the small village of Leek, could have hired him? Views: 16
Haley Randolph's new job as a corporate events coordinator suits her like classic Chanel—as long as no one finds out her only degree is from bartending school. But then again, trouble's always afoot in the life of this amateur sleuth/professional fashionista...On Haley's first day on the job, she finds the chief of security—who was performing Haley's background check—bludgeoned in her office. Naturally, the police peg Haley as their prime suspect, so she'll need to shop around on her own for some guilt-proof clues. Especially since some of the other recent hires at the company also have something to hide...One of her new co-workers leads a double life—as in two wives and two sets of children. Another makes secretive, unexplained trips out of the country. Between her many investigations, the new high-pressure job, and her just-moved-in boyfriend, there's almost no time for the most important thing in Haley's life: maxing out her credit card.And... Views: 16
Jan came to Willowbridge to look after four-year-old Stephanie whose mother was confined to a wheelchair as the result of a car accident. Six months later Stephanie's mother died. The decision about Jan's continued employment rested with David Spedding. He dismissed her on the grounds of immaturity, but she knew it was really because she had talked out of turn by letting him know how much she despised him. Her foolish lapse served to strengthen her preconceived opinion. She would gladly have removed herself from his orbit. She wanted to go but she couldn't bring herself to desert Stephanie and so she fought to stay. At the risk of getting burnt. Views: 16
Say goodbye to the Polka Prince and hello to the sexy crimesolver with a polka twist, Lottie Kachowski. This fireball left for L.A. years ago, but she roars home to New Krakow, Pennsylvania for her dad the Polka Prince's funeral...and ends up investigating his murder. Can she dig up her family's darkest secrets and crack the case without dying at the hands of a psychopathic monster? Views: 16
Ever wonder what happened tothe guy most likely to...Score with the prom queen?Lauren and Seth were the high school "it" couple--until Seth disappeared on prom night. But a reunion gives Seth a chance to show Lauren an evening long overdue.Not date a Playboy Bunny?Ali was the highlight of geeky Will's high school years. But now that he's ditched the nerdiness, he's 100 percent of calculated hotness...and Ali won't be able to say no.Ride out of town on a Harley?Rebel Scott "Rip" Ripley always had a thing for the elusive Erica. But reunion night holds a few sexy surprises when Erica decides it's time to take the bad boy for a ride. Views: 16
Review“[An] intimate and admirably controlled debut story collection... [MONSTRESS is] an introduction to a promising writer who knows how to get a reader’s attention....Tenorio has a great knack for striking story premises... [and] cultivates a plainspoken (but not blunt) style that recalls Tobias Wolff.” (Kirkus Reviews )“Complex, and powerful....This first collection introduces a writer of great promise, whose stories can illustrate tenderness at one minute and human cruelty not much later. Tenorio’s writing is immediate, visceral even....[A] vital addition for short-fiction collections [and] readers of Junot Diaz, Chang-Rae Lee, and Jessica Hagedorn.” (Booklist )Lysley Tenorio’s darkly funny stories capture the contradictions and complexities of being both Filipino and a citizen of the world. Tenorio is a deep and original writer, and Monstress is simply a beautiful book. (Jessica Hagedorn, author of DOGEATERS )“[A]n impressive debut... Although the situations are sometimes bleak, the stories benefit from Tenorio’s wry sense of humor.” (San Jose Mercury News )“[W]insome...illuminating...[Tenorio] manages to make fabulous setups plausible through his meticulous crafting, deeply imagining the lives of a memorable cast of eccentrics.... For readers who shy away from short stories on the grounds that they’re often quiet or uneventful...Tenorio might make a convert of you.” (San Francisco Chronicle )“Lysley Tenorio is a writer of sly wit and lively invention—these are stories bursting with wonders...but most wondrous of all is his intimate sense of character. Each story is a confession of love betrayed, told with a mournful, austere tenderness as heartbreaking as it is breathtaking.” (Peter Ho Davies, author of THE WELSH GIRL )“Tenorio is that rare breed of writer who mines gold from the impossible. He sees everything—the absurd and the tragic, the funny and profound—and delivers stories that are as true to life as any you will ever read.” (Ben Fountain, PEN/Hemingway award-winning author of BRIEF ENCOUNTERS WITH CHE GUEVARA )“The stories in MONSTRESS announce the debut of an electric literary talent. Brilliantly quirky, often moving, always gorgeously told, these are tales of big-hearted misfits who yearn for their authentic selves with extraordinary passion and grace. Bravo for this fabulous American fiction!” (Chang-Rae Lee, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of NATIVE SPEAKER and THE SURRENDER )“A wondrous clutch of stories that pits the customs and superstitions of his Philippines homeland against the fads and fetishes of his adopted America. Set in Manila, Hollywood, and San Francisco, these yarns feature... memorably endearing eccentrics.” (Elle )“Spanning several decades and diverse settings, Tenorio’s debut story collection is a vibrant survey of Filipino-American immigrant history. The tales are tragic, but Tenorio makes the most of his gift for black humor.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )“Lysley Tenorio’s first book [is] better than I hoped: poignant, imaginative, somehow sad and funny all at once. Tenorio’s characters walk tightropes strung between the Philippines and America, between illusions and reality, between family ties and the need to strike out alone. MONSTRESS is a wonderful read. ” (Anthony Doerr, author of MEMORY WALL )“In these fantastic stories, Tenorio skillfully blends the unlikely and the emotional, the bizarre and the humane. His writing portrays the universal human condition through unique specificity, and is very deserving of attention.” (Rishi Reddi, author of KARMA AND OTHER STORIES )“Tenorio’s wit is understated; his writing is deft and self-assured; his dramas don’t shout, but whisper, seductive and heartfelt. MONSTRESS is one of the wisest and heartfelt collections I’ve read. I’ve waited a long time for this book.” (Daniel Orozco, author of ORIENTATION AND OTHER STORIES )“Tenorio, born in the Philippines and raised in California, has taken a uniquely Filipino-American perspective, polyglot and glittering with cinema dreams, and used it to make a bold collection of stories of the rejected, the helpless and the lost. Monstress is the debut of a singular talent.” (NPR.org )“[A] compassionate and entertaining new collection...The book’s most poignant tale is Save the I-Hotel, a chiaroscuro of loneliness that’s also a quiet portrait of abiding friendship and life-changing betrayal.” (Boston Globe )“MONSTRESS is an exhilarating rollercoaster of a book. Deeply funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, philosophical, bawdy, and wise, Tenorio’s stories, written from the underbelly of the American Dream, present one brilliant portrait after another.” (Sabina Murray, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of THE CAPRICES and TALES OF THE NEW WORLD ) About the AuthorLysley Tenorio's stories have appeared in The Atlantic, Zoetrope: All-Story, Ploughshares, Manoa, and The Best New American Voices and The Pushcart Prize anthologies. A winner of the Whiting Writer's Award and a former Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, he has received fellowships from the University of Wisconsin, Phillips Exeter Academy, Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Born in the Philippines, he currently lives in San Francisco and is an associate professor at Saint Mary's College of California. Views: 16
When Maggie falls for Dr. Jon Gunderson, she not only loses her best friend’s trust but her life takes an unexpected turn.Julie was Maggie’s mentor and has been her best friend for as long as she can remember.When she finally gets a chance to visit her on the island of Majorca, she falls for Julie’s son, Jon, and the two enjoy a week of sexual bliss.When Julie finds out about their affair, she tells Maggie she can never forgive her.However, Maggie carries a secret that will have life-altering changes not only for herself, but for Jon too. Views: 16
In a large city, it’s easy to remain anonymous, be careful who you talk to... The Ultimate is London’s slickest vigilante. He is almost invisible; silently creeping around the capital, looking for wrongs to right. After overhearing a man bragging about abusing his girlfriend, The Ultimate has his first victim and is spurred into irrevocable action. Once he starts, he can’t stop. He leaves no trace and is careful not to be the one with blood on his hands. His role is only to dictate how his targets will meet their demise. Nothing seems to link him to the crime or the dead. As his reign gathers pace, The Ultimate forces a clueless New Scotland Yard to pull former top-dog detective turned reporter, Terry Bane, out of his TV studio and back to the force. He teams up with his old crime-fighting partner, DCI James McFarland, only to be sent on a cat and mouse chase. Will they ever be able to catch the man who leaves no clues?Review'This is a fine thriller' - New Books Magazinenewbooksmag.com/reviews/9649-9378/review.phpAbout the AuthorS.J.Wardell grew up in north London on a large council estate.Deciding to expand his literary knowledge, he attained a BA in Prose Fiction Writing and Journalism.S.J.Wardell openly admits to his love and respect for the written word. His passion for writing had been hidden away, until his literary calling became too strong for him to ignore any longer, bringing to surface the publication of the highly acclaimed novel, The Ultimate, published late 2005.Using a wide range of research techniques, S.J.Wardell always delivers accuracy within his fiction, with an added raw, gritty reading experience.This authour meticulously researches his subject within his chosen genre. This includes, talking to pathologists, prison guards, a criminal lawyer and a crime scene investigator, which makes his writing chilling and realistic. This demonstrates his strong passion for writing.The Ultimate Selection is his second novel.S.J.Wardell plans to release his third novel; Infinite Retribution on 3rd August 2012.The sequel for The Ultimate Selection is planned for release in early February 2013.S.J.Wardell lives in the Midlands, U.K with his wife and two children.Follow the author on;Twitter:@sj_wardellFacebook: S J Wardell Views: 16
