A dozen stories tracking the CIA's most adept—and unusual—spy There are no more spies like Charlie Dark. An old-timer whose experience stretches back to the Second World War, his main distinction is that after decades playing the game he is still alive. He is overweight, clumsy, and afraid of guns—a nonconformist in an agency built on toeing the line. Though his superiors hate him for his eccentricities, they privately admit that he may be the best spy they have. Charlie travels the globe in these twelve stories, working in Berlin, Moscow, Africa, and Asia. He fights a female assassin in Dar es Salaam, and looks for a computer chip lost in the permanent snows of the Aleutian Islands. He adapts continuously, for each adventure is a new puzzle, and a new opportunity to die. Views: 15
Bruno Courrèges—provincial French police chief extraordinaire—is back in another delectable tale of mystery and suspense that unfolds in the gastronomically ravishing Dordogne. A veteran of the Resistance dies, and among his possessions are documents that connect him to a notorious train robbery. A former British spymaster’s estate is burglarized, the latest in a spree of expert thefts. An academic’s home is broken into just as she is finishing a revelatory book on France’s nuclear weapons program. An antiques dealer is found brutally murdered, and his former lover, the number one suspect, is on the run. It’s just another summer in St. Denis for Bruno, who must balance the constant barrage of demands on his time and expertise—including the complex affections of two powerful women, town politics (the mayor is having romantic problems of his own), his irrepressible puppy, Balzac, and nights entertaining friends and visitors with ever-sumptuous repasts—with a new focus on the mounting crime wave, whose seemingly unrelated events Bruno begins to suspect are linked. His search for clues to crimes old and new leads to stunning revelations about both his country’s history and his own, and puts several more lives—including Bruno’s—in deadly danger. In a thrilling denouement that proves the past is never really past, Bruno fights to secure the future of his beloved community and those he cares about most. As charming and compelling as its hero, The Resistance Man offers fresh joys for loyal readers and newcomers alike.** Views: 15
When Tom Raymond receives a call from his ex-wife asking to meet him, he is both surprised and intrigued - maybe she wants a reconciliation?However, his world is turned upside-down when she falls under a subway train on her way to meet him. Refusing to accept that she jumped, Tom sets out to investigate what happened to her that evening. Soon, he finds he must get to the truth before some very dangerous people get to him. About the AuthorPhilip Cox spent over thirty years in banking and financial services before taking a break to be a stop-at-home father for his two daughters. It was during this break that he began writing 'After the Rain', which was published in 2011. 'Waterloo Sunset' is his second novel. Philip Cox lives in Hertfordshire, England with his wife and daughters. Views: 15
UNEXPECTEDLY EXPECTING!She'd been his best friend's wife...then widow. And air forcepilot Ryan Itani has been enthralled with the very idea of Faith Holmes evenbefore they met. They say grief makes one do crazy things--well, chalk sleepingwith Faith as one of them. Then finding out she was carrying his baby... What wasa man of honor to do?Bu Faith wasn't about to let him into her home, much lessher heart. If there was any chance to be a part of her and their child's life,he needed to prove he wasn't just another carefree flyboy. Ryan had risked lifeand limb before, but this was about to be the soldier's most important mission.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Ryan Itani set down the magazine that he hadn't really been reading and glanced around the waiting room of the veterinarian's office. He wondered for the hundredth time if he shouldn't have tried to call Faith Holmes before surprising her while she was at work. If he were honest with himself, he'd have to admit he was worried that if he had called, she would have made an excuse not to see him.Not that he blamed her. After what had happened last Christmas Eve, he technically couldn't hold it against Faith if she avoided him like the plague for the rest of her life. It would have been one thing if he'd stuck to his original mission that night three months ago—drive the twenty miles from Harbor Town to Faith's country house and pay his respects to his friend Jesse's widow. He'd been on three tours of duty with Jesse, both of them having served as pilots in the Air Force 28th Fighter Wing. He'd always respected Jesse's wife, Faith, always liked her openness and kind heart, appreciated her funny, warm letters to Jesse while they'd both been stationed in Afghanistan.If he'd also thought Faith was one of the most stunning women he'd ever met, and that Jesse didn't deserve her, given his tendency for womanizing and infidelity, Ryan had kept that to himself.Or at least he had until Christmas Eve.Behind a partition, a dog barked loudly and a woman let out a shriek of alarm, bringing Ryan's straying thoughts back to the present moment. Another dog joined in the fracas. He heard a calm but authoritative woman's voice and went still. Faith had somehow passed him in the partitioned-off area of the waiting room where he sat. There must be another door leading from the exam rooms to the waiting area."Please put Knuckles's leash in the shortest, locked position, Mrs. Biddle." Faith's voice floated above the two dogs' loud barking. "You really shouldn't bring Sheba into the office without her container, Mr. Tanner. You can't blame Ivy and Knuckles for getting excited, seeing a cat unprotected like that. Jane, can you show Mr. Tanner and Sheba back to the examination room right away?""Sheba hates that container," a man grumbled. "Sheba, come back—""Wait, Knuckles! Oh, dear!" a woman moaned.Ryan heard a sound like omff and sprung up from his chair. Rushing around the partition wall, he saw a gray, short-haired cat zooming across the room toward him. He bent and scooped it up into his arms without thinking before it had a chance to tear behind the receptionist's desk. When he straightened, he saw Faith in profile wearing a white lab coat, a skirt and pumps, her long, curling, dark hair rippling around her shoulders as she tried to restrain a scrambling Dalmatian puppy."Oh, no, Faith!" a short, blond-haired woman cried as she raced around the receptionist's desk. "Put him down. You shouldn't be holding a big dog like that in your condition.""It's okay, I'm fine," Faith managed to get out as she soothed the squirming puppy."Here, I have the leash. Stupid of me, I somehow disconnected him when I was trying to restrain him by the collar," a frazzled-sounding, gray-haired woman in her fifties said as she grabbed Knuckles's collar. She reaffixed the leash, and Faith bent to deposit Knuckles on the floor.Someone tapped on his forearm and Ryan pulled his glued gaze off the vision of Faith. What had the receptionist meant when she'd said in your condition? Was Faith ill? he wondered anxiously. He handed Sheba-the-cat to a husky black man in his twenties, nodding once distractedly when the man offered his thanks.Faith was giving the gray-haired woman a weary smile. "Just remember—shortest, locked position for the leash for future office visits, Mrs. Biddle." She touched her belly as if to reassure herself.It was a timeless gesture, and one Ryan immediately recognized.Lightening-quick reflexes were an absolute must for a fighter pilot, and Ryan was known for being one of the fastest responders. In that moment, however, he uncharacteristically froze. An iron hand seemed to have clutched at his lungs, making breathing impossible. A thousand images and memories swept past his awareness as if he were a drowning man. One seemed to linger on the screen of his mind's eye: Faith answering the front door on Christmas Eve, her long, curling hair spilling around the snowy white robe she wore, her smile radiant, her large green eyes shining with emotion.Ryan, I'm so happy you came.Jesse would have wanted me to look in on you, make sure you were safe and sound.He'd done more than just make sure Jesse's widow was safe and sound, though. A hell of a lot more.Faith looked around and saw him standing in the waiting room. The stretched seconds collapsed."Ryan," she exclaimed in a shocked tone. The receptionist and all the patrons in the waiting room turned to gape at him. "What are you doing here?""I flew in for business," he said shortly, referring to the new charter airline business he'd begun after leaving the Air Force last December. His gaze flickered downward over Faith's belly before he met her stare again. He'd forgotten how vividly green her eyes were."I think we'd better talk," he said.She bit at her lower lip anxiously and took a step toward him. All the color had left her cheeks."Yes. I think we'd better."Faith took off her lab coat and hung it on the hook behind the door of her private office. She cast a nervous glance at herself in the mirror mounted on the wall.She couldn't believe Ryan was here. And he knew. Somehow he'd guessed about the baby. She'd seen the stunned realization in his dark eyes as they'd stood there in the waiting room.She tried to smooth her waving, curling tresses—hopeless cause. She sufficed by pulling the mass up onto her head and clipping it in place. It was probably better to look a little more.. .professional for this meeting anyway, she told herself as she pulled a few coiling strands down to frame her face.Ridiculous, the idea of being professional. Her relationship with Ryan might be described as "nearly nonexistent" or perhaps as "friendly acquaintances" or perhaps "odd" but hardly "professional." Not after Christmas Eve. Seeing him standing there, so tall, so commanding, so intense—it'd brought it all back. How he must be regretting that impulsive, inexplicable moment of blazing lust now.Afterward he'd suggested they'd acted out of the emotional turmoil of their shared remembrance of Jesse's death in a chopper accident a year before. He'd also worried that their impulsive tryst had ruined the chances of him being there for her. As a friend.A dull ache flared in her breast at the memory. It'd hurt, having Ryan say those things. Maybe it was true, that the incredible heat between them had been generated from an emotional backfire. She couldn't be sure what had happened on that night.True, he'd been grieving the loss of her husband, in more than the obvious sense. She'd learned in a particularly painful way just months before his death that Jesse had been unfaithful. Yes, she'd been grieving his death, but not in the same way a woman would be if she'd been in a happy, trusting marriage.Another thought had haunted her after she and Ryan had started to come back to their senses that night. Perhaps Ryan was like a lot of top guns, craving the next female conquest in the same way he might hunger for the jolt of adrenaline that comes from a faster jet?Maybe Ryan was like Jesse.She straightened her spine. None of that mattered now, she thought as she touched her stomach. She had more important things to consider—like the future of her unborn child.Anxious but determined, Faith walked into the waiting room. The first thing she saw upon opening the door was Ryan. He sat facing her, his expression alert and stony. She met his gaze with effort.His dark brown hair was short, but not military-short. It had started to grow out a bit since he'd become a civilian several months ago. His bangs fell onto his forehead, escaping the combed-back style. His lean jaw was dusted with whiskers. Although he looked entirely sober as he examined her, the lines that framed a firm, well-shaped mouth reminded her he was a man who liked to laugh.When he wasn't still recovering from the shock of a lifetime, that is."Hi," Faith said shakily. She sensed an observant gaze and glanced behind the reception desk. Jane ducked her head and pretended to be utterly absorbed in the process of stuffing envelopes."We were able to clear about an hour and a half in my schedule, but I'm afraid we couldn't reach all of my patients' owners. I'm going to have to come back to work after we talk," she said nervously.Ryan stood abruptly and came toward her. Funny—she'd only just left him in the waiting room forty-five minutes ago, but his height, his strength, his presence struck her anew. She found herself searching his features, trying to find some indication of what he was thinking or feeling. But Ryan wasn't known for being ice under pressure while performing complicated, dangerous flight maneuvers for nothing. Magnetically attractive and elementally male he might be, but she was learning he could be very difficult to read."Are you all right?" he asked tensely.She blinked at the sound of his quiet, restrained tone. Perhaps he wasn't as impassive as she'd assumed."I'm fine. I'll explain everything." She waved toward the front door. She felt awkward and anxious. How did one go about telling a man that he was about to be a father? Not that the words really mattered. It was pretty clear to Faith that Ryan already guessed the result of that... Views: 15
Told by everyone, including his father, he is slow-witted. Lord John Mitchell is willing to do almost anything to avoid helping run the family estate or care for his orphaned nephew. His lifelong battle learning to read and write has convinced him his father is right.
After the death of her husband in the Crimean War, Vivienne Ravenhill needs financial stability for her son and herself.
When Lord John’s father suddenly dies, he is thrown into taking on the estate and the family’s mill. Are John’s learning disabilities something he can overcome in order to handle this responsibility?
Will Vivienne find a place in his home...and his heart?
An interesting look at tackling dyslexia in 1855. Views: 15
A magical debut about an enchanted house that offers refuge to women in their time of needDistraught that her academic career has stalled, Alba is walking through her hometown of Cambridge, England, when she finds herself in front of a house she’s never seen before, 11 Hope Street. A beautiful older woman named Peggy greets her and invites her to stay, on the house’s usual conditions: she has ninety-nine nights to turn her life around. With nothing left to lose, Alba takes a chance and moves in.She soon discovers that this is no ordinary house. Past residents have included Virginia Woolf and Dorothy Parker, who, after receiving the assistance they needed, hung around to help newcomers—literally, in talking portraits on the wall. As she escapes into this new world, Alba begins a journey that will heal her wounds—and maybe even save her life.Filled with a colorful and unforgettable cast of literary figures, The House at the End of Hope Street is a charming, whimsical novel of hope and feminine wisdom that is sure to appeal to fans of Jasper Fforde and especially Sarah Addison Allen.Review"Beguiling and bright, van Praag’s . . . novel delights with deft writing and charming characters."—Kirkus"Van Praag’s writing is bright and hopeful, while rich characters combined with an enchanting blend of the real and the mystical make this tribute to individuality a delightful and engaging read. Fans of Jasper Fforde, Gloria Naylor, or Sarah Addison Allen will especially appreciate this story as a celebration of feminine strength and accomplished women through the ages."—Booklist (starred review)“Van Praag’s fairytale first novel features a house that can change one’s life. . . . Fans of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen should like.”—Library Journal“Absolutely delightful . . . . Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will thoroughly enjoy this story from start to finish. Well-drawn fictional characters, sprinkled with famous female characters from the past, combine to tell a tale of life, love, and discovering your deepest desires.”—RT Book Reviews (top pick, 4.5 stars)“This fresh, whimsical book is as full of heart as the house at its heart is full of fascinating women. We should all have such friends and such a refuge!”—Marisa de los Santos, bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In“Menna van Praag has created a magical book about an enchanted house and the notable women who inhabit it, both living and dead. Richly atmospheric, literary, and textured, The House at the End of Hope Street casts an enthralling spell, giving both characters and readers not only what they most want, but what they ultimately need.”—Brunonia Barry, bestselling author of The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places“An enchanting novel . . . Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will be delighted to discover the house at the end of Hope Street, a magical place where ninety-nine days is just long enough to change a life.”—Erica Bauermeister, bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients and The Lost Art of Mixing“I entered The House at the End of Hope Street and was enchanted—literally under the spell—of Menna van Praag's tender, playful, beautiful writing. It fulfills my book lover's dream of an English literary landscape, in the most surprising and magical way.”—Luanne Rice, bestselling author of Little Night“This exceptional novel enchanted me from the first beautiful page. If only I could stay a spell myself at the house at the end of Hope Street.”—Melissa Senate, bestselling author of The Love Goddess’ Cooking School“The House at the End of Hope Street is a sunrise of a novel, so fresh and lovely, whimsical and original that it will enchant and surprise even the most jaded of readers.”—Barbara O’Neal, author of The Garden of Happy Endings“The story offers a wonderful mix of all-too-real problems in a fantastical setting. And who couldn’t use a Hope Street at some point in her life?”—Juliette Fay, author of Deep Down True and The Shortest Way HomeAbout the AuthorMenna van Praag is a freelance writer, journalist, and Oxford graduate. She is the author of Men, Money and Chocolate. She lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and son. Views: 15
Max Quick is a pickpocket, a vagabond, an orphan, and a thief. Even so, nothing about him seems particularly special . . . until one day when time mysteriously stops. Suddenly, nearly everyone in the world is frozen in time--except for Max.Now Max must journey across America to find the source of the Time-stop. Along the way, he meets others who aren't suspended in time, like Casey, a girl who's never been on her own until now. Together, as they search for the cause of this disaster, Max and his companions encounter ancient mysteries, magic books, and clues to the riddle of stopped time. But relentless and mysterious villains are hot on Max's heels and will do everything in their power to prevent Max from ending the Time-stop. And the closer Max gets to the answers, the more it seems that his own true identity is not what he once believed.Racing against a clock that no longer ticks, Max must embrace his past to save his future--and the world--from being... Views: 15
Major Nathaniel Peacock, USA (ret.) first saw the light of day in December of 1987 in Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Shooting Sportsman magazine. Since that date, he has lived on the back page of every issue of that magazine. Peabody is a consummate waterfowl and upland bird hunter. Excepting those times when his profligacy assumes more than usual proportions, a well-endowed Spendthrift Trust allows him to hunt wherever he wants and whenever he wants. He has left his boot prints from southern Argentina to northern Canada – wherever geese or grouse or ducks or woodcock can be found. Dogs display a sincere affection for him. His shotguns have no time to collect dust. He is not infected with the disease of politically correct posturing. Gun Controllers and Pseudo-Environmentalists don't like him. This is the third volume of Major Peabody's shotgunning tales. Views: 15
Jerry Mitchell is on exercises off the coast of Pakistan when his submarine is ordered to a rendezvous off the Iranian coast. Once there, disembarked SEALs, experts in seaborne commando operations, are to extract two Iranian nationals who have sensitive information on Iran’s nuclear weapons program. But while en route, the ASDS minisub suffers a battery fire, killing one crew member and forcing the rest of the occupants, four SEALs and LCDR Mitchell, to scuttle their disabled craft and swim for shore. There they find the two Iranians waiting for them, but their attempts at returning to Michigan are thwarted by heavy Iranian patrol boat activity. When agents of Iran’s secret police, VEVAK, appear, escape seems all but possible. As each attempt falls apart, time and options are quickly running out… and when they find themselves surrounded by Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp troops, they create a bold plan to escape by sea. It’s a desperate gamble, but it’s the only way to get the proof of the Iranian plot to the US… and prevent a devastating new war. Views: 14
With their kingdom under siege, the Pack now pins its hopes on one outsider and one princess[unknown-8230]. Don't miss the next heart-pounding novel in Karen Whiddon's romantic Pack series! Trouble. Princess Alisa senses it instantly when she first meets Braden Streib, the mysterious specialist her parents summoned from America to stimulate her shape-shifting cycles. At first - and unlike her many suitors - this confident, swarthy outsider in dark sunglasses seems indifferent to her royal status. But Alisa's essence soon whispers to Braden, a Halfling, of untamed talents that could prove devastating - as well as impossible to resist. Her abilities, if properly aroused, might be her kingdom's only hope. For amid the pomp and secrecy of the court, Braden and Alisa are about to confront an extremist enemy - and an unexpected passion beyond their wildest imaginings.... Views: 14
There's nothing sweet about turning sixteen as three friends will soon find out. Fifteen-year-old Sade Washington has been harboring a secret from her two best friends, Crystal Jackson and Dena Bradford. Her secret threatens to be revealed when she discovers she is pregnant. Once Sade's secret is out, it drives a bitter wedge between her and her mother Joyce and creates a love/hate relationship. Sade attempts to have a normal teen life, but as she turns sixteen, reality hits her head on. She must make choices that will not only affect her future, but that of her unborn child. Sade's Secret takes the reader on an emotional ride as it tackles a strong subject matter and the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships. Views: 14
