A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America’s greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of fiction’s greatest detectives. Here, in Stout’s third and fourth complete Wolfe mysteries, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, solve two of their most baffling cases. *The Rubber Band *What do a Wild West lynching and a respected English nobleman have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. But when a young woman hires his services, it becomes Nero Wolfe’s job to look deeper and find the connection. A forty-year-old pact, a five-thousand-mile search, and a million-dollar murder are all linked to an international scandal that could rebound on the great detective and his partner, Archie, with fatal abruptness. *The Red Box*Murder by chocolate? That’s the premise Nero Wolfe must operate from when a beautiful woman is poisoned after indulging in a box of candy. It’s a case that the great detective—no stranger himself to overindulgence—is loath to take for a variety of reasons, including that it may require that he leave his comfortable brownstone. But he and Archie are compelled by a mystery that mixes high fashion and low motives…and a killer who may have made the deadliest mistake.Review“It is always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore.” —*New York Times Book Review“Nero Wolfe towers over his rivals...he is an exceptional character creation." —New Yorker* About the AuthorRex Stout, born 1886 in Indiana/USA, worked at thirty different professions until he earned enough money to travel. In 1932, he began to write thrillers focusing on the famous detective Nero Wolfe. Nero is a gourmet weighing more than a hundred kilos, and moving as little as possible. Rex Stout finished more than fifty novels and received the "Grand Masters Award". He died 1975. Views: 35
Melting His HeartNever stay in one place too long. These are the words Brock Parker lives by. Roaming the world to save avalanche victims keeps the search-and-rescue patrolman from getting too close to anyone. The resort ski town of Aurora is no different. Until Brock meets Anya Petrova. The Alaska native needs someone to train her dog. Who better than the man who works wonders with his canine rescue team? Haunted by a family tragedy, Brock doesn't think he's anyone's hero. But Anya refuses to believe that. And when she shows her true mettle in the face of breathtaking danger, Brock realizes what he'll risk for the woman whose love has healed his heart. Views: 35
In 1891, Tilly Kirkland is reeling with shock and guilt after her tempestuous marriage ends in horrific circumstances. Fleeing to the farthest place she knows, Tilly takes a job on Ember Island in Moreton Bay, Australia, where she becomes the governess to the prison superintendent’s precocious young daughter, Nell. Tilly knows she must keep the past hidden in order to start a new life, but she doesn’t know that Nell is watching her every move and writing it all down, hiding tiny journals all over their rambling manor home. More than one hundred years later, bestselling novelist Nina Jones is struggling to complete her next book. A reporter asking questions about her great-grandmother sends Nina retreating to her family’s home on Ember Island, where she hopes to find her lost inspiration somewhere in the crumbling walls. Though they are separated by years, both Tilly and Nina must learn that some secrets never stay buried, but what matters most is learning to trust your heart.From BooklistTwo women, separated by more than a century, are connected by the secrets they carry with them to Ember Island. After her marriage to a deceitful opportunist is exposed as a sham, Tilly Kirkland accidently starts a fire that kills her unfaithful husband and his lover. Fleeing to a remote island off the coast of Australia, she assumes an alias and accepts a position as governess to Nell Holt, the precocious daughter of the local prison superintendent. Fast-forward more than 100 years and best-selling author Nina Jones, Nell’s great-granddaughter, takes refuge on Ember Island, nursing a broken heart and guarding an emotionally and professionally paralyzing secret. As Tilly and Nina are both drawn tentatively into new beginnings, their alternating stories are linked by their relationships with Nell. Romance, history, and a touch of windblown gothic mystery will appeal to a broad cross section of readers. --Margaret Flanagan Review"Freeman skillfully unites the stories of two women who live a century apart but both face the challenge of overcoming difficult pasts, and both under the lighthouse’s watchful presence. . . . Freeman’s moving tale gives her two heroines the unique chance to make a fresh start in life." (Publishers Weekly) "The author’s description of the beautiful Australian coastline will linger with readers long after they finish the book." (Kirkus Reviews) “Freeman weaves the two time periods together so seamlessly." (Booklist) "What a perfect beach read. A sunken ship, buried treasure, a home on the beach by the lighthouse, sister relationships, adventure, and romance. Lighthouse Bay packs a lot into its two-pronged story." (atravelerslibrary.com) "The novel's strength instead lies in Freeman's complex characters—capable of love and hate, shame and redemption. Both Beattie and Emma find themselves having to start over, and it is for these two women that readers cheer and sympathize." (Publishers Weekly) "By the last satisfying scene, you may find yourself reluctantly parting with old friends who will live on once the cover has closed. Highly recommended." (Historical Novels Review) "[Freeman] made her characters come to life, the scenery visible through her words, and the story was believable and made me want to read more." (Book Nook Club) "The complexities of character and female relationships make this novel very rich and emotional." (Examiner.com) "A gorgeous story of family and secrets and the redemptive power of love." (Kate Morton, author of The Distant Hours and The Forgotten Garden) Views: 35
Uncharted Fate, A Romance book by Cynthia Racette Views: 35
Small beachside town requires new GP.Start immediately. Falling in love with resident doctor...optional!Recently single, recently qualified Dr. Holly Saxby has to leave the city ASAP. So, she packs up her designer clothes and heads to Baronga Bay. She's not quite ready for beach life or the small-town grapevine, and she certainly isn't expecting young, ruggedly handsome Dr. Cameron McCarrick to be her new partner.The laid-back doctor is the treasure of the town, and in comparison Holly has to fight to measure up. But as Cameron acts as her mentor and protector, she realizes that this little town may have given her everything she was ever looking for—a home, a job and a husband beyond compare... Views: 35
[Siren Allure: Erotic Futuristic Fantasy Romance, voyeurism, HEA] Having reluctantly been taught to become a Siren on the ancient island of Refrainia, virginal, naive Amaranda gets her sexual awakening in the arms of handsome sailor, Eban Gal, whom she saves from drowning. The lovers' attempt to flee the island is thwarted by the Chief Elder, Hermandine, who imprisons Eban and forces Amaranda to seduce the sailors with the other Sirens on Destiny Rock. While Amaranda is attacked, Eban is bewitched and seduced by beautiful Siren, Kalliope. When Eban and the sailors discover the horrors prevalent on the island, they challenge the Elders to change their laws and lifestyle. A treacherous voyage in search of Poseidon is the only solution, so the couple, along with two sailors, set off. A violent encounter with the Teras, a hideous sea-creature, threatens to end Amaranda's life and destroy their ship, and, with no sign of the Sea-God, all their efforts appear to be in vain... ** A Siren Erotic RomanceRead More Views: 35
Twelve-year-old Dahlia has always lived at Silverton Manor-having spent fifty years as its resident ghost. When Oliver Day and his family show up as house-sitters the day Mrs. Tibbs, a Liberator sent by the Spectral Investigative Council, arrives to teach Dahlia the proper rules for ghosting, Dahlia can't wait to make new friends. But the unscrupulous ghost hunter, Rank Wiley, and the crooked town councilman, Jock Rutabartle, plan to rid Silverton Manor of its ghosts and sell it to the highest bidder. With her home and friendships at stake Dahlia may have to break the rules of ghosting as quickly as she learns them to solve the mystery of her death and save the manor. Equal parts charming and eerie, this ghostly caper hits all the right notes for the middle-grade audience. Views: 35
The 37 stories in this collection represent the best of the U.S.-based anthologies, and the list of contributors include virtually anyone who’s made the best-seller list with a work of crime fiction in the last decade…a must-have anthology. Views: 35
Pulse-pounding action meets cosmic horror in this exciting collection from the rising stars of the New Cthulhuiana, as humanity takes up arms against the monsters and gods of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. The fighting takes place in the past, present, and future, from the birth of the shotgun to the end of the world, and contributors who boast high name recognition among today's Cthulhu Mythos fans, including the cocreators of the Delta Green mythos setting and the cohosts of the H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast, relentlessly hurtle readers into the madness and danger. The complete list of authors includes Natania Barron, Steve Dempsey, Dennis Detwiller, Larry DiTillio, Chad Fifer, A. Scott Glancy, Dave Gross, Dan Harms, Rob Heinsoo, Kenneth Hite, Chris Lackey, Robin D. Laws, Nick Mamatas, Ekaterina Sedia, and Kyla Ward. Views: 35
Fifteen years. That's how long the dead have walked among the living. But these corpses aren't the feral monsters mankind feared. Instead, known as Second-Lifers, they appear relatively harmless and in need of help, presenting a strain on an already struggling economy and creating a generation with the fewest technological advances in centuries.But change is coming…The leader of a burgeoning religion delivers a revelation…a second-lifer is offered a new career…and a down-on-his-luck ad man comes face to face with his painful past. Connected by a haunting, obscure tune from the 1970s, and a bizarre magic few understand, they are all thrust into a dark weekend of the soul, with the very fate of the world hanging in the balance.In the tradition of Philip K. Dick, Lesser Creatures is a dark, terrifying and sometimes satirical glimpse of a possible near-future, a wicked love letter to a wide-eyed, apocalypse-ready generation. And, perhaps, a wakeup call. Views: 35
The smash hit musical comedy follows Richard and Ted over fifteen years of learning the art of piano-playing. Amidst pushy parents, eccentric teachers, hours of repetitive practice, stage fright, the agony of competitions and exams, and the dream of greatness, Ted and Richard grow up as "piano nerds." As they mature, they become more aware of the gap between the merely very good and the great, and come to the humbling realization that concert stardom may be out of reach, but they just might be two of the best piano players in the neighborhood, and that in itself is worth celebrating.** Views: 35
The kids from The Egypt Game are back. What game will they play next? The answer is Gypsies. While April plunges in with her usual enthusiasm, the more Melanie learns, the more something seems to be holding her back. But it's Toby who adds a really new wrinkle when he announces that he himself is a bona fide Gypsy. Plus he can get them some of his grandmother's things to use as real Gypsy props for the new game. What could be more thrilling? Then Toby suddenly and mysteriously disappears, and the kids discover that living as real-life Gypsies may not be as much fun as they thought. How will they find Toby and rescue him from the very real problems that are haunting his life?From Publishers WeeklyThis sequel to The Egypt Game "continues to offer Snyder's well-nigh irresistible combination of suspense, wit and avowal of the imagination," said PW in a starred review. Ages 8-12. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalGrade 5-7. Limited character development, a vague setting, and frequent references to events in Snyder's The Egypt Game (Atheneum, 1972) make this title most accessible to fans of the earlier book. Here, the friends are researching Gypsies for a new game when one of them, Toby Alvillar, finds his life complicated by family problems. Caught in a custody dispute between his father and his grandparents, the boy leaves home. Although Snyder has skillfully updated some aspects of her original story (e.g., making racial differences known through description rather than labeling), her characters seem oddly sheltered. Toby's decision to run away, for example, seems a naive overreaction, given the current realities of urban life and the capture of a child murderer in the previous book. Equally disconcerting is the willingness of the other children to conceal Toby's whereabouts. Despite these occasionally unbelievable plot twists, Snyder succeeds in making readers care about Toby's situation. The game itself, however, does not go well, for the children's discovery of the age-old persecution of Gypsies sours their enthusiasm. Snyder injects a contemporary (and hopeful) note by having her characters translate their discomfort into a resolve to help some present-day "gypsies": the homeless people whom Toby encountered as a runaway. With all the action, information, and emotion packed into the novel, it is little wonder that Snyder relies upon her readers to be already familiar with characters and setting, and it is for them that this companion book will have the most appeal.?Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of PittsburghCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 35
