Quintana of Charyn

There's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . . Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves.
Views: 716

All by Myself, Alone

A glamorous cruise on a luxurious ocean liner turns deadly in the latest mystery from “Queen of Suspense” and #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark. Fleeing a disastrous and humiliating arrest of her husband-to-be on the eve of their wedding, Celia Kilbride, a gems and jewelry expert, hopes to escape from public attention by lecturing on a brand-new cruise ship—the Queen Charlotte. On board she meets eighty-six-year-old Lady Emily Haywood, “Lady Em,” as she is known throughout the world. Immensely wealthy, Lady Em is the owner of a priceless emerald necklace that she intends to leave to the Smithsonian after the cruise. Three days out to sea Lady Em is found dead—and the necklace is missing. Is it the work of her apparently devoted assistant, Brenda Martin, or her lawyer-executor, Roger Pearson, and his wife, Yvonne, both of whom she had invited to join them on the cruise? Or is it Professor Henry Longworth, an acclaimed Shakespeare scholar who is lecturing on board? Or Alan Davidson, a guest on the ship who is planning to spread his wife’s ashes at sea? The list of suspects is large and growing. Celia, with the help of her new friends Willy and Alvirah Meehan, who are celebrating their forty-fifth wedding anniversary, sets out to find the killer, not realizing that she has put herself in mortal danger before the ship reaches its final destination. Never, in all her long career as a #1 bestselling suspense novelist, has Mary Higgins Clark been in better form.
Views: 715

The House of Happy Mayhem

It would be nice to live their life...Acclaimed short story by Trent Zelazny about taking fantasies too far.Originally published in The Day the Leash Gave Way and Other Stories, Wilder Publications, 2009.Received an honorable mention in Best Horror of the Year 2009.Rae'Chelle is a normal teenage girl from a small town, she is the one being able to fulfill a long foretold prophecy of another realm. She forges friendships with unlikely creatures on her journey to save this world. The darkness closes in on her and her companions, peril lies in every mile they cross. Delve into the world of Dalthimus, where nothing and no-one is quite what they seem.
Views: 715

The Nothing Man

War changed Clinton Brown. Permanently disfigured by a tragic military accident, he's struggling to find satisfaction from life as a rewrite man for Pacific City's Courier. Shame has led him to isolate himself from closest friends and even his estranged, still faithfully devoted wife, Ellen. Only the bottle keeps him company. But now Ellen has returned to Pacific City, and she's ready to do whatever it takes to get Brown back. Even if it means exposing his deepest secret ... a painful truth Brown would do anything to stop from coming to light. He'd kill a whole lot of people just to keep this one thing quiet--and soon enough, the bodies just happen to start piling up around him... THE NOTHING MAN is Thompson at his most psychologically astute, in a deeply suspenseful and tragic portrait of one man's journey through the dark side of the Postwar Boom.
Views: 714

Breathing Fire & Other Stories

BREATHING FIRE & OTHER STORIES by Courtney Wallace is a collection of three short stories that show you the darker side of the human creed. A darkness abounds within each story, taking viewers through gut-wrenching history and into the dystopia future. Humans can truly be terrifying little creatures.“Breathing Fire” How do you explain war to a child? Annie doesn’t need it explained, she’s grown up in it for as long as she can remember. Set in London, during the German Blitz attacks in World War II, Annie watches her home being threatened every night. The great German dragons come to blow fire down on the Englishmen as they run for the shelters. It never seems to end and Annie is often found wondering what life looks like without the threat of death. Without the threat of gas chambers and extinction. “The High Card” Doug was never a fast learner. It took him years to learn to read and even longer to perform any basic math but there are some things in life that are, unfortunately, very obvious. Like, when the sun sets the moon rises, or if you stand out in the rain you will get wet, and especially that if your wife becomes distant and leaves at odd hours she’s probably cheating. Doug was slow but he wasn’t stupid, he saw the looks and caresses between his wife and best friend. He thinks, it’s about time he did something about it. “Genticae Experimenta” In the future germs, infections, and bacteria rule over all. Antibiotics and immunizations have failed us and the entire human population is being picked off. The Abbott Organization has come to the rescue, hiring the best scientists from across the globe to find cures to these superbugs, by any means necessary. Quickly, the project takes a darker turn. Humans and animals are brutally experimented on, leaving physical and emotional scars. But who is to blame? The desperate scientists or the ambitious and ruthless CEO who created the project?
Views: 713

The Big Four

Framed in the doorway of Poirot's bedroom stood an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. The man's gaunt face stared for a moment, then he swayed and fell. Who was he? Was he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what was the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper? Poirot finds himself plunged into a world of international intrigue, risking his life to uncover the truth about 'Number Four'.
Views: 712

The Melody Lingers On

From #1 New York Times bestselling “Queen of Suspense” comes a thrilling novel about missing billions, a disgraced financier, and those determined to learn the truth at any cost…As the sole assistant to a famous upscale interior designer, Lane Harmon, mother to five-year-old Katie, is accustomed to visiting opulent homes around the tri-state area. A born optimist, Lane finds the glimpse into these gilded worlds fascinating, and loves the reward of exceeding the expectations of their often-demanding owners. When she is called to assist in redecorating a modest townhouse in Bergen County, she knows the job is unusual. Then she learns the home belongs to the wife of a notorious and disgraced financier named Parker Bennett. Parker Bennett has been missing for two years. He dropped out of sight just before it was discovered that the $5 billion dollars in the fund he had been managing had vanished. Bennett had gone out on his sailboat in the...
Views: 711

The Bourne Initiative

Jason Bourne returns in this stunning new thriller from Eric Van Lustbader, continuing Robert Ludlum's classic series.General Boris Karpov, head of the feared Russian FSB, is dead. But Karpov has reached out from the grave with an unstoppable cyber operation he conceived before his murder, aimed at the heart of the United States—a way to steal the president's nuclear launch codes. Who has taken over the operation? Karpov trusted only one man: Jason Bourne. But can Bourne be working against his own country? The U.S. Government is convinced of his treason, and is doing everything in its power to kill him. Flushed from cover and gravely wounded, Bourne's only hope is to join forces with his bitterest enemy: a powerful Somali terrorist named Keyre, and his protégée, the Angelmaker. If he hopes to survive, Bourne has no choice but unravel the mystery of Karpov's last legacy—a weaponized code that may bring about the unthinkable: a violent end to America.
Views: 711

Just Take My Heart

IN WORLDWIDE BESTSELLING SUSPENSE WRITER MARY HIGGINS CLARK’S SPELLBINDING NEW THRILLER, A BROADWAY STAR’S MURDER IGNITES A SHOCKING SERIES OF DEADLY EVENTS. . . . After famous actress Natalie Raines is found in her home, dying from a gunshot wound, police immediately suspect her theatrical agent and jealous soon-to-be-ex-husband, Gregg Aldrich. But no charges are brought against him until two years later, when a career criminal suddenly claims Aldrich had tried to hire him to kill her. The case is a plum assignment for attractive thirty-two-year-old assistant prosecutor Emily Wallace. She spends long hours preparing for the trial, and unaware of a seemingly well-meaning neighbor’s violent past, gives him a key to her home to care for her dog. The high-profile trial makes headlines, threatening to reveal personal matters about Emily, such as the fact that she had a heart transplant— especially when she experiences eerie sentiments that defy all reason and continue even after the jury decides Gregg Aldrich’s fate. But little does she know, now her own life is at risk. . . .
Views: 709

A Murder in Auschwitz (Sampler)

This is a SAMPLER edition only! NOT the whole book. An SS officer is found standing over the body of a comrade, a smoking pistol still in his hand, a murder in a place of murders. His pleas of innocence force a court martial and he knows that there is only one man in the camp capable of defending him; a Jewish prisoner called Manfred Meyer.This is a SAMPLER edition only! NOT the whole book. An SS officer is found standing over the body of a comrade, a smoking pistol still in his hand, a murder in a place of murders. His pleas of innocence force a court martial and he knows that there is only one man in the camp capable of defending him; a Jewish prisoner called Manfred Meyer. Manfred Meyer is forced to build a defence for him in his court martial. Drawing on his years of experience as a criminal lawyer in Berlin, Meyer must unravel the deceit and interpret the lies that infect the concentration camp and work to have him found not guilty. Following Meyer and his family through their lives in Berlin, the Nazi rise to power and their inevitable arrest and incarceration in Auschwitz, Meyer will do almost anything to see his wife and children. Almost anything. Can his abilities as a lawyer interpret the facts of this seemingly impossible case? As a Jew, should he even defend an SS officer? And is he actually guilty of this crime? But the officer must be found innocent if Meyer is to see his family again. This story follows Manfred Meyer, from his beginnings as a lawyer in 1930s Berlin after being taken under the wing of the city's most capable defence lawyer in the most prestigious law firm in Germany, Bauer & Bauer. Meyer's confidence and experience build as his cases become more complex and more difficult to defend. His success is widespread and he, his wife Klara and their twin daughters live a comfortable life in the capital. But Germany is changing. The Nazi Party has come to power and Meyer's Jewish heritage has become a crime. Life becomes more and more difficult until even in spite of Meyer's connections he is forced to leave his position as Bauer & Bauer's pre-eminent lawyer. Then, one night, the inevitable knock at the door heralds the long train journey to the east and the death camps of Poland for Meyer, his wife and his children. Split from his family on arrival, Meyer does what he can to survive in a place designed for death. He stays alive with help from the other inmates he has befriended, helping each other through the long days of hard labour, his only wish being that he could see his family again. A forlorn hope until circumstance throws a real chance his way. "A film in the making", "Worth TEN stars, this book is possibly my all time favourite", "Compelling read" - Amazon reviews ABNA Expert Reviewer: What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt? This excerpt was very well done. This time period in world history has always been fascinating and this excerpt was exceptionally written. Much research had to have gone into the writing of this. Facts and date, actual happenings were well represented. The main character was well rounded; his sorrow, hopes, dreams, all very well high lighted. What aspect needs the most work? Improvement would be hard to define as the author has a knack for writing and keeping the reader's interest. The author's ability to control interest and keep the reading fresh is apparent. What is your overall opinion of this excerpt? History lovers would enjoy this book. I have a feeling this book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart given the subject matter. I would recommend this book to others -- and would hope the author has a bright and promising future.
Views: 705

Three Blind Mice and Other Stories

A blinding snowstorm--and a homicidal maniac--traps a small party of friends in an isolated estate. Out of this deceptively simple set-up, Agatha Christie fashioned one of her most ingenious puzzlers, which, in turn, would provide the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history. From this classic title novella to the deliciously clever gems on its tail (solved to perfection by Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple), this rare collection of murder most foul showcases the inimitable Christie at her inventive best, proving her reputation as "the champion deceiver of our time." (The New York Times) Includes the stories Three Blind Mice Strange Jest The Tape-Measure Murder The Case of the Perfect Maid The Case of the Caretaker The Third Floor Flat The Adventure of Johnny Waverly Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds The Love Detectives
Views: 705

The Second Time Around

In a novel that reaffirms her reputation as "America's Queen of Suspense," Mary Higgins Clark delivers a gripping tale of deception and tantalizing suspense. Nicholas Spencer, charismatic head of the medical research company Gen-stone, involved in the development of an anticancer vaccine, suddenly disappears. His private plane crashes en route to Puerto Rico, but his body is not found. Early results of the vaccine seemed highly promising. Yet, coinciding with Nicholas Spencer's disappearance comes news that the FDA is denying approval. Then follows the shocking revelation that Spencer had looted Gen-stone of huge sums of money -- including the lifetime savings of people who had risked every penny they had. Marcia "Carley" DeCarlo, the thirty-two-year-old columnist for the Wall Street Weekly, is assigned to cover the story. Carley is the stepsister of Spencer's wife, Lynn, an aggressive PR woman and socialite, whom she dislikes and distrusts. The day after news of her husband's disappearance rocks the financial and medical world, Lynn attends a meeting of the stockholders of Gen-stone, flaunting expensive clothing and jewelry. Accused of having participated in the scam, she appears indifferent to the anger and despair of the people attending, among them a man whose child has cancer and who is now about to lose his home. That night, she narrowly escapes death when her mansion in Bedford, New York, is set on fire. She turns to Carley, begging her to use her investigative skills to prove that she was not her husband's accomplice. As Carley proceeds with her investigation, she is confronted by seemingly impenetrable questions: Is Nicholas Spencer dead or in hiding? Was he guilty or set up? Why the sudden reversal in medical opinion of the vaccine from recognition to condemnation? And as the facts begin to unfold, she becomes the target of a dangerous group involved in a sinister and fraudulent scheme. The Second Time Around is Mary Higgins Clark at her best, telling a story that intertwines fiction with the stuff of real-life headlines in a novel of breathtaking suspense and surprises.
Views: 702

Jane 8086 Part Four

Jane gets to taste for the first time when she and Remi go to dinner with Allison and Mark! There are after dinner antics at a nearby nightclub as well when a bunch of guys end up hitting on Jane! Will Jane enjoy the food? Will Remi have enough money for the bill? Will the shadowy strangers finally reveal themselves? Find out in Jane 8086 Part Four!In "Toby's Big Surprise" Toby learns that it is not what you have that makes people like you but who you are..Toby receives a new bell and as a result thinks that people will like him more because of it..Maggie the motor yacht feels hurt when Toby says that his bell is far better than her shiny foghorns..The two set off to ask Mr. Brightly the lighthouse which is better, Toby's new bell or Maggie's foghorns..In this they both learn a very important lesson about life..
Views: 702

The Shifters

Charged with overseeing the shapeshifters of New Orleans, Caitlin MacDonald has her reasons for being wary of their kind. So when charismatic bounty-hunting shifter Ryder Malloy blows into town claiming to be on the trail of a horde of malevolent entities called Walk-Ins, Caitlin has no reason to trust him—with her city or her heart. But as tourists start dropping dead from supernatural possession, Cait must team with Ryder to navigate his shadowy, ephemeral world…Fiercely independent, Ryder usually hunts alone—but this case requires an exception. To prevent a supernatural massacre, he needs the beautiful Keeper on his side—and, if possible, even closer. In his world, appearances can be deceiving and deadly. And the only way they'll survive is if this woman who tempts him like no other trusts in him completely….
Views: 701