This classic collection of short stories by Rudyard Kipling includes the works, The Education of Otis Yeere, At the Pit\'s Mouth, A Wayside Comedy, and The Hill of Illusion, among others. Views: 596
*What will it take to get Donovan Kincaid into a Santa suit? *
When the hired Santa for the company holiday party cancels last minute, Sabrina decides to convince her husband to play the part instead.
He agrees, but the favor doesn’t come cheap.
Ten favors in return is what he asks. Ten dirty demands.
*In true Kincaid style, this short novella is dirty, filthy, and holiday themed. Less than 10,000 words. * Views: 596
Lucius Aurelius Faustus is the Tribunus over Caesar's legions in the west, fighting against the Gauls. He's harsh, unforgiving, strategic, and deadly on the battlefield. When an enemy's sword pierces his side, he must retreat to Mediolanum to have the wound treated. Once the medicus has done all he can, he commands Aia, a slave woman, to watch over Tribunus Faustus as he heals. As Faustus appraises the beautiful young woman, he knows she'll be tending to more than just his wound.To distract him from the pain, Aia regales him with stories of her childhood as a slave, and Faustus finds himself strangely drawn to her. When he demands further distraction, she obliges without question as a slave must. Her gentle ministrations command the attention of the Tribunus, and as he learns more of her, he sees her without the veiled eye with which a master views a servant.Aia is only a slave, her value measured by nothing but a pair of coins. Another man already owns her, and she... Views: 596
VOLUME 3The Cat's Eye (1923)When Andrew Drayton, a collector of jewellery, is found stabbed to death and the young woman who tried to stop the murderer is wounded, Dr Thorndyke is called in to investigate. But although the scene of the crime seems awash with the fingerprints of the attacker, there may be good reason why the police can't trace the killer. But not only are the facts of the case proving to be vexing but the discovery of a secret chamber and its sinister contents help to reveal that this is no ordinary murder and no ordinary murderer is behind it. Dr Thorndyke's Casebook (1923) aka The Blue ScarabA compelling collection of Dr Thorndyke mysteries is presented here in a bumper crop of Richard Austin Freeman's fiction. Opening with The Case of the White Footprints, revealing the secrets of The Blue Scarab and teasing all that read The Stolen Ingots, Freeman introduces some extraordinary detective stories to bamboozle the most able of minds. Once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. The Case of the White Footprints The Blue Scarab The New Jersey Sphinx The Touchstone A Fisher of Men The Stolen Ingots The Funeral PyreThe Mystery of Angelina Frood (1924)The Shadow of the Wolf (1925)A murder mystery with a sailing theme. Views: 596
Amazon.com ReviewLike An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pears's Death and Restoration is grounded in a richly cultured vision rife with references to European history, art, and cuisine. And, though it represents the sixth novel in Pears's Jonathan Argyll series, the author subtly informs new readers of the key relationships and the past histories of his characters within the first three chapters. Once again, Argyll and his soon-to-be wife, Flavia di Stefano, are enmeshed in the Italian art world: Flavia, as a member of the Rome police's art squad and Argyll as a professor of art history. The suspense of the novel is sustained by the careful revelation of the central art-theft plot; in turn, each major character becomes the narrative center and offers an expanded understanding of the events at San Giovanni. While Argyll is troubled over his fiancée's frequent absences just prior to their wedding, Flavia feels compelled to keep odd hours. She's certain that her old nemesis, Mary Verney, has returned to Rome with the intention of committing a major new theft. And Verney, readers soon learn, is herself in jeopardy. She must steal a Madonna icon from the monastery--despite the close scrutiny she faces from the Rome police force--because the sadistic Mikis Charanis has kidnapped Verney's granddaughter, 8-year-old Louise, and he will only release the child when Verney has acquired the artifact from San Giovanni. Underlying each character's concerns is the mystery of the Madonna itself. Why does Charanis covet this piece over the more valuable, though still dubious, Caravaggio that is also in the monastery? In the end, the novel is a perfect melding of a tightly composed mystery plot, witty dialogue, and a realistic sense of character, all flowing from an intellectual's appreciation for the finer things in life. For readers who discovered Pears's fiction through An Instance of the Fingerpost, the Argyll series--particularly Death and Restoration--offers much to satiate the need for his pleasantly baroque sensibilities. Other works in the Argyll series include The Raphael Affair, The Titian Committee, The Bernini Bust, The Last Judgement, and Giotto's Hand. --Patrick O'KelleyFrom Publishers WeeklyPears, an art historian and author of the acclaimed historical novel, An Instance of the Fingerpost (1997), imbues his light-hearted art-world mystery series set in Italy (Giotto's Hand, 1997) with an enthusiast's love of his subject. Here, Jonathan Argyll, art dealer and lecturer, and his lover, Flavia di Stefano, an officer with Rome's Art Theft Department, investigate the theft of an ancient, seemingly worthless iconic painting of the Madonna from the Monastery of San Giovanni and the apparently related attack on the head monk. As Flavia investigates the theft, she runs into legendary art thief Mary Verney, icon dealer Peter Burckhardt and Daniel Menzies, a hot-tempered art restorer who is cleaning the monastery's second-rate Caravaggio. We learn that Mikis Charanis, the power-hungry son of Mary's former lover, has kidnapped her granddaughter; release is contingent on Mary stealing the icon for him. Then Peter Burckhardt is murdered, and the police must scramble to find motive and killer. After Jonathan learns the stolen icon is "Our Lady," venerated by the people in the neighborhood for saving Rome from the plague long ago, he traces the icon's astonishing history and uncovers the monastery's unpleasant secrets. Although Flavia's suspects escape arrest, Jonathan fingers the real thief?and the motive?in an amusing finale. Pears again achieves a delicate, sure balance with a book simultaneously witty and instructive. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The monastery of San Giovanni has few treasures -- only a painting doubtfully attributed to Caravaggio. So Flavia di Stefano of Rome's Art Squad is surprised to receive a tip-off that a raid is being planned. The raid happens, but the thieves are disturbed and snatch the wrong painting, a curious icon of the Madonna, remarkable only for the affection in which it is held by the local population. Or is this what the thieves wanted all along? Does the legend of the icon's miraculous powers hold any clue? And who murdered the French dealer found in the Tiber soon afterwards? Flavia, with the help of English art dealer Jonathan Argyll, immerses herself in the intricacies and intrigues of monastic and police politics in an attempt to solve the double mystery, but the solution that awaits her is murkier and more complex than anyone could have known. Views: 596
Differently Morphous is the latest and greatest tale to emerge from the mind of writer Yahtzee Croshaw (Mogworld, Jam, Will Save the Galaxy for Food).A magical serial killer is on the loose, and gelatinous, otherworldly creatures are infesting the English countryside. Which is making life for the Ministry of Occultism difficult, because magic is supposed to be their best kept secret.After centuries in the shadows, the Ministry is forced to unmask, exposing the country's magical history—and magical citizens—to a brave new world of social media, government scrutiny, and public relations.On the trail of the killer are the Ministry's top agents: a junior operative with a photographic memory (and not much else), a couple of overgrown schoolboys with godlike powers, and a demonstrably insane magician.But as they struggle for results, their superiors at HQ must face the greatest threat the Ministry has ever known: the forces of political... Views: 596
Layanna Fairling cannot hide, she cannot stop, she must keep going. Dragonscale, the land that floats in the sky, awaits her arrival.The fae are amassing for their Lost Queen as she journeys to persuade the King of Dragons to help her overthrow the false King. When Layanna and her protectors arrive at the Northern Sea, they must agree to aid the mermaid who will help them to cross the treacherous waters. Will they lure a human to his death in order to appease the merfolk?On the other side of the water, the mountain leads to Dragonscale, their final destination. Will they find the dragons before the false King Jordeek is able to end her quest? Views: 596
THE BRIDE'S BOUQUETMarriage is out of the question...Claire Marshall: Stepmother to the bride. Wary of love, she has no intention of marrying again.Brad Stevenson: Finally free of family responsibility, has no desire for further ties and emotional commitment.Persuaded to take on one last family task, Brad is brought into Claire's well-ordered life. She provokes him, intrigues him, angers and excited him because he is sure that passion hides just below her calm surface. But what would happen to them both if that passion were revealed?THE BRIDE'S BOUQUET: One wedding-- One wedding--one bouquet--leads to three new trips to the altar Views: 596
The best man in the world wanted to marry herBut she couldn't say yes...yet!Most girls dreamed of the day someone offered them a ring. Not Connie Greene. She couldn't even open the box. S Views: 596
'I see her now - cousin Phillis. The westering sun shone full upon her, and made a slanting stream of light into the room within.' Elizabeth Gaskell has long been one of the most popular of Victorian novelists, yet in her lifetime her shorter fictions were equally well loved, and they are among the most accomplished examples of the genre. The novella-length Cousin Phillis is a lyrical depiction of a vanishing way of life and a girl's disappointment in love: deceptively simple, its undercurrent of feeling leaves an indelible impression. The other five stories in this selection were all written during the 1850sfor Dickens's periodical Household Words. They range from a quietly original tale of urban poverty and a fallen woman in 'Lizzie Leigh' to an historical tale of a great family in 'Morton Hall'; echoes of the French Revolution, the bleakness of winter in Westmorland, and a tragic secret are brought vividly tolife. Heather Glen reflects on the stories' original periodical... Views: 595
The first e-publication of The Royalties, a collective of Australian writers who have come together to create new models of publishing for writers worldwide.The Royalties is a writers' collective founded by Sue Woolfe, Bem Le Hunte, Libby Hathorn and Louise Katz, a group of much-published Australian women novelists who decided to come together to create precedent for innovative new publishing models that will benefit all Australian writers in an international marketplace.We are not particularly tech-savvy, but we all feel the urgency to participate in rapidly changing publishing structures. With current technology there is a real opportunity for writer-centric models to replace traditional legacy publishing models and promote a true renaissance in literature.With publishers nervous and bookstores closing, it's become clear to all of us that this is the time for writers to ride the times, take the risk and claim greater rights to their words. And who, we ask, would take control in these formative moments of opportunity, if not the writers themselves?We are all actively involved in experimenting with our literary work and the way that it is produced, distributed and marketed, and we'd like to share this experiment with other writers. If you're a writer you can join us in this experiment, share in our experience and reach out to a wider community of national and international readers. Views: 595
ONLY A MOMENT BEFORE
Camilla Haven is on holiday alone, and wishes for some excitement. She had been sitting quietly in a crowded Athens cafe writing to her friend Elizabeth in England, "Nothing ever happens to me..."
Then, without warning, a stranger approached, thrust a set of car keys at her and pointed to a huge black touring car parked at the curb. "The car for Delphi, mademoiselle... A matter of life and death," he whispered and disappeared.
From that moment Camilla's life suddenly begins to take off when she sets out on a mysterious car journey to Delphi in the company of a charming but quietly determined Englishman named Simon Lester. Simon told Camilla he had come to the ancient Greek ruins to "appease the shade” of his brother Michael, killed some fourteen years earlier on Parnassus. From a curious letter Michael had written, Simon believed his brother had stumbled upon something of great importance hidden in the craggy reaches of the mountainside. And then Simon and Camilla learned that they were not alone in their search...
The ride was Camilla's first mistake... or perhaps she had unintentionally invoked the gods. She finds herself in the midst of an exciting, intriguing, yet dangerous adventure. An extraordinary train of events turned on a nightmare of intrigue and terror beyond her wildest daydreams. Views: 595
