Three Tales

First published in 1877, these three stories are dominated by questions of doubt, love, loneliness, and religious experience—together they confirm Flaubert as a master of the short story. "A Simple Heart" relates the story of Félicité, an uneducated serving-woman who retains her Catholic faith despite a life of desolation and loss. "The Legend of Saint Julian Hospitator," inspired by a stained-glass window in Rouen cathedral, describes the fate of a sadistic hunter destined to murder his own parents. The blend of faith and cruelty that dominates this story may also be found in "Herodias," a reworking of the tale of Salome and John the Baptist.
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Testimonies

Delmore Schwartz, the most influential critic in postwar America, wrote of Patrick O'Brian's first novel Testimonies: "A triumph...drawn forward by lyric eloquence and the story's fascination, [the reader] discovers in the end that he has encountered in a new way the sphinx and the riddle of existence itself." Schwartz' imagination was fired by this sinister tale of love and death set in Wales, a timeless story with echoes of Thomas Hardy and Mary Webb. Joseph Pugh, sick of Oxford and of teaching, decides to take some time off to live in a wild and beautiful Welsh farm valley. There he falls physically ill and is nursed back to health by Bronwen Vaughn, the wife of a neighboring farmer. Slowly, unwillingly, Bronwen and Pugh fall in love; and while that word is never spoken between them, their story is as passionate and as tragic as that of Vronsky and Anna Karenina.
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Ravencliffe

Avaline Hall is no ordinary girl.  She’s a student at Blythewood Academy, an elite boarding school that trains young women to defend human society from the shadowy forces that live among us.  After the devastating events of her first year at Blythewood, Ava is eager to reunite with her friends—and with Raven, the compelling but elusive winged boy who makes her pulse race. She soon discovers, though, that the sinister Judicus van Drood hasn’t finished wreaking havoc on Blythewood—and wants to use Ava and her classmates to attack a much bigger target. Ava’s the only one with any hope of stopping van Drood. But to scuttle his plans, she must reveal her deepest secret to everyone at Blythewood. What’s she willing to sacrifice to do what’s right—her school?  Her love?  Or her life?
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When Happily Ever After Ends

Fifteen-year-old Shannon Campbell knew her father had been troubled since he served in the Vietnam War, but his violent suicide still shocks her. Shannon always shared so much with her father--why wasn't her love enough to make him want to live? As Shannon and her mother try to make sense of his death, they courageously renew their commitment to living in the face of their loss. Despite the hardships life may bring, they know they will forgive and love again. From the Paperback edition.
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Snowbound With The Secret Agent (Silver Valley P.D. Book 7)

Keeping An Innocent Witness Close… Too Close.When Portia DiNapoli accidentally witnesses a deadly crime, she becomes the Russian mob’s most wanted. But she’s not running anywhere–she’s teaming up with undercover agent Kyle King to protect the small town she loves. But what blooms between them is an instant, lethal attraction that could be the love of a lifetime. Or One They Won’t Survive… 
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Curses & Blood

I thought my life was finally going my way. Boy, was I wrong.When a new job lands in my lap from the Dark Witch Court, with a very large paycheck, I take it. It should have been an easy gig. I was wrong again.Nothing is what it seems. When members of the Gray Council wind up dead, a new evil closes in and I find myself on a dangerous path.Just when I thought I could kick back and relax, the madness of the Netherworld and demons pulls me right back in.Curses & Blood is a fast-paced urban fantasy adventure with a kick-butt heroine and plenty of action, suspense and humor. Grab your copy today.The Dark Files series:Spells & Ashes (The Dark Files Book 1)Charms & Demons (The Dark Files Book 2)Hexes & Flames (The Dark Files Book 3)Curses & Blood (The Dark Files Book 4)
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Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes

A missing girl in the news reminds Julia Carroll of herself: nineteen, beautiful, blonde hair, blue eyes. Julia begins to dig deeper and plans an article for her college paper. She becomes gradually more obsessed with the case, never imagining how close she herself is to danger. Includes an extract from Karin Slaughter’s gripping new novel, Pretty Girls.
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Teacher's Pet

An intricately woven novel of suspense from the bestselling author of The Devil's Advocate Mr. Lucy is just the kind of teacher the children of Centreville needed. He's sharp, understanding, always ready to help out. A man like that inspires respect in his students. And he gets great results; it was really quite astonishing when the children brought home straight-A report cards. All the parents were so proud. It was even more astonishing to see how they began to resemble Mr. Lucy. And act like Mr. Lucy. And kill like Mr. Lucy . . . Praised by V.C. Andrews as "a master of psychological thrillers," Andrew Neiderman teaches a master class in suspense in this brilliantly textured novel.
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Cashback

England's world-famous folk hero lives on in the computer age, as brilliant Oxford mathematician Jonathan Hood, for obvious reasons known as Robin, sets out to prove to the world s banking community that its encryption security systems are vulnerable to attack.An intriguing tale of computer warfare waged against corruption has an unexpected twist in the tail.England's world-famous folk hero lives on in the computer age, as brilliant Oxford mathematician Jonathan Hood, for obvious reasons known as Robin, sets out to prove to the world s banking community that its encryption security systems are vulnerable to attack. He first of all succeeds in beating the chip and PIN system used for the hole-in-the-wall cash dispensers, and then manages to break down the internationally used security system. While he and his team work on developing a more robust system, Robin determines to right a few wrongs round the world before marketing his new computer programme as a replacement. Helpless Governments look on as anxious banks struggle to find out who is behind the massive secret withdrawals from their customers accounts. Using the Swiss banking system, Robin Hood and his band of computer scientists manage to reimburse a team of Russian mathematicians, exploited by an unscrupulous US computer giant, while white farmers evicted by the corrupt regime in Zimbabwe also receive compensation, at the expense of Ministers and other senior officials whose bank accounts are emptied and hoards of diamonds hijacked. An intriguing tale of computer warfare waged against corruption has an unexpected twist in the tail, which leaves the reader to work out his own conclusion.
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Vengeance in Vienna

"When you think that life cannot get better, Blake Pierce comes up with another masterpiece of thriller and mystery! This book is full of twists, and the end brings a surprising revelation. Strongly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who enjoys a very well-written thriller."—Books and Movie Reviews (re Almost Gone) VENGEANCE IN VIENNA is book #3 in a charming new cozy mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone has received 1,500 five-star reviews. The series (A YEAR IN EUROPE) begins with book #1 (A MURDER IN PARIS).Diana Hope, 55, is still adjusting to her recent separation when she discovers her ex-husband has just proposed to a woman 30 years younger. Secretly hoping they would reunite, Diana is devastated. She realizes the time has come to reimagine life without him—in fact, to reimagine her life, period.Devoting the last 30 years of her life to being a dutiful wife and mother and to climbing the...
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The Eighth City: A Torch in the Darkness

The first in The Eighth City Series, A Torch in the Darkness is the start of Sebastian's journey into the Below, a refuse heap beneath the Eighth City where only the most vicious survive.The story follows Sebastian as he attempts to discover what happened to his parents and what his strange dreams mean. Caught in the middle of powerful forces, he is left to find his own way in a dangerous world.This is the fourth poetry book by Olusheyi Banjo.This book is also a sequel to "Choose The Stars." In this book Olusheyi explores through poetry the darker side of life and the univers
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Storyteller

A story of the American Revolution from two-time Newbery Honor–winning author Patricia Reilly Giff. While staying with her aunt, Elizabeth finds something remarkable: a drawing. It hangs on the wall, a portrait of her ancestor, Eliza, known as Zee. She looks like Elizabeth. The girls’ lives intertwine as Elizabeth’s present-day story alternates with Zee’s, which takes place during the American Revolution. Zee is dreamy, and hopeful for the future—until the Revolution tears apart her family and her community in upstate New York. Left on her own, she struggles to survive and to follow her father and brother into battle. Zee’s story has been waiting to be rediscovered by the right person. As Elizabeth learns about Zee, and walks where Zee once walked and battles raged, the past becomes as vivid and real as the present. In this beautifully crafted, affecting novel from beloved author Patricia Reilly Giff, the lives of two girls reflect one another as each finds her own inner strengths. From the Hardcover edition.
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