Jack Spratt is a policeman on the door of Number Ten. When the Prime Minister decides that the only way to get closer to the men and women on the street is to travel around the country incognito and find out what they really think, he enlists Jack’s help. Leaving his high-powered, ambitious wife to hold the fort, he and Jack set out. But neither can foresee how their extraordinary odyssey will impact on world affairs. Or their own lives. Views: 39
Amazon.com ReviewPrivate enquiry agent William Monk is hired to investigate a potential case of fraud in the construction of a new railway line. His client is the fiancée of a man she fears is embroiled in the scheme, and Monk's investigation causes a strange sense of déjà vu--a former policeman afflicted with a case of amnesia concerning his prior life, Monk finds both the case and its milieu unsettlingly familiar. His case is somehow connected to the death of a railway magnate in a sleazy area of London where Monk's wife Hester, a nurse, operates a shelter for abused prostitutes. The women have been doubly victimized by an extortion scheme in which the dead man, who turns out to have been Monk's employer during his "lost" years, may have been involved. More than an ingenious way to fill in Monk's backstory, Anne Perry's newest mystery featuring the enigmatic investigator deepens the reader's understanding of an unusual and compelling protagonist and brings Victorian-era England vividly to life. --Jane AdamsFrom Publishers WeeklyBestseller Perry's latest novel (after 2001's Funeral in Blue) to feature mid-Victorians William Monk and his wife, Hester, offers an ingenious and baffling plot, compelling characters, both major and minor, plus plenty of courtroom drama, but is something of a diamond in the rough. In London's East End, Hester, a former nurse with Florence Nightingale, has established a shelter for prostitutes where the ill and injured can be treated. One night, a well-known railway magnate is found dead in a nearby brothel, and the police presence in the area grinds the illicit business of the pimps and prostitutes to a halt. William, meanwhile, has undertaken a private investigation into possible fraud. His client, the fiancee of a young executive for the same railway as the murder victim, fears her betrothed may be implicated in the fraud scheme. As William recognizes parallels with the past, memories that he lost in an accident seven years earlier start to haunt him. Unfortunately, the book suffers from hasty execution, as reflected in repetitious phrasing, pronouns with unclear antecedents and confusing narrative transitions between Hester and William and between William in the present and William before his amnesia. The result is a challenging read, though established fans will likely forgive the author her lapses because she tells such a wonderful story.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 39
«Cold Hand in Mine» was first published in the UK in 1975 and in the US in 1977. The story «Pages from a Young Girl's Journal» won Aickman the World Fantasy Award in 1975. It was originally published in «The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction» in 1973 before appearing in this collection. «Cold Hand in Mine» stands as one of Aickman's best collections and contains eight stories that show off his powers as a «strange story» writer to the full, being more ambiguous than standard ghost stories. Throughout the stories the reader is introduced to a variety of characters, from a man who spends the night in a Hospice to a German aristocrat and a woman who sees an image of her own soul. There is also a nod to the conventional vampire story («Pages from a Young Girl's Journal») but all the stories remain unconventional and inconclusive, which perhaps makes them all the more startling and intriguing. «Of all the authors of uncanny tales, Aickman is the best ever…His tales literally haunt me; his plots and his turns of phrase run through my head at the most unlikely moments.» — Russell Kirk. Views: 39
An enthralling novel about love, loss, secrets, friendship, and the healing power of literature, by the bestselling author of The Knitting Circle.Ava's twenty-five-year marriage has fallen apart, and her two grown children are pursuing their own lives outside of the country. Ava joins a book group, not only for her love of reading but also out of sheer desperation for companionship. The group's goal throughout the year is for each member to present the book that matters most to them. Ava rediscovers a mysterious book from her childhood—one that helped her through the traumas of the untimely deaths of her sister and mother. Alternating with Ava's story is that of her troubled daughter Maggie, who, living in Paris, descends into a destructive relationship with an older man. Ava's mission to find that book and its enigmatic author takes her on a quest that unravels the secrets of her past and offers her and Maggie the chance to remake their lives. Views: 39
A wounded gunslinger fights for his life in this collection of three classic stories from one of the most popular Western authors of all time!Luck is initially on Cheyenne's side in "Gunman's Bluff," as he manages to kill one Martin brother and wound the other in a shootout. But in the process, Cheyenne himself is shot in the shoulder, and it will be a while before he'll have use of his right hand. But with the Martin family immediately out for revenge, Cheyenne doesn't have time to heal, and he'll need more than just one good hand to keep him alive."Torridon" tells the story of Paul Torridon, raised from the age of seven by his family's archrivals, the Bretts. Over the years the hatred between the local clans slows to a simmer, until one day a majestic Brett family colt becomes a one-man horse . . . to none other than Paul Torridon!Finally, in the title story, wealthy rancher Oliver Lane is believed to be near death. Lane's will calls for his entire fortune... Views: 39
Isabel is a single, twentysomething thrift-store shopper and collector of remnants, things cast off or left behind by others. Glaciers follows Isabel through a day in her life in which work with damaged books in the basement of a library, unrequited love for the former soldier who fixes her computer, and dreams of the perfect vintage dress move over a backdrop of deteriorating urban architecture and the imminent loss of the glaciers she knew as a young girl in Alaska.Glaciers unfolds internally, the action shaped by Isabel's sense of history, memory, and place, recalling the work of writers such as Jean Rhys, Marguerite Duras, and Virginia Woolf. For Isabel, the fleeting moments of one day can reveal an entire life. While she contemplates loss and the intricate fissures it creates in our lives, she accumulates the stories—the remnants—of those around her and she begins to tell her own story. Views: 39
This biker is so not her type, but when opposites attract, the sparks are irresistible! One sizzling kiss from Thorn Westmoreland is not enough to convince Tara Matthews to risk her heart in love again...or is it? The beautiful pediatrician and the hard-riding motorcycle tycoon mix like oil and water. Why, then, can't Tara burn the sexy racer from her mind or the memory of his passionate caresses from her body? Thorn has wanted Tara since the day they met. He's planned to seduce the prickly lady doctor and indulge in a no-strings affair. But before he can savor the success of his sultry seduction she turns the tables on him. Now instead of working her out of his system, he's striving to claim her as his own... First published in 2003 Views: 39
“Spare your soul,” he ranted, “and turn your eyes from greed.…”The tattoos on his arms still reading “Live by the Sword” and “Die by the Sword,” Aramis Black is ready for a fresh start. Determined to set aside his violent tendencies, he opens an espresso shop in Nashville and begins to put his childhood memories behind him. The past isn’t finished with him, though. One ordinary day at the shop, a man is shot before his eyes, speaking dying words to Aramis that are all too familiar. Aramis realizes that his path to freedom will demand forgiveness–forgiveness from God and forgiveness of others. Along the way, he must uncover the conspiracy behind a centuries-old mystery and the shocking truth of his mother’s death. The question remains: Will Aramis be able to conquer his past, or will evil get the best of him? From the Trade Paperback edition.From BooklistAramis Black took a walk on the wild side in his youth, but now he is trying to make a go of conventional life in Nashville, not in music but as the proprietor and co-owner of a coffee shop. Unsavory types from his past stalk him, however, convinced that he knows the whereabouts of treasure buried long ago by Meriwether Lewis on the Natchez Trace. The Lewis material, speculating on whether Lewis' death was suicide or murder, gives some depth to what is otherwise rather a slight mystery. The Nashville setting is a plus, too, in this first of a trilogy. John MortCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReviewPraise for *The Best of Evil** “With The Best of Evil, Eric Wilson reveals himself as THE author to watch. His writing sizzles; his characters grab you and won’t let go; his story intrigues, entertains, and makes you think. This is a page-turner you’ll talk about with your friends.”–Robert Liparulo, author of Germ and Comes a Horseman“The world through Aramis Black’s eyes is mysterious, rich, and brewing with surprise.”–Brandilyn Collins, Seatbelt Suspense*™ “Eric Wilson masterfully weaves together mysteries from past and present in this gutsy thriller. Wilson is an extraordinary writer with one of the freshest voices in fiction today. The Best of Evil is first-rate suspense.”–Gina Holmes, Novel Journey/Novel Reviews** “A work of amazing maturity and skill.”–James Byron Huggins, author of Cain, The Scam, and Sorcerer “The Best of Evil is riveting reading–Eric Wilson at the top of his game. He combines suspense, history, a reality-game show, full-blooded characters and yes, palpable evil, into one addictive read. You’ll love his flawed but charismatic protagonist, Aramis Black, a man prepared to live by the sword and die by the sword. Quite simply, The Best of Evil is the best of fiction.”–Randy Singer, author of The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney “In The Best of Evil, you get the best of Eric Wilson–the only novelist I know who can make you wish you’d paid more attention in your seventh grade history class. Wilson manages to make Meriwether Lewis into a figure of contemporary fascination in this intriguing tale, set in modern-day Tennessee. Aramis Black is serving up hot coffee and sarcasm when a customer gets shot dead, propelling us into a story with all the twists and turns of a Smokey Mountain road. A stolen hankie, a pretty girl, a lock of hair, simmering family tensions, and a complicated hero with a dark past–The Best of Evil has it all.”–Melanie Wells, author of When the Day of Evil Comes and The Soul Hunter* Views: 39
