Convicted of treason, Crispin Guest was stripped of his title, his land, his money and his friends. Now with only his considerable wits to sustain him, Guest works the mean streets of 14th century London, building a small reputation for his skill. In 1383, a simple-minded tavern girl comes to his door—a body was found where she works and she’s the only person who could have killed him. Except for the fact that the man was killed in place by a precisely aimed crossbow bolt. Making matters worse, the murdered man was one of three couriers from the French king, transporting a relic intended to smooth the troubled relations between France and England. Events quickly spin out of control and Guest now finds himself the prime suspect in the murder, one with terrible diplomatic implications. As the drumbeat of war between the two countries grow, Guest must unravel the conspiracy behind the murder to save not only his country, but himself as well.
From Publishers Weekly Westerson's second medieval mystery to feature former English knight Crispin Guest (after 2008's Veil of Lies ) works better as a suspense novel than as a whodunit. Implicated in a plot against Richard II, the disgraced Guest (aka the Tracker) has reinvented himself as an investigator for hire, with both private and public clients. One day in 1384, Grayce, a simpleminded scullion, seeks Guest's help because there's a dead man in her room at the King's Head Inn in Southwark. Grayce claims she killed the man, who turns out to have been a French courier bearing a gift for the English king—the legendary Crown of Thorns, rumored to have been worn by Jesus and to have the ability to confer special powers on its wearer. The Tracker soon finds himself in a political tempest. Westerson's mix of period terms and American tough-guy prose—at one point an archer asks the detective, Didn't you use to be somebody?—may grate on the ears of some historical fans. Views: 70
Kitty has been tapped as the keynote speaker for the First International Conference on Paranatural Studies, taking place in London. The conference brings together scientists, activists, protestors, and supernatural beings from all over the world—and Kitty, Ben, and Cormac are right in the middle of it. Master vampires from dozens of cities have also gathered in London for a conference of their own. With the help of the Master of London, Kitty gets more of a glimpse into the Long Game—a power struggle among vampires that has been going on for centuries—than she ever has before. In her search for answers, Kitty has the help of some old allies, and meets some new ones, such as Caleb, the alpha werewolf of the British Isles. The conference has also attracted some old enemies, who've set their sights on her and her friends. All the world's a stage, and Kitty's just stepped into the spotlight. Views: 70
Desperate for worldwide success, a businessman places himself in the hands of the unforgiving mafia Born a refugee, Eddie Franks intends to live like a Rockefeller. He wants wealth, not for its own sake but because it means never having to be like his father, who fled Nazi Germany only to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. For most of his childhood, Eddie was raised by the Scargos, an American family whose patriarch kept his real son, Nicky, in constant competition with Eddie. Their battle has never ended. Though now an internationally successful hotel magnate, Eddie still feels the need to outdo Nicky. At his stepbrother's suggestion, he goes into business in the Americas, opening a cruise company in the Caribbean. Expansion is the name of the game, and Nicky offers financing, with strings attached. The money is an investment from organized crime, and Eddie is unaware that the interest will be paid in blood. This ebook features an illustrated biography... Views: 70
When a woman from the slums marries a rich man who can't pleasure her, she is driven to hunt for love outside the homeCarla is a beautiful girl. She was plucked from the obscurity of a Polish slum to be the wife of a wealthy man—a man who seemingly gives her everything a wife could want. Except the one thing that she needs most: the pleasure she burns for while he snores beside her, the passion that only a lover can give.But adultery seems impossible until, suddenly, it happens. When she seduces a filling-station attendant, ruining her clothes in the grease of a mechanic's floor, she starts to spin out of control. He is the first but not the last, as Carla learns that infidelity is no work at all.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lawrence Block, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from his personal collection, and a new afterword written by the author. Views: 70
