It's late May 1944. Captain Billy Boyle is court-martialed on spurious charges of black market dealings. The chief witness against him is Archie Chapman, the London gangster last seen in Rag and Bone, and Boyle is convicted. Stripped of his officer's rank, reduced to private, and sentenced to three month's hard labor, Boyle is given an opportunity: he can avoid his punishment if he accepts a dangerous mission. In the town of Chaumont, a "petite chateau" on the outskirts of town serves as a safe house for the Allies. The chateau has a secret chamber and tunnel, first used to hide escaping Huguenots in the 17th century. But someone is killing the people who have passed through the safe house. Two officers, one a British escaped POW and the other an American pilot, have been murdered. Billy is parachuted in as part of a three-man team on June 5, 1944, the night before the Normandy invasion. Billy must solve the mystery of who is behind the murders, then lead... Views: 63
The third installment in Alexander McCall Smith's beloved 44 Scotland Street series is sure to delight his many fans. This just in from Edinburgh: the complicated lives of the denizens of 44 Scotland Street are becoming no simpler. Domenica Macdonald has left for the Malacca Straits to conduct a perilous anthropological study of pirate households. Angus Lordie's dog, Cyril, has been stolen, and is facing an uncertain future wandering the streets. Bertie, the prodigiously talented six-year-old, is still enduring psychotherapy, but his burden is lightened by a junior orchestra's trip to Paris, where he makes some interesting new friends. Back in Edinburgh, there is romance for Pat with a handsome young man called Wolf, until she begins to see the attractions of the more prosaically named Matthew. Teeming with McCall Smith's wonderful wit and charming depictions of Edinburgh, Love Over Scotland is another beautiful ode to a city and its people that continue... Views: 63
Dedicated, intuitive, and utterly obsessive, DCI James Langton is ruthless in his pursuit of a gang of illegal immigrants, the murderers of a young prostitute. When one of them nearly kills him, Anna Travis nurses his wounds and bears the brunt of his frustrations, putting her own life and career on hold. But then one of Anna's own cases -- the seemingly motiveless murder of a quiet, studious woman -- turns out to be linked with Langton's, and Anna becomes the gang's next target. As USA Today wrote of La Plante's Above Suspicion, "There is no sugarcoating on this 100-proof police procedural." La Plante's growing legions of fans will not be disappointed. Views: 63
Colonial New Guinea--1906: a small group of mostly German nudists live an extreme back-to-nature existence on the remote island of Kabakon. Eating only coconuts and bananas, they purport to worship the sun. One of their members--Max Lutzow--has recently died, allegedly from malaria. But an autopsy on his body in the nearby capital of Herbertshöhe raises suspicions about foul play.Retired British military police officer Will Prior is recruited to investigate the circumstances of Lutzow's death. At first, the eccentric group seems friendly and willing to cooperate with the investigation. They all insist that Lutzow died of malaria. Despite lack of evidence for a murder, Prior is convinced that the group is hiding something. Things come to a head during a late-night feast supposedly given as a send-off for the visitors before they return to Herbertshöhe. Prior fears that the intent of the "celebration" is not to fete the visitors but to make them the... Views: 63
While trailing a Chinese nuclear attack sub, Jerry Mitchell, the captain of USS North Dakota, is shocked to see the Chinese boat torpedo a Vietnamese merchant ship. This blatant act of aggression is the opening gambit in a war that has blindsided the U.S. and quickly embroiled all nations in the western Pacific. These nations, bound together in the newly formed Littoral Alliance, have begun a covert submarine campaign aimed at crippling China’s economy before China can set in motion its own plot to dominate the region. In a desperate attempt to buy the president enough time to resolve the crisis diplomatically, Mitchell’s submarine squadron is ordered to interfere with attacks by both sides. China and the Littoral Alliance are both determined to win, no matter the cost, and as each side increases the level of violence, they approach a dangerous tipping point. In a race against time, the submarines of Mitchell’s squadron must execute their mission before the world witnesses an economic catastrophe—or worse, a nuclear exchange. Views: 63
Murder is easy-on paper. Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is attending the world- renowned Book Fair when her ex Kyle shows up with a bombshell. He has an original copy of a scandalous text that could change history-and humiliate the beloved British monarchy. When Kyle turns up dead, the police are convinced Brooklyn 's the culprit. But with an entire convention of suspects, Brooklyn 's conducting her own investigation to find out if the motive for murder was a 200-year-old secret-or something much more personal. Views: 63
When OMEGA agency gets credible intelligence regarding an assassination plot against the first female Vice President of the United States, Agent Maggie Sinclair is assigned the dangerous job of impersonating her. As a key figure in the creation of an international antiterror act, the real Vice President is safely hidden until crisis is averted—while Maggie steps into the crosshairs.Determined to keep his best agent safe, Adam Ridgeway plans to stick close by, posing as the widowed VP's new love interest. But as their romance becomes a field day for the media, the charade sparks off some hidden feelings. Maggie soon realizes that risking her life means putting her career and her heart in jeopardy.... Views: 63
When Special Investigator Jeff McKeon was called hurriedly back to the Puget City DA's office, it marked the end of a beautiful vacation and the abrupt beginning of an ugly frame. For while Jeff's back had been turned, his political enemies had been busy laying plans to give him a permanent vacation—in jail.This time they had the DA on their side, for the evidence seemed quite foolproof. Jeff, they convincingly demonstrated, was the new front-man for the Syndicate's big push into town.And when Jeff realized he had to tackle the Syndicate itself to disprove that, he knew that his fate now lay in the fickle hands of The Duchess of Skid Row—a gal who had every reason to want him dead. Views: 63
Frank and Joe might be in over their heads when they discover an aquatic smuggling operation in this chilling Hardy Boys adventure—a fresh approach to a classic series.When Frank wins an internship at the Bayport Aquarium, he's stoked at the chance to not only earn school credit, but to also geek out about one of his favorite subjects—aquatic life. And his brother Joe is equally jazzed about taking scuba diving lessons from the super-cute instructor, Aly. But both boys' excitement comes screeching to a halt when the aquarium's most valuable asset goes missing: a rare two-hundred-pound sea turtle named Captain Hook. Frank and Joe stumble upon a network of underground tunnels hidden beneath Bayport...and realize the aquarium is a secret entry point. Could the aquarium be the newest target of a sinister aquatic smuggling ring? And can the boys snag the gang's mastermind before they end up in treacherous waters? Views: 63
A detective takes on mad scientists when a D&D fantasy world turns deadly in this " thrilling combination" of "not-quite-science-fiction and suspense" (Playboy). With a genius IQ, a past career as a circus acrobat, and a black belt in karate, criminology professor Dr. Robert Frederickson—better known as "Mongo the Magnificent"—has a decidedly unusual background for a private investigator. He also just so happens to be a dwarf. When Mongo's sister asks him to investigate the death of his nephew, Tommy—the victim of an apparent murder-suicide—the private detective soon learns that everything's tied to the computer game Tommy and his friends created: an elaborate quest based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The clues send Mongo on a cross-country journey, from a painful visit to his former hometown in Nebraska and back to New York, then on to the rugged coastline of California's Big Sur and,... Views: 63
