Myron's parents insisted that he study economics, and Myron dutifully applied himself. But Myron had an aunt--his great aunt Hester Lojoie, a woman of great wealth inherited from a dead husband, and even greater flamboyance of nature. And when Dame Hester came into possession of a space yacht, Myron suddenly saw his long-supressed dreams of adventure bloom into new life.Amazon.com ReviewJack Vance, an undisputed king of science fiction, outdoes himself in this space exploration novel. Myron Tany has been given command of a space yacht by his crazy aunt Hester, giving him the perfect chance to live out his childhood fantasies of intergalactic adventure, alien encounters and exotic romance. Set in Vance's Gaean Reach universe, Ports of Call is a veritable catalog of adventures, replete with richly-detailed encounters and characters worthy of the series that will no doubt follow this book. This is a light, often comedic space adventure that suffers only a bit from a meandering plot. Vance fans will revel in a terrific read. From Publishers WeeklyClassic space opera is alive and kicking in this latest interstellar spree from Vance (Night Lamp), who turns 82 this year. In the far future, young Myron Tany seems destined to be a misty-eyed dreamer, pining away for interstellar intrigue, until his rich and eccentric great-aunt, Dame Hester, gains ownership of the space yacht Glodwyn and pushes Myron into the captain's chair. The stresses of family relationships prove too difficult, however, and Hester soon kicks Myron out on his own, forcing him to sign on as a majordomo for the cargo ship Glicca. As one of a hearty and fearless crew, Myron begins the education that makes him a sailor of the spaceways, learning how to placate difficult passengers, romance women of exotic worlds and make it back aboard ship with his purse intact. While his future is unclear at the novel's end, Myron has grown into a confident and capable fellow, if not exactly a swashbuckler. Readers who demand a complicated, hard-science milieu might find Vance's narrative occasionally too chauvinistic, or too simple, or just too plain silly, but this jaunty, politically incorrect tale provides first-rate escapist entertainment. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 53
The sixteenth novel in Michael Jecks?s medieval Knights Templar series. On the return from their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in the summer of 1323, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock?s ship is attacked by pirates. They fight their attackers off, but then there are too few shipmen when a terrible storm strikes. As the ship breaks up, Simon sees Baldwin washed overboard. Distraught, Simon makes his way to shore. But on the island of Ennor, he must put aside his fears and investigate the murder of Robert, the island?s hated tax collector, at the behest of master of the castle, Ranulph de Blancminster. Meanwhile, washed up on the other side of the island, Baldwin begins his own investigation of the same murder. As the friends dig deeper, they become embroiled in a bitter rivalry between the two island communities. Can they uncover the truth in time to prevent certain massacre? Views: 53
In a Paris that never was, a city of magical factions where Fallen angels mingle with magicians, alchemists and witches...Emmanuelle is the Fallen archivist of House Silverspires, and only wants a quiet life with her books. But when Selene, the latest student of Lucifer Morningstar, walks into the library, Emmanuelle finds herself drawn in an adventure to steal from another House. It's a thrilling and dangerous task, but the most dangerous thing about it might just be Selene herself—aloof and resourceful, and unexpectedly attractive...Set in the universe of the critically acclaimed The House of Shattered Wings. Views: 53
"There are haunted places in the world, all existing in reality and every bit as tangible and accessible as the house next door. Sometimes it is the house next door." In this brilliant debut collection, Ian Rogers explores the border-places between our world and the dark reaches of the supernatural. The landscape of death becomes the new frontier for scientific exploration. A honeymoon cabin with an unspeakable appetite finally meets its match. A suburban home is transformed into the hunting ground for a new breed of spider. A nightmarish jazz club at the crossroads of reality plays host to those who can break a deal with the devil...for a price. With remarkable deftness, Rogers draws together the disturbing and the diverting in twenty-two showcase stories that will guide you through terrain at once familiar and startlingly fresh. Views: 53
Agent Maggie O'Dell and Assistant Director Cunningham believe they're responding to a threat made at Quantico. Instead they walk into a trap. Before they realize it, they've both been exposed to a killer who can strike at anyone, at any time, and no one can predict who might be next…until it's too late.
The killer's tactics suggest he's an aficionado of criminal minds. He uses bits and pieces from those he admires: a phrase from the Beltway Snipers, a clue from the Unabomber, a delivery method similar to the Anthrax Killer. His weapon is a deadly virus, virtually invisible and totally unexpected. His victims appear to be random but, in fact, they are chosen with a revengeful precision. The vaccine is limited and untested.
Maggie knows dangerous minds�from hauntingly perverse child predators to cunningly twisted serial killers. Now she faces a new opponent from inside an isolation ward at a biosafety containment hospital. Maggie must help Agent R. J. Tully find clues to catch the killer�while waiting to see if the deadly strain is already multiplying in her body. With every new exposure there's the potential for an epidemic. And Maggie knows she and Cunningham may not live long enough to discover who is the deadliest, most intelligent killer they've ever profiled. Views: 52
Could you murder your wife to save your daughter? On the surface, Nick Connor's life is seemingly perfect: a quiet life with his beautiful family and everything he could ever want. But soon his murky past will collide with his idyllic life and threaten the very people he loves the most in the world. When his five-year-old daughter, Ellie, is kidnapped, Nick's life is thrown into a tailspin. In exchange for his daughter's safe return, Nick will have to do the unthinkable: he must murder his wife. With his family's lives hanging in the balance, what will Nick do? Can he and his family survive when the evil that taunts them stems from the sins of his past? Her Last Tomorrow is a gripping, fast-paced thriller which will engross fans of Simon Kernick, Stephen Leather and Mark Edwards. "Adam Croft is one of the best new writers in Britain." — Stephen Leather. ... Views: 52
Lewis Packford, the great Shakespearean scholar, was thought to have discovered a book annotated by the Bard—but there is no trace of this valuable object when Packford apparently commits suicide. Sir John Appleby finds a mixed bag of suspects at the dead man's house, who might all have a good motive for murder. The scholars and bibliophiles who were present might have been tempted by the precious document in Packford's possession. And Appleby discovers that Packford had two secret marriages, and that both of these women were at the house at the time of his death. Views: 52
Humphrey Paxton, the son of one of Britain's leading atomic boffins, has taken to carrying a shotgun to 'shoot plotters and blackmailers and spies'. His new tutor, the plodding Mr Thewless, suggests that Humphrey might be overdoing it somewhat. But when a man is found shot dead at a cinema, Mr Thewless is plunged into a nightmare world of lies, kidnapping and murder—and grave matters of national security. Views: 52
