The original series from the Master of Fright—now a major motion picture in theaters August 7, 2015! Tara the Terrible. That's what Michael Webster calls his bratty little sister. She loves getting Michael in trouble. Making his life miserable. Things couldn't get any worse. Then Mr. Webster brings home the antique cuckoo clock. It's old. It's expensive. And Mr. Webster won't let anyone touch it. Poor Michael. He should have listened to his dad. Because someone put a spell on the clock. A strange spell. A dangerous spell. And now Michael's life will never be the same again... Views: 51
SUMMARY: It is almost unthinkable that a single maniac would murder two women miles apart on the same day. Yet someone followed Carol Garner home from the train station and strangled her to death in front of her three-year-old son. And, afterwards, Ruth Murray died in a similar manner. The evidence is leading Detective Inspector Tom Thorne to a stunning conclusion: there isn't only one serial killer on the prowl, but a pair of them, working in tandem. And any corpse that turns up in the future just might be accompanied by a second. To stop them both, Thorne must catch a man whose need to manipulate is as great as his need to kill; a man who will threaten those closest to Thorne himself; a man who will show him that the ability to inspire terror is the deadliest weapon of all. Views: 51
Tom Thorne's career is on the skids. Having seriously crossed the line on his last case and depressed over the recent suspicious death of his father, the once ambitious police detective has been reduced to pushing papers... and is being encouraged to take a prolonged leave of duty.But someone is stalking the city's most destitute citizens. Three homeless men have recently been kicked to death, each brutalized corpse discovered with a banknote pinned to its chest. With nothing to lose, Thorne volunteers to try to find the killer—taking to the streets he knows so well from his days as beat policeman and as a homicide detective, but this time joining the squalid ranks of life's rejects. In this harsh and harrowing netherworld, with its own rules and moral codes, a shocking link between the brutal crimes and a fifteen-year-old atrocity could end up costing Thorne what little life he has left. Views: 51
SUMMARY: The Camel Club is a four-man group of Washington, D.C. misfits, that meet weekly to discuss political conspiracies they believe exist and what actions they might take. One night club members witness the murder of Secret Service employee Patrick Johnson, thus thrusting the wacky crew into the middle of a bigger conspiracy than they could ever have imagined. Views: 51
From Publishers WeeklyA young Iraqi refugee named Laila provides both the heart and the McGuffin in Hewson's elegant new thriller, the third featuring tough Roman detectives Gianni Peroni and Nic Costa (A Season for the Dead and The Villa of Mysteries). Laila inadvertently witnesses a brutal murder in Rome's Pantheon and earns the guardianship of the top cops. Childless pathologist Teresa Lupo becomes a surrogate mother to the waif as the team slowly closes in on the killer. The position of the naked corpse suggests Leonardo da Vinci's The Vitruvian Man, and carvings on the victim's flesh depict the mystical symbol of the novel's title. The novel seems headed for Dan Brown territory, but Hewson's clever puzzle remains just that, a tantalizing challenge to the detectives and to the encroaching FBI, led by abrasive agents Joel Leapman and Emily Deacon. The perp, it seems, is a serial killer who has similarly carved several victims around the world. Though the novel unfolds via familiar genre conventions—creepy passages from the killer's perspective revealing equal parts of evil and genius, turf skirmishes between our Roman heroes and the FBI suits, imperiled female victims—Hewson's solid writing and multidimensional characters command attention from start to finish of this smart, literate thriller. (Dec.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistStarred Review This third Nic Costa mystery brings back Roman police detective Costa and his partner, loose-cannon Gianni Peroni, in another case with tentacles reaching back to the Eternal City's ancient history. We begin with a stunning set piece: it's Christmas Eve, and the city is being blanketed by a freakish snowstorm, providing an appropriately eerie landscape for the ritualistic murder of an American woman under the dome in Hadrian's Pantheon. Costa, Peroni, and their boss, Leo Falcone, a bit of a maverick himself, fume as the investigation is snatched away by the FBI. Jockeying between the locals and the ugly Americans sets the acrimonious tone until one of the FBI agents, sympathetic to the Italians, turns out to have a connection to the killer. As he's done in the past (Villa of Mysteries, 2004), Hewson expertly blends historical material into the text. This time the key that unlocks the killer's psyche lies in Roman architecture--specifically, Vitruvius' "sacred cut," the idea that the perfect building uses as its starting point the proportions of the human body. Except our killer is carving his sacred cuts into the backs of his victims. All this historical detail gives the proceedings a tasty complexity comparable to Perez-Reverte, but what really makes the novel work is the interplay between the trio of antiestablishment Roman cops--all no-nonsense guys who find ways around whatever obstacles confront them. A masterful mix of the high-concept historical thriller and the cynical contemporary Italian procedural. Bill OttCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Views: 51
At the end of the Cold War, a brutal murder in a Moscow alley forces two rival agents together in a mission to catch a serial killer—before it’s too lateMoscow is a bad place for an American to walk alone, particularly a woman as beautiful as Ann Harris. An economist in the American embassy, she thinks she knows the town. She thinks she is safe. She’s wrong. Colonel Dimitri Danilov is irritated that Harris had to die on his watch. The peculiarities of the murder promise an interesting case, but American involvement will make everything needlessly complicated. Gumming up the works is William Cowley, the head of the FBI Russian desk, whose job is to keep men like Danilov from sweeping the murders of Americans under the rug. But as a serial killer terrorizes Moscow, the two must work together to thwart not only the killer, but also the corrupt city that protects him. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author’s personal collection. Views: 51
Musician, sleuth and free man of color Benjamin January gets mixed in politics, with murderous results.September, 1840. A giant rally is being planned in New Orleans to stir up support for presidential candidate William Henry Harrison: the Indian-killing, hard-cider-drinking, wannabe "people's president". Trained surgeon turned piano-player Benjamin January has little use for politicians. But the run-up to the rally is packed with balls and dinner parties, and the meagre pay is sorely needed.Soon, however, January has more to worry about than keeping his beloved family fed and safe. During an elegant reception thrown by New Orleans' local Whig notables, the son of a prominent politician gets into a fist-fight with a rival over beautiful young flirt Marie-Joyeuse Maginot - and, the day after the rally is over, Marie-Joyeuse turns up dead. The only black person amongst the initial suspects is arrested immediately: January's dear friend,... Views: 51
When their peregrine falcon brings down a homing pigeon carrying rubies, the Hardy brothers find themselves involved with kidnappers. Views: 51
Alfie and his gang are on a dangerous mission.Spying on a Russian secret agent, they must be quick, clever and totally invisible. But when the Russian is found dead, Alfie faces the greatest threat of his life . . . Views: 50
From Library JournalGeorgia forensic anthropologist Dr. Lindsay Chamberlain (A Rumor of Bones, Cumberland, 1996) identifies the skeletal remains found on a farm as those of a Spanish conquistador, then agrees to investigate the much more recent "accidental" death of a long-missing spelunker. Her subsequent itinerary, though burdened with the bones of slaughtered Indians and animals, puts her in contact with an archaeologist who knew the dead caver. Shortly after they talk, he is murdered. Question is, will Chamberlain ever find the connection? Forensics and stories of conquest add authenticity but slow the plot without enhancing dramatic tension. A leisurely read, then, for larger collections.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review"Connor's style is original and fresh, and her heroine is a woman of the 90s . . . educated, intelligent, independent." -- The Midwest Book Review "The first pages establish Chamberlain's uncanny expertise." -- Chicago Sun-Times
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An Intensely Romantic Journey of Faith, Love, and HopePlease note that book #1, This Time Forever by Rachel Ann Nunes, is currently available for free download on Amazon.Mickelle Hansen has found a dream come true in handsome widower Damon Wolfe—but finding a happy ending to her fairy tale might not be all that easy.Damon Wolfe is considerate, kind, active in the gospel, and even wealthy—everything Mickelle Hansen could possibly want in a husband. His wonderful children, Tanner and Belle, are icing on the cake. But could Mickelle be getting involved too soon after her husband's death? Her teenage son Bryan definitely thinks so.A near tragedy causes Mickelle to reevaluate her relationship with Damon. Despite all he has to offer, Damon cannot guarantee her the one thing she desires most. By walking away is she saving herself pain . . . or losing the kind of love that comes only once in a lifetime?Charming Colton Scofield is also fighting for Mickelle's attention. He is there when... Views: 50
From Publishers WeeklySmith delivers yet another delightful installment to his Scotland Street series. This time out, he focuses mostly on the irrepressible Bertie Pollock, a precocious six-year-old whose mummy, Irene, forces him to play a saxophone, converse in Italian, do yoga and see Dr. Hugo Fairbairn, a psychotherapist who looks a lot like Bertie's baby brother, Ulysses. As Bertie struggles to accommodate his nutty mummy and new brother, another crisis explodes for artist Angus Lordie, whose beloved dog, Cyril, has been thrown in the pound for biting someone. Cyril is innocent, and Angus, with Bertie's assistance, sets out to rescue Cyril before he's put down. Subplots abound, and Smith details with dependable whimsical flair the romantic progress of Scotland Street familiars Matthew, Pat and Bruce. Series fans know what to expect, and they get it by the truckload. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library JournalThis fourth installment—following Love over Scotland—in New York Times best-selling author McCall Smith's (www.mccallsmith.com) "44 Scotland Street" series centers on a group of Edinburgh denizens' quirky and intriguing antics as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old boy. The book can stand alone, though listeners would benefit from meeting the characters earlier in the series. Actor/narrator Robert Ian Mackenzie's (_Freddy and Fredericka_) voice and delivery are wonderful; however, he could have done a better job distinguishing among the numerous characters. For mystery and audio collections in public libraries, especially those with previous McCall Smith titles.—Nicole A. Cooke, Montclair State Univ. Lib., NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Views: 50
