Naples, Italy, during four fateful days in the fall of 1943. The only people left in the shattered, bombed-out city are the lost, abandoned children whose only goal is to survive another day. None could imagine that they would become fearless fighters and the unlikeliest heroes of World War II. They are the warriors immortalized in Street Boys, Lorenzo Carcaterra’s exhilarating new novel, a book that exceeds even his bestselling Sleepers as a riveting reading experience.
It’s late September. The war in Europe is almost won. Italy is leaderless, Mussolini already arrested by anti-Fascists. The German army has evacuated the city of Naples. Adults, even entire families, have been marched off to work camps or simply sent off to their deaths. Now, the German army is moving toward Naples to finish the job. Their chilling instructions are: If the city can’t belong to Hitler, it will belong to no one.
No one but children. Children who have been orphaned or hidden by parents in a last, defiant gesture against the Nazis. Children, some as young as ten years old, armed with just a handful of guns, unexploded bombs, and their own ingenuity. Children who are determined to take on the advancing enemy and save the city—or die trying.
There is Vincenzo Soldari, a sixteen-year-old history buff who is determined to make history by leading others with courage and self-confidence; Carlo Maldini, a middle-aged drunkard desperate to redeem himself by adding his experience to the raw exuberance of the young fighters; Nunzia Maldini, his nineteen-year-old daughter, who helps her father regain his self-respect— and loses her heart to an American G.I.; Corporal Steve Connors, a soldier sent out on reconnaissance, then cut off from his comrades—with no choice but to aid the street boys; Colonel Rudolph Van Klaus, the proud Nazi commander shamed by his own sadistic mission; and, of course, the dozens of young boys who use their few skills and great heart to try to save their city, their country, and themselves.
In its compassionate portrait of the rootless young, and its pitiless portrayal of the violence that is at once their world and their way out, Street Boys continues and deepens Lorenzo Carcaterra’s trademark themes. In its awesome scope and pure page-turning excitement, it stands as a stirring tribute to the underdog in us all—and as a singular addition to the novels about World War II.
From the Hardcover edition. Views: 178
A twisty case of missing persons draws a Scottish PI into Glasgow's deadly underworld in this crime thriller by the author of Games People Play.Private Investigator Charlie Cameron is searching for a man who disappeared after his son's suicide. When an unidentified body turns up at the morgue, Cameron is sure it's another case closed. Unfortunately, the body brought out on the slab isn't the individual he's after. Worse, Cameron is disturbed to realize it isn't a stranger either. Suddenly, a routine investigation becomes a desperate fight for survival. As Charlie is dragged deeper into Glasgow's criminal underbelly, he gets dangerously close to a notorious gangster named Jimmy Rafferty. Now Rafferty wants Cameron to find something that may be impossible to find. But disappointing Rafferty is known to be deadly. Views: 178
A death. An inheritance. A problem left behind.Emma's family never approved of her marriage. So, when her husband's questionable behaviour threatens ruin for those nearest and dearest to her, whatever she decides to do had better be done on the quiet. After all, once she's put the matter to rights, her family need never know what deep pit her marriage brought them to the edge of. Do they? Except Nella has her own opinion on the matter, and Major Barnaby is getting antsy. Can she convince her brother-in-law to risk his reputation and help her bring a resolution? Because time is fast running out. Views: 177
The Queen of Mystery has come to Harper Collins! Agatha Christie, the acknowledged mistress of suspense—creator of indomitable sleuth Miss Marple, meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and so many other unforgettable characters—brings her entire oeuvre of ingenious whodunits, locked room mysteries, and perplexing puzzles to Harper Paperbacks. A most unusual series of crimes at a student hostel intrigues Inspector Poirot in Christie’s Hickory Dickory Dock, especially when a simple case of kleptomania paves the way to murder.From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Fraser, who played Captain Hastings, the sidekick for arch Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the PBS Mystery series, now performs the entire cast in Christie's 1955 mystery. Fraser's Poirot is derivative of the stellar performance of the series' star, David Suchet; nevertheless, Fraser gives Christie's work his own imprimatur. Poirot is absent much of the time in this tale of kleptomania, malice and murder set at a boarding house for students. Add to the mix a number of students from England, a temperamental Greek landlady and an Italian house staff, and one must conclude that Fraser is some sort of magician to keep all the players sorted out as they converge in the common room. Not to be missed among the clamoring voices is Christie's narrative, from which Fraser manages to wring every wry drop. The producers at the Mystery Masters division of the Audio Partners were smart to hire Fraser to record this classic, and listeners will find it a delightful romp that passes all too quickly. (Dec.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review“When it comes to fiendish plotting, there’s nobody to compare with Agatha Christie.” (Peter Robinson, New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Banks novels )“The Christie fan of longest standing, who thinks he knows every one of her tricks, will still be surprised by some of the twists here.” (New York Times )“The characters are as good as ever and there is plenty of entertainment.” (Times Literary Supplement (London) ) Views: 177
There’s a body in the morgue that looks exactly like Micah Reed. Same hair, same face, same eyes. But it can’t be him, right? And, if it’s not, how did this stranger who appears identical to Micah end up in a body bag? Micah’s boss Frank boards a flight to Michigan to solve the puzzle and uncover the true story behind this mysterious corpse. Knocking on doors, rattling cages… an old-school gumshoe kind of investigation. At least, that's the plan. But everything goes wrong when the top layer of deceit peels back. Instead of explanations, he finds something larger, deeper, and infinitely more dangerous. The crosshairs land on him because of what he knows. If he can’t make it out alive, the identity of the doppelgänger in the morgue won’t matter much anymore.
** Views: 177
Tragedy can strike in the blink of an eye, as Cindy Preston is all too aware. As she struggles to cope with the loss of her job, death and destruction are unfolding around her. At her new temp assignment she quickly discovers that something sinister happened to the woman she's replaced. Meanwhile, Rabbi Jeremiah Silverman and Detective Mark Walters are left picking up the pieces when one of their own is viciously attacked. Now it's a race against time to find three different killers before more innocent lives are shattered. Views: 177
Sometimes taking a spin makes you crash and burn. When a neighbor disappears, Myrtle and Miles shift gears and hit the road to search for him. They discover their neighbor slightly off the beaten track—murdered with a tire iron. Myrtle has no intention of letting the killer give them the slip. She and Miles buckle up for a race against time to find the murderer...before someone else hits a dead end. Views: 177
