Janet Morgan's definitive and authorised biography of Agatha Christie, with a new retrospective foreword by the author. Agatha Christie (1890–1976), the world's bestselling author, is a public institution. Her creations, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, have become fiction's most legendary sleuths and her ingenuity has captured the imagination of generations of readers. But although she lived to a great age and was prolific, she remained elusively shy and determinedly private. Given sole access to family papers and other protected material, Janet Morgan's definitive biography unravels Agatha Christie's life, work and relationships, creating a revealing and faithfully honest portrait. The book has delighted readers of Christie's detective stories for more than 30 years with its clear view of her career and personality, and this edition includes a new foreword by the author reflecting on the longevity of Agatha Christie's extraordinary success and popularity. Views: 57
Stratos Gazis hates being called a hit man. What he is, is a conscientious fixer. He fixes problems that few can fix. Things that people are willing to pay handsomely to get done provided he concludes the targets deserve their fate. The story centers around the blue-eyed orphan Emma, the "baby blue" of the title, a beautiful teenage girl with a talent for card tricks of exceptional sophistication – all the more impressive for her tender years and the blindness that has afflicted her since the age of eight. Emma and her adoptive father, a former investigative journalist, roam the streets of Athens together, earning enough to keep body and soul together by performing Chaplinesque sketches. When the ex-journalist is brutally murdered, Angelino, a well-connected Athenian underworld figure, takes the girl under his wing and retains the services of Stratos to find her father's killers. Meanwhile, Costas Dragas, a top homicide cop and Gazis's best friend, has taken on the... Views: 57
The Green Mile tells the story of two men, a prison guard and his new death row inmate, and their suddenly intertwined lives. What would it be like to walk those last 40 yards to the electric chair, knowing you were going to die there? What would it be like to be the man who had to strap the condemned man in or pull the switch? What would such a job take out of you, or even add?
The Mouse on the Mile: Cold Mountain Penitentiary has been home to many troubled souls. E Block, where the electric chair waits for those who must pay the ultimate price, has been home to the most troubled of all. And here, not all the evil is behind bars. Sometimes it carries a gun and wears a badge. Views: 57
For FBI special agent Russ Gentry, Julia Howell is nothing but trouble. First the Texas heiress blunders into his undercover operation to bring down a black-market kidnapping ring. Then she turns his life upside down with a single photograph. Russ's connection with the beautiful baby girl in the photo is instant and absolute...and Julia finds herself falling for this man who stepped up when most would have turned and run. As bullets fly and their passion grows, Julia is convinced this devastatingly handsome protector will play an important role in an innocent baby's future. And in hers. Views: 57
Classic reprints from: Ambrose Bierce, Frank Norris, Mark Twain, Jack London, Dashiell Hammett, Fletcher Flora, Bill Pronzini, Joe Gores, Janet Dawson, Oscar Peñaranda, Seth Morgan, Craig Clevenger, and others.Peter Maravelis is a native San Franciscan with a life-long involvement in the art and literary scenes. He programs the events calendar at City Lights Bookstore and is editor of the first volume of San Francisco Noir. He’s been known to occasionally moonlight with private investigators.From Publishers WeeklyThis classics entry in Akashic's noir anthology series boasts an impressive roster of names, including such standard authors as Mark Twain, Jack London, Ambrose Bierce and Dashiell Hammett. Unsurprisingly, Hammett, one of the fathers of American hard-boiled fiction, supplies the best story, The Scorched Face, which sets his Continental Op on the trail of two missing women. Marcia Muller's Deceptions makes good use of the Golden Gate Bridge's appeal to potential suicides in a short but gripping exploit of her series PI, Sharon McCone. Readers looking for lesser-known talent will welcome Janet Dawson's Invisible Time, which presents a grim view of life on the streets for two young people. Don Herron's gritty Knives in the Dark, with its Chandler-like plot line, convincingly depicts Prohibition-era tough guys. As usual, the overall caliber of the writing in this reprint volume is superior to the average all-original book in the series. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the AuthorPeter Maravelis is a native San Franciscan with a life-long involvement in the art and literary scenes. He programs the events calendar at City Lights Bookstore and is editor of the first volume of San Francisco Noir. He?s been known to occasionally moonlight with PIs. He was the editor of the first volume of San Francisco Noir. Views: 57
Following a hurricane, the body of a woman with a severely slashed face is discovered in a North Carolina yard. Such a find isn't usually an FBI concern, but when an identical body is located along a Virginia stream, it catches the attention of the Serial Crimes Unit. Agents Jade Monroe and Lorenzo DeLeon head south, where a monumental task lies ahead of them. With no evidence and no witnesses, they have no way of identifying the victims. A closer look reveals that clues are carved into the women's faces. The week progresses, more victims turn up in Virginia, and a questionable witness surprises the agents by coming forward. His account turns the case upside down, and the clues begin to make sense. As Jade and Renz finally close in on the suspect, Jade is blindsided. Only a miracle will get her out alive. FBI Agent Jade Monroe Live or Die Series books are listed in chronological order below #1 Blood in the... Views: 57
She was an honored guest in a palatial country home. Aunt Mabel, the lovelorn columnist of Home Chats magazine, had been summoned to prevent the Duchess of Dartware's son, Paul, from a marriage that others believed a fate worse than death. Who would have guessed that behind Aunt Mabel's acid pen and ageless wisdom lurked the real eighteen-year-old Sally Blane, determined to make the handsome marquess her own! But how could she compete, wearing false wrinkles and a white wig? It was a challenge worthy of Sally herself: to conquer the upper-class of Dartware and bewitch her newfound Prince Charming without giving away the real secret of who Aunt Mabel really was. Views: 57
They are the perfect family. But perfection is fragile.Cal Hudson knows the world can be an ugly place. As a reporter for a big Chicago newspaper, Cal has journeyed into society's darkest corners to expose the vilest crimes. But the world he and his devoted wife, Faith, share with their son is much nicer. They have made sure of it, creating a tranquil haven in suburban River Ridge to protect the person most precious to them.Until the unthinkable happens, and nine-year-old Gage vanishes.In a split second at a local carnival, the Hudsons' storybook world begins unraveling. A frantic search starts to uncover splinters in their carefully crafted facade, revealing buried secrets that cast just as much suspicion on Cal and Faith as any ill-meaning stranger, and proving that the line between love and violence can disappear as suddenly as a child on a chaotic midway. Views: 57
