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Slated: Book 1 (SLATED Trilogy #1)
by Teri TerryThe first book in the bestselling and multi award-winning SLATED trilogy.Kyla's memory has been erased,her personality wiped blank,her memories lost for ever.She's been Slated.The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?Book 1 in the acclaimed SLATED trilogy.
Sleep No More (Eve Duncan #12)
by Iris JohansenForensic sculptor Eve Duncan knows what it's like to be haunted by the past. For years after her daughter Bonnie was stolen from her, she fought for closure. Now, as she strives to begin anew, she finds herself on another missing-persons case-one that is as mysterious as it is personal. A woman named Beth Avery, who has been locked away in a psychiatric facility for years, has vanished. And her connection to Eve is deeper than she can imagine.
Sleepover Stakeout: Sleepover Stakeout (Sleuth or Dare #2)
by Kim HarringtonWHO'S OUT THERE?Norah and Darcy's detective agency, Partners in Crime, is taking on new and chilling case. The girls' classmate, Maya, is hearing strange, crackling voices coming over the baby monitor while she's babysitting late at night. Maya is worried someone might be in danger. To help investigate, Norah and Darcy join her for a sleepover stakeout. In between eating snacks and watching TV, the girls are on high alert for anything suspicious. Soon, they stumble upon a mysterious secret they never could have imagined - but Norah and Darcy clash over how to interpret the new clues.Can the girls get past their differences to see their way to the truth?
Sleepwalker
by Karen RobardsWhen rookie cop Micayla Lange arrests a man she discovers breaking into her old family friend Nicco Marino's mansion, her troubles have only just begun. Because, as she pulls a gun on professional thief Jason Davis, he drops the bag he's stolen - and it spills open to reveal photographs of Micayla's genial 'uncle' Nicco handing money to a number of Detroit's most powerful politicians and law-makers. No-one was meant to see those photos, least of all a police officer. And - with close circuit cameras capturing every moment of Micayla's realisation that Uncle Nicco is seriously involved with the mob - she may now be in mortal danger. But Jason has a suggestion. Perhaps if they team up - then maybe there'll a chance they'll both get out alive... He's her only hope. But can she trust him with her life?
Sleepwalker
by Karen RobardsNew York Times bestselling author Karen Robards’s thrilling contemporary romantic suspense novel featuring an electric attraction between a cop and a thief.It&’s not that Micayla Lange is afraid of the clinking she hears coming from the first floor of the empty McMansion she&’s housesitting for her uncle Nicco. She&’s a cop, after all. It&’s just that finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her was enough drama for one night. Now she&’s alone on New Year&’s Eve, wearing flannel pajamas and wielding a Glock 22 as she zeroes in on the unmistakable source of the sound: Uncle Nicco&’s private office. Jason Davis steals things for a living, so unexpected developments are a natural part of the job. Getting caught red-handed by a hot, pigtail-sporting police officer in what is supposed to be a gangster&’s deserted house is just one more twist in the game. Kind of like finding incriminating photos in Nicco Marino&’s safe, only to discover the cop—and the security cameras— have gotten a real good look at his face. Unfortunately for Mick, she also got a good look at the damned pictures. Her &“uncle&” might love her like family, but if he knows she&’s seen evidence that implicates him in the murder of a city councilman, she doesn&’t like her chances. Which is why she&’s having a hard time reconciling her professional instincts with what she is rapidly concluding is an inescapable fact: She&’s about to help a criminal get away with a suitcase full of stolen money. And she&’s going with him. Mick and Jason&’s race for their lives hurtles them through the dangerous Michigan wilderness on speedboat and snowmobile. As their adventure heats up and their enemies close in, Mick is torn between her duty to the force and the combustible passion engulfing her and her unlikely partner in crime. She&’ll have to turn Jason in sooner or later—if they survive. But will they ever get a second chance at love?
Sleepwalkers
by Tom GrievesBen is your average married man: wife, two kids, steady job. Toby is your average schoolboy: fifteen years old, sweet-natured and shy. Two people, two separate, unremarkable lives. Except for their dreams. Dreams of violence. Dreams of rage. Dreams of torture. Dreams that are always followed - the next morning - by scratches, scars, pain. When their dreams and doubts become too powerful to ignore, one fact will become clearer than any other: that the truth they are running towards is the very thing that they should be running away from.
Slightly Irregular
by Rhonda PolleroKidnapping is so last season. Couture-conscious paralegal Finley Anderson Tanner knew it was risky to break her cardinal shopping rule--never pay full price--for a last-minute date with her gorgeous new boss, but the hidden costs of her little black dress have put her whole life in the red. After the romantic evening turns into a disaster thanks to impossibly sexy and utterly infuriating private eye Liam McGarrity, Finley finds herself down two thousand dollars and out two potential boyfriends. Naturally, she turns to eBay. To help pay off her debt, she tries to sell the vintage pageant jewelry she received for doing law partner Ellen Lieberman a favor. But when Finley's best friend abruptly disappears while helping to wrap up the auction, Finley fears the worst. Does frumpy Ellen have a sinister double life as a beauty queen? Is the auction's high bidder, Tiara64, more suspicious than her name suggests? Can Finley possibly hunt for clues without irresistible Liam swooping in to bail her out of trouble . . . again? Rhonda Pollero's hilarious new novel featuring fashionista crime-fighter Finley Anderson Tanner is the must-have mystery of the season.
Sly Fox: A Dani Fox Novel
by Jeanine PirroWestchester, New York, 1976--Cocaine abuse is rampant, the county courthouse is a boys' club, and men are still legally permitted to beat their wives. Enter Dani Fox, the feisty, ambitious twenty-five-year-old assistant district attorney tired of feeling like an outsider and hungry to bring abusers to justice. Dani confronts emotionally challenging crime scenes and uncooperative colleagues, facing threats to her safety--and even the safety of her pet pig, Wilbur--in order to protect society's silent victims. Spearheading the country's first domestic violence unit in a shifting legal landscape, Dani must find allies where she can, especially when she discovers a seemingly simple case has some shocking twists. But who can she trust, and which of her colleagues will she end up battling both in and out of the courtroom? Drawing from her own past as a dynamic, hard-charging former district attorney, Emmy-winning Judge Jeanine Pirro's debut page-turner is ripped from the headlines, full of gripping details, authentic thrills, and suspenseful realism that can only come from a courtroom litigator who's been in the trenches.
Small Town Secrets
by Molly Kate GrayMiller’s Grove’s most eligible bachelor, Josh Owens, could have a different date every night of the week, so he doesn’t understand why he’s drawn to Tara since she’s obviously not interested in him. Tara Sullivan is angry that he’s stolen the coveted prime-time anchor position she’d been promised.<P><P> A stranger begins preying on the single young women in Miller’s Grove, and the story’s assigned to Tara. As the number of victims grows, Tara reluctantly accepts help from Josh. As he researches his top suspect in the assaults, he unearths events in the past that more than one resident of Miller’s Grove wants to keep hidden.<P> Together they discover a web of conspiracy and lies involving the most powerful family in town. Josh and Tara put their reputations at risk in the hope of exposing the truth and, perhaps, finally bringing Tara peace.
Smart Pop Preview 2012: Standalone Essays on the Hunger Games, Robert B. Parker's Spenser, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, Ender's Game, and More
by Ace Atkins Linda Antonsson Elio M GarciaGet a sneak peak at Smart Pop's 2012 titles with this preview volume of standalone essays. Volume includes: "Songs Spenser Taught Me" – Ace Atkins From In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero, edited by Otto Penzler "The Palace of Love, The Palace of Sorrow" – Linda Antonsson and Elio M. García, Jr. From Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, From A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons, edited by James Lowder "Mapping Panem" – V. Arrow From The Panem Companion: An Unofficial Guide to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, From Mellark Bakery to Mockingjays "Winning and Losing in Ender's Game" – Hilari Bell From Ender's World: Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic Ender's Game, edited by Orson Scott Card PLUS bonus chapters from two upcoming BenBella Books titles: "Baleheads Begin" – Harrison Cheung and Nicola Pittam From Christian Bale: The Inside Story of the Darkest Batman "The Right Hand of Vengeance" – Claudia Christian with Morgan Grant Buchanan From Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction
Smoke Alarm (The Martha Gunn Mysteries #4)
by Priscilla MastersA female coroner teams up with a British police detective to find the culprit behind a deadly fire . . . When firemen are called to an intense blaze at the Grange in Melverley, England, they find the bodies of Christie Barton, her daughter, and her father-in-law, who suffered from Alzheimer&’s. But evidence suggests that this was not a tragic accident related to the dead man&’s dementia symptoms. These deaths appear to be deliberate. Detective Inspector Alex Randall enlists the help of coroner Martha Gunn, but the puzzle deepens with a second house fire—the occupant, a retired nurse, is missing. Where is she, and what links the two fires? The answers lie in a secret buried in the past . . . &“Details of police procedure and the duties of a coroner frame a compelling story. In addition to the crime story, Masters also focuses on Martha&’s personal life, as she slowly begins to learn more about her very private colleague Alex and begins to date again, fearing future loneliness as her children get ever closer to leaving home. A nice mix of mystery and human drama.&” —Booklist
Smoke and Dust: Episode Six
by Chris Stewart"It really grips you....I lost a lot of sleep reading it." -Tim LaHaye, co-author of the LEFT BEHIND series CHAOS REIGNS "The freeway was a mass of stalled cars. Virtually nothing moved. Some of the people still waited in their vehicles, convinced the government was going to send someone out to save them--to pick them up and drive them home. Most of the drivers and passengers, however, had finally started walking, and the freeway was crowded with weary people moving along the unending line of cars." As the scale of the EMP attack on America becomes clear, society begins to break down. Tens of millions of people are instantly homeless, stranded on freeways or in airports that have gone silent. There is no food, no water, no rule of law. Sam and Bono, U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers who made it back to the States just before the attack, are two of those wandering the streets, searching for their families. But with no means of communication and transportation options severely limited, they are getting nowhere fast. Meanwhile, halfway across the country, Sam's family has come face to face with evil and is struggling to survive. Can Sam find them in time, or will this epic war claim its latest victim? Against the backdrop of torn-from-the-headlines Middle Eastern drama, the Wrath & Righteousness series is a fast-paced thriller that explores man's role in the eternal battle between good and evil. Chris Stewart is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including The Miracle of Freedom. He is a world-record-setting Air Force pilot (fastest nonstop flight around the world) and president and CEO of The Shipley Group, a nationally recognized consulting and training company. Wrath & Righteousness is a ten episode e-book series by New York Times bestselling author Chris Stewart. Each episode is approximately 50,000-60,000 words (roughly two-thirds the length of a normal full-length novel). This series was adapted from the previously published The Great and Terrible series that was released from 2003-2008.
Snakehead: The heart-stopping China series travels to America (China Thriller 4) (China Thrillers #4)
by Peter MayFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE ENZO THRILLERS'FAST, EXCITING' IRISH TIMES'AN EXCELLENT SERIES' KIRKUSPETER MAY: OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLDHuman trafficking and inhuman terrorism - the fourth instalment in Peter May's critically acclaimed series.SUFFOCATEDA vehicle crammed with dozens of dead Chinese immigrants is found in southern Texas. Pathologist Margaret Campbell must put aside her horror, and find out why. SUMMONEDDetective Li Yan - an even more unwelcome memory for Campbell - has arrived stateside to investigate a link in the case to a lucrative trade in illegal labourers. SNAKEHEADLi and Campbell will soon find that the crime scene hides another secret: a biological time bomb linking traffickers, politicians and migrants in Beijing, Washington and Texas - posing multiple countries one, very singular, threat.LOVED SNAKEHEAD? Read the fifth book in the series, THE RUNNERLOVE PETER MAY? Buy his new thriller, A SILENT DEATH
Snakehead: The incredible heart-stopping mystery thriller case (The China Thrillers Book 4) (China Thrillers #4)
by Peter MayFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE ENZO THRILLERS'FAST, EXCITING' IRISH TIMES'AN EXCELLENT SERIES' KIRKUSPETER MAY: OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLDHuman trafficking and inhuman terrorism - the fourth instalment in Peter May's critically acclaimed series.SUFFOCATEDA vehicle crammed with dozens of dead Chinese immigrants is found in southern Texas. Pathologist Margaret Campbell must put aside her horror, and find out why. SUMMONEDDetective Li Yan - an even more unwelcome memory for Campbell - has arrived stateside to investigate a link in the case to a lucrative trade in illegal labourers. SNAKEHEADLi and Campbell will soon find that the crime scene hides another secret: a biological time bomb linking traffickers, politicians and migrants in Beijing, Washington and Texas - posing multiple countries one, very singular, threat.LOVED SNAKEHEAD? Read the fifth book in the series, THE RUNNERLOVE PETER MAY? Buy his new thriller, A SILENT DEATH(P)2017 Quercus Editions Limited
Snapshot
by Craig Robertson'Robertson is doing for Glasgow what Rankin did for Edinburgh' Mirror A taut and gripping thriller from the CWA New Blood Dagger shortlisted author of Random. A series of high-profile shootings by a lone sniper leaves Glasgow terrorised and police photographer Tony Winter - a man with a tragic hidden past - mystified. Who is behind the executions of some of the most notorious drug lords in the city? As more shootings occur - including those of police officers - the authorities realise they have a vigilante on their hands. Meanwhile, Tony investigates a link between the victims and a schoolboy who has been badly beaten. Seemingly unconnected, they share a strange link. As Tony delves deeper, his quest for the truth and his search for the killer lead him down dark and dangerous paths.Delivering brilliant crime fiction for fans of Stuart MacBride and Ian Rankin, Craig Robertson is the author of the acclaimed Random, Snapshot, Cold Grave, Witness the Dead, The Last Refuge and In Place of Death.
Snapshot
by Craig Robertson'Robertson is doing for Glasgow what Rankin did for Edinburgh' Mirror A taut and gripping thriller from the CWA New Blood Dagger shortlisted author of Random. A series of high-profile shootings by a lone sniper leaves Glasgow terrorised and police photographer Tony Winter - a man with a tragic hidden past - mystified. Who is behind the executions of some of the most notorious drug lords in the city? As more shootings occur - including those of police officers - the authorities realise they have a vigilante on their hands. Meanwhile, Tony investigates a link between the victims and a schoolboy who has been badly beaten. Seemingly unconnected, they share a strange link. As Tony delves deeper, his quest for the truth and his search for the killer lead him down dark and dangerous paths.Delivering brilliant crime fiction for fans of Stuart MacBride and Ian Rankin, Craig Robertson is the author of the acclaimed Random, Snapshot, Cold Grave, Witness the Dead, The Last Refuge and In Place of Death.
Snatched: A Novella (Will Trent #6)
by Karin SlaughterA gripping, action-packed short story available only as an eBook--from a master of character, crime, and urgent suspense. Will Trent, a dedicated agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for fifteen years, knows that there's definitely such a thing as a cop's intuition. Which is why he should have listened to his own. While in an airport restroom at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International, Will overhears a girl's pleading, plaintive voice: "Please, I wanna go home." Something isn't right here, thinks Will. He feels it in his gut. But he waits too long to act, and now the girl and the anxious, angry man she's with have disappeared into the crowds at the busiest passenger airport in the world. After a desperate search and with time running out, Will makes a call to his supervisor, Amanda Wagner. Will's partner, Faith Mitchell, immediately sends out an abducted child alert. The entire airport will soon be grinding to a halt: Eighty-nine million passengers a year. Five runways. Seven concourses. Six million square feet of space that sprawled across two counties, three cities, and five jurisdictions. All shut down on a dime because Will has a hunch that he is certain is true: a girl, maybe six or seven years old, has been snatched from God knows where. And he intends to bring her back--no matter what it takes. Includes an exclusive excerpt from Karin Slaughter's thrilling new novel of suspense, Criminal. PRAISE FOR THE CRIME FICTION OF KARIN SLAUGHTER "Karin Slaughter is one of the best crime novelists in America."--The Washington Post "Crime fiction at its finest."--Michael Connelly "An absolute master."--Chicago Tribune "Slaughter writes with a razor. . . . Better than Cornwell can ever hope to be."--The Plain Dealer "Slaughter will have you on the edge of your seat."--Seattle Post-Intelligencer "One of the boldest thriller writers working today."--Tess Gerritsen "Move over, Catherine Coulter--Slaughter may be today's top female suspense writer."--Library Journal (starred review)
Sneaky Pie for President
by Rita Mae BrownFinally, a candidate representing all Americans--both predator and prey! Tired of politics as usual? Despair not: This election year, Rita Mae Brown has thrown her cat into the ring. Her intrepid feline co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown, is taking time off from her busy schedule writing bestselling mysteries to run for President of the United States. Hail to the Chief: Sneaky Pie heads to the Oval Office with an animal-friendly agenda to unify all Americans--regardless of whether they walk on two or four feet or even if they fly. With help from her friends--the irascible gray cat Pewter, the wise Corgi Tee Tucker, and Tally, the exuberant Jack Russell--Sneaky crisscrosses her home state of Virginia hoping to go where no cat since Socks Clinton has gone: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In the tradition of her heroine, Sojourner Truth, she takes her case to the masses. Journeying from the lair of the red-shouldered hawk to the nest of the tufted titmouse, from a pasture full of curmudgeonly cows to the stately halls of Monticello, the tenacious tiger cat even secures the chattering support of Thomas Jefferson's mice. Mice backing a cat for president? Yes, we can! Now, if Sneaky can get the animal community to band together for the common good, why not the humans? After all, who better to get the economy purring again than an honest tabby with authentic political stripes? Human candidates have had their chance in Washington, with dubious results of late: nowhere does it say in the Constitution that the president cannot be a cat. Isn't it time for real change? Vote Sneaky!
Snowed in at the Ranch
by Cara ColterCowboy Ty Halliday was raised to be a hard man in a tough world, with no place for childish hopes.Widow and single mom Amy Mitchell is disillusioned by love, but she still dreams of meeting a man who can be a father to her son.A wrong turn leads Amy and her baby to Ty's door. Snowed in together, Amy's optimism and her baby's smiles start to thaw Ty's frozen heart, helped along by sleigh bells ringing and log fires crackling....
So Damn Lucky
by Deborah CoontsWhile performing his final trick at the performance marking the end of a forty-year run of one of Las Vegas' most renowned burlesque shows, magician Dimitri Fortunoff appears to have a fatal accident. Then, when his body disappears, the questions mount for Lucky O'toole, head of Customer Relations for the Babylon resort, the crown jewel of the mega-resorts dotting the Las Vegas Strip. And the timing couldn't be worse. Her live-in lover, Teddie, has morphed into a rock star and been swallowed whole by life on the road. Her mother, Mona, pregnant, petulant, and perpetually under foot is giving new meaning to the term 'high maintenance.' Paxton Dane, a handsome Texan long on charisma and short on history, is forcing himself into the void of Teddie's absence, and a suave French chef is proving to be equal parts charm and venom, seasoned with a dash of irresistible. But Lucky can't shake the question: Did Dimitri Fortunoff really die or is this an elaborate hoax? UFO conventioneers and high-ranking magicians fill her hotel and she turns to some of them for answers: Zoom-Zoom Zewicki, a retired astronaut with an agenda all his own, Crazy Carl Colson, a psychic clinging to the edge of sanity, Marik Kovalenko, a smoldering internationally renowned magician, The Great Tursinov, a famed mentalist, Bart Griffin, late-night talk show host, and Junior Arbogast, professional cynic and hoax exposer. The trail leads her through the miles of storm culverts under the city of Las Vegas, to the hordes of believers who gather at Rachel for a glimpse of a UFO, to hints of secret programs at Area 51, then culminates on the catwalk above the crowd attending the annual, Harry Houdini Séance on Halloween, where Lucky must risk her life to catch a killer.
So Foul A Sky
by Carl Miller"So foul a sky clears not without a storm." - William Shakespeare Misguided ambition, devoid of virtue, coupled with the sins of thy father, culminate in retribution against a star NFL quarterback. The retribution is murder.
So Pretty It Hurts: A Bailey Weggins Mystery (A Bailey Weggins Mystery #6)
by Kate WhiteAt long last, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sixes and the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan brings back the sassy crime writer turned amateur sleuth Bailey Weggins in an addictive story involving the mysterious death of a supermodel. Bailey Weggins, the Manhattan-based thirtysomething true-crime journalist, is in a good place. She's enjoying her regular gig at Buzz, a leading celebrity magazine, getting freelance work, and hoping her first book will garner attention. In the love department, she's finally back in the game with her recently-turned-exclusive boyfriend, Beau Regan. When Beau heads out of town one early December weekend, Bailey accepts an invitation from her office friend Jessie to a music mogul's house in the country, hoping for a fun, relaxing getaway. But a weird tension settles over the houseguests-a glamorous crowd that includes the famously thin supermodel Devon Barr. An impending snowstorm only adds to the unease. So when Devon's lifeless body is found in her bed, Bailey immediately suspects foul play: she can't stop thinking of the day before, when a frightened Devon shivered in the woods and pleaded, "I have to get out of here. . . . It's not safe for me." When Bailey starts to nose around, she finds herself a moving target-running closer to the truth and straight into danger. With her trademark irreverent wit, Bailey is a heroine who keeps us laughing while on the edge of our seats. New and longtime fans alike will devour this eagerly awaited mystery.
Sobrevivientes: Premio Clarín de Novela 2012
by Fernando MonacelliEntre el suspenso y la emoción, Sobrevivientes nos habla de un país al que le cuesta reescribir su historia pero no puede olvidar sus deudas. Premio Clarín de Novela 2012 El cadáver congelado de un soldado que peleó en la guerra de Malvinas a bordo del crucero General Belgrano aparece en una balsa en la Antártida al fundirse el hielo. Han pasado veinticinco años desde el conflicto, veinticinco años de incertidumbre para su madre, una mujer que, en medio del dolor de enterrar por fin a su hijo, despierta a la esperanza de tener un nieto vivo, cuya probable existencia es revelada por un diario que llevaba consigo el conscripto al morir. En la búsqueda de ese nieto la acompañará una destacada periodista de investigación. Ella también ha sufrido una pérdida: la de su marido, que luego de la crisis de 2001 partió a España en busca de trabajo y no volvió a dar señales de vida, y la de su pequeño hijo, a quien se sintió incapaz de cuidar y dejó a cargo de su suegra. La pesquisa sacará a la luz una trama de corrupción política e iniciará una profunda amistad entre la periodista y la madre del conscripto; cada una encontrará en la otra la ayuda, el amparo y el amor que les faltaba y será el salvavidas que les permitirá rescatar sus vidas del naufragio. El jurado ha dicho... «La vida termina, pero el recuerdo la convierte otra vez en una esperanza. La memoria es la esencia de esta novela.»Juan Cruz Ruiz «El suspenso de la novela no es el de un thriller sino el de las emociones. Porque Sobrevivientes es también una historia acerca de la maternidad, de las distintas maternidades, miradas sin prejuicios ni falsos estereotipos.»Claudia Piñeiro «Sobrevivientes es una historia de amor, o más bien, de cómo una mujer aprende a amar. Pero también es un retrato de la Argentina del presente, de las cicatrices del pasado y de las personas que buscan un futuro.»Santiago Roncagliolo
Social Suicide
by Gemma HallidayTwittercide: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting. Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper's brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went . . . a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the homecoming queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH's resident body finder, I'm stuck trying to prove that Sydney's death wasn't suicide. I'm starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos. . . .
Solar Lottery
by Philip K. DickFrom the acclaimed author of Ubik—in the future, Earth&’s leader is randomly chosen by a computer, but some are unwilling to leave everything to chance.In 2203 anyone can become the ruler of the solar system. There are no elections, no interviews, no prerequisites whatsoever—it all comes down to the random turns of a giant wheel. But when a new Quizmaster takes over, the old one still keeps some rights, namely the right to hire an unending stream of assassins to attempt to kill the new leader.In the wake of the most recent change in leadership, employees of the former ruler scurry to find an assassin who can get past telepathic guards. But when one employee switches sides, troubling facts about the lottery system come to light, and it just might not be possible for anyone to win.&“Built up with the detail of a Heinlein and the satire of a Kornbluth.&”—Anthony Boucher, author of The Case of the Crumpled Knave