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A Pagan Place: A Novel
by Edna O'BrienA newly reissued edition of this haunting, poetic coming-of-age novel from “one of the great writers...in the English-speaking world” (The New York Times)“O’Brien’s evocative prose shows the chilling hold that history and the dead clamp on the living.” —Paul Gray, Time“O’Brien brings together the earthy and the delicately poetic: she has the soul of Molly Bloom and the skills of Virginia Woolf.” —Ray Sawhill, NewsweekIn A Pagan Place, Edna O’Brien returns to Ireland, the uniquely wonderful, terrible, and peculiar place she once called home. After leaving to join a religious community in Belgium, a young woman remembers her childhood on the western coast of Ireland. She reflects on the rituals of rural life, the people she encountered, and the enchanting beauty of the landscape.This is the Ireland of country villages and barley fields, of mischievous girls and druids in the woods. As the impressions of her former home intensify, her mind turns to the shocking event that led to her departure.
A Pagan's Nightmare: A Novel
by Ray BlackstonRay Blackston presents a tongue-in-cheek look at contemporary culture as seen through the eyes of an unwary pagan screenwriter who writes a hit about the last unbeliever on Earth navigating in a thoroughly Christian world.
A Page Marked for Murder (A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #5)
by Lauren ElliottA murder and a missing book have Addie Greyborne running around her Massachusetts town trying to read the clues . . . January isn&’t the season for the seaside, but the big Fire and Ice festival is keeping bookstore owner Addie busy. Amid the plans for a fireworks display and an ice-carving competition, she&’s also dog sitting for a friend in the hospital. When Addie goes to her friend&’s house to gather supplies, she notices an interesting item on the nightstand which belongs to her shop assistant, Paige: a very valuable copy of the beloved children&’s book The Secret Garden. But Addie&’s blood runs cold when she finds something else: a dead body behind the bakery next door to her shop. Martha, the bakery owner, has no alibi—and has been seen in a heated argument with the victim. And the next thing Addie knows, that first edition has gone missing. Is there a connection between the body and the treasured tome? If there is, it&’s up to Addie to find a killer with a motive as hidden as Frances Hodgson Burnett&’s famous garden . . . &“Seaside charm only gets better in winter! A Page Marked for Murder has all the things I love in a book.&”—Vicki Delany
A Page Out of Life
by Kathleen ReidThe connections women make through scrapbooking inspire a novel full of ?the twists and turns that keep readers turning pages.? When frazzled mother of four Ashley joins a local scrapbook club, she?s amazed at the way old photos and mementos can bring color to sepiatoned memories. Among the diverse group is Tara, a single grad student whose search for love, like her relationship with her absentee father, has only brought her heartache?and some funny dating stories. Then there?s Libby, a semi-retired teacher who thought she?d spend her golden years taking classes?not as a town pariah after her son is charged in a corporate scandal. But all three find comfort and inspiration in the scrapbooking group, where they learn that only together can they face earth-shattering revelations and emotionally unavailable men?and figure out their futures while artfully commemorating their pasts.
A Page from the Wonders of Life on Earth
by Stephanie BolsterShortlisted for the 2012 Pat Lowther Memorial Award An ambivalent zoo-tour, an open-eyed meander through a landscape of made and contained things. A Page from The Wonders of Life on Earth is a book with a coherent vision of nature -- constructed or framed, both in the present and in the recent past -- through zoos, aviaries, formal gardens, menageries, and books like the Time-Life one named in the title. Informed by the author’s grand tour of these zoos and gardens, these poems provide a strong lens for considering the many paradoxes of inter-species relations; they open up the possibility of honest, unsentimental elegy. The book is also a model of what might be called investigative poetry, taking the poet’s combination of perceptual acuity, craft, music and sensibility into these richly troubled places (prisons of, monuments to, museums for the lost natural world) where "arcades sell postcards of old photographs of the arcades," and where questions of what it means to be human, to be animal, to be other and to be art are tangibly in the air. This is Bolster's best work.
A Pail of Air
by Fritz LeiberThe dark star passed, bringing with it eternal night and turning history into incredible myth in a single generation! In this story of desperation and courage a family believing themselves to be the last humans alive on Earth must fight daily against a cold uncaring universe. Fritz Leiber won multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. This story shows him at the height of his prowess.
A Pain in the Tuchis
by Mark ReutlingerCombining the classic charms of Agatha Christie with the delightful humor of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin novels, Mark Reutlinger's Mrs. Kaplan mystery series returns as a notorious crank meets an untimely fate. Yom Kippur is a day of reflection and soul searching. But at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors, Vera Gold misses this opportunity to atone for her many sins when she up and dies. Indeed, Vera was such a pain in the tuchis to all those around her that when her sister claims Vera was deliberately poisoned, the tough question isn't who would want to kill her--but who wouldn't? Having already solved one murder with her dear friend Ida, Rose Kaplan has a sleuthing reputation that precedes her. It's only natural that Vera's sister turns to Mrs. K for help. So do the police, but when her conclusions conflict with theirs, they tell her to butt out! This case has more twists than a loaf of challah. And with a homicidal scoundrel on the loose, Mrs. K has to act fast--or she might be the guest of honor at the Home's next memorial service. Praise for Mark Reutlinger's Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death "Is there kosher food in jail? These two heroines have gotten themselves in quite a pickle! Well, it's a matzoh ball mess, really. Too deliciously funny!"--Rita Mae Brown, bestselling author of Nine Lives to Die"If you like humorous cozy mysteries like those featuring Miss Marple, then this new take on them might really appeal to you."--Popcorn Reads "Good book. Good mystery. Good humor. All around it's a solid 'A' to me and definitely worth a read."--Bell, Book & Candle "If you're on the hunt for a fun, mild-mannered mystery full of larger-than-life characters and more Yiddish expressions than you can shake a schtickl at, look no further than Mark Reutlinger's Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death."--Smitten by Books "A delightful cozy mystery . . . The writing was simple and easy to follow for the most part, the plot fun and funny, characters engaging."--Open Book Society
A Painted Doom: Book 6 in the DI Wesley Peterson crime series (DI Wesley Peterson #6)
by Kate Ellis'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The TimesTeenager Lewis Hoxworthy discovers a disturbing painting in a medieval barn; a find which excites archaeologist Neil Watson, who is excavating an ancient manor house nearby. But when a man is found shot through the head in Lewis's father's field and Lewis himself goes missing, it is Neil's friend, Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson, who faces one of his most intriguing cases yet.It seems that the Devon village of Derenham is full of secrets, both ancient and modern. As Neil uncovers the story of Derenham's medieval past, it becomes clear that the Doom, a 500-year-old painting of hell and judgement, holds the key to the mystery. And as events reach a terrifying climax, Wesley has to act swiftly if he is to save a young life . . .Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect, gripping mystery if you love reading Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves.
A Painted Doom: Book 6 in the DI Wesley Peterson crime series (Wesley Peterson Ser. #6)
by Kate EllisTeenager Lewis Hoxworthy discovers a disturbing painting in a medieval barn; a discovery which excites archaeologist Neil Watson who is excavating an ancient manor house nearby. But when former rock star Jonny Shellmer is found shot through the head in Lewis's father's field and Lewis himself goes missing after contacting a man on the internet, Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson and his boss, Gerry Heffernan face one of their most intriguing cases yet. It seems that the Devon village of Derenham is not only full of resident celebrities seeking the rural idyll, but full of secrets, ancient and modern. Lewis's distraught parents seem to have something to hide. Then the mysterious owner of a new age shop is silenced before she can reveal what she knows about Jonny Shellmer. Is Jonny's death linked to Lewis's disappearance? And does Jonny's best known song, 'Angel' contain a clue? As Neil Watson uncovers the story of Derenham's medieval past, it becomes clear that the Derenham Doom - a painted portrayal of hell and judgement more than half a millennium old - holds the key to the mystery. And as events reach a terrifying climax, Wesley Peterson has to act swiftly if he is to save a young life.
A Painted House
by John GrishamThe hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was a Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the season looked hopeless. The cotton, however, was waist-high to my father, over my head, and he and my grandfather could be heard before supper whispering words that were seldom heard. It could be a "good crop."Thus begins the new novel from John Grisham, a story inspired by his own childhood in rural Arkansas. The narrator is a farm boy named Luke Chandler, age seven, who lives in the cotton fields with his parents and grandparents in a little house that's never been painted. The Chandlers farm eighty acres that they rent, not own, and when the cotton is ready they hire a truckload of Mexicans and a family from the Ozarks to help harvest it.For six weeks they pick cotton, battling the heat, the rain, the fatigue, and, sometimes, each other. As the weeks pass Luke sees and hears things no seven-year-old could possibly be prepared for, and finds himself keeping secrets that not only threaten the crop but will change the lives of the Chandlers forever.A Painted House is a moving story of one boy's journey from innocence to experience.(P)2001 Random House, LLC
A Painted House: A Novel
by John Grisham#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers — and two very dangerous men — came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke&’s world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born ... and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives — and change his family and his town forever....Don&’t miss John Grisham&’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!
A Painted Smile
by Frances FyfieldYoung, rich widow Diana Porteous has inherited a vast collection of paintings, but she feels without purpose again. Then her beloved stepgrandson comes up with the idea for an exhibition of portraits with the title 'A Question of Guilt'. It starts as a joke, but soon they are preparing the huge wine cellar of the old schoolhouse by the sea, in spite of those with misgivings as to its suitability. Soon Di has plenty to occupy her: a mysterious woman encourages Di and her friend Sarah Fortune, both natural thieves, to steal from a public collection. And then there's the life-drawing class, where an artist dies and someone steals from him, placing his finds in the cellar.A novel of conundrums, paintings, moral uncertainties and family relationships, A Painted Smile continues the adventures of two of Frances Fyfield's most beloved characters and will win over many more fans of quality fiction.
A Painted Smile
by Frances FyfieldYoung, rich widow Diana Porteous has inherited a vast collection of paintings, but she feels without purpose again. Then her beloved stepgrandson comes up with the idea for an exhibition of portraits with the title 'A Question of Guilt'. It starts as a joke, but soon they are preparing the huge wine cellar of the old schoolhouse by the sea, in spite of those with misgivings as to its suitability. Soon Di has plenty to occupy her: a mysterious woman encourages Di and her friend Sarah Fortune, both natural thieves, to steal from a public collection. And then there's the life-drawing class, where an artist dies and someone steals from him, placing his finds in the cellar.A novel of conundrums, paintings, moral uncertainties and family relationships, A Painted Smile continues the adventures of two of Frances Fyfield's most beloved characters and will win over many more fans of quality fiction.
A Painted Smile
by Frances FyfieldYoung, rich widow Diana Porteous has inherited a vast collection of paintings, but she feels without purpose again. Then her beloved stepgrandson comes up with the idea for an exhibition of portraits with the title 'A Question of Guilt'. It starts as a joke, but soon they are preparing the huge wine cellar of the old schoolhouse by the sea, in spite of those with misgivings as to its suitability. Soon Di has plenty to occupy her: a mysterious woman encourages Di and her friend Sarah Fortune, both natural thieves, to steal from a public collection. And then there's the life-drawing class, where an artist dies and someone steals from him, placing his finds in the cellar.A novel of conundrums, paintings, moral uncertainties and family relationships, A Painted Smile continues the adventures of two of Frances Fyfield's most beloved characters and will win over many more fans of quality fiction.
A Painter of Our Time
by John BergerThis visionary first novel by the Booker Prize-winning author of To the Wedding and G. is at once a gripping intellectual and moral detective story and a book whose aesthetic insights make it a companion piece to John Berger's great works of art criticism.From the Trade Paperback edition.
A Pair
by Monema StephensLefty and his sister, Righty, are two newly knitted socks who begin life comfortably rolled together in a sock drawer.The first time they are snatched up, stretched over a foot, and shoved into a shoe, their adventures begin.Through confusing and perilous events, they learn what it means to be a pair.
A Pair for the Queen (Tish McWhinny Mysteries)
by B. ComfortThe enterprising Vermont sleuth Tish McWhinny — whom Booklist calls "an absolutely first-rate companion" — returns in her fifth Vermont mystery, on the trail of a murderer at a local dog show. Tish McWhinny reluctantly gets involved in restoring an old painting for a dog show promotion — harmless enough, but then the painting is stolen and someone is murdered. Is the crime connected to the rather shady new couple now running the local store? What about the retired Royal Navy man, now much interested in art, who unexpectedly turns up? Or niece Sophie's secretive new boyfriend? It takes all Tish's ingenuity, as well as the help of her courtly friend Hilary Oats and free-spirit Sophie, to find out what's going on and catch a cold criminal. "Lofton, Vermont, is a place I'd like to live — right next door to Tish McWhinny, if possible. Barbara Comfort's Vermont mysteries have the wonderful quality of being both mysterious and friendly. I love that saucy, sassy, septuagenarian Tish McWhinny." — Barbara D'Amato
A Pair of Blue Eyes
by Thomas HardyWhen Elfrise Swanston meets Stephen Smith she is attracted to his handsome face, gentle bearing and the sense of mystery which surrounds him. <P> <P> Although distressed to find that the mystery consists only in the humbleness of his origins, she remains true to their youthful vows. But societal pressures, and the advent of the superior Henry Knight, eventually displace her affections. Knight, however, proves to be an uncompromising moralist who, obsessed with fears about Elfride's sexual past, destroys her happiness. Writing of the struggle between classes and sexes, Hardy drew heavily on his own relationships, and in the introduction, Pamela Dalziel discovers fascinating parallels between Hardy's life and his art.
A Pair of Blue Eyes
by Thomas HardyWhen Elfrise Swanston meets Stephen Smith she is attracted to his handsome face, gentle bearing and the sense of mystery which surrounds him. Although distressed to find that the mystery consists only in the humbleness of his origins, she remains true to their youthful vows. But societal pressures, and the advent of the superior Henry Knight, eventually displace her affections. Knight, however, proves to be an uncompromising moralist who, obsessed with fears about Elfride's sexual past, destroys her happiness.Writing of the struggle between classes and sexes, Hardy drew heavily on his own relationships, and in the introduction, Pamela Dalziel discovers fascinating parallels between Hardy's life and his art.
A Pair of Jeans
by Qaisra ShahrazIn this vibrant and moving collection of short stories by award winning author Quaisra Shahraz, she demonstrates her abilities for storyline and plot which are always gripping. The Elopement, The Discovery and A Pair of Jeans focus on the issues facing young Pakistani Muslim women as they work out how to live in a world where traditional and Western values clash. Can they create a synthesis? Miriam in A Pair of Jeans discovers that a seeming innocuous item of clothing can cause disaster while Rubiya in The Elopement and The Discovery pays the price of rejection for her past misdeed. In The Zemindar's Wife and Perchanvah the reader opens a window into a world of feudal lifestyle and class consciousness that is embedded in the psyche of many of the country's inhabitants. Other stories - Escape and The City Dwellers explore the feelings of those struggling to discover the meaning of "home". The Malay Host is a contrast with an element of the mysterious. What is behind the one locked door in the old Malay house that is a tourist attraction and why is the woman of the house brandishing a piece of burning wood at the Western visitors? Long held cultural and traditional attitudes to clothes and other aspects of life in general is a dilemma for young women and their families caught up in the midst of an identity crisis. In some ways a lot has changed in British Pakistani society but this fundamental dilemma is still there and well depicted in the lives of the protagonists in these stories.
A Pair of Patient Lovers
by William Dean HowellsWilliam Dean Howells was an American realist author, literary critic, and playwright. Nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters", he was particularly known for his tenure as editor of the Atlantic Monthly as well as his own prolific writings, including the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day", and the novels The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Traveler from Altruria.
A Pair of Sharp Eyes: A captivating historical murder mystery
by Kat Armstrong&“Murder and mischief in eighteenth-century Bristol. . . . A treat for fans of Ambrose Parry.&” —Mick Herron, Gold Dagger Award–winning author of Slow Horses Coronation hears of the murders before she even reaches the slave port of Bristol—six boys found with their throats slit. Horrified, she questions the locals&’ readiness to blame the deaths on Red John, a traveling-man few have actually seen. Corrie yearns to know more about the mystery. But first she has to outsmart the bawds, thieves, and rakes who prey on young girls like her, fresh from the countryside and desperate for work. And when the killer strikes shockingly close, Corrie will have to scheme, eavesdrop, and spy on all around her until the shameful truth is out . . . &“Not only is this novel a roller-coaster ride of frantic coach rides through floods and collapsing buildings, it is a serious, thoughtful account of racial and religious prejudice, love and compassion. Highly recommended.&” —Historical Novel Society &“Fans of historical crime fiction will love this one. An outstanding debut.&” —Stephen Booth, author of the Cooper and Fry mysteries &“A vivid, compelling and immersive read.&” —Roz Watkins, author of the DI Meg Dalton series
A Pair of Silk Stockings (Dover Thrift Editions: Short Stories)
by Kate ChopinKnown for her vivid portrayals of Creole life in Louisiana, Kate Chopin (1851-1904) wrote, during her brief literary career, poignant and perceptive stories about the emotional lives of women. Bypassing many of the conventions of 19th-century realism, she won praise for her realistic portraits of the inhabitants of bayou and urban areas. This collection of nine stories contains one of her most famous works, "Désirée's Baby" -- a haunting and ironic tale of miscegenation. Additional stories include "Madame Célestin's Divorce," "A Gentleman of Bayou Téche" and "At the 'Cadian Ball," from Bayou Folk; "A Respectable Woman," "A Night in Acadie" and Azélie" from A Night in Acadie; "The Dream of an Hour" and the title story. Written with grace, delicate humor and a keen understanding of the human -- especially the female -- psyche, these stories are a superb introduction to an important American writer whose literary career was cut short by the harsh criticism directed at her novel The Awakening (1899).
A Pair of Sparkling Eyes: A warm and evocative Blackpool saga
by Margaret ThorntonThe path of true love rarely runs smoothly... In A Pair of Sparkling Eyes, Margaret Thornton writes a moving saga of two sisters, and their search for love. Perfect for fans of Maureen Lee and Sheila Newberry.Hetty - wild, impetuous and more vivacious than her sister - wastes no time in acquainting herself with the seaside town they now call home, and before long she is courting Albert, the sweet-natured lad next door, and singing in a Blackpool tavern. But when gypsies descend upon South Shore, and Hetty meets the darkly handsome Reuben, her attentions are diverted once again. Grace finds it harder to adjust to her new surroundings but a visit to Donnelly's department store leads to an encounter with the owner's son, so when Grace secures a job on the shop floor she looks forward to each day with mounting excitement. Although Edwin Donnelly is a Catholic and his parents want him to marry family friend Constance Whitehead, he ignores their wishes and embarks on an affair with the less suitable Grace. But the path of true love rarely runs smooth and each girl must face heartache and tragedy before her eventual happiness is secured. What readers are saying about A Pair of Sparkling Eyes: 'Storytelling at its best''You somehow know all is going to turn out well, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you wanting to turn the pages''Five stars' Don't miss the heart-stopping sequel: There's a Silver Lining
A Pair of Sparkling Eyes: A warm and evocative Blackpool saga
by Margaret ThorntonThe path of true love rarely runs smoothly... In A Pair of Sparkling Eyes, Margaret Thornton writes a moving saga of two sisters, and their search for love. Perfect for fans of Maureen Lee and Sheila Newberry.Hetty - wild, impetuous and more vivacious than her sister - wastes no time in acquainting herself with the seaside town they now call home, and before long she is courting Albert, the sweet-natured lad next door, and singing in a Blackpool tavern. But when gypsies descend upon South Shore, and Hetty meets the darkly handsome Reuben, her attentions are diverted once again. Grace finds it harder to adjust to her new surroundings but a visit to Donnelly's department store leads to an encounter with the owner's son, so when Grace secures a job on the shop floor she looks forward to each day with mounting excitement. Although Edwin Donnelly is a Catholic and his parents want him to marry family friend Constance Whitehead, he ignores their wishes and embarks on an affair with the less suitable Grace. But the path of true love rarely runs smooth and each girl must face heartache and tragedy before her eventual happiness is secured.What readers are saying about A Pair of Sparkling Eyes: 'Storytelling at its best''You somehow know all is going to turn out well, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you wanting to turn the pages''Five stars' Don't miss the heart-stopping sequel: There's a Silver Lining