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Old Boy Volume 3 (Old Boy)
by Garon TsuchiyaThe deadly game of cat-and-mouse continues! Imprisoned for a decade without trial or explanation — and then released just as unceremoniously — and now armed with a cell phone that his former torturer has provided for him, will Goto be able to hunt down the truth behind his decade in hell, or will he become even more his tormentor’s plaything? No doubt, Goto’s adversary still has a few surprises in store, and if Goto wants answers, he’ll have to fight like hell to get them.
Old Boy Volume 4
by Garon TsuchiyaGoto's search to unearth the identity of his mysterious tormentor has led to one dead end after another, until he receives a tip that an old high school classmate may have orchestrated the kidnapping that began Goto's ten years of isolation and imprisonment. But many years have passed since Goto's seen his schoolmate, and he looks much different than Goto remembers. Has Goto found the true path to his final vengeance, or has he swallowed another piece of poisoned bait?
Old Boy Volume 6
by Garon TsuchiyaGoto marches forward relentlessly to discover the identity of his tormentor, the man who had Goto locked up in a private prison for ten long years without ever telling him why. But Goto’s nemesis wants Goto to find him, and meet they do, where Goto’s enemy reveals his identity and gives Goto clues that suggest this decade-long ordeal stems from a long-forgotten schoolyard grudge. But there’s more to this cruel game, and Goto’s friends may end up in the morgue if he doesn't agree to continue the game — in sudden death!
Old Boy Volume 7 (Old Boy Ser.)
by Garon TsuchiyaImprisoned without explanation for a decade, Goto is a free man at last, but what price freedom? Now, his mysterious jailer, a former schoolmate with a lifelong grudge, has Goto embroiled in a malicious game to discover the reasons behind the schoolyard vendetta and why his tormentor would go to such extreme lengths to exact his retribution. It’s bad enough when Goto discovers that his memories have been impeded by hypnotic conditioning, but when he learns that his lover, too, is a victim of hypnotic manipulation, Goto begins to suspect that she may be an unwitting pawn in his enemy’s venomous endgame!
Old Boy Volume 8
by Garon TsuchiyaImprisoned without explanation for a decade by a wealthy former schoolmate, Goto now comes to the endgame against his tormentor. If Goto cannot uncover the secret behind the schoolyard grudge, he’ll earn his death and the death of the girl he loves — just as his adversary will accept death if Goto can unlock his memories and the meaning behind them. But there’s more to the game locked away in memories, and even the end of the game may not mean the end to the war!
The Old Boys (The\paul Christopher Ser. #Bk. 6)
by Charles MccarryThey start with a photo found in Paul’s study: a woman’s hand holding a centuries-old scroll, once in the possession of the Nazis and now sought by the U.S. government and Muslim extremists alike. Charles McCarry is considered by many to be the master of American spy fiction, brilliantly staking his claim with such international bestsellers as The Tears of Autumn and The Miernik Dossier. A spy writer’s spy writer, he has been lauded extravagantly by the critics and his peers. George V. Higgins wrote “Charles McCarry is the Lord's best combination of spellbinding storyteller and silken prose writer.” “Intelligent and enthralling,” said Eric Ambler, and Jeffrey Archer praised writing that “makes one put the book down and gasp.” In his magnificent new novel, with rights sold in six countries before publication, McCarry returns to the world of his legendary character, Paul Christopher, the crack intelligence agent who is as skilled at choosing a fine wine as he is at tradecraft, at once elegant and dangerous, sophisticated and rough-and-ready. As the novel begins, Paul Christopher, now an aging but remarkably fit 70ish, is dining at home with his cousin Horace, also an ex-agent. Dinner is delicious and uneventful. A day later, Paul has vanished. The months pass, Paul’s ashes are delivered by a Chinese official to the American consulate in Beijing and a memorial service is held in Washington. But Horace is not convinced that Paul is dead and, enlisting the support of four other retired colleagues—a sort of all-star backfield of the old Outfit—Horace gets the “Old Boys” back in the game to find Paul Christopher. Harassed by American intelligence, hunted by terrorists, Horace Christopher and the Old Boys travel the globe, from Xinjiang to Brazil, from Rome to Tel Aviv, Budapest to Moscow, in search of Paul and the unspeakably dangerous truth.
The Old Buzzard Had It Coming (Alafair Tucker Mysteries #1)
by Donis CaseyWith an introduction by Donis Casey."A tale full of wit, humor, sorrow and, more important, the truth." —TONY HILLERMAN, New York Times bestselling authorAlafair Tucker is a strong woman, the core of family life on a farm in Oklahoma where the back-breaking work and daily logistics of caring for her husband Shaw, their nine children, and being neighborly requires hard muscle and a clear head. She's also a woman of strong opinions, and it is her opinion that her neighbor, Harley Day, is a drunkard and a reprobate. So, when Harley's body is discovered frozen in a snowdrift one January day in 1912, she isn't surprised that his long-suffering family isn't, if not actually celebrating, much grieving.When Alafair helps Harley's wife prepare the body for burial, she discovers that Harley's demise was anything but natural—there is a bullet lodged behind his ear. Alafair is concerned when she hears that Harley's son, John Lee, is the prime suspect in his father's murder, for Alafair's seventeen-year-old daughter Phoebe is in love with the boy. At first, Alafair's only fear is that Phoebe is in for a broken heart, but as she begins to unravel the events that led to Harley's death, she discovers that Phoebe might be more than just John Lee's sweetheart: she may be his accomplice in murder.
An Old Captivity
by Nevil ShuteAn Old Captivity, first published in 1940, is Nevil Shute’s engrossing novel of an archaeological expedition to Greenland. Replete with Shute’s attention to detail, the book centers on pilot Donald Ross, who has spent time flying seaplanes in the far north of Canada. Upon his return to England, he is offered a job flying a seaplane for a proposed survey in Greenland. The survey is commissioned by an Oxford don, Professor Lockwood, who will be accompanied by his daughter Alix. Adventure follows the crew and a romance develops between Ross and Alix.Donald Ross is a young pilot, out of work and in desperate need of a job. So, despite the extreme danger involved, he jumps at the chance to fly Oxford professor Cyril Lockwood and his daughter Alix to the frozen wilds of Greenland to study Viking ruins. But the perils of the journey are nothing compared to what will happen when they arrive. Ignoring the warnings of the terrified natives, who believe the ruins are haunted, the explorers set up camp there and undergo a strange and mystical experience that will lead to a discovery that none of them could ever have foreseen ...One of the best-loved novels by Nevil Shute, An Old Captivity (1940) blends romance and aeronautical adventure with a unique and compelling strain of fantasy into a page-turning story with an extraordinary conclusion.
Old City Hall: A Novel
by Robert RotenbergKevin Brace, Canada's most famous radio personality, stands in the door of his luxury condo-minium, hands covered in blood, and announces to his newspaper delivery man: "I killed her. " His wife lies dead in the bathtub, fatally stabbed. It would appear to be an open-and-shut case. The trouble is, Brace refuses to talk to anyone -- including his own lawyer -- after muttering those incriminating words. With the discovery that the victim was actually a self-destructive alcoholic, the appearance of strange fingerprints at the crime scene, and a revealing courtroom cross-examination, the seemingly simple case takes on all the complexities of a hotly contested murder trial. Meantime, much to everyone's surprise, the Leafs are making an unlikely run for the Stanley Cup. In the tradition of defence lawyers turned authors like Scott Turow and John Grisham, Robert Rotenberg delivers a legal thriller rich with his forensic skill and insider knowledge, taking readers on a tour of Toronto from the Don Jail to the towers of Bay Street and into the shadowy corridors of the Old City Hall courthouse. Elmore Leonard has Florida; John Lescroart, San Francisco; Robert Parker, Boston; Scott Turow, Chicago; and now, withOld City Hall, Rotenberg offers us a page-turning legal thriller set in a diverse and surprising Toronto and filled with unexpected characters and plot twists that keep you guessing until the very end.
Old City Hall
by Robert Rotenberg'Robert Rotenberg does for Toronto what Ian Rankin does for Edinburgh' Jeffery DeaverA talk-show host confesses to the brutal murder of his young wife.The evidence is cast iron.But when a determined detective, an ambitious rookie prosecutor and a defence lawyer keen to make her mark piece together the details of the case, nothing fits.An intricately plotted web of lies, half-truths and hidden motives emerges - along with a secret no one could have suspected.
Old City Hall: A Novel
by Robert Rotenberg"Breathtaking . . . A tightly woven spiderweb of plot and a rich cast of characters make this a truly gripping read." —Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bodies Left BehindIt should be an open–and–shut case. Canada's leading radio–show host, Kevin Brace, has confessed to killing his young wife. He had come to the door of his luxury condominium with his hands covered in blood and told the newspaper deliveryman: "I killed her." His wife's body lay in the bathtub of their suite, fatal knife wound just below the sternum.Now all that should remain is legal procedure: document the crime scene, prosecute the case, and be done with it. The trouble is, Brace refuses to talk to anyone—including his own lawyer—after muttering those incriminating words. With the discovery that the victim was actually a self-destructive alcoholic, the appearance of strange fingerprints at the crime scene, and a revealing courtroom cross-examination, the seemingly simple case begins to take on all the complexities of a hotly–contested murder trial.In the tradition of defense lawyers–turned–authors such as Scott Turow and John Grisham, Toronto-based defense counsel Robert Rotenberg delivers a debut legal thriller rich with his forensic skill. Firmly rooted in Toronto, from the ancient Don Jail to the sterile morgue and the shadowy corridors of the historic courthouse, Old City Hall takes the reader inside clattering Italian restaurants and late-night greasy spoons—and outside, to open-air skating rinks and parade-filled streets. Rotenberg leads us on a fascinating tour of a city as exciting and vital as the motley ensemble populating his story: there's Awotwe Amankwah, the only black reporter covering the crime; Judge Johnathan Summers, an old navy captain who runs his courtroom like he's still standing astride the foredeck; Edna Wingate, an eighty-three year old British war bride who just loves hot yoga; and Daniel Kennicott, a former big-firm lawyer who became a cop after his brother was murdered and the investigation hit a dead end.Douglas Preston rejoices that Rotenberg's Toronto settings "make this most multicultural city in North America come alive." Elmore Leonard has Florida; John Lescroart, San Francisco; Robert B. Parker, Boston; Scott Turow, Chicago; George Pelecanos, D.C. And now, with Old City Hall, Rotenberg offers us a page-turning legal thriller set in a diverse and surprising Toronto filled with unexpected characters and plot twists that keep you guessing until the very end.
Old City Hall (Old City Hall #1)
by Robert RotenbergKevin Brace, Canada's most famous radio personality, stands in the door of his luxury condo-minium, hands covered in blood, and announces to his newspaper delivery man: "I killed her. " His wife lies dead in the bathtub, fatally stabbed. It would appear to be an open-and-shut case. The trouble is, Brace refuses to talk to anyone -- including his own lawyer -- after muttering those incriminating words. With the discovery that the victim was actually a self-destructive alcoholic, the appearance of strange fingerprints at the crime scene, and a revealing courtroom cross-examination, the seemingly simple case takes on all the complexities of a hotly contested murder trial. Meantime, much to everyone's surprise, the Leafs are making an unlikely run for the Stanley Cup. In the tradition of defence lawyers turned authors like Scott Turow and John Grisham, Robert Rotenberg delivers a legal thriller rich with his forensic skill and insider knowledge, taking readers on a tour of Toronto from the Don Jail to the towers of Bay Street and into the shadowy corridors of the Old City Hall courthouse. Elmore Leonard has Florida; John Lescroart, San Francisco; Robert Parker, Boston; Scott Turow, Chicago; and now, withOld City Hall, Rotenberg offers us a page-turning legal thriller set in a diverse and surprising Toronto and filled with unexpected characters and plot twists that keep you guessing until the very end.
The Old Contemptibles (A Richard Jury Mystery #11)
by Martha GrimesFollowing a passionate and troubled love affair with a pretty widow named Jane Holdsworth, Jury finds himself, unaccountably, a suspect in a murder investigation. Detained in London, Jury sends his friend Melrose Plant, former Earl of Caverness, to the Holdsworth family’s Lake District home to pose as an eccentric librarian. Plant discovers that his catalogue cards contain less data on Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey than they do on tantalizing questions about the Holdsworths: What happened to Crabbe Holdsworth’s first wife? What happened to his son, Graham? What happened to the cook, Annie? And what might happen to the two children, favorites of rich old Adam Holdworth, who prefers the ambience of a swank retirement home, Castle Howe, where he and the elegant Lady Cray can drive the staff crazy? Jury and Sergeant Wiggins finally join Melrose at the Old Contemptibles pub, where they arrive at a solution that Jury detests, for no matter what he does, innocence will suffer.
Old Country: The Reddit sensation, soon to be a horror classic
by Matthew Query Harrison Query'It is almost impossible to put down' - Lisa Tuttle, GUARDIANThe ranch was our dream home. Nestled in the arms of a valley below the Teton mountains, acres upon acres of wilderness, our nearest neighbours over a mile away . . .Beautiful, serene - isolated. Perfect. Until, naturally, the only neighbours for miles turned out to be crazy and delivered us a dire warning: The valley is cursed. Every season a spirit will manifest itself in increasingly disturbing ways, starting with an eerie light in the pond, and will kill you if you don't light a fire and-We made them leave then. Put it to the back of our minds and went about living our new, nearly perfect, lives.Then spring came, and so did the light . . .With piercing psychological insight and a profound feeling for the natural world, Old Country unspools an unrelenting narrative of terror and suspense.*****'What started as the spookiest of tales on Reddit - I should know, as I love them - sparked a tour-de-force of a novel that perfectly renders the tensions of living in isolation and the unforgiving passage of the seasons' - Thomas Olde Heuvelt, author of HEX and Echo'Old Country ramps up our day-to-day household rituals to dizzying heights of horror. Domestic bliss has never been more terrifying' - Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Whisper Down The Lane'I genuinely found it very hard to put down . . . Is there such a thing as humanistic horror? If not, I think these guys might have just invented it' - James Brogden, author of Hekla's Children
Old Country: The Reddit sensation, soon to be a horror classic
by Matthew Query Harrison QueryAn instant classic horror novel.Harry and Sasha found their dream, a beautiful small ranch in an unspoilt valley nestling beneath the Teton Mountains in Wyoming.It's perfect.Except for the neighbours, an apparently cute old couple, who have some truly crazed ideas about a timeless spirit which asserts its power over the valley in different terrifying ways, with the coming of each different season.The only thing for Harry and Sasha to do, obviously, is to forget about the weirdos and start building their new life in their new home.As they look forward to the arrival of Spring.With a deeply sympathetic feeling for the ancient rhythms of the natural world and the stunning landscape of the western United States, allied to a sharply perceptive sense of the psychology of memory and the effects of PTSD, Harrison and Matthew Query have written a novel that is at once a rivetingly simple narrative and darkly complex supernatural thriller.(P) 2022 Hachette Audio
The Old Curiosity Shop
by Charles DickensIn cold and brutal London, Little Nell and her devoted grandfather struggle to get by. Her grandfather wants the best for Nell, but in his efforts to secure her future, he ends up squandering what little money they have, and the two find themselves penniless. They wander as beggars, encountering a diverse crew of characters, all while pursued by friends and enemies from their past. The Old Curiosity Shop was an instant success when it was published, and even Queen Victoria read and enjoyed it. A tragic and moving tale of love and dedication against great obstacles, The Old Curiousiy Shop is an enduring piece of English literature.
The Old Deep and Dark (Jane Lawless Mysteries #22)
by Ellen HartRenowned theater director Cordelia Thorn is working to restore a historic theater in downtown Minneapolis that she and her actress sister, Octavia, recently bought. Cordelia has a vision for the playhouse's future, but the more she learns about the building, the more fascinated she becomes by its past. Nicknamed "The Old Deep and Dark" because of the Prohibition-era double murder that occurred in the basement--then a speakeasy--there are a wealth of secrets hidden inside its walls. And, to her shock and horror, Cordelia discovers that there is also one present-day body literally buried in a basement wall. Cordelia immediately calls on her best friend, P. I. Jane Lawless. Although Jane is already in the thick of another investigation--she's embroiled in a well-known country-western singer's family scandal--she agrees to help Cordelia out on the side. But show-biz is a small world, and as Jane starts tracing the trails of two separate investigations, she's surprised to find they might not be as unconnected as she thought. With The Old Deep and Dark, the latest installment in the award-winning Jane Lawless series, Ellen Hart has crafted another impeccably plotted, seamlessly written mystery.
The Old Dick
by L. A. MorseWINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL. --- Retired private eye Jake Spanner may have gotten old, but he hasn&’t gone soft. When an old gangster Jake put away some forty years ago shows up at his door, it&’s time for Jake to grab his hat and Browning automatic and get back to work. Old? Sure. Slower to catch his breath? Maybe. But, sharp as a tack and with a lifetime of investigating know-how, Jake Spanner has nothing to lose and everything to prove. Sniffing out leads between Sunset Boulevard and the Hollywood Hills, Jake pulls in old friends to help. The work is hard; it&’s gritty. So is Jake. And, with a three quarters of a million dollars ransom at stake, the bad guys don&’t stand a chance. With THE OLD DICK, author L.A. Morse creates a new kind of hero, one that laughs at death not because he&’s too young to understand it, but because it&’s right around the corner. It&’s time to face it head on and maybe go out swinging.
The Old Die Young (The Nathan Shapiro Mysteries #10)
by Richard LockridgeIt’s curtains for a vain actor in this Nathan Shapiro whodunit—the final book written by the coauthor of the “excellent” Mr. and Mrs. North series (The New Yorker). Nathan Shapiro might be the gloomiest member of Manhattan’s finest, but that doesn’t stop the dour detective from getting the job done when the going gets tough . . . Called upon to investigate the suspicious death of actor Clive Branson, Det. Lt. Nathan Shapiro and his right-hand man, Det. Anthony “Tony” Cook, are confronted with something strange: a dead man in makeup. It seems the thespian was keen on hiding his real age, and made himself up to appear much younger. Now, that’s the mortician’s job. The cast and crew of Branson’s current Broadway production, Summer Solstice, are all shocked by the actor’s sudden death. Or so they seem. But when it’s revealed that barbiturates were used to take Branson out, Shapiro and Cook start auditioning suspects—because one of them is putting on a most-convincing performance to hide the fact that beneath a mask of innocence lurks a cold-hearted killer. The Old Die Young is the 10th book in the Nathan Shapiro Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Old Earth
by Gary Grossman&“An ambitious tale loaded with heaping doses of adrenalin, OLD EARTH sweeps the reader away with history, intrigue, espionage, engaging characters, and an intelligent conclusion – all elements of the perfect thriller!" —Steve Berry, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author, THE LINCOLN MYTH Gary Grossman, author of the wildly popular Executive series, returns with a high-octane thriller that digs into the history of the Earth to find the secrets people are willing to kill to keep concealed. In the summer of 1601, Galileo Galilei made a startling discovery in the mountains of Eastern Italy that, if made public, could shatter faith in religion, bring down governments and lead to worldwide turmoil. For more than 400 years the secret has been guarded by a small group of incredibly powerful people, willing to do everything in their power to keep these discoveries from being made. But now, a university dig in Montana headed by paleontologists Quinn McCauley and Katrina Alpert threatens to expose the secret Galileo unearthed, the event that caused him to turn his study to the stars, and the hidden reason the scientist was convicted of heresy by the Inquisition. McCauley and Alpert find themselves in a global game of cat-and-mouse, seeking answers for a mystery that has endured for centuries, hunted for what they might discover. OLD EARTH weighs age-old arguments between science and religion in a tense thriller that spans time and questions recorded history. "A high energy combination of history and intrigue, and last but not least, a great book to bring along the next time you travel." —Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor "OLD EARTH's richly detailed and unique premise will delight fans of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton." —CJ Lyons, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author
The Old Enemy: Uber-topical spy fiction from a master of the genre (Paul Samson Spy Thriller #3)
by Henry Porter'A timeless ripping espionage yarn''An up-to-the-minute political novel''Characters who become richer with every appearance'Sunday Times Thriller of the MonthHeart-stopping international spy thriller from 'An espionage master' (Charles Cumming) starring ex-MI6 officer Paul Samson for fans of Mick Herron, Lee Child and John le Carre.Ex-MI6 officer Paul Samson has been tasked with secretly guarding a gifted young woman, Zoe Freemantle. He is just beginning to tire of the job when he is attacked in the street by a freakish looking knifeman. It's clear the target is on his back not hers. What he doesn't know is who put it there.At that moment, his mentor, the MI6 legend Robert Harland lies dead on a remote stretch of the Baltic coastline. Who needed to end the old spy's life when he was, in any case, dying from a terminal illness? And what or who is Berlin Blue, the name scratched in the sketchbook beside his body?A few hours later, Samson watches footage from the US Congress where billionaire philanthropist Denis Hisami is poisoned with a nerve agent while testifying - an attack that is as spectacular as it is lethal, but spares Anastasia Hisami, the love of Samson's life.Two things become clear. One, it was a big mistake to lose the mysterious Zoe Freemantle. And two, Robert Harland is making a final play from beyond the grave.
The Old Enemy: Uber-topical spy fiction from a master of the genre (Paul Samson Spy Thriller)
by Henry PorterHeart-stopping international spy thriller from 'An espionage master' (Charles Cumming) starring ex-MI6 officer Paul Samson for fans of Mick Herron, Lee Child and John le CarreEx-MI6 officer Paul Samson has been tasked with secretly guarding a gifted young woman, Zoe Freemantle. He is just beginning to tire of the job when he is attacked in the street by a freakish looking knifeman. It's clear the target is on his back not hers. What he doesn't know is who put it there.At that moment, his mentor, the MI6 legend Robert Harland lies dead on a remote stretch of the Baltic coastline. Who needed to end the old spy's life when he was, in any case, dying from a terminal illness? And what or who is Berlin Blue, the name scratched in the sketchbook beside his body? A few hours later, Samson watches footage from the US Congress where billionaire philanthropist Denis Hisami is poisoned with a nerve agent while testifying - an attack that is as spectacular as it is lethal, but spares Anastasia Hisami, the love of Samson's life. Two things become clear. One, it was a big mistake to lose the mysterious Zoe Freemantle. And two, Robert Harland is making a final play from beyond the grave.
The Old Enemy: A Novel (Paul Samson #3)
by Henry PorterThe ex-MI6 agent is on the run as he uncovers a deadly conspiracy reaching back to the days of Cold War espionage in this acclaimed thriller series. Former MI6 agent Paul Samson is shadowing a young woman around London for a private security company. Though the brilliant Zoe Freemantle is intriguing, the work is a bit dull—until Samson is almost killed by a thuggish assassin. When other people connected to Paul come under attack, including legendary spy Robert Harland and billionaire Denis Hisami, Paul escapes to Estonia to make sense of the mysterious threat. Paul knows there&’s a target on his back. The only question is whose finger is on the trigger. Together with Denis&’s wife Anastasia, Paul picks up the trail of a former Stasi agent whose network of assets go deep into the US and UK governments. Now, Paul and Anastasia must expose the spymaster before any more people are killed or agencies compromised. An astonishing and timely thriller examining the penetration of Russian assets into all levels of western life, The Old Enemy is a complex, breathtaking race against time from &“one of our most accomplished thriller writers&” (Financial Times).
The Old English Baron
by Clara ReeveClara Reeve (1729-1807), novelist, was the author of several novels, of which only one is remembered -- "The Old English Baron" (1777), written in imitation of, or rivalry with, the "Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, with which it has often been printed. Her novel has noticeably influenced Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." Her innovative history of prose fiction, "The Progress of Romance" (1785), can be regarded generally as a precursor to modern histories of the novel and specifically as upholding the tradition of female literary history.
The Old English Peep Show: The Glass-sided Ants' Nest, The Old English Peep Show, And The Sinful Stones (The James Pibble Mysteries #2)
by Peter DickinsonWinner of the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year: Peter Dickinson targets England's upper classes in this murderous and strikingly original theme-park mystery Tourists are waiting in line for entry into the world of Old England, a graceful, elegant country house run as a theme park, complete with wrought-iron gates, pet lions, and maids in white caps greeting visitors with a bob and a curtsy. But this fantasy world turns very real when one of the servants takes his own life. Why did the loyal and faithful Arthur Deakin hang himself in the pantry without leaving even a note? Dispatched to find out, Scotland Yard superintendent James Pibble wonders why the local police weren't called in on a seemingly run-of-the-mill suicide. But as Pibble will soon find, life at the Herryngs estate of twin brothers Ralph and Richard Clavering is anything but ordinary. Sir Ralph, a retired general, and Sir Richard, a former admiral who now writes about animals being driven out of their native habitats, are war heroes who have gone from charmingly eccentric to dangerously certifiable. Sir Ralph's only daughter is desperate to shield the family from scandal. A disappearance, a man-eating lion, and an old dueling ground add up to foul play as Pibble uncovers a viper's nest of evil behind an upper-crust facade that could claim his life next.