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The Other People: A Novel
by C. J. TudorA gripping thriller about a man&’s quest for the daughter no one else believes is still alive, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man and The Hiding Place. &“C. J. Tudor is terrific. I can&’t wait to see what she does next.&” —Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling authorQ: Why are you called the Other People?A: We are people just like you. People to whom terrible things have happened. We&’ve found solace not in forgiveness or forgetting. But in helping each other find justice. Driving home one night, stuck behind a rusty old car, Gabe sees a little girl&’s face appear in its rear window. She mouths one word: Daddy. It&’s his five-year-old daughter, Izzy. He never sees her again. Three years later, Gabe spends his days and nights traveling up and down the highway, searching for the car that took his daughter, refusing to give up hope, even though most people believe she&’s dead. When the car that he saw escape with his little girl is found abandoned with a body inside, Gabe must confront not just the day Izzy disappeared but the painful events from his past now dredged to the surface. Q: What sort of justice?A: That depends on the individual. But our ethos is a punishment that fits the crime. Fran and her daughter, Alice, also put in a lot of miles on the road. Not searching. Running. Because Fran knows what really happened to Gabe&’s daughter. She knows who is responsible. And she knows what they will do if they ever catch up to her and Alice. Q: Can I request to have someone killed?A: If your Request is acceptable, and unless there are exceptional circumstances, we fulfill all Requests.
Other People's Clothes
by Calla Henkel'I couldn't stop turning the pages . . . a debut you won't want to miss' MEGAN ABBOTTIntoxicating, compulsive and blackly funny, Other People's Clothes is the thrilling novel from Berlin-based American artist Calla Henkel.2009. Berlin. Two art students arrive from New York, both desperate for the city to solve their problems.Zoe is grieving for her high school best friend, murdered months before in her hometown in Florida.Hailey is rich, obsessed with the exploits of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears and wants to be a Warholian legend.Together they rent a once-magnificent apartment from eccentric crime writer Beatrice Becks. With little to fill their time, they spend their nights twisting through Berlin's club scene and their days hungover. Soon inexplicable things start happening in the apartment and the two friends suspect they are being watched by Beatrice. Convinced that their landlord is using their lives as inspiration for her next thriller novel, they decide to beat her at her own game. The girls start hosting wild parties in the flat and quickly gain notoriety, with everyone clamouring for an invite to 'Beatrice's.' But ultimately they find themselves unable to control the narrative and it spirals into much darker territory . . .'Thrilling' Cosmopolitan'Full of delicious layers . . . I felt drunk reading it.' Emma Jane Unsworth'Other People's Clothes feels like reading a thriller by your most acerbic friend' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
Other People's Clothes
by Calla Henkel'Full of delicious layers . . . I felt drunk reading it.' Emma Jane UnsworthIntoxicating, compulsive and blackly funny, Other People's Clothes is the thrilling debut novel from Berlin-based American artist Calla Henkel.2009. Berlin. Two art students arrive from New York, both desperate for the city to solve their problems.Zoe is grieving for her high school best friend, murdered months before in her hometown in Florida.Hailey is rich, obsessed with the exploits of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears and wants to be a Warholian legend.Together they rent a once-magnificent apartment from eccentric crime writer Beatrice Becks. With little to fill their time, they spend their nights twisting through Berlin's club scene and their days hungover. Soon inexplicable things start happening in the apartment and the two friends suspect they are being watched by Beatrice. Convinced that their landlord is using their lives as inspiration for her next thriller novel, they decide to beat her at her own game. The girls start hosting wild parties in the flat and quickly gain notoriety, with everyone clamouring for an invite to 'Beatrice's.' But ultimately they find themselves unable to control the narrative and it spirals into much darker territory . . .(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Other People's Clothes: A Novel
by Calla HenkelTwo American ex-pats obsessed with the Amanda Knox trial find themselves at the nexus of murder and celebrity in glittering late-aughts Berlin in this &“hugely entertaining&” (The New York Times) debut with a wicked sense of humor. &“Darkly funny, psychologically rich and utterly addictive... [a] harrowing tale of twisty female friendships, slippery identity and furtive secrets.&” —Megan Abbott, best-selling author of The TurnoutHoping to escape the pain of the recent murder of her best friend, art student Zoe Beech finds herself studying abroad in the bohemian capital of Europe—Berlin. Rudderless, Zoe relies on the arrangements of fellow exchange student Hailey Mader, who idolizes Warhol and Britney Spears and wants nothing more than to be an art star. When Hailey stumbles on a posting for a high-ceilinged, prewar sublet by well-known thriller writer Beatrice Becks, the girls snap it up. They soon spend their nights twisting through Berlin&’s club scene and their days hungover. But are they being watched? Convinced that Beatrice intends to use their lives as inspiration for her next novel, Hailey vows to craft main-character-worthy personas. They begin hosting a decadent weekly nightclub in the apartment, finally gaining the notoriety they&’ve been craving. Everyone wants an invitation to &“Beatrice&’s.&” As the year unravels and events spiral out of control, they begin to wonder whose story they are living—and how it will end. Other People&’s Clothes brilliantly illuminates the sometimes dangerous intensity of female friendships, as well as offering an unforgettable window into millennial life and the lengths people will go to in order to eradicate emotional pain.
Other People's Clothes
by Calla Henkel'A sparkling debut . . . a very good plot-driven thriller dressed in a glittery jumpsuit' Guardian'Brutal, glamorous and genuinely unpredictable, it will blow your mind until the very last page' StylistIntoxicating, compulsive and blackly funny, Other People's Clothes is the thrilling novel from Berlin-based American artist Calla Henkel.Berlin, 2009. Two young art students arrive from New York, desperately hoping to reinvent themselves. Renting an apartment from an eccentric crime writer, Zoe and Hailey spend their nights twisting through Berlin's club scene and their days hungover. Then inexplicable things start happening in the apartment. Are they being spied on?Suspecting their landlady of using their lives for her next novel, they decide to beat her at her own game, hosting wild parties that quickly gain notoriety. But as events spiral out of control, they begin to wonder whose story they are living - and how it will end.'Utterly addictive. I couldn't stop turning the pages' Megan Abbott
Other People's Clothes
by Calla Henkel'A sparkling debut . . . a very good plot-driven thriller dressed in a glittery jumpsuit' Guardian'Brutal, glamorous and genuinely unpredictable, it will blow your mind until the very last page' StylistIntoxicating, compulsive and blackly funny, Other People's Clothes is the thrilling novel from Berlin-based American artist Calla Henkel.Berlin, 2009. Two young art students arrive from New York, desperately hoping to reinvent themselves. Renting an apartment from an eccentric crime writer, Zoe and Hailey spend their nights twisting through Berlin's club scene and their days hungover. Then inexplicable things start happening in the apartment. Are they being spied on?Suspecting their landlady of using their lives for her next novel, they decide to beat her at her own game, hosting wild parties that quickly gain notoriety. But as events spiral out of control, they begin to wonder whose story they are living - and how it will end.'Utterly addictive. I couldn't stop turning the pages' Megan Abbott
Other People's Houses: The gripping, twisty new thriller (DC Morgan)
by Clare MackintoshThe stunning new thriller from the author who brought you the jaw-dropping twist of I Let You Go, the gasp-out-loud ending of Let Me Lie, and the loveable, unpredictable Ffion Morgan in The Last Party and A Game of Lies.Even on the most desirable street, there's a dark side . . .The Hill is the kind of place everyone wants to live: luxurious, exclusive and safe. But now someone is breaking and entering these Cheshire homes one by one, and DS Leo Brady suspects the burglar is looking for something, or someone, in particular.Over the border in Wales, DC Ffion Morgan recovers the body of an estate agent from the lake. There's no love lost between Ffion and estate agents, but who hated this one enough to want her dead - and why?As their cases collide, Ffion and Leo discover people will pay a high price to keep their secrets behind closed doors . . .'Skilfully plotted, sharply paced and wickedly funny, this is a must-read crime series' LUCY CLARKE'Clever . . . [with] a stunning denouement' THE TIMES'Funny, entertaining and unguessable with a fabulous cast of deeply authentic characters' RUTH MANCINI'Satisfyingly twisty' MAIL ON SUNDAY'A larger-than-life cast of characters, a plot which twists and turns at the drop of a hat and a gloriously well crafted backdrop' ***** READER REVIEW'Has you on the edge of your seat' I PAPER'I absolutely loved this from beginning to end. A gripping thriller loaded with humour and cleverness' ***** READER REVIEW'Cracking' HEAT'Another complete page-turner' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'A dazzling fusion of mystery, humour, and complex character dynamics. It doesn't just entertain, it captivates' ***** READER REVIEW'The characters come to life, the plot is gripping and the twists are jaw dropping' ***** READER REVIEW
Other People's Houses: The gripping, twisty new thriller (DC Morgan)
by Clare MackintoshThe stunning new thriller from the author who brought you the jaw-dropping twist of I Let You Go, the gasp-out-loud ending of Let Me Lie, and the loveable, unpredictable Ffion Morgan in The Last Party and A Game of Lies.'Witty and ingeniously plotted with twist after brilliant twist. I loved it!' CLAIRE DOUGLASEven on the most desirable street, there's a dark side . . .The Hill is the kind of place everyone wants to live: luxurious, exclusive and safe. But now someone is breaking and entering these Cheshire homes one by one, and DS Leo Brady suspects the burglar is looking for something, or someone, in particular.Over the border in Wales, DC Ffion Morgan recovers the body of an estate agent from the lake. There's no love lost between Ffion and estate agents, but who hated this one enough to want her dead - and why?As their cases collide, Ffion and Leo discover people will pay a high price to keep their secrets behind closed doors . . .'Gripping, intense and thought-provoking' KARIN SLAUGHTER'Skilfully plotted, sharply paced and wickedly funny, this is a must-read crime series' LUCY CLARKE'Clever . . . [with] a stunning denouement' THE TIMES'Funny, entertaining and unguessable with a fabulous cast of deeply authentic characters' RUTH MANCINI'Satisfyingly twisty' MAIL ON SUNDAY'A larger-than-life cast of characters, a plot which twists and turns at the drop of a hat and a gloriously well crafted backdrop' ***** READER REVIEW'Has you on the edge of your seat' I PAPER'I absolutely loved this from beginning to end. A gripping thriller loaded with humour and cleverness' ***** READER REVIEW'Cracking' HEAT'Another complete page-turner' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'A dazzling fusion of mystery, humour, and complex character dynamics. It doesn't just entertain, it captivates' ***** READER REVIEW'The characters come to life, the plot is gripping and the twists are jaw dropping' ***** READER REVIEW
Other People's Secrets
by Louise CandlishA gripping, twisty story of adultery and scandal from the bestselling author of Our House.'Candlish's writing draws you in immediately' Heat Everybody wants the truth . . . until they find it --------------------------------------------Ginny and Adam Trustlove arrive on holiday in Italy torn apart by personal tragedy. Two weeks in a boathouse on the edge of peaceful Lake Orta is exactly what they need to restore their faith in life - and each other.Twenty-four hours later, the silence is broken. The Sale family have arrived at the main villa: wealthy, high-flying Marty, his beautiful wife Bea, and their privileged, confident offspring. It doesn't take long for Ginny and Adam to be drawn in, especially when the teenage Pippi introduces a new friend into the circle. For there is something about Zach that has everyone instantly beguiled, something that loosens old secrets - and creates shocking new ones.And, yet, not one of them suspects that his arrival in their lives might be anything other than accidental . . .*******************Praise for Louise Candlish'Twists the knife right up to the very final page' Ruth Ware'Addictive, twisty and oh so terrifyingly possible' Clare Mackintosh'Terrifically twisty . . . hooks from the first page' Sunday Times'Louise Candlish is a great writer; she inhaled me into her nightmarish world where everything we think we know is ripped from under our feet' Fiona Barton'Keeps you guessing to the end - and beyond' Stylist'A master of her craft' Rosamund Lupton'A well-crafted story of scandal, identity and infidelity' Sunday Mirror'Not afraid to tackle darker issues . . . moving and thought-provoking' Daily Mail
Other People's Secrets: A Novel
by Meredith HambrockBaby&’s down—and could be out for good—when she faces off with forces bent on turning her lakeside paradise into a living hell, for fans of Alissa Nutting and Amy Engel. Baby&’s heart is in the right place, but she&’s got problems—namely, a fierce taste for booze and an on-again, off-again boyfriend who can't commit. She&’s living and working at Oakwood Hills, a crumbling lakeside resort, with her friends, Crystal Nugget and DJ Overalls, reeling since her adoptive mother died of a stroke. And now, the return of the local drug kingpin, Bad Mike, is about to throw her already unstable summer into full-blown chaos. To make matters worse, the owner of Oakwood Hills announces plans to sell the resort to Amelia, her boyfriend's wealthy twin sister, who plans to renovate it, sucking the life out of the only home Baby's ever known. Desperate to thwart the sale, Baby and her friends decide to try to recover a sunken treasure rumored to be sitting at the bottom of the lake. But Bad Mike also has his eyes on the prize and when the search gets criminal, Baby will be forced to walk down a road full of hidden secrets that will change how she sees herself—and her life—forever.
The Other Rembrandt
by Alex ConnorA centuries-old conspiracy is about to explode into the present and shake the art world to its core as a relentless serial killer strikes in both London and New York. The first victim was forced to swallow stones. The second was whipped to death. The third was stabbed in the heart. What did they know? Why were they in the killer's sights? Only Marshall Ziegler, the son of one the victims, can discover the dark secret of one of the world's most famous artists before the killer can strike again.
The Other Shoe
by Mary Mcmullen[From the inside book flap:] Justin Channon is a thirty-eight-year-old writer and illustrator of children's books; Clare Herne is a painter and a distant cousin of Justin's whom he hasn't seen in years. Imagine his surprise, then, when Clare arrives on his doorstep one evening with a letter accusing her of the murder of her Aunt Lelia four years ago--a murder that remains unsolved and one in which Clare very much looks like the most likely suspect. Lelia, a querulous, spoiled old woman, was about to marry a much younger man--her doctor--right before she was murdered. It looked to most people as though Clare had killed her to hang onto her inheritance, although the allegation was never proved. Justin decides that it's about time to go back to the Maryland farm where it all happened and sort things out once and for all. If his suspicions are correct, the murderer is still in exactly the same place he was at the time of the crime. Now let us see what happens. Look for more stand alone mystery novels by Mary McMullen in the Bookshare collection.
The Other Side of Darkness
by Melody CarlsonOnce again, I have kept the demons at bay.As a wife and mother, Ruth knows her prayers are crucial to her family's spiritual welfare. She stands between her precious children and the evil one, doing battle in prayer. She can't afford to be careless. Thankfully, she has powerful allies: Pastor Glenn, New Life Christian School where her daughters Mary and Sarah attend, and the inner circle at Arbor Drive Fellowship. They all reinforce her careful nurturance of her children. If only her husband, Rick, understood that. He's exasperated about the money Ruth keeps spending for the church and school. Doesn't he see that these are their best defenses in shielding their children from the dangers of the world?But the forces that threaten Ruth's faith, her family-her very life-are not the ones she expects. Ruth doesn't realize that her heartfelt desire to obey God is mingled with dangerous currents of OCD-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Her own strategies for protecting her family may be the very thing that tears them apart.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Other Side of Death
by Judith Van GiesonThe "annual" Saint Patrick's Day party hosted by Tim and Jamie Malone in their small northern New Mexico community is their first in many years. For Albuquerque attorney Neil Hamel, going to the party is a reunion of sorts with various old friends she spent a year carousing with in a small town in Mexico in the late 1960s. Just about everyone seems to have made some move from hippie to mainstream except Lonnie Darmer, who--as in the old days--gets too drunk to drive home. Neil drives them both to Lonnie's little house in Santa Fe and wakes the next morning to discover her missing. Lonnie is found dead in an Anasazi ruin in the mountains near Santa Fe, her body unscathed. The police immediately conclude Lonnie committed suicide, and her friends seem almost relieved to concur--all except Neil. As she investigates her friend's death, suspects suddenly abound. Even Neil herself comes under suspicion, as the real killer draws ever closer, eager to satisfy a newfound appetite for killing.
The Other Side of Everything: A Novel
by Lauren Doyle Owens“[For] fans of crime fiction wanting literary flair and emotional depth.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review Laura Lippman meets Megan Abbott in this suspenseful literary debut about three generations of neighbors whose lives intersect in the aftermath of a crime.Bernard White is a curmudgeonly widower who has lived in Seven Springs, Florida for decades and has kept to himself since his wife passed. When his neighbor is murdered, he emerges from his solitude to reconnect with his fellow octogenarians. These connections become a literal lifeline as a second, and then a third, elderly woman is murdered, and “the originals” as they call themselves, realize that they are being targeted. Amy Unger is an artist and cancer survivor whose emotional recovery has not been as successful as her physical one. After the woman next door is murdered, she begins to paint imagined scenes from the murder in an effort to cope with her own loss. But when her paintings prove to be too realistic, her neighbors grow suspicious, and she soon finds herself in the crosshairs of the police. And then there’s Maddie Lowe, a teenage waitress whose mother recently abandoned the family. As Maddie struggles to keep her family together and maintain the appearance of normal teenage life, she finds herself drawn to the man the police say is the killer. As they navigate their increasingly dangerous and tumultuous worlds, Bernard, Amy, and Maddie begin to uncover the connections between them, and the past and present, in a novel that ultimately proves the power of tragedy to spark renewal.
The Other Side of Her
by B.M. CarrollA missing backpackerA million-dollar rewardOrdinary people cracking under pressureBusy parents Mia and Ryan were devastated when their former nanny, Irish backpacker Tara, tragically disappeared. But that was two years ago. Now they want to move on and focus on their son ... so why are the police questioning them again?When single mum Beth wakes up to a house burglary, she immediately suspects her abusive ex-husband. But when bad things continue to happen to Beth, her fear is overtaken by desperation and anger.A dark secret binds these families together. How far will they go to protect their own?
The Other Side of Her
by B.M. CarrollA missing backpackerA million-dollar rewardOrdinary people cracking under pressureBusy parents Mia and Ryan were devastated when their former nanny, Irish backpacker Tara, tragically disappeared. But that was two years ago. Now they want to move on and focus on their son ... so why are the police questioning them again?When single mum Beth wakes up to a house burglary, she immediately suspects her abusive ex-husband. But when bad things continue to happen to Beth, her fear is overtaken by desperation and anger.A dark secret binds these families together. How far will they go to protect their own?
The Other Side of Night: A Novel
by Adam HamdyFor fans of Matt Haig and Anthony Horowitz, a &“strange, compelling, and ultimately moving head-spinner of a novel&” (John Connolly) in which the lives of a disgraced police officer, a prolific author, and an upstanding citizen are inextricably bound together by a series of mysterious deaths.The Other Side of Night begins with a man named David Asha writing about his biggest regret: his sudden separation from his son, Elliot. In his grief, David tells a story. Next, we step into the life of Harriet Kealty, a police officer trying to clear her name after a lapse of judgment. She discovers a curious inscription in a secondhand book—a plea: Help me, he&’s trying to kill me. Who wrote this note? Who is &“he&”? This note leads Harri to David Asha, who was last seen stepping off a cliff. Police suspect he couldn&’t cope after his wife&’s sudden death. Still, why would this man jump and leave behind his young son? Quickly, Harri&’s attention zeroes in on a person she knows all too well. Ben Elmys: once the love of her life. A surrogate father to Elliot Asha and trusted friend to the Ashas. Ben may also be a murderer. Compulsively readable and thought-provoking, &“The Other Side of Night is one of those rare books that you&’ll still be thinking about long after the last page&” (Jenny Blackhurst, author of How I Lost You).
The Other Side of Nothing: A Novel
by Anastasia ZadeikA moving exploration of family, friendship, and how far we are willing to go for the ones we love, The Other Side of Nothing is a powerful read about loss, self-determination, and second chances. 2024 IPPY Awards Gold Medalist for Popular Fiction 2024 Zibby Summer Reads Selection? The day after her eighteenth birthday, Julia Reeves checks herself into a psychiatric facility, longing to find a way out of the grief and guilt that have engulfed her since her father&’s untimely death. What she finds is fellow suicide attempt survivor Sam Lorenzo, a brilliant twenty-three-year-old photographer. Sam brings beauty and light back into Julia&’s life, so when he asks her to escape with him on a cross-country odyssey, she agrees. Before Julia can process what she&’s done, the two young lovers are on the run. When Julia&’s mother, Laura, learns Julia has disappeared and authorities will do nothing to help find her, Laura forms an uneasy alliance with the sole person who has as much to lose as she does: Sam&’s mother, Arabella. Armed with only a handful of clues, the two mothers embark on a journey of their own, desperately hoping to save their children before they are lost forever.
The Other Side of Paradise
by Laurie PaigeA FAMILY FORGOTTEN?What self-proclaimed loner and rootless orphan Mary McHale couldn't anticipate, when she arrived at Towbridge Ranch for the winter, were the feelings her new surroundings stirred deep within her...a mysterious déjà vu unlike anything the relentlessly independent wrangler had ever experienced.Jonah Lanigan couldn't drive the haunting blue eyes of his new employee from his mind-or dismiss the notion that they were an eerie reflection of others he'd seen before. Could he help Mary piece together her fragmented past...and in the process, become part of her future?
The Other Side of Silence: The classic spy thriller, inspired by actual events (Bernie Gunther)
by Ted AllbeuryAfter years behind the Iron Curtain, Britain's most notorious traitor wants to return to the homeland he betrayed as part of the Cambridge Five spy ring. John Powell is assigned the task of finding out why. Is it an old man's whim, or a carefully planned KGB operation? To find out Powell must journey into the labyrinth of a man's legendary past, sifting through every rumour, every plot, every shadowy alliance, until the journey leads him into the most dangerous recess of them all, the heart and mind and motivation of the man himself - Kim Philby.THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE is a classic espionage thriller from one of the true masters of the genre.
The Other Side of Silence: The classic spy thriller, inspired by actual events
by Ted AllbeuryAfter years behind the Iron Curtain, Britain's most notorious traitor wants to return to the homeland he betrayed as part of the Cambridge Five spy ring. John Powell is assigned the task of finding out why. Is it an old man's whim, or a carefully planned KGB operation? To find out Powell must journey into the labyrinth of a man's legendary past, sifting through every rumour, every plot, every shadowy alliance, until the journey leads him into the most dangerous recess of them all, the heart and mind and motivation of the man himself - Kim Philby.THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE is a classic espionage thriller from one of the true masters of the genre.
The Other Side of Silence (Bernie Gunther #11)
by Philip Kerr<P>Once I’d been a good detective in Kripo, but that was a while ago, before the criminals wore smart gray uniforms and nearly everyone locked up was innocent.” Being a Berlin cop in 1942 was a little like putting down mousetraps in a cage full of tigers. <P>The war is over. Bernie Gunther, our sardonic former Berlin homicide detective and unwilling SS officer, is now living on the French Riviera. It is 1956 and Bernie is the go-to guy at the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, the man you turn to for touring tips or if you need a fourth for bridge. As it happens, a local writer needs just that, someone to fill the fourth seat in a regular game that is the usual evening diversion at the Villa Mauresque. Not just any writer. Perhaps the richest and most famous living writer in the world: W. Somerset Maugham. And it turns out it is not just a bridge partner that he needs; it’s some professional advice. Maugham is being blackmailed—perhaps because of his unorthodox lifestyle. Or perhaps because of something in his past, because once upon a time, Maugham worked for the British secret service, and the people now blackmailing him are spies. <P>As Gunther fans know, all roads lead back to the viper’s nest that was Hitler’s Third Reich and to the killing fields that spread like a disease across Europe. Even in 1956, peace has not come to the continent: now the Soviets have the H-bomb and spies from every major power feel free to make all of Europe their personal playground.From the Hardcover edition.
The Other Side of Silence: Bernie Gunther Thriller 11 (Bernie Gunther)
by Philip KerrThe French Riviera, 1956. A world-weary Bernie Gunther is working under a false name as a hotel concierge. His attempts to keep his nose clean go horribly awry when a wartime acquaintance sucks him into a blackmail plot involving one of the most famous British writers of the 20th century and the Cambridge Spies.Bernie is missing his old detective life when his past walks through the door in the shape of Harold Hennig, a former captain in the Nazi security service - the man who, in 1945, was responsible for the deaths of thousands, among them a woman Bernie loved. Hennig now enjoys a lucrative career as a blackmailer. Hennig's target on the Cote d'Azur is a famous resident with a dark past and plenty to hide - the writer, Somerset Maugham. A shared love of bridge draws Bernie to Maugham's magnificent villa, where Maugham tells him of the existence of a very compromising photograph. Taken in 1937, it shows Maugham among a group of naked men beside a swimming pool - one of whom is the infamous spy and homosexual, Guy Burgess, who, with Donald Maclean, has recently defected to Moscow. Hennig has the photograph and is demanding $50,000 for its release. Bernie is reluctant to become Maugham's agent but his former life has made him as vulnerable to blackmail as Maugham himself. Not only that - he has a massive score to settle with Hennig.