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The Experiment
by John DarntonA world we can't imagine may lie just around the corner . . . With the brilliant combination of cutting-edge science and nerve-jangling suspense that made his first novel, Neanderthal, a major bestseller, John Darnton returns with The Experiment.On a remote island off the Southeastern coast, a young man named Skyler sees his friends vanish one by one. In a small New York town, a journalist observes a corpse with its fingerprints burned off. In New York City, an expert on twins stumbles upon a case that hits stunningly close to home for her. Soon, all three come together on the trail of a scientific experiment more audacious than they could have conceived--and so secret that none of them may be allowed to survive.
The Expert: The Sixties Crime Series (The Sixties Crime Series #7)
by Bernard KnightRenowned pathologist John Hardy is thinking of leaving his job following the death of his wife – but when a series of women are found murdered, leaving police baffled, it's up to Hardy to try and crack one last big case. The odds are against him – a local nightclub owner is the key suspect, but fair means don’t seem to be enough to get a conviction, not when the other side has experts of their own…will Hardy manage to succeed?An insight into the latest scientific crime-fighting techniques available during 1970s investigations, The Expert was previously made into an acclaimed TV series and draws on the author’s extensive experience in pathology.
The Expert: The Sixties Crime Series (The\sixties Crime Ser. #7)
by Bernard KnightRenowned pathologist John Hardy is thinking of leaving his job following the death of his wife – but when a series of women are found murdered, leaving police baffled, it's up to Hardy to try and crack one last big case. The odds are against him – a local nightclub owner is the key suspect, but fair means don’t seem to be enough to get a conviction, not when the other side has experts of their own…will Hardy manage to succeed?An insight into the latest scientific crime-fighting techniques available during 1970s investigations, The Expert was previously made into an acclaimed TV series and draws on the author’s extensive experience in pathology.
The Exphoria Code: A Novel
by Antony JohnstonAward-winning and bestselling author Antony Johnston introduces a major new techno-thriller series featuring an MI6 cyber-espionage specialist.Brigitte Sharp is a brilliant but haunted young MI6 hacker who has been deskbound and in therapy for three years after her first field mission in Syria went disastrously wrong. Despite her boss's encouragement, Bridge isn&’t ready to go back in the field. But now one of her best friends has been murdered, and Bridge believes his death is connected to strange &“ASCII art&” posts appearing on the internet that carry encrypted hidden messages. On decoding the messages, she discovers evidence of a mole inside a top-secret Anglo-French military drone project—an enemy who may also be her friend&’s killer. Her MI6 bosses force her back into the field, sending her undercover in France to find and expose the mole. But the truth behind the Exphoria code is worse than anyone imagined, and soon Bridge is on the run, desperate and alone, as a terrorist plot unfolds and threatens everything she has left to live for. Drawing on cutting edge technology and modern global threats, Brigitte Sharp is a highly credible female spy in a truly original and contemporary story.
The Exploits of Arsène Lupin (The Arsène Lupin Adventures #1)
by Maurice LeblancThe classic series that inspired the hit show Lupin: On a transatlantic voyage, Europe&’s greatest criminal plots a daring caper . . . Also published under the title Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar The ship is several days out to sea when the telegram comes through with a warning: Among the passengers is a disguised criminal: the fearsome Arsène Lupin. For months, Paris society has quaked at the name of the gentleman thief, whose manners are kind, whose tastes are exquisite, and who steals only from the best. When Lupin is spotted aboard the boat, his scandalous career appears to be finished. But in truth, it is just beginning. The moment he steps ashore, Lupin is captured by his nemesis, the detective Ganimard, and taken to France&’s infamous Prison de la Santé, where Ganimard plans to lock him up and throw away the key. But no jail in the world can hold the world&’s most ingenious thief for long; he has only to slip his shackles before beginning the adventure of a lifetime, recounted in this witty collection of stories. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. &“[Arsène Lupin] has taken his place in public estimation with Sherlock Holmes and other universally admired heroes of fictional crime.&” —The New York Times
The Exploits of Dr. Sam Johnson, Detector (The Dr. Sam Johnson Mysteries #4)
by Lillian de la TorreLiterary legend Samuel Johnson and his biographer, James Boswell, solve mysteries in eighteenth-century London in this delightful story collection. A brilliant thinker and his trusted assistant sit in their drawing room, pondering a story in the newspaper, when the door opens and the subject of the article enters, begging for help. It&’s a classic scene from English detective fiction, set not at 221B Baker Street, but 1 Inner Temple Lane—the home of Dr. Samuel Johnson and his biographer, James Boswell. This mystery, concerning a disputed title, a kidnapped earl, and one of the greatest fortunes in England, will be no match for Dr. Johnson. Based on true criminal cases of the era and inspired by Boswell&’s legendary Life of Johnson, the seven stories in this volume touch on witchcraft, murder, theft, and the scientific breakthroughs of the Enlightenment. &“I am lost without my Boswell,&” said Sherlock Holmes—and Dr. Johnson was no different. Lillian de la Torre&’s delightful stories of Boswell and Johnson show the original Watson and Holmes in action.
The Exploits of Elaine: A Detective Novel (classic Reprint)
by Arthur B. ReeveThe scientific detective known as the "American Sherlock Holmes" pursues a ruthless arch villain in this high-stakes suspense novel Professor Craig Kennedy and his loyal sidekick, newspaper reporter Walter Jameson, first learn of the Clutching Hand and his gang when they investigate a string of murders involving the policyholders of Taylor Dodge's insurance company. After receiving a threatening note signed by the arch criminal, Dodge himself is robbed and killed, and his daughter, Elaine, turns to Kennedy for help. Using the latest advances in forensic science, the professor uncovers the exotic and deadly scheme behind the murders. But when the Clutching Hand and his band of evildoers kidnap Elaine, Kennedy must shed his lab coat and leap into action before it's too late. First appearing in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine, Craig Kennedy was one of the most popular detectives of the early twentieth century. Arthur B. Reeve also wrote the screenplay for the serial version of The Exploits of Elaine, which starred popular silent film actress Pearl White. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Exploits of Juve: Being The Second Of The Series Of The Fantômas Detective Tales (The Fantômas Novels #2)
by Marcel Allain Pierre SouvestreThe scourge of Paris commits his most ingenious crime yet The second installment in this groundbreaking series opens with a crime that even Inspector Juve, dedicated hunter of the archvillain Fantômas, finds impossible to believe: A woman has been murdered in the very same room the inspector was staking out not an hour before. Only an evil genius such as Fantômas could commit a crime so astonishing. But the master of disguise is dead—or is he? As Inspector Juve investigates, he encounters a host of nefarious characters, including the criminal ringleader Loupart, alias &“the Square&”; his charming and seductive lover, Josephine; and Doctor Chaleck, who is either an innocent man or a cunning player in a diabolical scheme. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Explorer
by James SmytheA tense, claustrophobic and gripping science fiction thriller from the author of The Testimony. When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity’s great explorers. But in space, nothing goes according to plan. The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue. But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it.
The Explorer's Code
by Allison K. HymasThree kids have everything they need to solve the decades-old mystery of Idlewood Manor, in this middle grade novel full of real ciphers, puzzles, riddles, and codes that Kirkus Reviews calls "a worthy call to unravel a mystery.”Idlewood Manor has been uninhabited for decades, until now . . .Math whiz Charlie won admission in a puzzle contest—and he’s intrigued by the strange numbers he finds on Idlewood’s walls. His restless sister Anna had to be dragged to the house—but then she discovers its hidden floor. Emily’s parents brought her to the mansion on a secret mission—and she’s determined to prove herself to them.All three kids soon unlock clues to Idlewood’s mysterious past and the famous female explorer who’s connected to it—and the secret treasure she left behind. But the adults around them are also hunting for the treasure. Charlie, Anna, and Emily will have to overcome their differences and work as a team to solve Idlewood’s puzzles before it’s too late, in Allison K. Hymas's The Explorer's Code.An Imprint Book
The Explorer's Code: A Novel
by Kitty PilgrimAward-winning CNN journalist Kitty Pilgrim turns her talents to print in The Explorer’s Code, an exciting international thriller that revolves around the quest for a land deed valuable enough to kill for. When the renowned young oceanographer Cordelia Stapleton receives an invitation to accept an award on behalf of her great-great-grandfather, a famous Victorian polar explorer, she has no idea her life is about to change dramatically. John Sinclair—a dashing, wealthy archaeologist and philanthropist—presents Cordelia with the award at the glamorous Oceanographic Institute Ball in Monaco. He also gives her a journal that her greatgreat- grandfather wrote in 1908. An orphan with very few family belongings, Cordelia is amazingly touched to have this precious heirloom. Once the journal is in her possession, Cordelia learns that she is heir to the land on which the Global Seed Vault in Norway sits. The valuable deed for this land, or at least a clue to its whereabouts, may be hidden in the journal. When the journal disappears from Cordelia’s stateroom on the Queen Victoria and Cordelia receives threatening e-mails, it becomes clear that she is in danger. John Sinclair comes to Cordelia’s aid, helping her search for the missing journal and land deed, and capturing her heart. As they race to find the deed, Cordelia and Sinclair encounter a team of British virologists trying to decode the genome of the 1918 influenza pandemic, but unearthing infected tissue samples may prove more lethal than curative. Cordelia and Sinclair sail through the Mediterranean from Monaco to an archaeological site in Ephesus, Turkey. They travel to a beautiful old Parisian home and a lavish estate in the British countryside. Their search culminates in the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, not far from the North Pole. Behind them every step of the way are a consortium of Russian underworld criminals, religious fanatics from Texas, a sinister botanist, and a sexy American spy, all hunting for the deed, all pursuing Cordelia. The Explorer’s Code is a satisfying blend of historical detail, fast-paced action, scientific discovery, and the thrill of exploration that informs as well as entertains. The breathtaking ending in the high Arctic is as chilling as a polar breeze.
The Explorers: The Door In The Alley (The Explorers #1)
by Adrienne KressFeaturing a mysterious society, a secretive past, and a pig in a teeny hat, The Explorers: The Door in the Alley is the first book in a new series for fans of The Name of This Book Is a Secret and The Mysterious Benedict Society. Knock once if you can find it—but only members are allowed inside. This is one of those stories that start with a pig in a teeny hat. It’s not the one you’re thinking about. (This story is way better than that one.) This pig-in-a-teeny-hat story starts when a very uninquisitive boy stumbles upon a very mysterious society. After that, there is danger and adventure; there are missing persons, hired thugs, a hidden box, a lost map, and famous explorers; and there is a girl looking for help that only uninquisitive boys can offer. The Explorers: The Door in the Alley is the first book in a series that is sure to hit young readers right in the funny bone. "In this wildly funny adventure,...animals in teeny hats, Wonderland-style logic, and loads of wordplay and sarcasm will keep readers giggling all the way through."-Kirkus Reviews"Exhilarating....Fans of a Series of Unfortunate Events will be drawn to this."—Booklist“A rollicking read, full of derring-do and old-fashioned villainy.”—SLJ "Funny, offbeat, and subversive...occasional footnotes and other humorous asides from the omniscient narrator break the fourth wall and ramp up the playfulness."—The Horn Book "The Explorers: The Door in the Alley is a rollicking and clever adventure! Chock full of brilliant plot twists, pitch-perfect humor, and non-stop action. Kress has kicked off this series with a bang!"—Arthur Slade, author of The Hunchback Assignments
The Explorers: The Quest for the Kid (The Explorers #3)
by Adrienne KressThe third book in the Explorers series has more mystery, more bravery, more danger than ever before! The perfect read for fans of Chris Grabenstein and The Mysterious Benedict Society!Sebastian is still at large, kidnapped again!Evie is still missing her grandfather, the leader of the Filipendulous Five!And there's still an explorer hanging from the edge of a perilous cliff!All this and more in the third book in the Explorers series: The Quest for the Kid.PRAISE FOR THE THE EXPLORERS SERIES:"[A] wildly funny adventure. . . . Animals in teeny hats, Wonderland-style logic, and loads of wordplay and sarcasm will keep readers giggling all the way through." --Kirkus Reviews"Exhilarating. . . . Fans of a Series of Unfortunate Events will be drawn to this." --Booklist"A rollicking read, full of derring-do and old-fashioned villainy." --School Library Journal"Funny, offbeat, and subversive . . . occasional footnotes and other humorous asides from the omniscient narrator break the fourth wall and ramp up the playfulness." --The Horn Book Magazine"Narrated with a smart, brisk tone and plenty of snark. . . . The Explorers: The Door in the Alley packs plenty of twists, turns and danger." --Shelf Awareness
The Explorers: The Reckless Rescue (The Explorers #2)
by Adrienne KressMore mystery, more bravery, more danger, and one amazingly reckless rescue await in the second book in the Explorers series! The perfect read for fans of The Name of This Book Is a Secret and The Mysterious Benedict Society!Reader! Your attention is greatly needed. We have left things unresolved! What began as your average story of a boy stumbling upon a pig in a teeny hat and a secret international explorers society has turned into an adventure of epic proportions. * The bad news: The boy (Sebastian) has been kidnapped by a trio of troublesome thugs. * The good news: His new friend Evie has promised to rescue him! * The bad news: Sebastian has been taken halfway around the world. * The good news: Evie has famous explorer and former Filipendulous Five member Catherine Lind at her side! * The bad news: There's still the whole matter of Evie's grandfather (and the leader of the Filipendulous Five) somewhere out there in grave danger. * The good news: Pursuing Sebastian will lead Evie and Catherine to another member of the Filipendulous Five, who might be able to help!This missive is a call to action and an invitation to join in mystery, bravery, and danger. There will be new people to meet, new places to see, and some dancing along the way. And one amazingly reckless rescue.PRAISE FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES: THE EXPLORERS: THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY:"[A] wildly funny adventure. . . . Animals in teeny hats, Wonderland-style logic, and loads of wordplay and sarcasm will keep readers giggling all the way through."-Kirkus Reviews"Exhilarating. . . . Fans of a Series of Unfortunate Events will be drawn to this."-Booklist"A rollicking read, full of derring-do and old-fashioned villainy."-School Library Journal"Funny, offbeat, and subversive . . . occasional footnotes and other humorous asides from the omniscient narrator break the fourth wall and ramp up the playfulness."-The Horn Book"Narrated with a smart, brisk tone and plenty of snark. . . . The Explorers: The Door in the Alleypacks plenty of twists, turns and danger."-Shelf Awareness
The Expressman and the Detective
by Allan PinkertonAllan Pinkerton (1819-1884) was the world's first private detective. Emigrating to Chicago from Glasgow, Scotland, he discovered a gang of counterfeiters and assisted in their capture. He became deputy sheriff of Kane County, then Cook County, resigning from the police to form the Pinkerton Detective Agency in 1852. The Pinkerton logo, the All-Seeing Eye, inspired the phrase "Private Eye".
The Expressman and the Detective: Large Print
by Allan PinkertonPinkerton sends an agent to catch a thief on the Southern railway In the build-up to the Civil War, Montgomery is a thriving town—a local capital grown rich on cotton and the railroad. When $10,000 disappears from the railroad, suspicion falls on a clerk named Maroney, an upstanding citizen whose only vice is a love of horseracing. The railroad hires the South&’s best detectives to tail Maroney, looking for a clue as to where the money has gone, but they find nothing. So they turn to the only man who can help: Allan Pinkerton. The head of the nation&’s first modern detective agency, Pinkerton invented undercover detective work, and he sends his finest agent, Mr. Porter, to infiltrate the high society of the old South. Whether Maroney is the culprit or merely a scapegoat, Porter will get to the truth. Allan Pinkerton never rests until justice is served. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Exterminators
by Bill FitzhughAll Bob Dillon ever wanted was a truck with a big fiberglass bug on the roof. All he had to do was survive a half dozen assassination attempts, pull a ten million dollar con on a Bolivian drug lord, and then fall off the face of the earth with his family and his new best friend, Klaus. Six years later, in The Exterminators, they surface in Oregon where they continue Bob's work creating an all natural means of pest control. But now, instead of cross breeding different strains of assassin bugs, they're using advanced gene sequencers to consolidate the perfect insect killing traits into one deadly bug. Only one problem: all this serious DNA tampering is expensive and they're running low on funds. The venture capital outfit that wants to invest turns out to be a front for DARPA (the Department of Defense agency charged with R&D for exotic weapons). It seems the U.S. Government wants to enlist Bob, Klaus, and the bugs in the War on Terror. Oh, and did we mention unlimited funding? An offer too good to refuse, they move to Los Angeles and get to work. Things go swimmingly until that Bolivian drug lord discovers he was conned out of his ten million. Vowing revenge, he offers twenty million to whoever kills Bob and Klaus. Some of the world's best assassins descend on Hollywood and, before you can say "It's an honor just to be nominated," the weirdness level reaches apocalyptic levels. It's a battle pitting the far right against the far left with Bob stuck in the middle and subjected to some serious post 9/11 thinking.
The Extinction Agenda (Extinction Agenda #1)
by Michael LaurenceAn FBI agent fights to stop a conspiracy to unleash a deadly virus on the world in this propulsive, exhilarating new thriller. The discovery of a deadly virus being smuggled across the border pits FBI Special Agent James Mason and his strike force against an unknown adversary hell-bent on humanity’s destruction. In a desperate effort to contain the pathogen, they launch a predawn raid, only to find that their enemy knows they’re coming…and it’s not about to be taken alive. An explosion rips through the building, killing the majority of Mason’s team, including his partner and mentor.Tormented by guilt, Mason returns to his home division, but he can’t seem to let go of the tragedy. He remembers seeing something inside the building before it went up in flames, something that convinces him that not only is the virus still out there, it’s merely the first stage of an even more nefarious plan. Obsessed with unraveling the plot, he launches his own investigation and uncovers a shadow organization on the brink of enacting its genocidal agenda, one carried out by a sinister mass murderer who’s been photographed at the epicenter of seemingly every historical pandemic…without appearing to age. An evil man who attempts to derail Mason’s investigation by murdering his wife.With the help of his longtime friends—Gunnar Backstrom, a corporate espionage gun-for-hire, and Ramses Donovan, a sin merchant of questionable morality—Mason’s hunt for his wife’s killer leads him from a dark union at the dawn of the twentieth century to a network of Nazi collaborators and a conspiracy against mankind more than a hundred years in the making. Fueled by anger and driven by the promise of vengeance, he must overcome a monster preparing to unleash his virulent wrath upon an unsuspecting world if he’s to have any hope of exposing a deep-state entity that’s rooted in every facet of our society, an entity known only as…The Thirteen.
The Extinguished Guest (A Lexie Starr Mystery, Book #2)
by Jeanne GlidewellHistorical Society President Murdered, Lexie Starr Investigates in The Extinguished Guest, A Cozy Mystery by Jeanne GlidewellAt the Grand Opening of Stone Van Patten's new B&B, the local Historical Society's soon-to-be inaugurated new president, Horatio Prescott III, is found murdered in the inn's grandest suite.Much to Van Patten's chagrin, Lexie, a widowed library assistant, decides to aid in the investigation.Despite several foiled attempts made on her own life by the killer, Lexie manages to save herself, uncover the perpetrator and rescue several abducted kakapo parrots in the process. REVIEWS:"The Lexie Starr mysteries are fast-paced, complex… and have just the right hint of romance." ~Jill Churchill, author of the Jane Jeffry and Grace and Favor series". . . the ride is rollicking right through to the end." ~Alice Duncan, author of The Daisy Gumm Majesty Mystery Series". . . an enjoyable read, for all who relish a humorously entertaining and fast-paced mystery, The Extinguished Guest is sure to please!" ~Evelyn Horan, author of Rain On My Wings, Moving on, and Aging With Gentle AttitudeTHE LEXIE STARR MYSTERIES, in series orderLeave No Stone UnturnedThe Extinguished GuestHauntedWith This RingJust DuckyThe Spirit of the Season (A Holiday Novella)Cozy CampingMarriage and MayhemTHE RIPPLE EFFECT MYSTERIES, in series orderA Rip Roaring Good TimeRip TideRipped to ShredsRip Your Heart OutRipped Apart
The Extortioners
by Ovid DemarisRICH MAN, CON MAN, ASSASSIN, THIEF...THEY PLAYED THE OLDEST--AND DEADLIEST--OF GAMESThey came at their victims from all sides.Bastiano--the feeble-minded monster whose brain knew nothing but the art of assault and mayhem...Angelo--who understood what a bottle of acid could do to a pretty face when it got in his way...Lola--who knew enough to blow the whole dirty operation to kingdom come...Gracio--who hadn't personally killed anyone in more than four years...These were the extortioners--experts in arson, intimidation, and murder.
The Extortionist and his Dolls: A Jessica March Mystery
by Mary Ann ScottJessica March is back, sleuthing in Parkdale. She’s on the trail of an extortionist whose known victims are young refugee women students at her school. If the extortionist’s victims refuse his demands for money he hurts them, or he shows them the doll. No one who has seen it is unaffected, and no one will explain its power.Jess and a group of female students are chosen to find out if there are other victims, too traumatized to complain. But the group is almost paralyzed by problems of its own: hot disagreements, personality clashes, jealousies, and worst of all, the possibility of an infiltrator. Someone (wittingly or unwittingly) is warning the extortionist. He evades every potential trap.Jess’s "sort-of" boyfriend is also giving her trouble. Excluded from the hunt for the extortionist, Jon feels discriminated against. Jess tries to placate him, but in doing so wonders if she’s telling him too much. She wonders if he’s passing the information on to his friends, including the very attractive and likeable Anthony, who almost fits the description of the extortionist. Or does he?
The Extra Cadaver Murder (Inspector Coswell of the RCMP #4)
by Roy InnesRCMP Inspector Coswell is back. A university professor is murdered and his corpse is revealed to a first year anatomy class in spectacular fashion—nude on a slab alongside shrouded medical cadavers. He begins his investigation with Corporal James, his long time assistant, but is abruptly assigned a new partner, a female officer who arrives under a political cloud. Already depressed by his perceived plunge into senility, Coswell struggles to stifle his own gender biases and work effectively with this woman. Their list of suspects grows: failed students, a jealous colleague, an intriguing ex-wife and a criminal cartel. Clues emerge that send them all over the city of Vancouver from UBC campus to downtown and its gourmet restaurants.
The Extractors
by Gary PhillipsMcBleak enjoys hobnobbing with the upper crust. Yet McBleak is never more alive than when he's extracting wealth from the wealthy. He plans to take a greedy man's gain while wondering if his girlfriend sees through his façade. But nothing ever goes as planned, and McBleak has to think on his feet or his life might be extracted from him.
The Extraordinary & Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle: Number 1 in series
by Catherine WebbIn Victorian London at the height of the industrial revolution, Horatio Lyle is a former Special Constable with a passion for science and invention. He's also an occasional, but reluctant, sleuth. The truth is that he'd rather be in his lab tinkering with dangerous chemicals and odd machinery than running around the cobbled streets of London trying to track down stolen goods. But when Her Majesty's Government calls, Horatio swaps his microscope for a magnifying glass, fills his pockets with things that explode and sallies forth to unravel a mystery of a singularly extraordinary nature.Thrown together with a reformed (i.e. 'caught') pickpocket called Tess, and a rebellious (within reason) young gentleman called Thomas, Lyle and his faithful hound, Tate, find themselves pursuing an ancient Chinese plate, a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of polite society and a dangerous enemy who may not even be human. Solving the crime will be hard enough - surviving would be a bonus...
The Extraordinary & Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle: Number 1 in series (Horatio Lyle #1)
by Catherine WebbIn Victorian London at the height of the industrial revolution, Horatio Lyle is a former Special Constable with a passion for science and invention. He's also an occasional, but reluctant, sleuth. The truth is that he'd rather be in his lab tinkering with dangerous chemicals and odd machinery than running around the cobbled streets of London trying to track down stolen goods. But when Her Majesty's Government calls, Horatio swaps his microscope for a magnifying glass, fills his pockets with things that explode and sallies forth to unravel a mystery of a singularly extraordinary nature.Thrown together with a reformed (i.e. 'caught') pickpocket called Tess, and a rebellious (within reason) young gentleman called Thomas, Lyle and his faithful hound, Tate, find themselves pursuing an ancient Chinese plate, a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of polite society and a dangerous enemy who may not even be human. Solving the crime will be hard enough - surviving would be a bonus...