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Dead Man's Diary and A Taste for Cognac: Two Mike Shayne Mysteries (The Mike Shayne Mysteries)
by Brett HallidayA double shot of iconic Miami PI Mike Shayne—&“one of the best of the tough sleuths&” (The New York Times). Dead Man&’s Diary: Florida private investigator Mike Shayne&’s in New Orleans at the behest of a distraught wife whose war-hero husband, Jasper Groat, has gone missing—along with his diary, a harrowing soon-to-be-published daily account of being set adrift in a lifeboat with two shipmates. Rumor has it it&’s also an incriminating confessional. With two corpses—and counting—it looks to Shayne like someone would prefer if Jasper and his damning revelations had been buried at sea. A Taste for Cognac: One minute, PI Mike Shayne&’s having a quick afternoon cocktail in a Miami dive. The next, he&’s been solicited to investigate an intoxicating conspiracy involving the parole of an aging bootlegger, a secretive old sea captain tortured to death, a missing female reporter, and two dozen bottles of prewar cognac—vintage, valuable, and apparently worth killing for. If anybody can pop the cork on this case, it&’s Shayne. Brett Halliday&’s &“fast‐paced world of violence, intrigues, complex twists and voluptuous women&” inspired film, radio, and television adaptations, as well as the long-running Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine (The New York Times).
The Stranger's Shadow: The Labyrinths Of Echo (book 4) (The Labyrinths of Echo #4)
by Max FreiThe international-bestselling Labyrinths of Echo series reaches its thrilling conclusion as Sir Max&’s many adventures come &“all to one glorious end&” (Kirkus Reviews). The adventures of Sir Max, who was a daydreaming loser before he discovered the parallel world of Echo, have become an international literary sensation. Now, in The Stranger&’s Shadow, Max leads the Minor Secret Investigative Force on their most dangerous mission yet. When people in Echo start mysteriously dying, Max must travel to the Dark Side of Echo, where the shadows of the dead reside, to destroy the Lonely Shadow. But behind the Lonely Shadow lurks an even darker force. Someone has been manipulating its power to attack Echo. Now the redoubtable Max must venture into a realm of unparalleled danger. &“If Harry Potter smoked cigarettes and took a certain matter-of-fact pleasure in administering tough justice, he might like Max Frei.&” —Kirkus Reviews on The Stranger
Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America
by Jack Rakove&“[A] wide-ranging and nuanced group portrait of the Founding Fathers&” by a Pulitzer Prize winner (The New Yorker). In the early 1770s, the men who invented America were living quiet, provincial lives in the rustic backwaters of the New World, devoted to family and the private pursuit of wealth and happiness. None set out to become &“revolutionary.&” But when events in Boston escalated, they found themselves thrust into a crisis that moved quickly from protest to war. In Revolutionaries, a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian shows how the private lives of these men were suddenly transformed into public careers—how Washington became a strategist, Franklin a pioneering cultural diplomat, Madison a sophisticated constitutional thinker, and Hamilton a brilliant policymaker. From the Boston Tea Party to the First Continental Congress, from Trenton to Valley Forge, from the ratification of the Constitution to the disputes that led to our two-party system, Rakove explores the competing views of politics, war, diplomacy, and society that shaped our nation. We see the founders before they were fully formed leaders, as ordinary men who became extraordinary, altered by history. &“[An] eminently readable account of the men who led the Revolution, wrote the Constitution and persuaded the citizens of the thirteen original states to adopt it.&” —San Francisco Chronicle &“Superb . . . a distinctive, fresh retelling of this epochal tale . . . Men like John Dickinson, George Mason, and Henry and John Laurens, rarely leading characters in similar works, put in strong appearances here. But the focus is on the big five: Washington, Franklin, John Adams, Jefferson, and Hamilton. Everyone interested in the founding of the U.S. will want to read this book.&” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Misdirection: The Rusty Diamond Trilogy (book 1) (The Rusty Diamond Mysteries #1)
by Austin WilliamsA street magician needs more than sleight-of-hand to survive in this dark, edgy crime thriller . . . After years of chasing fame and hedonistic excess in the bright lights of Las Vegas, Rusty &“The Raven&” Diamond has returned home to Ocean City, Maryland, to piece his life back together. When he finds himself an innocent suspect in his landlord&’s brutal murder, Rusty abandons all hope of maintaining a tranquil existence. Acting on impulse, he digs into the investigation just enough to anger both the police and a local drug cartel. As the case grows more complex, claiming new victims and inciting widespread panic, Rusty feels galvanized by the adrenaline he&’s been missing for too long. But his newfound excitement threatens to become an addiction, leading him headfirst into an underworld he&’s been desperately trying to escape . . . This is the first in the series featuring an illusionist-turned-sleuth by the author of The Platinum Loop, which was praised by Publishers Weekly as &“pulp fun at its best.&”
Portrait of a President
by William ManchesterAn up-close look at John F. Kennedy by one of his closest confidants, a New York Times–bestselling biographer. Written by a prize-winning historian and biographer of such giants as Winston S. Churchill and Douglas MacArthur, this intimately detailed account provides a rare personal glimpse into the emotions behind the Kennedy administration—from the elation of victory to the frustrating challenges facing a young president at a pivotal turning point in US history. Originally published in 1962—before the assassination of JFK—Portrait of a President is William Manchester&’s first biography of the thirty-fifth president of the United States. In addition to firsthand encounters with JFK, the biography draws from over forty interviews conducted in the first year of his presidency. In speaking with those closest to the commander-in-chief, both in his administration and his family, Manchester captures a complete portrait of one of the most highly regarded figures of the twentieth century. This edition includes a new introduction and epilogue written by Manchester in the aftermath of November 1963, adding to the mythos by documenting not just how President Kennedy lived, but also the legacy he left behind.
The Talking Shadow
by Akhona C. KhumaloThe Talking Shadow is about a little girl who, upon visiting a playground, sees a shadow beside her. The shadow is portrayed in the story as a living character named Shadow. To the girl’s surprise, this shadow can talk! She notices that the shadow goes everywhere she goes and does everything she does, so she tries to outsmart the shadow. Though she is initially annoyed with the shadow, she finally realizes that they can be friends.
Naas - The Brainy Falcon's Adventures
by Abdulla MahmoodNaas – The Brainy Falcon’s Adventures is a follow-up to the successful Naas – The Brainy Falcon, which continues children’s stories about the adventures of Naas, the intelligent falcon, and Monk, the creative monkey, who together find clever ways of helping animals in trouble. Naas – The Brainy Falcon’s Adventures consists of five exciting and fun-filled animal stories which intelligently and sympathetically tackle topics of bullying, gender equality, body-shaming, respect and environmental awareness. The stories are a perfect mix of entertainment and lessons, written to have an endearing and positive impact on young minds. Naas stories are meant to engage, entertain and educate young children.
Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty
by Beth Zasloff Joshua SteckelAn &“invaluable&” memoir by a counselor who left the elite private-school world to help poor and working-class kids get into college (Washington Monthly). Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award Joshua Steckel left an elite Manhattan school to serve as the first-ever college guidance counselor at a Brooklyn public high school—and has helped hundreds of disadvantaged kids gain acceptance. But getting in is only one part of the drama. This riveting work of narrative nonfiction follows the lives of ten of Josh&’s students as they navigate the vast, obstacle-ridden landscape of college in America, where students for whom the stakes of education are highest find unequal access and inadequate support. Among the students we meet are Mike, who writes his essays from a homeless shelter and is torn between his longing to get away to an idyllic campus and his fear of leaving his family in desperate circumstances; Santiago, a talented, motivated, and undocumented student, who battles bureaucracy and low expectations as he seeks a life outside the low-wage world of manual labor; and Ashley, who pursues her ambition to become a doctor with almost superhuman drive—but then forges a path that challenges received wisdom about the value of an elite liberal arts education. At a time when the idea of &“college for all&” is hotly debated, this book uncovers, in heartrending detail, the ways the American education system fails in its promise as a ladder to opportunity—yet provides hope in its portrayal of the intelligence, resilience, and everyday heroics of young people whose potential is too often ignored. &“A profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students . . . and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible.&” —Booklist
The End of the River: Dams, Drought and Déjà Vu on the Rio São Francisco
by Brian Harvey&“[Harvey] may have created a new literary genre: science travel writing . . . travelogue, autobiography, history, and even fantasy romp alongside the biology&” (Quill & Quire). When biologist Brian Harvey saw a thousand fish blundering into a Brazilian dam, he asked the obvious: What&’s going to happen to them? The End of the River is the story of his long search for an answer. Harvey takes readers from a fisheries patrol boat on the Fraser River to the great Tsukiji fish market in Japan, with stops in the Philippines, Thailand, and assorted South American countries. Finally, in the arid outback of northeast Brazil, against a backdrop of a multi-billion-dollar river project nobody seems to want, he finds a small-scale answer to his simple question. In recounting his journey, he populates his story with characters both real and imagined, human and otherwise—a six-foot endangered catfish; a Canadian professor with a weakness for Thai bar girls; a chain-smoking Brazilian with a passion for her river; a drug-addled stick-up artist. The End of the River is about fishermen, fish farmers, and fish cops; there are scientists and shysters as well as a few Colombian narcotráficos and some very drunk, very hairy Brazilian men in thongs. From the founder of the World Fisheries Trust, Harvey introduces a new kind of writing about the environment, as far off the beaten track as you can get in a Land Rover driven by a female Colombian biologist whose favorite expression is &“No hay via!&”—meaning, &“no road!&” &“[A] freewheeling and vividly written essay on the mysteries and longings of what it is to be human in a world of cynicism and loss—and more significantly, what it is to be hopeful, to persevere, in the search for redemption and beauty . . . A brilliant and instructive book . . . recalls the travel writing of one of Harvey&’s heroes, Sir Richard Burton.&” —The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons: A Journey to the Flora and Fauna of a Unique Island (El\libro De Bolsillo Ser.)
by Gerald DurrellTravel to Mauritius on a quest to save endangered species with the British naturalist whose work inspired Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu. The green and mountainous island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean was once the home of the ill-fated dodo. The island saw many other animals vanish from its soil, and by the 1970s, numerous species were close to being eliminated. Enter Gerald Durrell. Durrell sets out on a search for bats and pink pigeons, climbing near-vertical rock faces to find Telfair&’s skinks and Gunther&’s geckos, and swimming about coral reefs with multicolored marine life. But rounding up a collection to take back with him to his animal sanctuary in the English Channel won&’t be easy: There are many dangers awaiting him. Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons is a delightful and inspiring adventure by the author of My Family and Other Animals, among other much-loved memoirs. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author&’s estate.
Hidden Terrors: The Truth About U.S. Police Operations in Latin America (Forbidden Bookshelf #27)
by A. J. LangguthA &“devastating&” exposé of the United States&’ Latin American policy and the infamous career and assassination of agent Dan Mitrione (Kirkus Reviews). In 1960, former Richmond, Indiana, police chief Dan Mitrione moved to Brazil to begin a new career with the United States Agency for International Development. During his ten years with the USAID, Mitrione trained and oversaw foreign police forces in extreme counterinsurgency tactics—including torture—aimed at stomping out communism across South America. Though he was only a foot soldier in a larger secret campaign, he became a symbol of America&’s brutal interventionism when he was kidnapped and executed by Tupamaro rebels in Montevideo, Uruguay. In Hidden Terrors, former New York Times Saigon bureau chief A. J. Langguth chronicles with chilling detail Mitrione&’s work for the USAID on the ground in South America and Washington, DC, where he shared his expertise. Along the way, Langguth provides an authoritative overview of America&’s efforts to destabilize communist movements and prop up military dictators in South America, presenting a &“powerful indictment of what the United States helped to bring about in this hemisphere&” (The New York Times). Even today, the tactics Mitrione helped develop continue to influence operations in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and black sites around the globe.
There Are No Ghosts in the Soviet Union: And Other Stories
by Reginald Hill&“Dark humor . . . clever plotting . . . and a few fine shivers&” in Hill&’s collection of short fiction, including a Dalziel and Pascoe story (Kirkus Reviews). Best known for his Dalziel and Pascoe novels, which were adapted into a hit BBC series, Reginald Hill proves himself to be a &“master of . . . cerebral puzzle mysteries&” in his stand-alone novels and short stories as well—now available as ebooks (The New York Times). &“With gleeful malice aforethought, Hill explodes the genre of the short murder tale and diverts it to his own wicked, original ends&” in these five stories and one novella (Publishers Weekly). In &“Bring Back the Cat,&” a missing feline leads British PI Joe Sixsmith to a shocking discovery in the suburbs. A freak death at a sadistic French military training camp ignites revenge in &“The Bull Ring.&” In &“Auteur Theory,&” a marvelous meta-fictional story, author Reginald Hill unleashes his rage when one of his Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries is made into a less-than-stellar movie. &“Poor Emma&” dashes the expectations of Jane Austen&’s heroine after her marriage to Mr. Knightley. A home invasion takes an unexpected twist in &“Crowded Hour.&” And in the title tale, a Russian inspector turns ghost hunter to solve a puzzling fifty-year-old mystery.
Grief Interrupted: A Holistic Guide to Reclaiming Your Joy
by Corey StilesA heartfelt guide for grieving mothers, from someone who has found her way out of the pain and darkness of this uniquely difficult loss. None of us escapes life without experiencing grief in one form or another. But the journey of grieving parents, specifically that of the grieving mother, is something no one can imagine unless they have lived it. Is there a way through? Is it possible to live vibrantly again, to find joy and purpose in life after your teenage child has passed on? Grief Interrupted is a letter of love, hope, and healing from one mother in grief to another. Corey Stiles, who lost her seventeen-year-old daughter, has walked the path, and her words will inspire you to reclaim your joy. With Corey as your guide, start your journey to a new normal where you will create space for both sorrow and joy to reside within you, without crippling you. On this courageous sojourn, you will rediscover the magic and wonder of life while still honoring your loved one who has transitioned to heaven. Grief Interrupted is like a personal healing retreat for grieving mothers. If you&’re ready to move out of the dark, painful sea of grief and into the warmth and light of joy, this is your starting point. While this is a journey only you can set out on, you are not alone. You have someone to guide you, to encourage you, and to walk alongside you. And as difficult as it may be to believe right now, you can be happy again.
Body & Soul: A Novel
by Frank ConroyThis saga of a son of the working class who grows into a piano prodigy is &“hypnotically readable . . . The best story I know of in a long, long time&” (Vanity Fair). As a boy, Claude Rawlings looks up through the grated window of his basement apartment to watch the world go by. Poor, lonely, supported by a taxi-driver mother whose eccentricities spin more and more out of control, he faces the terrible task of growing up on the margins of life, destined to be a spectator of that great world always hurrying out of reach. But there is an out-of-tune piano in the small apartment, and in unlocking the secrets of its keys, as if by magic, Claude discovers himself. He is a musical prodigy. Body & Soul is the story of a young man whose life is transformed by a gift. The gift is not without price—the work is relentless, the teachers exacting—but the reward is a journey that takes him to the drawing rooms of the rich and powerful, private schools, a gilt-edged marriage, and Carnegie Hall. Claude moves through this life as if he were playing a difficult composition, swept up in its drama and tension, surprised by its grace notes. Music, here, becomes a character in its own right, equaled in strength only by the music of Frank Conroy&’s own unmistakable and true voice. Bristling with character and invention, Body & Soul is Dickensian in its range and richness. This is a novel with all the emotional appeal and moral gravity of a classic bildungsroman, but with a tone as contemporary as a jazz riff—an unforgettable achievement by one of the great writers of our time.
Some Dream for Fools: A Novel
by Faïza GuèneA novel of a twentysomething, Algerian-born woman living on the edge in France, from &“one of the hottest literary talents of multicultural Europe&” (Sunday Telegraph). When Ahlème&’s mother was killed in a village massacre, she left Algeria for France with her father and brother and never returned. Now, more than a decade later, she is practically French, yet in many ways she remains an outsider. Ahlème&’s dreams for a better life have been displaced by the harsh realities she faces every day. Her father is unable to work after an accident at his construction site and her brother boils over with adolescent energy, teetering dangerously close to choosing a life of crime. As a temporary resident, Ahlème could at any moment be sent back to a village and a life that are now more foreign than Paris. In Some Dream for Fools, Faïza Guène explores the disparity between the expectations and limitations of immigrant life in the West and tells a remarkable story of one woman&’s courage to dream. &“With a keen eye for detail and a sharp narrative tone, [Guène] gives voice to a hurt too long unrecognized. . . . [She] takes us into another world—a world that no nation today can afford to ignore.&” —The Christian Science Monitor
Space Around Us
by Ahmad Faisal AlyousufThis book talks all about the planets in our solar system, this book features a Fact Box, which gives you quick information and comparisons to planets. This book also includes fun facts. The book also briefly talks about the sun. This book has information up-to-date as of 2024.
التواصل الدبلوماسي لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة أمام تحدي ثورة المعلومات
by د.طلال راشد جمعان الحارثيإنَّ موضوع التواصُل الذكي تحديدًا في المجتمعات الحديثة يكتسب أهميَّة كُبرى؛ مِن حيث تنفيذ الأعمال والمهامّ والواجبات التواصليَّة باستخدام عالم الشبكات الإلكترونيَّة والرقميَّة.. ممَّا أهَّله لدخول العالم الافتراضي للتواصل.. وبما أنَّ المؤسسة الدبلوماسيَّة كعضو وشريك فعَّال في هذه المنظومة، فليس منَ الغريب أن تتأثَّرَ هذه المؤسسة بهذه التغيُّرات حتَّى لا يكون متأخرة عن الباقين.. وبالتالي سعَت للحصول على الامتيازات الذكيَّة لتنفيذ مهامها المحلية والدولية. ولَم تكن الدبلوماسية الإماراتية بمعزل عن هذا التأثير.. بعد انخراطها في عمليَّة تحديث وتأهيل معلوماتي وتكنولوجي كبير لوسائل عملها.. بالاعتماد أكثر على الإعلام الرقميِّ وشبكات التواصُل والتطبيقات الذكيَّة في الدفاع عن الأطروحات الخارجيَّة للدولة.. وأيضًا على مستوى تقديم الخدمات الدبلوماسية والقنصلية للمواطن الإماراتي؛ وهو الأمر الذي أهَّلها لأنْ تكون في طليعة الدول في مجال التواصل الدبلوماسي الحديث. إبراز الدَّور الدبلوماسي الحديث لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، نرى أن مراحل التطوُّر المتباينة الَّتي مرَّ منها على مدار العقود السابقة.. أسهمَت في التحوُّل منَ الدبلوماسية التقليدية إلى الذكية.. معتمدةً في تقديم خدماتها للمجتمع المحليِّ والدولي على وسائل رقميَّة وذكيَّة.
Waiting for the Man: A Novel
by Arjun BasuAn advertising man searches for meaning in this &“fascinating dissection of the media world we live in . . . A thought-provoking road-trip tale&” (Chicago Tribune). Longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize In his mid-thirties, Joe works as an advertising copywriter for a slick New York agency. But he feels disillusioned with his life, and finds himself experiencing dreams about a mysterious man, seeing him on the street, hearing his voice. Joe decides to listen. So he waits on his stoop, day and night, for instructions. A local reporter takes notice, and soon Joe has become a media sensation, the center of a storm. When the Man tells Joe to &“go west,&” he does. What follows is a compelling and visceral story about the struggle to find something more in life, told in two interwoven threads—Joe at the beginning of his journey in Manhattan, and at the end of it as he finds new purpose on a ranch in Montana under the endless sky. &“A strangely engrossing, meticulously written allegory of the present moment.&” —Douglas Coupland, author of Worst. Person. Ever.
Holocaust Journey: Travelling in Search of the Past
by Martin Gilbert&“A travelogue, spanning two weeks, of the essential sites of the Holocaust, by the venerable historian and author . . . [A] soul-searching trip&” (Kirkus Reviews). In 1996, prominent Holocaust historian Sir Martin Gilbert embarked on a fourteen-day journey into the past with a group of his graduate students from University College, London. Their destination? Places where the terrible events of the Holocaust had left their mark in Europe. From the railway lines near Auschwitz to the site of Oskar Schindler&’s heroic efforts in Cracow, Poland, Holocaust Journey features intimate personal meditations from one of our greatest modern historians, and is supported by wartime documents, letters, and diaries—as well as over fifty photographs and maps by the author—all of which help interweave Gilbert&’s trip with his students with the surrounding history of the towns, camps, and other locations visited. The result is a narrative of the Holocaust that ties the past to the present with poignancy and power. &“Gilbert . . . is a dedicated guide to this difficult material. We can be grateful for his thoroughness, courage and guidance.&” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord
by Ray RaphaelThe original rebels: &“Brings into clear focus events and identities of ordinary people who should share the historic limelight with the Founding Fathers.&” —Publishers Weekly According to the traditional telling, the American Revolution began with &“the shot heard &’round the world.&” But the people started taking action earlier than many think. The First American Revolution uses the wide-angle lens of a people&’s historian to tell a surprising new story of America&’s revolutionary struggle. In the years before the battle of Lexington and Concord, local people—men and women of common means but of uncommon courage—overturned British authority and declared themselves free from colonial oppression, with acts of rebellion that long predated the Boston Tea Party. In rural towns such as Worcester, Massachusetts, democracy set down roots well before the Boston patriots made their moves in the fight for independence. Richly documented, The First American Revolution recaptures in vivid detail the grassroots activism that drove events in the years leading up to the break from Britain.
Mars: A Novel (The Grand Tour #4)
by Ben BovaConsidered one of Ben Bova&’s most famous Grand Tour novels: &“A gripping, realistic tale of man&’s first expedition to the red planet. Don&’t miss it&” (Terry Brooks, New York Times–bestselling author of The Shannara Chronicles). Jamie Waterman is a young Navaho geologist who is picked for the ground team of the first manned expedition to Mars. He will be joining an international team of astronauts and scientists. But once the crew land on the red planet, they soon discover they must battle not only the alien land on which they have invaded but earthbound bureaucrats as well. When they come face to face with a chasm ten times as deep and large as the Grand Canyon, all twenty-five astronauts must face the most shocking discovery of all . . . &“The science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.&” —Ray Bradbury, author of Farenheit 451 &“A splendid book . . . Of his many books, Mars must be the most important.&” —Arthur C. Clarke, author of Islands in the Sky
Kill Khalid: The Failed Mossad Assassination of Khalid Mishal and the Rise of Hamas
by Paul McGeough&“Meticulously researched . . . This is the definitive chronicle of the Middle East crisis during the Clinton years and in the post-9/11 era&” (Publishers Weekly). &“Providing a fly-on-the-wall vantage of the rising diplomatic panic that sent shudders through world capitals,&” Kill Khalid unfolds as a masterpiece of investigative journalism (Toronto Star). In 1997, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad poisoned Hamas leader Khalid Mishal in broad daylight on the streets of Amman, Jordan. As the little-known Palestinian leader slipped into a coma, the Mossad agents&’ escape was bungled and the episode quickly spiraled into a diplomatic crisis. A series of high-stakes negotiations followed, which ultimately saved Mishal and set the stage for his phenomenal political ascendancy. In Kill Khalid, acclaimed reporter Paul McGeough reconstructs the history of Hamas through exclusive interviews with key players across the Middle East and in Washington, including unprecedented access to Mishal himself, who remains to this day one of the most powerful and enigmatic figures in the region. A &“sobering reminder of how little has been achieved during 60 years of Israeli efforts in Palestine,&” Kill Khalid tracks Hamas&’s political fortunes across a decade of suicide bombings, political infighting, and increasing public support, culminating in the battle for Gaza in 2007 and the current-day political stalemate (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). &“A pacey, riveting, and controversial book that has all the compulsion of a Le Carré novel.&” —John F. Burns, The New York Times &“[A] gem of leave-no-stone-unturned reporting.&” —Foreign Affairs
Dark Waters (The Milt Kovak Mysteries #10)
by Susan Rogers Cooper&“Characters and dialogue as American as apple pie, a keep-&’em-guessing plot, and laugh-aloud humor. A downright good read.&” —Booklist When Oklahoma sheriff Milt Kovak wins a seven-day cruise for four to Puerto Rico, he takes his family—wife Jean and son Johnny Mac, plus Johnny Mac&’s best friend, Early Rollins. It&’s spring break and the ship is running over with children—and they really are running, everywhere. It&’s complete chaos, but things are about to get even worse when Johnny Mac and Early are caught stealing. The boys confess that they were put up to it by an older boy named Joshua—who is soon found dead on the top deck. And with two full days of sailing ahead—plus word of trouble back home in Prophesy County—Milt and his wife must team up with the ship&’s security officer to try to find the killer . . . &“One of today&’s finest mystery writers.&” —Carolyn Hart
Searching for Bobby Fischer: A Father's Story of Love and Ambition
by Fred WaitzkinThe inspiration for the iconic film, this memoir by the father of a prodigy reflects on chess, competition, and childhood. Fred Waitzkin fell in love with chess during the Cold War–era showdown between Russian champion Boris Spassky and young American superstar Bobby Fischer. Twelve years later, Waitzkin&’s own son, Joshua, discovered chess in Washington Square Park and began displaying the telltale signs of a prodigy. Soon, crowds gathered to watch the six-year-old, calling him a &“Young Fischer.&” An unstoppable player, little Josh was suddenly catapulted into the intense world of competitive chess. When Josh first sat down at a chessboard, he was a charming, rambunctious, rough-and-tumble child. Within weeks, he was playing the game with poise and constrained violence, as if there were a wise old man plotting moves inside him. Then, renowned coach Bruce Pandolfini discovered Josh in the park and began to refine the child&’s game. In Searching for Bobby Fischer, Waitzkin recounts his journey with his son into the world of chess, from the colorful milieu of street hustlers to the international network of grandmasters. Looming large over their story is the elusive Bobby Fischer, whose mysterious disappearance from the chess world created a vacuum that would profoundly affect young Josh and his dad. Josh went on to win eight national championships before he turned twenty—but his achievements did not come without cost. In this memoir, Waitzkin explores his love and ambition for Josh, who faces pressures far beyond his years. Even as father and son travel to Moscow to watch Kasparov challenge Karpov, Waitzkin doubts his own motives: Is he pushing his son too hard? Is the game a joy to Josh, or is he just fulfilling his father&’s wishes? Searching for Bobby Fischer is about more than chess. &“A little gem of a book,&” it is ultimately about the struggle we all face to love our families and do right by them while also setting our own paths as individuals (The New York Times).
Caress
by Rosanne BittnerA mesmerizing historical western novel of vengeance and passion from the bestselling author of Unforgettable. Blake Hastings travels to Kansas with revenge on his mind. He plans to bring the pro-slavery killer who murdered his father to brutal justice. But his mission is sidetracked when he meets a beautiful woman whose fiery nature matches his own. Samantha Walters is not one to be trifled with, and the simmering passion she feels for Blake, and that he feels for her, makes him question his bloody mission, and whether salvation and peace can exist instead in her arms. &“Power, passion, tragedy and triumph are Rosanne Bittner&’s hallmarks. Again and again, she brings readers to tears.&” —RT Book Reviews