The distant drone of the plane engine grew louder. The zebra-striped VW van was parked, abandoned, on the beach beside the lake. Ten children, members of the beleaguered royal family of the deposed emperor Haile Selassie, watched the sky eagerly. Was it possible that today they could actually make their escape from Ethiopia's hostile Marxist government and find safety and freedom in a peaceful land? --From publisher's description.
Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules from a peach is not a funny-looking apple to keep your pants on in public---in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?
I very much enjoy your codewords - the best Ive found. I suffer a lot of long-distance flights and they are perfect to while away the hours between London and Sydney! Richard Im in crossword heaven. You are such a challenge but great. I am a retired teacher and my brain screams for challenge. I have at last found it. TV, etc. is no challenge, nor does it satisfy the inquiring mind. My son-in-law gave me a codeword book and they are not nearly as good as yours. Thanks so much Catherine, you are a great detective! Felicity I really enjoy the challenge your puzzles give me. Chantelle Acknowledgements: Ian Porter, Lorraine and David Hughes, Joan Kelly, Margaret Campbell, Allan Went,Wes Towers www.omnificdesign.com.au
More than a high-stakes espionage thriller, Fallout painstakingly examines the huge costs of the CIA’s errors and the lost opportunities to halt the spread of nuclear weapons technology long before it was made available to some of the most dangerous and reckless adversaries of the United States and its allies. For more than a quarter of a century, while the Central Intelligence Agency turned a dismissive eye, a globe-straddling network run by Pakistani scientist A. Q. Khan sold the equipment and expertise to make nuclear weapons to a rogues’ gallery of nations. Among its known customers were Iran, Libya, and North Korea. When the United States finally took action to stop the network in late 2003, President George W. Bush declared the end of the global enterprise to be a major intelligence victory that had made the world safer. But, as investigative journalists Catherine Collins and Douglas Frantz document masterfully, the claim that Khan’s operation had been dismantled was a classic case of too little, too late. Khan’s ring had, by then, sold Iran the technology to bring Tehran to the brink of building a nuclear weapon. It had also set loose on the world the most dangerous nuclear secrets imaginable—sophisticated weapons designs, blueprints for uranium enrichment plants, plans for warheads—all for sale to the highest bidder. Relying on explosive new information gathered in exclusive interviews with key participants and previously undisclosed, highly confidential documents, the authors expose the truth behind the elaborate efforts by the CIA to conceal the full extent of the damage done by Khan’s network and to cover up how the profound failure to stop the atomic bazaar much earlier jeopardizes our national security today.
Magic, cunning, and one very special cat join forces in this hilarious, extraordinary tale by the author of the Dairy Queen trilogy and Princess Ben. Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure beyond the staid old kingdom of Montagne. Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true identity a secret. Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips. These three souls might possibly attain their dreams while preserving their empire from ruin — if only they can bear one another’s company long enough to come up with a plan.
A Booklist Top 10 First Novels of 2012 pick A Bookpage Best Books of 2012 pick “A richly emotional portrait of a family that had me spellbound from page one.”—Cheryl Strayed, bestselling author of Wild The night before Janie’s sister, Hannah, is born, her grandmother tells her a story: Since the Japanese occupation of Korea, their family has lost a daughter in every generation, and Janie is told to keep Hannah safe. Years later, when Hannah inexplicably cuts all ties and disappears, Janie goes to find her. Thus begins a journey that will force her to confront her family’s painful silence, the truth behind her parents’ sudden move to America twenty years earlier, and her own conflicted feelings toward Hannah. Weaving Korean folklore within a modern narrative of immigration and identity, Forgotten Country is a fierce exploration of the inevitability of loss, the conflict between obligation and freedom, and a family struggling to find its way out of silence and back to one another.
"Nobody writes to-die-for military heroes like Catherine Mann!" — Suzanne Brockmann, New York Times bestselling author of Tall, Dark and Devastating It should have been a simple mission... Pararescueman Wade Rocha fast ropes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine... But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple... With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm... until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime... Unable to trust the local police force, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled... "When you read Catherine Mann you... get nonstop action, nail-biting suspense, and heart-stopping romance." —The Romance Studio
Deadly awakening When robotics expert Megan O'Flannery is offered the chance to direct MindSim's cutting-edge program to develop a self-aware android, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. But the project is trouble plagued--the third prototype "killed" itself, and the RS-4 is unstable. Megan will descend into MindSim's underground research lab in the Nevada desert, where she will be the sole human in contact with the RS-4, dubbed Aris. Programmed as part of a top-secret defense project, the awakening Aris quickly proves to be deviously resourceful and basically uncontrollable. When Megan enlists the help of Raj Sundaram, the quirky, internationally renowned robotics genius, the android develops a jealous hostility toward Raj--and a fixation on Megan. But soon she comes to realize that Raj may be an even greater danger--and that her life may depend on the choice she makes between the man she wants to trust and the android she created.
A New York Times Best Thriller of 2021 A Washington Post Best Thriller of 2021 A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year An Amazon Editors’ Pick ''Bloody good.'' —The New York Times ''Timely, surprising, emotionally alive, this is about as good as suspense fiction gets.'' —Washington Post No one even knew they were together. Now one of them is dead. 56 DAYS AGO Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores. 35 DAYS AGO When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who—and what—he really is. TODAY Detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside. Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?
Evangelicals in the Shadows of Global Conflict In the twentieth century, a hidden chapter of the Cold War unfolded in Africa, shaped by American evangelical missionaries. Accidental Diplomats uncovers this lesser-known story, revealing how these missionaries’ quest to spread the gospel intersected with global geopolitics. Their spiritual mission had an unforeseen impact on the socio-political dynamics of the era. This book offers a deep dive into the complex interplay of evangelical missions, African politics, and Cold War strategies. It explores the significant yet subtle role of faith in shaping international relations and cultural transformations in Congo, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The narrative brings to light key events and influential figures, unraveling the intricate web of religion and global power politics. Accidental Diplomats is an enlightening read that challenges conventional Cold War narratives, spotlighting the often-overlooked influence of American evangelicals in shaping Africa’s political landscape during this tumultuous period. Providing a unique perspective on the intersections of faith, history, and international diplomacy during the Cold War, this book will be a valuable resource for scholars and lay readers alike.
