The story focuses on two female roommates, CarlaBanks and Lori Williams. As the pair make new friends and renew old acquaintances, the story culminates with a 30th wedding anniversary party for Carla's parents at a lush mountain resort. When a guest is found murdered, Carla and Lori quickly find themselves on the suspect list. Could they be on someone's hit list as well?
Solving a murder committed millions of miles from Earth has unique challenges… Dr. Zenobia Batiste has a Ph.D. in forensic sociology and a master’s degree in social work. Her specific field is human behavior and social structures in extraterrestrial colonies. A trained investigator, Dr. Zen is an agent with the Office of Special Investigations. NASA and the DOJ created the unit to conduct criminal investigations connected to and within the space program. The OSI is an agency so low-key most Americans don’t know it exists. And the White House would like to keep it that way. When a top scientist is found dead on the first space station to welcome tourists, Dr. Zen is headed for the stars. Once there, officials seem more intent on covering up problems than cooperating. Her new partner, only recently cleared of murder, has secrets that follow him. All of it crashes together to complicate Dr. Zen's case. But she's going to get to the truth; even if she has to turn Earth and space inside out.
This prize-winning comic thriller takes readers “from high-octane gun antics to kitchen mopping in East Kilbride . . . [in] one beast of a story” (The Guardian, UK). International bestselling author Christopher Brookmyre has been lauded for his dark sense of humor and brilliant suspense plotting. Now his Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize–winning novel follows “his most ambitious heroine yet”: a forty-six-year-old house-proud grandmother (The Guardian, UK). As a teenager, Jane Bell had dreamt of playing in the casinos of Monte Carlo, surrounded by the likes of James Bond. But now her dreams are as dry as the dust her Dyson sucks up from her hall carpet. Her son Ross, a researcher for a Swiss arms manufacturer, is the one with the exciting life. But lately it’s gotten a bit too exciting. Ross needs to disappear before some shady characters force him to divulge the secrets of his research. And they’re not the only ones desperate to locate him. Ross’s firm has hired a team of security experts, and, headed by the enigmatic Bett, they have little in common apart from total professionalism and a thorough disregard for the law. Bett believes the key to Ross’s whereabouts is his mother, and in one respect, he is right. But even he is taken aback by her dogged determination to secure her son’s safety. The teenage dreams of fast cars, high-tech firepower, and extreme action had always promised to be fun and games, but in real life, it’s likely someone is going to lose an eye . . . “Funny, electric and captivating.” —Times (UK)
The second volume of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collection , featuring content previously published in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Magazine. Each volume brings together a collection of the best of the official Buffy the Vampire Slayer Magazine content, celebrating the Slayer, her world and her legacy. Featuring cast and crew interviews, in-depth features and behind the scenes pictures and secrets, this is an essential read for Buffy fans old and new.
VENTURA, Calif. Fairytales continue to enchant both the young and old. This enduring tradition lingers in the present day through countless movies and literary works. In his new novel, Witchcraft, author Jayme Alan Toomey spins a darkly riveting story out of the the timeless appeal of fairytales. This modern retelling follows a family, the Dooms, on vacation. Jess wants to try something different for once and so they opt for a rural community rife with local legends, cults and an otherworldly atmosphere. Jess boyfriend, Jamie, comes along with them and they eagerly enjoy the respite from their lives in the urban jungle. Unbeknownst to them all, there is more to the peace and quiet than meets the eye. Dark forces are at work beneath the towns idyll and what started as a fun getaway quickly became a deadly game involving the sacrifice of innocent blood, witchcraft and the resurgence of an evil from an all too familiar fairytale. Suffused with magic and menace, Witchcraft is a richly atmospheric novel that will enthrall fans of fairytales and fairytale retellings and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadowy realms of lore.
Jason Thompson, Level 14 Shaman/Oozemaster and author of Manga: The Complete Guide, joins forces with Victor Hao to deliver a wickedly funny send-up of manga and gamer culture. Roll up your character and get ready! THE GREATEST GAMER ON EARTH At the University of California, Escondido, no one would guess that freshman Shesh Maccabee is a hard-core gamer—and in recovery to boot, following a court order, a wireless ban, and months of therapy (all because of one little seven-day Internet café episode). His friend Mike—who personally prefers Japanese-console RPGs—is tasked with keeping Shesh far away from any computer with access to World of Warfare. Everything's going according to plan—until a Ren Faire fangirl introduces them to the campus gaming club, where they meet Theodore, a fanatical tabletop game master whose single goal in life is to run the greatest Mages & Monsters game in the world. And there just happens to be room for two more players. Soon Shesh and Mike are dragged into the dungeon of hard-core gaming—and cops, baboon men, Sri Lankan cave roaches, and Gothémon card collectors converge in the zaniest adventure that ever involved twenty-sided dice!
Enjoy this fun amateur sleuth short story by best-selling cozy murder mystery blind author S.Y. Robins. A group of friends meet up every year at a vineyard in the Virginia hills to prepare for the summer vacation and three months of their children being at home. They love their children but sometimes a mommy needs to be prepared. When one of the ladies doesn't show up, a hunt begins with jokes and gossip. But then the friend is soon found, in one of the fields of the vineyards, her hand clinging to the grapes and a piece of paper. It’s all fun and games until somebody dies. The ladies suspected the friend was having an affair but finding out the truth could prove deadly as Tania searches for clues. The police might have dismissed her friend’s death as nothing more than an accident but Tania knows better. As she digs into her friend’s past Tania starts to uncover secrets she could have never imagined, secrets that could get her killed. After escaping a kidnap Tania should be cowed and hiding in her home but she knows the answer is out there and someone is guilty of murdering her friend. Sitting at home waiting on the police to catch the killer could get her killed so Tania continues her search. Finding out the truth could be the very last thing she does though. If you enjoy a light-hearted, easy, and relaxing murder mystery book, then this is the book for you. Suitable for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman, and Deany Ray.
Ancient magic sends a modern woman on a passionate adventure to the 13th-century Scottish Highlands in this enchanting time travel romance perfect for fans of Outlander. Scotland, 1272. Connor MacKiernan, a descendant of the Fae Prince, is a warrior who lives only for honor and duty. Though he’s vowed never to marry, that’s exactly what he must do to save his sister. Enter a little Faerie magic, and the search for a bride is on. Denver, 2007. Caitlyn Coryell is having a really bad day—she just discovered that her fiancé is cheating on her, marrying her only for her family’s money and influence. Imagine her surprise when she puts on an antique pendant and Connor suddenly appears in her bedroom, begging for her help. He offers an outrageous adventure: travel to his time, marry him for a short time, and return home. But nothing goes as planned. Cate’s trapped in the 13th century, the wedding’s delayed, and someone’s trying to kill her. And in the middle of all this, she realizes that she’s falling in love with a man who can only be her husband for thirty nights. It will take more than the magic of the Fae to help them now. It will require the most powerful magic of all—the magic of true love.
A memoir by the New York Times–bestselling author and longtime chronicler of America’s wealthy elite. Born in Connecticut in 1929 and educated at Williams College, Stephen Birmingham went on to create a literary niche with his numerous nonfiction works about New York’s—and the nation’s—upper class, particularly focusing on Jewish, African American, and Irish communities, as well as old-money WASPs. He also drew on his “intimate knowledge of the private lives of the rich and famous” to write bestselling works of fiction such as The Auerbach Will (The New York Times Book Review). In this book, Birmingham’s attention is turned to his own life, both personal and professional, allowing us to learn about the man who created such compelling portraits of glittering parties, exclusive addresses, and, in some cases, rags-to-riches sagas that epitomize the American dream—and the American struggle. In the end, his story is as fascinating as those of the aristocrats he documented. “When it comes to the folkways of the rich, the powerful, and the privileged, Stephen Birmingham knows what he’s talking about.” —Los Angeles Times
