A gripping romantic suspense from USA Today Bestselling author V.K. Sykes The brutal murder of her twin sister drove Amy Robitaille into a career as a homicide detective for Palm Beach County. When a serial killer targets the wives of local baseball players, Amy has more than just a professional interest at stake—her only surviving sister fits the profile of the other victims. Amy’s hell-bent on catching the killer, to protect her sister and finally lay to rest the demons that haunt her. A former soldier and a pro baseball star, Luke Beckett has just retired from the game and is looking to move on with his life. When he’s asked to consult on the serial killer case, he finds the challenge he needs—despite strident objections from the intriguing lead officer on the case, Detective Robitaille. Annoyed that the brass has gone over her head, Amy has no time to babysit a celebrity consultant, even if he is dangerously enticing. But she soon discovers that Luke is no lightweight. When the killer starts closing in on Amy and her family, she’ll need Luke’s expertise and help—or risk becoming the killer’s next victim. Semi-finalist, The Kindle Book Review’s Best Kindle Books Award “Lethal Confessions is a gritty, emotionally charged, romantic suspense story set in the South Florida world of minor league baseball and one I highly recommend.” ~The Romance Dish “A great romance book about minor league baseball and a female cop chasing a serial killer. Lots of suspense!” –Amazon Reviewer
The role of torture in recent Iranian politics is the subject of Ervand Abrahamian's important and disturbing book. Although Iran officially banned torture in the early twentieth century, Abrahamian provides documentation of its use under the Shahs and of the widespread utilization of torture and public confession under the Islamic Republican governments. His study is based on an extensive body of material, including Amnesty International reports, prison literature, and victims' accounts that together give the book a chilling immediacy. According to human rights organizations, Iran has been at the forefront of countries using systematic physical torture in recent years, especially for political prisoners. Is the government's goal to ensure social discipline? To obtain information? Neither seem likely, because torture is kept secret and victims are brutalized until something other than information is obtained: a public confession and ideological recantation. For the victim, whose honor, reputation, and self-respect are destroyed, the act is a form of suicide. In Iran a subject's "voluntary confession" reaches a huge audience via television. The accessibility of television and use of videotape have made such confessions a primary propaganda tool, says Abrahamian, and because torture is hidden from the public, the victim's confession appears to be self-motivated, increasing its value to the authorities. Abrahamian compares Iran's public recantations to campaigns in Maoist China, Stalinist Russia, and the religious inquisitions of early modern Europe, citing the eerie resemblance in format, language, and imagery. Designed to win the hearts and minds of the masses, such public confessions—now enhanced by technology—continue as a means to legitimize those in power and to demonize "the enemy."
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this unique collection of sea adventure novels and true stories of the most notorious pirates._x000D_ History of Pirates of the Caribbean:_x000D_ Contents:_x000D_ The King of Pirates: Of Captain Avery, And his Crew_x000D_ Captain Martel_x000D_ Captain Teach, alias Blackbeard_x000D_ Edward England_x000D_ Charles Vane_x000D_ Rackam_x000D_ Mary Read_x000D_ Anne Bonny_x000D_ John Bowen_x000D_ The Trial of the Pirates at Providence_x000D_ The Pirate Gow _x000D_ The Pirates of Panama..._x000D_ Novels & Stories:_x000D_ Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)_x000D_ The Pirate (Walter Scott)_x000D_ Blackbeard: Buccaneer (Ralph D. Paine)_x000D_ Pieces of Eight (Richard Le Gallienne)_x000D_ The Gold-Bug (Edgar Allan Poe)_x000D_ Jack London:_x000D_ Hearts of Three_x000D_ Tales of the Fish Patrol_x000D_ Daniel Defoe:_x000D_ Robinson Crusoe_x000D_ Captain Singleton_x000D_ Jules Verne:_x000D_ The Mysterious Island_x000D_ Facing the Flag_x000D_ The Dark Frigate (Charles Boardman Hawes)_x000D_ Peter Pan and Wendy (J. M. Barrie)_x000D_ The Dealings of Captain Sharkey (Arthur Conan Doyle)_x000D_ The Pirate (Frederick Marryat)_x000D_ The Madman and the Pirate (R. M. Ballantyne)_x000D_ The Pirate City (R. M. Ballantyne)_x000D_ Gascoyne, the Sandal-Wood Trader (R. M. Ballantyne)_x000D_ Captain Boldheart& the Latin-Grammar Master (Charles Dickens)_x000D_ The Master Key (L. Frank Baum)_x000D_ A Man to His Mate (J. Allan Dunn)_x000D_ The Isle of Pirate's Doom (Robert E. Howard)_x000D_ Queen of the Black Coast (Robert E. Howard)_x000D_ James Fenimore Cooper:_x000D_ Afloat and Ashore_x000D_ Homeward Bound_x000D_ The Red Rover_x000D_ The Rose of Paradise (Howard Pyle)_x000D_ The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)_x000D_ The Ghost Pirates (William Hope Hodgson)_x000D_ The Offshore Pirate (F. Scott Fitzgerald)_x000D_ Harry Collingwood:_x000D_ A Pirate of the Caribbees_x000D_ The Pirate Island_x000D_ Among Malay Pirates (G. A. Henty)_x000D_ Great Pirate Stories (Joseph L. French)_x000D_ Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain (Maturin Murray Ballou)_x000D_ The Dark Frigate (Charles B. Hawes)_x000D_ Kidd the Pirate (Washington Irving) _x000D_ The Death Ship (William Clark Russell)_x000D_ The Iron Pirate (Max Pemberton)...
A gripping legal thriller from the no.1 Sunday Times bestselling author and creator of Sooley and The Judge's List. _______________________________________ An innocent man is days from execution. Only a guilty man can save him. Travis Boyette is a murderer. Nine years ago, he strangled a high-school cheerleader and buried her body so it could never be found. Then, he watched and waited as police arrested Donte Drumm, a local football star with no connection to the crime. Tried, convicted, and sentenced, Drumm was sent to death row whilst Boyette walked free. Now, Donte Drumm is four days from execution. And as Boyette faces his own mortality, hehas finally decided to do what is right. He has decided to confess. But how can he convince the state that they are about to execute the wrong man? _______________________________________ 'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' Irish Independent 'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' Jodi Picoult 'The best thriller writer alive!' Ken Follett 'John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing and fast-paced thrillers' Telegraph 'Grisham is a superb and instinctive storyteller' The Times 'Grisham's storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own.' Daily Record 'Masterful - when Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they are not just alive, they are pulsating' Mirror 'A giant of the thriller genre!' TimeOut
It would come as no surprise that many readers may be shocked and intrigued by the title of our book. Some (especially our medical colleagues) may wonder why it is even worthwhile to raise the issue of killing by doctors. Killing is clearly an- thetical to the Art and Science of Medicine, which is geared toward easing pain and suffering and to saving lives rather than smothering them. Doctors should be a source of comfort rather than a cause for alarm. Nevertheless, although they often don’t want to admit it, doctors are people too. Physicians have the same genetic library of both endearing qualities and character defects as the rest of us but their vocation places them in a position to intimately interject themselves into the lives of other people. In most cases, fortunately, the positive traits are dominant and doctors do more good than harm. While physicists and mathematicians paved the road to the stars and deciphered the mysteries of the atom, they simultaneously unleashed destructive powers that may one day bring about the annihilation of our planet. Concurrently, doctors and allied scientists have delved into the deep secrets of the body and mind, mastering the anatomy and physiology of the human body, even mapping the very molecules that make us who we are. But make no mistake, a person is not simply an elegant b- logical machine to be marveled at then dissected.
In Show Thyself a Man, Gregory Mixon explores the ways African Americans in postbellum Georgia used the militia as a vehicle to secure full citizenship, respect, and a more stable place in society. As citizen-soldiers, black men were empowered to get involved in politics, secure their own financial independence, and publicly commemorate black freedom with celebrations such as Emancipation Day. White Georgians, however, used the militia as a different symbol of freedom--to ensure the postwar white right to rule. This book is a forty-year history of black militia service in Georgia and the determined disbandment process that whites undertook to destroy it, connecting this chapter of the post-emancipation South to the larger history of militia participation by African-descendant people through the Western hemisphere and Latin America.
Book One in the USA Today Bestselling Philadelphia Patriots Series Will she be willing to play his game? Dr. Holly Bell has finally achieved her dream: working as a cardiac surgeon at a prestigious children's hospital. She's totally dedicated to her patients, and she won't let anything or anyone get in her way. And a hot affair with a superstar athlete is most definitely getting in Holly's way. Nate Carter, star pitcher for the Philadelphia Patriots, has the world in the palm of his glove. He thinks he has everything he wants--until he meets the beautiful and brainy Dr. Bell. Nate is totally up for a hot, no-strings affair, and Holly turns out to be the hottest. But when a stalker goes after Holly, Nate has to risk everything, including his career, to protect the woman who means more to him than he ever thought possible. The award-winning Philadelphia Patriots Series Prequel: Fastball (Maddie & Jake) Book One: Hardball (Holly & Nate) Book Two: Bigger Than Beckham (Martha & Tony) Book Three: Curveball (Taylor & Ryan) Book Four: Payoff Pitch (Teddy & Noah) Book Five: Scoring Position (Kate & Nick)
Book Three in the USA Today Bestselling Philadelphia Patriots Series Assistant GM Taylor Page is chasing the ultimate prize--General Manager of the Philadelphia Patriots. But most men in baseball still don't take a woman exec seriously, especially a thirty-year old blonde with no on-field experience. Fighting an injury, veteran outfielder Ryan Locke's career is teetering on the brink. A single parent with a troubled daughter, retirement is out of the question. Ryan's best hope is for a trade to a team as a designated hitter, allowing him several more years of play. When Taylor needs a replacement for an injured first baseman, she comes up with an innovative but risky plan to trade a reluctant Ryan into the position. With both their jobs on the line, Taylor would be nuts to acknowledge the white-hot sexual chemistry between them. But when Ryan embarks on a game of relentless seduction, Taylor finds her control--and all her carefully thought-out plans--slipping away. The award-winning Philadelphia Patriots Series Prequel: Fastball (Maddie & Jake) Book One: Hardball (Holly & Nate) Book Two: Bigger Than Beckham (Martha & Tony) Book Three: Curveball (Taylor & Ryan) Book Four: Payoff Pitch (Teddy & Noah) Book Five: Scoring Position (Kate & Nick)
A brand new book in the USA Today Bestselling PHILADELPHIA PATRIOTS series of sexy sports romances! Big, tough, sexy…and trouble. As far as sports agent Kate Berlin is concerned, that describes Nick Rome perfectly. Landing the hard-charging, talented catcher as her new client is a huge coup, and Nick could catapult her small agency into the big leagues—or destroy her reputation if she screws up. Since Nick has a habit of butting heads with Patriots management, the chance for disaster is high. Nick’s had serious agent troubles, so he’s willing to give smart and sexy Kate Berlin a try at negotiating his new and much-needed contract. The hardworking single mom is determined to manage Nick both on and off the field, clamping down on the attraction blazing between them. But nobody keeps Nick Rome under control—either on the field or in the bedroom. Can Kate handle Nick as both her lover and her client, or will succumbing to passion destroy the professional life she’s worked so hard to achieve? The Philadelphia Patriots Series Fastball: A Prequel Novel Book One: Hardball Book Two: Bigger Than Beckham Book Three: Curveball Book Four: Payoff Pitch Praise for The Philadelphia Patriots: “This series is excellent and the 4th instalment does not disappoint. The Sykes tell a great story and for those of us that enjoy the sports aspect and the romance aspect it’s the best of both worlds…Curveball gets a GRAND SLAM – 5 Stars from SYMFB!” ~ Save Your Money for Books “Spicy new sports romance that knocks it out of the park!” The Kindle Romance Review on Payoff Pitch "PAYOFF PITCH delights with likable characters and loads of realism." ~4 stars, Single Title Reviews EXCERPT: Kate was glad she hadn’t yet taken a drink of the Scotch since she likely would have done a spit-take. Nick Rome was nothing if not blunt. And a little intimidating, especially when he pulled his chair so close that she could feel the heat radiating off his wickedly muscular body. She’d never seen him in anything other than a baseball uniform, and then only from seats high in the ballpark stands or in photographs. But even at a distance, he was clearly one seriously hot dude. Every female in Philadelphia—maybe the whole country—knew that. But sitting this close, Kate could even see the grain of bristle on his hard jaw and the knowing glitter in his dark gaze. In fact, he was so damn masculine and sexy he was practically giving her heart palpitations. Nick Rome might not be tall as professional athletes go—about six-one or so—but he was built like a human Freightliner. There was nothing trim or tapered or elegant about the guy. He didn’t even look super-athletic. He just looked powerful. Dominant, robust, hard as nails—those were the descriptions that slid easily into her head. From his massive shoulders through his deep chest to big, muscular thighs, Nick Rome looked more like a middle linebacker or even a military commando than a ballplayer. His hands—callused and rough catcher’s hands—were huge. Kate couldn’t wait to find out whether his dominating physique was matched by an equally tough, take-charge personality. From his reputation, she suspected it was. “Am I coming on too strong, too close? Do you want me to back off?” Nick asked when she didn’t respond right away. Yeah, but no way would she admit that. “Not at all.” She gave him a sugary-sweet smile. “Are you hard of hearing? I could speak louder if you like.” Nick laughed, a deep bass rumble that vibrated through her in all the right places. “This is just the sort of gamesmanship our jackass general manager tries to pull off on agents and players. Consider it a test you just passed.” Kate raised her brows. “You’re saying Dembinski invades your personal space?” When he scooted back a foot, she could finally breathe again. “No, but he might try to invade yours. The man likes his women, and you’re smoking hot, Kate, in case you haven’t noticed.” He relaxed his awesome body into the uncomfortable looking chair, sipping his Scotch as if he’d just made a comment on the slightly chilly weather outside on this early May evening. As far as Kate was concerned, it might be a case of the pot calling the kettle black when it came to the Patriots general manager, given what she knew about Nick Rome’s rakish reputation. “I’ll try not to wear something quite as sexy as this wild outfit for negotiations,” she said dryly. “Maybe a plastic trash bag or grubby sweats would do the trick.” “Nah, even then you’d still look sexy.” His voice held a low, growly note that almost made her shiver. Well, it did make her shiver, which was a bit annoying. Fun was fun, but it was time to get down to business.
