War has a way of following some people...John Eric Carver and Shrek are a retired Navy SEAL war dog team, now living in the mountains outside of San Diego. Both man and dog thought their life was now settled, finding peace on the forty acre ranch they had moved to. But life, and a mutated virus, changed all that. Now, they have to survive a world-wide pandemic. Taking refuge in a near-by Boy Scout camp, he leads a group of teens and their parents as they are forced to deal with infected creatures that are rapidly consuming the world. Will John and Shrek survive another war, or will this be the end of the line for the Seal team?
"By patient accumulation of anecdote and detail, Rustad evolves Shetler’s story into something much more human, and humanly tragic, into a layered inquisition and a reportorial force....suffice it to say Rustad has done what the best storytellers do: tried to track the story to its last twig and then stepped aside." —New York Times Book Review In the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley. For centuries, India has enthralled westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker. In his early thirties Justin Alexander Shetler, quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey: across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal, in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters, while also documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever restless explorer was driven to pursue ever greater challenges, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition yet shrouded in darkness and danger. There, he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a “spiritual journey” to a holy lake—a journey from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where for many westerners the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life. Lost in the Valley of Death includes 16 pages of color photographs.
In 1991, John has a good life running the numbers racket In Brooklyn and Staten Island until his mob boss, Louie the Finger, pulls him out with a late-night phone call. New York state lottery is moving into the mob's turf, so The Finger is shifting business to crack and prostitution. In his mid-fifties and with no interest in the drug trade, John takes Louie's offer to retire on a mob pension to a tacky South Florida high-rise with his wife, Eleanor. Cast out of New York and adrift without purpose, John begins to dissipate in the heat. But Eleanor has other ideas and quietly begins making forays into the Miami underworld with one goal in mind - to develop the perfect crime to help her husband get his mojo back.
Beautiful, beguiling and treacherous ... Big Little Lies meets Picnic at Hanging Rock in a secluded valley over the Blue Mountains. Four women and their children are invited to the beautiful but remote Capertee Valley, west of the Blue Mountains. Once home to a burgeoning mining industry, now all that remains are ruins slowly being swallowed by the bush and the jewel of the valley, a stunning, renovated Art Deco hotel. This is a place haunted by secrets. In 1948 Clara Black walked into the night, never to be seen again. As the valley beguiles these four friends, and haunts them in equal measure, each has to confront secrets of her own: Nathalie, with a damaged marriage; Emmie, yearning for another child; Pen, struggling as a single parent; and Alexandra, hiding in the shadow of her famous husband. But as the mystery of what happened seventy years earlier unravels, one of the women also vanishes into this bewitching but wild place, forcing devastating truths to the surface. Praise for The Lost Summers of Driftwood: 'McCausland is a natural storyteller who weaves love, loss, mystery and secrets into a satisfying tale' Herald Sun 'Full of mystery and romance, this is the perfect atmospheric summer read' Who Weekly
It starts with a footprint. It ends with a murder. Wildlife tracker and wilderness survival expert Tye Caine just wants to live in the woods and be left alone, but a killer haunts the misty forests of the Pacific Northwest. When someone attempts to abduct a child, and a local resident is murdered, Tye is drawn into a web of hidden secrets and madness. Soon he finds himself teamed up with a motley crew of the local librarian, a retired detective, his best friend, and a local blacksmith with a secret. First, they try to separate the truth from lies, then find themselves just trying to survive. If you like mysteries set in the wilderness, with a hint of the supernatural, download Valley of Lost Children today.
Join New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers with the first book in her fan—favorite Swift River Valley series A wave of hope carries Olivia Frost back to her small New England hometown nestled in the beautiful Swift River Valley. She’s transforming a historic home into an idyllic getaway—picturesque and perfect, if only the absentee owner will fix up the eyesore next door… Dylan McCaffrey’s ramshackle house is an inheritance he never counted on. It also holds the key to a generations-old lost treasure he can’t resist any more than he can resist his new neighbor. Against this breathtaking landscape, Dylan and Olivia pursue long-buried secrets and discover a mystery wrapped in a love story…past and present.
_______________ A mesmerising mystery about bravery and brotherhood in the Second World War, from an outstanding new voice. September 1939. When Jimmy is evacuated to a small village in Wales, it couldn't be more different from London. Green, quiet and full of strangers, he instantly feels out of place. But then he finds a skull hidden in a tree, and suddenly the valley is more frightening than the war. Who can Jimmy trust? His brother is too little; his best friend has changed. Finding an ally in someone he never expects, they set out together to uncover the secrets that lie with the skull. What they discover will change Jimmy – and the village – forever. _______________ 'Beautifully told. This appealing book is about losses healed, lies uncovered, cruelty defeated and goodness rewarded' - The Sunday Times
The Quabbin Reservoir, in central Massachusetts, was created in 1938 to supply the state's growing population with a source of drinking water. More than two thousand people were displaced when the Quabbin Valley was flooded. Three branches of the Swift River were dammed, and five towns-Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, Prescott, and parts of New Salem-were covered with water. The Lost Towns of the Quabbin Valley highlights the life and times of these towns from 1754 to 1938, when the inhabitants were told, "All Must Leave." The architectural landscape of the Quabbin Valley at one time included the churches, cemeteries, schoolhouses, post offices, homes, and businesses that made the thriving communities. The Lost Towns of the Quabbin Valley presents rare photographs of town life, including images of students at the first Hillside School and Dr. Mary Walker, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and Greenwich summer resident. The images are drawn from the archives of the Swift River Valley Historical Society. Although the towns are gone, their stories are alive and well.
