Marilla and Jerry are two merfolk who live in the waters of Port Stephens, where they have many friends in the sea and on the shores. Years ago, when she was very small, Marilla’s parents disappeared. Now she only has her grandmother to care for her. On a trip with her dolphin friends up the east coast of Australia, Marilla learns of the mystery of Esmeralda Cove. Convinced it involves the fate of her lost family, she is determined to solve it. Marilla and Jerry embark on a dangerous adventure.
AGATHA AWARD NOMINEE • In this breathtaking mystery debut, a marine biologist turned divemaster stands accused of a chilling crime after a dive gone wrong. But do the murky circumstances point to an accident, a murder, or a supernatural encounter? Mer Cavallo thought adjusting to a laid-back life in the Florida Keys would be a breeze. But when she rescues a floundering diver who claims to have seen a ghost, she’s caught in a storm of intrigue. News of the encounter explodes on social media, attracting a team of ghost hunters who want to capture proof that a greenish ghoul haunts Key Largo’s famed USS Spiegel Grove shipwreck. Mer knows the wreck inside and out, and agrees to act as their safety diver. When Ishmael, the charismatic leader of the group, vanishes during a midnight dive, everyone except Mer is convinced the ghost has claimed another victim. Topside, the tenacious detective in charge of the investigation finds Mer’s involvement in both incidents suspicious, and her enigmatic neighbor resurrects ghosts from her past. Determined to find a rational explanation, Mer approaches Ishmael’s disappearance as any scientist would—by asking questions, gathering data, and deducing the truth. But the victim’s life is as shrouded in mystery as his disappearance. Still, something happened under the water and before long, she’s in over her head. When someone tries to kill her, she knows the truth is about to surface. Maybe dead men do tell tales after all.
Armchair fiction presents extra large editions of the best in classic science fiction novels and short stories, complete with original illustrations. Truth be told, it took us over two years to garner enough courage to come out with another "Shaver Mystery" volume. We have a total of ten on the drawing board (oh joy!) and previous volumes have all been very successful. However, it takes a special frame of mind and a certain kind of fortitude to proof-read this stuff; so we kept putting off new Shaver volumes in favor of, shall we say, more "normal" kinds of science fiction (like Professor Jameson!). You see, it can be a real brain strain when you immerse yourself into the wild ramblings of Dick Shaver. But here it is...finally...our seventh edition of "The Shaver Mystery." In this volume you get three more top tales (by Shaver standards that is), including the further "true" exploits of everyone's favorite underworld bigwig, Mutan Mion, in one of Shaver's better tales, "Invasion of the Micro-Men." You'll also be treated to his under-the-ocean flights of fancy in "Mer-Witch of Ether 18." Then we top it all off with one of Shaver's most bizarre epics, "The Tale of the Red Dwarf Who Writes with His Tail," which I'm told by my assistant editor is actually a pretty cool story--in spite of its lurid title. As if all that isn't enough, we've also thrown in Shaver's own dictionary of the Mantong language, as well as an obscure Shaver short, "A Witch in the Night."--Greg LuceEditor-in-ChiefArmchair Fiction
Death is one click away when a string of murders rocks a small Colorado town in the first mesmerizing novel in M. E. Browning's A Jo Wyatt Mystery series. Echo Valley, Colorado, is a place where the natural beauty of a stunning river valley meets a budding hipster urbanity. But when an internet stalker is revealed to be a cold-blooded killer in real life the peaceful community is rocked to its core. It should have been an open-and-shut case: the suicide of Tye Horton, the designer of a cutting-edge video game. But Detective Jo Wyatt is immediately suspicious of Quinn Kirkwood, who reported the death. When Quinn reveals an internet stalker is terrorizing her, Jo is skeptical. Doubts aside, she delves into the claim and uncovers a link that ties Quinn to a small group of beta-testers who had worked with Horton. When a second member of the group dies in a car accident, Jo's investigation leads her to the father of a young man who had killed himself a year earlier. But there's more to this case than a suicide, and as Jo unearths the layers, a more sinister pattern begins to emerge--one driven by desperation, shame, and a single-minded drive for revenge. As Jo closes in, she edges ever closer to the shattering truth--and a deadly showdown that will put her to the ultimate test.
In this latest thrilling mystery from award-winning author Micki Browning, marine biologist Meredith Cavallo uncovers clues to a mysterious Spanish galleon--and quickly discovers the ship may be legendary, but the danger surrounding it is real. Mer's life unravels after she finds a plastic-wrapped bundle floating on the waves off Key Largo. Curious, she pulls it aboard her dive boat and lands in the middle of a storm of intrigue involving an obscure legend, an 18th century shipwreck and a modern pirate who'll resort to murder to claim the booty first. Thrust into the hunt for a ship with no historical record, Mer plunges into the world of nautical archaeology. But for a woman accustomed to dealing with facts, deciphering secrets proves difficult--and everyone she encounters harbors their own skeletons. A sinister betrayal sends her reeling, and even with the help of a crusty former marine salvager, a fiery professor, and her friends on the island, Mer realizes she's in over her head. Determined to outwit the man who wants her dead, she's certain of only one thing--treasure is trouble.
The iconic heroine She-Ra is back! Discover the origin of a hero in this first chapter book set in the world of She-Ra, just in time for the reboot of the series on Netflix. She doesn't need a hero. She is a hero.On a planet called Etheria, two forces battle for control. The Horde, with its skillfully trained soldiers and advanced technology, has one goal: to conquer all of Etheria in the name of Hordak. The other force, the Rebellion, is made up of princesses and has been fighting to maintain harmony and freedom for all of Etheria's people. Hidden among them all is a hero to be. Her destiny was written by the First Ones a thousand years ago. Now she is about to rise again.Discover the origin of a hero in this first chapter book in the series! This book expands on the plotlines of the first two episodes, giving readers a deeper glimpse into their favorite hero's backstory. With illustrations in each chapter, these books are packed full of friendship, humor, and heart!
In an idyllic Colorado town, a young girl goes missing—and the trail leads into the heart and mind of a remorseless killer. The late summer heat in Echo Valley, Colorado turns lush greenery into a tinder dry landscape. When a young girl mysteriously disappears, long buried grudges rekindle. Of the two Flores girls, Marisa was the one people pegged for trouble. Her younger sister, Lena, was the quiet daughter, dutiful and diligent—right until the moment she vanished. Detective Jo Wyatt is convinced the eleven-year-old girl didn’t run away and that a more sinister reason lurks behind her disappearance. For Jo, the case is personal, reaching far back into her past. But as she mines Lena’s fractured family life, she unearths a cache of secrets and half-lies that paints a darker picture. As the evidence mounts, so do the suspects, and when a witness steps forward with a shocking new revelation, Jo is forced to confront her doubts, and her worst fears. Now, it's just a matter of time before the truth is revealed—or the killer makes another deadly move.
Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid but she's never lived in the ocean. War has ravaged the seven seas ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality. Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu's seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he's gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there's a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk. So it's for the best that he's dating that new girl, right? That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she'll have to get closer to Clay. Lia's parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with him, the harder it is for her to deny her feelings. After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.
For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dark side of the alluring world of America’s 19th century elite in this gripping series of riveting mysteries… For Newport, Rhode Island’s high society, the summer of 1896 brings lawn parties, sailboat races…and murder. Having turned down the proposal of Derrick Andrews, Emma Cross has no imminent plans for matrimony—let alone motherhood. But when she discovers an infant left on her doorstep, she naturally takes the child into her care. Using her influence as a cousin to the Vanderbilts and a society page reporter for the Newport Observer, Emma launches a discreet search for the baby’s mother. One of her first stops is a lawn party at Mrs. Caroline Astor’s Beechwood estate. But an idyllic summer’s day is soon clouded by tragedy. During a sailboat race, textile magnate Virgil Monroe falls overboard. There are prompt accusations of foul play—and even Derrick Andrews falls under suspicion. Deepening the intrigue, a telltale slip of lace may link the abandoned child to the drowned man. But as Emma navigates dark undercurrents of scandalous indiscretions and violent passions, she’ll need to watch her step to ensure that no one lowers the boom on her…
