Intrepid amateur detective Mary Louise Gay is at it again in this thoroughly enjoyable mystery geared for younger readers. What starts out as a pleasant, month-long sojourn at a rustic house on the Hudson River turns into an investigation when strange occurrences begin to pique the curiosity of this persistent sleuth.
Art Mills and his family have recently moved to southwestern Colorado. When Art isn’t working in the family’s Dew Drop Inn, he’s out exploring the national forest that surrounds them. A favorite spot is Eagle Mountain, where the abandoned Fittleson’s Folly mine—a good spot for snipe hunting!—is located. When the secretive logger Mr. Maynard threatens Art, his sister Liz, and their friends to stay away, the kids can’t help but wonder what Mr. Maynard is up to. And then once the forest fires start, Art knows someone is up to no good . . . The recurrent themes of the books in the Wilderness Mystery Series are natural phenomena—caves, canyons, mountains, sand dunes, and forests—and a sense of the past as seen through archaeology. In many of the narratives, events of long ago are seen to have left traces of their passing. Notwithstanding the fact that the books were written in the 1950s, the progressive Franklin Folsom (alias Troy Nesbit) had refreshing views of women, Native Americans, and the environment, and he was prescient in having his characters often oppose corporate and government efforts to develop wilderness areas.
In Edith Lavell's 'The Mystery of the Fires', readers are immersed in a captivating tale of deception and intrigue set in a small town plagued by unexplainable fires. Lavell's descriptive prose and clever use of suspense keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they follow the protagonist's journey to uncover the truth behind the mysterious incidents. The novel's exploration of human nature and societal issues adds an insightful layer to the overall narrative, making it not only a thrilling read but also a thought-provoking one. Written in the tradition of classic mystery novels, 'The Mystery of the Fires' showcases Lavell's skill in crafting a compelling story that keeps readers engaged until the very end. Edith Lavell's background in psychology and interest in criminal behavior likely influenced the complex characters and intricate plot of the book, adding depth and authenticity to the storyline. Fans of mystery and suspense novels will be captivated by Lavell's meticulous attention to detail and expert storytelling. 'The Mystery of the Fires' is a must-read for anyone looking for a gripping and intellectually stimulating novel.
Originally published in 1926, this short book focused on the symbolism surrounding the ancient patriarch Melchizedek serves as a concise introduction to important imperceptible truths. “The elaborate rituals of the ancient Mysteries and the simpler ceremonials of modern religious institutions had a common purpose. Both were designed to preserve, by means of symbolic dramas and processionals, certain secret and holy processes, by the understanding of which man may more intelligently work out his salvation. The pages which follow will be devoted to an interpretation of some of these allegories according to the doctrine of the ancient seers and sages.”
The explosive international bestseller where history, romance, and the paranormal collide. A phone call from an old friend sets immortal book dealer Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mysterious manuscript he's hunted for over five hundred years. He never expected a young student librarian could be the key to unlock its secrets, nor could he have predicted the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, though the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation hundreds of years in the making. Elizabeth Hunter's books are delicious and addicting, like the best kind of chocolate. She hooked me from the first page, and her stories just keep getting better and better. Paranormal romance fans won't want to miss this exciting author! —Thea Harrison, NYT bestselling author Ms. Hunter's writing voice is simply addictive, and her ability to make you actually care about her characters is going to take her very far in the publishing world. —The Romanceaholic
At a stop along her campaign trail, Judge Deborah Knott attends a community picnic at the Mt. Olive Church. When the historic building is destroyed by a fire shortly after the outing; and the charred skeleton of a young man is found among the ashes; Knott begins her own investigation into the tragedy. Earlier national news reports of a fire at a local African-American church had already gained the attention of Wallace Adderly, a Black Panther from the 70s. Knott and Adderly team up to discover if the blazes are merely coincidence, or the work of a racist arsonist. As the number of suspects rises, Deborah finds herself re-examining her own beliefs and values as she and Adderly race to prevent another devastating loss in the community.The mass market edition of Killer Market (Mysterious Press 8/97) will be published simultaneously with Home Fires Burning.A Main Selection of The Mystery Guild.
Susan Orlean’s bestseller and New York Times Notable Book is “a sheer delight…as rich in insight and as varied as the treasures contained on the shelves in any local library” (USA TODAY)—a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries. “Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book” (The Washington Post). On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. The fire was disastrous: it reached two thousand degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a “delightful…reflection on the past, present, and future of libraries in America” (New York magazine) that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before. In the “exquisitely written, consistently entertaining” (The New York Times) The Library Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries; brings each department of the library to vivid life; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago. “A book lover’s dream…an ambitiously researched, elegantly written book that serves as a portal into a place of history, drama, culture, and stories” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country.
A MATTER OF DEGREE, bound in a high-quality hardcover first edition, is a haunting tale of personal loss and public controversy, a superior work of narrative nonfiction filled with passion, purpose and poetic imagery. Don Massey humanizes history by placing a dedicated fireman's spiritual quest for an unknown and unclaimed child against the backdrop of a public tragedy.
“A taut, suspenseful, and complex murder mystery with gorgeous period detail.”—Susan Elia MacNeal Through her exquisite prose, sharp observation and deft plotting, Mariah Fredericks invites us into the heart of a changing New York in her remarkable debut adult novel, A Death of No Importance. New York City, 1910. Invisible until she’s needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a ladies’ maid to the city’s upper echelons. When she takes up a position with the Benchley family, dismissed by the city’s elite as “new money”, Jane realizes that while she may not have financial privilege, she has a power they do not—she understands the rules of high society. The Benchleys cause further outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious playboy Norrie, the son of the eminent Newsome family. But when Norrie is found murdered at a party, Jane discovers she is uniquely positioned—she’s a woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything; who possesses no social power, but that of fierce intellect—and therefore has the tools to solve his murder. There are many with grudges to bear: from the family Norrie was supposed to marry into, to the survivors of a tragic accident in a mine owned by the Newsomes, to the rising anarchists who are sick of those born into wealth getting away with anything they want. Jane also knows that in both high society and the city’s underbelly, morals can become cheap in the wrong hands: scandal and violence simmer just beneath the surface—and can break out at any time.
Swedish police inspector Ann Lindell finally returns in internationally bestselling and award-winning Kjell Eriksson's newest novel. Police inspector Ann Lindell has left the Uppsala police and is living a quiet life, producing local cheese in a small town in Uppland. But life in the country is not as idyllic as it seems. On New Year’s Eve someone sets fire to the former village school which is now a home for asylum seekers, and three people are killed. Ann Lindell’s investigative instincts come back to life and soon she takes on the case. She is contacted by a person who has been involved in a previous investigation and who wants to warn her. His message is short and clear: Many will die. A few weeks later a bomb explodes in a suburb of Stockholm. Kjell Eriksson wrote seven highly acclaimed novels about Ann Lindell, beginning with award-winner The Princess of Burundi, and now, after ten years, he returns to the Uppsala region and his sympathetic police inspector. The Night of the Fire is the first of two new volumes featuring Ann Lindell.