“A fun read, with a bit of fantasy and mystery, and it’s sure to put a smile on your face (did I mention it has a talking cat?).”—Here’s to Happy Endings Yonie Watereye lives in the bayou. The water there is full of guile, a power that changes people and objects. Yonie, 16, makes a living investigating objects affected by guile, but in fact it’s her talking cat, LaRue, who has the power to see guile. Yonie becomes aware that someone is sending harmful guile-changed objects to certain people, including herself. Her investigation becomes entwined with her hunt for the secrets of her mother’s past and leads her to discover dangers hidden within her own family. In the suspenseful adventure that follows, Yonie and her feline companion face challenges that could end their adventuring forever. * A Junior Library Guild Selection * “The setting is a blend of Venice’s canals and Louisiana’s bogs; the plot is an almost cozy mystery with red herrings aplenty; the heroine is as plucky as her sidekick is prickly. Add just a dash of romance and you’ve got yourself a fine gumbo of a book that, while satisfying in one gulp, may also have readers returning for second helpings.”—Bulletin “The plot is invigorating and exciting . . . Unexpected twists leave readers both on edge and fulfilled.”—Kirkus Reviews “Memorable, well-drawn characters . . . Those who like unusual fantasies will enjoy this and will identify with the appealing Yonie as she searches for her roots and a place to belong.”—Booklist
Only a noble lie can save us from the psychological and social chaos now threatened by the spread of skepticism about the meaning of life and the universe.
It's dwarves vs dragons in this origin story for Enge's signature character, Morlock Ambrosius! Before history began, the dwarves of Thrymhaiam fought against the dragons as the Longest War raged in the deep roads beneath the Northhold. Now the dragons have returned, allied with the dead kings of Cor and backed by the masked gods of Fate and Chaos. The dwarves are cut off from the Graith of Guardians in the south. Their defenders are taken prisoner or corrupted by dragonspells. The weight of guarding the Northhold now rests on the crooked shoulders of a traitor's son, Morlock syr Theorn (also called Ambrosius). But his wounded mind has learned a dark secret in the hidden ways under the mountains. Regin and Fafnir were brothers, and the Longest War can never be over... From the Trade Paperback edition.
Wealthy rural Arizona stockbroker Steven DeMarco stands accused of bludgeoning his ex-wife to death with a golf club on the eve of his first $6,000 alimony payment. But theres no DNA evidence, no murder weapon, and he has an alibi. Or, does he? As the determined sheriff's investigators dig into the murder of Carol Washington, a popular local therapist, counselor and artist, they find multiple girlfriends and boyfriends, one home and two condominiums, motorcycles with GPS maps of Mexico, and three BMWs, all being used by DeMarco, his two daughters and the murdered ex-wife. Based on a true crime story, covered by CBS, NBC and ABC News departments we quickly see some of the surprising pieces of evidence found by investigators such as books on how to commit crimes and not get caught, and a backpack hidden on a golf course with a passport and cash inside.
(There is nothing more precious than ones own children. There is nothing as dangerous as ones own spouse. There is nowhere as deceptive as a tropical island with the appearance of paradise) The tropical South Sea islands that make up Fiji are both beautiful and politically explosive. Despite colonisation and an ever-increasing Indian population, the once-were-cannibal Fijians have retained their land, their cultural traditions, their political power and the Ratu feudalism that underpins it. Shrugging aside democracy, the native Fijians have sought to retain their heritage by fair means and foul. This battle began in April of 1987 when, for the first time, the citizens of Fiji elected a predominantly Indian government. Fijian soldiers ousted the government, democracy gave way to dictatorship, racial violence erupted in the streets and fearful Indians fled (or attempted to flee) the islands they considered home. Tourism ceased, property prices fell, the legal system was in chaos... It is precisely the opportunity Vicky Mason's wealthy husband has been waiting for. He has a wife who has overstayed her welcome; he has two children he doesn't wish to share with that wife; he has money and property he is loathe to divide up, and he has a yen to live on a tropical island. Alex Mason hastily buys property, at bargain-bin rates, on a small Fijian island, and widely proclaims his intention of building a state-of-the-art tourist aquarium. To the self-appointed coup government, beleaguered by international disapproval and a rapidly collapsing economy, Alex's aquarium project could be a much-needed feather in their cap. Eagerly they grant Alex residency permits for himself, his American wife and his two New Zealand-born children. Vicky Mason is an optimist. That's why, despite the disapproval of her parents and friends, she married the dashing, mature and much-married New Zealander and let him take her home to Auckland. In the eight years since, she's been waiting for her marriage to 'come right' - when Alex gets used to her American ways, when the children are older, when Alex doesn't work so hard, when he learns to trust her, when he comes to terms with his temper... Now, in a handsome home on a palm fringed beach how can they not be happy? Thus it takes Vicki some time to realise that Alex's increasing contempt and cruelty is designed to drive her away. Under Fijian law 'desertion' would give him grounds for divorce, and custody of the children. If Vicki leaves without her beloved son and daughter she may never see them again. And Alex has removed the children's passports. She cannot, will not, leave. A battle of wills begins. Vicki soon comes to understand how powerless her position is. Who can she turn to? Not her island neighbors, nor the Fijian police at the nearest mainland town. For Alex is the man with the multi-million dollar project that will provide work for the locals and kudos for the Fijian authorities. Everyone wants to be his friend. Everyone, that is, except solo expatriate Val Cooper, who gives Vicki support - until Alex retaliates. Licensed to abuse, Alex forgoes all restraint. His methods of psychological torture become sadistically inventive. At the point of choosing to die, Vicki is saved by Val, who packs her friend off home to the stunned family in Portland. But within the month Vicki is back in Fiji to contest the custody claims Alex has set in motion. Little does she know that this is just round one of a battle that will take her four years and seventy-nine court appearances. In the one corner - Alex Mason, backed of the Fijian hierarchy; in the other corner, Vicki, with her In
When an AI that monitors casino gambling in Reno taunts a magician by revealing all his tricks, the magician is determined to exact his revenge... in Ian McDonald's Tor.com Original short story The Guile. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Demonstrating a poet's imaginative ear and a critic's range of concern, John Hollander here writes about the "melodious guile" of poetry, explaining how poems frame parables about themselves. Hollander considers works by Spenser, Milton, Wordsworth, chiefly, plus a range of other poets including Chaucer, Keats, Rossetti, Tennyson, Frost, Stevens, and Auden. He also presents certain poems of his own, showing how they anticipate and exemplify the observations contained in this volume.
She's a liar. She's a con. She's a thief. And God help him, but he'll do anything to keep her safe. Beautiful and conniving, maddening and brilliant, Esther is everything private detective Samuel Brass shouldn't want. Esther knows she's put herself in terrible danger, but nothing will stop her from making amends—not her family's enemies, not old fears, and certainly not the domineering, interfering, and undeniably handsome former officer of the Scotland Yard. Yet whenever he's near, Samuel makes her long for a life that can never be hers...and wish she were worthy of being saved. Second in an exciting late Victorian romance series from a RITA Award nominee! Thief Takers Series: A Talent for Trickery, Book 1 A Gift for Guile, Book 2 Dangerous Deceit, Coming Soon "From the first page, Johnson seizes readers' attention... Losing none of her witty dialogue or clever plotting, she pulls readers this way and that as the story swiftly turns from suspense to romance and back again."—RT Book Reviews on A Talent for Trickery
Winning a big lotto and Ian McKenzie starts to build the life of his dreams. Using his talents gained through his years of involvement in law enforcement and other related fields Ian gathers a team, builds a home, and creates a community. But following the largest disaster the world has seen in generations, that home becomes threatened. Now Ian and his friends have to show both courage and leadership to overcome all the problems they face. In this trial by fi re the characters of Ian and his team will be tested, and all of their flaws and ideals will be put on display. Great leaders are not perfect people and neither is Ian McKenzie. As is the case with all people who to take a great stand, Ian and his friends will make both great enemies and great friends.
