Telling the Truth Could Get Them Killed. Remaining Silent Could Be Worse. When Cooper, Hiro, and Gordy witness a robbery that leaves a man in a coma, they find themselves tangled in a web of mystery and deceit that threatens their lives. After being seen by the criminals—who may also be cops—Cooper makes everyone promise never to reveal what they have seen. Telling the truth could kill them. But remaining silent means an innocent man takes the fall, and a friend never receives justice. Is there ever a time to lie? And what happens when the truth is dangerous? The three friends, trapped in a code of silence, must face the consequences of choosing right or wrong when both options have their price.
This three-book bindup of Tim Shoemaker’s Code of Silence novels takes readers on a series of realistic, nail-biting adventures. In Code of Silence, friends Cooper, Hiro, and Gordy witness a robbery … but when it appears several cops are behind the crime, they aren’t sure who they can trust. Telling the truth could be deadly. But remaining silent could mean an innocent man’s life. In Back Before Dark, the three friends find themselves caught in a trap that leads to Gordy’s abduction. As time goes by without any clues or messages from the kidnapper, Cooper takes things into his own hands. But his choices could place him in even greater danger. Finally, in Below the Surface, what was meant as a peaceful summer vacation turns frightening when Hiro is convinced she witnessed a murder on the lake. Though her instincts are rarely wrong, it appears Hiro may be mistaken this time. Unless the strange accidents happening to Cooper and Gordy are signs of something deeper and more frightening than any of them could imagine.
Dangerous and feared.Those words describe my future husband. Who just so happens to also be my ex-boyfriend.It's complicated. Two years ago, he broke my heart when he left me to do his father's bidding. After months of crying, I finally accepted he was gone and wasn't going to look back. That maybe he'd never loved me at all. I never wanted to see Luca again.Now a cruel twist of fate has signed me over to him in a heartless deal. I'm his. He thinks he did me a favor, but I feel like I've been given a death sentence. He doesn't want to get married because he still loves me. No, he did it for money. More power.I'm going to be a mafia wife. And there's only one way out of it. Death.But as it turns out, someone else doesn't want me to marry the ruthless Luca Bianchi. And if he has his way, I'll see that early grave.
Breaking the Code of Silence: Alana Wyatt Smith Tells All chronicles the intense relationship and whirlwind marriage between a young woman and one of Hip-Hops most beloved artists. An honest and open memoir, Wyatt tells her story of how her turbulent childhood, difficult teenage years and sometimes not-so-wise decisions aided in her development to become a devoted mother and a strong, independent woman. Controversial and straightforward Breaking the Code of Silence holds no punches as Wyatt reveals how her glamorous lifestyle -envied by many wasn´t always so fabulous. Part biography, part cautionary tale, Wyatt tells her story to educate and inspire others to be independent and remain true to themselves.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY: GENERAL. AUSTRALIAN. Colin Dillon is an extraordinary man. He was the first Indigenous policeman in Australia. But that is actually a very small part of his story...Colin was the first serving police officer to voluntarily appear before the Fitzgerald Commission of Inquiry in 1987 and give first-hand evidence of police corruption. He did this at a time when the Fitzgerald Inquiry was beginning and struggling for traction. His evidence at the Inquiry was instrumental in eventually sending some police, including Police Commissioner Terry Lewis, and politicians to prison...He shares his observations, detailed accounts and personal experiences over many years. These include attempts to bribe him by fellow police officers caught up in the web of corruption during these decades of greed within the Queensland Police Force.
As a small child, I was shamed into silence in an effort to conceal the crimes of those who would abuse, abandon and neglect me. Asking for help has never come easy for me as an adult. As a child asking for help seemed to always fall on deaf ears. I pondered on the idea of asking for help in completing a project that goes directly against "The Code of Silence" in the African American Community. I could hear that faint voice, " What goes on in this house stays in this house." African American women like myself have been the gatekeeper's for childhood abuse, molestation, incest and rape in our communities. We have worn the pain of our Great-Great Grandmother's, Grandmother's for generations to come before us. We have been paralyzed by the guilt, shame and vague remorse of the very people who were supposed to protect us.60% of black girls have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of black men before reaching the age of 18, according to an ongoing study conducted by Black Women's Blueprint.1 in 4 black girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18. (Stone, R.D., No Secrets, No Lies: How Black Families Can Heal from Sexual Abuse, 2004)30% of black women with documented histories of childhood sexual abuse were sexually assaulted in adulthood. (Siegel & Williams, Risk Factors for Sexual Victimization of Women, Violence Against Women 9, 2003)For every black woman who reports a rape, at least 15 do not report (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2009)If you gather 10 African American women in a room, it is likely that at least nine have been victims of pedophilia, street harassment, and/or sexual assault; or they have a friend, cousin, sister, aunt, mother, or grandmother who has been victimized.Yes, just about all of us, and for me, both cases are true. I speak for the voiceless not to tell their story, but to tell mine; and in-so-doing, I encourage you to tell yours. Some people simply need a little inspiration to stand up and be heard.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, extraordinary portrait of love, silence, and secrets under a Spanish dictatorship. Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. Photography--and fate--introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War--as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city. Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history's darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence--inspired by the true postwar struggles of Spain. Includes vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more. Praise for The Fountains of Silence "Spain under Francisco Franco is as dystopian a setting as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead in Ruta Sepetys’s suspenseful, romantic and timely new work of historical fiction . . . Like [Shakespeare's family romances], 'The Fountains of Silence' speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past." --The New York Times Book Review “Full of twists and revelations…an excellent story, and timely, too.” --The Wall Street Journal "A staggering tale of love, loss, and national shame." --Entertainment Weekly * "[Sepetys] tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction." --Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW* * "This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain." --Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW* * "This richly woven historical fiction . . . will keep young adults as well as adults interested from the first page to the last." --SLC, *STARRED REVIEW* * "Riveting . . . An exemplary work of historical fiction." --The Horn Book, *STARRED REVIEW*
Praise for Code of Silence: “Deliberate, plausible, and gritty whodunit.” –Booklist Starred Review Taken! A detour through the park leads Cooper, Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk straight into a trap, and Gordy is abducted! For the kidnapper, it’s all a game, a way to settle an old score, with no one getting hurt. But evil has a way of escalating, and once his identity is discovered, the rules change. Despite the best of police efforts, the hours tick by without a clue or a ransom call, leaving everyone to their own fears. Gordy is gone. Cooper descends deeper into a living nightmare, imagining the worst for his best friend and cousin. Hours stretch into days, and talks of a memorial service begin to surface. But Cooper still feels his cousin is alive and develops a reckless plan, changing all the rules. Now the one who set out to rescue his friend needs to be rescued himself. Sometimes rescuing a friend from darkness means going in after them.
Marko Bennett a handsome young marine recently returned home from two and a half years in the Special Services, in the front line in Afghanistan, fighting against the Taliban. Complete adrenalin junkie, spoilt rich kid who enjoys hanging out with Head of the Crips, Leroy Brown reputed L.A. gangster. Racing Nascars for his big name sponsors, stealing expensive luxury sports cars, Marko street races for Leroy and is linked with the gambling syndicate doing cocaine deals on the side. He winds up in trouble with the law and is sent to New York, by his father the head of the LAPD, who has firm ties to the mafia. Edward Martin, Head Attorney for the Mafia, based in New York, takes young Marko under his wing setting him up as personal assistant to his wife Alessandra who has a label in the Fashion Industry. He has a steamy romance with their daughter Georgia who also works for the massive Fashion Enterprise. He becomes a made man hanging out with hard core mobsters and now enjoys very close relations with Ciro Pistone, (The Don), Frankie Napatano, (Underboss) and other core gang members. Actively entrenched in the Mafia as activities and hanging out with the Cartels son, he becomes involved with the Cartels daughter Francesca and falls madly in love. A twist of fate leads him back to New York on a revenge fuelled rampage of murder and bloodshed linking all the way to the White House. Now a Captain with the mob, he is fully entrenched in the day to day activities of the mob, Jet setting to Sicily, Ibiza and Monaco living the life of a movie star, doing arms deals with the Bosnians and contract hits for the mob. A powerful story full of action, murder, extortion and romance as Marko becomes one of the untouchables, but will he survive to rise up the Mafia ranks
