In this terrifying tale by New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey, a young aspiring serial killer goes in search of a mentor—the supreme, the ultimate killer. What he finds is much greater and much worse than he ever could have imagined.

Years ago, a pair of college girls was rescued from a party-gone-bad, then abducted by an alien in need of a crew.A few years later, they abandoned their alien savior on Earth and are forced to return to find and rescue him to prevent interstellar criminals from raiding the Earth.To do this, they need help.Checkers Pizza is very popular among the students of Keekishwa University in Delasalle, Illinois, because it offers guaranteed 30 minute or the order is free. Business is usually brisk each night, even during the summer, but one night it died early and might have stayed that way, if a bizarre gentleman hadn't ordered 24 pies and paid with a solid gold coin.Just one catch: he wants them delivered to the gate of a haunted cemetery....In the Bonus Story, a woman passing through a cemetery late at night is assault by a couple of ghouls, who fight over her, allowing her to escape. But then they start to court her....

Walk the streets of old London just before Christmas with a retired police inspector haunted by the mysterious death of Jacob Marley. Meet the people he investigates, including Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Fagin, and Bill Sikes.Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge’s name was good upon ’Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.Inspector Ian McFergus had not been satisfied; not in the least satisfied. He had inspected Marley's body using all the due processes and checklists upon which the police division insisted and in which he had been trained. And he was not satisfied.Marley's body had been found at the bottom of the stairs, dead as a doornail (McFergus wondered where that expression had come from). The inspector had walked around the body as required and had drawn a sketch as required. And however much it looked as if the old guy had simply tripped, Inspector McFergus had not been satisfied at the time and had been no more satisfied after the coroner had hauled the corpse, clothed in a shabby nightgown, away. The next day he was told by his superiors that there were other things he should be working on, so he tried to forget about the incident of Jacob Marley.Seven years later…. “Remember the Marley case?” Amy asked. “Nobody else seemed to think his death was suspicious. Just a careless man falling down a flight of stairs.”“Ah, my dear. Nobody else on the force was warned in advance.”“Pardon?”The former inspector smiled. “A week before his death, I was told by a snitch that someone was going to kill Jacob Marley. of Scrooge and Marley. It would probably look like an accident, the fellow said.”Retired police inspector Ian McFergus, haunted by the mysterious death of Jacob Marley, walks the streets and underworld of Victorian London looking for the truth, just before Christmas. He meets with a number of characters, including Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Fagin, the Artful Dodger, and Bill Sikes. And he consults with a youth who would, of course, deny any resemblance to a person named Sherlock.

From the author of The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black & A Boy Named Hogg comes a new short story for all to read and enjoy.Join Oliver as he wanders through the mysterious wood which rests at the bottom of his garden, populated by talking woodland animals, enchanted creatures and above all a horrifying, child-eating giant known as The Gurumapa...Ginny Webster is a big city girl who doesn’t want to be recuperating in a sleepy little Alabama town, especially when her days and nights are repeatedly disturbed by strange dreams and events. Then there’re the woods out back that seem to call to her and the inexplicably dry patch of earth out under the old cypress tree. Pretty soon Ginny is immersed in a tragedy that has hung over the town of Homestead for forty years, but the story of where the pastor’s daughter was buried isn’t what anyone expects.

Is modern technology humankind's solution, or will it lead to our demise? Technophobe! is a collection of 5 short stories exploring techology's sinister side. Are strangers on social networks really what they seem? Could people be trusted with mind-reading devices? Will machines make us immortal? Stories to make you wonder, make you shudder, make you suspicious of your household appliances!Rebekah journeys through Cornwall on a quest to find her hero King Arthur. She discovers that she is her own hero and truth is within. Photographs.

On the north west tip of the Isle of Mull, Castle Haunn faces a bleak Yuletide. Their strawberry juice has run out and the extra delivery to keep their power cells running was lost at sea. It's going to be a cold, hungry holiday.Dylan takes a message to the mainland calling for help, but fails to return.Dylan's Yuletide Journey is a short chapter ebook for Middle Grade readers over 8 years.On the north west tip of the Isle of Mull, Castle Haunn faces a bleak Yuletide. Their strawberry juice has run out and they have lost the extra delivery to keep their power cells going. The supply ship was lost in a storm. No fresh food, no presents, and even worse, no heat. It's going to be a cold, hungry holiday.Young Dylan is despatched to take a message to the mainland calling for help. His twin brother Dougall tries to find a solution to their problem, using raspberry juice and any sources of different metals he can find. The Laird's wife hasn't missed her silver necklace... yet!On the way back from his errand, Dylan falls into a trap. He discovers the cause of the missing strawberry juice, and more trouble than he ever imagined!Will the loveable twins survive their troubles? Will it be a sad and lonely Yuletide?Set in the same world as The Princelings of the East series, this book introduces Dylan and Dougall, who will become the Princelings of the North. The story also involves the Prince of Buckmore and Prince Engineer George of Marsh, who will be well known to regular readers, but no prior knowledge of the series is needed - except to know that all the characters are guinea pigs. "A feudal world with advanced technology, populated by guinea pigs" as someone described it.Dylan's Yuletide Journey is a short chapter ebook (7 chapters, c7,000 words) for Middle Grade readers aged 8 and upwards. As usual with Jemima's books, each chapter has a black and white illustration.

What makes a person's opinions and insights valuable to society? It might not be the vision from the top, such as from presidents and billionaires. The outsider sees where the herd is going, and what beliefs are leading it there. In general, there are no outsiders as potentially valuable as the disabled; in these two stories, the inspiring visions of two young mentally ill people are displayed.These two short stories examine the hidden lives of outsiders from society - people who are put on the outside because of mental illness. Their remarkable stoicism and the valuable contributions they can make are put on display here, for the reader to consider.We all know by now that the mentally ill suffer from cruel and crude stereotypes and stigmas of being "defective," "crazy," and "weak", as well as a still-pervasive belief that they are generally prone to committing crimes. Here are two portraits of mentally ill people that show how they often do stand aside from mainstream society, yet inject that mainstream with important insights and inspiration.In the first story, "The Exalted Mortals," Lester, a young man with schizophrenia, finds through the darkness his niche in the world of art - he makes as his subjects the mentally ill and other people with disabilities, conveying to his audiences what contributions the disabled make, and how they strive to love be loved just as others do. He finds in the efforts of the disabled remarkable examples of what the human spirit is capable of, and there is the implication that even more could be accomplished if the seen and unseen barriers to the disabled were lowered.The second story, "Strange Jill," shines a light on the unique perspective of a mentally ill school girl, who knows what "cool" really is, and tries to teach a curious schoolmate what knowing is all about in this world.Neither story contains adult or otherwise explicit content, though the themes might best be discussed with the younger reader.

The adventure continues! What is the purpose of life from heaven’s view? Where do we go after we die? Thirteen-year-old Alex Opalstone learns answers to these secrets through surreal dreams she has at night about the great mysteries of life. Finding their meaning brings great friends and dangerous enemies. Come along for an adventure that is out of this world in its ability to amaze and inspire.The adventure continues. What is the view heaven has about the purpose of life? Thirteen-year-old Alex Opalstone is learning all about this through another dream she has one night that leads her to the answers of the great mysteries of life. Finding the meaning to the rest of the dream will take her on some unexpected adventures that bring her great friends but comes with the unfortunate results of attracting dangerous enemies. The dream helps Alex to learn of just one of her many potential abilities. The first power she learns of is the potential to see multiple worlds at once: The everyday world in which we all live and how it can be influenced for either good or evil by influences not usually seen with physical sight and she sees the bright and often unseen world of heaven’s blessed influence along with the opposing darker world that works to interfere to try and prevent heaven’s blessings. She sees life as heaven sees it. Because of her bully of an older brother, Dex, she knows all too well what it's like to suffer. But Alex turns her experience for good by learning to have compassion for those who suffer. When Alex was younger, she would use an old window frame to imagine the view heaven has of life and how God's angels bless us in our times of need. But after several years pass without her using the old frame, she has several surreal dreams at night that use the window to teach her about the purpose of life in heaven's view and of her own potential for good. She learns that she can tap into something beyond this world to work within her to give her strength and abilities to do good and help others through powers that are not available by her own efforts alone. Some would call such abilities "superhuman." When Alex must move away to live with relatives that will keep her safe from her bully of a brother, she attends a new school, makes new friends and learns of the school’s charitable fund-raising contest. It's a chance for students to create a way to sell something to raise money to be donated to a good cause.As her new friends, Leena and Julio, join her to help win the contest as a team, their friendship brings about exciting adventures and even a few near catastrophes through funny yet often innocent mistakes along the way. When an older woman, billionaire Linda Wise, agrees to coach Alex and her team along towards success, her extra help begins to attract unexpected enemies for Linda and Alex.When Linda isn't helping Alex, Linda works on solving a great mystery she discovered unexpectedly about her deceased father. Her father was doing research on a mysterious scroll that reveals teachings of Christ to shine a great light and answer the great questions of life such as how to find lasting happiness and know who we are, why we are living here and where we all go after death.But where is the scroll now and how did her father learn of it? How will Alex's dreams confirm many of these answers? And what is in the scroll’s lessons that will prove that the "superhuman" abilities Alex may have within herself are one of the greatest gifts anyone can receive? And is there a way for others to have the same gift and powers Alex discovers? An inspiring story that merges with a humorous, laugh-out-loud funny style, the story of Alex Opalstone is set to rival other bestsellers of the past. Come along for an adventure that is out of this world in its ability to amaze and inspire while showing that the realities of life are often far greater than we imagine and that each of us has the potential to unlock heaven's powers within us to shine brightly for good in ways that will take us far beyond where we thought we could go.

Two short tales of adventure and fantasy about would-be heroes who face life-threatening elements, brave against their own eroding courage, and learn to trust the unfamiliar guides who lead them to the prizes they have once been promised. These are stories of hope and faith in a world that wants to destroy both and crush the heroes who fight for their redemption.In “Waterfall Junction,” Dalowin the Rabbit (not really a rabbit), head of his loyal army of knights, is commissioned to raid the city at the bottom of the hill and destroy the evil forces that lurk inside. Trouble is, he’s afraid to lead the charge, and he’s even more afraid to send his men into battle when the opposition is so fierce. Therefore, he abandons his army and runs for safety, that he might spare both him and his men. But thanks to a personal journey that leads him to a place where faith and resolve are tested, Dalowin the Rabbit may just get his courage back, as long as the test doesn’t kill him first.In “The Narrow Bridge,” Kirk is an adventurer who’s just trying to find his way to the Land of God, but he faces many insurmountable obstacles along the way, including temptations to wander off course and disasters that impede his forward progress. But his truest test comes when he faces the great chasm between the two lands and the hordes of travelers who think they know how best to reach the other side, and he must decide which of them really knows the truth, for certain death finds those who get it wrong.

She sings.“The incy-bincy spider climbed up the water spout… down came the rain and washed the spider out… Out came the sun and dried up all the rain… and… the incy-bincy spider… climbed up the… spout… again.” Her voice croaky and hoarse.Bismillah“No, please don’t! Please! No! Please don’t! I’ll do what you want! I’ll do whatever you want! Please! Please!”He screams more.“Please, no! I don’t like snakes! Please!Not the snakes! Please. Stop. Stop!”“Please stop!”As Allah wills

In the wild, it’s every creature for itself. They all had to survive and adapt to their surroundings. However, a tragedy changed all that. In order to maintain balance, the predators fought against the preys. They brutally engaged in a never-ending battle of the century that changed the course of history forever. This happened before the evolution of man, in somewhat sixty five million years ago.Prey vs Predator is the first installment of the The Pack series. It's talks about two sides of the animal life, the predators and the preys. The preys have been beaten, eaten, marred and scarred for years, until a stag named Zafeen rises up, and together with his brother Varn, they convince every prey to fight back against the predators and reclaim back their land. However, every now and then, the predators find a way to sneak into their territory and hunt. Fueled by the tragic end of his parents, Zafeen takes leadership of all the preys and even takes revenge on every predator who dared to crossed him. The preys drive every last predator out and form their own continent with only their kind residing in it. They named it Praemar. The predators have their own continent too, named Huxton, where every vicious savage resides.The concept of the story is mainly centered on family. The predators and preys may have their differences, but when it comes to protecting the ones they love, they would do about anything for them.

LET THERE BE LIGHT. My name is Calla Price and I’m broken. My pieces are all around me, floating on the wind, even as I desperately try to grasp them. Who is dead? Alive? Insane? What is the truth? I don’t know. I do know this: The darkness is strangling me. With every breath, I choke on another lie. My mind has protected me, but that shield will soon be lowered. All will be revealed. Every answer to every question. It’s all been leading to this. Don’t be afraid. Be terrified.

Dr. Bloodmoney is a post-nuclear-holocaust masterpiece filled with a host of Dick's most memorable characters: Hoppy Harrington, a deformed mutant with telekinetic powers; Walt Dangerfield, a selfless disc jockey stranded in a satellite circling the globe; Dr. Bluthgeld, the megalomaniac physicist largely responsible for the decimated state of the world; and Stuart McConchie and Bonny Keller, two unremarkable people bent on the survival of goodness in a world devastated by evil. Epic and alluring, this brilliant novel is a mesmerizing depiction of Dick's undying hope in humanity.

When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City's most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy. But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren't prepared for what they see when they're called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see. The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what's really behind the murderer's rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently--and Zach knows whatever she's hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers. NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson's newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you've never seen before.

An eBook short. A dispatch from the underground world of Birdsong, a story of love and World War I.  In a stagnant war of trenches and barbed wire, there is one final desperate front: underground.  Jack Firebrace is part of an elite group of British tunnellers, miners by profession, without the military training of infantry but facing unfathomable dangers just the same, forty-five feet underground with several hundred thousand tons of France above their heads. Birdsong, published to international critical and popular acclaim, has become the canonical novel of romance and devastating violence in World War I. In this selection, we are introduced to Jack Firebrace, one of the novel’s central characters, and are given an unforgettable portrait of the lives of soldiers in an unimaginable position.

Amulet is a monologue, like Bolano's acclaimed debut in English, By Night in Chile. The speaker is Auxilio Lacouture, a Uruguayan woman who moved to Mexico in the 1960s, becoming the "Mother of Mexican Poetry," hanging out with the young poets in the cafes and bars of the University. She's tall, thin,brand blonde, and her favorite young poet in the 1970s is none other than Arturo Belano (Bolano's fictional stand-in throughout his books). As well as her young poets, Auxilio recalls three remarkable women; the melancholic young philosopher Elena, the exiled Catalan painter Remedios Varo, and Lilian Serpas, a poet who once slept with Che Guevara.brAnd in the course of her imaginary visit to the house of Remedios Varo,brAuxilio sees an uncanny landscape, a kind of chasm. This chasm reappears in a vision at the end of the book; an army of children is marching toward it, singing as they go. The children are the idealistic young Latin Americans who came to maturity in the '70s, and the last words of the novel are; "And that song is our amulet."

Two Sisters, by the international bestselling author Asne Seierstad, tells the unforgettable story of a family divided by faith. Sadiq and Sara, Somali immigrants raising a family in Norway, one day discover that their teenage daughters Leila and Ayan have vanished--and are en route to Syria to aid the Islamic State. Seierstad's riveting account traces the sisters' journey from secular, social democratic Norway to the front lines of the war in Syria, and follows Sadiq's harrowing attempt to find them. Employing the same mastery of narrative suspense she brought to The Bookseller of Kabul and One of Us, Seierstad puts the problem of radicalization into painfully human terms, using instant messages and other primary sources to reconstruct a family's crisis from the inside. Eventually, she takes us into the hellscape of the Syrian civil war, as Sadiq risks his life in pursuit of his daughters, refusing to let them disappear into the maelstrom--even after they marry ISIS fighters. Two Sisters is a relentless thriller and a feat of reporting with profound lessons about belief, extremism, and the meaning of devotion.

June Pritchard and her pet sparrow hawk, Zander, are both caught between following the rules and spreading their wings to fly June Pritchard spends every summer with her aunts, uncles, and cousins in the big Victorian house that belonged to her grandfather. But the summer she turns thirteen, something has changed. Her mother is imposing new rules on her, and she starts to feel the thrill—and burden—of growing up. When June is given a sparrow hawk to train as a pet, she takes on the task, eager to prove she can be reliable. But Zander the sparrow hawk is as resistant to new rules as June is herself. Together, they must navigate the fine line between responsibility and freedom. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

The acknowledged masterpiece of the Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian novelist Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter has never been out of print in this country since its first publication in 1927. Its story of a woman's life in fourteenth-century Norway has kept its hold on generations of readers, and the heroine, Kristin—beautiful, strong-willed, and passionate—stands with the world's great literary figures. Volume 1, The Bridal Wreath, describes young Kristin's stormy romance with the dashing Erlend Nikulausson, a young man perhaps overly fond of women, of whom her father strongly disapproves. From the Trade Paperback edition.

With more than seven million copies sold worldwide, and translated into over forty languages, Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series is an international phenomenon. Detective Harry Hole is a genuine anti-hero: a handsome loner, an alcoholic and workaholic who is tormented in his personal life even as he is revered by his colleagues for his unwavering sense of justice and proven police instincts. Harry’s self-governing, anti-authoritarian style has driven his superior officer at the crime squad in Oslo to call him “the best investigator in the department and the worst public servant.” First-class thrillers with high voltage suspense and complex plotting, The Snowman, The Leopard and Phantom are fascinating journeys into the world of this singular character and the dark criminal minds he pursues to the very limits of his sanity, in Oslo and beyond. “Jo Nesbo is my favorite thriller writer and Harry Hole my new hero.” —Michael Connelly “Exuberantly, ingeniously gruesome.” —The Telegraph

"This epic story is fueled with intense commitment and sensuousness." LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK REVIEW Vida was their star--the beautiful, charismatic radical from the pages of LIFE magazine--the symbol of the passionate rebellion of the sixties. Now, ten years later, the shouting is over, but Vida is still on the run. Staying in Network hideouts, traveling disguised, fearing every glance, she finds her best protection is her distrust of everyone--a lesson learned from past treacheries. And now, knowing the dangers, she finds herself warming again toward a man, an outcast ten years younger than herself.