Stranded

      Alex Kava
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New York Times bestselling author Alex Kava returns with another action-packed thriller featuring special agent Maggie O'Dell, who is on the hunt for a "truck stop" serial killer. Tired travelers and weary truckers have stopped at rest areas on the nation's highways for decades to refuel, grab a bite, and maybe get some shut-eye, but one man's rest stop is another's hunting ground. For decades the defenseless, the weary, and the stranded have disappeared along the highways and byways, vanishing without a trace, but these seemingly unconnected incidents are no coincidence, and a madman stalks the freeways. When FBI special agent Maggie O'Dell and her partner, Tully, discover the remains of a young woman in a highway ditch, the one clue left behind is a map that will send Maggie and Tully on a frantic hunt crisscrossing the country to stop a madman before he kills again. As the body count rises and Maggie races against the clock to unmask the monster who's terrorizing the nation's highways, she turns to a former foe for help since he seems to know just what the killer's next move will be. As she gets closer to finding the killer, it becomes eerily clear that Maggie is the ultimate target. **From Booklist Starred Review A serial killer who finds his victims—preferably two at a time—at interstate-highway rest stops takes a shine to FBI Special Agent Maggie O’Dell and starts leaving her clues. A map left in Maggie’s burned-down house in the Washington, D.C., area sends her, with partner R. J. Tully, to a deserted farm in Sioux City, Iowa. Here, with the help of Ryder Creed’s cadaver-hunting dog, they find one of the killer’s prime dumping grounds, as the perpetrator himself watches. Then comes a clue from Manhattan, Kansas, where a college student who survived the killer is terrorized by his memory of his best friend being savagely murdered and threats of what could happen to him. In her eleventh Maggie O’Dell entry, Kava shows mastery in constructing a plot with nonstop action, covering a time span of just over a week, with suspense rising to a nearly unbearable level in a climax in the Florida backwaters. Maggie is indomitable—slogging through mud or water in search of clues and perps, inured to the sight of decapitated or eviserated bodies, cool in facing a canny killer—with a loyal supporting cast and hints of a new romantic interest. Prime escapism for thriller fans with strong stomachs. --Michele Leber Review "In her eleventh Maggie O’Dell entry, Kava shows mastery in constructing a plot with nonstop action, covering a time span of just over a week, with suspense rising to a nearly unbearable level in a climax in the Florida backwaters. Maggie is indomitable – slogging through mud or water in search of clues and perps, inured to the sight of decapitated or eviscerated bodies, cool in facing a canny killer – with a loyal supporting cast and hints of a new romantic interest. Prime escapism for thriller fans with strong stomachs.” -Booklist, Starred Review

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    The Venus Belt

      L. Neil Smith
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More than a 150,000 women have been kidnapped without a trace or any ransom demand in the ‘normal’ world run by the Federalists and the bureaucracy. But that is not the only problem, because the freedom loving population in the ‘alternate’ reality of the North American Confederacy are facing their own crises. People are disappearing across the Probability Broach, including Win Bear's closest friend, Featherstone-Haugh (who heads the Confederacy), and even Win's wife and assistant. Ill (and deadly) winds are blowing and threatening to destroy the Probability Broach as we know it. Win Bear, keeping one step ahead of lethal assassins and fighting incredible odds, must solve multiple apparently disparate cases that all seem to lead to the end of freedom.

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    Be Witched

      H. P. Mallory
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Product DescriptionIn this sexy and spellbinding original short story, available exclusively as an eBook, bestselling author H. P. Mallory presents the exciting Underworld from a never-before-seen point of view—through the eyes of Rand Balfour, a drop-dead gorgeous warlock and the love of Jolie Wilkins’s life.While the undead wage a brutal civil war, Rand Balfour has only one thing on his mind: protecting his true love, Jolie Wilkins, the savvy and spirited witch whose powers have made her the toast—and target—of the new Underworld order. For Rand, keeping Jolie safe means guarding against allies and enemies alike. First there’s Sinjin Sinclair, a dangerously seductive vampire who has his fangs set on Jolie, and who Rand suspects of harboring a sinister agenda. Then there are the factions of supernatural creatures causing chaos at every turn. But most shocking is Rand himself, whose wild desire for Jolie may put her very life at risk. Torn between his duty and his passion, Rand must summon all his strength to withstand temptation, even if it costs him the one woman he cannot bear to lose.  Follow more of Rand and Jolie’s electrifying paranormal romance in this eBook’s special bonus: a thrilling excerpt from H. P. Mallory’s next novel, Witchful Thinking.

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    The Lost Mine of the Amazon

      Hugh Lloyd
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THE LOST MINE OF THE AMAZON ,CHAPTER IA RIDDLEHal lay rigid in his deck chair and watched from under half-closed lids. The dapper little man came toward them soundlessly and approached Denis Keen’s chair with all the slinking agility of a cat. Suddenly his hand darted down toward the sleeping man’s pocket.

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    The Quest: A Romance

      Justus Miles Forman
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From Ste. Marie's little flat which overlooked the gardens they drove down the quiet Rue du Luxembourg, and, at the Place St. Sulpice, turned to the left. They crossed the Place St. Germain des Prés, where lines of homebound working people stood waiting for places in the electric trams, and groups of students from the Beaux Arts or from Julien's sat under the awnings of the Deux Magots, and so, beyond that busy square, they came into the long and peaceful stretch of the Boulevard St. Germain. The warm sweet dusk gathered round them as they went, and the evening air was fresh and aromatic in their faces. There had been a little gentle shower in the late afternoon, and roadway and pavement were still damp with it. It had wet the new-grown leaves of the chestnuts and acacias that bordered the street. The scent of that living green blended with the scent of laid dust and the fragrance of the last late-clinging chestnut blossoms: it caught up a fuller richer burden from the overflowing front of a florist's shop: it stole from open windows a savoury whiff of cooking, a salt tang of wood smoke, and the soft little breeze—the breeze of coming summer—mixed all together and tossed them and bore them down the long quiet street; and it was the breath of Paris, and it shall be in your nostrils and mine, a keen agony of sweetness, so long as we may live and so wide as we may wander—because we have known it and loved it: and in the end we shall go back to breathe it when we die.The strong white horse jogged evenly along over the wooden pavement, its head down, the little bell at its neck jingling pleasantly as it went. The cocher, a torpid purplish lump of gross flesh, pyramidal, pear-like, sat immobile in his place. The protuberant back gave him an extraordinary effect of being buttoned into his fawn-coloured coat wrong-side-before. At intervals he jerked the reins like a large strange toy and his strident voice said—"Hè!" to the stout white horse, which paid no attention whatever. Once the beast stumbled and the pear-like lump of flesh insulted it, saying—"Hè! veux, tu, cochon!"Before the War Office a little black slip of a milliner's girl dodged under the horse's head, saving herself and the huge box slung to her arm by a miracle of agility, and the cocher called her the most frightful names, without turning his head, and in a perfunctory tone quite free from passion.Young Hartley laughed and turned to look at his companion, but Ste. Marie sat still in his place, his hat pulled a little down over his brows, and his handsome chin buried in the folds of the white silk muffler with which, for some obscure reason, he had swathed his neck."This is the first time in many years," said the Englishman, "that I have known you to be silent for ten whole minutes. Are you ill or are you making up little epigrams to say at the dinner party?"CONTENTSSte. Marie Hears of a Mystery and Meets a Dark LadyThe Ladder to the StarsSte. Marie makes a Vow, but a Pair of Eyes haunt HimOld David StewartSte. Marie sets forth upon the Great AdventureA Brave Gentleman Receives a Hurt, but Volunteers in a Good CauseCaptain Stewart makes a Kindly OfferSte. Marie Meets with a Misadventure and Dreams a DreamSte. Marie goes upon a Journey and Richard Hartley Pleads for HimCaptain Stewart EntertainsA Golden Lady Enters—The Eyes againThe Name of the Lady with the Eyes—Evidence heaps up SwiftlyThe Road to ClamartIn the GardenA Conversation at La LierreThe Black CatA Conversation OverheardThose who were Left BehindThe Invalid takes the AirThe Stone Bench at the Rond PointA Mist Dims the Shining StarA Settlement RefusedThe Last Arrow—and a PromiseThe Joint in the ArmourCoira goes over to the Enemy"I won't go!"The Night's WorkCoira's Little HourThe Scales of InjusticeJourney's EndIllustrations"He fell on his knees at her feet""It seemed to him that her eyes called him.""'I fancy I know who the man was.'""'You're twenty-two. Have you eve

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    Omega, the Man

      Lowell Howard Morrow
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This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

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    Mask of Death

      Paul Ernst
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Only? It was the last word in summer resorts! The millionaires backing it had spent eighteen million dollars on it. They had placed it on a fine road to New York. They ran planes and busses to it. They were going to clean up five hundred per cent on their investment, in real estate deals and rentals. On this, its formal opening night, the place was wide open. In every beautiful summer home all lights were on, whether the home in question was tenanted or not. The stores were open, whether or not customers were available. The inns and small hotels were gay with decorations. But it was at the big hotel at the hub of the town that the gayeties attendant on such a stupendous opening night were at their most complete. Every room and suite was occupied. The lobby was crowded. Formally dressed guests strolled the promenade, and tried fruitlessly to gain admission to the already overcrowded roof garden.

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    A Virginia Scout

      Hugh Pendexter
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A Virginia Scout is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Hugh Pendexter is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Hugh Pendexter then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

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    Irma in Italy: A Travel Story

      Annie F. Johnston
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This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.

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    The Third Volume

      Fergus Hume
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Fergusson Wright Hume, known as Fergus Hume (8 July 1859 – 12 July 1932) was a prolific English novelist. Finding that the novels of Émile Gaboriau were then very popular in Melbourne, he obtained and read a set of them and determined to write a novel of a similar kind. The result was the self-published novel The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886), which became a great success. Hume based his descriptions of poor urban life on his knowledge of Little Bourke Street. He sold the English and United States rights to the novel for 50 pounds, and thus derived little benefit from its success. It eventually became the best selling mystery novel of the Victorian era, author John Sutherland terming it the "most sensationally popular crime and detective novel of the century".This novel inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write A Study in Scarlet, which introduced the character Sherlock Holmes. Doyle remarked, "Hansom Cab was a slight tale, mostly sold by 'puffing'." After the success of his first novel and the publication of another, Professor Brankel's Secret (c.1886), Hume returned to England in 1888.He resided in London for few years and then he moved to the Essex countryside where he lived in Thundersley for 30 years, eventually producing more than 100 novels and short stories. He continued to be anxious for success as a dramatist, and at one time Henry Irving was favourably considering one of his plays, but he died before it could be produced.

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    The Mysterious Three

      William Le Queux
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William Tufnell Le Queux was born in London on 2 July 1864. His father, also William of Chateauroux, Indre, was a French draper’s assistant and his mother was English.He was educated in Europe and studied art under Ignazio Spiridon in Paris. He walked extensively in France and Germany and supported himself for a time writing for French newspapers. It was one of his sensational stories in ‘The Petit Journal’ that attracted the attention of the French novelist Emile Zola and it was supposedly he who encouraged Le Queux to become a full-time writer...

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  • 355

    City Crimes; Or, Life in New York and Boston

      George Thompson
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City Crimes - or Life in New York and Boston is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George Thompson is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of George Thompson then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

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    Giggle Book Four

      BobA. Troutt
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There is one thing you can always do and that is share a good story with others. It takes more effort to frown than it does to smile.Having fun with Bobby’s tall tales is exciting. These new stories will keep you on your toes with fun, laughter and smiles for the whole family. Let the stories enrich your heart with giggles.

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    Deadwood Dick Jr. Branded; or, Red Rover at Powder Pocket.

      Edward L. Wheeler
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Deadwood Dick is the forward shooting, tough riding protagonist of the divulging book series Deadwood Dick takes on train thieves and other criminals in this marvelous story of the old west. Deadwood Dick went through arduous and risky escapades before and will he be able to meet his match this time? What is the reason behind a horseshoe brand burned into this chest? Will he be able to save his heroine? This adventure includes The Great Hold-Up, Dick's Fruitless Risk, Captain Joaquin's Capture, Rejecting a Proposal, Turning the Tables, Caching the Treasure, The Secret Shot, Captain Joaquin's Retreat, A Chance for his Life, Dick in a Death-Trap, Dick's Only Defense, Caught in the Toils, Deadwood Dick Branded, Susana to the Rescue, Banker Brown of Powder Pocket, The First Blow Struck, The Second Blow Falls, The Third Stroke. Deadwood Dick is an imaginary character who is read in a series of action and adventurous stories created by Edward Lytton Wheeler. The name was very much popular in its time that it was taken advantage by some men who were residents of Deadwood, South Dakota. Edward Lytton Wheeler was a 19th century dime author best known for his Deadwood Dick series. The adapted anthology television series Death Valley Days exhibited a 1966 episode with the title The Resurrection of Deadwood Dick, hosted by Robert Taylor with the rejoiced character actor Denver Pyle in the lead role. In the story, Deadwood Dick is formed by the town leaders because lots of tourists come to Deadwood and want to greet the historical hero. After which, Buffalo Bill asks Deadwood Dick to become a part of the Wild West Show. Deadwood Dick, fortified by a blast of bravery, saves the town banker in a robbery scene and swears to go back to Deadwood, where he spends the rest of his life.

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    Committed: A Short Story

      N. Primak
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Robert loves Layla more than anything, although she never returned his feelings. When she commits suicide, the tragedy is all that the teen can think about. Robert is convinced that Layla's previous boyfriend was the reason for her death, and is determined to punish him. A short but moving tale of unrequited love, revenge, and a commitment that lasts beyond the grave.Alone in snowy, remote Whistler village, Ana tries to build a new life since losing her parents. With a cozy condo, a sweet-faced bulldog and an evening job to leave the days free for the slopes, life slips into a great routine. If only she could shake the guilt for not remembering anything about her parents and banish the night terrors that haunt her every dream.On a whim, Ana goes out with Athen, a guy she’s just met in the Grizzly Pub... The only problem is that she feels like she already knows him. Within 48 hours of meeting Athen and his family, Ana’s world implodes. She falls for Athen quickly and before she knows it, a past life begins to resurface. As thrilling as the revelations appear at first, she fights against the chilling information that Athen is from the underworld. Soon she begins to struggle as her own supernatural gifts are slowly unveiled, and she realizes that the nightmares she’s been having might be premonitions and not dreams at all.It is up to Ana to decipher between fact and fiction before it is too late, and her new love, Athen, follows in her same fate - one that is lost between two worlds.

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  • 355

    Terra Two

      Francis Rosenfeld
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"I, the most humble Mother Joachima, now in the one hundred and sixteenth year of my life, in obedience to the request of Mother Superior, was entrusted with chronicling the beginnings of our mission here on Terra Two and the first hundred years of terraforming.""I, the most humble Mother Joachima, now in the one hundred and sixteenth year of my life, in obedience to the request of Mother Superior, was entrusted with chronicling the beginnings of our mission here on Terra Two and the first hundred years of terraforming.""Many people would have been better suited for this task, since they are much more knowledgeable and eloquent than I, but I was chosen for I was blessed to witness many of the events first hand. Whether I will be worthy of this task is at the mercy of the Almighty, to Whom I pray for guidance and fair resurgence of my memories."[...]The sun peeked from behind Terra Two, festooning its edge with a very thin and sharply intense sliver of light that broadened quickly, casting coffee colored shadows on the chocolate rose surface, shimmering on the plane of the water and making it shine like old gold. The images of the methane containers echoed on the restless liquid surface and thin wisps of foam got carried by the breeze to form even and delicate crests between the islands. The waves interfered and harmonized creating complex ephemeral patterns, almost as if the planet was trying to tell the newcomers a story in a language so ancient and abstruse only it understood.

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  • 355

    The Unspoken

      Don Zelma
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The Unspoken follows the plight of Daniel Amos, a fifty-nine year old preacher on a journey to find out the truth about his son, Jay, killed in a motorcycle accident ten years earlier. Daniel befriends his son's companions and, through their personal experiences, glimpses his son's secret existence, and dwells on the possibility his son may have taken his own life.With retirement looming, fifty-nine year old pastor Dan Amos has more questions than he began with. The world has changed. And then there is Jay. Was his son’s bike accident really suicide? Ten years may have passed, but peace still eludes him. And all he has left are photos of a twenty-two year old son he didn’t know, dressed in leather; tattooed and angry; mirroring the two young men pictured with him – Ned and Joe: unwelcome at the funeral, but now, perhaps, the only lead in finding out what really happened to Jay. Dan is determined to seek them out, even if it marks a descent into their world.Ned is a dreamer with an unlovable face, unkempt pony tail and intimidating tattoos. He is out of shape and angry at a pedestrian life that hasn’t met his expectations. He has tried every fad to quench his thirst for success and it is his wife who bears the brunt of his frustration. Joe is taller, better looking and less threatening than Ned and, like Ned, has his own secrets. He is living life the only way he knows: filling his nights with rum and cokes and the quest for a bed partner. Both men maintain that there is no secret to Jay’s death, and Dan is met with hostility when he originally confronts them. But when their lives begin to change it is not long before they are the ones seeking Dan out for support and guidance. What ensues bridges the gap between the two worlds with friendship and camaraderie, as Dan supports Joe through his difficult new relationship and tries to steer Ned away from violence and frustration. As the friendships develop Dan feels that he is getting closer and closer to Jay. His son had been experimenting, making up for lost time, conflicted by a pure upbringing and a life he wanted to pursue. Dan has built up the idea of suicide to make some sense of it all, but there is no sense to be made.It is more than a year later, when Dan receives some devastating news, that the relationships are rekindled. Ned and Joe support him into an ambulance and it is clear that they have become his sons. Dan mimics Ned and Joe; being them; being Jay; shouting at the staff and at a life that he still doesn’t understand.Dan begs for more time, to be able to understand and help people, and is told that there is nothing he can do; that the deepest wounds in life are always nursed alone.

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