At a dinner party given by his parents-in-law, Commissario Brunetti meets Franca Marinello, the wife of a prosperous Venetian businessman. He's charmed - perhaps too charmed, suggests his wife Paola - by her love of Virgil and Cicero, but shocked by her appearance. A few days later, Brunetti is visited by Carabinieri Maggior Filippo Guarino from the nearby city of Marghera. As part of a wider investigation into Mafia takeovers of businesses in the region, Guarino wants information about the owner of a trucking company who was found murdered in his office. He believes the man's death is connected to the illegal transportation of refuse - and more sinister material - in his company's trucks. No stranger to mutual suspicion and competition between rival Italian police departments, Brunetti is nevertheless puzzled by the younger man's behaviour.Eventually Guarino agrees to email a photo of his suspect, but by the time the photograph arrives,...

The epic conclusion to the Celestial Battle trilogy from the bestselling author of WHITE TIGER. The Heavenly defenses struggle to hold against the combined might of the Eastern and Western demon hordes. The God of War Xuan Wu is now at full strength - but is his might enough to safeguard the realm when half the Heavens are already in their hands? John and Emma fight a last-ditch desperate struggle to conserve their kingdom and their protect their families as everything around them falls apart.

Ida Joner gets on her brand-new bike and sets off toward town. A good-natured, happy girl, she is looking forward to her tenth birthday. Thirty-five minutes after Ida should have come home, her mother starts to worry. She phones store owners, Ida’s friends, anyone who could have seen her. But no one has.Suspicion immediately falls on Emil Mork, a local character who lives alone and hasn’t spoken since childhood. His mother insists on cleaning his house weekly—although she’s sometimes afraid of what she might find there. A mother’s worst nightmare in either case: to lose a child or to think a child capable of murder. As Ida’s relatives reach the breaking point and the media frenzy surrounding the case begins, Inspector Konrad Sejer is his usual calm and reassuring self. But he’s puzzled. And disturbed. This is the strangest case he’s seen in years.From Publishers WeeklyGumshoe Award–winner Fossum (When the Devil Holds the Candle) once again wraps a blanket of methodical police work and infectious psychological tension around a relatively quiet crime in her fifth Inspector Sejer mystery to be made available in the U.S. When nine-year-old Ida Joner takes off for town (never named) on her new bike one afternoon and is never seen again, suspicion falls on Emil Johannes Mork, a silent, simple man. Emil, however, doesn't appear to have the heart of a killer. The narrative shifts smoothly among those affected by the tragedy: Emil's beleaguered mother, a good woman with little life of her own; a male cousin of the missing girl who may suffer some secret guilt; and, of course, Insp. Konrad Sejer and his younger colleague, Jacob Skarre. Sejer is a beautifully created character, a thoughtful, lonely man with great empathy. As he investigates Ida's disappearance, it's not so much the facts of the case as the impact of it on the people who surrounded the girl that fuel the story. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistStarred Review Inspector Sejer and his innocent-looking assistant, Jacob Skarre, are back (The Indian Bride, 2007) in another dark, intense, and impossible-to-put-down investigation. Nine-year-old Ida has gone missing, and Sejer and Skarre head up the hunt, even as everyone, including Sejer and his own mother, suspects a local man, Emil, who never speaks. Details of Sejer’s investigation are interspersed with scenes from the lives of Emil and of Ida’s grieving family. Fossum follows her successful formula, providing the reader with insight into the victim’s family as well as the suspected and actual criminals, making the story as much about understanding the various characters as about the investigation. Yet this time, the story lacks some of the punch of her previous novels; the identity of the real killer is so clear early on that having Sejer overlook it comes across as an uncharacteristic mistake. At the same time, Sejer’s interrogation of the mute Emil is one of the most superb scenes in crime fiction. Even at less than her best, Fossum’s work is still outstanding. Essential reading for fans of Scandinavian crime fiction. --Jessica Moyer

This gorgeous romance from World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott is a prequel to Court of Fives, the epic story of Jessamy and her struggle to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.Kiya is a Commoner who has just arrived in the bustling city of Saryenia. Esladas is a member of the Patron ruling class and determined to prove himself in the army. His plans are disrupted by the outgoing and beautiful girl who sells him fruit in the market, though, despite the fact that neither of them speaks a word of the others language. Brief conversations and stolen moments together soon become something more, but when their divided cultures clash, Kiya and Esladas must decide if their blossoming love is worth becoming outsiders for the rest of their lives. Read the beginning of their legendary love story in this Court of Fives companion novella!

Twin Trouble: Connie's not happy. Her parents are having a baby. Well, not one, but two babies! Why do they need more children? They've got her! Soon the house is filled with dirty nappies and screaming babies and Connie's expected to help. And no one pays any attention to her. It's not fair. So when Nurse Meade puts some blue beads in her hair, Connie's delighted. And when she clacks them together, things start to happen . . . Soon, everyone can see things from Connie's point of view. Connie and the Water Babies: Connie is scared of water. She can't swim and she hates going to the pool. Everyone says she should go because she'll love it, and even Charles and Claire, the twins, like the water. Typical. Then Nurse Meade gives Connie some more blue beads. And when they clack together, suddenly Connie can swim like a mermaid . . .

Review'A masterpiece of compression. A political history of 1930s Portugal, a love story between a man and his dead wife, a gloriously successful formal experiment, and an irresistible thriller - and it can be read with enormous pleasure in a single afternoon.' - Mohsin Hamid 'Pereira Maintains is small only in size. Its themes are great ones - courage, betrayal, fidelity, love, corruption; and its treatment of them is subtle, skilful, and clear. It's so clear, in fact, that you can see a very long way down, into the heart of a flawed but valiant human being, into the sickness of a nation, into the depths of political evil. It's the most impressive novel I've read for years, and one of the very few that feels truly necessary.' - Philip Pullman 'Close to being a perfect novel - brief, tragic, inspiring' - John Carey, Chairman of the International Man Booker 2002 'Pereira is a marvelously complex creation. One of the most intriguing and appealing character studies in recent European fiction.' - Kirkus Reviews Product DescriptionIn the sweltering summer of 1938 in Portugal, a country under the fascist shadow of Spain, a mysterious young man arrives at the doorstep of Dr Pereira. So begins an unlikely alliance that will result in a devastating act of rebellion. This is Pereira's testimony.

A thick fog has found its way up north to the lighthouse family, surrounding the cliffs and waters below. Always ready to lend a hand, the lighthouse siblings Whistler and Lila help Seabold guide small ships to land. As they overlook the foggy waters, they hear a distant voice echoing from the rocks below. Who could it be? Using only a rope and their hearts to guide them, Seabold, Lila, and Whistler make their way down the side of the cliff. And what they discover will help them weather even the thickest fog — a new friend.

The Fairy Books, or "Coloured" Fairy Books is a collection of fairy tales divided into twelve books, each associated with a different colour. Collected together by Andrew Land they are sourced from a number of different countries and were translated by Lang's wife and other translators who also retold many of the tales. The collection has been incalculably important and, although he did not source the stories himself direct from the oral tradition he can make claim to the first English translation of many.First published in 1906, The Orange Fairy Bookis the 10th volume in this series.

Enchanted for thousands of years, the shape-shifters known as the Dragon's Teeth Warriors have awakened to find the world a vastly different place. Their leader, concerned for their morale, dares to take them on a mission to confront the fullness of everything they've lost. Little does Drake realize that this dangerous mission will give him a renewed purpose. And if they succeed these Pyr will have to question everything they thought they knew about the past—and confront a quest for the future.

What if a war was taking place under your nose?Two ancient races locked in a battle for survival.Which side would you take?Allegria appears to all to be nothing more than a simple priestess devoted to worship of the sun goddess. Hallow is a masterless apprentice. Deo was meant to save the world and bring the Fireborn and Starborn together in peace.But then invaders beseiged the land of the Starborn, breaking the prophecy. Now Allegria has fled the priesthood, and wields the power of the sun. Hallow accepts the mantle of leadership he so long avoided. And Deo is tormented and tortured by the power of the invaders, using chaos itself to create an army that will drive the interlopers from the land, and bring about the peace of the Fourth Age.The three unlikely heroes must learn to trust where there is suspicion, to believe where there is only doubt, and to fight when all hope is lost.

Now back in print from the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Girls. It was in 1833 or '34 that Moses Bailey brought young Kate Malone down to Cold Spring Holler to be his wife. But Moses, wanting to become a preacher like his daddy was, left Kate time and again to look after the kids while he went out in search of a sign from God. Though he warned them about the evils of playing the fiddle, a kind of music he likened to the devil's own laughter, it passed the time for his bride and children, and soon became not just a way of life for the Baileys, but a curse that would last for generations.

About the AuthorJohn W. Campbell Award Winner Wen Spencer resides in paradise in Hilo, Hawaii with two volcanoes overlooking her home. Spencer says that she often wakes up and exclaims "Oh my god, I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific!" This, says Spencer, is a far cry from her twenty years of living in land-locked Pittsburgh. According to Spencer, she lives with "my Dali Llama-like husband, my autistic teenage son, and two cats (one of which is recovering from mental illness.) All of which makes for very odd home life at times." Spencer's love of Japanese anime and manga flavors her writing. The Elfhome series opener, Tinker, won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Wolf Who Rules, the sequel to Tinker, was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars.

A breathtaking, scorchingly hot summer read for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Abbi Glines Come back to me. That was the very last thing I said to him.*Always. The very last thing he said to me.* Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have. But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms. What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down. When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for. Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for. A breathtaking, scorchingly hot story about love, friendship, family and finding your way back from the edge of heartbreak.

No Man Could Tame HerJessi Rose Clayton would do anything to keep the family ranch from falling into the wrong hands-even agree to take on a rough-and-tumble outlaw as her protector. With his rugged, handsome face and muscular bronze body, Griffin Blake can draw a sigh from a lady's lips almost as fast as his strong, sculpted arm can draw a gun from its holster. But Jessi Rose has no intentions of falling for his charms. No, her relationship with him is strictly business.Until He Came AlongRobbing the railroad is Griffin Blake's game, but he has no choice. Either he agrees to help Jessi Rose or he gets sent back to jail-so he arrives at the ranch ready to help the ornery female protect her land. But underneath Jessi's all-business exterior is a femininity she's kept hidden for far too long-making Griffin think it might be time to tame this wild Texas rose.

A tender affair and the redemptive power of art are at the core of this compelling novel from National Book Award finalist Allegra Goodman, "a romantic realist who dazzles with wit [and] compassion" (The Wall Street Journal). Collin James is young, creative, and unhappy. A college dropout, he waits tables and spends his free time beautifying the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his medium of choice: chalk. Collin's art captivates passersby with its vibrant colors and intricate lines—until the moment he wipes it all away. Nothing in Collin's life is meant to last. Then he meets Nina. . . . The daughter of a tech mogul who is revolutionizing virtual reality, Nina Lazare is trying to give back as a high school teacher—but her students won't listen to her. When Collin enters her world, he inspires her to think bigger. Nina wants to return the favor—even if it means losing him. Against this poignant backdrop, Allegra...

The hotly anticipated and explosive third book in the New York Times bestselling Charlotte Holmes series. It's been a year since the shocking death of August Moriarty, and Jamie and Charlotte haven't spoken.Jamie is going through the motions at Sherringford, trying to finish his senior year without incident, with a nice girlfriend he can't seem to fall for.Charlotte is on the run, from Lucien Moriarty and from her own mistakes. No one has seen her since that fateful night on the lawn in Sussex—and Charlotte wants it that way. She knows she isn't safe to be around. She knows her Watson can't forgive her.Holmes and Watson may not be looking to reconcile, but when strange things start happening, it's clear that someone wants the team back together. Someone who has been quietly observing them both. Making plans. Biding their time.Someone who wants to see one of them suffer and the other one dead.

Prim and proper middle school teacher Isabel Montenegro always runs the opposite direction from men like Ramon Romero. A foul-mouthed, uneducated, loose cannon has no place in her careful plans. But instead of running away, Isabel is completely captivated. The intensity of his nature, while a bit daunting, mesmerizes her in ways she can’t begin to understand. She’s unwilling to walk away—even when her instincts are screaming at her to run. Romero has no idea what he's getting himself into when he first kisses Isabel. Shocked at the passion she invokes in him, he believes he can keep his usual short fuse under wraps. Falling fast and hard for someone so flawlessly sweet only makes him more aware that he’s far from perfect. If she is ever witness to his biggest imperfection, he’s sure she’ll bail. But when her meddling sister does the worst thing imaginable—bring other men between him and his Izzy—that fuse is lit and all bets are off. Can two people who are worlds apart teach each other how to love, or will the reality of their differences drive them apart?

Product DescriptionA novella set in NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld series.Camille D’Artigo, a wicked-good witch and an Otherworld supernatural agent, is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer, when an unexpected—and dangerously seductive—ally comes to her aid, setting in motion a magical ritual that may end up binding them together, body and soul. In this prequel, readers learn how Camille and Trillian first fell in love. About the AuthorNew York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy for Berkley: both the Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon Series for Berkley and the Indigo Court urban fantasy series.  In the past, she wrote mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, and nonfiction metaphysical books.  Yasmine has been in the Craft for over 30 years, is a shamanic witch, and describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos.  She lives in Kirkland WA with her husband Samwise and their cats.  Yasmine can be reached via her website. A novella set in NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld series.Camille D’Artigo, a wicked-good witch and an Otherworld supernatural agent, is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer, when an unexpected—and dangerously seductive—ally comes to her aid, setting in motion a magical ritual that may end up binding them together, body and soul. In this prequel, readers learn how Camille and Trillian first fell in love.

How did super-orderly Iridessa get into such a fix? First, Tink's crazy idea to take a pirate bottle from Captain Hook goes horribly wrong. Then, in the flutter of a fairy's wing, Iridessa and Tink find themselves trapped inside the bottle, floating forlornly on the ocean waves! But as they bob along, the bottle crosses paths with all sorts of unusual sea life, from green turtles to flying fish to beautiful, but selfish, mermaids. And gradually, Iridessa learns something new -- a little adventure isn't such a bad thing!

Meg Powers is the daughter of the President of the United States. She's about to enter her first year of college. She's living through the worst year of her life.Last June Meg was kidnapped by terrorists -- brutalized, starved, and left for dead. She was shackled in a deserted mine shaft and had to smash the bones in her own hand to escape. Meg Powers survived the unthinkable, the stuff of nightmares. Her terrorist captor is still at large. But still she must live each day. Ahead of her is the grueling physical therapy to heal her broken body; the challenge of leaving the safety of the White House for her freshman year at college. But harder still than the physical and social challenges ahead are her shattered sense of herself and her family. Will she ever forgive her mother, the President, for her "can not, have not and will not negotiate with terrorists" stance -- even when it came to her own daughter?And more difficult still, can Meg forgive herself...

The Legend of Diamond Lil, second book in the illustrated J.J. Tully mystery series, is perfect for elementary-school kids who love adventure and animals. New York Times bestselling author Doreen Cronin brings the same wonderful humor to the JJ. Tully whodunits that she did to her beloved picture book bestsellers like Diary of a Worm. In this sequel to the chapter book The Trouble with Chickens, all search-and-rescue dog J.J. Tully wants is to enjoy his retirement. But mama chick Moosh and chicks Dirt and Sugar are acting strange. A possum keeps finding its way into the chicken coop. And J.J. has questions about Diamond Lil, the fancy new dog next door. He'll have to track down the clues and sniff out the evidence to save the day.