Dinah Sachs and Asa Thayer have had a love affair, conducted in afternoons stolen from the office of the magazine where they work. But now that the affair is over, Dinah, in an act of lingering passion, invents a narrative of Asa's youth, imagining the events that shaped the "happy, handsome man" who, in her words, "was born to stomp on my heart." Witty and sexy, funny and immediate, Asa, As I Knew Him is a a seductive dialogue between love and memory, obsession and illusion. From the Trade Paperback edition.

In Caroline B. Cooney’s classic tale of friendship and first love, a teenage girl discovers that the boy who’s always made her life a misery has suddenly morphed into a tall, gorgeous stranger Sunny Compton lives in the third-oldest house in Sea’s Edge. She loves life in this timeless New England resort town—until the summer people descend, like the Lansberrys, whose son, Tim (whose name Sunny considers an acronym for “Terrible Infuriating Monster”), exists to make everyone’s life miserable. Now it’s April 30, and Sunny has exactly thirty days to find a job before the monster’s return. But something happened between last year and now. The scrawny, freckled kid who ran over her mother’s roses with his father’s car has become this completelyother person. When did Tim get so tall? Wasn’t he totally uncoordinated last summer? And he’s so gallant and well mannered. Worst of all, Sunny’s been secretly hoping for a handsome boy to sweep her off her feet. And she’s gotten . . . Tim. A book filled with the joy, wonder, and anguish of first love, The Personal Touch is about finding that special someone in a place—and a person—you never expected . . . and the thrill of those endless summer nights that will never come again. 

In bestselling and Emmy-nominated writer George Pelecanos' "taut and suspenseful" new novel, an ex-offender must choose between the man who got him out and the woman who showed him another path (Booklist, Starred Review) Michael Hudson spends the long days in prison devouring books given to him by the prison's librarian, a young woman named Anna who develops a soft spot for her best student. Anna keeps passing Michael books until one day he disappears, suddenly released after a private detective manipulated a witness in Michael's trial. Outside, Michael encounters a Washington, D.C. that has changed a lot during his time locked up. Once shady storefronts are now trendy beer gardens and flower shops. But what hasn't changed is the hard choice between the temptation of crime and doing what's right. Trying to balance his new job, his love of reading, and the debt he owes to the man who got him released, Michael struggles to figure out his place in this new world before he loses control.Smart and fast-paced, The Man Who Came Uptown brings Washington, D.C. to life in a high-stakes story of tough choices.**Review"The thriller plot is taut and suspenseful, as jolting as it is carefully nuanced, but it is Pelecanos' focus on character, on his ability to show the richness and depth of his people, as well as their often-heartbreaking yearning for something more, that gives this novel-and all his work-its special power."―*Booklist, Starred Review* "Using his customary knowing dialogue and stripped-down, soulful prose, Pelecanos skillfully, sensitively works the urban frontier where the problems and stresses of everyday life cross the line into the sort of criminal behavior that could tempt anyone-anyone at all."―*Kirkus* Praise for THE MARTINI SHOT: "one of [Pelecanos'] freshest and most original recent works." ―Janet Maslin, *New York Times * "Here we see what makes Pelecanos' best writing so resonant: the sense of longing, of miscommunication, the way love does not enlarge us but rather makes us small."―David L. Ulin, *Los Angeles Times * "His writing is properly hard-boiled, his heroes are attractively flawed and his villains leave trails of blood from here to yonder. But even at his most gripping...he sets his aims high, bringing a sociologist's concerns to the street -level dramas that play out in his hometown of Washington, D.C." ―Lloyd Sachs, *Chicago Tribune * "fast, dark, and dangerous...The gritty world [Pelecanos] knows so well provides ample fodder for the vignettes in this book, the characters are strong and the dialogue is sharp. The collection is a solid read for anyone who's a fan of crime writing and especially Pelecanos' work."―Tim Alamenciak, *Toronto Star* "bracing and witty...an inventive study of deception and fakery--one of Pelecanos's best works, at any length."―Mark Athitakis, *The Washington Post* Praise for THE DOUBLE: "It's astonishing all the good stuff Pelecanos can pack into one unpretentious book that make the story so rich."―Marilyn Stasio, *New York Times Book Review* "Pungent, funny dialogue...believable black-and-white friendships...outstanding scene-setting...The Double is fast-paced, its villains feel fresh...Call me a hard-core Pelecanos junkie."―Jocelyn McClurg, *USA TODAY* "Every time I read one of George Pelecanos's novels, I'm left a little awed...The guy's a national treasure."―Dennis LehaneAbout the Author George Pelecanos is the bestselling author of nineteen novels set in and around Washington, DC. He is also an independent film producer, and a producer and Emmy-nominated writer on the HBO series The Wire and Treme. He lives in Maryland.

Hap and Leonard investigate a racially motivated murder that threatens to tear apart their East Texas town.While Hap, a former 60s activist and self-proclaimed white trash rebel, is recovering from a life-threatening stab wound, Louise Elton comes into Hap and Leonard's PI office to tell him that the police have killed her son, Jamar. Months earlier, a bully cop pulled over and sexually harassed Jamar's sister, Charm. The officer followed Charm over the course of the next couple of months, leading Jamar to videotape and take notes on the cop and his partner. The next thing Louise hears, Jamar got in a fight and is killed in the projects by local hoods. It doesn't add up: he was a straight A student, destined for better things, until he began to ask too many questions about the racist police force. Leonard, a tough black gay Vietnam vet and Republican, joins Hap in the investigation, and they stumble upon the racial divides that have shaped...

After killing a man in the line of duty, Kurt Wallander resolves to quit the Ystad police. However, a bizarre case gets under his skin. A lawyer driving home at night stops to investigate an effigy sitting in a chair in the middle of the highway. The lawyer is hit over the head and dies. Within a week the lawyer’s son is also killed. These deeply puzzling mysteries compel Wallander to remain on the force. The prime suspect is a powerful corporate mogul with a gleaming smile that Wallander believes hides the evil glee of a killer. Joined by Ann-Britt Hoglund, Wallander begins to uncover the truth, but the same merciless individuals responsible for the murders are now closing in on him.From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. First published in Sweden in 1994, Mankell's terrific fourth Kurt Wallender mystery opens with the kind of startling image typical of this internationally bestselling series (Firewall, etc.): a lawyer, driving home through the fog, stops after he sees "a human-sized effigy" propped on a chair in the middle of a deserted highway. Gustaf Torstensson gets out of the car to investigate, is hit from behind and was "dead before his body hit the damp asphalt." The police accept the assailant's claim that it was an accident, but when Torstensson's son, Sten, is shot dead just two weeks later, the brooding Wallender, who's on sick leave and vowing to retire from the Ystad police force, decides to pursue the killer and resume his career. The chief suspect—a powerful, globe-trotting Swedish businessman who's the smiling man of the title—leads Wallender on an exquisitely plotted search for motive and evidence. Dark and moody, this is crime fiction of the highest order. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistSwedish crime writer Mankell has taken U.S. publishing by storm over the last decade, launching a genre-altering invasion of his fellow Scandinavian mystery authors and (with other Europeans such as John Harvey and Andrea Camilleri) reinterpreting the notion of the hard-boiled hero. No longer the strong, silent, stand-up guy of American fiction, the new European hero, led by Mankell's Kurt Wallander, faces the horrors of the modern world with a sagging spirit, nearly overwhelmed. Lately, though, Mankell has rested Wallander, focusing instead on other cops in and around Ystad, Sweden, including Wallander's daughter, Linda, the star of Before the Frost (2005). Now the series returns to Wallander but backtracks in time. The Man Who Smiled, written in 1994, was the fourth in the series but is only now appearing in the U.S. It finds Wallander on the verge of quitting the Ystad police force; then a friend who had asked for his help is killed, and the would-be retiree is compelled to go back to work. The case that unfolds, involving a the head of a multinational corporation who traffics in the selling of human organs, opens yet another window on the unimaginable horrors of modern life, but this time Wallander responds with new resolve. Devotees of the series will be thrilled to pick up this missing chapter in the ongoing saga, but it is a bit disconcerting to keep the chronology straight. Still, any new Wallander novel--in whatever order--constitutes a major event in crime fiction. Bill OttCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

E. R. Braithwaite, the acclaimed author of To Sir, With Love, poignantly recounts his time as a social worker dedicated to London's abandoned minority childrenDespite his Cambridge education and a sterling record with the British Royal Air Force during World War II, E. R. Braithwaite, a black man, was unable to find employment as an engineer in post-war London. Instead he accepted a position as a teacher in a tough East End school and wrote of his experiences in his classic bestseller To Sir, With Love. Nine years later, Braithwaite once again found himself assuming an unfamiliar professional role as a social worker charged with finding homes for London's orphaned, abused, or abandoned "coloured" children. While he lacked formal training, Braithwaite possessed qualities essential for the job: compassion, determination, and a deep, abiding understanding and love for the helpless, lost, and disregarded.In Paid Servant, E. R. Braithwaite...

The only collection of Ngaio Marsh short stories, first published in 1995 to celebrate her centenary, now with two additional stories. A man dies with his hand on a radio dial. A disguised aristocrat finds murder at the opening night of a play. A cryptogram produces death in an English churchyard. These are the short cases of Scotland Yard's Inspector Roderick Alleyn who, with his lovely wife Agatha Troy, charmed his way through more than thirty novels. The book concludes with a script written for the television series Crown Court, in which the lead was played by Joan Hickson who later became famous as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Death on the Air and Other Stories serves both as the perfect introduction to Ngaio Marsh and as a nostalgic journey for the aficionado, each story echoing the themes explored in her detective novels.

She doesn't play it safe...Sophie Sarantos has a weakness for dangerous men. She doesn't like safe lovers--she likes men with a wild, rough edge. But Sophie may have attracted a lover who is too dangerous, even for her. Someone is stalking Sophie, slipping into her home, watching her day and night. The stranger seems to know all of Sophie's darkest secrets, secrets that should never be revealed.Out of options, Sophie turns to ex-solider Lex Jensen for protection. Lex is part owner of VJS Protection, Inc., and Sophie hires him as her bodyguard. She thinks Lex is one of the "good guys" out there, but she couldn't be more wrong.He doesn't play at all...Lex has his own secrets. Dark, deadly secrets. And as his feelings for Sophie grow, Lex knows that he is going to have to stop pretending to be a gentleman and, instead, he'll have to show Sophie who he really is. A man trained to kill. A man too used to evil. A man who will take any risk...as long as he can claim Sophie.Because there is one thing that Lex wants in this world...one person he desires above all others...Sophie. And no one will hurt her, not on his watch.

He was assigned to protect her--not make her his own--in this installment of USA TODAY bestselling author Cynthia Eden's Shadow Agents series. Cale Lane had his orders: keep Cassidy Sherridan alive at all costs. But who sent six armed men storming the Rio ballroom to take her out? The gorgeous party girl wasn't giving it up. Now he had a more urgent mission: uncover Cassidy's secrets...one by one. Cassidy didn't need the former Texas ranger to play hero and blow her cover. Using herself as bait was the first step in bringing a killer to justice. How could she do that with Cale shadowing her every move...and awakening feelings that tempted her to put her life--and heart--on the line?

"A superb anthology that never disappoints." —Publishers Weekly Elizabeth George, "superstar of the crime fiction world" (Seattle Times) and author of the beloved Inspector Lynley series, collects the best mystery writing of the year that "will have you on the edge of your seat" (USA Today).

"Reader beware—you choose the scare! GIVE YOURSELF GOOSEBUMPS! Your parents are going away so your super-cool grandma is coming to stay with you. But when you go to meet granny at the train station you start seeing double—double grannies! There's one granny on the station platform. And another one writing in lipstick on the window of the train. Which one is your real grandma? If you think she's on the platform you find yourself face to face with a hideous monster! If you decide to jump on the train, you are surrounded by a group of angry aliens out to take over the world! The choice is yours in this scary GOOSEBUMPS adventure that's packed with over 20 super-spooky endings!"

Seeker, Morning Star, and the Wildman return in this gripping sequel to Seeker and discover that the mysterious warrior sect they were so desperate to join is not what it appeared to be. Deeply disillusioned, the three escape and head off on quests they think are separate but soon become intertwined—and desperately life threatening. Fortunately, they have acquired the remarkable physical skills of the Noble Warriors, for they are certainly going to need them. The mighty warlord of the Orlan nation is gathering his forces and has vowed to destroy Anacrea—and everything and everyone that crosses his path.Includes a teaser to the third book in the sequence, Noman.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another stunning thriller featuring Gabriel Allon in his latest action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue Master novelist Daniel Silva has thrilled readers with seventeen thoughtful and gripping spy novels featuring a diverse cast of compelling characters, and ingenious plots that have taken them around the globe and back—from the United States to Europe, Russia to the Middle East. His brilliant hero, Gabriel Allon—art restorer, assassin, spy—has joined the pantheon of great fictional secret agents, including George Smiley, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne and Simon Templar. Following the success of his smash hit The Heist, Daniel Silva returns with another powerhouse of a novel—one that showcases his outstanding skill and brilliant imagination, and which is sure to be a must-read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts. PRAISE FOR THE ENGLISH GIRL: “Smart, unpredictable, and packed with bits of history, art, heart, and imagination, this is a page-turner to be savored. . . . When it comes to the vast club of practitioners of international spycraft, Silva is a cut above them all, and The English Girl is a masterwork.” —AMAZON.COM “Allon is a great political operative, but Silva is an even greater writer. That is what makes The English Girl a must read.” —HUFFINGTON POST “Although Gabriel’s adventures are set in the real world of greedy politicians and grabs for control of a diminishing supply of natural resources, 'Israel’s avenging angel' has the superhuman abilities that make for a satisfying fantasy.” —COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The town of Promise, Texas, is a good place to live, to raise a family, to spend the rest of your days with the person you love.Cal Patterson and his wife, Jane--also known as Dr. Texas--certainly think so. The last thing they expect is a threat to their marriage. But in September, disagreements begin to escalate--with the "help" of an attractive young woman who's got her eye on Cal.After months of emotional upheaval brought on by doubts about their marriage, the two separate, and Jane returns to her childhood home in California, taking their children. Cal, now alone on his ranch, is forced to confront what he really wants in his life, what he needs. Jane is confronting the same questions.... How seriously does Cal take his marriage vows? And how important is Promise to Jane? Is there hope for a reconciliation--in time for Christmas?