FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine have a new mandate as the government’s Covert Eyes, assembling a handpicked team of top-notch agents to tackle crimes and criminals both international and deadly. But their first case threatens to tear the fledgling team apart when the enigmatic thief known as the Fox reappears with a plea for help. Master thief Kitsune has stolen the staff of Moses from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, and now that she’s delivered, her clients are trying to kill her. On the run, she asks Nicholas and Mike to help her discover the true identity of her clients and stop the threat against her life. Under strict orders to arrest the Fox and bring her back to New York, the Covert Eyes team heads to Venice, Italy, to meet with Kitsune, and finds nothing is as it seems. Kitsune’s secret clients are the Koaths, a family descended from Moses himself, who will do anything, anything, to find the Ark of the Covenant and wield its power, as their long and bloody history can attest. To execute their plan, they’ve spent years perfecting a machine that can control the weather, manipulating worldwide disasters that spin the entire globe into chaos. From New York to Venice, from Rome to the Bermuda Triangle, Nicholas and Mike and their team are in a race against time, and nature herself, to stop the Koaths and recover the famous Ark of the Covenant. But can they trust Kitsune, their sworn enemy, to help them save the world from a family of madmen?

Jonathan Franzen's Freedom was the runaway most-discussed novel of 2010, an ambitious and searching engagement with life in America in the twenty-first century. In The New York Times Book Review, Sam Tanenhaus proclaimed it "a masterpiece of American fiction" and lauded its illumination, "through the steady radiance of its author's profound moral intelligence, [of] the world we thought we knew." In Farther Away, which gathers together essays and speeches written mostly in the past five years, Franzen returns with renewed vigor to the themes, both human and literary, that have long preoccupied him. Whether recounting his violent encounter with bird poachers in Cyprus, examining his mixed feelings about the suicide of his friend and rival David Foster Wallace, or offering a moving and witty take on the ways that technology has changed how people express their love, these pieces deliver on Franzen's implicit promise to conceal nothing. On a trip to China to see first-hand the environmental devastation there, he doesn't omit mention of his excitement and awe at the pace of China's economic development; the trip becomes a journey out of his own prejudice and moral condemnation. Taken together, these essays trace the progress of unique and mature mind wrestling with itself, with literature, and with some of the most important issues of our day. Farther Away is remarkable, provocative, and necessary.

The expression “beyond the black stump” refers to the deepest, darkest wilds of the Australian outback, the setting for Nevil Shute’s novel of a romance tested by cultural difference. Stanton Laird is an American geologist sent to hunt oil in a remote part of Western Australia. There he befriends the highly unconventional Regan family, the rough-and-tumble owners of a million-acre sheep station, and falls in love with their daughter Mollie. However, when Mollie goes to join him in America, the young couple must face the realization that they are products of radically different worlds.  

Dashiell Hammett was a crime writer who elevated the genre to true literature, and The Thin Man was Hammett's last--and most successful--novel. Following the enormous success of "The Thin Man" movie in 1934, Hammett was commissioned to write stories for additional films. He wrote two full-length novellas, for the films that became "After the Thin Man" and "Another Thin Man". Bringing back his classic characters, retired private investigator Nick Charles and his former debutante wife Nora, who return home to find Nora’s family gardener murdered, pulling the couple back into another deadly game of cat and mouse. Hammett has written two fully satisfying "Thin Man" stories, with classic, barbed Hammett dialogue and fully developed characters. Neither of these stories has been previously published (except for a partial in a small magazine 25 years ago). The Return of the Thin Man is a hugely entertaining read that brings back two classic characters from one of the greatest of mystery writers who ever lived. This book is destined to become essential reading for Hammett's millions of fans and a new generation of mystery readers the world over.

Mary Lindsay met her little niece and namesake only once, but she saw in the quiet, imaginative child a kindred spirit to inherit her ancient house. Fifty years later her niece inherited the house with no knowledge of it beyond her indelible childhood memories, and no experience at all of living in the country. Mary Lindsay is a born and bred Londoner who has enjoyed her city life-a prestigious job, and friends with whom she takes in the city pleasures of theatre, art and…As a retired businesswoman living in a rural house inherited from her aunt finds consolation for a failed romance with a married blind man by learning more about her aunt and herself.

Julia Song and her friend Patrick want to team up to win a blue ribbon at the state fair, but they can't agree on the perfect project. Then Julia's mother suggests they raise silkworms as she did years ago in Korea. The optimistic twosome quickly realizes that raising silkworms is a lot tougher than they thought. And Julia never suspected that she'd be discussing the fate of her and Patrick's project with Ms. Park, the author of this book!

Born in 1938 in rural Kenya, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o came of age in the shadow of World War II, amidst the terrible bloodshed in the war between the Mau Mau and the British. The son of a man whose four wives bore him more than a score of children, young Ngũgĩ displayed what was then considered a bizarre thirst for learning, yet it was unimaginable that he would grow up to become a world-renowned novelist, playwright, and critic. In Dreams in a Time of War, Ngũgĩ deftly etches a bygone era, bearing witness to the social and political vicissitudes of life under colonialism and war. Speaking to the human right to dream even in the worst of times, this rich memoir of an African childhood abounds in delicate and powerful subtleties and complexities that are movingly told. From the Trade Paperback edition.

*ALL books in the Fate series are stand alone and can be read without the need to read in order.* Good girls cheat too.It's a bitter reality Lorenzo Moreno knows all too well.After his "good girl" fiancée blind sides him by cheating on him with her ex Lorenzo swears off relationships for a while, if not forever.Until Fate steps in.Unable to fight the incredible pull he feels to Olivia, a girl who was supposed to be just a meaningless one night stand, Lorenzo gives into his heart. But only after making one thing utterly clear. He will not deal with any exe's or other men in her life. Period.She's not that person anymore.For too long Olivia Romero shamefully put up with an manipulative and overly controlling boyfriend. So when fate pairs her up with the gorgeous but intense Air Force pilot she's ready to stand her ground. Cutting all ties with her ex is no sacrifice for Olivia. It's why she willingly complies with Lorenzo's uncompromising stipulation.As their relationship intensifies so do Lorenzo's suspicions about any man in her life. Determined to not be that weak girl anymore, Olivia demands to be trusted. Despite how vehement her new boyfriend can be, her diligence seems to be working.But when an unforeseen crisis arises Olivia is forced to make a decision. A decision she knows in Lorenzo's jaded and suspicious mind could be unforgivable.

From Publishers WeeklyHarriet, called Harry, is the audacious and daring eldest of the Hamilton daughters. Harry and her family set fashion rather than following it, merrily ignoring (and often mocking) the strictures of Victorian society as they talk about sex, read titillating novels, and have intimate encounters. Harry is fascinated by old houses, and she claims unwillingness to marry any suitor whose home doesn't meet her standards. Hidden beneath this cool facade is her love and desire for Thomas Anson, the future earl of Lichfield and her childhood acquaintance. She's desperately worried that he doesn't love her, but as she tests him, he proves his devotion in a variety of entertaining ways. The characters are refreshingly fun and the story is a delightful romp from beginning to end, with the perfect balance of impudence and romance. (Sept.) ReviewVirginia Henley is perhaps the best author over the passed decade when it comes to bringing alive th In 1842 Staffordshire, England, the Lichfield family is selling the contents of Shugborough Hall at auction to pay off the gambling debts run up by the patriarch Earl. Nine year old Harriet "Harry" Hamilton accompanies her mom the Duchess of Abercorn to the estate. She loves houses but especially when she sees this one as she tells herself: "I wish you were mine." She and the owner's son Thomas Anson meet and argue. However, he has bigger concerns as his odious father burns down his insured other estate Ranton; Thomas vows to restore his beloved Shugborough Hall to its glory when he inherits. In 1854, Harry and Thomas know each other socially but each conceals a deep attraction to the other. Harry has suitors who fall in love and marry her sisters with her blessing. Thomas must marry an heiress or lose his rights to Shugborough Hall. He proposes to Harry who accepts. The couple is happy together until she learns his reason for a hasty marriage; though true he asked her because he loved her before they married and plans to prove he still does. Virginia Henley is perhaps the best author over the passed decade when it comes to bringing alive the Historical aspects in a historical romance. Her latest is made fresh by the matchmaking House that the lead couple cherishes. Bringing alive the early Victorian era, Ms. Henley provides another strong tale that her grateful fans will appreciate.

It is the story of an inventor, Hugh McVey, who rises from poverty on the bank of the Mississippi River. The novel shows the influence of industrialism on the rural heartland of America.

Oscar loves his life as Conor's best friend; but what happens when he has to share his bed and best friend with a new family member?This is the first in a series of short children's story's about two mischievous dogs.Jackson never thought buying a yacht could be so dangerous. A deadly attack at sea leaves Jackson wet and bewildered, fighting for his life.

Stone Age school boy hero, Lint, has a very unhappy first day at school. He is bullied. Unfortunately the school bully, Ekk, is also the teacher. Lint’s problems continue until one day, pushed too far, he decides to stand up for himself and his friends. This time it's Ekk who’s in trouble.Lints Starts School is illustrated and is aimed at middle grade readers age 7 plus.Stone Age school boy hero, Lint, has a very unhappy first day at school. He is bullied. Unfortunately the school bully, Ekk, is also the teacher. Lint’s problems continue until one day, pushed too far, he decides to stand up for himself and his friends. This time it's Ekk who’s in trouble.Lints Starts School is illustrated in the style of prehistoric cave paintings and is suitable for independent readers age 7 plus. It is particularly suitable for those independent readers who can roar like a cave bear or charge like a mammoth, or do both, simultaneously.

Anything Goes is a collection of stories crafted by authors of Facebook's Anything Goes Author's Group. Spanning multiple genres, from military sci-fi to action, suspense, and romance, there's something inside for everyone to enjoy. Authors include: Lindy Spencer, J.B. Cameron, Linda S. Pearce, Michael Tinker Pearce, Zach Abrams, Tyler Roberts, and Drew Avera.Anything Goes is a collection of stories crafted by authors of Facebook's Anything Goes Author's Group. Spanning multiple genres, from military sci-fi to action, suspense, and romance, there's something inside for everyone to enjoy. Authors include: Lindy Spencer, J.B. Cameron, Linda S. Pearce, Michael Tinker Pearce, Zach Abrams, Tyler Roberts, and Drew Avera.

This is the climatic work in William Kennedy's 'Albany Cycle', riding on the melody of its language and the power of its story, which is full of surprise, comedy, terror, and earthly delight.