Mr. X

      Peter Straub
     Mr. X

For more than two decades Peter Straub has engrossed, entertained, and terrified us with his dazzling blend of cool artistry and mad, spine-tingling imagination. With Mr. X, the bestselling author of Ghost Story, The Talisman (with Stephen King), and The Hellfire Club takes us into the darkest dimensions of the human psyche and proves once again that he is without peer in the realm of psychological suspense and horror, a master storyteller whose unique and powerful gifts qualify him to be called the Edgar Allan Poe of our times. Mr. X is Straub's original and startling take on the theme of the doppelgänger. Ned Dunstan's birthday is fast approaching, and every year on this date, Ned experiences a paralyzing seizure in which he is forced to witness scenes of ruthless slaughter perpetrated by a mysterious and malevolent figure in black whom Ned calls Mr. X. Ned has been drawn back to his hometown, Edgerton, Illinois, by a premonition that his mother, Star, is dying. Before she loosens her hold on life, she imparts to Ned the name of his father, never before disclosed, and warns him that he is in grave danger. Despite her foreboding, Ned's determination to learn as much as possible about his absent father ignites a series of extraordinary adventures that gradually reveal the heart of both his own identity and that of his entirely fantastic family: He discovers that he is shadowed by an identical twin brother who can pass through doors and otherwise defy the laws of nature; he becomes the lead suspect in three violent deaths; he investigates the secret shadow-world within Edgerton; he learns to "eat time" and remembers the one occasion when he and his sinister brother united into a single being. Finally, at the moment of battle, he must call upon everything he has learned to save his own life. Brimming with the author's trademark wit, understated eloquence, vibrant characters, and brilliant sense of pace, Mr. X displays Peter Straub at the top of his form. From the Hardcover edition.

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    Agent 6

      Tom Rob Smith
     Agent 6

Former Soviet Secret Service agent Leo Demidov has built himself a new life as a civilian with his wife Raisa, and their two teenage daughters, Elena and Zoya. The Soviet Union is a country trying to reassert itself after the murderous excesses of Stalin and the chaos of the following years, and as the Cold War continues powers inside Russia seek to topple their great enemy, the United States of America. Communist allies within the United States will prove vital players in this game of intrigue and revolution.Raisa and their two daughters travel to the United States on a diplomatic mission, but a horrifying tragedy destroys everything Leo and Raisa have built. Exiled from the Soviet Union and separated from his family, Leo's quest takes him through the stark wilderness of Afghanistan, reawakening all his old instincts and forcing him to confront his demons.

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    The Mystery of the Hidden Painting

      Gertrude Chandler Warner
     The Mystery of the Hidden Painting

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather, and they find a mysterious painting hidden in the attic. The children learn that it is a portrait of their grandmother, whom they never knew, wearing the necklace Grandfather gave her when they were married. The necklace disappeared on their first anniversary - and was never found. Can the Boxcar Children track down a necklace missing for so many years?

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    Night Pleasures

      Sherrilyn Kenyon
     Night Pleasures

*The Dark-Hunters are ancient warriors who have sworn to protect mankind and the fate of the world is in their hands. . .* He is solitude. He is darkness. He is the ruler of the night. Yet Kyrian of Thrace has just woken up handcuffed to his worst nightmare: An accountant. Worse, she's being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. And if Amanda Devereaux goes down, then he does too. But it's not just their lives that are hanging in the balance.  Kyrian and Amanda are all that stands between humanity and oblivion. Let's hope they win.

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    Wolf Lake

      John Verdon
     Wolf Lake

Could a nightmare be used as a murder weapon? That's the provocative question confronting Gurney in the thrilling new installment in this series of international bestsellers. The former NYPD star homicide detective is called upon to solve a baffling puzzle: Four people who live in different parts of the country and who seem to have little in common, report having had the same dream--a terrifying nightmare involving a bloody dagger with a carved wolf's head on the handle. All four are subsequently found with their wrists cut -- apparent suicides -- and the weapon used in each case was a wolf's head dagger. Police zero in quickly on Richard Hammond, a controversial psychologist who conducts hypnotherapy sessions at a spooky old Adirondack inn called Wolf Lake Lodge. It seems that each of the victims had gone there to meet with Hammond shortly before turning up dead. Troubled by odd holes in the official approach to the case, Gurney begins his own investigation -- an action that puts him in the crosshairs of not only an icy murderer and the local police but the darkest corner of the federal government. As ruthless as the blizzard trapping him in the sinister eeriness of Wolf Lake, Gurney's enemies set out to keep him from the truth at any cost -- including an all-out assault on the sanity of his beloved wife Madeleine. With his emotional resources strained to the breaking point, Gurney must throw himself into a deadly battle of wits with the most frightening opponent he has ever faced. Wolf Lake is the page-turning new work by a writer hailed by the New York Times as "masterly" -- and it furthers the adventures of Dave Gurney, a detective reviewers have compared to Sherlock Holmes.

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    Lost Cause (A Daisy Dunlop Mystery ~ Book 1)

      JL Simpson
     Lost Cause (A Daisy Dunlop Mystery ~ Book 1)

Daisy Dunlop thinks heir hunting will be an adventure. The man charged with ensuring her safety thinks it will be murder.Daisy Dunlop thinks “heir hunting” is a perfect career. Too bad she has to work with her husband’s best mate, Irish PI Solomon Liffey. They’ve barely spoken since he took her husband Paul’s request to keep her safe far too literally and handcuffed her to the kitchen sink. Solomon has no interest in babysitting a new partner, especially this one. The woman’s a bleedin’ liability. She has no concept of danger and could flirt for England at the next Olympics. As if that isn’t bad enough, she has a habit of sticking her nose where it’s not wanted, including into Solomon’s very private life. Determined to keep Daisy safely out of his way, Solomon sets her the task of finding a missing lord. Her investigations land her in the middle of his case. Bullets fly, bombs explode, and the body count rises. When Solomon goes missing, the tables are turned. Now it’s his life that is in Daisy’s hands, and she has two missing men to find before it’s too late.

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    The Illusion of Smoke: The Prequel

      Ivee Olivares
     The Illusion of Smoke: The Prequel

Smoke, drugs, chance encounters... The first of the Sonnclere Mysteries, THE ILLUSION OF SMOKE, is a fast-paced thriller with a twist. The heroine, Dr Neroli Sonnclere is a scientist born with an unusual sense of smell. Able to sniff out odours undetected by ordinary humans, she uses her gift, as well as scientific knowledge, to sift clues and solve problems unlike those she's ever faced before.A strange smoke … A genetically modified drug … A chance encounter …Scientist Dr Neroli Sonnclere stumbles into a mystery that will change the direction of her life. On the flight home to London from a Biomedical Engineering Conference in New York, Dr Sonnclere bumps into two people who have caught her attention. Indulging her natural curiosity, she follows them out of the airport. Little does she know that the trail would lead her right into a web of intrigue as well as a new discovery—of a genetically modified form of the most illegally consumed drug of abuse. Cannabis.As the prequel to the Sonnclere Mystery Series, The Illusion of Smoke introduces us to an unusual character—a young female scientist with a unique gift. Born with hyperosmia, or a heightened sense of smell, Dr Sonnclere possesses the ability to sniff out odours undetected by ordinary humans. When utilised in conjunction with her scientific knowledge, she discovers she can use her particular talent in ways reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes—by keenly observing her surroundings, swiftly arriving at a deduction and ultimately solving problems unlike those she’s ever faced before.

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    Blind Overlook

      JC Simmons
     Blind Overlook

Blind Overlook (FULL VERSION): A beautiful, enigmatic young woman who owns an art gallery in New Orleans hires Jay Leicester (pronounced "Lester") to travel to Maine where a body has been found fitting the description of her brother. Delving into this situation leads Leicester straight into a confrontation with the most powerful Mafia figure in the United States and many suspicious locals.Jay Leicester (pronounced "Lester") is a retired airline pilot, retired because he could not stand the bureaucratic web the government spun over the aviation industry, and partly because anyone with the price of a bus ticket could fly on the airlines which resulted in overbooking, overcrowding, and near chaos on every route. Raised in a family of Judges and police officers, the only thing he knew to fall back on was the law. Opening his own private investigation business was a natural evolution, especially since he had trouble with authority, and could work outside the constraints of legalese. Handling mostly aviation related cases, recovery of stolen aircraft, investigating drug-hauling pilots, and helping set up corporate aviation departments kept him busy.In Blind Overlook we find Leicester doing a favor for an attorney friend and taking a case far removed from aviation. It involves something he knows nothing about, the art world. A beautiful, but enigmatic young woman who owns an art gallery in New Orleans hires him to travel to Maine where a body has been found fitting the description of her brother and partner in the gallery. He has not been heard from and the young lady grows concerned as he was traveling with four hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash with which to buy a collection of work by an artist named, Rockwell Kent. Delving into this situation leads Leicester straight into a confrontation with the most powerful Mafia figure in the United States, a local detective, a police sergeant, local fishermen, and a friendly, but suspicious waitress at a local caf . The entire populace of the small community seems involved in the murder, the missing brother and his money. Maine coastal locals and offshore islands provide a unique setting for a powerful work reminiscent of Ross MacDonald or John D. McDonald. Character driven and plot oriented, this is a must read for the serious Mystery/Thriller 'aficionado.'There are a total of 10 ebooks in the Jay Leicester Mysteries Series by JC Simmons:Blood on the VineBlind OverlookSome People Die QuickIcy Blue DescentThe Electra FilePopping the ShineFour Nines FineThe Underground LadyAkel DamaThe Candela of Cancri

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