An epic tale of murder, treachery, bravery, and love In 1524, in what is now Germany, hundreds of thousands of peasants revolted against the harsh treatment of their aristocratic overlords. Agnes is the daughter of one of these overlords, but she is not a typical sixteenth-century girl, refusing to wear dresses and spending more time with her pet falcon than potential suitors. There is only one suitor she is interested in: Mathis, a childhood friend who she can never marry due to his low birth status. But when a rogue knight attacks Agnes and Mathis shoots the knight to save her, the two are forced to go on the run together, into the midst of the raging Peasants’ War.   Over the next two years, as Agnes and Mathis travel the countryside, they are each captured by and escape from various factions of the war, participate in massive battles, make new friends both noble and peasant, and fall in love. Meanwhile, Agnes’s falcon finds a mysterious ring, and Agnes begins having strange, but seemingly meaningful dreams. Dreams that lead the two lovers to revelations about their place in the world and in the emerging German states. With The Castle of Kings, Oliver Pötzsch has written a historical yarn that calls to mind Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth and Bernard Cornwell’s Agincourt.

Jordan Glass, a photojournalist on a well-earned vacation, wanders into a Hong Kong art museum and is puzzled to find fellow patrons eyeing her with curiosity. Minutes later, she stumbles upon a gallery containing a one-artist exhibition called "The Sleeping Women," a mysterious series of paintings that has caused a sensation in the world of modern art. Collectors have come to believe that the canvases depict female nudes not in sleep but in death, and they command millions at auction. When Jordan approaches the last work in the series, she freezes. The face in the painting seems to be her own. This unsettling event hurls her back into a nightmare she has fought desperately to put behind her-for, in fact, the face in the painting belongs not to Jordan but to her twin sister, murdered one year ago. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes both hunter and hunted in a duel with the anonymous artist, a gifted murderer who knows the secret history of Jordan's family, and truths that even she has never had the courage to face.

The Second of the Series of the "Fantômas" Detective Tales created jointly by Souvestre and Allain. First published in French in 1911 and translated into English in 1916.

Meet Nadirah—a tongue-tied girl with a verbose mind. But that’s not her only secret; she’s a psychic and longs for excitement in her life. Following an advice, she seeks for the fated butterfly, yet who knows that a single butterfly could lead to a handful of mind-boggling mysteries, and even an overwhelming trip to the 19th Century! Now that’s her cup of tea.Win Szczedziwoj, a man known for photographing subjects in the rain, is on a vacation. Just him, his camera, his canoe, and a small, dark lake well away from civilization.That solitude comes to an end when his fishing line drags up a body from the lake. It looks like the usual canoeing accident, but the police suspect murder, and Win is suspect number one (I mean, what are the chances of actually snagging a body with a fishing line?)But Win wants to know why the dead guy was hired as a guide by a couple of men who shouldn't really have needed help. And why everybody at the nearest lodge is so reluctant to talk about anything.Suddenly a remote little lake gets to be a very busy place.

A free short story "teaser" to Raymond Benson's upcoming thriller THE BLACK STILETTO (September 2011) from Oceanview Publishing. In 1958, the legendary vigilante crimefighter, the Black Stiletto, made an unnannounced appearance in a bar in New York City--and Joey, one lucky patron, obtained her autograph. But what else happened that fateful night, and how did it change Joey's life?A free short story "teaser" to Raymond Benson's upcoming thriller THE BLACK STILETTO (September 2011) from Oceanview Publishing. "Benson has created one of the most original heroines I've read in a long time" -- Sandra Brown, author of LETHALIn 1958, the Black Stiletto, the legendary vigilante crimefighter, made an unnannounced appearance in a bar in New York City--and Joey, one lucky patron, obtained her autograph. But what else happened that fateful night, and how did it change Joey's life?The Black Stiletto was a legend in her own time, an underground heroine who made a name for herself during the late Eisenhower years and early Kennedy years as a New York City vigilante. Although she was wanted by the law and would have been arrested had she been caught or had her secret identity been revealed, the Black Stiletto was a competent and successful crime-fighter. A feminist before the term was in everyday vernacular, she battled common crooks, Communist spies, the mafia, and worse—and was responsible for their capture and, in some cases, their deaths. But the Stiletto disappeared midway through the sixties and was never heard from again. Most people thought she had died, and no one ever knew her identity. Like pinup queen Bettie Page, her mythical image resurfaced in comics and other media during the 1980s and 90s. Millions of dollars were made by others exploiting her likeness and persona. Today, the questions remain. Who was she? Is she still alive? If so, where is she now? Raymond Benson is the author of 25 published books, including nine James Bond novels written between 1996-2002. THE BLACK STILETTO is the first of a new thrilling series.

The Count of Samerand is investigating the disappearance of young William Bathurst, the son of a duke. At the same time Inspector James Wright is investigating the murder of a man with the same description as the young man. The victim is found in the slums of London, if it is the same man what was he doing in such a place dressed so humbly, and can the count find the truth.William Bathurst has disappeared from his home in Westminster, leaving his father and mother, the duke and duchess worried for their favourite son. To aid them in their search for their son they enlist the help of the Count of Samerand in the hope of finding their child. At the same time James Wright is in Whitechapel investigating the murder of a young man in common dress. What connects the two cases is the victim, can he be the missing son, and if so what was he doing in such a place, and why did he disguise himself. Can the celebrated count discover the truth.

In a dramatic climax Nancy outwits her enemy in an eerie mansion and traps him in the fantastic Room of Skulls. This unusually intriguing story will delight all Carolyn Keene fans.

The explosive action kicks off as treasure-hunting FBI agent Ruth Warnecki is on the trail of stolen Confederate gold hidden in Winkel’s Cave in western Virginia. She never expects to find herself chin-deep in a grisly murder that leaves her nearly dead and rocks the town of Maestro. And at a stakeout in Maryland, FBI agents Dillon Savich and Dane Carver are nearly killed in a horrific explosion while attempting to rescue a kidnap victim, Pinky Womack. They are led to Arlington National Cemetery, where they not only find Pinky, but Savich also takes a fateful call on his cell from an old man out to kill both him and Sherlock. The thing is, they have no clue why. Pitted against an insane killer and his psychotic teenage girlfriend, Savich and Sherlock find themselves fighting a hate-driven villain with a very long and terrifying memory.

Master of new noir Dennis Lehane magnificently evokes the dignity and savagery of working-class Boston in Darkness, Take My Hand, a terrifying tale of redemption. Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro’s latest client is a prominent Boston psychiatrist, running scared from a vengeful Irish mob. The private investigators know about cold-blooded retribution. Born and bred on the mean streets of blue-collar Dorchester, they’ve seen the darkness that lives in the hearts of the unfortunate. But an evil for which even they are unprepared is about to strike, as secrets that have long lain dormant erupt, setting off a chain of violent murders that will stain everything – including the truth. With razor-sharp dialogue and penetrating prose, Darkness, Take My Hand is another superior crime novel from the author of Mystic River; Gone, Baby, Gone; and Shutter Island.

In this all-new very special mini-series, the Aldens have been recruited by a secret society to return lost artifacts and treasures to their rightful locations—all around the world! After finding a painted turtle figurine, the Aldens are introduced to the Silverton family and Reddimus Society, a secret guild whose mission is to return lost artifacts and treasures to the sites they were taken from. The Aldens board a private train to New Mexico to return the turtle to its original home, and they encounter enemies of Reddimus along the way! The trip is a success… but instead of returning home, there’s a last-minute change in plans. The Boxcar Children must continue the mission for the society and deliver more things, all around the globe!

A highly imaginative sequel to The Mystery of the Yellow Room

A mini-collection of short stories by Nik Korpon, author of Stay God, Old Ghosts and By the Nails of the Warpriest. Some are noir, some are literary, all take place in Baltimore.To overcome your fear, you must first face it. Someone is out to destroy Greg Robertson and everyone he has ever loved. After an accident leaves his teenage daughter depressed and distraught, Greg will do anything to make her happy again, including hiring a bodyguard to protect her. Olivia Cummings lost both her fiance and her cousin in a deadly avalanche. She has vowed never to set foot on a ski hill again. But now, working as a bodyguard with Marshall Security, Olivia must face her greatest fears to save Greg and his daughter. Something about Olivia's determination strikes a chord in Greg, but will she be the salvation he needs, or will he be her destruction?

A man with an ugly past is asked to do one last task to clear an old blood debt.But you can´t wash away blood with more blood; you can't bury the past, but it may just bury you...Inventor Theo Duval appeared to be having the perfect life. A locked room with the only key in the decedent’s pocket, a book on hypnotism, and one very rich and very dead inventor, present Inspector Gilles Maintenon of the Surete with a problem. Why would a young, healthy, successful man, one with a beautiful fiance, and a thriving company ever want to kill himself?Mystery lovers will also enjoy 'Redemption: an Inspector Gilles Maintenon mystery,' and 'Blessed Are the Humble' as well as The Handbag's Tale, the original noir novella that inspired the series. Available at most major online retailers.

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather, and are going to help out at the Pretty Bird Pet Shop.  The Aldens are thrilled to have the chance to work with the animals at the pet shop. But things just aren’t going smoothly. The Aldens’ deliveries of pet supplies keep getting mixed up. And someone has let the birds out of their cages. It’s up to the Boxcar Children to find out who’s behind all the trouble!