Popular fantasy author Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld series) makes her first foray into crime fiction, with the debut of a series of non-paranormal novels featuring female assassin Nadia Stafford. ** **Nadia Stafford is one of the world’s few female contract killers. A former cop, drummed out of the force because of a scandal, she is an expert at disguise and cool under pressure. But when fellow hitman Jack arrives on the scene, Nadia’s very private existence is seriously challenged. A series of victims are being murdered seemingly at random all over the country — different areas, different walks of life, different MOs. There is nothing to tie them together except a random page torn out of a single book: *Helter Skelter*. But does the Helter Skelter killer — as the hysterical media now dub him — have a real connection to Charles Manson? Or is there something even more sinister at work? Is this, in fact — as Jack believes — the carefully planned exit strategy of a fellow professional killer, determined to leave the life, but equally determined to clear up an old mistake? And, if so, which is the real victim? Now, the highly suspicious and secretive hitman community will have to break their cover — at least, to each other — and help take down this killer before the cops and the Feds discover his true connection to their own secret, exclusive society….

A celebrated writer by the time the war broke out in 1914, Maugham had the perfect cover for living in Switzerland. Multilingual and knowledgeable about many European countries, he was dispatched by the Secret Service to Lucerne - under the guise of completing a play. An assignment whose danger and drama appealed both to his sense of romance and of the ridiculous. A collection of stories rooted in Maugham's own experiences as an agent, reflecting the ruthlessness and brutality of espionage, its intrigue and treachery, as well as its absurdity.

When a blood rose enters Mastyr Ethan’s world, will he succumb to his deepest needs or lose her forever to an enemy intent on possessing her at all costs? He desperately needs his blood rose… Ethan, mastyr vampire of the Bergisson Realm, never thought to find his blood rose, the one woman who could ease the blood-starvation he’s endured for decades. But Samantha carries a surprising level of power as her newly discovered fae heritage emerges and she connects with his personal realm frequency, a vibration that ignites his passion. His commitment to ruling Bergisson, however, has priority, even over his driving need to be with Samantha. As desire rises, and Ethan finds himself drawn into the web of his driving, relentless need for her, will he be able to embrace his blood rose or will his guilt over past events prevent him from living life to the fullest? How can she give up the life she planned…? Samantha can’t believe she’s a blood rose, a woman who can meet the needs of a starved mastyr vampire. Her plans never included the world of the Nine Realms in which mastyr vampires rule millions of realm-folk, but learning that she’s half-fae has changed everything. As Ethan’s blood-needs become a life-or-death struggle, and cast her into a war against the dreaded Invictus, how can she choose to embrace her new fae powers and change her life so completely? Will she take on the role forever as Ethan’s blood rose? Or will her desire to follow her life’s ambitions force her to choose against love, passion, and unbelievable fae power?

The gripping conclusion to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’s Mancer trilogy, Of the Mortal Realm finds the city of Kavet cast into the middle of the final showdown between the infernal Abyssi and the divine Numini. It is battle that could reshape the world . . . and a battle not all will survive. Hansa, Umber, and Cadmia have managed to fight their way out of the Abyss and return to Kavet, bringing with them the long-imprisoned Terre Verte. Prince Verte is determined to return Kavet to its former magical strength and restore the royal reign of the Terre family. He has the ability; his stay in the Abyss has left him abundantly powerful. But it has also left him dangerously unstable. But when Naples, once the strongest Abyssumancer in Kavet—and former ally of Verte—also returns from the Abyss, Hansa and the others realize it is not Verte they need to be concerned with. For the Abyssi and the Numini are engaged in their own grand war, one that is pouring across the veils of the realms. And if the magic-users cannot come together to stop them, the fabric of the mortal world will be destroyed, taking all of them with it.

Excitement is high when Nancy delves into the theft of a fabulous sapphire formed by nature millions of years ago. Her father’s client is Mr. Ramsey, a designer of beautiful and unusual synthetic gems. He is accused of stealing the magnificent spider sapphire and exhibiting it as his own creation. In River Heights and while on a safari with a group of college students, Nancy has several thrilling experiences. In Africa, she uncovers a nefarious scheme directed at Mr. Ramsey and locates a missing jungle guide. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

Grange, Florida, is, famous for its miracles-the weeping fiberglass Madonna, the Road-Stain Jesus, the stigmata man. And now it has JoLayne Lucks, unlikely winner of the state lottery. Unfortunately, JoLayne's winning ticket isn't the only one. The other belongs to Bodean Gazzer and his raunchy sidekick, Chub, who want the whole $28 million jackpot to start their own underground militia. But JoLayne Lucks has her own plans for the Lotto money, and when Bode and Chub brutally assault her and steal her ticket, she vows to track them down, take it back-and get revenge. The only one who can help is Tom Krome, a big-city investigative journalist now writing frothy features for a mid-sized newspaper. He is about to become part of a story that's bigger and more bizarre than anything he's ever covered. Chasing two heavily armed psychopaths is reckless enough, but Tom's got other problems-including his fugitive wife and his own growing fondness for the future millionairess with whom he's risking his neck. The pursuit takes them to a buzzard-infested island deep in Florida Bay, where they finally catch up with the fledgling militia-and their baffled hostage, a Hooters waitress. The climax explodes with the hilarious mayhem that is Carl Hiaasen's hallmark. Lucky You is his funniest, most deliriously gripping novel yet. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Carl Hiaasen's Bad Monkey.

Show Excerpt anies of mechanics in time of mobilisation. He had searched feverishly in his drawers for this report, which was of no great bulk. For the last ten minutes he had anxiously searched, but in vain: he could not find a trace of it! "It is impossible!" he cried. He swore aloud as if the better to convince himself. "The title is in big letters, 'Confidential,' in red, and twice underlined. Oh, it is quite impossible that it should pass under my eyes unperceived!" Again the distracted man ransacked his papers and shook his portfolio. Almost beside himself with exasperation, he cried: "My excellent Bobinette, by her rummaging, has put the finishing touch to this confusion. Heaven knows, it was bad enough before!" He paused. Anguish seized him. He fell into an arm-chair, while drops of sweat broke out on his forehead. Suddenly he had remembered the roll of papers sticking out of Bobinette's muff. He uttered a cry: "My God! But supposing!"... He did not put the rest of his thought into wo

All Jillian Bradley wants is to spend a quiet weekend by the ocean and enjoy her afternoon tea. But a startling discovery draws Jillian and her garden club friends into solving a mystery that threatens her life and changes her future.'Murder in Half Moon Bay' Book 1 introduces Jillian's little companion 'Teddy,' a Yorkie who falls prey to danger but rises to become sleuth-dog in the next book.All Jillian Bradley wants is to spend a quiet weekend by the ocean and enjoy her afternoon tea. But a startling discovery draws her and garden club friends into solving a mystery that threatens her life and changes her future.The unlikely team helps the chief of police uncover a series of mysterious events that lead to solving several murders, both past and present.Could the murderer be the mean spirited conference director? Perhaps it's the wealthy widow on the make for her next husband; or maybe the killer is the haughty businesswoman who shows no regard for her brow beaten-husband."Murder in Half Moon Bay," Book 1 in The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series, introduces Jillian's little companion 'Teddy,' a Yorkie who falls prey to danger but rises to become a sleuth dog in the next book.

Landing in Singapore without a passport, Clarity Nice is led to an important forum on health and longevity, attended by Taoist Master Professor Chang, and billionaire Dao Bin. A member of a Secret Society warns Clarity of the dangers of esoteric knowledge taught by Chang, some of which is stored in a chart which holds the mystery of immortality, Meridian 57, that Clarity must protect from Chang.After landing at Changi airport in Singapore without a passport, with her friends Lanai and former Herbaline employee Ambi Mivel, teleoperator Clarity Nice is set aside before customs by a hostess from Singapore Airlines, Devi. Devi has connections with a Secret Society of warrior monks known as the Society of the Enlightened Jade Dragon, and she gets Clarity a passport with diplomatic status and a false name, Darcy Emmers, along with a badge confirming her credentials with the company which paid for her ticket, the diet and weight prevention company, Herbaline.Clarity trusts Devi, who simply says she is a friend, and leads Clarity to an important Forum on health and longevity, attended by Taoist Master Professor Chang, and Owens & Owell heiress Shalia Owell, who becomes infatuated with Clarity. Left on her own without Devi, Clarity stays close to Shalia, befriending her, learning of the various insecurities of the wealthy socialite. The blond girl is reassured by the presence of Clarity, and simply wants to get her board seat back from a stern father who disapproves of her marriage with good looking girlfriend and human sexuality university student Jenny Owens.Devi gets in touch with Clarity, telling her that she must protect a chart which holds the mystery of immortality, known as Meridian 57, built by the monks of the Enlightened Jade Dragon Society after years of studying the Taoist canons. Coveted by Singapore billionaire Dao Bin, and a White Tigress linked to Professor Chang, Madame Wa, the chart is part of a module inside the symbolic decryptor of Clarity, who is told by the monks that the esoteric knowledge inside the module is not ready to be revealed.When a shipment of rare earth metals addressed to Owens & Owell is stolen by Dao Bin, Singapore authorities from the ministry of Media and Communications begin inquiring, questioning Shalia Owell about the circumstance of the theft. Caught in a business struggle between Dao Bin and Owens & Owell, Clarity must trust her intuition and her new friends of the Enlightened Dragon, to overcome the ruse of Dao Bin and Madame Wa, who is luring Shalia Owell into her own Secret Society, the Shade of the White Lotus.

Tragedy strikes top-rated TV show "Symphonic Idol" when one of the musical judges is found dead onstage, and everyone's a suspect in this classical twist on the detective story...It all begins in a contemporary setting, a political retreat on the remote Cumberland Island in southeast Georgia. The president and the presidential candidate, find themselves lost and alone together, during a year when the planets are aligned in a rare 'Cosmic Singularity'...within the newly relabeled Bermuda Quadrangle. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, the two are whisked away unharmed by a tornado, to another place, to another dimension, to another existence where primitive cultures live. BamaOay is recognized by one faction of primitives as their leader. His mission: to unite and defeat the demons he calls "The Tea Baggers."Warning: This novel will be too provocative for most overly sensitive, PC-embracing readers. If you happen to be part of a PC police squad for your neighborhood, I would suggest you stop here, and move on...

Wayne is a geek who turned to the small crime scene; selling stolen goods online and to pawn shops. He and his accomplices stumble into the wrong place to plunder at a Russian Orthodox Church when they run into a mystic figure from the days of Tsar Nicholas II. And now Wayne is also Rasputin's prey!Wayne is a geek who turned to the small crime scene; selling stolen goods online and to pawn shops. He and his accomplices stumble into the wrong place to plunder at a Russian Orthodox Church when they run into a mystic figure from the days of Tzar Nicholas II. And now Wayne is also Rasputin's prey!

The Fourth Reich is waiting to arise—and the only man who can stop it is about to sign its birth certificate. In 1945 the children of the Third Reich were secretly hidden all over the world, to be concealed until they came of age in the 1970s, at which point $780 million would be waiting in a Swiss bank. But all of these elaborate plans need an unsuspecting outsider to set them in motion: Noel Holcroft, the American son of a high-ranking Nazi officer. He has just been shown an incredible document known as the Holcroft Covenant. If he signs, he will inadvertently deal a serious blow to an already fragile world—and authorize his own death warrant. Praise for Robert Ludlum and *The Holcroft Covenant *  “Pleases and seduces . . . [Robert] Ludlum stuffs more surprises into his novels than any other six-pack of thriller writers combined. . . . I sprained my wrist turning his pages and didn’t notice until an hour later.”—John Leonard, The New York Times  * “Don’t ever begin a Ludlum novel if you have to go to work the next day.”—Chicago Tribune*** BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Robert Ludlum’s *The Bourne Identity.*

Connor Fitzgerald is a professional's professional. Holder of the Medal of Honor. Devoted family man. Servant of his country. But for the past twenty-eight years, Fitzgerald has been leading a double life as the CIA's most deadly assassin. And only days before his retirement from the CIA, he comes across an enemy who, for the first time, even he cannot handle. The enemy is his own boss - Helen Dexter - the director of the CIA. Dexter's stranglehold on the agency is threatened by one decision, and her only hope of survival is to destroy Fitzgerald. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a formidable new foe is threatening the United States: a ruthless hard-line Russian president, who is determined to force a new military confrontation between the two superpowers. From emergency meetings in the Oval Office to a Russian mafya boss's luxurious hideaway outside St. Petersburg, The Eleventh Commandment sweeps readers off their feet from the first paragraph. As in Jeffrey Archer's previous bestsellers, The Eleventh Commandment features enough plot-twisting ingenuity, exotic characterization, and narrative surprise to take the art of thriller writing to a new level. In his latest novel, Jeffrey Archer is at the peak of his page-turning powers.