This short story is a politically charged speculative thriller composed in 2008. It was visionary when originally written. It is alarmingly uncanny today. It’s only fiction until it’s not.The short story titled The Modern Day Gadianton Golden Boy is a speculative political thriller that links the current usurpation of American executive power to an ancient order of secrecy that employed dark oaths to murder and get gain. Prophetic warnings both ancient and modern come into play in this provocative narration.

Before his death, the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi arranged for a vast hoard of gold bullion and millions in cash to be hidden in the Karoo desert in Africa. Three Special Forces cops-A veteran Sergeant, a former army commando, and his two cohorts: a Zulu giant and a Russian Spetsnaz operator-wage a ruthless war against a Zimbabwean army colonel, who sets out to steal this fortune for himself.Before his death, the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi arranged for a vast hoard of gold bullion and many millions in cash to be hidden in the Karoo desert in South Africa.A trio of Special Forces cops--A veteran Sergeant, a former army commando, and his two cohorts: a Zulu giant and an expat Russian Spetsnaz operator--wage a ruthless war against a Satanic criminal, a Zimbabwean army colonel, who sets out to steal this fortune for himself.This novel is based upon some of the author's own real-life experiences..The book provides unique insights into insider police procedure and the savage reality of the high energy lifestyle of the grindingly poor and the obscenely wealthy inhabitants of the multiracial metropolis of Johannesburg.The trio's principal adversary is a Zimbabwean colonel who has established a criminal empire based in the black township of Alexandra, where he is fearfully known as uSathane--the Zulu expression for The Devil. uSathane uses black magic and cannibalism--he drinks the blood of raped women--to keep him alive although he is riddled with Aids.Reader discretion may be advised."Casey Christie's debut novel marks the arrival of a new star of the crime thriller genre." - Ed. Best Selling Crime Thrillers .Com

** From the bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author James Patterson comes a classic thriller. **Cool and glamorous, they could be a successful couple on a holiday. But Damian and Carrie Rose are psychopathic murderers for hire. Their new venue is a picture-perfect vacation island. Their adversary will be Peter Macdonald, the dashing young American who forsakes a life of leisure for a confrontation with cold-blooded terror. And risks everything only to discover that he alone suspects the hideous truth about the...Season of the Machete.

When the Norwegian ambassador to Thailand is found dead in a Bangkok brothel, Inspector Harry Hole is dispatched from Oslo to help hush up the case. But once he arrives Harry discovers that this case is about much more than one random murder. There is something else, something more pervasive, scrabbling around behind the scenes. Or, put another way, for every cockroach you see in your hotel room, there are hundreds behind the walls. Surrounded by round-the-clock traffic noise, Harry wanders the streets of Bangkok lined with go-go bars, temples, opium dens, and tourist traps, trying to piece together the story of the ambassador’s death even though no one asked him to, and no one wants him to—not even Harry himself.

** AUTHOR'S NOTE: **An earlier, shorter version of The Quest was published in paperback in 1975. In 2013, I rewrote The Quest and doubled its length, making it, I hope, a far better story than the original, without deviating from the elements that made the story so powerful and compelling when I first wrote it. In other words, what made The Quest worth rewriting remains, and whatever is changed is for the better. I was happy and excited to have this opportunity to rewrite and republish what I consider my first "big" novel, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I first wrote it. ** BOOK DESCRIPTION: **A sweeping adventure that's equal parts thriller and love story, Nelson DeMille's newest novel takes the reader from the war torn jungles of Ethiopia to the magical city of Rome. While the Ethiopian Civil War rages, a Catholic priest languishes in prison. Forty years have passed since he last saw daylight. His crime? Claiming to know the true location of Christ's cup from the Last Supper. Then the miraculous happens - a mortar strikes the prison and he is free! Old, frail, and injured, he escapes to the jungle, where he encounters two Western journalists and a beautiful freelance photographer taking refuge from the carnage. As they tend to his wounds, he relates his incredible story. Motivated by the sensational tale and their desire to find the location of the holiest of relics, the trio agrees to search for the Grail. Thus begins an impossible quest that will pit them against murderous tribes, deadly assassins, fanatical monks, and the passions of their own hearts. THE QUEST is suspenseful, romantic, and filled with heart-pounding action. Nelson DeMille is at the top of his game as he masterfully interprets one of history's greatest mysteries.

In Over Tumbled Graves, Jess Walter, National Book Award finalist and author of Citizen Vince and The Zero, confronts our fascination with pathology and murder. A thriller of extraordinary depth and dimension, Over Tumbled Graves follows Caroline Mabry, a Spokane police detective searching for a serial murderer.

A young American on holiday in Rome attends a mass at the Vatican. When a crippled woman experiences a miraculous cure at his hands, he is elected pope. He then sets out to liberalize the church -- a dangerous course of action considering the Vatican intrigue swirling around him.A young American man named Justin is on holiday in Rome where he attends a mass at the Vatican. He picks up a crippled woman who has fallen in the aisle near his pew, and she seems to undergo a miraculous cure. Is it a sign from above? With the help of a powerful cardinal, Justin is elected pope. Renamed Pope Leo XIV, he sets out to liberalize the church -- a dangerous course of action considering that cardinals, bishops, tradition and even murderers are arrayed against him and his helpmate, an attractive nun.

Thomas Wilson is missing. When last seen, he was being taken away by a representative of the mysterious TGN organisation, his identity erased.Kathy Turner, his best friend, has gone insane searching for him. Or has reality distorted itself around her?This philosophical thriller brings their destinies together on a journey deep into the nature of identity, reality and existence itself.Thomas Wilson is missing. When last seen, he was being taken away by a representative of the mysterious organisation known as TGN, his identity erased.Kathy Turner, his best friend, has gone insane searching for him. Or has reality distorted itself around her?Gregory Smith, a journalist for a national newspaper, finds his fate inexplicably joined with Thomas’ after he sees his soul reflected back at him from unfamiliar eyes.This philosophical thriller brings their three destinies together on a journey deep into the nature of identity, reality and existence itself.

Avid mushroom hunters and volunteers with the local Search and Rescue Department, Laura and Julie, who are in their sixties, remember that first encounter in the woods years ago.Four young men, who are fun by nature, travel to the woods with high hopes of a hunt they won't forget.A call to the Search and Rescue Department will bring them shockingly together in the...Black Woods.Adult LanguageNewly revised and edited, Second EditionBook 1 in the "Black Woods" series.Avid mushroom hunters and volunteers with the local Search and Rescue Department, Laura and Julie, who are in their sixties, remember that first encounter in the woods years ago.Four young men, who are fun by nature, travel to the woods with high hopes of a hunt they won't forget.A call to the Search and Rescue Department will bring them shockingly together in the...Black Woods.Adult Language

Every few hundred years, solar flares decrease to a minimum causing a substantial temperature decrease on earth (fact), but what else does the lack of solar flares effect? In 2040, the world is about to find out. Forces of good and evil learn to deal with the challenges of a changing world as the next world war will be fought with swords and magic, not technology.Every few hundred years, solar flares decrease to a minimum causing a substantial temperaturedecrease on earth (fact), but what else does the lack of solar flares effect?During the last period of nearly zero solar flares (1640), the world was ruled and ravaged by myth, magic and endless war, but what if that was due to the way the world actually was then and not due to global ignorance as the modern world assumes? Our medieval ancestors were not derelict; they simply did the best they could in a harsh and brutal world where miracles were just the tender mercies of God.In 2040, Western Europe is on the brink of war with a united Middle East and the United States has grown weary of being the world police. An obscure senate committee chaired by the most senior senator, Leroy Guiscard, accidentally discovers a global plot involving a powerful Turkish corporation, Toprak Esir, Inc. Toprak is using the Minimum conditions to advance their global agenda and they are the first to discover and use the changing natural laws to their advantage-laws that make the impossible, scientifically possible again.Both forces of good and evil learn to deal with the power and challenges of a changing world which includes the reappearance of many mythological species. The Minimum conditions have a powerful effect humans, but none more than the ancient Anglo-Saxon blood line. Opposing sides are rushing to identify and win the few pure Anglo-Saxons left in the world, which will prove to be the difference in which side succeeds.Military domination of the West is becoming meaningless due to the effects of the Solar Minimum and it appears the next world war will be fought with swords and magic, not technology.According to NASA, our sun is currently several years into a real solar minimum period, which has already had an effect on global temperatures. Modern observations have never seen the sun so quiet and there is no rebound in sight as the number of fares continues to decrease year after year. Is our world plunging into a future medieval age?- See more at: https://www.solarminimumbook.com/#sthash.XUe7Fb7t.dpuf

Komole is the name given to a popular Nigerian dance move, which literally means "bend down low."A group of ambitious college students visit a local nightclub in their small, university town. What starts out as a typical night out quickly takes a turn for the worse. By the end of the night, dancing the komole takes on an unexpected, but very significant meaning.Without the power of the world's five elemental crystals, the world of Vida will fall into darkness. Only the prophecy of the Light Bringer can restore peace to Vida.In this first novelette of a five part series, Regina Lepue finds herself taken hostage by a nameless vandal, who claims the world's Crystals of Balance are in peril. Can she believe this ruthless killer, or is there something deeper to his story?

A young couple who are down on their luck, come across a large sum of money. Just when they think all their problems have been solved, a new set of problems present themselves.This is the first translation into English of the verse drama Germanicus by the Afrikaans poet N.P. Van Wyk Louw. The work was based on the first three chapters of the Annales of the Roman historiographer Tacitus. After the death of Emperor Augustus, his successor Tiberius’ adopted son Germanicus recoils from the cruelty inherent in imperial rule. In the end he helplessly acquiesces, finally welcoming his own death as a means of escape from the burden of empire. The drama has been considered a highlight in Afrikaans literature since its publication in 1956. Its interest lies in its amazing sweep of words, Louw’s sense of history and his portrayal of the inevitability of the corruption inherent in power. Louw’s great monologues dominate the debates between his main protagonists. His poetic Afrikaans had a grand eloquence that swept his audience along in a torrent of densely-argued meaning. Such conciseness offered severe challenges to the translator. Claassen’s colloquial translation manages to capture both the essence of Louw’s dramatic dialogues and the rhythmic cadences of the original poetry. The translator provides a lengthy Introduction, aimed at both a classical and a theatre-going readership, explaining the historical background and discussing Louw’s interpretation of Tacitus’ narrative and the constraints under which a translator works. A brief overview of the contents of the drama’s eight scenes is followed by a select bibliography.

Things are not always as they seem when two experienced Chicago Detectives investigate a seemingly routine murder and robbery case.Opening night. The bridge to the Noh stage is only a few footsteps ahead, and the audience is waiting for you. Your mask is in your hand for the lead role, Shanne. Opposite you is your best friend Quinn, playing the sinister jester Punchinoni.You're all ready, all your lines are memorized, and your character is familiar and natural. All you have to do is step out on stage.Put on your mask. Step into your character. Take a deep breath.It's the role of a lifetime. It starts now.

Mary Higgins Clark, the "Queen of Suspense," has crafted a very special holiday story about a child's courage in the face of danger, and the power of love. Charged with menace and thrilling suspense, it is the #1 New York Times bestselling author's gift to readers for all seasons. When Catherine Dornan's husband, Tom, is diagnosed with leukemia, she and their two young sons travel with him to New York during the holiday season for a lifesaving operation. On Christmas Eve, hoping to lift the boys' spirits, Catherine takes them to see Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree; while there, seven-year-old Brian notices a woman taking his mother's wallet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather's life in World War II, and Brian believes with all his heart that it will protect his father now. Impulsively, Brian follows the thief into the subway, and the most dangerous adventure of his young life begins...

A kidnapped teen, held who knows where3.5 million Euros are demanded in ransom, but is that all the kidnappers want?Inspector Stone is tasked with finding the girl and bringing her home safely. Hard enough under normal circumstances, but between investigating an unrelated armed robbery, family problems and the machinations of an ambitious underling, it's almost impossible.A kidnapped teen, held who knows where3.5 million Euros are demanded in ransom, but is that all the kidnappers want?Inspector Stone is tasked with finding the girl and bringing her home safely. Hard enough under normal circumstances, but between investigating an unrelated armed robbery, family problems and the machinations of an ambitious underling, it's almost impossible. When it turns out that the Russian Mafia might be involved in the kidnapping, things begin to spiral out of Stone's control.Unknown to either Stone or Alice's parents, the kidnappers have more in mind than collecting a ransom. Stone needs to find Alice before the ransom can be paid and the kidnappers can make good on their threats. Or it won't just be Alice that becomes a victim to their deadly plans...