In the year 1260, under the supervision of the architect Gerhard Morart, the most ambitious ecclesiastical building in all of Christendom is rising above the merchant city of Cologne: the great cathedral. Far below the soaring spires and flying buttresses, a bitter struggle is underway between the archbishop of Cologne and the ruling merchant families to control the enormous wealth of this prosperous commercial center—a struggle that quickly becomes deadly. Morart is the first of many victims, pushed to his death from the cathedral’s scaffolding by a huge man with long hair, clad all in black. But hiding in the branches of the archbishop’s apple orchard is a witness: a red-haired petty thief called Jacob the Fox, street-smart, cunning, and yet naive in the ways of the political world. Out of his depth and running for his life, he soon finds himself engaged in a desperate battle with some very powerful forces. Most dangerous of all is the killer himself—a mysterious man with remarkable speed, strength, and intelligence, hiding dark secrets that have stripped away his humanity and turned him into a cruel, efficient hired assassin who favors a miniature crossbow as his weapon of choice. But who is he killing for? Jacob the Fox—uneducated and superstitious—fears the killer is the Angel of Death himself. But the wily Fox makes an alliance with some of the strangest of bedfellows: a beautiful clothes dyer, her drunken rascal of a father, and her learned uncle, who loves a good debate almost as much as he loves a bottle of wine. Can this unlikely foursome triumph against the odds and learn the truth of the evil conspiracy before their quest leads to their death at the end of a crossbow arrow? Readers who loved the richly textured setting and historical accuracy of Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose” will thrill to discover a new novel through which they can vicariously enter the medieval world. With its vivid evocation of both the rich and powerful and those struggling to survive another day at the bottom of society’s rungs in the Cologne of 1260, “Death and the Devil,” the first novel by Frank Schätzing, sends a clear announcement to the literary world that an important new voice in fiction is here

Ein Fischer verschwindet vor Peru, spurlos. Ölbohrexperten stoßen in der norwegischen See auf merkwürdige Organismen, die hunderte Quadratkilometer Meeresboden in Besitz genommen haben. Währenddessen geht mit den Walen entlang der Küste British Columbias eine unheimliche Veränderung vor. Nichts von alledem scheint miteinander in Zusammenhang zu stehen. Doch Sigur Johanson, norwegischer Biologe und Schöngeist, glaubt nicht an Zufälle. Auch der indianische Walforscher Leon Anawak gelangt zu einer beunruhigenden Erkenntnis: Eine Katastrophe bahnt sich an. Doch wer oder was löst sie aus? Während die Welt an den Abgrund gerät, kommen die Wissenschaftler zusammen mit der britischen Journalistin Karen Weaver einer ungeheuerlichen Wahrheit auf die Spur

Gennaio, costa del Perù. Il povero pescatore Juan non crede ai suoi occhi: dopo lunghe settimane di magra, si stende davanti a lui un enorme banco di pesci. Ma il terrore cancella ben presto la felicità: i pesci, muovendosi come un unico essere, distruggono la rete, ribaltano la barca e impediscono all'uomo di raggiungere la superficie. Marzo, Norvegia. A bordo di una nave oceanografica un biologo e una scienziata osservano milioni di "vermi" luminescenti che sembrano aver invaso lo zoccolo occidentale. Da dove vengono? Cosa sono? Pochi giorni dopo, Canada. Un gruppo di balene attaccano la Barrier Queen e la affondano. Il mondo intero sarà drammaticamente coinvolto in questi avvenimenti in apparenza così lontani tra loro

Sieht Dr. Liam O’Connor, genialer Physiker und Bestsellerautor, Gespenster? Wird Köln wirklich von einer unbekannten Macht unterwandert, wenige Tage bevor hier die weltpolitische Elite zum G-8-Gipfel zusammenkommt? Tatsächlich stößt O’Connor auf eine Verschwörung und eine unheimliche Waffe, die einen neuen Kalten Krieg auslösen könnte. In einem atemlosen Katz- und Mausspiel versucht er, die Katastrophe zu verhindern. Doch die Gegner scheinen immer einen Schritt voraus zu sein…

This ambitious, multilayered thriller balances astonishing scientific, historical, and technical detail. Against this backdrop, award-winning author Frank Schätzing convincingly extrapolates a possible near future when humankind’s ingenuity may become the greatest risk to its continued existence. In 2025, entrepreneur Julian Orley opens the first-ever hotel on the moon. But Orley Enterprises deals in more than space tourism—it also operates the world’s only space elevator, which in addition to allowing the very wealthy to play tennis on the lunar surface connects Earth with the moon and enables the transportation of helium-3, the fuel of the future, back to the planet. Julian has invited twenty-one of the world’s richest and most powerful individuals to sample his brand-new lunar accommodation, hoping to secure the finances for a second elevator… On Earth, meanwhile, cybercop Owen Jericho is sent to Shanghai to find a young female hacker known as Yoyo, who’s been on the run since acquiring access to information that someone seems quite determined to keep quiet. As Jericho closes in on the girl and the conspiracy swirling around her, he finds mounting evidence that connects her to Julian Orley as well as to the entrepreneur’s many competitors and enemies. Soon, the detective realizes that the lunar junket to Orley’s hotel is in real and immediate danger

For more than two years, one book has taken over Germany’s hardcover and paperback bestseller lists, reaching number one in Der Spiegel and setting off a frenzy in bookstores: The Swarm. Whales begin sinking ships. Toxic, eyeless crabs poison Long Island's water supply. The North Sea shelf collapses, killing thousands in Europe. Around the world, countries are beginning to feel the effects of the ocean's revenge as the seas and their inhabitants begin a violent revolution against mankind. In this riveting novel, full of twists, turns, and cliffhangers, a team of scientists discovers a strange, intelligent life force called the Yrr that takes form in marine animals, using them to wreak havoc on humanity for our ecological abuses. Soon a struggle between good and evil is in full swing, with both human and sub-oceanic forces battling for control of the waters. At stake is the survival of the Earth's fragile ecology-and ultimately, the survival of the human race itself. The apocalyptic catastrophes of The Day After Tomorrow meet the watery menace of The Abyss in this gripping, scientifically realistic, and utterly imaginative thriller. With 1.5 million copies sold in Germany-where it has been on the bestseller list without fail since its debut-and the author's skillfully executed blend of compelling story, vivid characters, and eerie locales, Frank Schatzing's The Swarm will keep you in tense anticipation until the last suspenseful page is turned

Перуанский рыбак исчезает в открытом море. Полчища ядовитых медуз осаждают берега Австралии. В Канаде мирные киты превратились в агрессоров. На дне Норвежского моря появились миллионы червей с мощными челюстями — и они мешают нефтедобыче. Различные учёные предполагают, что за этими аномалиями кроется нечто большее, — что-то натравливает обитателей морей на человека. Под вопросом оказывается дальнейшее существование рода человеческого. Но кто или что развязывает катастрофу, исходящую из океана? В поисках виновника учёные и военные сталкиваются с худшими из своих кошмаров и сознают: о подводном мире своей планеты мы знаем ещё меньше, чем о космосе…