After her brilliant stand-alone thriller EVERY SECRET THING (it has received stunning reviews in the US and increased her sales by 35%) Lippman returns to her wonderful series character, PI Tess Monaghan and her home town of Baltimore. This story begins when an orthodox Jewish man, Mark Rubin, hires Tess to trace his missing wife Natalie who has disappeared with their three children, a boy on the brink of adolescence, Isaac, and younger, boy/girl twins. It transpires that Natalie has taken off with another man, Zeke. The husband Mark, who loves his wife and adores his children, especially Isaac, is devastated. At first Tess has him marked as a control freak and thinks his wife may have had a point, but her feelings change. The narrative is shared between Tess, pursuing her investigation, and the family on the run whose story is told mainly from Isaac's point of view. This is a fascinating novel about men and women, parents and children, a family drama as much as mystery – it's highly intelligent and sensitive and, at the same time, a hugely compelling page-turner

When killing people is your job, there’s no such thing as a vacation. Then again, how often does an assassin live long enough to enjoy her retirement? In this line of work, you either get lucky or you get dead. And since I destroyed my nemesis Mab Monroe a few weeks ago, all of Ashland’s lowlifes are gunning to make a name for themselves by taking out the lethal Spider—me, Gin Blanco. So I’m leaving behind my beloved barbecue joint and heading south with my baby sister, Bria, to cool my heels in a swanky beach town. Call it a weekend of fun in the sun. But when a powerful vampire with deadly elemental magic threatens an old friend of Bria’s, it looks like I’ll have to dig my silverstone knives out of my suitcase after all. Complicating matters further is the reappearance of Detective Donovan Caine, my old lover. But Donovan is the least of my problems. Because this time, the danger is hot on my trail, and not even my elemental Ice and Stone magic may be enough to save me from getting buried in the sand—permanently

An anthology of stories edited by John Joseph Adams. From Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; from Castlevania to Tru Blood, the romance between popular culture and vampires hearkens back to humanity’s darkest, deepest fears, flowing through our very blood, fears of death, and life, and insatiable hunger. And yet, there is an attraction, undeniable, to the vampire archetype, whether the pale European count, impeccably dressed and coldly masculine, yet strangely ambiguous, ready to sink his sharp teeth deep into his victims’ necks, draining or converting them, or the vamp, the count’s feminine counterpart, villain and victim in one, using her wiles and icy sexuality to corrupt man and woman alike… Edited by John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead), By Blood We Live gathers together the best vampire literature of the last three decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror

Given the chance to train as a squire, kitchen servant Achan Cham hopes to pull himself out of his pitiful life and become a Kingsguard Knight. When Achan's owner learns of his training, he forces Achan to spar with the Crown Prince-more of a death sentence than an honor. Meanwhile, strange voices in Achan's head cause him to fear he's going mad. While escorting the prince to a council presentation, their convoy is attacked. Achan is wounded and arrested, but escapes from prison-only to discover a secret about himself he never believed possible

THOSE CRAZY KREMLIN GUYS ARE AT IT AGAIN... Things are changing for the supersecret organization known as CURE. Dr. Harold Smith has a protégé, Remo is thinking about apprentice shopping and Chiun is fantasizing about retirement from the headaches of the job (i.e., Remo). Yet the world still has big trouble to dish out for the master assassins-and this time it's a real doozy. Somebody's given America an eviction notice in Alaska-in the form of mass murder. Pipeline workers and dozens of U.S. troops are being slaughtered by a mysterious "ghost force" of silent killers. Remo and Chiun recognize the techniques-a bargain basement brand of Sinanju-which poses an alarming question. Who has trained an army of die-hard Soviet troops in the ancient, secret art of the master assassins?

Tahar Ben Jelloun’s By Fire, the first fictional account published on the Arab Spring, reimagines the true-life self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia, an event that has been credited with setting off the Tunisian revolt. The novella depicts the days leading up to Bouazizi’s self-immolation. Ben Jelloun’s deliberate ambiguity about the location of the story, set in an unnamed Islamic country, allows the reader to imagine the experiences and frustrations of other young men who have endured physical violence and persecution in places beyond Tunisia. The tale begins and ends in fire, and the imagery of burning frames the political accounts in The Spark, Ben Jelloun’s nonfiction writings on the Tunisian events that provide insight into the despotic regimes that drove Bouazizi to such despair. Rita S. Nezami’s elegant translations and critical introduction provide the reader with multiple strategies for approaching these potent texts

The tradition of Patrick O'Brian's epics is carried on gloriously in this first novel of a new historical naval adventure series, set during the time of the War of Independence. Merchant sea captain Isaac Biddlecomb flees the New England coast after engaging a British man-of-war and foiling its bid to seize his illicit cargo. When fate casts him into the hands of a sadistic British captain, Biddlecomb's thirst for liberty is put to the ultimate test

The epitome of grace, independence, and wit, Lauren Bacall continues to project an audacious spirit and pursue on-screen excellence. The product of an extraordinary mother and a loving extended family, she produced, with Humphrey Bogart, some of the most electric and memorable scenes in movie history. After tragically losing Bogart, she returned to New York and a brilliant career in the theatre. A two-time Tony winner, she married and later divorced her second love, Jason Robards, and never lost sight of the strength that made her a star. Now, thirty years after the publication of her original National Book Award–winning memoir, Bacall has added new material to her inspiring history. In her own frank and beautiful words, one of our most enduring actresses reveals the remarkable true story of a lifetime so rich with incident and achievement that Hollywood itself would be unable to adequately reproduce it

A deathbed confession revolving around Opus Dei and Pinochet, By Night in Chile pours out the self-justifying dark memories of the Jesuit priest Father Urrutia. As through a crack in the wall, By Night in Chile’s single night-long rant provides a terrifying, clandestine view of the strange bedfellows of Church and State in Chile. This wild, eerily compact novel—Roberto Bolano’s first work available in English—recounts the tale of a poor boy who wanted to be a poet, but ends up a half-hearted Jesuit priest and a conservative literary critic, a sort of lap dog to the rich and powerful cultural elite, in whose villas he encounters Pablo Neruda and Ernst Junger. Father Urrutia is offered a tour of Europe by agents of Opus Dei (to study “the disintegration of the churches,” a journey into realms of the surreal); and ensnared by this plum, he is next assigned—after the destruction of Allende—the secret, never-to-be-disclosed job of teaching Pinochet, at night, all about Marxism, so the junta generals can know their enemy. Soon, searingly, his memories go from bad to worse. Heart-stopping and hypnotic, By Night in Chile marks the American debut of an astonishing writer

By Night The Mountain Burns recounts the narrator’s childhood on a remote island off the West African coast, living with his mysterious grandfather, several mothers and no fathers. We learn of a dark chapter in the island’s history: a bush fire destroys the crops, then hundreds perish in a cholera outbreak. Superstition dominates: now the islanders must sacrifice their possessions to the enraged ocean god. What of their lives will they manage to save? Whitmanesque in its lyrical evocation of the island, Ávila Laurel’s writing builds quietly, through the oral rhythms of traditional storytelling, into gripping drama worthy of an Achebe or a García Márquez

Peter and Rebecca Harris: mid-forties denizens of Manhattan’s SoHo, nearing the apogee of committed careers in the arts—he a dealer, she an editor. With a spacious loft, a college-age daughter in Boston, and lively friends, they are admirable, enviable contemporary urbanites with every reason, it seems, to be happy. Then Rebecca’s much younger look-alike brother, Ethan (known in the family as Mizzy, “the mistake”), shows up for a visit. A beautiful, beguiling twenty-three-year-old with a history of drug problems, Mizzy is wayward, at loose ends, looking for direction. And in his presence, Peter finds himself questioning his artists, their work, his career—the entire world he has so carefully constructed. Like his legendary, Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, The Hours, Michael Cunningham’s masterly new novel is a heartbreaking look at the way we live now. Full of shocks and aftershocks, it makes us think and feel deeply about the uses and meaning of beauty and the place of love in our lives

Some invitations don’t need to be sent…only accepted. Antiques dealer Annabelle Elder’s life is nowhere near as passionate as the erotic art she collects. A cheating ex-boyfriend and her business have seen to that. So when she attends a New Year’s Eve party at Haven Hotel, she sees a chance to blow off some steam. But she never expected to meet anyone like Jared—or to experience such passion in his arms… Handsome, rich, and charming as hell, Jared Golden brought his Midas touch to Haven Hotel—and created an anything-goes pleasure palace on one floor to cater to his special friends and their very special desires. After falling in lust with Annabelle at first sight, seducing her was easier than he expected. What he didn’t expect was to be seduced in turn… But unrestrained passion in the bedroom is not the only spark between Annabelle and Jared. Their mutual attraction is confounded by their separate pasts. Caught in an ever-growing web of painful secrets and sensual fantasy, will they be able to face the truth about themselves and trust in true love?

Between the pages...between the sheets...something's smokin'! Jamesville, Book 6 Amanda Barrington hopes Jamesville is the right place for her rare-book business--and her new life. The moving truck barely pulls away before both are off to a rousing start. It's not her new customer that's caught her attention, though. It's the customer's brother, Jonah Sutter. From the moment cynical, ex-military Jonah sets eyes on Amanda, he burns for her like a house afire--which is what she's going to have if she doesn't get her house's electrical system overhauled. He knows he's not a forever kind of guy, but he's more than willing to be her fix-it man. In more ways than one. When unexpected danger threatens, Jonah finds himself dealing with more than just the desire to get Amanda into bed. Protecting her means moving in, which exposes them both to a new danger--losing their hearts

With this magnificently assured new novel, John McGahern reminds us why he has been called the Irish Chekhov, as he guides readers into a village in rural Ireland and deftly, compassionately traces its natural rhythms and the inner lives of its people. Here are the Ruttledges, who have forsaken the glitter of London to raise sheep and cattle, gentle Jamesie Murphy, whose appetite for gossip both charms and intimidates his neighbors, handsome John Quinn, perennially on the look-out for a new wife, and the town’s richest man, a gruff, self-made magnate known as “the Shah.” Following his characters through the course of a year, through lambing and haying seasons, market days and family visits, McGahern lays bare their passions and regrets, their uneasy relationship with the modern world, their ancient intimacy with death

Dean Koontz has surpassed his longtime reputation as "America's most popular suspense novelist"(Rolling Stone) to become one of the most celebrated and successful writers of our time. Reviewers hail his boundless originality, his art, his unparalleled ability to create highly textured, riveting drama, at once viscerally familiar and utterly unique. Author of one #1 New York Times bestseller after another, Koontz is at the pinnacle of his powers, spinning mysteries and miracles, enthralling tales that speak directly to today's readers, balm for the heart and fire for the mind. In this stunning new novel, he delivers a tour de force of dark suspense and brilliant revelation that has all the Koontz trademarks: adventure, chills, riddles, humor, heartbreak, an unforgettable cast of characters, and a climax that will leave you clamoring for more. Dylan O'Connor is a gifted young artist just trying to do the right thing in life. He's on his way to an arts festival in Santa Fe when he stops to get a room for himself and his twenty-year-old autistic brother, Shep. But in a nightmarish instant, Dylan is attacked by a mysterious "doctor," injected with a strange substance, and told that he is now a carrier of something that will either kill him...or transform his life in the most remarkable way. Then he is told that he must flee--before the doctor's enemies hunt him down for the secret circulating through his body. No one can help him, the doctor says, not even the police. Stunned, disbelieving, Dylan is turned loose to run for his life...and straight into an adventure that will turn the next twenty-four hours into an odyssey of terror, mystery--and wondrous discovery. It is a journey that begins when Dylan and Shep's path intersects with that of Jillian Jackson. Before that evening Jilly was a beautiful comedian whose biggest worry was whether she would ever find a decent man. Now she too is a carrier. And even as Dylan tries to convince her that they'll be safer sticking together, cold-eyed men in a threatening pack of black Suburbans approach, only seconds before Jilly's classic Coupe DeVille explodes into thin air. Now the three are on the run together, but with no idea whom they're running from--or why. Meanwhile Shep has begun exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior. And whatever it is that's coursing through their bodies seems to have plunged them into one waking nightmare after another. Seized by sinister premonitions, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to crime scenes--just minutes before the crimes take place. What this unfathomable power is, how they can use it to stop the evil erupting all around them, and why they have been chosen are only parts of a puzzle that reaches back into the tragic past and the dark secrets they all share: secrets of madness, pain, and untimely death. Perhaps the answer lies in the eerie, enigmatic messages that Shep, with precious time running out, begins to repeat, about an entity who does his work "by the light of the moon." By the Light of the Moon is a novel of heart-stopping suspense and transcendent beauty, of how evil can destroy us and love can redeem us--a masterwork of the imagination in which the surprises come page after page and the spell of sublime storytelling triumphs throughout

Micah-IV wasn’t human and couldn’t understand why humans did strange things—but he could imitate them!

Lonely, bewildered, lost in the maelstrom of the ages, he roamed — to be cruelly shared by worlds other than his own — and yet—

Joy Bermin’s sweet crush on Quince Castille went sour when he got involved with a psychotic feline who nearly destroyed the pride. That bastard is dead, but now Quince is trying to convince her he had nothing to do with it. She’s been doing her best to ignore him, but the stubborn panther is always underfoot. When he tricks her into seeing how good things could really be between them, she’s stuck between dismay and desire. Just when Quince was ready to prove his love for Joy, that mess with the pride shot his credibility all to hell. Trickery is the only way to break her resistance and show her the truth. And holy hell, that woman could melt steel with her heat. Between trying to pin her down and dealing with upstart cats out to destroy what he’s worked so hard to rebuild, Quince is through playing by the rules. Whatever it takes to make Joy his mate, it’s on the table. And God help anyone who gets in his way

Detective John Cardinal is on the hunt for an ingenious killer even as he mourns his own wife’s tragic death in this thriller of heart-stopping suspense Autumn has arrived in Algonquin Bay, and with it an unusual spate of suicides. The most shocking victim yet is Detective John Cardinal’s wife, who has finally succumbed to her battle with manic depression. As Cardinal takes time to grieve, his partner, Lise Delorme, handles an unsavory assignment: a young girl appears in a series of unspeakable photos being traded online, and background elements indicate she lives in Algonquin Bay. Delorme is desperate to find the girl before she suffers more abuse. When Cardinal receives a string of hateful anonymous notes about his wife’s death, he begins to suspect homicide. His colleagues believe he is too distraught to think clearly, and he’s forced to investigate alone. In doing so, he comes up against a brand of killer neither he—nor the reader—has ever seen before. In his most masterful and thrilling novel yet, Giles Blunt confirms his reputation as a rising international star in crime fiction, and positions Detective John Cardinal among the finest characters in the genre

“By the Waters of Babylon” is a post-apocalyptic short story by Stephen Vincent Benét first published July 31, 1937, in The Saturday Evening Post as “The Place of the Gods”. It was republished in 1943 in The Pocket Book of Science Fiction, and was adapted in 1971 into a one-act play by Brainerd Duffield

They say in every guy’s life there’s a girl he’ll never forget and a summer where it all began. Well, for me, 1999 is that summer, and Brooke Sommerfield is that girl. But that was nearly nine years ago. And what they don’t tell ya is that you’ll blink, and both the summer and the girl will be gone. I have no idea where Brooke ended up. She disappeared that same summer I met her. And kind of like when you move something on a wall after it’s been there for a long time and everything around it is faded, that’s how I feel about Brooke. She wasn’t there very long, but when she left, everything around her memory sort of dimmed. That is until a letter postmarked the year she left mysteriously resurfaces. And call me crazy — everyone else has — but I have to find her. I have to know what became of the green-and-gray-eyed girl who stole my last perfect summer. I have to know if she believes in second chances — because I do — even if they do come with good-byes

"By What Authority?" by Robert Hugh Benson is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. Set during the tumultuous religious conflicts of Elizabethan England, the narrative explores the intertwining lives of several characters living in a small village, particularly focusing on the Catholic Maxwell family and the Protestant Norris family. The story delves into themes of faith, loyalty, and the personal impact of broader societal struggles, showcasing the complexities of religious identity during this period. At the start of the novel, the setting is introduced in the village of Great Keynes, juxtaposing the quiet life there with the political unrest affecting England. The narrative centers on the Maxwell family, particularly old Sir Nicholas, who remains steadfast in his Catholic faith despite the pressures of the Reformation, and his two sons, Mr. James and Hubert, each representing different responses to the era's changing religious landscape. Meanwhile, the Norris family represents the Protestant perspective, particularly through Mr. Norris and his daughter Isabel, who grapples with her feelings toward the suave and complex Hubert. The opening chapters lay the groundwork for the central conflicts of the novel, outlining the complicated relationships between these characters as they navigate their faiths amid external challenges and personal dilemmas

They were four glory-starved ball-toters who’d lost their way — till they found it in the other guys’ backfield!

…Между ними нет ничего общего. Они могли встретиться раньше или встретиться позже, при других обстоятельствах. Они могли встретиться и тут же позабыть о встрече, посчитать ее ничего не значащим фактом. Они могли не встретиться вообще. Последний вариант – самый предпочтительный, ведь тогда бы им удалось избежать смерти. Но в этом случае они ни за что бы не узнали, что такое настоящая любовь. Цепь случайностей, которая приводит их к друг к другу, – и есть главная закономерность жизни. Ни один поступок не остается незамеченным высшими силами, и ничто не остается безнаказанным – ни добро, ни зло. Об этом нужно помнить всегда, ведь люди влияют на других людей, как солнце влияет на движение планет. А каждый человек и есть – маленькое солнце…

„Bylininkai“ – be galo įdomus, siautulingas romanas, kupinas ironijos ir satyros, nukreiptos į teisiniams procesams būdingus korupcinius susitarimus, apgaulingas manipuliacijas bei teatrališkus efektus. „Finlio & Figo“ partneriai – iš viso du – dažnai save vadina teisine „firma-butiku“. „Butikas“ asocijuojasi su tuo, kas prašmatnu, kas pasižymi išrankumu, kas klesti. Šiuo atveju nė vienas iš apibūdinimų netinka. Iš tiesų jie užsiima menkaverte veikla – dažniausiai aptarnauja norinčius greitai išsiskirti, sulaikytus kauštelėjusius vairuotojus, kartais tarpininkauja dėl žalos atlyginimo nukentėjusiems per autoavarijas. Aptriušusiame biure Čikagos pietvakariuose Oskaras Finlis su Voliu Figu kartu dirba daugiau nei dvidešimtį metų ir riejasi lyg seniai susituokusi pora, bet sugeba šiaip ne taip verstis ir daugmaž padoriai gyventi. Galų gale juos užgriūva pokyčiai. Tiksliau, atklupčioja. Deividas Zinkas, jaunas, bet jau perdegęs teisininkas, atsisako perspektyvios karjeros aukščiausios klasės firmoje, smarkiai nusigeria ir netikėtai sau pačiam atsiduria prie „butiko“ slenksčio. Dabar, išsiblaiviusiam ir susitaikiusiam su mintimi, kad įsiliejo į bedarbių gretas, jam tiks bet koks darbas – netgi pas „Finlį & Figą“. Į savo ratą priėmę naują bendradarbį, „F & F“ partneriai griebiasi labai rimtos bylos, žadančios turtus, bet tarytum nereikalaujančios rimto išmanymo. Originalus pavadinimas:  The Litigators

"Brilliant writing — lively and heartbreaking at every turn.”—Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life. In this debut novel, 33-year-old Addie Lockwood bears and surrenders for adoption a son, her only child, without telling his father, little imagining how the secret will shape their lives. Told through letters and spare, precisely observed vignettes, Byrd is an unforgettable story about making and living with the most difficult, intimate, and far-reaching of choices. Kim Church’s stories have appeared in Shenandoah, Painted Bride Quarterly, Flash Fiction Forward, and elsewhere. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she has received fellowships from the North Carolina Arts Council, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Millay Colony, and Vermont Studio Center. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, artist Anthony Ulinski. Byrd is her first novel

Winner of the Bakeless Prize for Fiction, an imaginative debut that ranges from Havana to Berlin. Ancient cities and fallen empires come to life in this masterful collection. In the Byzantine court, a noble with a crippled hand is called upon to ensure that a holy man poses no threat to the throne. On an island in Lake Michigan, a religious community crumbles after an ardent convert digs a little too deep. And the black detective Jackson Hieronymus Burke rises to fame and falls from favor in two stories that recount his origins in Havana and the height of his success in Kaiser Wilhelm’s Germany. Ben Stroud’s historical reimaginings twist together with contemporary stories to reveal startling truths about human nature across the centuries. In his able hands, Byzantium makes us believe that these are accounts we haven’t heard yet. As the chronicler of Burke’s exploits muses, “After all, where does history exist, except in our imagination? Does that make it any less true?”

Zapis codziennych zmagań z życiem i próba rozrachunku z brutalną przeszłoscią kobiety chorej na schizofrenię. Poruszająca historia człowieka, którego cierpienie i choroba psychiczna popychają ku samobójstwu

Najbardziej wstrząsająca, bardzo pouczająca i rozbijająca mity książka, w której były ksiądz-Roman Jonasz, na kanwie własnych przeżyć, opisuje prozę kapłańskiego życia- pełnego intryg, skandali, ludzkich słabości i upadków. Nie księża są tu jednak piętnowani, ale błędny system który ich deprawuje

"…Najbardziej wstrząsająca, bardzo pouczająca i rozbijająca mity książka, w której były ksiądz-Roman Jonasz, na kanwie własnych przeżyć, opisuje prozę kapłańskiego życia- pełnego intryg, skandali, ludzkich słabości i upadków. Nie księża są tu jednak piętnowani, ale błędny system który ich deprawuje…"