Title search results
Showing 1 - 20 of 39 items
The Measby Murder Enquiry
By Ann Purser. 2011
Cantankerous spinster Ivy Beasley has quickly learned that spending her golden years in the quaint village of Barrington won't be…
as quiet as she thought. Ivy hasn't been in assisted living at Springfields for long, but she's already found new friends, formed a detective agency, and solved a murder. And as autumn falls, Ivy and her team are asked to investigate a mysterious death in the village of Measby-in between card games, of course.The Hangman's Row Enquiry
By Ann Purser. 2010
A new series and a new sleuth from Ann Purser-author of the Lois Meade mysteries! Ivy Beasley, the beloved cantankerous…
spinster from the Lois Meade mysteries, has found a silver lining in her golden years as an amateur sleuth. She teams up with Gus, a mysterious newcomer to the small English village of Barrington who can't resist a little excitement even as he strives to keep his past a secret, and her own cousin, a widow with time on her hands and money in her purse. Together they're determined to solve the murder of Gus's elderly neighbor.The Suicide Squad
By Richard Curtis. 1975
Dave Bolt doesn't know what the Racers' star quarterback has to do with the game no gambler would touch, but…
it smells like a mighty fishy fix. When Jimmy Quinn doesn't show for a meeting and has disappeared, Bolt suspects more than a thrown game. Quinn's books show a few shady deals, but nothing too suspicious. Now Bolt has a dead gambler on his hands, and what he wants to know is...is Quinn next on the list or a cold-blooded killer? No one ever said the sports business was a cup of tea and Dave Bolt takes his coffee strong, bitter and black.Native Tongue
By Suzette Haden Elgin, Susan Squier. 1984
Called "fascinating" by the New York Times upon its first publication in 1984, Native Tongue won wide critical praise and…
cult status, and has often been compared to the futurist fiction of Margaret Atwood. Set in the twenty-second century, the novel tells of a world where women are once again property, denied civil rights and banned from public life. Earth's wealth depends on interplanetary commerce with alien races, and linguists ---a small, clannish group of families ---have become the ruling elite by controlling all interplanetary communication. Their women are used to breed perfect translators for all the galaxies' languages.Nazareth Chornyak, the most talented linguist of the family, is exhausted by her constant work translating for trade organizations, supervising the children's language education, running the compound, and caring for the elderly men. She longs to retire to the Barren House, where women past childbearing age knit, chat, and wait to die. What Nazareth comes to discover is that a slow revolution is going on in the Barren Houses: there, word by word, women are creating a language of their own to free them from men's control."Native Tongue brings to life not only the possibility of a women's language, but a rationale for one,"--Village Voice"Elgin takes up more than linguistics, of course--everything from religion to sex...the story is absolutely compelling."--Women's Review of BooksSuzette Haden Elgin is author of twelve science fiction novels and is widely know for her best-selling series The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense and for The Grandmother Principles. She is director of the Ozark Center for Language Studies and is professor emerita of linguistics at San Diego State University.Susan Squier is Julia Brill professor of English and Women's Studies at Pennsylvania State University.Mountain Rampage
By Scott Graham. 2015
"Graham's clever tale is tailor-made for those who prefer their mysteries under blue skies..."-KIRKUS"Description and dialogue balance to bring both…
the rounded characters and the Rocky Mountain setting alive in this tale of danger, death, and intrigue...Scott Graham has created a satisfying and suspenseful adventure."-FOREWORD REVIEWS"Filled with murder and mayhem, jealousy and good detective work-set against a stunning Colorado backdrop-Mountain Rampage is an exciting, non-stop read. I look forward to more good tales from this talented author."-ANNE HILLERMAN, New York Times bestselling author of Spider Woman's Daughter"In Mountain Rampage, Scott Graham delivers taut writing, solid plot twists, a cast of interesting characters, and an appealing protagonist both men and women will love. Get ready for a leave-you-breathless high country southwestern adventure."-MICHAEL MCGARRITY, New York Times bestselling author of Hard Country and Backlands"Move over Nevada Barr-clean prose and confident storytelling combine to make Scott Graham's second Chuck Bender/National Park Mystery Series novel a must-read for fans of Western outdoor fiction and for mystery lovers everywhere."-CHUCK GREAVES, author of Hush Money, Green-Eyed Lady, and The Last Heir"In archaeologist Chuck Bender, Scott Graham has created a flawed, all-too-human, and memorable investigator who had me rooting for him to the end."-MARGARET COEL, author of Night of the White BuffaloIn the riveting second installment of the National Park Mystery Series, archaeologist Chuck Bender finds himself and his young wife and stepdaughters in the crosshairs of an unknown killer when he defends his brother-in-law from false accusations of murder in the brutal slaying of a resort worker in Rocky Mountain National Park.Scott Graham is author of Canyon Sacrifice: A National Park Mystery and Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. He is an avid outdoorsman and amateur archaeologist who enjoys hunting, rock climbing, skiing, backpacking, mountaineering, river rafting, and whitewater kayaking with his wife, an emergency physician, and their two sons. Graham lives in Durango, Colorado.Hook, Line & Sinister: Mysteries to Reel You In (Playaway Adult Fiction Ser.)
By T. Jefferson Parker. 2010
Original short stories by best-selling mystery writers about their favorite pastime—?shing. Sixteen of America's favorite author-anglers spin tales of mystery…
and fishing in this collection. From the tragic to the comic with many stops in between, these stories reflect the authors' passions for both making stories and catching fish. Michael Connelly, Ridley Pearson, John Lescroart, Don Winslow, Melodie Johnson Howe, Victoria Houston, and others all share a mysterious affection for things piscatorial when not busy writing best-selling books. This collection of all-original short stories will entertain even the most discriminating mystery reader. Proceeds from this book will help support two charitable groups, Casting For Recovery, which helps women cancer survivors to heal body and soul through fly-fishing, and Project Healing Waters, which does the same for our returning veterans. Contributing authors include • Ridley Pearson • Mark T. Sullivan • Michael Connelly • John Lescoart • Andrew Winer • Dana Stabenow • Don Winslow • Melodie Johnson Howe • James W. Hall • C.J. Box • Victoria Houston • William Beall • Spring Warren • Brian M. Wiprud • William Tapply • T. Jefferson ParkerThe Wild Wood Enquiry
By Ann Purser. 2012
In a brand-new mystery from the author of The Measby Murder Enquiry, the cantankerous golden years gumshoe Ivy Beasley keeps…
her mental faculties sharp with a strict regimen of crime detection. Apart from the unwelcome noise made by the morning cleaning crew, life has been quiet at Springfields Home for the Elderly. Too quiet, in fact. Ivy and her team of sleuths, Enquire Within, have resorted to finding lost cats, and Gus is even threatening to return to his memoirs. But no sooner does he attempt to put a winning phrase together than he receives a call from his ex-wife, Katherine, who is in desperate needs of a place to hide. Though Gus has a difficult time getting a straight answer from Kath--just as it was in their many years of marriage--something is most certainly afoot, and soon Enquire Within is back in business. This time they have their hands full, not only with missing pets, but missing jewels, and evidence of foul play uncomfortably close to their too quiet home...Riverwatcher: A Fly-Fishing Mystery
By Ronald Weber. 2013
Lottery winner and ex-journalist Donal Fitzgerald joins forces with his girlfriend, DNR conservation officer Mercy Virdon, to solve the mysterious…
death of a beloved angler, Charlie, who was murdered in his tent in a state campground and who was known by all—and who may have known too much. Set in the engaging small town of Ossning on the Borchard River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—an angler’s dream, filled with eccentric, believable, sympathetic, and unforgettable characters—Riverwatcher is a classic whodunit. Fitzgerald and Mercy’s investigation to discover the deadly secret among the locals leads to dead ends until a surprisingly bookish theory surfaces. Weber expertly weaves this character-driven novel with a strong sense of place, creating a great yarn for anglers and mystery lovers and, as it turns out, a literally literary mystery.Agatha Christie. Los planes del crimen: Y un relato inédito de la señorita Marple
By John Curran. 1928
La vida y la obra de Agatha Christie a lo largo de las décadas, desde el final inédito de su…
primer libro hasta las ideas que no llegó a emplear en el último, junto a nuevas obras y documentos nunca publicados hasta ahora, entre ellos un relato perdido de la señorita Marple. En esta continuación del aclamado Agatha Christie. Los cuadernos secretos, John Curran, archivista y experto en Christie, conduce al lector a través de las seis décadas de la carrera de Agatha Christie, desvelando las claves más notables de su éxito, además de una serie de extractos y relatos de sus archivos, inéditos hasta el momento. La obra cuenta con un prologo de David Suchet quien, para la mayoría de aficionados a Agatha Christie, es Hércules Poirot, tras veinte años interpretando de manera impecable al famoso detective belga en la televisión. La crítica ha dicho...«Esta edición es un lujo inexcusable para todos los amantes de la literatura de detectives en general y de la de Agatha Christie en particular».El Cultural de El Mundo «El reciente rescate de esta colección de cuadernos [...] nos abre una ventana al proceso creativo, caótico y fascinante, de la novelista más publicada de todos los tiempos».El País «Nos brinda la oportunidad de ver entre bambalinas a una escritora que poseyó dos dones excepcionales: la legibilidad y la confección de tramas endiabladamente encajadas».Qué leer «Christie siempre tendrá un lugar de honor entre los iconos de la escritura contemporánea».ABC de las Artes y las LetrasAgatha Christie. Los cuadernos secretos
By John Curran. 2009
Una fascinante exploración del contenido de los 73 cuadernos de notas de Agatha Christie recientemente descubiertos, que incluyen ilustraciones, extractos…
eliminados y dos novelas inéditas de Poirot. Cuando Agatha Christie falleció en 1976 se había convertido en la escritora más popular del mundo. Con unas ventas billonarias en todo el mundo y publicada en más de 100 países, había conseguido lo imposible: publicar más de un libro al año desde la década de 1920, y todos ellos éxitos de ventas. Tras la muerte de la hija de Agatha, Rosalind, a finales de 2004, se reveló un extraordinario legado. Entre sus objetos personales de la residencia familiar de Greenway se desenterraron los cuadernos privados de Agatha Christie, 73 volúmenes escritos a mano que habían permanecido en gran parte ignorados, probablemente debido a que la inconfundible caligrafía de Agatha era muy dificultosa de leer. Pero cuando el archivero John Curran comenzó a descifrar los cuadernos, se hizo evidente la magnitud de este tesoro escondido... Este libro abre la tapa del mayor secreto de Agatha Christie: cómo sus anotaciones, listados y borradores se convirtieron en los exitosos libros, obras de teatro y relatos que finalmente fueron. Argumentos alternativos, escenas eliminadas, incluso sus planes para libros que no llegó a escribir, la investigación de Curran revela una enorme riqueza de material inédito, incluidas dos novelas cortas de Hércules Poirot.In his preface, the anonymous author of Courtesans and Opium describes his book as an act of penance for thirty…
years spent patronizing the brothels of Yangzhou. Written in the 1840s, his story is filled with vice and dark consequence, portraying the hazards of the city's seedy underbelly and warning others against the example of the Fool.Chinese literature's first true "city novel," Courtesans and Opium recounts the illustrious career of a debauched soul enveloped by enthralling pursuits and romantic illusions. While socially acceptable marriages were arranged and often loveless, brothels offered men accomplished courtesans who served as both enchanting companions and sensual lovers. These professional sirens dressed in the latest styles and dripped with gold, silver, and jewels. From an early age, they were taught to excel at various arts and graces, which transformed the brothel into a kind of club for men to meet, exchange gossip, and smoke opium at their leisure.The Fool's fable follows five sworn brothers and their respective relationships with Yangzhou courtesans, revealing in acute detail the lurid materialism of this dangerous world—its violence and corruption as well as its seductive but illusory promise. Never before translated into English, Courtesans and Opium offers a brilliant window into the decadence of nineteenth-century China.Blood Hunt
By Ian Rankin. 1995
The horror has just begun... A brilliant thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.'No…
one writes more gripping stories than Rankin' TLSIt begins with a phone call. Gordon Reeve's brother has been found dead in his car in San Diego. The car was locked from the inside, a gun was in his hand. In the US to identify the body Gordon realises that his brother has been murdered. What's more, it's soon obvious that his own life is in danger.Once back in Scotland he finds out his home has been bugged by professionals. But Reeve is a professional too. Ex-SAS, he was half of a two-man unit with someone he came to fear, then to hate. It looks like his nemesis is back...Never Forget: The #1 bestselling novel by the master of the killer twist
By Michel Bussi. 2018
A #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH'Outrageously entertaining' The Times'A tantalising story that wraps the…
reader in myriad enigmas - utterly spellbinding'Daily Mail'As exhilarating as Bussi's breakthrough novel After the Crash' The Sunday Times 'Agatha Christie updated and then cranked up to 11: a blast' Shots Magazine REVENGE IS WORTH WAITING FOR... Jamal loves to run. But one morning - as he is training on a path winding up a steep cliff - he stumbles across a woman in distress.It's a matter of seconds: suddenly she is falling through the air, crashing on the beach below.Jamal is only an unlucky bystander - or is he?His version of events doesn't seem to fit with what other eyewitnesses claim to have seen. And how to explain the red scarf carefully arranged around the dead woman's neck?Perhaps this was no accident after all.Or perhaps there is something more sinister afoot - a devilish plan decades in the making, masterminded by someone hell-bent on revenge.MICHEL BUSSI: THE MASTER OF THE KILLER TWISTBeloved by readers... 'I didn't anticipate all the twists and turns in this cleverly plotted novel''The final twist is a bit of a jaw dropper''Twists and turns aplenty!''A twisting, turning story which clobbers you with a number of cracking twists!''Fast-paced and chock full of twists, turns and red herrings' ...and critics 'A novel so extraordinary that it reminded me of reading Steig Larsson for the very first time . . . I doubt I'll read a more brilliant crime novel this year' Sunday Times on After the Crash'A dazzling, unexpected and haunting masterpiece' Daily Mail on Black Water Lilies'Inventive, original and incredibly entertaining' Sunday Mirror on Don't Let Go'Combines an extraordinarily inventive plot with characters haunted by long-ago events - and demonstrates why he has such a hold on readers' Sunday Times on Time is a KillerSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA NEW BLOOD DAGGER ***Don't miss the utterly gripping new thriller from Egan Hughes - LEAVE THE…
LIGHTS ON is out now*** 'This one really pulled me in' JANE CORRY 'Tense, thrilling and full of twists and turns' ANGELA MARSONS 'A summer must-read' WOMAN'S WEEKLY 'A masterclass in storytelling' THE COURIER 'Addictive, I was gripped from the opening chapter' JO SPAIN 'Plunges the reader in and leaves them gasping for air' RACHEL EDWARDS 'Utterly addictive' CRIME MONTHLY 'Gripping' HELLO __________________You love him. You trust him.YOU CAN'T ESCAPE HIM. Mia thinks she has escaped her controlling ex-husband, Rob. She's found herself a new home, a new boyfriend and a new life.But when the police arrive to tell her that Rob has been found dead on his boat, things quickly fall apart. Mia is terrified she'll be suspected, however the police are keeping all options open. They know Mia had reason to hate her ex-husband, but she's not the only one. Plenty of people wanted Rob Creavy dead, not least his new wife, Rachel. What they don't know is that Mia has a secret, one she's desperate to protect.But someone else knows. Someone with very dark secrets of their own . . . A claustrophobic, twisty psychological thriller about love, trauma and revenge - perfect for fans of, THE HOLIDAY, SOMETHING IN THE WATER and THE WOMAN IN CABIN TEN.___________________WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY 'One of my favourite thrillers of the year' ***** 'Clear your schedule. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop' ***** 'All the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very last page' ***** 'The ending is incredibly hard to predict' ***** 'Wow, is all I can say for this book' ***** 'An incredible novel that drew me in and didn't let me go' 'What a thrilling read' ***** 'Dark, twisted and utterly unpredictable. A must-read!' *****A classic hardboiled tale of a beautiful talent for life in smoky poolrooms'A wonderful hymn to the last true era…
when men of substance played pool with a vengeance' TIME OUT'This book sees the poetry of the pool game ... Fast Eddie's ascent up the ladder from pool shark to full-time hustler is the story of the will to power, told in cool fifties style' GUARDIANFast Eddie Felson has a reputation as a pool hustler to be feared, but his ambitions go far beyond taking small-town punks for a few bucks here and there. He has the talent to make big money, but he soon learns that it takes more than natural ability to become a real winner. He heads to Chicago to test himself against the legendary Minnesota Fats in more than forty-hours of high-stakes pool. Can he find the will to overcome his failings and fulfil his potential as the best there is?The Wrong Goodbye
By Toshihiko Yahagi. 2004
A classic slice of Japanese hard-boiled noir paying homage to the master of the genre: Raymond ChandlerThe Wrong Goodbye pits…
homicide detective Eiji Futamura against a shady Chinese business empire and U.S. military intelligence in the docklands of recession Japan. After the frozen corpse of immigrant barman Tran Binh Long washes up in midsummer near Yokosuka U.S. Navy Base, Futamura meets a strange customer from Tran's bar. Vietnam vet pilot Billy Lou Bonney talks Futamura into hauling three suitcases of "goods" to Yokota US Air Base late at night and flies off leaving a dead woman behind. Thereby implicated in a murder suspect's escape and relieved from active duty, Futamura takes on hack work for the beautiful concert violinist Aileen Hsu, a "boat people" orphan whose Japanese adoption mother has mysteriously gone missing. And now a phone call from a bestselling yakuza author, a one-time black marketeer in Saigon, hints at inside information on "former Vietcong mole" Tran and his "old sidekick" Billy Lou, both of whom crossed a triad tycoon who is buying up huge tracts of Mekong Delta marshland for a massive development scheme. As the loose strands flashback to Vietnam, the string of official lies and mysterious allegiances build into a dark picture of the U.S.-Japan postwar alliance. Translated from the Japanese by Alfred BirnbaumBloody Murder: The Homicide Tradition in Children's Literature
By Michelle Ann Abate. 2013
"Off with her head!" decreed the Queen of Hearts, one of a multitude of murderous villains populating the pages of…
children's literature explored in this volume.Given the long-standing belief that children ought to be shielded from disturbing life events, it is surprising to see how many stories for kids involve killing. Bloody Murder is the first full-length critical study of this pervasive theme of murder in children’s literature. Through rereadings of well-known works, such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, and The Outsiders, Michelle Ann Abate explores how acts of homicide connect these works with an array of previously unforeseen literary, social, political, and cultural issues. Topics range from changes in the America criminal justice system, the rise of forensic science, and shifting attitudes about crime and punishment to changing cultural conceptions about the nature of evil and the different ways that murder has been popularly presented and socially interpreted. Bloody Murder adds to the body of inquiry into America's ongoing fascination with violent crime. Abate argues that when narratives for children are considered along with other representations of homicide in the United States, they not only provide a more accurate portrait of the range, depth, and variety of crime literature, they also alter existing ideas about the meaning of violence, the emotional appeal of fear, and the cultural construction of death and dying.Being Cool: The Work of Elmore Leonard
By Charles J. Rzepka. 2017
An in-depth look into the life and work of the man who defined "cool" for crime fiction, Elmore Leonard.Widely known…
as the crime fiction writer whose work led to the movies Get Shorty and Out of Sight, Elmore Leonard had a special knack for creating "cool" characters. In Being Cool, Charles J. Rzepka looks at what makes the dope-dealers, bookies, grifters, financial advisors, talent agents, shady attorneys, hookers, models, and crooked cops of Leonard's world cool. They may be nefarious, but they are also confident, skilled, and composed. And they are good at what they do. Taking being cool as the highway through Leonard's life and works, Rzepka finds plenty of byways to explore along the way.Rzepka delineates the stages and patterns that characterize Leonard’s creative evolution. Like jazz greats, he forged an individual writing style immediately recognizable for its voice and rhythm, including his characters' rat-a-tat recitations, curt backhands, and ragged trains of thought. Rzepka draws on more than twelve hours of personal interviews with Leonard and applies what he learned to his close analysis of the writer’s long life and prodigious output: 45 published novels, 39 published and unpublished short stories, and numerous essays written over the course of six decades.Don't Know Tough: 'Southern noir at its finest' NEW YORK TIMES
By Eli Cranor. 2022
'A searing and stunningly poignant study in what makes us and what breaks us' S. A. Cosby, New York Times…
bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland'A gripping novel about rage and trauma, redemption and damnation, football and family' Steph ChaFriday Night Lights with a Southern Gothic twist - a powerful debut noir for fans of S. A. Cosby and Megan Abbott.In Denton, Arkansas, the fate of the high school football team rests on the shoulders of Billy Lowe, a volatile but talented running back. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother's abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, but when his savagery crosses a line, he faces suspension.Without Billy Lowe, the Denton Pirates can kiss their playoff bid goodbye. But the head coach, Trent Powers, who just moved from California with his wife and two children for this job, has more than just his paycheck riding on Billy's bad behavior. As a born-again Christian, Trent feels a divine calling to save Billy-save him from his circumstances, and save his soul.Then Billy's abuser is found murdered in the Lowe family trailer, and all evidence points toward Billy. Now nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the whole town apart on the eve of the playoffs.WINNER OF THE PETER LOVESEY FIRST CRIME NOVEL CONTEST A USA Today Best Book of the Year (So Far)An Amazon Editor's PickCrimeReads Most Anticipated Books of 2022New York Post Top Reads for the Week'Southern noir at its finest, a cauldron of terrible choices and even more terrible outcomes' The New York Times Book ReviewDon't Know Tough: 'Southern noir at its finest' NEW YORK TIMES
By Eli Cranor. 2022
'A searing and stunningly poignant study in what makes us and what breaks us' S. A. Cosby, New York Times…
bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland'A gripping novel about rage and trauma, redemption and damnation, football and family' Steph ChaFriday Night Lights with a Southern Gothic twist - a powerful debut noir for fans of S. A. Cosby and Megan Abbott.In Denton, Arkansas, the fate of the high school football team rests on the shoulders of Billy Lowe, a volatile but talented running back. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother's abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, but when his savagery crosses a line, he faces suspension.Without Billy Lowe, the Denton Pirates can kiss their playoff bid goodbye. But the head coach, Trent Powers, who just moved from California with his wife and two children for this job, has more than just his paycheck riding on Billy's bad behavior. As a born-again Christian, Trent feels a divine calling to save Billy-save him from his circumstances, and save his soul.Then Billy's abuser is found murdered in the Lowe family trailer, and all evidence points toward Billy. Now nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the whole town apart on the eve of the playoffs.WINNER OF THE PETER LOVESEY FIRST CRIME NOVEL CONTEST A USA Today Best Book of the Year (So Far)An Amazon Editor's PickCrimeReads Most Anticipated Books of 2022New York Post Top Reads for the Week'Southern noir at its finest, a cauldron of terrible choices and even more terrible outcomes' The New York Times Book Review