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By James Church. 2012
James Church's Inspector O novels have been hailed as "crackling good" (The Washington Post) and "tremendously clever" (Tampa Tribune), while…
Church himself has been embraced by critics as "the equal of le Carré" (Publishers Weekly, starred). Now Church—a former Western intelligence officer who pulls back the curtain on the hidden world of North Korea in a way that no one else can—comes roaring back with a new novel introducing Inspector O's nephew, Major Bing, the long-suffering chief of the Chinese Ministry of State Security operations on the border with North Korea. The last place Bing expected to find the stunningly beautiful Madame Fang—a woman Headquarters wants closely watched—was on his front doorstep. Then, as suddenly as she shows up, Madame Fang mysteriously disappears across the river into North Korea, leaving in her wake both consternation and a highly sensitive assignment for Bing to bring back from the North a long missing Chinese security official. Concerned for his nephew's safety, O reluctantly helps him navigate an increasingly complex and deadly maze, one that leads down the twisted byways of O's homeland. In the tradition of Philip Kerr's Berlin Noir trilogy, and the Inspector Arkady Renko novels, A Drop of Chinese Blood presents an unfamiliar world, a perplexing universe where the rules are an enigma to the reader and even, sometimes, to Inspector O. Once again, James Church has crafted a story with beautifully spare prose and layered descriptions of a country and a people he knows by heart.By Stefanie Pintoff. 2010
Following on the heels of Stefanie Pintoff's acclaimed and award-winning debut, A Curtain Falls is a moody and evocative tale…
that follows Ziele and his partners as they scour the dark streets of early-twentieth-century New York in search of a true fiend.The careers of New York City detective Simon Ziele and his former partner Captain Declan Mulvaney went in remarkably different directions after the tragic death of Ziele's fiancée in the 1904 General Slocum ferry disaster. Although both men were earmarked for much bigger things, Ziele moved to Dobson, a small town north of the city, to escape the violence, and Mulvaney buried himself even deeper, agreeing to head up the precinct in the most crime-ridden area in the city.Yet with all of the detectives and resources at Mulvaney's disposal, a particularly puzzling crime compels him to look for someone he can trust absolutely. When a chorus girl is found dead on a Broadway stage dressed in the leading lady's costume, there are no signs of violence, no cuts, no bruises—no marks at all. If pressed, the coroner would call it a suicide, but then that would make her the second girl to turn up dead in such a manner in the last few weeks. And the news of a possible serial killer would be potentially disastrous to the burgeoning theater world, not to mention the citizens of New York.By James Church. 2017
James Church, a former Western intelligence officer, returns to the secret world of North Korean intelligence with another “crackling good”…
(The Washington Post) story in his critically acclaimed Inspector O series.Under the guise of machinery for making dumplings, a Spanish factory near Barcelona is secretly producing a key component in the production of nuclear weapons. When information finds its way to the inboxes of Western intelligence agencies that this “dumpling maker” is meant for North Korea, orders go out that the shipment must be stopped. Either the machine must be disabled while still in the factory, or the transportation route must be discovered so the equipment can be intercepted before it reaches its destination. An old friend recruits Inspector O to assist in the complex operation designed to disrupt the plans for shipping the machine.Carefully planted bits of information and bizarre events have led both the Spanish factory and those trying to intercept the machine to conclude that Japanese criminal organizations are involved in buying and transporting the “dumpling” machine in order to hide the involvement of North Korea. A flurry of murders puts the focus on the northeast Chinese city of Yanji, near the border with North Korea, where O’s nephew Major Bing is the Chief of State Security. Bing has his own problems dealing with a corrupt local mayor who is out for his head, coping with a new deputy who cannot be trusted, and figuring out why a Chinese gangster he’s worked for years to chase away has suddenly returned.Church— hailed as “the equal of le Carré” by Publishers Weekly — takes O deep into a maze of cracked mirrors that hide the exits from an elaborate, deadly double blind in his most elaborate mystery yet, The Gentleman from Japan.By Solomon Jones. 2006
Karima "Cream" Thomas is an ex-convict from an upper-crust family whose only crime was falling for a drug dealer and…
refusing to testify against him. Sexy, intelligent, street-smart, and determined to change after serving time in the municipal prison system, Karima returns to find that her ex, Duane Faison, wants her back. And for one passion-filled night, she considers it. But with dawn comes common sense and the realization that she must make a clean break from her past. To do that, she'll need something she's never had to ask for—help. And she knows only one person with the power to give it. Marilyn Johnson has fought to make it in the rough-and-tumble world of Philadelphia politics. After ten years on the City Council, she's finally made it to the president's seat, but she's had to forge some questionable alliances to make it there, including her long-running affair with the married mayor. When Karima asks for help in finding a job, Marilyn is caught off guard. Her niece's criminal record is one of the many secrets she has hidden from the public, but seeing an opportunity, crafty Marilyn hatches a plan to get rid of Karima once and for all. The mayor is murdered in cold blood and Marilyn is sworn into office, bringing Karima's criminal past to light. She is quickly the prime suspect in the murder investigation, and in order to save her own name and get to the bottom of the story, Karima must return to the streets.By David Daniel. 1995
Amiable, wisecracking Alex Rasmussen was first introduced--to great acclaim--in The Heaven Stone, which won the PWA/St. Martin's Best First Private…
Eye Novel Contest, and was also named one of the best mysteries of the year by the Providence Journal-Bulletin. Now ghosts from the past and a murderous Halloween haunt his second case. A former cop gone private, Rasmussen makes a living in the decaying New England mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts. Lowell is also the hometown of Good Night Show host Jerry Corbin, whose career has started to slump in recent years. Corbin and his entourage have come to town to film the pilot episode for a new series designed to boost his sagging star quotient and rescue his ratings. Unfortunately, someone's been sending Corbin hate mail, and an off-the-record investigation is in order. Enter Rasmussen, whose familiarity with TV consists of whatever's on the set in his local bar between sporting events. He's game for the job, though, and soon finds himself one of the insiders in Corbin's camp. Digging into Corbin's life to find out who wants to destroy him, Rasmussen learns that there are old secrets someone wants kept and old grudges someone wants satisfied. Corbin may have been on the fringes of these events, but now he has become the prime target.By Nicolás Obregón. 2018
"A dark, brutal ride through the underbelly of LA." —Anthony Horowitz, author of Magpie MurdersIn this follow-up to Nicolás Obregon’s…
critically acclaimed Blue Light Yokohama, Inspector Iwata returns—in a murder case in his new home of Los Angeles.After a brutal investigation ripped apart his life, Kosuke Iwata quit both his job as a detective with the Tokyo Police Department and his country, leaving Japan for the sunnier shores of Los Angeles, California. But, although he’s determined to leave his past behind, murder still follows him. Having set up shop as a private investigator, Iwata is approached by someone from his old life. Her daughter has been killed and the case has gone cold. Out of loyalty, Iwata agrees to take on the case and reinvestigate the homicide. However, what seems initially like a cold-blooded but simple murder takes a complex turn when a witness, a vagrant, recalls the killer's parting words: “I’m sorry.” From the depths of Skid Row to the fatal expanse of the Sonoran Desert, Iwata tracks the disparate pieces of a mysterious and heartbreaking puzzle. But the more he unearths, the more complex this simple act of murder becomes. Lives untangle, fates converge, and blood is spilled as Inspector Iwata returns.By Rick Gavin. 2013
The nastiest meth lord in three states is out for revenge on Southern repo-man Nick Reid in the next riotously…
funny Delta noir novel from Rick GavinThe last time Nick Reid and his pal Desmond tangled with that crazy meth-dealer Boudrot, Boudrot landed in jail and Nick and Desmond helped themselves to the several hundred grand in cash hidden in his trailer. Now Boudrot's made a jailbreak and escaped into the bayou. In pure spiteful nastiness, Boudrot is three cuts above your regular dime-a-dozen lowlife, and it's a sure bet he's out for revenge on everyone involved in last year's incident. Nick and Desmond immediately set out to warn the innocent—relatively speaking, anyway—of trouble to come, and proceed to round up the troops for a showdown. But that Boudrot is even meaner and crazier than they've bargained for, and Nick and Desmond will be lucky to make it through alive on this wild, wacky chase through the Mississippi Delta.With Nowhere Nice, Rick Gavin has done it again—readers will laugh aloud and feel like they've been to Mississippi themselves as they cheer right alongside Nick and Desmond on their latest raucous adventure in the South.By Lee Robinson. 2015
One of the sharpest attorneys in Charleston, S.C., Sally Baynard isn't your typical southern belle. She's certainly not what her…
mother hoped she'd grow up to be, especially since she divorced her husband, Family Court Judge Joe Baynard, and his historic family with their historic wealth and historic houses. Maybe Sally was never going to be a proper society lady, but her success as a public defender and family lawyer have been enough for her. She's represented murderers, burglars, drug dealers and lately has taken on some of the thorniest divorces, all cases closed with her Sally Bright Baynard wit, charm and brains. Or have they? One case she's never successfully closed is her marriage. And when Judge Joe assigns her to one of his divorce cases by appointing her as the Lawyer for the Dog -- Sherman, a miniature schnauzer-- she's forced into close quarters with him again. Juggling the needs of the dog, the angry owners, her amorous but uncommunicative ex-husband, her aging, Alzheimer's-ridden mother, and the expectations of the court is more than Sally could have imagined. And as rascally Sherman digs his way into Sally's heart, he brings along his charming vet Tony, a man who makes Sally question her views on love and marriage.'I enjoyed this strange, inventive and moving tale' DAVID ALMONDAn unforgettable story of friendship, hope and happiness from renowned Australian…
writer Zana Fraillon.Are you ready? Are you listening? Something is about to begin.When Ada arrives on the day of the Great Summer Storm, it is like the wind had picked her up and blown her in - walking stick and all - and dumped her right at the front gates of number 9 Hawkhurst Lane.Unfortunately, Ada is not the kind of neighbour Hettie was hoping for. Cranky, impatient and a hater of cats, Ada has no intention of making friends.But as the summer unfolds, Hettie and Ada discover they have more in common than they think. Could their unlikely friendship be the missing piece they never knew they needed?With illustrations by Stephen Michael King.'A gem of a book. The story is a powerful one of community and understanding, exploring deep themes with the lightest of touch - and warm humour. One of the best books I've read this year - I loved it' GILL LEWIS, author of Moonflight'A beautiful story of friendship and love across generations for readers aged 12+ who enjoy Karen Foxlee and Kate DiCamillo's books' BOOKS+PUBLISHINGBy Josephine Cameron. 2020
Josephine Cameron's A Dog-Friendly Town is a delightful middle-grade cozy caper sure to excite dog-lovers and gentle mystery readers alike!Twelve-year-old…
Epic McDade isn't ready for middle school. He'd rather help out at his family's dog-friendly bed n' breakfast all summer, or return to his alternative elementary school in the fall, where learning feels safe. But change comes in all shapes and fur colors. When Carmelito, California is named America's #1 Dog-Friendly Town, all the top dogs and their owners pour into Epic's sleepy seaside neighborhood for a week of celebration.The McDades are in dog heaven with all the new business until a famous dog's jewel-encrusted collar goes missing. Every guest is a suspect, and Epic will have to embrace new friends and new ideas to sniff out the culprit before the week is through.By Ellen Raskin. 1978
A Newbery Medal WinnerFor over thirty-five years, Ellen Raskin's Newbery Medal-winning The Westing Game has been an enduring favorite. This…
highly inventive mystery involves sixteen people who are invited to the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. They could become millionaires-it all depends on how they play the tricky and dangerous Westing game, a game involving blizzards, burglaries, and bombings! Ellen Raskin has created a remarkable cast of characters in a puzzle-knotted, word-twisting plot filled with humor, intrigue, and suspense. Winner of the Newbery Medal Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award An ALA Notable Book A School Library Journal One Hundred Books That Shaped the Century"A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." —Booklist, starred review "Great fun for those who enjoy illusion, word play, or sleight of hand." —The New York Times Book Review"A fascinating medley of word games, disguises, multiple aliases, and subterfuges—a demanding but rewarding book." —The Horn BookBy Tristan Bancks. 2015
Ben has always wanted to be a cop, so he's intrigued when police officers show up at the door, asking…
for his parents. Then his parents arrive after the police leave and rush him and his sister into the car, insisting they are going on a vacation. Ben's a little skeptical—his family doesn't go on vacations. After they lose the police in a high-speed car chase and end up in a remote cabin deep in the woods, Ben discovers his parents' secret: millions of dollars were deposited into their bank account by accident, and they took the money and ran off. Ben isn't sure what to think. Are his parents criminals? And because he ran off with them, is he a criminal, too?By Charlie Donlea. 2017
The bestselling author of Twenty Years Later delivers a chilling thriller where nothing is at it seems and each reveal…
is more shocking than the last…right up to the jaw-dropping final twist.&“A gripping thriller that will blow readers away." –Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author on Don&’t Believe It&“A superb storyteller.&” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling authorTwo abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn&’t. The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost—until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods. . . . A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It&’s a triumphant story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing. Nicole&’s older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole&’s body will be found and her sister&’s fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body—that of a young man connected to Nicole&’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she&’s increasingly sure the cases are connected. Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you&’ve been looking for . . . &“A fast-moving page-turner. . . . Donlea skillfully maximizes suspense by juggling narrators and time all the way to the shocking final twists.&”—Publishers Weekly &“Well worth the read.&”—Booklist &“Donlea&’s sophomore effort is solid. He keeps the reader guessing and second-guessing until the end, thanks to an expertly crafted abundance of potential suspects.&”—Library JournalBy Kevin Powers. 2023
In this &“spellbinding and totally original thriller&” (Philipp Meyer, author of The Son) a lonely veteran&’s gruesome discovery throws him…
right into the face of danger as a twisted investigation unravels the secrets of his dark past. One early morning on a Norfolk beach in Virginia, a dead body is discovered by a man taking his daily swim—Arman Bajalan, formerly an interpreter in Iraq. After narrowly surviving an assassination attempt that killed his wife and child, Arman has been given lonely sanctuary in the US as a maintenance worker at the Sea Breeze Motel. Now, convinced that the body is connected to his past, he knows he is still not safe. Seasoned detective Catherine Wheel and her newly minted partner have little to go on beyond a bus ticket in the dead man&’s pocket. It leads them to Sally Ewell, a local journalist as grief-stricken as Arman is by the Iraq War, who is investigating a corporation on the cusp of landing a multi-billion-dollar government defense contract. As victims mount around Arman, taking the team down wrong turns and towards startling evidence, they find themselves in a race, committed to unraveling the truth and keeping Arman alive—even if it costs them absolutely everything.By Hannah Shaw. 2024
From New York Times bestselling author Hannah Shaw—also known as Kitten Lady—comes the fifth book in an exciting and heartwarming…
chapter book series! Three little ducklings arrive in Fosterland, but one is not like the others! Though Billie looks like Marlie and Charlie, he isn&’t a domesticated duck—he&’s a white mallard. Billie likes being in Fosterland with his friends, but he longs to eat sky raisins (also known as flies) and be free. With one webbed foot in each world, he has to choose where his heart lies.By Rajani LaRocca. 2024
A creative kid with ambitious dreams of launching his own pet business starts babysitting the class guinea pig in this…
big-hearted story from an award-winning author. Rohan Murthy dreams of running a successful business like his creative and kind mom. When Mrs. Z announces that Curiosity Academy needs to raise money for a school garden, Rohan sees the chance to launch his dreams right away! He'll start a pet care company to help the people of Peppermint Falls look after their dogs, hamsters, fish, snakes, lizards . . . anything but cats. With hard work, some glittery posters, and the help of his friends from Mrs. Z's class, Rohan knows he can do a lot for the school garden. His parents point out just one small problem: Rohan has never taken care of an animal before. They think he doesn't even like touching animals. (There is a reason cats aren't on his list.) To prove his parents wrong, Rohan volunteers to spend a weekend watching over Honey, the class guinea pig. But Honey appears surprisingly anxious, which makes Rohan nervous as well. When his big dreams meet his secret fears, what will Rohan do?By Niklas Natt och Dag. 2021
The spellbinding and eerie finale to the #1 internationally bestselling &“cerebral, immersive&” (The Washington Post) historical trilogy follows two unlikely…
allies as they struggle to end the reign of a powerful cabal of depraved hedonists in 18th-century Stockholm.For more than a year, Emil Winge has dedicated himself to capturing the diabolical Tycho Ceton, with the invaluable assistance of one-armed army veteran and watchman Jean Michael Cardell. Their mission is made more difficult by the ever-increasing paranoia gripping Sweden&’s royal family, who fear that a bloody revolution is brewing. A letter with the names of the revolutionary conspirators is said to be in the possession of Anna Stina Knapp, a good friend to Cardell. Now, Anna is missing and Cardell is determined to find her before the secret police take her into custody. While Winge and Cardell fight for justice and for life, they find themselves caught between powerful enemies—those who will do anything to maintain the status quo, and those who will only be satisfied with its total destruction. Writing with &“thrilling, unnerving, clever, and beautiful&” (Fredrik Backman) vigor and style, Niklas Natt och Dag brilliantly concludes his immersion into the dark and turbulent waters of 18th-century Stockholm.By Bruno Valasse. 2024
A lyrical and dramatic picture book about a moth who is afraid of the dark and embraces his authentic self. For…
fans of Little Tree and It Fell From the Sky.A little moth hides from the dark, and doesn't want to leave his bright and cozy home. But here's a secret: he loves watching the stars. They only come out at night, though . . . when it's dark outside.One night, the stars give the moth the courage to go outside into the night. There, he makes friends with other creatures who are also afraid of the dark, and they play and sparkle under the stars. But will a dangerous encounter with a group of hungry frogs drive the moth back inside? Or will it encourage him to create his own light in the darkness?Inspired by the author's own childhood memories of being afraid of the dark but drawn to the beauty of the night sky, Shine is a gorgeous debut picture book which will encourage readers to be their authentic selves . . . and glow!By Deanna Kizis. 2024
Follow Penelope the pug in the second book of this delightful series set in Regency-era London!Penelope the pug is completely…
content in her new forever home with Lady Diggleton. So when her beloved owner receives an invitation to meet the Queen at Windsor Castle—and an instruction to bring the pug along—Penelope couldn't be more pleased for her Lady's good fortune.However, once the two arrive at the castle, their fortune starts to seem less than fortunate. The Queen commands Penelope to befriend her own pup, a snooty dog named Duchess whose manners are most offensive, and who wants nothing to do with the poor pug.But when the Queen's prized Canis diamond ring goes missing and Duchess stands accused, Penelope—who knows the dog is innocent—must find a way to defend her. If the pug is certain that her fellow canine didn't commit the crime, though, can she clear Duchess's name by determining who did?By Janet Dawson. 2017
Oakland is a city shaped by water. The waterfront, home to the ship and rail yards, is also ripe for…
development. There’s lots of money to be made, so greed and crime inevitably follow. PI Jeri Howard looks into the murder of a former coworker who was a security guard at a construction site on the Embarcadero. It was a surprise when Cal Bradys body washed up on the Estuary shoreline. But Jeri is certain Cal’s death was no accident, and she’s determined to find out who killed him, and why.