Service Alert
Delay in delivery of Direct to Player materials
You may experience a delay in delivery of Direct to Player materials. All requests for materials will be delivered as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
You may experience a delay in delivery of Direct to Player materials. All requests for materials will be delivered as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
Showing 1 - 20 of 11471 items
By Saul Black. 2019
"The writing is sharp as the devil." —Stephen KingCritically acclaimed author Saul Black returns with a heart-racing thriller in which…
a brutal murder forces one woman to reckon with her own past—and her future.On a hot summer night, a watchful neighbor locks eyes with an intruder and unwittingly alerts the police to a vicious crime scene next door: a lavish master bedroom where a man lies dead. Next to him, his wife is bleeding out onto the hardwood floor, clinging to life. The victim, Adam Grant, was a well-known San Francisco prosecutor—a man whose connection to Homicide detective Valerie Hart brings her face-to-face with a life she’s long since left behind. Adam’s career made him an easy target, and forensic evidence points towards an ex-con he put behind bars years ago. But while Adam’s wife and daughter grapple with their tragic loss, Valerie uncovers devastating clues that point in a more ominous direction. Lurking in the shadows of the Grants’ pristine life is a mysterious blonde who holds the key to a very different—and much darker—story. As Valerie struggles to forge a new path for herself, the investigation forces her to confront the question: can we ever really leave our pasts behind? Sophisticated and stunning, Anything for You is an unforgettable thriller that will grip readers long after turning the last page.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 David Maine. 2004
"Noe says, -I must build a boat.-A boat, she says.-A ship, more like. I'll need the boys to help, he…
adds as an afterthought.-We're leagues from the sea, she says, or any river big enough to warrant a boat.This conversation is making Noe impatient. -I've no need to explain myself to you.-And when you're done, she says carefully, we'll be taking this ship to the sea somehow?As usual, Noe's impatience fades quickly. -We'll not be going to the sea. The sea will be coming to us."In this brilliant debut novel, Noah's family (or Noe as he's called here)-his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law-tell what it's like to live with a man touched by God, while struggling against events that cannot be controlled or explained. When Noe orders his sons to build an ark, he can't tell them where the wood will come from. When he sends his daughters-in-law out to gather animals, he can offer no directions, money, or protection. And once the rain starts, they all realize that the true test of their faith is just beginning. Because the family is trapped on the ark with thousands of animals-with no experience feeding or caring for them, and no idea of when the waters will recede. What emerges is a family caught in the midst of an extraordinary Biblical event, with all the tension, humanity-even humor-that implies.By Douglas Brunt. 2017
"Trophy Son brings Conroy's The Great Santini and Malamud's The Natural into the present day...A terrific book." -Harlan CobenPrivate lessons.…
Professional coaches. Specialized camps for sports, math, music, and other fields. Today’s children are pushed to achieve excellence—or else. But at what cost? New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt’s third novel, Trophy Son, tells the story of a tennis prodigy, from young childhood to the finals of the US Open, Wimbledon, and other tournaments around the world. Growing up in the wealthy suburbs of Philadelphia, Anton Stratis is groomed to be one thing only: the #1 tennis player in the world. Trained relentlessly by his obsessive father, a former athlete who plans every minute of his son’s life, Anton both aspires to greatness and resents its all-consuming demands. Lonely and isolated—removed from school and socialization to focus on tennis—Anton explodes from nowhere onto the professional scene and soon becomes one of the top-ranked players in the world, with a coach, a trainer, and an entourage.But as Anton struggles to find a balance between stardom and family, he begins to make compromises—first with himself, then with his health, and finally with the rules of tennis, a mix that will threaten to destroy everything he has worked for. Trophy Son offers an inside look at the dangers of extraordinary pressure to achieve, whether in sports or any field, through the eyes of a young man defying his parents’ ambitions as he seeks a life of his own.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 Håkan Östlundh. 2011
The Intruder is an unusual story about betrayal and dark secrets. The Andersson family is being sent scary letters without…
a sender's name. Who could possibly want to harm them?Gotland policeman Fredrik Broman and his colleagues take the threats seriously, but cannot rule out the possibility that it is all a tasteless joke. When the threats escalate and the couple's daughter disappears, all doubts vanish. This is for real. And it is only the beginning.When the police pressure the husband, a complicated family history is revealed. What really made him return to the small island after his successful career as an international photographer? Is it really someone nearby that wants to harm the family, or does the threat come from elsewhere?Acclaimed crime novelist Håkan Östlundh combines high literary quality with high-end suspense.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 Kjell Eriksson. 2005
Already a huge star in Europe and the Nordic countries, Kjell Eriksson has American critics also raving, with almost every…
review studded with words like "stunning," "chilling," "suspenseful," "haunting," and "brilliant."In The Demon of Dakar, Ann Lindell and her motley crew of colleagues are faced with a most baffling murder case in which all clues lead straight back to a popular local restaurant named Dakar. The owner, Slobodan Andersson, has some shady connections in his past, and his partner's reputation is equally murky.The kitchen crew is not above suspicion, either. The meat chef is an oddball, to say the least, while unbeknownst to the rest, the newest hire's personal life is a tangled web of lies. Even Eva Willman, the seemingly blameless older woman returning to the workforce as a waitress, has skeletons in her closet.And then the tension rachets up a number of notches as it becomes apparent that one murder has not satisfied the killer in the least. If Ann is to prevent a bloodbath at Restaurant Dakar, she must match wits with a killer whose motives are seemingly completely obscure.But the reader knows the killer well. His crimes are justified from his point of view. Not only that, he's a very likable fellow who is only looking for justice. As in all of Kjell Eriksson's compelling spellbinders, though, justice entails a frantic race to the finish, a race without rules and fraught with danger.Winner of the Swedish Academy Award for Best Crime Novel.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 Emily Littlejohn. 2019
An enthralling, atmospheric new novel from Emily Littlejohn, author of acclaimed debut Inherit the Bones, featuring Colorado police officer Gemma…
Monroe. It’s Halloween night in Cedar Valley. During the town’s annual festival, Detective Gemma Monroe takes a break from trick or treating with her family to visit an old family friend, retired Judge Caleb Montgomery, at his law office. To Gemma’s surprise, Caleb seems worried—haunted, even—and confides in her that he’s been receiving anonymous threats. Shortly after, as Gemma strolls back to her car, an explosion at Caleb’s office shatters the night. Reeling from the shock, Gemma and her team begin eliminating suspects and motives, but more keep appearing in their place, and soon another man is killed. Her investigation takes her from a chilling encounter with a convicted murderer at the Belle Vista Penitentiary, to the gilded rooms of the renovated Shotgun Playhouse, where Shakespeare’s cursed play Macbeth is set to open in a few weeks. Yet most disturbing of all is when Gemma realizes that similar murders have happened before. There is a copycat killer at play, and if Gemma can’t stop him, he’ll carry out his final, deadly act.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.By Kerri Maniscalco. 2022
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to…
Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy. Two curses.One prophecy.A reckoning all have feared. And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell. Emilia is reeling from a shocking discovery about her sister, Vittoria. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. She doesn&’t just desire his body; she wants his heart and soul—but that&’s something the enigmatic demon can&’t promise her. When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, damning evidence somehow points to Vittoria as the murderer. Now, Emilia will do anything to get to the bottom of these accusations against the sister she thought she knew. Together, Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception to solve the murder and stop the unrest that&’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters, and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared. Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked, nothing was as it seemed. But have the true villains been much closer all along? #1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco delivers sizzling romance, sexy secrets, and unexpected twists in this unforgettable conclusion to the Kingdom of the Wicked series! Suggested for ages 16 and up.By Laura Kay. 2021
'The Split has everything I love in a novel. It's hilariously funny, it's so uplifting, and its characters are irresistibly…
loveable' - BETH O'LEARY'Full of humour, kindness, cake and a cat, this is the novel to turn to in difficult times' - KATIE FFORDE Following a brutal break up, Ally flees to her dad's house in Sheffield with her ex's cat (who always preferred her anyway). When she realises Emily isn't coming to win back either her or the cat, Ally takes to the sofa to mourn the future she'd planned.After a few days' grace, her dad calls in reinforcements - Ally's old friend and first beard, Jeremy. Reunited, the two find solace in each other's heartbreak and an endless supply of baked goods. But jacked up on sugar and mutual delusion, they concoct a plan to run the half marathon and win back their exes...This seems like the perfect example of their ability to commit and better themselves. But will their exes be waiting at the finish line, or is there a whole new future on the horizon?A brilliant, heart-warming and intensely funny story of love, heartache, friendship and family. Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Beth O'Leary.~*~ PRAISE FOR THE SPLIT ~*~'A warm, funny, comforting read with such loveable characters!' - RUTH JONES'Uplifting, warm and heartfelt, with a cast of engaging characters who quickly became my friends. A feel-good depiction of love, friendship and family, which is very funny, but with moments of true poignancy too. An absolute must-read' - HOLLY MILLER'It's like meeting Marian Keyes and Dawn O'Porter in a cosy gay pub in Sheffield!' MATT CAIN'Wise, wonderful and so much fun. I loved it!' - HEIDI SWAIN 'It was pure fun. Heart-warming and adorable' - JULIE COHEN'It's rare that a book so important to the literary canon is, at the same time, entertaining, heart-warming, and funny' - ANSTEY HARRIS 'I adored The Split - a hilarious but oh-so-relatable tale of how not to handle a break-up. It made me laugh and sigh and head out for a run' - HOLLY HEPBURN'An absolute JOY from start to finish. If you're after a smart, funny romcom with characters to root for, this is one for you' - RICHARD ROPER'Fun, sassy and a joy to read. I loved it!' - EMMA COOPER'Such a lovely and heart-warming book. And it's hilarious! ... You'd be hard pushed to find a better group of characters to spend time with' - SUZANNE EWARTLove The Split? Then read Laura Kay's new heartwarming romcom, Making It, available to pre-order now!By Susannah Begbie. 2024
'Now that's the way to bury your old man ... he sank into his Jason recliner, wincing. A burial: a…
body wrapped in handwoven cloth, women dancing and wailing. Too much, in Tom's opinion, but at least they were mourning. To hell with that, at least they showed up.' Tom Edwards is dying, and cranky. He's made his peace with the dying part. But he'd bet his property - the whole ten thousand acres of it - that there'd be no wailing at his funeral. His kids wouldn't be able to chop down a tree, let alone build a coffin to bury him in. Then Tom has an idea ... Christine is furious, David ashen-faced, and Sophie distracted. Only Jenny listens carefully as Vince Barton, of Barton & Sons, reads their father's will. Either they build his coffin - in four days - or they lose their inheritance. All of it.A perceptive and unforgettable debut novel, The Deed explores the messy, sometimes volatile, complications that only the best and worst of family can bring. Sometimes greed can be good.By Sophie Gonzales. 2021
A bisexual girl who gives anonymous love advice to her school friends is hired by the hot new kid to…
help him get his ex back. Leah on the Offbeat meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before - the new queer YA rom-com from Sophie Gonzales.'Perfectly wonderful' - Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Her advice, spot on. Her love life, way off. Darcy Phillips: Can give you the solution to any of your relationship woes - for a fee. Uses her power for good. Most of the time. Really cannot stand the new Australian jock at school, Alexander Brougham. Has maybe not the best judgement when it comes to her best friend, Brooke...who is in love with someone else. Does not appreciate being blackmailed. But when Brougham catches Darcy in the act of collecting letters from locker 89 - out of which she's been running her questionably legal, anonymous relationship advice service - that's exactly what happens. In exchange for keeping her secret, Darcy begrudgingly agrees to become his personal dating coach. The goal? To help him win his ex-girlfriend back. Darcy has good reason to keep her identity secret. If word gets out that she's behind the locker, some things she's not proud of will come to light, and there's a good chance Brooke will never speak to her again. Okay, so all she has to do is help an entitled, bratty, (annoyingly hot) guy win over a girl who's already fallen for him once? What could possibly go wrong?By Mazey Eddings. 2024
Mazey Eddings' signature sparkling voice shines through in this sexy, sapphic, opposites-attract romance!'A magnificent story about queer joy, queer love,…
and the power of queer community . . . this book is a must-read' ALISON COCHRUNWinning the lottery ruined Opal Devlin's life. She may have been able to leave her dead-end job, but now she's getting endlessly bombarded with people knocking at her door for a handout . . . and she can't seem to stop saying yes.Opal realises she has a chance to follow her own dreams, and decides to spend almost all her new money on a failing flower farm in North Carolina where she can start her painting business. But her plans for isolation soon go hopelessly awry when an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Boden is waiting for her at her new farm. Pepper states that she's the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom Farms, and she isn't moving out.There's not much else they can do except strike up an agreement of co-habitation, but they're soon butting heads at every turn. While they each have a reason to stay, can these two opposites find a way to plant some roots? Or will their combustible arguing (and growing attraction) burn the whole place down?Amazing praise for Mazey Eddings:'So freaking cute. . .Tilly in Technicolor will have you aching with love for these characters while swooning at their awkward adorableness together. I want to hug this book to my chest' CHLOE GONG'Mazey Eddings's writing is authentic, emotional, and intensely romantic! To me, it's like a Taylor Swift song in book form' ALI HAZELWOOD'Blends sweetness, breathless romance, and moments of striking vulnerability' HELEN HOANG'Prepare to smile, laugh, and cry your way through this witty, fast-paced rom-com' EVIE DUNMORE'Laugh-out-loud funny, almost unbearably cute' ROSIE DANAN'A contemporary romance masterpiece . . . The most intoxicating slow burn I've read in ages' RACHEL LYNN SOLOMON'Funny and cute while also exploring serious topics, powerfully underscoring the truth that relationships require work, and that happy endings are for everyone' SARAH HOGLE'Brims with emotional depth, whip-smart banter, and sizzling chemistry' CHLOE LIESEBy Archie Superstars. 2024