Books by Jean Van Hamme

Book SynopsisThree years ago, Thorgal lost his memory. Kriss of Valnor convinced him that he was her husband Shaigan, a merciless pirate, and they have been terrorising everyone - even the Vikings - ever since. Aaricia and Wolf Cub, exiled when Thorgal was recognised by one of the men from the northern village, have been captured and brought to Shaigan's lair. In the end, it's up to young Jolan to rescue his family with the help of a very special traveller...from the future!

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Book SynopsisThorgal and his family have left Arachnea's island to continue seeking a place to live in peace. As they sail along unknown shores, they're attacked by pirates, then rescued by Prince Zarkaj, who takes them to his palace and pampers them - especially Aaricia. But when Jolan and his mother turn out to have caught the terrible Blue Plague, the prince has them thrown into a guarded pit to die - and it's up to Thorgal to escape in search of a cure.

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Book SynopsisXIII and Jones are on the run. Hunted by local authorities, they're suspected of three murders, including that of The Mongoose's hired killer. The sheriff of Green Falls, henchman to the town's biggest landowner, is all too happy to accuse the fugitives: The two men don't want certain details from the past to surface. XIII is going to have to survive long enough to dig up the truth about what really happened on the night of August 3rd long ago -

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Book Synopsis1965. The growing financial empire of the Winch family is now in the hands of Nerio, Tom's young son. And Nerio, who stands barely above five feet, whose schoolmates always despised because his only friend was the son of his African-American nanny, whom women never so much as looked at ... thirsts for power. Meanwhile, back in a Montenegro now under the boot of Yugoslav dictator Tito, is born little Danitza, great-great-grand-niece to one Vanko Winczlav...

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Book SynopsisThorgal, Aaricia and Kriss of Valnor are finally approaching Mavaxatl, the city of the lost god. When Thorgal understands the real goal of their mission and Kriss' duplicity, he tries to escape. But Kriss is determined that he complete the mission.

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Book SynopsisThorgal and his family are back in Europe, where a pregnant Aaricia insists on giving birth in Northland. Unable to find a ship to sail north in the middle of winter, Thorgal sets off by land to reach his old village and bring back a drakkar. His trip takes him through the land of Saxegaard, Master of the Mountains, a ruthless warlord who terrorizes the surrounding country. One night, in a burntout cottage, he meets Torric, an escaped slave, and finds a strange ring in the ashes. An extraordinary adventure begins.

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Book SynopsisA wandering Thorgal is captured and enslaved by Orgoff, a cruel man who appointed himself the local lord after defeating the old one. Orgoff wields the dreadful power of the Sun Sword, which the peasants say makes him invulnerable. Thorgal, of course, is not convinced. Escaping, he encounters the last of the rebels against the new order-and an old enemy. Together, they will have to defeat Orgoff and his allies and recover the Sun Sword.

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Book SynopsisLargo Winczlav, born in Yugoslavia, is an orphan. Thousands of miles away from his native town, one of the richest men in the world will change his destiny. He has the same name as him, only slightly different: Winch. This man, Nerio Winch, wants to find an heir to his empire. He adopts Largo and, when Nerio disappears in dramatic circumstances, Largo inherits the biggest conglomerate of multinationals ever owned and managed by a single man. He is now worth 10 billion dollars, which is not to everybody's taste...

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Book SynopsisScandal breaks in the London press: There is a mole in the Intelligence Service! And it appears without a doubt, on a photograph taken by agents of MI 5, that the mole wears the face of Francis Blake! Mortimer is determined to believe that his friend has been forced to act against his will. But the initial investigations sweep away this hypothesis: Blake has opened, under an assumed name, an account fed by payments coming from the Bahamas. In a few months, he has withdrawn 30,000 - more than 10 times his annual pay! With MI 5 agents planning to try Blake for high treason, or to kill him if needed, Mortimer decides to find his friend before they do. A long hunt begins.

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Book SynopsisA cup of tea? A drop of milk? A spoonful of poison? At first sight, nothing would make the very select club called Green Manor stand out from any other English club. Yet behind its thick walls, sunk into its deep chairs, hides the biggest bunch of con artists, bandits and murderers that Queen Victoria's England has ever seen.

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Book SynopsisTwo of Largo's employees have been killed in his headquarters in New York. His friend Charity has been kidnapped in the middle of the Piazza San Marco. His only lead is a mysterious message: Beware of the Doge - As the bodies start piling up, Largo - aided by the beautiful Domenica - turns the Serenissima upside down to find the young woman and unravel the truth before it is too late. Balls, duels, boat chases, revenge - Ah, Venice!

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Book SynopsisXIII survived the trip back to his childhood home. The Mongoose has finally been caught and is in a high-security jail. But there is still one piece of the puzzle missing, and when President Sheridan asks him to discover who the Number I is, the man now known as Jason McLane doesn't hesitate for long. His best chance: finding Kim Rowland wherever she may be hiding. But the Mongoose has powerful allies and won't stay locked up forever -

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Book SynopsisStill travelling with Kris of Valnor, Thorgal runs afoul of a local tribe. When a mysterious old woman offers him a chance to escape the hostile villagers, he accepts. But there's more to the bargain: She says that if he can make his way into the Invisible Fortress, he'll be able to erase his name from the Stone of the Gods, cancelling his destiny-and finally have a chance at a normal life.

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Book SynopsisWith the conspiracy that nearly claimed his life dismantled, XIII can finally turn all his attention towards uncovering his own distant past. Armed with everything he could find on Jason Fly-the man he seems to be-he heads to Green Falls, where he grew up. The problem with amnesia is that you never know exactly what you'll dig up when you go home again. And...is everything really solved concerning the presidential assassination that cost him his memory?

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Book SynopsisJason has managed to give his captors the slip, but he was forced to leave Betty behind, severely injured. After a short but tense episode dealing with the north-eastern mafia, he's off to the next step in his quest: Leiden, Holland, from where half of the Mayflower expedition left, and where his godfather appears to live. But his enemies haven't given up, and the young local guide he's picked brings her own heap of troubles...

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Book SynopsisCaptured and then abandoned by Olrik, Mortimer is now lost at sea with no provisions. Fortunately, he can always count on Blake. Once reunited, and with the help of some old friends, the two British gentlemen continue their dangerous mission to stop Von Stahl from resurrecting the Third Reich using the evil power of the 30 pieces of silver. A mission that will take them throughout Greece and into the very Kingdom of Hades!

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Book SynopsisIn their island fortress, Kriss and Shaigan still reign over their band of pirates and raiders. But Shaigan is beginning to have doubts, and when a prisoner who knew him calls him Thorgal, the child of the stars begs the gods of Asgard to give him back his name and his destiny. In return, the gods require that Thorgal travel to the kingdom of giants and steal from their ruler...and then Thorgal will be Thorgal again. He's a child of the stars, beloved of the gods and touched by destiny, but also a reluctant hero, a simple man with simple dreams. Thorgal: an extraordinary Viking saga with strong elements of science fiction, by one of the master scriptwriters of Franco-Belgian comics. Already 13 volumes available from Cinebook!

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Book SynopsisNo such thing as a simple, happy homecoming for Thorgal...It is time at last for Thorgal to return to his family. After her rescue by Jolan however, Aaricia is not staying idle, and she tries to put together a fleet to attack Shaigan's stronghold - unaware that her husband is no longer the dreaded pirate lord. By the time the two find themselves on their own island again, Aaricia is disinclined to simply forgive everything, and locks Thorgal up in a cage while she makes up her mind about him. He's a child of the stars, beloved of the gods and touched by destiny, but also a reluctant hero, a simple man with simple dreams. Thorgal: an extraordinary Viking saga with strong elements of science fiction, by one of the master scriptwriters of Franco-Belgian comics. 14 volumes available from Cinebook!

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Book SynopsisThe Marduk expedition has returned victorious to Norlandia, bearing a precious sample of Uradium. Now the professor can test his revolutionary U Ray's potency when combined with the miracle ore. But Austradia, the old enemy, won't take this lying down. So the dastardly Captain Dagon didn't succeed in stopping Marduk from finding the Uradium deposit? No matter! The Imperial Austradian Army will simply take possession of it in a military operation - and who cares if that's where Prince Nazca's people live?

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Book SynopsisA renowned physicist and the head of MI5 battle threats to the Empire and solve extraordinary mysteries across the globe. The 28th adventure of Blake & Mortimer, the most distinguished duo of gentlemen-adventurers! Ages 10+

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Book Synopsis1848. In Ottoman-occupied Montenegro, young doctor Vanko Winczlav is one of the leaders of a popular uprising. Betrayed, wanted by the authorities, he flees the Balkans for the United States in the company of a Bulgarian refugee, Veska, whom he marries to allow her to enter New York legally. So begins the history of a family closely entwined with that of a still new country going through many transformations.

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Book SynopsisXIII is looking for a certain Kim Rowlands, a woman with whom he saw himself in a photograph. His search will yield a name - his, perhaps - and take him to a place that may be home. All families have secrets, though, and they can get a man killed. And what exactly do General Carrington and his beautiful aide Lieutenant Jones want with him?

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Book SynopsisConvicted of murder and sent to a high-security prison for the criminally insane, XIII finds himself not only unable to continue searching for his past, but also at the mercy of his enemies. Unbeknownst to him, though, General Carrington and the beautiful (and deadly) Lieutenant Jones are still trying to unravel the mystery of the presidential assassination. All they have to do is find a way to help him before he loses his life-or his mind.

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Book SynopsisNow called Ross Tanner, XIII joins the elite SPADS (Special Assault and Destruction Squads) to try and learn more about Captain Rowlands, his last identity. As if the shadowy threats hanging over his head weren't enough, he also has to contend with gruelling training and a hostile instructor. Meanwhile, in Washington, investigations continue, and a series of clues emerge, pointing towards people XIII thought his allies. Can he trust Colonel Amos, General Carrington or - Lieutenant Jones?

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Book SynopsisSimon-Largo's friend-has been cast as the lead in a new TV series, Golden Gate.A" It's produced in part by one of Group W's subsidiaries. When the investigator sent by Dwight Cochrane to examine irregularities in the funding of the series disappears, Largo takes matters into his own hands and heads to the city by the Bay. But what will he find? An innocuous example of bad television? A case of tax evasion? Or - worse?

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Book SynopsisLargo Winch has been hoodwinked, framed and sent to jail. His enemies are celebrating their victory after taking control of his TV station. His friends are either in prison or in mortal danger - But Largo wasn't born a billionaire. He knows how to fight dirty, and now he's going to have to strike back at the circle of crooks, pimps and murderers who came after him-before they kill all potential witnesses, including his own employee, Sarah Washington.

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Book SynopsisA man shoots himself in front of Largo, live on TV. He was a guest on a financial talk show who had lost his company because of a Group W decision. Shocked by the knowledge that he is indirectly responsible, Winch becomes an object of hatred for the nation, and his two best friends abandon him. When suspicions arise that shady dealings led to unnecessary restructurings, he launches an investigation to identify the real culprits.

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Book SynopsisAccused of murder and hated by an entire nation, Largo is hiding in Canada and feeling very much alone. But his friendships are stronger than his circumstances, and soon he's able to counterattack against the various factions that are trying to bring him down. Greedy lawyers, crooked CEOs, murderous accountants, all pitted against the orphan turned billionaire - In the end, only the smartest and strongest will prevail - for such is the Law of the Dollar.

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Book SynopsisThorgal has been gone for three years. Now, the last raiding expedition organised by the men of his village is late in returning. When a single survivor stumbles in to announce that their drakkar was boarded by the dreaded Shaigan, he also reveals that Shaigan is actually...Thorgal! Outraged, the grieving, vengeful Viking women banish Aaricia and her children and brand her an exile. All that's left for them is to try to find Thorgal again.

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Book SynopsisA proposed deal between one of Winch's companies and a Chinese group would require that the young billionaire come sign the contract himself in Hong Kong. But there is a problem: In his youth, Largo tangled with Chinese justice in occupied Tibet. He escaped from prison with the help of a Chinese arms smuggler, whose triad later helped rescue Simon from a Burma prison. But that help came with a price, and the triad will one day call in their favour.

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Book SynopsisThe triads of Hong Kong are about to be introduced to the Tao of the Billionaire. Largo has disappeared. His friends and employees are trying to find him while they keep the W Group ticking, but no one seems to know what has happened to him-not even the Chinese authorities. It will be up to the billionaire, locked in a cell with a corpse as his only companion, to escape on his own before he can begin reassessing who are his allies and who are his enemies. KEY SELLING POINTS: *More than 10 million French-language copies sold*Two feature-length films starring Tomer Sisley as Largo Winch, with Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Stone, were released in France in 2008 and 2011.*Hugely popular series that has been translated into at least 8 languages The 12th adventure of the reluctant tycoon! Largo Winch is a rare breed of man: a multi-billionaire who distrusts money. Being rich does have advantages, but it also brings headaches, troubles, conspiracies, murder attempts and other despicable behaviour in competitors and underlings. Largo has to stay on top of it all...

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Book SynopsisLargo must seek proof of his innocence in Turkey. Fresh from his old pilot Freddy's wedding, Largo is back in New York for more celebrating - the departure of one of his employees. But during the party, a Turkish national permanently retires Sir Basil with a couple of bullets. Shortly thereafter, the shooter himself is killed by a sniper before he's had a chance to say a word. When the FBI finally gets involved, they come with accusations of gun trafficking and hiring assassins...Accusations levelled at Largo himself! The 13th adventure of the reluctant tycoon! Largo Winch is a rare breed of man: a multibillionaire who distrusts money. Being rich does have advantages, but it also brings headaches, troubles, conspiracies, murder attempts and other despicable behavior in competitors and underlings. Largo has to stay on top of it all...

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Book SynopsisXIII is hiding in France at the Preseaus, after a past more nebulous he even believed possible caught up to him again. But the organization that's after him hasn't said its last word, and has considerable means at its disposal. It lures Jones, on duty in Afghanistan, into a terrible ambush, for the sole purpose of serving as bait for the amnesiac-who immediately rushes to her rescue. Meanwhile, Betty Barnowsky-Preseau is off to Maine to dig into XIII's past...

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Book SynopsisPoor Largo is beside himselfwith worry. The lovely Saidee, with whom he's fallen madly in love, hasvanished. In fact, she's being held prisoner by a CIA agent who'd forced her toinfiltrate a fundamentalist network hell-bent on blowing Winch up - but whichis actually being manipulated by a Russian businessman...Phew. Nothing is eversimple with Largo!How is he supposed to save his love, keep his group going - while also stayingalive, if at all possible?

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Book SynopsisIt's been two years now since Thorgal and his family left the north to look for some hypothetical country where men might live in peace and harmony. They are sailing along a deserted and inhospitable stretch of land when Aaricia and the children convince Thorgal that enough is enough. But before they have a chance to turn around, they come across two strange characters who seem fascinated with Thorgal, and that night their boat is mysteriously torched...

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Book SynopsisThorgal, his family, and his new friends Tiago and Ileniya have been captured by slavers while attempting to cross the desert. The two adult men are sold to the local governor as fodder for a cruel blood game, where young nobles in chariots practice their archery skills on fleeing slaves. Turning the tables on them, Thorgal earns his and Tiago's freedom, but not the women's - and he has made a mortal enemy in the governor's son...

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Book SynopsisA veritable secret war for power takes place behind the scenes in big financial groups. One of the most common methods of attack is the takeover bid: a would-be buyer offers to acquire all available shares of a rival at a determined price in order to control it. The W group is attacked by FENICO, a business conglomerate. As if this were not enough, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service also takes on Largo Winch. Will he lose his entire fortune? This two-volume book includes "Business Blues".

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Book SynopsisA cup of tea? A drop of milk? A spoonful of poison? At first sight, nothing would make the very select club called Green Manor stand out from any other English club. Yet behind its thick walls, sunk into its deep chairs, hides the biggest bunch of con artists, bandits and murderers that Queen Victoria's England has ever seen.

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Book SynopsisAdopted daughter and principal collaborator of James Fitzroy, roving ambassador, special correspondent for the American Secretary of State in Europe, Susan is a clever, multilingual young woman, in full bloom and perfectly happy in the eyes of an attentive father. But this too-perfect happiness hides many faults, sorrows and mysteries. Trapped by her past, Susan will have to play her most dangerous role in a life already rich with adventure: Lady S, high-class spy in a diplomatic environment. This two-volume book includes "Na Zdorovie, Shaniouchka!"

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Book SynopsisBlake and Mortimer head to the United States to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the discovery of a 177-year-old body, which appears to have died very recently. The body is that of a Scottish major, Mortimer's forebear, who was leading a British military expedition to the US in 1777, where he was swallowed up by a strange multi-coloured light-beam shining down from the sky. Blake and Mortimer fight men in black armed with green-laser guns and soldiers emerging from the past in order to save the Earth from complete obliteration.

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Book SynopsisThis two-volume book includes "HA".H : Largo Winch gives a cocktail party to launch his foundation for war orphans when a waiter brings out one of his colleagues' severed head on a tray. He has been murdered by the drugs traffickers Largo is after. In a matter of hours, the billionaire's life is turned upside down. Dutch Connection : Two policemen are shot down as they arrest Largo Winch and he is charged with the murders. On top of that, he is accused of being part of the international heroin trade. Largo flees to Paris and ends up in the homeless community, with little hope of escaping the dire fate that awaits him : a lifelong jail sentence...

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Book SynopsisIn Pennsylvania, Olrik escapes a federal prison by helicopter after a bloody attack. With Blake forced to cut short his holidays at the news, a disappointed Mortimer turns his attention to Greece, where an earthquake has uncovered an ancient chapel. Before long, people are trying to kill Mortimer over a mysterious Roman silver coin. Could the long-lost relic be one of the 30 denarii paid to Judas for his betrayal of Jesus? And who exactly covets it so much?

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Book SynopsisHaving escaped from the clutches of Irina's organisation. XIII is on the loose in America but still being hunted by both Giordino's NSA and Irina's top assassin, Jessica. As he tries to return to his friends in San Miguel, he's forced to dodge bullets and outsmart various traps and ambushes. With the odds stacked against him, he will have to rely on help from an enemy and his own mounting anger at the constant string of attacks.

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Book SynopsisA man washes ashore near an old couple's house, barely alive. When he comes to, he has forgotten everything, including his name. The only clues to his identity: a key sewn into his clothes, a bullet wound to the head - and the number XIII tattooed on his shoulder. A meagre start to reconstruct one's self. Before XIII even begins to investigate, though, his past catches up with him, and it is anything but ordinary. The trail is thin and the body count high, but XIII needs to know. Even if, as the outlines of a massive conspiracy start to appear, some of the truths uncovered seem unpleasant.

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Book SynopsisThorgal is back in his old village with his family, but once again his destiny catches up with him when Volsung of Nichor, sent by the snake Nidhogg, steals the belt of the Guardian of the Keys, which grants invulnerability. Nidhogg wants to destroy the Guardian and spread chaos throughout the universe, while Volsung just wants to become king of the world-but they both want Thorgal dead. And Volsung has taken on Thorgal's appearance -

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Book SynopsisAn abandoned airfield in 1993: Two women exchange a 50-year-old letter. The year 1943: The crew of the Lancaster S-Snowwhite is dropping bombs on Germany. Seven men, so young and yet so old before their time. Seven dwarves for old Snow White, and their story of the war. The terror of night missions, the flak, the enemy fighters, the mid-air collisions...Death that strikes anywhere, any time, and the love you seek and latch onto desperately to feel alive while you can...

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Book SynopsisLittle by little, XIII has reconstructed most of his life and figured out who he is. With one exception: There is still a gap in his college years, when Jason McLane became Kelly Brian. A gap that may mean the amnesiac adventurer is in fact an Irish terrorist, Seamus O'Neil. This flashback brings us back to Boulder, Colorado and Northern Ireland, where the last piece of the XIII puzzle and his final identity are revealed.

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Book SynopsisXIII and his friends have failed to recover Maximilian's gold and are tired of hiding, running and struggling. When two books come out in the USA relating all the events of the amnesiac's life and the details of the Conspiracy of the XX, they see it as a possible chance to come out in the open and trust in their country's justice. But they still have enemies, at home and abroad, and everyone is set on a collision course...

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