Search results for ""Open Road Media""

A building undergoes multiple transformations through the centuriesbut a fair-haired boy continues to haunt its halls. 1460: Ismay Deacon, caught between sides in the War of the Roses, tries to hide away in her ancestral home, Havencross. But when word gets out that she has a child, and speculation on who the father might be, Ismay has to make a terrible choice to protect her son. The Deacon family disappears, but there are rumors of a fair-haired, unsmiling ghost of a boy haunting the halls of Havencross... 1918: War nurse Diana Neville is hired by Havencross School for Boys to run the infirmary. She's enjoying the change from the front linesbut soon, vials are smashed in the infirmary when no one is there, there is knocking on her door in the darkness, and she hears footsteps in empty corridors. Moreover, the youngest students are reporting a ghostly boy luring them from bed in the middle of the night. But as Diana tries to investigate, she is faced with an outbreak of the Span

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In the open, windswept American southwest, in a remote, lonely area, there exists a small, privately managed, privately financed observatory. On the surface, there is no reason to regard this institution as different from others of its kind. It is, however, in at least one respect, quite different, for it serves as a liaison point between the orbiting steel worlds of the Kurii, a technologically advanced, ambitious, ruthless, predatory life form, and the planet Gor, which the Kurii covet, after having destroyed their own world by generations of neglect, greed, and war. The staff of the observatory, for the most part going about their normal duties, assumes that the nature and activities of the observatory are not other than those familiar to similar institutions. On the staff, amongst others, is a brilliant, troubled, sensitive, lovely young woman specializing in radar imaging, Agnes Morrison Atherton. Among the characteristics of her active mind, is a difficult-to-resist, tenacious, d

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We See England, We See Xanth, We See Mels's Underpanth. In fact, Gwenny Goblin, Che Centaur and Jenny Elf are just about the only creatures on Xanth who have been spared the sight of Mela Merwoman's undergarment—preoccupied as they are with helping Gwenny beat out her awful half-brother Gobble for chiefship of the goblin horde. But first they must master space and thyme . . . and find the fabulous egg that sits between the Roc and the hard place. While Mela—who would gladly relinquish her oft-viewed undies for a new husband -- joins the Adult Conspiracy . . . and quickly discovers the power of a perfect pair of panties!Praise for Piers Anthony “Piers Anthony is one of those authors who can perform magic with the ordinary. . . . [He] is a craftsman.” —A Reader’s Guide to Science Fiction “Anthony’s unflagging sparkle, verve and wordplay spin everyday trials of Mundane life into storytelling gold.” —Publishers Weekly

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A gay man who fled his hometown in a cloud of scandal and guilt returns home to his estranged family—and the boy he left behind The first call is from Wally Day’s estranged mother, begging him to come home. The second is from Sebastian Garafolo, a Brown’s Mill cop Wally last spoke to when he confessed to having underage sex in the old apple orchard. Today, Garafolo is calling about something else entirely: Wally’s cousin Kyle is missing. Twenty years ago, Wally fled his hometown in shame. He returns to a place that has barely changed, where he knows who walks the streets by day and who comes out at night. Now, as circumstances force him to confront the events that drove him to leave who he was far behind, Wally must also face dark truths about his family . . . about a shattering night and a crime that still haunts him and shaped the man he has become. If he has any hope of embracing the future, he must first mak

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First in a Samoan-set series featuring police officer Apelu Soifua: “Enright’s portrait of cultural collision is the heart of this engaging series debut.” —Booklist The city of Tafuna may be located on a tropical paradise, but it’s no stranger to crime. Just like anywhere else in the world, it has its fair share of murder, drugs, and robbery. Which makes Apelu Soifua the perfect man for his job. He’s a cop of two worlds: San Francisco, where he started his career, and now his native Samoa. Following up on a routine burglary call, Apelu heads to a palangi, or Caucasian, neighborhood. The victim, a VP at SeaKing Tuna—the largest employer on the island—reports only a few items missing. But a fatal shooting at a nightclub a few days later points Apelu to the executive’s hard-partying daughter. With some help from local reporter Lupe, Apelu chases a wave of violence that stems from the burglary—and seeks out what really went missing. The investigation puts Apelu in over his head and is about to be dragged under . . . “Perfect for any armchair traveling mystery lover. Enright’s descriptions of the Samoan landscape—where the frigate birds are as much a part of the sky as the clouds—are vivid and poetic.” —Kittling: Books “Enright meticulously interweaves the experience and landscapes of Samoa’s mountains, rain forests and jungles that he knows so well.” —Providence Journal “The island setting is a terrific backdrop for the story, one that has Soifua bridging the cultural chasm between the local population and the American community.” —Mysterious Reviews

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Archie Goodwin goes undercover on the waterfront in a new mystery by the author who “does a masterly job with the Wolfe legacy” (Booklist). Archie Goodwin is not overly fond of Theodore Horstmann, who takes care of the orchids on the rooftop of Nero Wolfe’s West Thirty-Fifth Street brownstone. But as loyal assistant to the legendary private detective, Archie will put his animosity aside when the surly orchid-keeper stumbles through the front door beaten within an inch of his life. While the gardener lies in a coma, Nero sends Archie to poke around his apartment near the river. The place is neatly kept, if not quite as elegant as the brownstone, but across the street on Tenth Avenue Archie quickly discovers the longshoremen’s watering hole in whose back room Horstmann has been playing a lot of bridge lately. The smoky tavern is packed with tough dockworkers and recent European immigrants, and Archie does his best to blend in, filling the victim’s empty seat in his running card game, as he attempts to learn what sort of shady business might have led to attempted murder. But when one of his new bridge partners is killed, Archie finds himself caught up in something much bigger than a bar fight.

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“A funny, fresh novel about growing up African-American in 1960s Chicago” by an author who “writes like Terry McMillan’s kid sister” (Entertainment Weekly). In this hilarious and insightful coming-of-age novel, author April Sinclair introduces the charming Jean “Stevie” Stevenson, a young woman raised on Chicago’s South Side during an era of irrevocable social upheaval.   Curious and witty, bold but naïve, Stevie grows up debating the qualities of good hair and dark skin. As the years pass, her family and neighborhood are changed by the times, from the War on Poverty to race riots and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., from “Black Is Beautiful” to Black Power. Against this remarkable backdrop, Stevie makes the sometimes harrowing, often comic, always enthralling transformation into a young adult—socially aware, discovering her sexuality, and proud of her iden

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There’s no dancing around a demonic threat in the fantasy world of Xanth in the New York Times–bestselling series. Squid, the alien cuttlefish, is getting an upgrade: a boost to her shape-changing talent so she can lead a mission against a foreign Demon who’s stirring up trouble in Xanth. At Squid’s side are her rescued siblings and one very special child—Larry, a girl in a boy’s body, who will act as a secret host for their adoptive mother, the Demoness Fornax. Aboard the Fire Boat, they form a plan to disguise themselves as a traveling dance troupe. Each child is paired up with a native Xanthian. But it’s the friendship that blossoms between Squid and Larry that will power their quest, and they’ll have to do some fancy footwork to avoid the trials and tribulations that await them.

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New York Times bestseller: The true story of the WWII naval battle portrayed in the Roland Emmerich film is “something special among war histories” (Chicago Sun-Times). Six months after Pearl Harbor, the seemingly invincible Imperial Japanese Navy prepared a decisive blow against the United States. After sweeping through Asia and the South Pacific, Japan’s military targeted the tiny atoll of Midway, an ideal launching pad for the invasion of Hawaii and beyond. But the US Navy would be waiting for them. Thanks to cutting-edge code-breaking technology, tactical daring, and a significant stroke of luck, the Americans under Adm. Chester W. Nimitz dealt Japan’s navy its first major defeat in the war. Three years of hard fighting remained, but it was at Midway that the tide turned. This “stirring, even suspenseful narrative” is the first book to tell the story of the epic battle from both the American and Japanese sides (Newsday). Miracle at Midway reveals how America won its first and greatest victory of the Pacific war—and how easily it could have been a loss.

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A six-month New York Times bestseller: “Not only the best Watergate book, but a very good book indeed” (The Sunday Times). As White House counsel to Richard Nixon, a young John W. Dean was one of the primary players in the Watergate scandal—and ultimately became the government’s key witness in the investigations that ended the Nixon presidency. After the scandal subsided, Dean rebuilt his career, first in business and then as a bestselling author and lecturer. But while the events were still fresh in his mind, he wrote this remarkable memoir about the operations of the Nixon White House and the crisis that led to the president’s resignation. Called “fascinating” by Commentary, which noted that “there can be little doubt of [Dean's] memory or his candor,” Blind Ambition offers an insider’s view of the deceptions and machinations that brought down an administration and changed the American people’s view of politics and power. It also contains Dean’s own unsparing reflections on the personal demons that drove him to participate in the sordid affair. Upon its original publication, Kirkus Reviews hailed it “the flip side of All the President’s Men—a document, a minefield, and prime entertainment.” Today, Dean is a respected and outspoken advocate for transparency and ethics in government, and the bestselling author of such books as The Nixon Defense, Worse Than Watergate, and Conservatives Without Conscience. Here, in Blind Ambition, he “paints a candid picture of the sickening moral bankruptcy which permeated the White House and to which he contributed. His memory of who said what and to whom is astounding” (Foreign Affairs).

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The true story of Louisiana serial killer Ronald Dominique’s ten-year murder spree, the men he slayed, and the detectives who hunted him down. In 1997, the bodies of young African American men began turning up in the cane fields of the quiet suburbs of New Orleans. The victims—many of them transient street hustlers—had been brutally raped and strangled, but police had no leads on the killer’s identity. The murders continued, leaving southeast Louisiana’s gay community rattled and authorities desperate for a break in the case. Then, Detectives Dennis Thornton and Dawn Bergeron came together as task force partners, indefatigable in their decade-long effort to track down the killer. In 2006, DNA evidence finally linked the murders to a suspect: the unassuming Ronald Joseph Dominique, who had lived under the radar for years, working as a pizza deliveryman and meter reader. But who was Ronald Dominique and what led him to commit such heinous crimes? With direct access to the investigation, Dominique’s confession, and all of the killer’s body dump sites in throughout the state, author Fred Rosen enters the warped mind of a murderer and captures a troubled, disturbing, and broken life. As with the many other serial killers he has covered, including Jeffrey Dahmer (the Milwaukee Cannibal) and Dennis Rader (the BTK Killer), Rosen provides a horrifying and fascinating account of the lengths to which a bloodthirsty monster will go to lure and brutalize his victims.

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Hailed as “the finest depiction of the infamous Trail of Tears,” this unflinching novel sheds light on a tragic history (Pat Conroy). As the tribes of the South make the grueling journey across the Mississippi River, a trio of disparate characters is united by a “far-reaching story of love, courage, and honor” (Booklist). Greensborough, North Carolina, 1828. Abrahan Bento Sassaporta Naggar has traveled to America from the filthy streets of East London in search of a better life. But Abe’s visions of a privileged apprenticeship in the Sassaporta Brothers’ empire are soon replaced with the grim reality of indentured servitude. Some fifty miles west, Dark Water of the Mountains, the daughter of a powerful Cherokee chief, leads a life of irreverent solitude. Twenty years ago, she renounced her family’s plans for her to marry a wealthy white man—a decision that soon proves fateful. And in Georgia, a black slave named Jacob has resigned himself to a life of loss and injustice in a Cherokee city of refuge for criminals. From the author of Marching to Zion and One More River comes a sweeping novel of American history. As their stories converge in the shameful machinations of history, three outsiders will bear witness to the horrors known as Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act—just as they also discover the possibility for hope. See why Library Journal raves, “This absorbing and vivid portrait of 19th-century America will attract serious historical fiction fans.”

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A mysterious nomadic tribe may pose a perilous threat in this alternate-world fantasy adventure in the long-running series. Join celebrated tarnsman Tarl Cabot in his latest adventure on the parallel planet of Gor, with its exotic lifestyle and social norms. Tarl has dedicated his life to ensuring that the Priest-Kings survive the harsh lands of Gor, but a savage tribe that closely guards its secrets has halted his quest. To continue it, Tarl must unravel the mysteries of this strange, private band of nomads called the Wagon People at risk of his life. He is the only man alive who has not trembled in the presence of this mysterious tribe. Now he is embarking on the most perilous adventure of his sojourn on the counter-world of Gor. Will he be accepted by the tribe and learn the secrets they guard with their lives—or will he die trying? Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire. Nomads of Gor is the 4th book in the Gorean Saga, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

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A bookish boy searches for his missing best friend in this spooky tale by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls On a country lane in snowbound 1950s New Hampshire, a car goes skidding off the road. Professor Childermass and Johnny Dixon escape unscathed, but their car is stuck, and they are forced to walk into town. Johnny doesn’t mind. A curious young man, he has fun anytime the professor takes him out, because he’s treated like an adult. Together they’ve gotten into all sorts of supernatural scrapes, and this winter night, they’ll face their toughest challenge yet. When Childermass suddenly vanishes, Johnny is the only one who can find him. The mystery is linked to a tiny skull taken from a child’s dollhouse, which seems to have powers too terrible to guess at. With the help of a crusty old Irish priest, Johnny chases the clues to his friend’s disappearance all the way to the rocky coast of Maine, where something evil hungers for revenge. From the author of the series featuring Lewis Barnavelt and Anthony Monday, the Johnny Dixon novels are charmingly old-school and shot through with suspense, and The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull may be the most chilling of them all.

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Love is worth celebrating at any time of the year. The little English town of Lullbury Bay goes all out for Christmas each year, and Honor Martin loves it. After a bad breakup years ago, she’s settled into the simple pleasures of working at the local primary school and dining at the Sea Spray CafÉ. The holiday is the high point of her year. Artist Jago Pengethley, however, doesn’t share her merry mood. A new arrival in town, he’s here with his mother and sister to start anew after the devastating loss of his father. He’d be happy to never see another wreath or hear another carol. But to help his little sister replace bad memories with good ones, he accompanies her to the various festivities. And as he gets to know her teacher, Honor, might she be the one to restore his Christmas spirit?

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An artist who coaxes beauty from stone finds her own passion transformed by the touch of one man in this exhilarating romance from the bestselling author. At only twenty-nine, Paige Mattheson has found success as a sculptor, working from a seaside home in Massachusetts that gives her the solitude and inspiration she craves. But a lot of her buyers are in Manhattan, and it's there that she catches the eye of film editor Jesse Dallas. He can tell from her work that Paige is much more passionate than her poised, self-contained image would have everyone believe. To that end, he poses as her limousine driver to spend the day with herand see where that takes them. Shocked by the attraction she has for her driver, Paige feels a longing she never felt beforeand surrenders herself to an intoxicating desire. A one-night stand is what both of them wanted and expected. But Paige is unlike any woman Jesse has ever met, and her discovery of his true self will only whet her appetite for more...

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A delightful novel about a meddling mother, a marathon of bad dates, and taking a chance on love from the author of The Two-Week Promise. Twenty-four-year-old writer and bookseller Kasey wishes her mother could accept her for who she is and would stop trying to run her life. Kasey has already gone on a string of blind dates—with everyone from an underwear model to a guy whose greatest talent was burping the alphabet. Now she’s on date #31, with a pastor’s son, expecting yet another failure. But Tobias takes her by surprise. She likes his smile. She likes the fact that he orders fruit punch instead of coffee or soda. She likes it when he takes her to church and introduces her to his family. Unlike her mother, they accept her for who she is and welcome her with open arms. As the holidays draw near, Kasey feels like she’s finally found her place in the world. But could one accidental discovery make it all melt away

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From the author of Obsessed: Six women fight to survive a kidnapper’s lethal game as a seventh is about to be drawn into his lair . . . Noa Vickerman, host of a late-night confession show, gets a call from a man claiming he has six young women imprisoned. At first, it’s dismissed as a prank—but that changes when the first body shows up. As the captives huddle in fear, he puts them through challenges, intent on finding a single special woman that suits his ultimate purpose. Meanwhile, with police watching her every move and the public following the story breathlessly, Noa is determined to save the women—but will she have to put herself within the monster’s reach to do so?

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A Boston PI tries to help a musician friend—and find a murderer—in this “gripping” mystery by an Anthony Award–winning author (Publishers Weekly). Six-foot-tall, redheaded ex-cop and Boston-based private eye Carlotta Carlyle is “the genuine article: a straightforward, funny, thoroughly American mystery heroine” (New York Post). She may be Boston’s most tenacious private detective, but by night, Carlotta Carlyle is just another cab driver hustling for an honest buck. When blues superstar Dee Willis climbs into her cab, Carlotta isn’t starstruck—she’s shocked. The two women were friends in college, right up until the day Dee ran off with Carlotta’s husband. Now Dee is back in town to play a sold-out concert and Carlotta is too surprised to introduce herself—or to wonder why her old pal is asking to be dropped off in one of Boston’s roughest neighborhoods. After saving the blues diva from being ripped to shreds, Carlotta agrees to help her track down an old friend. Soon, a blackmail plot concerning stolen song lyrics is uncovered and a corpse is found in Dee’s hotel room. Carlotta will have to work fast to keep her old friend from becoming yet another casualty of the blues. Steel Guitar is the 4th book in the Carlotta Carlyle Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

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A fictional portrayal of a real-life Revolutionary spy and her daring deeds, from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room.Agent 355 is a result of author Marie Benedict’s quest to bring history’s most fascinating and courageous women to life for contemporary readers. Known to history only by her alias, this mysterious female spy, able to move freely and unobtrusively in loyalist circles, became a member of George Washington’s New York–based Culper Ring. This thrilling novella depicts who Marie Benedict thinks Agent 355 could have been, though her true identity remains unknown. During the sweltering summer of 1779, eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Morris attends the social events of the British-occupied city, but the forced merriment holds no charm for her. She finds herself in the company of enemy soldiers, who think nothing of discussing matters of government and war in front of mere women. This invisibility becomes Elizabeth’s greatest asset as she offers her services to Robert Townsend, a Continental sympathizer. Her bravery will bring down one of the most notorious traitors in American history and ultimately seal her fate as a woman willing to sacrifice everything for love and country.

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New York Times–bestselling author Dr. Angelo Acquista offers a weight loss regimen and delicious recipes designed to improve overall wellness. Created from fresh, plant-based ingredients, the cuisine of Sicily is one of the world’s most balanced—and flavorful—diets. These Mediterranean recipes combine essential proteins, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and fat to nourish our bodies with the natural antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that sustain our health and fight disease. Diagnoses of obesity, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, hypertension, depression, and heart disease, among many other conditions, have been linked to the processed fast-food meals that have come to dominate our lifestyles. Sharing his family’s recipes, Dr. Angelo Acquista reveals how anyone can prepare healthy, tasty food to reduce their risks of developing debilitating and life-threatening illnesses. He also provides a weight-loss meal plan calculated to help readers lose between five to ten pounds in two weeks. From breakfast through dinner, appetizer to dessert, in The Mediterranean Prescription, you’ll find amazing recipes for every taste, including: Chickpea Salad Minestrone Soup Baked Zucchini with Eggplant and Tomatoes Broiled Portobello Mushrooms Spaghetti with Shrimp and Cognac Sauce Pizza Sweet and Sour Tuna Salmon with Orange and Lemon Chicken Cacciatore Filet Mignon Rib Roast Poached Pears in Chianti And much more! With tips and strategies on maintaining your healthy eating lifestyle, including how to stock your pantry and fridge, smart restaurant dining choices, exercises, and the best food for your children, Dr. Acquista’s knowledge and menu is a prescription for life.

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A documentary team hiking through East Africa collides with a gang of deadly poachers, in this gripping adventure by the author of Kidnapped on Safari. Years of filming, extreme dangers, and daring rescues have taken their toll on documentary producer Pero Baltazar and his team. To relax and reconnect with the East African wildlife they love, Pero organizes a walking safari for him, his camerawoman Nancy Breiton, and their elite guide Mbuno Waliangulu. Still, Pero has trouble truly disconnecting from work. When the team comes across a herd of elephants making their annual migration north of Lake Rudolf, Pero decides the team will film their journey from Kenya into Ethiopia along the Omo River. What begins as a peaceful trip quickly turns into a chaotic nightmare as the trio crosses paths with a crew of poachers whose ivory sales are financing terrorists. The three are determined to protect the endangered herd from slaughter, and Mbuno enlists the help of local tribesmen. But the corruption of ivory poachers has deep roots that stretch to UN refugee camps, Chinese gangs, and the Iranian elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Faced with overwhelming odds, the trio must now rely on Pero’s contacts in the CIA, as well as Mbuno’s skills in the bush, if they hope to ever return from this excursion alive.

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A haunted island brings American Samoan culture to life—and interlopers to their deaths—in this mystery from the author of Fire Knife Dancing. After the devastating loss of a loved one, Det. Sgt. Apelu Soifua retreats to the island of Ofu. The isolation of his father’s land—and drinking—bring a temporary peace to his shattered soul. His only friends are two national park workers and the local outcast who has lived in the bush for nearly twenty years—and who has to scared some palangi (Caucasian) surveyors away. But not for long . . . Attempting to heal at least part of his family—and himself—Apelu brings his oldest son, Sanele, to live with him. But their reunion is marred by the news that a company intends to build a resort hotel on the pristine To’aga beach. The locals know the island spirits have driven people away before—and they will again. When one of the developers is decapitated and his head goes missing, Apelu has a feeling that something has been awakened. And either human or supernatural, it won’t stop until it gets what it wants . . . “A skillful, suspenseful novel.” —The Providence Journal “The author’s lyrical and factual evocation of Samoa enriches every part of the book it touches. Story, writing style, character, and culture all combine in John Enright’s Jungle Beat mysteries to form a series that I just can’t recommend highly enough.” —Kittling: Books

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All of Xanth is a stage as an unlikely hero saves the show in the New York Times–bestselling series. There’s no shortage of laughs when Jess is around; she’s been cursed to have nobody take her seriously. But her dubious talent comes in handy when she meets the very handsome showman Magnus. He promises to fake taking her seriously—if Jess joins his traveling show. But first they must see the Good Magician. He will give them the use of the flying Fire Boat to tour the realm if they complete a quest. The only problem is, he can’t remember what quest. Something to do with night mares, day mares, and one or two future princesses. As Jess and Magnus try to unravel the mystery, they discover their true mission: to save Xanth from a big bird with a bone to peck . . .

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“An exciting insider’s look at Projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo . . . NASA’s internal politics, disasters, glitches and close calls” by a pioneering astronaut (Publishers Weekly). Gordon “Gordo” Cooper was one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, pilot for Apollo X, head of flight crew operations for the United States’ first orbiting space station, and the last American to venture into space alone. Stretching from the dawning days of NASA to the far reaches of the unknown, Cooper’s distinguished career as a record-setting astronaut helped shape America’s space program and blazed a trail for generations to come. In this astonishing memoir—written with #1 New York Times bestseller Bruce Henderson—Cooper crosses paths with such aviation luminaries as Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post, and German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun; he shares his early days at Edwards Air Force Base and the endeavors that became the basis for The Right Stuff; he takes us inside NASA with candid accounts of his defeats and accomplishments; he reflects on the triumphs and tragedies of his heroic colleagues; and he finally reveals the reasons behind his belief in extraterrestrial intelligence, including the US military’s long-standing UFO cover-ups. Buckle yourself in for a breathtaking ride because in Leap of Faith, Gordon Cooper takes readers to places they’ve never been before.

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A disgraced Chicago cop launches a one-man war against organized crime in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Doc Ford series. A man holds twelve children hostage at gunpoint. Across the street, James Hawker dangles from a skyscraper, watching the terrorist through a sniper’s scope. Hawker has a shot, and he wants to take it, but the police brass say no. By the time he gets permission, it will be far too late. The terrorist opens fire, killing two of the children before Hawker can take him out. When the smoke clears, the madman is dead, and Hawker’s career is toast. No longer a cop, he’s about to become America’s deadliest defender. The father of one of the murdered children hires Hawker as a private vigilante, and gives him an unlimited bankroll to wage a nationwide fight against organized crime. The first battle will be fought in Florida, where drug smugglers have taken root like a cancer—and Hawker will have to cut them out. From the author of Mangrove Lightning and the Hannah Smith series, who “raises the bar of the action thriller,” this is a hard-charging story of one man’s quest for justice (The Miami Herald). Florida Firefight is the 1st book in the Hawker series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

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Nebula Award Finalist: A “brilliantly crafted, engrossing” dystopian novel of environmental disaster by the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (The Guardian). In a near future, the air pollution is so bad that everyone wears gas masks. The infant mortality rate is soaring, and birth defects, new diseases, and physical ailments of all kinds abound. The water is undrinkable—unless you’re poor and have no choice. Large corporations fighting over profits from gas masks, drinking water, and clean food tower over an ineffectual, corrupt government. Environmentalist Austin Train is on the run. The “trainites,” a group of violent environmental activists, want him to lead their movement; the government wants him dead; and the media demands amusement. But Train just wants to survive. More than a novel of science fiction, The Sheep Look Up is a skillful and frightening political and social commentary that takes its place next to other remarkable works of dystopian literature, such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and George Orwell’s 1984.

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The New York Times–bestselling author of Jubilee Trail does “a grand job of storytelling” in this saga of pioneers who settled the Louisiana wilderness (The New York Times). For his service in the king’s army during the French and Indian War, Judith Sheramy’s father, a Puritan New Englander, is granted a parcel of land in far-off Louisiana. As the family ventures down the Mississippi to make a new home in the wilderness, Judith meets Philip Larne, an adventurer who travels in the finest clothes Judith has ever seen. He is a rogue, a killer, and a thief—and the first thing he steals is Judith’s heart. Three thousand acres of untamed jungle, populated by native tribes and overrun with jaguars and pirates, await Philip in Louisiana. He and Judith will struggle through their stormy marriage and the challenges of the American Revolution as they strive to build an empire for future generations. This is the first novel in Gwen Bristow’s Plantation Trilogy, which also includes The Handsome Road and This Side of Glory.

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Perplexed Prince Dolph, Xanth's precocious shapeshifter, should be in love but isn't. Nonetheless, he must chose between two fiancÉes—Nada the uninterested and Electra the uninteresting—or all three of them will suffer the most dire consequences. Luckily a convenient catastrophe has popped up to distract Dolph form his dilemma—the foal-napping of young Che Centaur by goblins. And the only one who knows where Che is is a nice but remarkably naive elf-like girl named Jenny from the World of Two Moons. If anyone can save the missing centaur ... she sure can't.Praise for Piers Anthony “Piers Anthony is one of those authors who can perform magic with the ordinary. . . . [He] is a craftsman.” —A Reader’s Guide to Science Fiction “Anthony’s unflagging sparkle, verve and wordplay spin everyday trials of Mundane life into storytelling gold.” —Publishers Weekly

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A boy sneaks into an old church to confront a mad ghost in this adventure by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls It’s the 1950s when Johnny Dixon’s mother dies, his father goes to fight in the Korean War, and he goes to live with his grandparents. Although life in a new house is strange, Johnny’s “Grampa” listens to his favorite ballgames, takes him on long walks, and tells him stories of the strange mysteries that lurk in the shadows. Best of all, he’s friends with Professor Childermass, an eccentric academic who’s about to take Johnny on the adventure of a lifetime. When the professor learns Johnny loves ghost stories, he tells the boy the spookiest legend in Duston Heights, Massachusetts—the tale of the haunted church on the edge of town, with demonic carvings on its altar, and the troubled spirit of mad Father Baart, who is said to have killed two people before vanishing long ago. With the professor as his guide, Johnny sets out on a quest that will put him face-to-face with the crazy, long-dead priest. The first book in the delightful Johnny Dixon series by the author who provides “suspense and action aplenty” (Booklist), The Curse of the Blue Figurine is a good old-fashioned Gothic adventure.

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This true story of a revolt at a Nazi death camp, newly updated, is “a memorable and moving saga, full of anger and anguish, a reminder never to forget” (San Francisco Chronicle). On October 14, 1943, six hundred Jews imprisoned in Sobibor, a secret Nazi death camp in eastern Poland, revolted. They killed a dozen SS officers and guards, trampled the barbed wire fences, and raced across an open field filled with anti-tank mines. Against all odds, more than three hundred made it safely into the woods. Fifty of those men and women managed to survive the rest of the war.In this edition of Escape from Sobibor, fully updated in 2012, Richard Rashke tells their stories, based on his interviews with eighteen of the survivors. It vividly describes the biggest prisoner escape of World War II. A story of unimaginable cruelty. A story of courage and a fierce desire to live and to tell the world what truly went on behind those barbed wire fences.

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An orphan leaves Dark Ages London to study medicine in Persia in this “rich” and “vivid” historical novel from a New York Times–bestselling author (The New York Times). A child holds the hand of his dying mother and is terrified, aware something is taking her. Orphaned and given to an itinerant barber-surgeon, Rob Cole becomes a fast-talking swindler, peddling a worthless medicine. But as he matures, his strange gift—an acute sensitivity to impending death—never leaves him, and he yearns to become a healer. Arab madrassas are the only authentic medical schools, and he makes his perilous way to Persia. Christians are barred from Muslim schools, but claiming he is a Jew, he studies under the world’s most renowned physician, Avicenna. How the woman who is his great love struggles against her only rival—medicine—makes a riveting modern classic.The Physician is the first book in New York Times–bestselling author Noah Gordon’s Dr. Robert Cole trilogy, which continues with Shaman and concludes with Matters of Choice.

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From a Mayan village to an L.A. barrio to a chance to reach the stars . . . Part One of “a space adventure for the twenty-first century” (Nancy Kress, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author). Not much surprises waitress Tina Santis Pulivok on the streets of East LA—until the night when, on her way home from her waitressing job, she meets a man working on a strange, glowing box. Still, she thinks he must be one of those Caltech students who’s into role-playing games. Until his mind reaches out to hers . . . Althor is definitively in the wrong place at the wrong time. An Imperial Space Command pilot, he was headed to a reception in Washington DC and somehow ended up here, though he’s not quite sure where here is. As Tina helps Althor get his bearings, they realize he’s in more trouble than he thought. He left his home base in 2328—and now it’s 1987. At least he still has his starfighter, shrouded and in orbit above the Earth. But when the military gets their hands on the ship, he and Tina must race to reclaim it before it detonates itself—taking a huge chunk of California along with it . . . Praise for Lightning Strike “From the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune “A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice—the next superstar is here.” —Romantic Times

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The magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthony. “It occurs to me that you folk are no ordinary group,” the troll said. “We're on a special mission to eliminate the last of the anti-pun virus. We are a bit unusual.” Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice is the daughter of anonymous parents who whiled away a dull minute by generating her on a warm compost pile, then went their own deadly ways, never to see her or each other again. She found herself a soul, but her gaze is fatal and her touch is toxic. That’s not so strange in the Land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, and charms, curses, and enchanted puzzles lie around every corner. Now, Astrid and her companions are finishing the cleanup of a virus that ravaged the puns of Xanth, and new Quests are already popping up. For instance, Astrid is attempting to fulfill her mission in life, if only she can figure out what that is. And then there’s the missing Question from the Good Magician’s Book of Answers. Not to mention the small matter of a Demon Wager regarding the impending destruction of Xanth. But it’s nothing Astrid and her motley crew of lovely maidens and strapping men can’t handle . . . they hope. Piers Anthony delivers another tale set in the bestselling world of Xanth, filled with magic, surprises, adventure, and a few puns. Here’s what the author has to say about his new book: “Five Portraits is a kind of sequel to Board Stiff in that it picks up where the other leaves off, with the same characters. Apart from that, it’s one of my favorites within the series. There’s something about Astrid Basilisk that appeals to me: a very pretty girl whose very glance is deadly, yet she’s a nice person whose selfless effort to save five difficult children from future Xanth is thoroughly worthy. I also like the theme of the power of unlikely friendship. Not just Xanth, but Mundania, too, would be better if there were more such friendships.”

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FBI profiler Karen Vail is haunted by a serial killer from her rookie days in a “pulse-pounding” thriller by a USA Today bestselling author (Providence Journal). New York City: home to world-renowned museums, theater, restaurants, iconic sports franchises. Central Park. Wall Street. And an infamous serial killer who’s terrorized the Big Apple for decades. The year is 1995 and the NYPD has just graduated a promising new patrol officer named Karen Vail. The rookie’s first day on the job is anything but easy when she finds herself at the crime scene of a young woman murdered in an unusual manner. Vail is unsure of what she’s looking at or what it means—but it’s a case that will weigh on her mind for nearly twenty years. As the years pass, Vail’s career takes unexpected twists and turns—as does the case that’s come to be known as Hades. Now a skilled FBI profiler, will Vail be in a better position to catch the killer? Or will Hades prove to be Karen Vail’s hell on earth? The character who has captivated readers worldwide—and who won the praise of literary giants Michael Connelly, James Patterson, and Nelson DeMille—returns in a story that captures the experiences that shaped the revered profiler and made her the top cop she is today.

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