NOBODY LIVES FOREVER. NOT EVEN A VAMPYRE.Just ask Joe Pitt. After exposing the secret source of blood for half of Manhattan 's Vampyres, he's definitely a dead man walking. He's been a punching bag and a bullet magnet for every Vampyre Clan in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, not to mention a private eye, an enforcer, an exile, and a vigilante, but now he's just a target with legs.For a year he's sloshed around the subway tunnels and sewers, tapping the veins of the lost, while above ground a Vampyre civil war threatens to drag the Clans into the sunlight once and for all. What's it gonna take to dig him up? Just the search for a missing girl who's carrying a baby that just might be the destiny of Vampyre-kind. Not that Joe cares all that much about destiny and such. What he cares about is that his ex-girl Evie wants him to take the gig. What's the risk? Another turn playing pigeon in a shooting gallery. What's the reward? Maybe one shot of his own. What's he aiming for? Nothing much. Just all the evil at the heart of his world.

In Lydia Cooper’s wry and absorbing debut novel, we are introduced to Mickey Brandis, a brilliant twenty-eight-year-old doctoral candidate in medieval literature who is part Lisbeth Salander and part Dexter. She lives in her parents’ garage and swears too often, but she never complains about the rain or cold, she rarely eats dead animals, and she hasn’t killed a man since she was ten. Her life is dull and predictable but legal, and she intends to keep it that way.But the careful existence Mickey has created in adulthood is upended when she is mysteriously led to a condemned house where she discovers an exquisitely mutilated corpse. The same surreal afternoon, she is asked by a timid, wall-eyed art student to solve a murder that occurred twenty years earlier. While she gets deeper and deeper into the investigation, she begins to lose hold on her tenuous connection to reality—to her maddening students and graduate thesis advisor; to her stoic parents, who are no longer speaking; to her confused, chameleon-like adolescent brother; and to her older brother, Dave, a zany poet who is growing increasingly erratic and keenly interested in Mickey’s investigation.Driven by an unforgettable voice, and filled with razor-sharp wit and vivid characters, My Second Death is a smart, suspenseful novel and a provocative examination of family, loyalty, the human psyche, and the secrets we keep to save ourselves.From Booklist“I rarely eat dead animals, and I haven’t killed a man since I was ten,” confesses University of Akron doctoral candidate Michaela “Mickey” Brandis. She’s not supernatural; she’s just antisocial. Really, really antisocial. Knowing she doesn’t have the capacity to feel or respond like other people, Mickey lives in a self-imposed exile, leaving her parents’ garage apartment only to teach and work on her thesis. Then a cryptic message in her campus mailbox directs her to an abandoned building where she finds a mutilated corpse. Later, she’s asked by one of her brother’s artist friends to solve his mother’s 20-year-old murder. Is Mickey looking for one killer or two? For a person who vomits after physical contact with others, Mickey is severely stressed by the interactions required in investigative work. Literature professor Cooper’s debut novel is a fast-paced psychological thriller with an unforgettable heroine. This damaged yet fiercely independent protagonist will appeal to fans of Stieg Larsson and Gillian Flynn.—Karen Keefe

"The summer I was eight years old, five hours disappeared from my life"?so runs the catchy opening to Heim's impressive first novel. The speaker is Brian Lackey, now a troubled teenager, once an introverted kid growing up scared in the small town of Hutchinson, Kans. The reason for his memory lapse and his fear, as we and Brian learn during the course of the novel, turns out not to be the space aliens that he first suspects, but his molestation at the hands of his Little League coach. The key to Brian's reclamation of those lost hours is homosexual hustler Neil McCormick?the slugger on that Little League team and an accomplice to Brian's sexual abuse. Working its way over the course of a decade toward Brian and Neil's reunion, the narrative unfolds through chapters whose points of view alternate among Brian, Neil and a handful of their siblings and confidants. Heim makes numerous freshman mistakes, including a relatively static narrative, prominent characters who outlive their usefulness and occasional lapses in the writing. He also creates scenes of genuine beauty, however, and handles his complicated characters and delicate subject matter with calm assurance.

A strange and terrifying ability surfaces in investigative journalist Sam Cleave, leaving his associate, Dr. Nina Gould, worried for his health. But Sam is not the one she should be worried about. Nina discovers that Sam's psychic talent is not meant to help others — quite the opposite.Somewhere Sam has contracted a parasite that attacks the brain, facilitating heightened powers of hypnotic suggestion through increased electrical activity in the neurons. In other words — mind control.When their mutual friend, David Purdue, is kidnapped and tortured by an evil Nazi by the name of Klaus Kemper, a distant connection to Sam's malady comes into play. Kemper knows that Sam's psychic powers are the work of an ancient organism that happens to be caught within the amber resin used in the legendary lost art masterpiece, the Amber Room, and he wants the power it holds to brainwash the world into submission.Reputed to have been destroyed during WWII, Purdue, Sam, and Nina embark on a quest to find the Amber Room. They have 48 hours to deliver it to Kemper or else the Order of the Black Sun will execute the German Chancellor and subjugate the countries of the European Union.But the last lost pieces of the Amber Room are hidden by a clandestine Red Army unit under one of the most inaccessible and hazardous locations in the world — the Chernobyl Power Plant.A word from the author: Hello and thank you for your interest in my book. It has come to my attention that some people have been mistaking my books for those written by the famous author duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. This is not the case. I wish to clarify that I am not, by any means, related to Douglas Preston or Lincoln Child, Lee Child or any other author called Preston Child. I hope this clears up the confusion.Mystery of the Amber Room leads the reader on a roller-coaster ride in search of a legend. Packed with breathtaking suspense and nerve-shredding action, Mystery of the Amber Room is a thrilling read for all fans of action, suspense, and intrigue.

Amazon.com Review"Suppose we could peer through a tiny peephole in time and chance upon a flash of what was coming up in the years ahead?" The questioner is Kinsey Millhone, middle-aged, two-time divorcee detective and junk food junkie star of Sue Grafton's popular "alphabet" mysteries; the book is 'N' Is for Noose. If Kinsey had had just a smidgen of foresight, she would never have taken her current case, handed down to her from her on-again, off-again flame and comrade in arms, Robert Dietz. We encounter the two this time out after Deitz's knee surgery, as Kinsey drives his "snazzy little red Porsche" back to Carson City, where she checks out his digs for the first time. To her surprise, he lives in a palatial penthouse, which-under the unspoken bylaws of investigative etiquette-she qualmlessly snoops through. They sit around for a fortnight playing gin rummy and eating peanut butter and pickle sandwiches together, but perennially single Kinsey grows wary: "It was time to hit the road before our togetherness began to chafe."She heads off to meet Dietz's former client, Mrs. Selma Newquist, a devastated widow whose makeup tips seem to come from Tammy Faye Baker. Her husband Tom Newquist, a detective himself, had been working on a mysterious case when he abruptly died of a heart attack. Selma suspects foul play, but bless her, she isn't the brightest star in the sky and can't figure out what Tom was working on even though he's left behind enough paper to fill a recycling truck. Kinsey digs right in and roams the sleepy, one-horse town of Nota Lake for clues, interviewing a colorful cast of in-laws and locals. Beneath the quaint, quiet, country veneer, she unearths a bubbling hotbed of internal strife and familial double-dealing. Was Tom covering up for his partner? Is Selma protecting someone? Grafton's knack for gritty details and realistic characters ("[Selma's] skin tones suggested dark coloring, but her hair was a confection of white-blond curls, like a cloud of cotton candy"), coupled with the fast-paced, believable story line, makes for another delightful, entertaining read.

« Tu l’as laissée mourir… »Christine Steinmeyer croyait que la missive trouvée le soir de Noël dans sa boîte aux lettres ne lui était pas destinée. Mais l’homme qui l’interpelle en direct à la radio, dans son émission, semble persuadé du contraire… Bientôt, les incidents se multiplient, comme si quelqu’un avait pris le contrôle de son existence. Tout ce qui faisait tenir Christine debout s’effondre. Avant que l’horreur fasse irruption.Martin Servaz, de son côté, a reçu par la poste la clé d’une chambre d’hôtel. Une chambre où une artiste plasticienne s’est donné la mort un an plus tôt. Quelqu’un veut le voir reprendre du service… ce qu’il va faire, à l’insu de sa hiérarchie et de ses collègues.Et si nos proches n’étaient pas ce que nous croyons  ? Et si dans l’obscurité certains secrets refusaient de mourir  ? Non, n’éteignez pas la lumière, ou alors préparez-vous au pire…Après les grands succès de Glacé et du Cercle, Bernard Minier revient avec un thriller sur la manipulation et l’emprise, en explorant nos cauchemars les plus intimes, nos phobies et nos obsessions…

Agent FBI, Ford MacDougal, leży w szpitalu, ranny po zamachu terrorystycznym. Tam dowiaduje się o tajemniczym wypadku samochodowym swojej siostry Jill. Ani przez chwilę nie wierzy w oficjalną wersję o próbie samobójczej. Nie zważając na własne rany, wychodzi ze szpitala, by odwiedzić pogrążoną w śpiączce siostrę. Na własną rękę próbuje rozwikłać zagadkę. Domyśla się, że Jill została uwikłana w ogromną aferę narkotykową. Jedyną osobą, do której ma zaufanie, jest poznana w trakcie śledztwa Laura, oficer brygady antynarkotykowej. Wspólnie przeżyte niebezpieczeństwa i ryzykowne akcje, które przeprowadzają w trakcie rozpracowywania gangu narkotykowego, zbliżają bohaterów. Zaufanie, którym obdarzają się Ford i agentka, przeradza się w gorące uczucie.

W położonym na odludziu małym domku niedaleko Waszyngtonu, chronionym przez skomplikowany system bezpieczeństwa, FBI w tajemnicy przesłuchuje młodą kobietę – jednego z najważniejszych świadków w historii Biura… O kolejnym spotkaniu wie zaledwie kilka osób: jedną z nich jest prywatny detektyw Lee Adams, drugą zaś morderca wynajęty przez potężnego mocodawcę. Zanim Faith Lockhart zacznie mówić, płatny zabójca naciśnie na spust. Lockhart i Adams muszą uciekać… Prawdziwa rozgrywka jednak toczy się na najwyższych szczeblach władzy – w kuluarach waszyngtońskiego Kapitolu. David Baldacci to obecnie – obok takich sław jak John Grisham czy Richard North Patterson – najlepszy twórca thrillerów, zwłaszcza prawniczych. W Polsce ukazało się kilka jego powieści, m.in. Pełna kontrola, Wygrana, Dowód prawdy, Władza absolutna.

Comme le dit très justement le gendarme Poustacrouille, qui participa à la tuerie finale, « tendre la joue c'est bien joli », mais que faire quand on a en face de soi « des gens qui veulent tout détruire ? » On crache sur le pays, la famille, l’autorité, non mais des fois ! Quelle engeance, ces anars ! Et quelle idée aussi de croire qu’on va tout révolutionner en enlevant l'ambassadeur des États-Unis à Paris !Jean-Patrick Manchette (1942–1995), après des études d'anglais et d'histoire et géographie et de multiples travaux d'écriture, a commencé à publier des romans à partir de 1970, tout en collaborant à plusieurs films, souvent adaptés de ses œuvres, dont Nada, réalisé par Claude Chabrol, et Folle à tuer.

Un sacerdote, que en su juventud estuvo relacionado con la organización terrorista ETA, desaparece en compañía de una hermosa mujer tras apoderarse de una importante suma de dinero de su congregación. Para evitar el escándalo se encargará del caso otro religioso que antes de ordenarse había sido policía. El pasado de ambos, reflejo del pasado y presente de una Euskadi que se debate entre la violencia y las ansias de paz, condiciona de tal manera la investigación, que finalmente se convierte en un juego muy peligroso, donde lo importante no es la recuperación del dinero, sino el ajuste de cuentas entre los dos contrincantes. Un ajuste de cuentas que parece personal, pero que en realidad contiene la clave de la violencia que ha sufrido el propio País Vasco.La trama se complica aún más cuando una mujer es asesinada y otra desaparece inexplicablemente. A partir de ese momento, se inicia una investigación paralela en la que se entremezclan policías de todos los pelajes con proxenetas sin escrúpulos y miembros de la Brigada Antiterrorista. Todo conduce a un desenlace soprendente que valida la frase: «Las cosas nunca son lo que parecen».

La muerte violenta del comandante de la policía Alastair Gilbert, a golpes de martillo, en la cocina de su casa, convulsiona la aparente tranquilidad de Holmbury St. Mary, un pueblecito de Surrey cercano a Londres. El historial opaco de la víctima, poco apreciada por sus convecinos y tampoco por algunos círculos de la policía, hace que el trabajo de los investigadores de Scotland Yard, el comisario Duncan Kincaid y la sargento Gemma James, emprenda dos direcciones. ¿La delicada esposa del comandante o alguno de los vecinos están implicados en el asesinato o es el entorno policial de Gilbert el que lo está?

El asesinato de una mujer en el que todas las sospechas recaen en un marido con un largo historial de malos tratos, la violación y la muerte de una niña, el hallazgo del cadáver de un delicuente común donde todo parece indicar que se trata de un ajuste de cuentas y el crimen contra un inmigrante en un pequeño pueblo son los cuatro asuntos que tienen como nexo, además de suceder todos en periodos estivales, el hecho de ser crímenes tan cotidianos como lo que se leen a diario en los periódicos, alejados de la extravagancia y de la sofisticación y, en consecuencia, tan reales como la vida, o la muerte, misma.

Durante años, May, el ama de llaves escocesa de James Bond, ha sido la única constante de su agitada existencia. Pero May tiene gravemente dañado el pulmón izquierdo, lo cual provoca en el superagente un paroxismo de preocupación casi filial. Primero un gran especialista londinense y luego la convalecencia en una carísima clínica alemana tranquilizan la conciencia de Bond, pero no consiguen acallar la cáustica lengua del ama de llaves. Bond ha sido advertido de que, en caso de negarse a “colaborar”, la mujer corre el peligro de no celebrar su próximo cumpleaños.Un incidente en el transbordador del Canal de la Mancha -cuando el buque permanece detenido mientras se busca a un par de jóvenes que, al parecer, han caído por la borda- pone inexplicablemente nervioso al famoso superagente. Y pocas horas después de su desembarco en un puerto belga, se produce el primer movimiento de un desconcertante y mortífero juego del gato y el ratón, en el que la presa es precisamente James Bond. ¿Cuál podrá ser el objetivo de la venganza personal tramada por un atacante que Bond no logra identificar?Nunca los mecanismos de defensa del superagente 007 han sido sometidos a más dura prueba que en el momento en que comprende que se ha puesto precio a su cabeza…

Coben to współczesny mistrz thrillera, którego przyrównuje się zarowno do Agaty Christie, jak Roberta Ludluma. Precyzyjnie skonstruowana intryga, mistrzowsko stopniowane napięcie, fałszywe tropy prowadzące donikąd, pozornie niemożliwe do wyjaśnienia zagadki pojawiające się niemal na każdej stronie, zaskakujące zakończenie, którego nie domyśli się nawet najbardziej przenikliwy czytelnik, to podstawowe cechy jego pisarskiego stylu. Aż w ośmiu powieściach pojawia się ulubiony literacki bohater Cobena, Myron Bolitar, były pracownik FBI, agent sportowy i detektyw-amator w jednej osobie, który nieustannie wplątuje się w kryminalne kłopoty. Na Myrona jak grom spada wiadomość, że ma nieślubnego syna, którego istnienia nawet nie podejrzewał. Co więcej, Jeremy choruje na rzadką odmianę białaczki – by go uratować, konieczny jest przeszczep szpiku kostnego. Niestety, jedyny zarejestrowany dawca, niejaki Taylor, przepadł bez śladu. Myron ustala jego prawdziwe nazwisko – Lex. Ale Lex jest nieuchwytny, a podający się za niego człowiek przez telefon każe mu pożegnać się z chłopcem. Powtarza przy tym maniakalnie "siej ziarno". Siej Ziarno to przydomek seryjnego porywacza i mordercy opisanego w serii artykułów przez Stana Gobbsa – dziennikarza, którego media i FBI oskarżyły o fabrykowanie informacji. Są na to niepodważalne dowody. Czy rzekomy zabójca i dawca to jedna i ta sama osoba…

From Publishers WeeklyAn all-star lineup of 13 women mystery authors has produced one madcap, murderous tale in the same serial fashion as Naked Came the Manatee (1996). To some extent, position determines each contributor's role, but each author has ample opportunity to display her unique talents. Nevada Barr, who leads off, deserves credit for introducing heroine Caroline Blessing; her surprising mother, Hilda Finch; and several more of the zany inhabitants of Phoenix Spa, snuggled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. J.D. Robb, in the number two spot, wastes no time shifting the plot into gear with the murder of the spa's flamboyant owner, Claudia de Vries. Those who follow (Nancy Pickard, Lisa Scottoline, Perri O'Shaughnessy, J.A. Jance, Faye Kellerman, Mary Jane Clark, Marcia Talley, Anne Perry, Diana Gabaldon and Val McDermid) each get a crack at muddying the waters or putting a new spin on an already dizzy character or in some cases, adding a new victim to the growing pile. Lucky 13 Laurie King dazzles by weaving a prettily finished quilt from the motley patches created by her comrades. Readers will relish the resulting comic soap-opera murder mystery, taking especial pleasure in watching these pros deftly recast a scene, a clue or a character to keep the story rollicking along. (Aug. 13)Forecast: Together these women command a huge fan base, and if enough of them are willing to promote, this collaborative effort could rack up strong sales.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.The promise of discretion and pampering-and a long-overdue reconciliation with her mother-draws Caroline Blessing, the young wife of a newly-elected Congressman, to the fancy Phoenix Spa. But after her first night in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Caroline wakes to find the rich and famous guests in turmoil and under suspicion: the spa's flamboyant and ambitious owner has been murdered. As the secrets come out-and the body count rises, can Caroline keep herself from becoming the next victim?

Stone Barrington isn’t one to turn away in the face of danger, so when he witnesses a tricky situation underway, he jumps in to lend a hand. He never expected, though, that this favor would lead to a mutually beneficial business deal with a prominent gentleman who requires the ever-discreet services of Woodman & Weld.But in the ruthless corporate world no good deed goes unpunished, and Stone soon finds himself the target of a ragtag group of criminal toughs who don’t appreciate his interference in their dealings. From the isolated landscape of Maine to the white sand beaches of Key West, the trail of deception, theft, and murder will lead to a perilous confrontation.

In the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Heat Wave, Richard Castle does it again with his thrilling new mystery. Tough, sexy, professional, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. In what's sure to be another smash sensation by blockbuster author Richard Castle, readers will once again follow Nikki Heat and hotshot reporter Jameson Rook as they trade barbs and innuendos all while on the trail of a murderer!

'a perfect balance of suspense, futuristic police procedural and steamy romance…truly fine entertainment…sure to leave you hungering for more…' Publisher's WeeklyIt is 2058. New York cop Eve Dallas doesn't have to confront gun crime anymore, no one does. Guns are simply relics. She is assisted in detection by instant communications and probability predictions from the all-pervasive computer network. But this latest homicide is an old-fashioned crime in many ways. Sharon DeBlass is a high-class hooker from a wealthy, powerful family. Her brutal, possibly sexually motivated shooting sends shockwaves through her family, the upper echelons of political society and police headquarters. From the note under her body, it seems that a serial killer with a penchant for antique weaponry and a grudge against prostitutes is on the loose. The killer gets uncomfortably close to Eve Dallas as she pieces together his identity, flying in the face of authority and risking her career. Naked in Death introduces the reader to Dallas: a fascinating heroine, complex and vulnerable, a great detective with an aeroplane hold full of baggage. In the course of this murder investigation she meets Roarke, a charming self-made billionaire, and passions are stirred. This is the first in the incredibly successful suspense series featuring Dallas and Roarke and their developing relationship. With some 20 novels already in print and more to come, the In Death series should satisfy the most ravenous appetite for gritty murder mystery. Nora Roberts, world-renowned romance writer, uses the pen name J D Robb for these books. But those expecting a gentle read should put this book back on the shelf immediately. This tale has street language, sex and violence. And it is highly addictive stuff which will have you turning the pages far too fast. The denouement may not be a huge shock, but that is quite satisfying. Roberts plants clues, and the reader can indulge in a bit of self-congratulation for having solved the crime.