Clever Little Thing
"Sharp and unflinching--a perfectly unnerving story." --Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push A taut, powerful psychological thriller following a mother who must confront a sudden and terrifying change in her daughter after the abrupt death of their babysitter Charlotte's daughter Stella is sensitive and brilliant, perhaps even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior has alarmed her mother. Following the sudden death of Stella's babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. But what's unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from Blanka's repetitive phrases to her accent, to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian. Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, and depleted and sick with the pregnancy. She is convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka, dead, still be entwined in their lives? Has Blanka somehow possessed Stella? Has Stella become Blanka? As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, she is sure that only she can save her daughter. . . even though it's soon clear that her husband believes this is all in Charlotte's head. Helena Echlin's singular, chilling voice holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, and infused with shades of the supernatural, Clever Little Thing is an ode to motherhood and a nuanced critique of the caretaking industry, a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic, surprising finale.
The Tutor
Don't miss The Tutor, an utterly gripping psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist, perfect for fans of Valerie Keogh and Daniel Hurst. Available to pre-order now!Letting her into your home was your first mistake... Rose is a dedicated wife and mother to her husband Grant and her son James. Having recently moved to a grand mansion in Florida, Rose is keen for James to fit in with his new life and hires a tutor. Isabel is young, smart and beautiful, and not only gets along with James, but she gets results. But when Isabel starts to get too close for comfort, Rose can't help but think that Isabel is looking for more than just tutoring. Can Rose uncover who exactly she has let into her house, or will this lesson be deadly?
Karma Backfired
An innocent boy from across the border-raised on rhetoric, forged by ideology, and fed the slow fire of hate-steps into Kashmir with a single command: kill. But the mountains keep their own counsel, the valleys remember, and karma-quiet, relentless-has its own script. What begins as a mission becomes a reckoning: of loyalties and lies, of the stories inherited and the truths chosen.In safe houses and prayer rooms, on parade grounds and in shadowed lanes, the boy crosses thresholds he did not know existed: between faith and fanaticism, duty and desire, obedience and the terrifying freedom of choice. Every voice he meets-a commander who smiles without blinking, a mother who waits without sleeping, a soldier who bleeds without breaking, a girl who refuses to be a footnote-tilts the axis of his world.Under a sky sown with strife, what unfolds refuses a single shelf or label. It moves-sure-footed and unsparing-between love and loss, suspense and surprise, patriotism and betrayal, darkness and the first light of understanding, weaving them so seamlessly that the seams disappear. Borders harden and blur. Languages collide. Prayers rise for opposite victories. A lie, told often enough, sounds like a lullaby-until the dead begin to speak in medals and mourning cloth.And when the gun finally lifts, every choice lifts with it: the roads taken, the roads denied, the small, stubborn hope that refuses to die. This is not just a tale of a boy pointed at a target. It is the anatomy of radicalization-and the possibility of return; an intimate portrait of fear and courage; a testament to the strange mercy of love in a world that profits from division.Come for the chase; stay for the confession. Feel the plot quicken through intelligence briefings and back-room bargains; the winter bite on mountain passes; the festival lights that soften a city at war with itself. Here, allies are made in whispers and enemies in headlines. Here, redemption is not guaranteed-but it is earned, one unlearned hatred at a time.By the final page, the question will not be who he became, but who we are when the story asks something of us. Read it once for the turns. Read it twice for the quiets between them.
Gem
Gem is a gripping, unfiltered journey into the life of a woman haunted by trauma and betrayal, fighting to reclaim her sense of self. Torn between past wounds and an unknown present, Gem can't trust her own mind, her body, or even her instincts anymore. Every step forward feels like walking on broken glass, with memories and emotions threatening to pull her under. When a shadow from her past resurfaces, Gem is forced to confront the terrifying truths she's been running from, truths that challenge everything she thought she knew about herself. With Zaire's unexpected presence, she faces a high-stakes battle of trust, power, and vulnerability, testing her limits and pushing her toward a healing she's never dared to believe possible. This story cuts deep into the brutal reality of trauma and survival, exploring what it means to reclaim agency when your own self feels like an enemy. It's about the slow, messy, and often painful process of learning to trust yourself again; mind, body, and soul. If you want a psychological thriller that delves beyond the surface, where every moment bristles with tension and every revelation threatens to disrupt everything, Gem will hold you hostage in its dark world.
Why Me?
Tom Roberts thought his life couldn't get any stranger until he found himself caught between a government agency he barely trusts, a rival he definitely doesn't, and a mission that could get him killed before breakfast.What should have been a straightforward assignment spirals into a bizarre gauntlet of traps, mind games, and people with way too much creative energy for making his life miserable. Along the way, he encounters a stealth specialist who fights dirty (and brilliantly), a bureaucracy that plays by no rules but its own, and a mounting stack of questions no one seems willing to answer. As the stakes climb from awkward to lethal, Tom has to decide if he's in over his head or exactly where he's meant to be. Either way, he's about to find out why the universe picked him... and whether he's ready to live or die with the answer.
Stalker
When the hunter becomes the hunted' Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell. It was eight o'clock on a Sunday morning when I was attacked. He burst into my life, turning my world upside down. He took everything he wanted and left me broken. Now the police can't find him. They have no idea who he is or what he's capable of. But I do. I know just how dangerous he is and if they can't stop him before he hurts someone else, then I will. Praise for Gemma Rogers: 'Unputdownable. a nail-biting thriller that grips to the very last page. Keri Beevis 'A beautifully written edge-of-your-seat thriller that had me guessing right until the end'Dreda Say Mitchell, 'A brilliant thriller from an exciting new voice. Stalker it had me on the edge of my seat' Kerry Barnes, 'An atmospheric, taut thriller which keeps you hooked from the first page' Jacqui Rose, 'A cracking read. Brilliantly written characters and a gripping plot. Highly recommended. Caz Finlay 'A page-turning must-read. It will have you hooked from the first page until the last' Stephanie Harte 'An intense thriller - it's a must-read' Sam Michaels 'An incredible read that had me engrossed from the first page. A five-star read' Alex Kane 'A real page turner, full of sinister secrets' Casey Kelleher
Gem
Gem is a gripping, unfiltered journey into the life of a woman haunted by trauma and betrayal, fighting to reclaim her sense of self. Torn between past wounds and an unknown present, Gem can't trust her own mind, her body, or even her instincts anymore. Every step forward feels like walking on broken glass, with memories and emotions threatening to pull her under. When a shadow from her past resurfaces, Gem is forced to confront the terrifying truths she's been running from, truths that challenge everything she thought she knew about herself. With Zaire's unexpected presence, she faces a high-stakes battle of trust, power, and vulnerability, testing her limits and pushing her toward a healing she's never dared to believe possible. This story cuts deep into the brutal reality of trauma and survival, exploring what it means to reclaim agency when your own self feels like an enemy. It's about the slow, messy, and often painful process of learning to trust yourself again; mind, body, and soul. If you want a psychological thriller that delves beyond the surface, where every moment bristles with tension and every revelation threatens to disrupt everything, Gem will hold you hostage in its dark world.
Darker Days
"Darker Days is a meticulous work of terror, a harrowing drop into a moral nightmare. If you can imagine the philosophical oomph of Bergman's The Seventh Seal joined to the rustic shocks of Midsommer, and all of it transported to America's suburbia, you'd have something like Darker Days. It's a scream." -- Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of King Sorrow"Darker Days reinforces that Olde Heuvelt is one of the most vital and exciting voices in modern horror"-- Mike Flanagan, director of The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Dr. SleepFrom the author of the internationally acclaimed bestseller HEX comes a modern twist on the Faustian tale about a gilded street in a Pacific Northwest town where the charmed residents have made a frightening deal . . . resulting in devastating consequences.Sometimes you think you can see things behind the fence. Bad things. So it's better not to look . . .In Lock Haven, a quiet little town in Washington State, Bird Street is a special place. The residents of this pretty cul-de-sac on the edge of the woods are all successful, healthy, and happy. Their children are prodigies; well-mannered and... unnaturally smart.But come November, the "Darker Days" descend, bringing accidents, bad luck, conflict, and illness. Luana and Ralph Lewis-da Silva prepare for this, and so do their children Kaila and Django. It is in November when a stranger appears to collect on a longstanding debt. A price must be paid for the good fortune they enjoy the rest of the year. A sacrifice must be made.So it has been for over a century. To assuage their guilt, the residents of Bird Street choose carefully who will be sent into the woods. Usually, it is an elderly or terminally ill individual who wishes to die with dignity and is content to be helped on their way.But this year, things don't go to plan, and events take a terrifying turn . . .Darker Days is a propulsive, haunting novel that begs the questions: "How far will we go for our own happiness and what sacrifices are we willing to make?"A great read for spooky-season nightsA perfect addition to any Halloween reading list
Somebody, Sometime
"Chris Kelsey hits another home-run with this fast-paced and enthralling mystery starring Emmett Hardy." -Sublime Book ReviewIt's the late 1970s, a time when Oklahomans learn first-hand the meaning of the term serial killer...Small-town police chief Emmett Hardy sets out with a simple goal-find the family of a young woman who died years earlier at the hands of one of his officers. But when a friend helping with the search is murdered, Emmett's task grows deadly. As he digs to find both the young woman's family and the killer of his friend, he uncovers a twisted family saga rife with incest, abuse, and political corruption-a legacy of generational sin with roots reaching deep into the prairie soil. Torn between pursuing justice and preserving his own hide, Hardy navigates a labyrinth of lies, a compromised legal system, and his own haunted conscience. What starts out as a simple goal leads to a reckoning with the past-his own, and his state's.Gritty, atmospheric, and laced with pitch-black humor, Somebody, Sometime is a slow-burn crime noir that peels back the layers of small-town culture to expose the rot beneath. For fans of Daniel Woodrell, Attica Locke, and James Lee Burke, this is Southern Gothic with a badge ... and a bottle of bourbon.
This Isn't Over
Some justice can't be found in a courtroom. It has to be taken.Beck's mission is personal. Years after escaping a violent foster home, he discovers the sister he left behind is alive and trapped in a dangerous criminal network. To save her, he must dive headfirst into a world where trust is a liability and mercy gets you killed.At the same time, a grieving son asks Beck to uncover the truth about his mother's murder. Everyone believes her ex-husband is guilty, but the case fell apart when a key witness died. The justice system failed, and the killer walked free.Beck agrees to help. But as he digs deeper into both cases, old trauma resurfaces, new enemies emerge, and the lines between justice and revenge blur. Every decision comes with a cost, and time is running out.This gripping, character-driven novel blends emotional stakes with relentless momentum. Perfect for readers who enjoy gritty, intelligent thrillers with morally complex heroes.
Dark Corners in Skoghall
October 2025: Murder in Skoghall, book 1, is the Minnesota Author Project Adult Fiction Award Winner Presented by the Minnesota Library Association & Minnesota Library Foundation. Voted on by librarians across the state.In Dark Corners in Skoghall, the second book of Alida Winternheimer's Skoghall Mystery Series, Jessica Vernon once again finds herself unwillingly at the center of death's dark web.Jess left the big city behind for the quiet of a tiny arts community on the upper Mississippi River. But Skoghall, with its picturesque inn, friendly locals, and thriving arts scene, is anything but quaint. Beneath the small-town charm lurks something sinister. When a body turns up in a seemingly abandoned shop, Jess realizes the dead aren't about to let her settle into the life she dreamed of.Does she dare tell the Sheriff's Investigator what she knows-and how she knows it? Will he think she's delusional...or worse, involved in the crime?As Jess is reluctantly drawn into another murder investigation, disturbing encounters with the living and the dead threaten her relationships, her sanity, and her very survival. When it becomes clear the killer knows she's connected to the case, and even where she lives, Jess must take desperate measures to protect herself and her dog, Shakti. Unless she can put a ghost to rest and a killer behind bars, Jess may become Skoghall's next restless spirit.Winternheimer crafts a mesmerizing blend of psychological thriller, paranormal mystery, and gothic suspense, creating an atmosphere where the artsy veneer of small-town life is shadowed by murder, secrets, and supernatural forces. Readers who enjoy Wendy Webb, Simone St. James, or Jennifer McMahon will find themselves enthralled by Skoghall's haunted corners.Midwest Book Review praises Winternheimer's work for its "wonderful dance between small-town atmosphere and the dark trouble simmering underneath the fa癟ade of propriety," highlighting her deft characterization and slow-building tension that makes the series hard to predict-or put down.Booksellers, libraries and readers looking for: Female amateur sleuths with psychic giftsParanormal thrillers with gothic undertonesSmall town settings with dark secretsCrime novels featuring complex relationships, danger, and supernatural elements...will find Dark Corners in Skoghall an evocative addition to their mystery and thriller collections.As the dangerous games of a psychopath unfold, Winternheimer keeps readers turning the pages until the chilling conclusion. Dark Corners in Skoghall is both a gripping thriller and a haunting ghost story-perfect for fans of midwestern gothic tales where murder and the paranormal entwine.
Give Him to Me
'Master of the jaw-dropping twist' S MAGAZINE 'An edge-of-your-seat thriller that'll keep you guessing right until the end, get this to the top of your reading pile' HEAT ** Pre-order the new heart-stopping emotional thriller from the Queen of the Big Reveal ** Robyn 'Avril' Managa was twelve when she witnessed her controlling and abusive father murder her mother. Put into care while her well-connected father was given a new identity in Witness Protection, Robyn has lived with the trauma of that day ever since. Now in her twenties, Robyn has decided she wants a family reunion - so is killing people connected to her father's case, leaving on their bodies the note: GIVE HIM TO ME. Dr Kez Lanyon is called onto the case. But can Kez get into Robyn's mind before she kills again? Or is she about to become Avril's latest victim? Profiler and therapist Kez Lanyon returns in a gripping new stand-alone novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Dorothy Koomson. Readers love Dorothy Koomson: 'Raw, emotive and chilling' 'Full of shocks and surprises . . . another hard hitting, psychologically thrilling page turner' 'Jaw-dropping, totally unexpected' 'Terrifyingly authentic, twisty and compelling' 'A must read!'
Stories of Phantom
'The Terror of the Red Lake and Other Ghostly Tales by Bisan Sengupta is a chilling collection of supernatural stories where ordinary lives collide with the extraordinary, and unseen forces blur the line between the living and the dead.In "The Terror of the Red Lake," a humble night watchman at an ashram faces a bewitching spirit in the infamous Red Lake-only to be saved by a mysterious monk whose very presence radiates divinity."Pind-daan at Gaya" follows a traveller who meets a fellow passenger on a freight train-only to discover the man is long dead. Bound to the train until someone performs the sacred rituals for his release, the spirit entrusts the narrator with his final plea.In "The Spirit-Master," the quiet life of a middle-class man in Kolkata is shattered when he befriends a neighbor-an enigmatic aghori with powers that bend the laws of nature. What begins as curiosity turns into a terrifying descent into a hidden world of black rites, corpse rituals, and spiritual peril?Blending folklore, faith, and fear, Bishan Sengupta's ghost stories will keep readers spellbound, unsettled, and eager for the next turn of the page. Perfect for lovers of eerie mysteries, supernatural encounters, and Indian horror tales.
The Dreadmoor Experiment
It was the greatest medical breakthrough. It became the perfect killer. When a catastrophic mistake leaves his wife, Clara, in a coma, Dr. Elliott Harrison is consumed by guilt - and determined to find the truth. His investigation leads him to a remote Scottish island, where Clara had been consulting for an exclusive biotech clinic. Hoping for answers, Elliott joins the team developing a revolutionary implantable medical device. But when islanders begin dying under suspicious circumstances, he uncovers a chilling truth: the technology he trusted to save lives has been turned into a weapon - and the woman he loves may be at the heart of it all.
The Haunting of Paynes Hollow
From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a nail-biting supernatural horror about a haunted lakeside property and twisted family secrets.When Samantha Payne's grandfather dies, she figures she won't even get a mention in the will. After all, she hasn't seen him in fourteen years, not since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a child at their lakefront cottage. Her grandfather always insisted her father was innocent, despite Sam having caught him burying the child's body, his clothing streaked with blood. But when she does attend the reading of the will at the behest of her aunt, she discovers that her grandfather left her the very valuable lakefront property where the family cottage sits. There's one catch: Sam needs to stay in the cottage for a month. To finally face the fact she was wrong and her father was innocent, in her grandfather's words. Traveling to Paynes Hollow, Sam is faced with the realities of her childhood and the secrets kept hidden in the shadows of her memories. When her aunt goes missing a couple days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything again. Plagued by nightmares and paranoia, she begins hearing sounds in the forest and seeing shapes crawling from the water as the rippling waves of the lake promise something unspeakably dark lurking just below their surface.
Control
Detective Morgan Blackburn rules New Dresden's Homicide Division with cold brilliance and a perfect clearance rate. When she discovers a man who survived being shot and buried alive, only to die mysteriously in the hospital, she uncovers a case that defies logic. As the city embraces AI-powered police vehicles that promise to prevent crime, Blackburn sees a threat to everything she's built. She navigates hospital drug dealers, construction workers with secrets, and her own team's dangerous incompetence while managing the ambitious reporter Brynn Cassidy who circles her cases. Then an autonomous vehicle deliberately strikes and kills a pedestrian before destroying itself in flames. The investigation reveals someone may be weaponizing the very technology meant to protect the city. Blackburn must maintain her iron control over both her department and her intense private life, where her need for dominance extends far beyond the interrogation room. In a city where machines promise to predict human behavior, Blackburn remains the most unpredictable force of all, willing to do whatever it takes to stay on top.
Manipulation
Detective Morgan Blackburn returns to Homicide under a cloud of scandal, her every move scrutinized by a hostile press and a terrified department. But when autonomous vehicles become weapons of murder-targeting not just victims, but the people in Blackburn's own life-she's forced into a deadly game where the killer holds every advantage.The investigation twists inward as evidence points to someone with intimate knowledge of her patterns, her secrets, her vulnerabilities. Her fractured team unravels: Detective Sinclair's obsession spirals into catastrophic mistakes, while analyst Willow Adler's technical access makes her a prime suspect. As Blackburn seeks control through her intense BDSM encounters, the line between professional and personal shatters completely when her current lover becomes the next target.Racing against rogue technology and a mastermind who knows her too well, Blackburn must risk everything to reclaim control-before the system she trusts destroys everyone she touches.Perfect for readers of psychological thrillers and complex, morally ambiguous protagonists.
Revelation
In the devastating fourth book in the Morgan Blackburn series, the Head of Homicide races against time to identify the killer weaponizing autonomous vehicles before they strike again. Following her near-death experience rescuing victims at Dunbar Bluffs, Blackburn navigates intense media scrutiny and political pressure from Chief Hayes while "The Phantom Driver" taunts the investigation with encrypted messages claiming "the streets are my playground, the cars my puppets."Event data recorder analysis confirms identical sophisticated technical overrides across all vehicle crashes-deep system compromises that bypass safety interlocks and command acceleration without human input. But every suspect trail leads to misdirection: former Stan Raider engineer Kieran Mott's public warnings about vehicle vulnerabilities, reporter Brynn Cassidy's suspicious technical expertise, Detective Sinclair's escalating stalking behavior, and a false confession from an attention-seeker that derails the investigation.When the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit profiles a killer driven by past trauma and obsessed with control, Blackburn recognizes uncomfortable parallels to her own survival instincts. The investigation culminates in a shocking revelation that transforms the entire series: the killer has been hiding in Blackburn's inner circle, using intimate knowledge and technical genius to orchestrate a psychological game Blackburn never knew she was playing. The final confrontation reveals the terrible cost of the control she's wielded-and the ultimate betrayal.
I Really Don't Care
Both Vinny Hunter and Kim Nicol had resigned from being head of the Scottish Borders Police Force.An encounter with a serial killer who had used the Borders as his own personal killing field had taken its toll on Vinny in particular.He had started his own private detective agency along with a young girl he had met through his work in the force.His partner Kim was finding it hard to get a job working with horses until a message was left on their answering machine which led to a new beginning for her. However Vinny's job was difficult and after every case the body count would unfortunately mount up. He wasn't sure if this was the best idea he'd ever had.
Hawai'i Rage
A suspicious death on a Kohala Mountain ranch draws ranger Makalani Pahukula into a tangled family tree in an emotional and suspenseful adventure by the bestselling author of the Lily Wong series.Makalani Pahukula, interpretive ranger for Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, craves some rejuvenating hard work on Hawai'i Island. When cousin-in-law Rosie offers Makalani a chance to help at the Hiapo family ranch, it's the perfect opportunity. But something else weighs on Rosie's mind. Her father recently died in a gruesome accident--trapped and cornered in a pit by an aggressive bull.The wrong place at the wrong time? Rosie suspects something more sinister.Not long into her work, Makalani's suspicions rise too. The Hiapos aren't as close as Makalani thought. All family members--the grandfather, the widow, the adversarial brothers co-running the ranch, the sister who wants anything but a paniolo life for her son, and the cowgirl who becomes Makalani's friend--are hiding secrets from one another. And from Makalani.When more dangerous accidents occur, Makalani has no choice but to follow the clues that lead her into the dark history of Hiapo Ranch and draw out the culprit before someone else dies.
The Inheritance
"What do you get when you pair a wealthy Delhi business owner on the verge of retirement, his three troubled kids, and a remote island? A high-stakes game of greed, of course! . . . Like Succession meets Knives Out, or in other words, an absolute page-turner." --Marie Claire "A peek behind the velvet curtain of extreme wealth and privilege." --The Washington Post Most family reunions end in tears. This one will end in murder. Meet the Agarwals, who have gathered on a private, luxury island off the west coast of Scotland for a much-anticipated family reunion. Raj, the patriarch and a business tycoon, is about to announce to his wife and three children the succession plan for his multimillon-dollar Delhi-based company. Shalini, the fragile matriarch, is ready to have her husband to herself after years of sacrifice to the family business. Myra, the golden child, owner of the island and host of the reunion, is, unbeknownst to her family, on the brink of bankruptcy. Aseem, the son and supposed heir, is torn between his love for his wife and his duty to family. Aisha, the youngest, a party girl whose antics are legendary, can't pass up an opportunity to wreak havoc. And then there's Zoe, Aseem's wife, the outsider whose #InstaPerfect life is built on a foundation of lies. They've all got secrets they would die to protect. Who will survive this high-stakes reunion, and who will become a victim of their own greed? One thing is certain: this family gathering will shatter more than just their illusions of unity.
Spring-Heeled Jack - The Terror Of London
Grab your lantern something in the fog is watching. Spring-Heeled Jack: The Terror of London revives a chilling Victorian mystery that once set London s gaslit streets trembling. This gripping collection follows the eerie tales of an enigmatic figure who springs from rooftop to rooftop, leaving a trail of scratched doors, singed clothing, and terrified witnesses. Blurring the lines between historical reportage and Gothic fiction, the stories combine pulse-pounding suspense, supernatural crime, and a detective s obsession as Londoners chase explanations through alleyways, courtrooms, and opium dens. At once a historical thriller and a study in urban panic, the book explores how fear becomes legend and how a mysterious vigilante can become both monster and myth. Long out of print, this work has been painstakingly restored and republished by Alpha Editions for today s readers and future generations. This edition is more than a reprint: it s a collector s item and cultural treasure that reunites classic suspense with modern readability, complete with faithful text restoration and contextual clarity for the 21st-century reader. Perfect for fans of 19th-century horror, British folklore, and Gothic fiction, Spring-Heeled Jack will grip casual readers and classic literature collectors alike. Lose yourself in eerie London streets, pursue the enigmatic figure who redefined Victorian mystery, and decide for yourself whether legend or truth walks beneath the gaslight. Keywords: Spring-Heeled Jack, Victorian mystery, London urban legend, historical thriller, Gothic fiction.
Il Novellino
A jewel of medieval imagination Il Novellino: The Hundred Old Tales returns at last in a lovingly restored Alpha Editions edition. This luminous collection of Italian novellas gathers one hundred short historical stories and timeless fables that reveal the pulse of medieval life: cunning merchants, bold lovers, pious frauds, and sly saints. Rooted in Italian folklore and ancient storytelling, the tales range from comic vignettes to moral parables, each written in the spirited vernacular that helped shape classic Italian literature. Edward Storer s elegant translation renders these traditional narratives with clarity and charm, making centuries-old voices immediate and alive for modern readers. Il Novellino s literary and historical significance is profound: a founding work of Italian culture, an early ancestor of the novella form, and a vital window into medieval mores and narrative craft. Scholars and casual readers alike will find pleasure in its brisk plots, vivid characters, and the cultural texture of a bygone world. This volume was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions fully restored for today s and future generations. More than a reprint, this edition is a collector s item and cultural treasure, ideal for lovers of historical short stories, Italian folklore, and literary classics. Discover The Hundred Old Tales: a compact treasury of medieval tales that continues to inspire.
The Banshee
A cry in the night that chills the blood The Banshee returns to haunt modern readers with its eerie power. This restored edition by Alpha Editions revives a long-lost work of myth and mystery, freshly prepared for today s shelves and tomorrow s collections. Set against the misted hills and hearthlit cottages of Ireland, The Banshee weaves a haunting tapestry of Banshee folklore and Irish mythology: spectral encounters, ghostly apparitions, and mysterious legends that blur the edges between the living and the dead. Told in evocative, atmospheric prose by an anonymous author, these haunting tales combine mythological fiction with the tension of a supernatural thriller and the slow-burn dread of a paranormal mystery. Historically significant and long out of print, this volume captures a rare snapshot of Celtic folklore as it was retold in a vanished era. Alpha Editions has carefully restored the original text, preserving its voice while ensuring readability for contemporary audiences. More than a simple reprint, this release is a collector s item and cultural treasure a beautifully curated edition for classic literature collectors and casual readers alike. Perfect for fans of eerie narratives and haunting tales, The Banshee is a compact yet profound journey into the uncanny: part ghost story, part folkloric study, wholly unforgettable. Rediscover spectral encounters and the timeless pull of mysterious legends in a book reborn for a new generation. Keywords: Banshee folklore, Irish mythology, supernatural thriller, ghostly apparitions, mysterious legends, haunting tales, Celtic folklore, eerie narratives, spectral encounters, mythological fiction, anonymous author, paranormal mystery.
The Invasion Of 1910, With A Full Account Of The Siege Of London
A chilling vision of a nation at the edge of collapse The Invasion of 1910 forces you into the streets of a besieged London where every footstep could be your last. William Le Queux s landmark Edwardian era thriller mixes breathless action with razor-sharp geopolitical intrigue. This military invasion novel follows Britain s desperate defense against a sudden continental attack, tracking spies, mobilized battalions, and the civilian terror of the Siege of London. Part speculative history and part alternative history book, it dramatizes British military strategy and the anxieties that shaped pre-World War I fiction. Le Queux s vivid set pieces, patriotic urgency, and spycraft create a fast-paced early 20th century war story that reads like today s geopolitical thrillers. Historically significant and wildly influential in its time, this work helped define the invasion literature genre and anticipated modern concerns about national security and propaganda. Collectors and casual readers alike will appreciate Le Queux s knack for suspense, his contemporary portrait of the Edwardian era, and the book s value as cultural context for later war fiction. Alpha Editions proudly republish this title after decades out of print. Restored for today s and future generations, this edition is more than a reprint it s a collector s item and a cultural treasure for anyone drawn to historical fiction, military invasion novels, or pre-World War I fiction. Rediscover The Invasion of 1910 and the unnerving world William Le Queux imagined.
Children of Chicago
From a Bram Stoker Award-winning author, this horrifying retelling of the Pied Piper fairytale set in present-day Chicago is an edge of your seat thrill ride. ‪ When Detective Lauren Medina sees the calling card at a murder scene in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, she knows the Pied Piper has returned. When another teenager is brutally murdered at the same lagoon where her sister's body was found floating years before, she is certain that the Pied Piper is not just back, he's looking for payment he's owed from her. Lauren's torn between protecting the city she has sworn to keep safe, and keeping a promise she made long ago with her sister's murderer. She may have to ruin her life by exposing her secrets and lies to stop the Pied Piper before he collects.
The Shoemaker's Magician
From a Bram Stoker Award-winning author, a cult horror fan discovers that something sinister is at the heart of a series of brutal killings in Chicago. A fabled lost movie. An increasing body count. How much do you risk for art? Paloma has been watching the Grand Vespertilio Show her entire life. Grand, America's most beloved horror host, showcases classic, low-budget and cult horror movies with a flourish, wearing his black tuxedo and hat--but Paloma has noticed something strange about Grand. After Paloma's husband, a homicide detective, discovers an obscure movie poster pinned on a mutilated corpse, she knows that the only person that can help solve this mystery is Grand. When another body appears at an abandoned historic movie palace, the deaths prove to be connected to a silent film, lost to the ages, but somehow at the center of countless tragedies in Chicago. Paloma soon becomes trapped between protecting a silent movie that's contributed to so much death in her city and the life of her young son. With The Shoemaker's Magician, Cynthia Pelayo continues to establish herself as one of the most powerful voices in riveting, thought-provoking dark fiction.
Shitshow
Latrine Technician vs. Dark Carnival?Yep.After his mother is diagnosed with dementia, Sunday McWhorter needs a job with flexible hoursand a company vehicle. It just so happens that the local porta-potty company is hiring.The job stinks, but it's a solid paycheck that allows Sunday to take care of his mom. Everythinggoes smoothly until Autumn and the beginning of county fair season, when people start goingmissing and body parts start being found...inside the very tanks of the porta-potties Sunday ischarged with cleaning.Is there a serial killer? A human trafficking ring? An epidemic of haunted toilets?Sunday finds out the hard way when the simple job of vacuuming sewage becomes a tusslebetween worlds.
Judge Stone
Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis and the world's #1 bestselling author James Patterson's Judge Stone "delivers first-class courtroom drama, small-town excitement, and strong characters all wrapped in a moral dilemma. Tense, readable, and relevant." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) "Talk about a power combo! ... With Davis's razor-sharp emotional insight and Patterson's mastery of rocket-fuel pacing, this is the dream team to deliver an up-all-night read that will keep the group chat buzzing." --Oprah Daily "Wonderfully satisfying ... This legal thriller from [a] superstar duo ... demands attention from its opening pages and never lets go." --Booklist, starred review All rise... for Judge Stone. The most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities sacred: running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It's there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South. Criminally, it's open-and-shut. Ethically, there is no middle ground. Essentially, it's a choice between life and death. No judge can satisfy everyone. It would be dangerous to try. But Judge Stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people and place she loves.
Judge Stone
Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis and the world's #1 bestselling author James Patterson's Judge Stone "delivers first-class courtroom drama, small-town excitement, and strong characters all wrapped in a moral dilemma. Tense, readable, and relevant." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) "Talk about a power combo! ... With Davis's razor-sharp emotional insight and Patterson's mastery of rocket-fuel pacing, this is the dream team to deliver an up-all-night read that will keep the group chat buzzing." --Oprah Daily "Wonderfully satisfying ... This legal thriller from [a] superstar duo ... demands attention from its opening pages and never lets go." --Booklist, starred review All rise... for Judge Stone. The most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities sacred: running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It's there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South. Criminally, it's open-and-shut. Ethically, there is no middle ground. Essentially, it's a choice between life and death. No judge can satisfy everyone. It would be dangerous to try. But Judge Stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people and place she loves.
The Othello Club
Discover the stunning crime thriller and revenge tale behind the forthcoming Paramount+ sensation, THE REVENGE CLUB, starring: Martin Compston (Line of Duty), Aim矇e Ffion-Edwards (Peaky Blinders), Meera Syal (The Kumars at No. 42), Sharon Rooney (Barbie), Douglas Henshall (Shetland), Chaneil Kular (Sex Education), and Amit Shah (Happy Valley). Six divorcees seek revenge on their deceitful spouses, but someone starts taking it much too far... Emily had the perfect life - the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect husband - before she was blindsided and betrayed and lost it all. Now she's sitting in a divorce counselling group wondering how she'll ever feel okay again. What she wants is her old life back, and these group sessions seem to be the only way she'll be able to move on - past the jealousy, the hurt, and the daydreams of getting revenge. And it seems everyone in the group is in the same boat: jilted by an ex-partner and struggling to cope. So over post-therapy drinks, the six divorc矇es come up with the brilliant idea to get a little payback of their own - Strangers-on-a-Train style, with each getting even on another's behalf. Nothing serious - just enough to disrupt their former partner's picture-perfect lives. Emily is hesitant at first, but the more her old life spins away from her, the less she worries about her morals - plus, they agreed no one would get hurt. But just when the group think they've pulled off the perfect petty crimes, one of the exes is found dead... and then another... and another... With DI Rosa Hawkes on their case and the plan spiralling out of control, Emily doesn't know who she can trust, and if divorce taught her anything, it's that you can't trust anyone, even the people you love. Especially the people you love. Let alone perfect strangers like these.
A Christmas Ghost Story
From the Bram Stoker(R) and International Horror Guild Award-winning author of Anno Dracula, the perfect gift for those who love the dark fantastic imagination of T. Kingfisher. A nightmarish tale of a haunted Christmas set deep in the British countryside not too long ago. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past. December 1st. Angie and her teenage son Rust prepare for Christmas, stringingfairy lights around their isolated home on the Somerset levels and decorating a treewith traditional ornaments. The first door of the advent calendar is opened, but the chocolate inside tastes off. Rust receives his first Christmas card; it's unsigned, and the message is 'pinch, punch... first of the month'. The robin chirruping on a bough in a snowy woodland picture looks like a nasty piece of work. The cards keep coming, one each day and each more sinister than the last, and afrightened Angie recalls 'The Cards' - a seasonal TV show from her childhood that featured similar happenings, and while she remembers it vividly, there is no evidence that it was ever broadcast... Christmas cheer is gradually poisoned, with cruels instead of carols, the turkey rotting in the fridge, unwelcome visits from the Merciless Gentlemen and the Jingle Basterds, and Rust becoming increasingly unwell. Angie begins to wonder if her childhood Christmases were in fact as joy filled as she remembers... A frightening tale of seasonal dread from the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.
Simon Says... Fight
Detective Kate Morgan is tasked with determining if a recently discovered body floating in the harbor is the result of a crime and, if not, to move on to one of the team's many other pending cases on their desks. However, nothing is ever simple in her world. So, when she finds several similar cases in the surrounding police districts, ... the scope of her hunt expands proportionally.However, getting to the bottom of this one crosses into Simon's penchant for revitalizing old buildings in downtown Vancouver-or, in some cases, just giving those structures a whole lot of love.As Simon warns her several times, he sees both himself and Kate participating in the final fight. Yet it's so much uglier than either of them can imagine.
This Book Will Bury Me
From the national bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.It's the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions, and begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap...Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans...
Great British Horror 10
GREAT BRITISH HORROR 10 continues the annual series showcasing the best in modern British horror. Every year, the series will feature ten British authors, plus one international guest contributor, telling tales of this sceptered isle.The 2025 edition, SOMETHING PECULIAR, features eleven more previously unpublished stories from authors at the very top of their game.
Red Mound
Things are heating up for the archaeologists digging at Hamblin's Fort, an ancient Native American settlement in Arkansas. The local sheriff tries to involve them in his drug dealing. A mysterious black dog is shadowing their excavations. The marriage of "Boss Man," the crew chief, is unraveling, and Cecelia, one of the crew, claims she can see a menacing dark red energy vortex flowing up from the temple mound.As if that's not enough, disagreements over excavation priorities escalate, with two crew members pushing to excavate the temple mound in search of feasting remains, while others look for evidence of community organization in ceramics recovered from the village settlement. Exciting discoveries draw the interest of Professor Shetler, Boss Man's faculty advisor, who needs something big to save his job. He thinks maybe Hamblin's Fort is his ticket to tenure. More discoveries come to light just as Professor Shetler shows up, and the ensuing tug-of-war over who calls the shots takes several unusual turns, keeping everyone guessing what will happen next.
The Proving Ground
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl. Following his "resurrection walk" and need for a new direction, Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty. Representing the victim's family, Mickey's case explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and the lack of training guardrails. Along the way he joins up with a journalist named Jack McEvoy, who wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. But Mickey puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case. McEvoy's digging ultimate delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up. The case is fraught with danger because billions are at stake. It is said that machines became smarter than humans on the day in 1997 that IBM's Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with a gambit called "the knight's sacrifice." Haller will take a similar gambit in court to defeat the mega forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.
The Proving Ground
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl. Following his "resurrection walk" and need for a new direction, Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty. Representing the victim's family, Mickey's case explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and the lack of training guardrails. Along the way he joins up with a journalist named Jack McEvoy, who wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. But Mickey puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case. McEvoy's digging ultimate delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up. The case is fraught with danger because billions are at stake. It is said that machines became smarter than humans on the day in 1997 that IBM's Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with a gambit called "the knight's sacrifice." Haller will take a similar gambit in court to defeat the mega forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.
Anatomy of a Shark
Adopted as a baby into a New York City crime family, blond-haired, blue-eyed Vinnie Renaldi's introduction into life is as natural as watching his mother clean his father's gun while eating Cocoa Puffs for breakfast. But when a member of the gang is found to have abused his children, a split forms between father and son.On his own, with his favorite cousin by his side, Vinnie doubles down on intel involving a takedown by NYC Police of the city's most infamous biker gang's clubhouse. With opportunity, means, and plenty of motive, the new two-member "gang" infiltrates the bikers' "house" and awaits the inevitable shootout and a possible huge payday.But a crooked cop complicates Vinnie's life as he navigates the intricacies of a new, clueless girlfriend, a new apartment, and the harboring of abused and fearful teens-two of whom, due to karmic craziness, were also adopted as babies.Higher stakes could not be found as Vinnie bets his life on being smarter than the gang, the cops, and his father, the would-be don. Oh, and, yeah, you're going to laugh. And tense up. And laugh some more.
Hard Food
On the cobbled streets, below the dreaming spires of Oxford, where titans of industry and world leaders are formed, a cancer creeps insidiously, hidden beneath the genteel veneer and personified in Dan, addicted to crack and causing carnage in the community.At just eighteen Dan has known real pain, having never stood a chance with the start in life he'd had at the Temple Cowley end of the city. His girlfriend, Katie, though from wealthy parents and brought up in splendour in Summertown, North Oxford, is also addicted to hard drugs and doing things she never envisaged in order to feed her habit. Dan's mum, Sharon, clean for eleven years, is at her wits' end and riddled with guilt for her failings during Dan's formative years. Supported by her friends, Cyril and Naomi, she prays she never gets the dreaded knock on the door she fears so much.Sloane weaves together Moore's idea which explores themes of guilt, shame and culpability that will leave the reader pondering for some time afterward.
What Goes Around
'Relentless and gritty, Wendroff expertly weaves a narrative that begs, "just one more page".' J.D. Barker, New York Times bestselling author EVIL HAS MANY FACES Chilling murders terrorize a town and bring together two detectives to face the hardest tasks of their lives. Jack Ludlum, who relies on his brawn to get things done, is now paired with his archenemy, Jill Jarred, a brilliant investigator with keen intuition. As they delve into the secret world of incels and white supremacists, and conflict between local authorities and the FBI rages, a media frenzy further complicates the mission. Is there a serial killer on the loose? Or something entirely different? Will the detectives' clashing personalities be their undoing, or can they unite to stop the killer before they kill each other? What Goes Around is a dynamic thriller that examines the intricacies of love, loss, and the unbreakable bonds that transcend time. With its pulse-pounding pace, captivating characters, and a revelatory twist that challenges the boundaries of life and death, this novel will keep you hooked from the first page to the last, and thinking long afterwards. 'Starts off at a breakneck pace and doesn't let up until it reaches its unexpected conclusion.' Lisa Black, New York Times bestselling author of the Locard Institute thrillers 'An adrenaline-fueled novel, the action breathlessly driven by two detectives relentlessly pursuing the bloody trails left by a serial killer with a dark sense of justice, deadly groups of white supremacists, and one lonely, alienated boy caught up in the violence.' Kathleen Kent, New York Times bestselling author 'Fast-paced propulsive thriller that doesn't let up - highly recommended!' Lori Brand, author
The Witch of Godstow Abbey
A widowed academic investigating strange historical practices gets drawn back in time and into the year 1299 in Oxford. Join a cast of compelling characters-nuns, novices and outsiders-as they battle the forces of darkness. Enter their struggle against evil, clandestine organizations. Join their life-threatening fight to protect each other, be willing to die for each other, and occasionally fall in love.Will heroic love and righteous pursuit of justice triumph? Will the horror-inducing villain be found out and overthrown? Or will the courageous troop of those fighting for what is good be overpowered and taken captive?Set in Oxford, England, in the year 1299, a struggle takes place between the sisters of the local convent and a strange, terrifying local evil society. They discover a secret organization of men who perform unspeakable deeds. The lives of several sisters are in danger.Join Mother Alice, Sister Agnes and Isabel, along with Lady Beatrix and Lady Harriet, as they confront and do battle with an evil, secret society intent on attacking them, taking over the convent and sacrificing a young woman.If you love stories that keep you turning pages while imparting fascinating accounts of the past, this latest mystery in the "Murders in the Abbey" series will tingle your spine.* * * * *"The Witch of Godstow Abbey, second in the "Murders in the Abbey" series, is perhaps even a bit more engaging than the first book (but equally enjoyable). The pace is faster, the characters more deeply drawn and the resolution even more of a surprise... a delightful walk through a seldom featured period of time with a robust set of players and a rich mystery."-Rob Givens"The authors truly have written a mystery book! A murder mystery, a mystery of the occult, and the mystery of time travel in a dream state. The character development is interesting with new facets of the characters introduced periodically throughout the book. The authors were able to make one of the protagonists, the Friar, a sincerely hated character at the start and make him into someone moderately liked or tolerated at the end."-John DeBeer
Sisters of the sword
After two centuries of bitter conflict the Holy Land is lost. Outmanoeuvred and overwhelmed by a superior enemy, the last of the Crusaders sail away. Defeated, despondent and despairing of ever achieving Christendom's longed-for triumph over the Infidel, they are broken men. It takes a woman - and a lineage of influential women - at the heart of the secretive Order of St Anthony to marshal the fortunes and forces that will lead to the ultimate clash of two mighty faiths hundreds of years later.From the 13th-century Levant, to the 20th-century Vatican, from the terrors of Nazi-occupied Poland, to Northern Ireland's internecine Troubles, Sisters of the Sword tracks the intrigues and plotting of two Eleanors and the two seasoned soldiers they seduce to their cause as they drive forward the quest for the final victory that will close the Crusades for ever.Now in its full and final form, Rod Sproson's sweeping historical narrative, received 5-star reviews when the first part was published, among them: Several years intense research has resulted in a cracking adventure set in the 14th century and charting the trials of a Crusader knight. Sir Henri De Montfort L'Amaury, who joins a secret order similar to the infamous Knights Templar and is plunged into a world of intrigue, romance political power struggles and the origins of the Holy Grail. - Abigail Kemp, Senior Editor with the Manchester Evening NewsThe book unveils the mystery of what happened to the treasure of the Knights Templar and what became of the Holy Grail - it entices the reader with mystery, intrigue and romance managing to satisfy the reader's thirst for knowledge and endless questions that [Dan] Brown's book [The Da Vinci Code] first brought to light. This book clips along at a pace and the ending will leave readers desperate for Sproson's next book in this epic story, which runs all the way to the present day. - Matt Davis: Guardian Media Group.
Shadows Within
Firefighter Reed Williams and his bride, Lily, are enjoying their long-awaited honeymoon in Paris. But bliss turns to agony when they're assaulted along the Seine and Lily is murdered.Now Reed is plunged into a world of bloodlust and horror, led by a woman who offers immortality at the price of his humanity.Nothing makes sense. Reed doesn't breathe, doesn't have a pulse, and doesn't even cast a shadow. His loss of Lily is all the more terrifying as he experiences visions of crows stealing his memories of her and all that he holds dear. Overwhelmed, he flees his relentless pursuers for home in Philadelphia.Back in the States, he stumbles upon three unexpected allies, who, like Reed and his attackers, have non-beating hearts and shadowless bodies. The trio-a brilliant, but socially graceless linguistics professor; a grifting ladies' man without a past; and a penitent hitman trying to atone for the widows he's made-must pull Reed back from reckless despair and help him remember his heroic self in order to defeat those who want to claim his soul forever.
Shams al-Ma'arif Murders
In a forgotten bookshop in the heart of a weary town, Salim Waraq-an aging bookseller with a failing heart and a past steeped in secrets-receives a manuscript that should never have resurfaced. Bound in black leather and sealed with ninety-nine corrupted names of God, the book radiates a wrongness older than humanity itself. Its return awakens the Circle of Ninety-Nine, a clandestine cult that has hunted it for centuries, determined to finish the ritual their ancestors began: the resurrection of a false god forged from blasphemy.As seals break one by one, the town descends into chaos-judges burst into flames, councilmen are unmade, and shadows whisper truths that drive men mad. Each death strengthens the imprisoned entity, each corruption drags reality closer to collapse. To survive, Salim must decipher his late father's cryptic warnings, navigate a labyrinth of Ottoman secrets, and place his trust in Inspector Nadia Mansour and a dying professor who carries the last bloodline of a saint.But when the Circle closes in and the hundredth name threatens to be spoken, salvation may rest not in strength or knowledge, but in the fragile faith of a child.Blending mysticism, history, and relentless suspense, Shams al-Ma'arif Murders is a harrowing thriller where every secret revealed brings the world closer to its undoing.
Writhe
Banner Price is a bullied boy who hopes his drunken mother's nightly absences will bring him something new, something he's never had before. A Father.With every failure, the disdain and disgust for the other grows, pushing Banner into the open arms of violence as vengeance. Banner has a plan. His mother has suspicions.Who will be the first to flinch?
Red Star Falling
From New York Times bestselling authors Steve Berry and Grant Blackwood comes an action-packed adventure: in the waning days of the Cold War, Luke Daniels embarks on a quest in search of the legendary library of Ivan the Terrible--the unlikely key to ending a looming threat orbiting two hundred miles above the earth. Wrapping up his latest assignment for the Magellan Billet, Luke Daniels receives a surprise visit from the head of a former-CIA operation named Sommerhaus--a failed attempt to assemble an espionage network within the Ukraine on the eve of the Russian invasion. Sommerhaus ranks high on Luke's list of painful regrets, for it was during this mission that his friend, CIA case officer John Vince, was captured by Russian operatives and supposedly executed. But Luke is provided some shocking news. Vince is alive, in failing health, locked behind the walls of Russia's brutal Solovetsky Island prison, and has a critical message he'll give to no one but Luke. Luke vows to bring Vince home. However, just as he manages to extract his friend from prison Vince tragically dies and his final words are rambling and incoherent-but enough to plunge Luke into a hunt for something lost since the 15th century. The legendary library of the first Tsar of All Russia, Ivan the Terrible. Within that priceless collection of rare manuscripts is the key to unraveling a modern-day cipher and stopping a secret Soviet satellite program that still exists. But Luke is not the only one on the trail. Others, both inside and out of Russia, want the library for a totally different reason-to restart the Red Star program and finally unleash its destructive potential. Luke's mission is clear: find the lost library, solve the puzzle, and prevent Red Star falling.
