Chris Harper was her brothers' best friend, so it was only natural that Isobel Matheson would fall in love with him. When he went away to college, she stayed in touch with him in the hopes that one day he would look at her as more than Oliver's little sister. But when Chris returned home after qualifying as a firefighter with a wife, Isobel knew she had missed her chance to tell him the extent of her feelings. She did her best to hide her disappointment, however Charlotte Harper recognised the look in her eyes the minute they were introduced and was instantly intimidated by the woman who knew him so well. Over the years of marriage, her insecurities convince her that she's her husband's second choice and she goes to drastic lengths to prove it.

Lisa Edwards This Prada-wearing magazine editor thinks her life is over when her "fabulous" new job turns out to be a deportation to Dublin to launch Colleen magazine. The only saving grace is that her friends aren't there to witness her downward spiral. Might her new boss, the disheveled and moody Jack Devine, save her from a fate worse than hell? Ashling Kennedy Ashling, Colleen's assistant editor, is an award-winning worrier, increasingly aware that something fundamental is missing from her life -- apart from a boyfriend and a waistline. Clodagh "Princess" Kelly Ashling's best friend, Clodagh, lives the domestic dream in a suburban castle. So why, lately, has she had the recurring urge to kiss a frog -- or sleep with a frog, if truth be told? As these three women search for love, success, and happiness, they will discover that if you let things simmer under the surface for too long, sooner or later they'll boil over.

The first in the Mike Benasque thriller novel series!THE PLOTTERS: A whirlwind novel of chase and daring about a down-at-the-heels newspaperman who gets caught in the crossfire of a South American revolution.A high government official falls ill with a terrible and dreaded disease.An American citizen vanishes without a trace from a lonely railroad station.A parachutist drops through the silent night into the shelter of a dense forest.Only the Plotters know that these isolated happenings are all part of a master plan. A daring attempt to overthrow a cut-throat dictator who does not hesitate to maim or murder anyone who makes a try for freedom.For Mike Benasque the terror began with the stroke of midnight. He is an American newspaperman bumming around Caracas, out of a job, out of money, and out of luck. One evening two gentlemen approach him and offer a great deal of money for his willingness to take a small part in their...

The central volume in the definitive biography of America's most important First Lady. "Engrossing" ( Boston Globe ). The captivating second volume of this Eleanor Roosevelt biography covers tumultuous era of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the gathering storms of World War II, the years of the Roosevelts' greatest challenges and finest achievements. In her remarkably engaging narrative, Cook gives us the complete Eleanor Roosevelt—an adventurous, romantic woman, a devoted wife and mother, and a visionary policymaker and social activist who often took unpopular stands, counter to her husband's policies, especially on issues such as racial justice and women's rights. A biography of scholarship and daring, it is a book for all readers of American history. ** Amazon.com Review With its gripping tale of a privileged ugly duckling turned socially conscious swan with the help of strong female friends--many of whom were lesbians and one of whom was probably her lover--the first volume of Blanche Wiesen Cook's biography of Eleanor Roosevelt won awards and made headlines. That book followed its subject from her birth in 1884 through her husband Franklin's election to the presidency in 1933. Volume 2 , which chronicles Roosevelt's first six years as America's most controversial first lady (Hillary Clinton doesn't even come close), maps her contributions to the New Deal, which Cook convincingly argues was primarily the fulfillment of a political agenda promoted by female reformers as early as 1912. Eleanor's turbulent relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok gets more space here than it probably deserves, and the story isn't as inherently exciting as the first volume's drama of a woman's coming of age. Nonetheless, Cook's subtle analyses of everything from Roosevelt's exceedingly complex marriage to her role as warm-up act for the New Deal's most radical programs are bracingly intelligent, her evocation of a remarkable personality rivetingly vivid. Eleanor emerges as neither the liberals' saint nor the conservatives' Satan, but an entirely human bundle of contradictions: warm-hearted, yet ice-cold when hurt; happiest in the public arena, yet needing the comfort of private relationships. --Wendy Smith From Booklist Readers who enjoyed the award-winning first volume of Cook's biography of Eleanor Roosevelt may have expected just one other volume after all these years (the first published in 1992); if so, they underestimated both Cook, a City University of New York history professor, and her remarkable subject. Volume 2 covers just six years: the first years of FDR's presidency. At this rate, one can easily imagine at least two more volumes: one on the war years, ending with Franklin's death in 1945, and a second on Eleanor's very active life after the White House. ER went to Washington with doubts and concerns: Would she be able to play a role in the critical issues that had given her life meaning, or would she be forced to serve simply as hostess and housekeeper? Cook traces the ways Roosevelt continued to exercise influence: on housing, race, and women's issues, for example. A major concern here is why both Roosevelts were largely silent about Germany's treatment of its Jewish citizens; Cook examines what the Roosevelts knew and when, and she notes that FDR and his staff did not object to Eleanor expressing her views on domestic matters that conflicted with administration policy, but they severely restricted her speeches and articles on foreign policy subjects. Full of fascinating details; expect requests. Mary Carroll

Night WorkKate and her partner, Al Hawkin, are called to a scene of carefully executed murder: the victim is a muscular man, handcuffed and strangled, a stun gun's faint burn on his chest and candy in his pocket. The likeliest person to want him dead, his often-abused wife, is meek and frail--and has an airtight alibi. Kate and Al are stumped, until a second body turns up--also zapped, cuffed, and strangled...and carrying a candy bar. This victim: a convicted rapist. As newspaper headlines speculate about vendetta killings, a third death draws Kate and Al into a network of pitiless destruction that reaches far beyond San Francisco, a modern-style hit list with shudderingly primal roots.From the Paperback edition.Amazon.com ReviewLaurie King's first Kate Martinelli mystery, A Grave Talent, won Best First Novel honors from both the Mystery Writers of America and the British Crime Writers' Association. In this fourth installment in the series, King once again displays her talent as both a prose stylist and a masterful plotter in a case that proves to be personally harrowing for her heroine. While attending a school play one evening, Detective Martinelli gets what appears to be a routine page about a homicide. The murder victim is James Larsen, an airport baggage handler found in the Presidio, handcuffed, strangled, and with stun-gun burns on his chest. And apparently he had a sweet tooth, given the candies found in his pocket. When it comes out that Larsen was an abusive husband whose wife now lives in a shelter, Martinelli's list of suspects takes a distasteful turn. Could the perpetrator be connected with the Ladies of Perpetual Disgruntlement, the group of secretive women (or men) who've lately been terrorizing abusers and rapists around the city with their humorous, updated version of the tar-and-feather treatment? Could it be Larsen's wife, a mousy woman who, nonetheless, is clearly harboring some secrets? Could it be Roz Hall, Martinelli's social crusading feminist minister friend? In each case, rage would be justified, but not murder. When two additional murder victims with similar profiles--and pockets full of candy--surface, the San Francisco media takes an interest in this latest instance of vigilante justice. The investigation is further complicated by Roz's very public interest in the case of a young Indian bride who she believes was murdered. As Martinelli and her partner Al Hawkins try to sort through the mire of emotional entanglements, personal politics, and public scrutiny, King deftly maneuvers her tale through several carefully crafted turns. The novel is also threaded with Hindu spirituality and images of the dark goddess Kali, a vengeful figure perfectly appropriate in a novel about victimized women striking back. --Patrick O'KelleyFrom Publishers WeeklyThe multitalented King (O Jerusalem, etc.) has not published a Kate Martinelli novel since 1996's With Child, so fans aplenty have been waiting for the next installment in this acclaimed series. San Francisco police detective Kate and her partner, Al Hawken, first introduced in the Edgar-winning A Grave Talent, have been called in to investigate the murder of a man who turns out to have a long record of beating up his wife. The wife, who took refuge at a battered women's shelter, has a rock-solid alibi and there are no other obvious suspects. Meanwhile, a group of feminist vigilantes called the Ladies of Perpetual Disgruntlement has been exacting wickedly funny acts of minor revenge against men who physically abuse women. Kate has a sneaking sympathy for the work of the Ladies, but when more bodies of abusive men start turning up, it looks as though someone--some woman--in San Francisco has taken the ultimate step in vengeance. King brings her theme of women's rage against abusive men together with a focus on goddess worship, especially in Indian religions. Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction and creation, figures largely in this dense and suspenseful tale. As in her powerful thriller A Darker Place, King's ability to turn esoteric religious concepts into key narrative points makes this a highly unusual--and memorable--novel. It suffers a bit from talkiness, but even so, it's a compelling, effective piece of writing. (Feb.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Laser BooksLaser Books was a line of 57 paperback science fiction (SF) novels published from 1975 to 1977 by Canadian romance powerhouse Harlequin Books. Laser published three titles per month, available by subscription as well as in stores. The books were limited to 50,000-60,000 words. They were numbered as a series, though each was a standalone novel. All the covers were painted by Hugo Award winning artist Kelly Freas.Tim Powers, whose first book was published by Laser, has said that Epitaph in Rust was "mangled" by the editors at Laser Books. An unedited version was later issued by a different publisher. Piers Anthony had problems with their publication of his novel But What Of Earth?. This novel was also issued later, through Tor Books.

Heartbroken and betrayed, Eleanor fled the faerie court... only to be dragged back by her captor, a dark Fae Prince.She should have never made a deal with Ruskin.He's used her before.Now, he needs her again. The Queen has been doomed to eternal sleep. And Eleanor alone can break the spell.Once the Queen wakes, Eleanor's work should be done. She can leave and force herself to forget the handsome prince and his brutal yet beautiful court.Queen Evanthe's return was meant to heal the land, but she's too weak.It doesn't take long to discover that an iron-soaked curse now haunts the land.Only by uncovering the sinister plots woven through the court can Eleanor break the curse.She won't be able to do it alone.Somehow, magic runs through Eleanor's blood, and every day at court she's closer to unlocking her true power.But it's deeply entwined with the Fae Prince. And he's not to be trusted.Nor...

THEY AREN’T ALL THAT PC, BUT YOU BETTER NOT GET IN THEIR WAY! From the silly to the simply smashing, the Chicks in Chainmail are back to save us once again! Whether defending a charity ball against rapscallion pirates or taking names at a medievalist tournament in the Asteroid Belt, whether bringing a snotty loremaster to his rightful comeuppance or protecting our schoolchildren from magically-summoned barbarian invaders, whether weekending in the woods to get in touch with their Inner Warrior or showing giant reptiles that Tokyo’s not gonna take it anymore, these female fighters will always have what it takes. So what are you waiting for? Pick up your male—er, mail!

Money.Notoriety.Violence.These things go hand in hand with my chosen profession.My brothers and I are known internationally as lords of war — the most ruthless arms dealers in the world.Absolutely no one's safe from ... as long as we are making our next million.And I only need one person in order to make the ultimate sale. Penelope is a lovely little raven-haired art forger. Model-good looks.Innocent hazel eyes.Curves that would tempt the devil himself.She's going to make a deal with me.Even if that deal is made after I kidnap her and threaten her life. My manner with Penny is brusque, brutal, and demanding.But her body beckons me like a siren's call.She's shell shocked and afraid of what I might do to her.My only fear is that once I touch her, I may not be able to stop... Queen's Sacrifice from Wall Street Journal Bestseller Vivian...

Connor is sure his best friend, Branwell, couldn't have hurt Branwell's baby half sister, Nikki. But Nikki lies in a coma, and Branwell is in a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of a horrible crime and unable to utter the words to tell what really happened. Connor is the only one who might be able to break through Branwell's wall of silence. But how can he prove Branwell didn't commit the unspeakable act of which he's accused — when Branwell can't speak for himself?

fiction , prose

Jules Verne (1828-1905) is one of the most recognizable names in Western literature, coming to be known as one of the Fathers of Science-Fiction. Although he studied to be a lawyer and held stock trading jobs, he quickly learned that he had a knack for weaving adventurous stories of travels and expeditions. It didn’t hurt that one of his teachers may have been inventor Brutus de Villeroi, who created the first submarine for the U.S. Navy. Verne wrote about air travel and space travel 50 years before either was possible. 

A trip to sunny Florence provides a welcome change in the weather for Mark Twain and his family after a lecture tour of England. And Twain's assistant, Wentworth Cabot, gets some much needed rest and relaxation while the Twains set up house. Falling in with a charming group of Americans abroad, Dabot whiles away the hours touring museums and discussing art in a local cafe. But when a recently discovered Raphael masterpiece is stolen during a dinner party they are attending, Cabot and the irascible Twain set out to find the painting-and the lovely young woman who disappeared along with it...