Postcards from Pinsk is the story of a middle-aged Beacon Hill shrink coming to grips with himself. The "postcard" is the catalyst for crisis—his wife of long standing is divorcing him. It appears she has good reason, yet as Orrin Summers wrestles with solitude, self-deception, and a general inability to behave himself, the reader becomes increasingly comfortable inside Orrin's witty, quirky persona and increasingly won over by the slightly goofy heroism of this distinctly antiheroic figure. Long insulated from the real hurly burly of life, Orrin must take the late 1980s as he finds them making small talk with his ex-wife's answering machine, coping with his daughter's lovers, Hickey and Genghis Ferguson, fending off the private eye, Bemis, and finding surprising images of himself in The Man Crushed by Quarters, in The Boston Red Socks (and his own shoes), and in Pigford, a man of the streets with whom Orrin is forced to acknowledge "an irrefutable...

Judith Cutler's new crime novel takes newly-promoted Inspector Kate Power into dangerous waters in Birmingham CID's latest investigation. Kate Power is newly promoted - and in charge of her own station. So in addition to getting used to the pressures of responsibility and gaining the respect of a new team, she has to get to know a new neighbourhood, with new problems and new crimes. When an important member of the local Chinese business community comes to her with some inside information, Kate is plunged into a case involving illegal immigration and prostitution. Her investigation is hampered by a missing officer - Kate's new colleagues dismiss him as a malingerer, but Kate has reason to believe something more sinister may have happened to him.  

From Publishers WeeklyThe Boats of the "Glen Carrig" and Other Nautical Adventures: Being the First Volume of the Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson, edited by Jeremy Lassen, collects all the series sea fiction of this British fantasist, much of it long unavailable. As the 23 short stories show, Hodgson (1877-1918), best known for his novels of cosmic vision, could write quite successfully for the commercial magazine market of his day. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistVolume one of the Hodgson's collected fiction starts the project well, for it contains much of his best work. Hodgson was a professional merchant mariner for much of his life until his death in World War I, and his career began during the last days of seafaring under sail and without radio. His mostreprinted work is the novella The Boats of the "Glen Carrig", a compelling compounding of survival at sea and the supernatural. In his Sargasso Sea stories, corralled in the book's second section, Hodgson takes the legendary endless mass of weeds in the North Atlantic, which imprisoned ships eternally, as the pretext for six Lovecraftian-before-Lovecraft, undeniably effective tales. The 13 adventures of Captain Gault and the two of Captain Jat are more classic pulp-mystery thrillers; they reflect the era when a captain was "master under God" in fact and in law, and also Anglo-German tensions before World War I. For historically minded genre fans, especially if they savor some sea salt in their fantasy. Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Lana wants nothing more than to remain in the shadows. She prefers the quiet, but can't help herself. When someone is in need, she will save them. Even though humans fear her and call her the Black Witch among other things.Mason is the opposite. He doesn't mind the attention, the applause, and that they call him The Master of the Night.The two immortals have lived their lives knowing the other. They avoided running into one another on purpose.What happens when the Black Witch and The Master of the Night meet one another at long last?Find out in this novelette from Kim Iverson.

Facing an unknown futureAs Max, Michael, Isabel, Liz, Maria, and Kyle pile into their van and leave Roswell behind, they are each hoping for positive experiences – or at least something different from most of the events of the past three years. After all, their high school years were anything but typical – the whole alien experience has nearly cost them their lives, again and again. Still, they know that taking charge of their destinies and deciding to make a positive difference in the world has empowered them all. But it isn't long before Liz sees a vision of future destruction, and the group realizes by leaving Roswell they have changed history, and not necessarily for the better. When they end up in a town where young girls are disappearing, it quickly becomes clear that their lives beyond Roswell will be anything but easy…

Short Story for teens. Kelly Webster had literally buried herself in her phone since her father died in Afghanistan. So when her mother made her get out and join a club in school, she was headed for Yosemite National Park on a backpacking tour. Her father had loved hiking, but she'd never joined him. Suddenly she found herself closer to him and learning a lot about her partner, Billy Williams.

Mystery/Crime. 65131 words long.

In this collection, Ursula K. Le Guin, winner of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award, presents a world where there’s a better way of changing planes. Missing a flight, waiting in an airport, listening to garbled announcements—who doesn’t hate that misery? But Sita Dulip from Cincinnati finds a method of bypassing the crowds at the desks, the long lines at the toilets, the nasty lunch, the whimpering children and punitive parents, the bookless bookstores, and the blue plastic chairs bolted to the floor. A mere kind of twist and a slipping bend, easier to do than to describe, takes her not to Denver but to Strupsirts, a picturesque region of waterspouts and volcanoes, or to Djeyo where she can stay for two nights in a small hotel with a balcony overlooking the amber Sea of Somue. This new discovery—changing planes—enables Sita to visit bizarre societies and cultures that sometimes mirror our own and sometimes open doors into the alien. Illustrated by Eric Beddows, Le Guin’s account of her travels is by turns funny, disturbing, and thought provoking.

Murder's on the ticket when intrepid poodle breeder Melanie Travis travels to Maryland for a world-famous dog show where the competition isn't the only thing that's cutthroat. . . There are dog shows. And then there's The Poodle Club of America National Specialty Dog Show. For poodle purists, it's the pinnacle of the season, drawing competitors and spectators from all over the world. Once in Maryland, Melanie is put to work selling raffle tickets by the co-chairs of the raffle committee, Betty Jean and Edith Jean Boone. Sixty-ish steel magnolias from the South, the reclusive sisters make few appearances. But this year, they have a silver Toy puppy that has already caused quite a buzz on the show circuit. While the poodles remain well behaved, it's their owners and handlers who start acting up. And when Betty Jean is found dead at the host hotel, murder takes center stage. But this is the PCA--and the show must go on. As Edith Jean staunchly resumes her duties, Melanie starts searching for clues, and comes up with a compelling cast of suspects whose actions prove that in the dog-eat-dog world of showing, a life can be as easily lost as a blue ribbon. And that unlike cats, dogs--and their owners--have only one to risk. . .

Recipes sizzle and intrigue simmers when the Gourmet Detective takes a ride on the twenty-fifth anniversary journey of the world-famous Danube Express. The stately railroad starts its route in the Alps and cuts through Austria, Hungary, and the former Yugoslavia before pulling up on the shores of the Black Sea in Romania. Along the way, its passengers—hailing from Europe’s business and social elite—sample the best and most enticing foods those countries’ cuisines have to offer, dishes as unfamiliar and exotic as they are delicious. . . . From Germany, braised lamb with rutabagas, or roast duck—its skin as crackly as phyllo and the meat juicy and flavorful, served with Savoy cabbage, leeks, carrots, onions, and celery . . . From Austria, stuffed breast of veal with buttered chestnuts, served with braised fennel, watercress, and tarragon . . . From Hungary, Libermaj, a goose liver pâté seasoned with paprika, pimentos, and scallions, blended with hard-boiled eggs and white wine . . .From the Balkans, escallopes of veal cooked Dubrovnik style—simmering in onions and mushrooms that have been sautéed in butter and seasoned with thyme and bay leaves . . . All complemented by some of the finest wines and brandies in the world!The Gourmet Detective is aboard to see how it’s done; he’s been hired by another luxury rail line to sit back, relax, fill his face, and take notes. But nothing is ever easy—or safe—where food, money, and celebrity meet, and this trip is no exception. When a celebrated Hungarian stage actress vanishes from the moving train, the Gourmet Detective finds himself enlisted in a desperate search for her abductor, or killer, and for answers in a bizarrely unfolding mystery that, as usual, centers on humanity’s most consuming passion: food!As the Danube Express chugs into the night, haute cuisine, fine wine, and murder become the main orders of business on this fun and fascinating foray through a world of mouth-watering delights.From Publishers WeeklyKing (Eat, Drink and Be Buried, etc.) delivers mixed results in the seventh outing for his Gourmet Detective, this time aboard a luxury train. The journey begins in Munich, winds its way through the Alps, with stops in Austria, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia, the final destination being the Black Sea coast of Romania. The passengers sample the best of each locale's cuisine, while the Gourmet Detective observes the workings of the high-class excursion. Before long his reputation as an amateur sleuth, albeit one who's worked with the pros of Scotland Yard, gets him involved in the disappearance of a glamorous Hungarian actress. Has she been abducted from the train? Has she been murdered? Or is it some bizarre publicity stunt? Then a body turns up and things get even stranger. As the Gourmet Detective and the head of security work to stop the killer from striking again, the train moves forward more smoothly than the plot. An engaging travelogue and the good food, evoked in the attractive jacket art, compensate only partly for stilted prose and an unconvincing mystery that feels grafted on. Comparisons to Agatha Christie's classic Murder on the Orient Express are inevitable, but King's novel limps along a distant second. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From the Back CoverPraise for Peter King’s Gourmet Detective Murder Mysteries“Readers will find the menu descriptions mouthwatering and crave a sample of the shrimp remoulade.” ---Kirkus Reviews on Roux the Day"Fascinating tidbits of the cuisine of England in the Middle Ages." ---St. Petersburg Times on Eat, Drink, and be Buried “[King] introduces the reader to a delightful array of funny characters and mouthwatering recipes.” ---Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on A Healthy Place to Die“Read King because you like a nicely structured mystery. Read him because you love gourmet food. Either way, savor the feast he has prepared.” ---Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Death al Dente“Salivating scenes of Provence’s superb food, coupled with lore about truffles, wine, and aristocracy, add sustenance to Dying on the Vine.” ---Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel on Dying on the Vine“The Gourmet Detective is. . . a delight. [The series] provides terrific writing, characters that come to life on the page, and wonderful information on gourmet cooking and the food industry.” ---Stuart M. Kaminsky, author of A Fatal Glass of Beer and A Bullet for a Star, on Spiced to Death“This appealing detective serves up nuggets of culinary trivia and wry foodie humor. King. . . keeps the well-spiced plot bubbling along.” ---People magazine on The Gourmet Detective, a People Beach Book of the Week