A Mike Hammer Novel. In this scintillating tale, Spillane's quick-fisted herohunts for the brutal killer of a red-head who got her kicks in all the wrong ways.

Tempestuous ... Voluptuous ... Passionate Robbed of her innocence, Elise Lesconflair becomes a woman of bold desires in a breathtaking romantic adventure that sweeps across continents. Caught in a web of twisted destinies, she journeys from the luxury of a French chateau to the horrors of a West Indies slave ship ... from the exotic existence as a pirate Jean Lafitte's mistress to unspeakable degradation at the hands of brutal men. Woven throughout the sultry landscape of her saga is Garth McClelland ... mysterious, secretive Garth, a man whose worldly power is surpassed only by his insatiable lust for the ravishing Elise. Their romance soars to the peak of unquenchable passion, plumbs the depths as they fight treachery, intrigue ... and their need for each other, until finally they unite in an inferno of rapturous love!

Read the first book in New York Times bestselling author Elle James's beloved Covert Cowboys, Inc. series! After taking justice into his own hands, Austin police officer Ben Harding faces an unknown future. But a new job referral as a bodyguard carries the possibility of salvation. His mission seems simple: protect a woman and her young daughter—recent residents of the Flying K Ranch who have become the target of threats. When Ben meets Kate Langsdon, he is immediately struck by her beauty...and by the memories of the tragedies that touched his own family. Resolved not to become emotionally invested, Ben protects the pair as new dangers—and old ranch secrets—emerge. As enemies draw closer, can Ben keep this family alive long enough to explore a future with Kate? Originally published in 2013

After a routine security check by George Smiley, civil servant Samuel Fennan apparently kills himself. When Smiley finds Circus head Maston is trying to blame him for the man's death, he begins his own investigation, meeting with Fennan's widow to find out what could have led him to such desperation. But on the very day that Smiley is ordered off the enquiry he receives an urgent letter from the dead man. Do the East Germans - and their agents - know more about this man's death than the Circus previously imagined?Le Carré's debut novel, Call for the Dead, introduced the tenacious and retiring George Smiley in a gripping tale of espionage and deceit.

One of the original 12 Little Golden Books, The Poky Little Puppy has sold nearly 15 million copies since 1942, making it one of the most popular children's books of all time. Now this curious little puppy is ready to win the hearts and minds of a new generation of kids.From the Hardcover edition.

INTERSTELLAR ODYSSEY! The undaunted Alphans are threatened by alien terrors as they challenge the ghostly forces of the galaxy! When an ancient space scientist dies, he leaves Alpha his legacy—a futuristic Frankenstein whose need for companionship may trap John Koenig for eternity . . . Alpha answers a cry for help and boards a huge vessel swarming with natives whose survival is horrifying . . . Emotions explode when four Alphans meet an uncanny space demon and only one lives to tell about it . . . And the Alphans discover the desolate planet that spread the first seeds of life on Earth.

In Gallonia, a small European country behind the Iron Curtain, scientists have developed a secret weapon: an atomic gun light enough to be carried in one hand, but capable of annihilating a tank with a single blast. Through Gallonia's resistance movement plans are made to transmit knowledge of the gun to the Western world. The Spy and the Atom Gun is the hard-hitting, first-hand account of the adventures of a British agent who manages to sneak into the country and smuggle out the gun.Written by a former counterspy and the author of several books for boys, The Spy and the Atom Gun is a regular full-blooded spy story, complete with secret code words, false identities, sliding panels, tense interrogations, hairbreadth escapes through underground passageways, and a terrifying villain - Gombroch, gargoyle-faced head of the secret police; yet it takes place in a realistic modern setting and has political reference which makes the story especially meaningful today. Young readers will be particularly impressed by the courageious part played in the resistance by a couple of unusual fifteen-year-old boys, upon whose wit and daring the success of the entire mission depends.

A fresh, modern prose retelling captures the vigorous and bawdy spirit of Chaucer’s classicRenowned critic, historian, and biographer Peter Ackroyd takes on what is arguably the greatest poem in the English language and presents the work in a prose vernacular that makes it accessible to modern readers while preserving the spirit of the original.A mirror for medieval society, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales concerns a motley group of pilgrims who meet in a London inn on their way to Canterbury and agree to take part in a storytelling competition. Ranging from comedy to tragedy, pious sermon to ribald farce, heroic adventure to passionate romance, the tales serve not only as a summation of the sensibility of the Middle Ages but as a representation of the drama of the human condition.Ackroyd’s contemporary prose emphasizes the humanity of these characters—as well as explicitly rendering the naughty good humor of the writer whose comedy influenced Fielding and Dickens—yet still masterfully evokes the euphonies and harmonies of Chaucer’s verse. This retelling is sure to delight modern readers and bring a new appreciation to those already familiar with the classic tales. @AprilFools Oh and the Wyfe of Bathe. Talk about a woman who likes to be perced to the roote. From *Twitterature: The World's Greatest Books in Twenty Tweets or Less*From Publishers WeeklyAckroyd's retelling of Chaucer's classic isn't exactly like the Ethan Hawke'd film version of Hamlet, but it's not altogether different, either. Noting in his introduction that the source material is as close to a contemporary novel as Wells Cathedral is to an apartment block, Ackroyd translates the original verse into clean and enjoyable prose that clears up the roadblocks readers could face in tackling the classic. The Knight's Tale, the first of 24 stories, sets the pace by removing distracting tics but keeping those that are characteristic, if occasionally cringe-inducing, like the narrator's insistence on lines like, Well. Enough of this rambling. The rest of the stories continue in kind, with shorter stories benefiting most from Ackroyd's treatment, though the longer entries tend to... ramble. The tales are a serious undertaking in any translation, and here, through no fault of Ackroyd's work, what is mostly apparent is the absence of the original text, making finishing this an accomplishment that seems diminished, even if the stories themselves prove more readable. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the AuthorPeter Ackroyd is an award-winning novelist, critic, and biographer.

When German submarines were sinking so much Allied shipping that Britain faced the danger of starvation, Dennis Wheatley – then a member of the War Cabinet's Joint Planning Staff – suggested that a system of raft convoys, moved by the Gulf Stream and prevailing winds, should be used to float essential supplies across the Atlantic. This story is based on that idea. Philip Vaudell leaves the United States on a solitary raft, but when he comes across a ploy that would put him in danger, he casts away from his crew and the raft is left in the lap of the gods. But, with Philip was the other real trouble – in the enticing shape of red-headed Gloria, who had stowed away on his raft. Instead of drifting into European waters, they are carried down to the Antarctic where, amidst its eternal snows, he discovers a large area with a warm climate and populated by a lost race. Will they be able to make contact and request rescue, or will they be forced to find a way to...

Magnetic beams change the balance of power in a war between the Chinese and Japanese.

A bestseller upon its publication in 1935, BUtterfield 8 was inspired by a news account of the discovery of the body of a beautiful young woman washed up on a Long Island beach. Was it an accident, a murder, a suicide? The circumstances of her death were never resolved, but O’Hara seized upon the tragedy to imagine the woman’s down-and-out life in New York City in the early 1930s. “O’Hara understood better than any other American writer how class can both reveal and shape character,” Fran Lebowitz writes in her Introduction. With brash honesty and a flair for the unconventional, BUtterfield 8 lays bare the unspoken and often shocking truths that lurked beneath the surface of a society still reeling from the effects of the Great Depression. The result is a masterpiece of American fiction.**

Description: 401 p. : 24 cm. Subjects: Calisher, Hortense --Novelists, American --20th century --Biography.

The nine Tudor novels by beloved novelist Jean Plaidy are now available as one complete series spanning sixteenth-century England. This exciting collection includes a brand-new character guide, along with reading group guides for seven books. Read all nine novels in order for the first time digitally and delve into the lives of this fascinating dynasty—full of intrigue, betrayal, marriages, and deaths, in a complete package, never before available.  1. To Hold the Crown In this sweeping tale of marriage and power, love and heartbreak, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York’s troubled ascension to the throne of England ultimately launches the Tudor dynasty.2. Katharine of Aragon Katharine of Aragon held her husband Henry VIII’s affection—but only for so long.3. Murder Most Royal One powerful king. Two tragic queens. Sophisticated Anne Boleyn and innocent Catherine Howard meet with the all-consuming—and fickle—passions of tempestuous King Henry VIII.4. The King’s Confidante The King’s servant, but God’s first.  The English lawyer Sir Thomas More rises to become King Henry VIII’s most trusted advisor, but his refusal to recognize Henry as the supreme head of the Church of England ends his political career . . . and leads to his trial for treason.5. The Sixth Wife Dangerous court intrigue and affairs of the heart collide during the story of Katherine Parr, the last of Henry VIII’s six queens. 6. The Thistle and the Rose The story of Princess Margaret Tudor, whose life of tragedy, bloodshed, and scandal would rival even that of her younger brother, Henry VIII.7. Mary, Queen of France The story of Princess Mary Tudor, a celebrated beauty and born rebel who would defy the most powerful king in Europe—her older brother.8. For a Queen’s Love Power-hungry monarch, cold-blooded murderer, obsessive monster—who could love such a man? Set against the glittering courts of sixteenth-century Europe, the Spain of the dreaded Inquisition, and the tortured England of Bloody Mary, this is the story of Philip II of Spain—and of the women who loved him as a husband and father.9. A Favorite of the QueenTorn between her heart’s passion and duty to her kingdom, Elizabeth I must make a decision that will shape her country and place her name in history forever.

"We summon thee, Prince, Ruler of Darkness, Lord of Evil: Your worshippers summon thee to receive our sacrifice." James Gunn's science fiction world has veered into the realm of the unholy with The Witching Hour, three novelettes of satanic scenery and devilish deceit. Demons, death, and disbelief will haunt you at every corner. Macabre rituals of darkness will creep up your spine until your fragile mind tingles with fear.