AudioFile - Jeanette LarsonIt's Prohibition-era Detroit and the gangsters are running rum, knocking over gambling joints, and killing each other in their attempts to gain a larger chunk of territory. Their criminal exploits are chronicled by a jaded tabloid reporter Connie Minor who has seen it all: the murders, the graft, the political corruption. Occasionally Minor even finds himself to be an unwilling participant in the action. Estleman's writing perfectly captures the roughness of the times and characters, and his story is superbly brought to life by narrator Frank Muller. Using changes in tone, accent and pace, Muller capably and appropriately distinguishes the characters. A good story simply told and an outstanding production that provides high entertainment for listeners who like the genre. J.L. An AUDIOFILE Earphones Award winner ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Chosen by fate to become the Dragon Reborn-savior and destroyer of his world-young Rand al'Thor attempts to outrun his destiny by joining in a mad search for the lost Horn of Valere. Continuing the story begun in The Eye of the World (LJ 2/15/90), Jordan creates a lush, sprawling tapestry of a novel in the tradition of Tolkien and Eddings.

Songs of a Dreamer was Thomas Ligotti's first collection of supernatural horror stories. When originally published in 1985 by Harry Morris's Silver Scarab Press, the book was hardly noticed. In 1989, an expanded version appeared that garnered accolades from several quarters. Writing in the Washington Post, the celebrated science fiction and fantasy author Michael Swanwick extolled: 'Put this volume on the shelf right between H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Where it belongs.'The revisions in the present volume of Songs of a Dead Dreamer have been calculated to make its stories into enhanced incarnations of the originals. This edition is and will remain definitive.For those already familiar with the stories in Songs of a Dead Dreamer, an invitation is extended to return to them in their ultimate state. For those new to the collection, it is submitted to engage them with some of the most extraordinary tales of their kind. In either case, this publication of Songs of a Dead Dreamer offers evidence for why Ligotti has been judged to be among the most important authors in the history of supernatural horror.

Product DescriptionA tremendous bargain, this special edition contains three premier mysteries. In "Diplomatic Deceit (#38)", a gang of con artists are running wild in Washington, D.C., and the Hardys are onto their game. In "Flesh and Blood (#39)", an old enemy targets Frank and Joe's father for deadly revenge. The boys don't know who's behind the threat, but they have one suspect--their best friend. And in "Fright Wave (#40)", crime hits the beach in Waikiki--someone's trying to deep-six a champion surfer and sink the Hardys for good. Note new cover design.

Desperate to escape her father and brutal home, Delia McQuaid responds to an ad for a mail-order bride and is immediately entranced by Dr. Ty Savitch, whose promise to deliver a wife to his neighbor becomes compromised by his own passions.

Single mom Lizabeth Kane isn't exactly carpenter material -- she's never picked up a hammer in her life. But she desperately needs the construction job that builder Matt Hallahan is offering. And even though he knows trouble is ahead, Matt can't refuse Lizbeth's irresistible smile. Matt Hallahan isn't exactly relationship material -- he has always been too busy working on other people's houses to make a home of his own. And even though she knows better, Lizabeth can't stop thinking about the rugged carpenter. Is the relationship Matt and Lizabeth are building solid -- or more like a house of cards?

Don't miss this fan-favorite tale from New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods of lovers separated by circumstance, but destined to find their way back to each other. In the heat of a southern night, Catherine Devlin met Dillon Westin, and together they shared the joy of a single weekend. The sexy businessman charmed her, and in his arms she found a happiness she'd never known. But they lived in different cities, had busy lives—so they parted with a soul-shattering kiss...and a promise to meet again in one year. Catherine spent the passing seasons remembering the passion of those days. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Dillon, and although their joyful reunion brought them together, a lifetime of obligations pulled them apart. And she began to wonder if "next time" would ever mean "forever." Originally published in 1990.

'Sara! You must come out! You're wanted downstairs right away,' Lucie hissed through the keyhole on the locked bedroom door. 'Stepmama is furious and Father has sent word that he's coming home early from the Exchange. She says he's in a rage over what you've done!' 'I haven't done anything! It's not my fault if those two hotheads decide to fight a duel!' came her sister's indignant voice from the other side of the door. 'Oh, Sara, please!' Lucie pleaded. 'Father will be here any minute. You must do as you're told!' She shook her head and sighed ruefully, 'You're stubborn, Sara.' 'No,' denied Sara. 'I am strong.' Thus begins the bittersweet story of beautiful Sara Leighton, the headstrong heroine of Folly's Bride, the fourth in the Brides of Montclair series. As with her predecessors, happiness does not come painlessly to this newest bride of Montclair. Her unusual beauty and her independent spirit places her on a collision course with romance, frustration, disappointment, and...

ContentsThe House in Goblin Wood - John Dickson CarrThe Other Side - Hake TalbotThe Courtyard of the Fly - Vincent CornierCoffee Break - Arthur PorgesBullion! - W Hope HodgesonProof of Guilt - Bill PronziniAn Absence of Air - Jacques FutrelleThe Impossible Theft - John F SuterIt's a Dog's Life - John LutzThe Death of Cyrus Pettigrew - Sax RohmerGhost in the Gallery - Joseph CommingsThe Missing Romney - Edgar WallaceThe House of Screams - Gerald FindlerThe Impossible Murder - Edward D HochA Nineteenth Century Debacle - George LockeA Razor in Fleet Street - John Dickson CarrDinner at Garibaldi's - Leonard PruynThe Hanging Rope - Joel Townsley RogersNow You See Her - Jeffrey WallmanThe Blind Spot - Barry PerowneChapter the Last: Merriman Explains - Alex AtkinsonAn Extravaganza of Miraculous Murders Fantastic Felonies & Incredible Despite a few weak items, MURDER IMPOSSIBLE is a "must-have" anthology for all who enjoy so-called "impossible crimes" fiction. Jack Adrian and Robert Adey have written short introductions to each of the 21 works (20 stories and a short radio play) and frequently recommend other works by the authors--works which many readers will probably try to track down. The editors seem proudest about including Joel Townsley Rogers' short novel THE HANGING ROPE (1946) and "The Other Side" (1990) by Hake Talbot (pen name of Henning Nelms). Rogers' novelette in several respects is a tour de force locked-room murder story (though I felt its style became obtrusive in a few places); Talbot died in 1986, and his piece was previously unpublished in English. One of the best locked-room murder Puzzles in this book is John Dickson Carr's "The House in Goblin Wood" (1947), which involves a plot gimmick found in many other stories--Anthony Wynne's "The Gold of Tso-fu" (1926), Agatha Christie's "The Dream" (1937), Derleth's "The Adventure of the Frightened Baronet" (1945), Knox's "The Adventure of the First Class Carriage" (1947), Hoch's "The Return of the Speckled Band" (1987), Kaminsky's "The Man from Capetown" (2001), and Davies' "The Adventure of the Whitrow Inheritance" (2008). John Lutz's "It's a Dog's Life" (1982) and Edward D. Hoch's "Captain Leopold and the Impossible Murder" (1976) are excellent Puzzle stories, respectively involving a missing weapon and a man found strangled in his car during a traffic jam. Edgar Wallace's "The Missing Romney" (1919), later incorporated into his novel FOUR SQUARE JANE, also provides an excellent challenge to the reader's wits. Leonard Pruyn's "Dinner at Garibaldi's" (1954) poses the problem of how a man who dined three times a day at a gourmet restaurant died of malnutrition. Arthur Porges's "Coffee Break" (1964) is a good arm-chair locked-room Puzzle, which most readers ought to be able to solve. Vincent Cornier's "The Courtyard of the Fly" (1937) involves the theft of pearls, and its interesting Puzzle fooled me. William Hope Hodgson's "Bullion!" (1911) is very skillfully written as far as mood and human psychology are concerned but struck me as a little weak as a Puzzle story. "The Death of Cyrus Pettigrew" (1909), a murder-on-a-train Puzzle by Sax Rohmer (pen name of Arthur Henry Ward) is just so-so. John F. Suter's "The Impossible Theft" (1964) is a fairly good Puzzle but seems to be based on an old trick used by Houdini when people would strip-search him for keys and lock-picks. Gerald Findler's "The House of Screams" (1932) strikes me as implausible, and Jacques Futrelle's "Absence of Air" (1922; aka "Vacuum"), one of the four stories Futrelle left behind in London when he boarded the TITANIC and went to his death, seems seriously flawed (Jack Adrian wisely edited Futrelle's story and put the solution at the end instead of in the middle). Bill Pronzini's "Proof of Guilt" (1973) also involves a missing murder weapon but is less plausible than Lutz's story and has a serious plot hole (no attempt was made by the police to test the suspect's hands or clothing for evidence that he had fired any gun). John Dickson Carr's radio play "A Razor in Fleet Street" (1952) seems very lame in many respects. Joseph Commings' "Ghost in the Gallery" (1949), a Senator Brooks U. Banner mystery, contains some coincidences and a solution that will probably annoy some readers. The Puzzle of Jeffrey M. Wallmann's "Now You See Her" (1971) involves the disappearance of a woman, and I had several doubts about its solution. Two of the bonus pleasures of this anthology are a pair of Parodies: Alex Atkinson's "Chapter the Last: Merriman Explains" (1951), which tweaks the nose of John Dickson Carr, and George Locke's "A Nineteenth Century Debacle" (1979), which does a clever number on the Holmes and Watson adventures. "The Blind Spot" (1945) by Barry Perowne (pen name of Philip Atkey) is my least favorite of the selections: it seems designed as a kind of prank on the reader, and although I was easily able to foresee its ending, I consider it a gyp; since it has been frequently anthologized, clearly others disagree with my low opinion. An Extravaganza of Miraculous Murders Fantastic Felonies & Incredible Despite a few weak items, MURDER IMPOSSIBLE is a "must-have" anthology for all who enjoy so-called "impossible crimes" fiction. Jack Adrian and Robert Adey have written short introductions to each of the 21 works (20 stories and a short radio play) and frequently recommend other works by the authors--works which many readers will probably try to track down. The editors seem proudest about including Joel Townsley Rogers' short novel THE HANGING ROPE (1946) and "The Other Side" (1990) by Hake Talbot (pen name of Henning Nelms). Rogers' novelette in several respects is a tour de force locked-room murder story (though I felt its style became obtrusive in a few places); Talbot died in 1986, and his piece was previously unpublished in English. One of the best locked-room murder Puzzles in this book is John Dickson Carr's "The House in Goblin Wood" (1947), which involves a plot gimmick found in many other stories--Anthony Wynne's "The Gold of Tso-fu" (1926), Agatha Christie's "The Dream" (1937), Derleth's "The Adventure of the Frightened Baronet" (1945), Knox's "The Adventure of the First Class Carriage" (1947), Hoch's "The Return of the Speckled Band" (1987), Kaminsky's "The Man from Capetown" (2001), and Davies' "The Adventure of the Whitrow Inheritance" (2008). John Lutz's "It's a Dog's Life" (1982) and Edward D. Hoch's "Captain Leopold and the Impossible Murder" (1976) are excellent Puzzle stories, respectively involving a missing weapon and a man found strangled in his car during a traffic jam. Edgar Wallace's "The Missing Romney" (1919), later incorporated into his novel FOUR SQUARE JANE, also provides an excellent challenge to the reader's wits. Leonard Pruyn's "Dinner at Garibaldi's" (1954) poses the problem of how a man who dined three times a day at a gourmet restaurant died of malnutrition. Arthur Porges's "Coffee Break" (1964) is a good arm-chair locked-room Puzzle, which most readers ought to be able to solve. Vincent Cornier's "The Courtyard of the Fly" (1937) involves the theft of pearls, and its interesting Puzzle fooled me. William Hope Hodgson's "Bullion!" (1911) is very skillfully written as far as mood and human psychology are concerned but struck me as a little weak as a Puzzle story. "The Death of Cyrus Pettigrew" (1909), a murder-on-a-train Puzzle by Sax Rohmer (pen name of Arthur Henry Ward) is just so-so. John F. Suter's "The Impossible Theft" (1964) is a fairly good Puzzle but seems to be based on an old trick used by Houdini when people would strip-search him for keys and lock-picks. Gerald Findler's "The House of Screams" (1932) strikes me as implausible, and Jacques Futrelle's "Absence of Air" (1922; aka "Vacuum"), one of the four stories Futrelle left behind in London when he boarded the TITANIC and went to his death, seems seriously flawed (Jack Adrian wisely edited Futrelle's story and put the solution at the end instead of in the middle). Bill Pronzini's "Proof of Guilt" (1973) also involves a missing murder weapon but is less plausible than Lutz's story and has a serious plot hole (no attempt was made by the police to test the suspect's hands or clothing for evidence that he had fired any gun). John Dickson Carr's radio play "A Razor in Fleet Street" (1952) seems very lame in many respects. Joseph Commings' "Ghost in the Gallery" (1949), a Senator Brooks U. Banner mystery, contains some coincidences and a solution that will probably annoy some readers. The Puzzle of Jeffrey M. Wallmann's "Now You See Her" (1971) involves the disappearance of a woman, and I had several doubts about its solution. Two of the bonus pleasures of this anthology are a pair of Parodies: Alex Atkinson's "Chapter the Last: Merriman Explains" (1951), which tweaks the nose of John Dickson Carr, and George Locke's "A Nineteenth Century Debacle" (1979), which does a clever number on the Holmes and Watson adventures. "The Blind Spot" (1945) by Barry Perowne (pen name of Philip Atkey) is my least favorite of the selections: it seems designed as a kind of prank on the reader, and although I was easily able to foresee its ending, I consider it a gyp; since it has been frequently anthologized, clearly others disagree with my low opinion.

Rose Macaulay was one of the most popular satirical novelists of her day. In this lively, anecdotal collection, she turns her admittedly opinionated attention to life's random, and largely unrecorded, pleasures. From astronomy to new cars, church-going to the turtles in Hyde Park, she never fails to delight and amuse with her sure philosophical sense, sharp wit, and unerring eye for life's subtle ironies. "How true it is that every pleasure has also its reverse side, in brief, its pain. Therefore, I have added to most of my pleasures the little flavor of bitterness, the flaw in their perfections . . . which tang their sweetness and remind us of their mortality and our own, and that nothing in this world is perfect."

DARKMAN Once, he had a normal life, a beautiful girlfriend, and a brilliant medical career—creating synthetic skin for accident victims . . . Then, he was a victim himself, brutally attacked by sadistic criminals—his face and body burned beyond recognition . . . Now, he walks the night, searching for the woman he loves. A man who looks like a monster, he hopes to salvage his scorched flesh . . . and take revenge on those who destroyed his life. EVERY SOUL HAS A DARK SIDE. THIS TIME, IT WALKS LIKE A MAN . . .