But his past life is a recurring nightmare—filth, desperation, and blackouts. And more trouble is only a hundred miles away. Darren and Alastair leave Liverpool, heading south in a rickety old car. They have been sent by their gang boss to wreak violent revenge, but they have only a rough idea of their quarry: a one-armed man.Interspersed between the scabrous banter and a pitch-perfect street dialect, Niall Griffiths offers stunning descriptions of the Welsh landscape and a dark, knowing humor. Despite the ever present drugs, violence, and anger, he reveals a fragile humanity. Graywolf is proud to introduce this striking, distinctive voice to American readers.

    Twenty-six-year-old Nicholai Hel has spent the last three years in solitary confinement at the hands of the Americans. Hel is a master of hoda korosu, or "naked kill," is fluent in seven languages, and has honed extraordinary "proximity sense"-an extra-awareness of the presence of danger. He has the skills to be the world's most fearsome assassin and now the CIA needs him.The Americans offer Hel freedom, money, and a neutral passport in exchange for one small service: to go to Beijing and kill the Soviet Union's commissioner to China. It's almost certainly a suicide mission, but Hel accepts. Now he must survive chaos, violence, suspicion, and betrayal while trying to achieve his ultimate goal of satori-the possibility of true understanding and harmony with the world.

    Before she has chance to confront him, however, he is struck by lightning. When he regains consciousness, he has lost his short-term memory—including that of the affair. Given a chance to erase history and possibly save her marriage, Poppy decides to remake herself in the mistress’s image, so that Parker might never be tempted to stray again. Her quest to become his perfect woman has disastrous and hilarious results—and just might turn out to be the worst thing possible for their relationship.

    The master of the financial thriller returns. Bobby Astor is a fearless New York hedge-fund gunslinger on the verge of making his biggest killing ever. But everything changes when his father, the venerable chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange, is murdered along with the head of the Federal Reserve in a brazen, inexplicable attack on the South Lawn of the White House. In the moments before his death, Astor’s father sends Bobby a mystifying text message . . . a single word that Bobby soon realizes offers the only clue to the identity of his father’s killer and the terrifying motivation behind the attack.As Bobby unravels the mystery behind his father’s death, he crosses paths with his ex-wife, no-nonsense Special Agent Alex Forza of the FBI, who is hot on the trail of a band of elite international terrorists intent on infiltrating New York City. All the while, Bobby must fight to hold together his increasingly risky business deal. At stake is not only the survival of his company and a colossal fortune . . . but also a sophisticated foreign conspiracy that threatens the entire financial system of the United States.The Prince of Risk is Christopher Reich’s most prescient, suspenseful, and entertaining thriller, a novel that anticipates the headlines of the near future and shows, once again, why The New York Times calls Reich “the John Grisham of Wall Street.”

    "Every day of your lives, you must always be sure what you're fighting for." It is Tokyo in 1939. On the Street of a Thousand Blossoms, two orphaned brothers are growing up with their loving grandparents, who inspire them to dream of a future firmly rooted in tradition. The older boy, Hiroshi, shows unusual skill at the national obsession of sumo wrestling, while Kenji is fascinated by the art of creating hard-carved masks for actors in the Noh theater.Across town, a renowned sumo master, Sho Tanaka, lives with his wife and their two young daughters: the delicate, daydreaming Aki and her independent sister, Haru. Life seems full of promise as Kenji begins an informal apprenticeship with the most famous mask-maker in Japan and Hiroshi receives a coveted invitation to train with Tanaka. But then Pearl Harbor changes everything. As the ripples of war spread to both families' quiet neighborhoods, all of the generations must put their dreams on hold---and then find their way in a new Japan.In an exquisitely moving story that spans almost thirty years, Gail Tsukiyama draws us irresistibly into the world of the brothers and the women who love them. It is a world of tradition and change, of heartbreaking loss and surprising hope, and of the impact of events beyond their control on ordinary, decent men and women. Above all, The Street of a Thousand Blossoms is a masterpiece about love and family from a glorious storyteller at the height of her powers.

    Not only was it the first decisive victory for British troops against the Japanese, more significantly, it demonstrated how the Japanese could be defeated. The lessons learned in this tiny and otherwise insignificant corner of the Far East, set up the campaign in Burma that would follow, as General Slim’s Fourteenth Army finally turned defeat into victory.It is an amazing and thrilling story: more gripping than that of Rorke’s Drift, with a more justifiable enemy, and with every bit as many moments of extreme heroism. In this fifteen-day battle of terrifying violence, there was incredible human drama: bloody-hand-to-hand fighting, daring airborne drops, valiant attempts to break the siege, increasingly desperate and suicidal charges by the Japanese, repeated breakthroughs that needed counter-attacking, tragedy, black humour and the ultimate triumph of the defenders.

    Since then he and his now-wife have narrowly avoided both the 2005 King’s Cross and 2004 Sinai attacks—experiences that led first to his memorable short story “My Travels with Al-Qaeda” and later to the creation of Osama.“In a world without global terrorism Joe, a private detective, is hired by a mysterious woman to find a man: the obscure author of pulp fiction novels featuring one Osama Bin Laden: Vigilante...”“Joe’s quest to find the man takes him across the world, from the backwaters of Asia to the European Capitals of Paris and London, and as the mystery deepens around him there is one question he is trying hard not to ask: who is he, really, and how much of the books is fiction? Chased by unknown assailants, Joe’s identity slowly fragments as he discovers the shadowy world of the refugees, ghostly entities haunting the world in which he lives. Where do they come from? And what do they want? Joe knows how the story should end, but even he is not ready for the truths he’ll find in New York and, finally, on top a quiet hill above Kabul—nor for the choice he will at last have to make...

    Mitchell (The Cubicle Next Door) invites readers to an exotic and mysterious land on a journey of self–discovery. Though Stars and Stripes reporter Allie O’Connor has lived in Japan for two years, she still feels like a foreigner. As her best friend prepares to move away, she prays for a new friend. Just a friend. Soon after this prayer she runs into Eric Larsen at church, an old classmate from high school. Eric has recently been assigned to the U.S. embassy and lives in Allie’s district in Tokyo. In school they had been polar opposites. He had been captain of the debate team; she had edited the literary magazine. He drank espresso, while she preferred green tea. He is definitely not the friend she was looking for. And yet...here he is. Here she is. Will Allie accept this unexpected answer to her prayer? And will she be brave enough to really see the person she once chose to overlook?

    Lawless, drug-soaked, forgotten—it's where bad journalists go to die. For once-great war photographer Will Keller, that's kind of a mission statement: he spends his days floating from one score to the next, taking any job that pays; his nights are a haze of sex, drugs, booze, and brawling. But Will's spiral toward oblivion is interrupted by Kara Saito, a beautiful young woman who shows up and begs Will to help find her sister, June, who disappeared during a stint as an intern at the local paper.Cambo offers a hundred kinds of trouble that June could have got mixed up in. The Phnom Penh underworld is in an uproar after a huge drug bust; a local reporter has been murdered in a political hit; and the government and opposition are locked in a standoff that could throw the country into chaos at any moment. But June came with secrets and terrors of her own. Cambodia is not the only place she’s traveled, or the worst, and the more Will learns about her past, the more danger they both are in. . .Propulsive, electric, and filled with unforgettable characters, Cambodia Noir marks the arrival of a fresh new talent. Nick Seeley's debut novel is a powerful and unsettling exploration of loss, and being lost, and what happens when we go too far into the dark.

    From the author of "Edwin Mullhouse" and the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Martin Dressier" come three dazzling novellas about the many shapes of love.

     KITCHEN BOY is the story of Andy Harrison, a working-class Maine boy, who spends every July and August working for the summer people and tourists on the Maine Coast, while dreaming of his own escape from Downeast. That escape proves at once dramatic and very humorous.The novel also is the story of a small, exclusive summer hotel and its eccentric and unforgettable female proprietors who help their young kitchen boy grow up. Through the course of six summers from 1959 to 1964, the "Kennedy years," Andy has many adventures, his loss of innocence paralleling that of his country.Stephen King on KITCHEN BOY: "If you love Maine, you will love this book." Carolyn Chute on KITCHEN BOY: "KITCHEN BOY is great. It is THICK and FLESHY and full of splendor. Sandy Phippen is a wonderful writer, one of the world's masters at character and voice." Janwillem van de Wetering on KITCHEN BOY: "To know Maine one has to live here but to really know Maine one has to meet with the sly and splendid work of Sanford Phippen."John A. Williams on KITCHEN BOY: “KITCHEN BOY is a reflective, often funny and always perceptive analysis of Maine and the people who think they have escape to it, and of the ‘Mainiacs’ who serve them. Both, in fact, have been captured forever by Sanford Phippen’s internal camera, registering drudgery, sadness, joy and, in the end, the quiet triumph of the human spirit through learning and growing into understanding.”Leo Connellan on KITCHEN BOY: “Phippen, like Erskin Caldwell and Will Rodgers, has his ear and humor universal, for people everywhere. KITCHEN BOY is that summer-people book we’ve yearned for: ‘the folk’ working for the foolish rich who take advantage of the poor, but Phippen breaks us up in the way his ‘disadvantaged’ take advantage, win our hearts, carry on, never change. Phippen has us splitting our sides laughing if we’re not crying. KITCHEN BOY IS A MUST READ!”

    But when she hatches a desperate plan that has her digging a grave in her vegetable garden to protect her young daughter, she finds some secrets are too big to bury. Now she must answer to the law and her mother. As if that isn't enough, nature itself seems to be aligned against her. Just when Krystal finally embraces the untidy truth and accepts the consequences of her murderous actions, she must confront a ghost from the past who's even better at deceit than she is. And he has a score to settle.

    In order to assist with the study of Chinese history, this book has been broken down into a series of straightforward, easy-to-read vignettes. Inside you will read about... ✓ The Great Flood ✓ The Great Wall is begun ✓ The Terra Cotta Army is created ✓ Gunpowder is invented ✓ Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution ✓ Marco Polo travels to China ✓ The Forbidden City is completed ✓ First Opium War ✓ SARS outbreak And much more! This book will provide in-depth insights into some of the most important events in Chinese history while providing an overall context within which these events took place. Designed as an introductory overview of Chinese history, this book is the perfect resource for those who are seeking to expand their knowledge of China and world history.

    Jeanhee Kang was shunned by her unforgiving society after being expelled from high school at age sixteen for breaking a taboo. She knew she had to find a way out of there at any cost." Run Away: One Woman's Story of Resilience doesn't spare the reader any of the agonizing details of her childhood, nor does the book hold back all she overcame to realize her dreams. Though often faced with insurmountable odds, Jeanhee Kang has made a tremendous journey halfway around the world -- a journey filled with heartbreaking, emotional trials -- and she has survived it all. This tale of her inspirational underdog story is dedicated to the 50 million American women who face similar hardships every day.

    Up to 96% of people fail to achieve their goals. But it’s so hard to form those new habits. You know you should eat better, save some money, and make time to date, but isn’t it easier to just sit on the couch? The Secret to Becoming a Millionaire If 96% of people fail to achieve their goals, that still leaves 4% who are in top shape, earning a great income, and finding the love they’ve dreamed of. What are the secrets of these top performers? What do Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, and Steven Covey know that you don’t? What if there was a way to copy their secrets for success so you too could achieve your dreams? What if you could make healthy habits automatic so you never have to make another New Year’s resolution ever again? The Simple Solution that’s Right Under Your Nose Though the words consistency and habits may evoke eye rolls and a feeling of, “That’s too simple!” dive a little deeper and you’ll find the secret formula for success you’ve been waiting for. Michal Stawicki, ex-video game addict turned “Mr. Consistency,” has laid out a veritable formula for getting what you want in life. Whether it’s money, love, fame, a better body, or a better relationship with your kids, The Art of Persistence takes readers step by step from where they’re standing—in chaos, dysfunction, and dissatisfaction—to more happiness and fulfillment. No more broken promises to yourself—this time it’s really different.