In the search for her identification the French police pass her picture to the CID at Scotland Yard, and it is from there that an enquiry spirals into action. As the facts come in slowly but surely, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Tipper and his assistant, Charlie Markham, begin to form a picture of the dead woman and her life, and it's a very strange one at that; provoking sympathy on the one hand and revulsion on the other. When the occupation of the redhead comes to light, suddenly the case shifts to a more serious crime. As part of the enquiry, Markham spends considerable time bouncing between the people who once knew her. As the number of interviews grows, Markham finds himself getting more a more confused… leaving each interview with more questions than when he started. Surely this redhead wasn’t as complicated as she sounded? The investigation deepens, and the enquiry eventually leads to Whitehall and the highest echelons of the Diplomatic Service, causing the CID to call upon the powers of Special Branch, and even MI5, in their bid to unravel all the strands of this compelling mystery. A few things seemed to ring common amongst those who knew her: she was always broke, and she was full of surprises… But one of these people had something to hide, and Markham was determined to figure out which one... Graham Ison has produced a stunning first novel, showing the painstaking thoroughness of a murder enquiry and the logical assembly of evidence. The Cold Light of Dawn is a chillingly real tale that will absorb its readers. Graham Ison was born and brought up in Surrey where he still lives. The son of an artist, and grandson of a composer, he served in the army for five years before joining the police. After spending some time with the CID at Scotland Yard he transferred to the Diplomatic Protection Group and between 1967 and 1971 was Personal Protection Officer to Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. In 1981 he moved back to Scotland Yard as Detective Chief Superintendent. He retired at this rank in 1986.

    With countless adaptations available, the titles of his works are familiar. But no joy can compare to reading the originals--and reading them in a deluxe classic edition is even better!This revised, elegant book features the African exploration of Five Weeks in a Balloon; the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea; Around the World in Eighty Days, the famous story of an incredible expedition; and the classic Journey to the Center of the Earth, which takes readers into our world’s geological past. With a genuine leather cover, printed endpapers, and a ribbon bookmark, as well as an introduction by an expert on Verne’s life and writing, it’s an excellent introduction to the work of this well-loved author.Expand your home library--and your imagination--with Jules Verne!Lexile score: 1030L

    Happily useless. The third son of Count Argus Severin he would not inherit the title of count nor the reins of House Barris. He was free to do what he liked with his life provided he didn't embarrass his family. And what he liked was to live in his ancient fort in the town of Breakwater, tinker with his machines and play with his magic. Life was good. Then the city of Theria was attacked by a herd of stampeding mammoths, his older brother Marcus turned up on his doorstep in the middle of the night demanding his help, and he suddenly had to put his skills to use in investigating the crime. Little did he know that the attack was merely the first step in a plan to seize control of the Kingdom of Therion, or that the one responsible would be a member of his own family.

     When tragedy strikes, a young boy must become a warrior To escape a perilous royal life, Soron and Velaina disappear to the small village of Elderwood, a magicless kingdom, to raise their son in secret. But when their child Nathan begins to show special powers, they realize they are no longer safe. Soon they’ll have to reveal their secrets to Nathan. However, before they can tell Nathan the truth, a cruel and arrogant Duke attacks and kills most of the people in their small village, including Nathan’s parents. Nathan finds himself lost and alone with his heart set on revenge. With the help of his Uncle Verin, he continues the training his father started. But the Duke isn’t finished. He’s returned to kill the survivors, especially Nathan, to hide his crimes from the world. Unable to locate Nathan, the Duke kidnaps Nathan’s best friends to lure Nathan to him. Anger and fear consume Nathan and the strong emotions ignite powerful magic within him. Using his new powers, Nathan is able to hunt down the Duke, but he’s in a race against time. if he can’t catch them soon he’ll lose his chance at revenge and more importantly, he’ll lose the people he loves. Books included:Son of SoronMissing MageSiege of PailtarDark TidingsTreachery in TarnsteadThe Mad King

    

    In fact, he has made it a personal quest to dispel all unhappiness from his life. But it's harder than it sounds: he's approaching thirty, a downmarket DJ by day (and a struggling writer by night), living in a cramped Manhattan apartment. His friends are always there for him -- or are they Annie, his closest friend, is getting married to a man David dubs "Rat Boy"; Dustin and Cameron, David's cohorts in the city, are doing the unthinkable and settling down; and Zach, David's model of cool, as aloof and evasive as a wisp of smoke, is harboring a secret that could capsize the whole crew. On top of everything, David finds himself falling in love with Jane, a younger woman whose wit and charm are matched only by her instability.The Big Happy asks the big questions: Can love and happiness coexist? Are we doomed to live out the mistakes of our youth? Do friendships ripen, or rot, as we age? For David, the prospect of happiness has never been quite so depressing.

    Moth of Calio is obsessed with the airships developed by his friend Fiona's grandfather Rendor, and dreams of taking to the air one day like his heroes, the Skyknights. But not everyone is happy to see humans reach the skies. For thousands of years, the mysterious and powerful race known as the Skylords have jealously guarded their heavenly domain. But Moth and Fiona are about to breach the magical boundary between the world of humans and the world of the Skylords.

    Unfortunately, they've found out where Smoke's living--a picturesque seaside city in Maine. And Denny Cruz, a highly paid assassin, is on his way from New York to collect him.      Smoke's girlfriend, Lola Bell, is unaware of his past. Sexy, smart, and tough, Lola's a weed that grew up through the cracks in an inner-city housing project. Her big eyes belie her secret weapon: she's spent a decade studying the martial arts. The tattoo on her shoulder reads girls kick ass. When Cruz decides to use Lola to get to Smoke, he has no idea what he's taking on.      A time bomb is ticking as Smoke, Lola, Cruz, and anyone unlucky enough to come into their orbit are caught up in a drama of abduction, car chases, and triple bluff, where escape or violent death look like the only options. But nothing turns out quite as anyone might expect . . .      Patrick Quinlan's fast-paced, edgy, and brilliantly original first novel introduces a cast of characters worthy of Tarantino in their sophistication and resourcefulness, in a stylish thriller that marks the debut of a stunning new talent.

    The ancient city of Thaiburley is a vast, multi-tiered metropolis, where the poor live in the City Below and demons are said to dwell in the Upper Heights.Having witnessed a murder in a part of the city he should never have been in, Tom, a lowly street-nick, has to run for his life through the City Below, Thaiburley’s unsavoury basement world. Accused of committing the murder himself, he is pursued by sky-borne assassins, Kite Guards, and agents of a darker force intent on destabilising the whole city. His only ally is Kat, a renegade like him, but she proves to have secrets of her own...Source: back cover

     Ridmark Arban is the Shield Knight, the defender of the realm of Andomhaim. The realm is at peace after a long and terrible war, but dark powers threaten other lands. And when a mad elven wizard comes to the High King's court, Ridmark finds himself fighting not only for his own life, but for the lives of his family. For the quest of the Seven Swords has begun. And the quest will kill anyone foolish enough to seek its secret...

    Looking to the future through the lens of the past, here is a second fantastic collection of over 30 typically anarchic mash-ups that push the boundaries of steampunk from the same editor of the bestselling Mammoth Book of Steampunk.

    She was never successful in this, but her Chandler-influenced novel No Good From a Corpse was so impressive in its hard-boiled dialogue that Howard Hawks insisted its author, unseen, be brought in to work on the screenplay adaption of The Big Sleep (together with a fella by the name of Faulkner.) Though Hawks was stunned to discover that Leigh was a woman, she got the job, and worked on what was probably the best film adaptation of a Chandler novel. No Good From a Corpse offers hard-boiled private eye Ed Clive, who gets involved with a dead girl, and suspects every one of her boyfriends--an ex-husband, a playboy, a blackmailer and a brute. There's a woman suspect as well, and a long chase through Sunset Strip.

    In their exile on the ground they have to adapt to vastly different circumstances, fight monsters resembling dinosaurs, and finally happen upon the godly giants, whose existence they had questioned.

    The twenty stories included here range from a bizarre quest to find a dead rockstar's limb (Jim Morrison's Leg) to a memorable warning about the hidden dangers of building sites (the acclaimed Shooting Jelly With A Shotgun). Effortlessly fusing pop culture, gunplay, and simians, Dial M For Monkey contains a vibrant mixture of short stories - and short-short stories - most never published before. This unmissable collection represents another shot in the arm for the resurgent form of the short story. As featured in Tonto Short Stories and Dave Eggers' McSweeney's.

     And the support of the Vault became increasingly important as Van Horn realised that his company was in dire straits and in danger of sinking fast… When Van Horn is killed in a plane crash, everyone assumes that control of his mighty but ailing empire and his seat on the Vault will pass to his feckless son, Junior. But even in death Van Horn still has a few tricks up his sleeve — it is not his son, but his daughter Victoria, from whom he had been estranged for years, who is his true heir. Victoria Van Horn, beautiful and rich in her own right, has reservations about taking on her father’s role in the business. Especially as she has just gambled everything she possesses on a new and risky venture of her own... As for the all-male bastion of the Vault, she holds no illusions. Yet she cannot shirk her duties as her father’s heir and soon discovers her father’s enemies are now set on destroying her… Her brother, Junior, is furious at having been slighted and with his scheming wife Cecelia, he launches a suit to discredit Victoria and throw her out of Van Horn Enterprises for good. In this endeavour he is seemingly helped by Chilton Vance, Hunter Van Horn’s trusted right-hand man whose treachery hides beneath an easy smile and a determination to ruthlessly bring down the entire Van Horn family… Her Father’s Daughter explores the deception and corruption that can tear a family apart. Praise for William J. Coughlin ‘Good storytelling … jackhammer drive … the climax is gripping.’ — Detroit News ‘Satisfying and right on target … Among Coughlin’s best.’— Detroit News ‘Coughlin keeps you burning the midnight oil to the very end.’ — Kirkus Reviews ‘First-rate entertainment.’ — Booklist William J. Coughlin has combined a career as a United States administrative judge with that of a bestselling novelist. A former defence attorney and judge in Detroit for twenty years, he authored sixteen novels, and his experience living and working provided some of the inspiration for his law- and courtroom-themed thrillers.