And the most frightening sidekick since Spenser's Hawk, the taciturn and lethal Joe Pike. Award-winning and critically-acclaimed Robert Crais built a rock-solid following with this series of sparkling crime novels.

    The first novel, The Sins of the Fathers, appeared in 1975, and A Drop of the Hard Stuff - the 17th and most recent - was published in 2011. Over the years Scudder has also been featured in 11 short works of fiction. The Merciful Angel of Death is the fifth of these; it frst appeared in 1993 in The New Mystery, Jerome Charyn's anthology of stories by members of the International Association of Crime Writers.The story was written during the depth of the AIDS epidemic, and reflects its time.The Merciful Angel of Death is included in The Night and the Music, my collection of all 11 Matthew Scudder short stories, available for Kindle or in handsome trade paperback form.

     Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection If You Liked School, You'll Love Work.

    

    

    Knights of blood and of war bring forth the very worst that Medieval brutality has to offer, but in that darkness, there is a ray of hope. Women of brightness shine the most when confronting the darkness within men. Be shocked at nothing within the pages of this collection, for these novels will take you into the blackness and back again, where love reigns supreme, even over evil.Romance comes in many shades, in many ways.This set contains:DarkWolfe – A de Wolfe son puts a tragic past behind him and finds love with an enemy.DarkMoon – A special ops knight finds an unexpected romance. Will it cost him a life-long friendship?Dark Steel – A happenstance creates a new duke – who falls into a surprising romance.The Dark Lord – The darkest lord of all finds a woman to tame his vicious ways.Guardian of Darkness – A noble knight and a Scottish hostage find love amidst a web of royal lies.The Dark Lord’s First Christmas – Bonus book! The Dark Lord discovers the meaning of Christmas.The original Medieval Romance novels with no cliffhangers, no cheating, and always with a Happily Ever After.

    The machine awakens to begin issuing a series of increasingly alarming, if minor, omens. The omens turn out to be astonishingly accurate, and ever more ominous. As Zedd tries to figure out how to destroy the sinister device, the machine issues a cataclysmic omen involving Richard and Kahlan, foretelling an impending event beyond anyone's ability to stop. Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell must defend themselves and their followers from a series of terrifying threats. Other Tor Books by Terry Goodkind The Sword of Truth Wizard’s First Rule Stone of Tears Blood of the Fold Temple of the Winds Soul of the Fire Faith of the Fallen The Pillars of Creation Naked Empire Debt of Bones Chainfire Phantom Confessor The Nicci Chronicles Death’s Mistress Shroud of Eternity At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    At extreme personal risk, Shirazi undertakes his assignment. A native Farsi speaker whose family escaped from Iran in 1979, he couldn’t be better prepared for the mission. But none of his training has prepared Shirazi for what will happen next. An obscure religious cleric is suddenly hailed throughout the region as the Islamic messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. News of his miracles, healings, signs, and wonders, spread like wildfire, as do rumors of a new and horrific war. With the prophecy of the Twelfth Imam seemingly fulfilled, Iran’s leaders prepare to strike Israel and bring about the End of Days. Shirazi must take action, but the clock is ticking.The Tehran Initiative: The world is on the brink of disaster, and the clock is ticking. Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test. Millions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—known as the Twelfth Imam—has just arrived on earth. Israeli leaders fear Tehran, under the Twelfth Imam’s spell, will soon launch a nuclear attack that could bring about a second Holocaust and the annihilation of Israel. The White House fears Jerusalem will strike first, launching a preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames, oil prices to skyrocket, and the global economy to collapse. With the stakes high and few viable options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike.Damascus Countdown: 2014 “Christian Retailing’s Best” award finalist!All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. U.S. President William Jackson threatens to support a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression. Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes.

    With instances from real life and the author's own experiences and inspirational wisdom, 'It's Your Life' is a collection of some of the most popular write-ups from Vinita Dawra Nangia's weekly Sunday column, '0-zone' in Times Life, the Sunday supplement of The Times of India. At the core of the writings is the belief that though deeply connected, we are all self-sufficient beings, responsible for our own life and happiness. Take charge of your life and live it as you wish to!

    But a young man drowns before the guests have even arrived. Incredibly, the party goes ahead as planned. Until everyone gathers for a midnight toast and one guest drops down dead. Out of a long guestlist of suspects, who wanted them dead? Jenny Starling won’t stop until the murderer is found.BOOK 2: THE WINTER MYSTERYJenny finds herself snowed-in for Christmas. But the family she’s cooking for are not full of festive spirit. In fact, they hate each other. When one of them is found dead — sprawled over the kitchen table — they all assume Jenny is behind it. Can she find the real murderer in time to clear her name?BOOK 3: THE RIVERBOAT MYSTERYJenny gets a job on a luxury paddle steamer. Her boss is a wealthy businessman. All she has to do is cook for his small number of guests. But things quickly turn sour. Then Jenny discovers the body of one of the passengers in the store cupboard. Who wanted him dead and why?BOOK 4: THE CASTLE MYSTERYJenny nets her dream job cooking for Lord and Lady Avonsleigh in a genuine castle. Then one of the help is found dead, stabbed through the heart with a bejeweled dagger. Lady Avonsleigh begs Jenny to help unravel the mystery. But how can she when none of the witnesses remember seeing a thing?Don’t miss out on this series of unputdownable mysteries! YOU GET ALL FOUR OF THE ABOVE BOOKS IN THIS EDITION.

    Twenty years later, her daughter Hannah is released from prison after stealing a hundred thousand dollar necklace -- a crime she did not intend to commit. Resolving to change her life from wild child to purposeful young woman, Hannah begins to uncover secrets -- involving both high Hollywood financial stakes and the startling history of her own family.

    they just have to survive to make all of their dreams come true. Between ghosts, psychic flashes and murderous enemies, they have their hands full. This three-book omnibus includes: Grave Decisions, Grave Seasons and Grave Holiday.

    An ambitious plan is devised to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere. But unforeseen dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain…Five thousand years later, their progeny – seven distinct races now three billion strong – embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown, to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is at once extraordinary and eerily recognizable. He explores some of our biggest ideas and perplexing challenges in a breathtaking saga that is daring, engrossing, and altogether brilliant.

    She’s watched as, each summer, the tight-knit small village braces for the invasion of vacationers seeking refuge from city life. But this year, a new kind of visitor arrives in Port Isley, bringing something most unexpected.Soon after the season begins, a teenage girl’s mutilated body is found in a local park. The police declare it a random act of violence, but Amanda’s not so sure…because how can she explain that she had a premonition of the crime just hours before it happened? Or that the neighbors she’s known forever inexplicably are beginning to change…into lustful, violent shadows of themselves? Amanda knows something’s not right. And she knows it has something to do with the sinister stranger who’s come to town. But can she uncover his dark secret in time to stop him—and in time to save the souls of Port Isley?

    Now, inside 72 hours, Jeremy Ross will have to defuse an insidious plot to genetically rewire the human race. And in a heartbeat, allied with an ex-lover on a quest of her own, he must confront a threat more devastating than any living creature can imagine.