During and after dinner he had nothing to excite him save the receipt of a letter which somewhat annoyed him, and that his wife consumed rather more wine than he considered to be good for her health. Immediately after retiring to his room he was seized with symptoms of irritant poisoning, and despite every effort made on his behalf, he succumbed to its effects. An inquest was held, which vexed the minds of the Coroner’s jury to a degree without precedent in Coroners’ Inquest Law, and an open verdict was returned. However, the matter will not rest there, for after questions in Parliament, a second inquest has been called under suspicion that Mr Charles Petrie was murdered. * * * Who poisoned Charles Petrie? Dr James Collymore, a man familiar with poisons, a man harbouring a dark secret that, if exposed, would ruin his career; Florrie, the maid who supplied Charles with his bedtime drink; Bert Kemp, a disgruntled groom, who used poisons in his work, who four months previously had predicted Charles’ dying day; Mrs Jennet Quinn, a lady’s companion with a deep knowledge of poisons, and a deep fear of dismissal; or Grace Petrie, Charles’ wife of four months, a woman with a scandalous past, a woman shunned by polite society. With crowds flocking to the courtroom and the shadow of suspicion falling upon Grace in the shape of the hangman’s noose, could dashing young advocate, Daniel Morgan, save her?

    With a father who thought the world of them, life was good. Until one day everything changed. While Grayce got love and attention, Merci got all the hell, forcing her to leave home. She never looks back, putting the past behind her until … her sister shows up over a decade later begging for help, bringing all of the forgotten past with her. Merci wasn't the least bit prepared for what was about to happen next. Merci realizes, she’s been a part of something much bigger than she'd ever imagined. Yea, every family has their secrets, hidden truths and ties but Merci had no idea she’d been born into the family that lies.

    For over four hundred years the Crown jewels of England have been held safely in the Tower of London, yet in the coming days they are removed, never to be seen in public again. Government receipts confirm the jewels have been sold and melted down for mint value.Only one man knows the truth...Present day: In the heart of London, a famous art gallery is robbed in the dead of night. Two paintings are taken: a newly purchased £10million self-portrait of a famous 17th-century artist and a portrait of a Roundhead soldier of moderate fame. For gallery director Gillian McKevitt, news of the theft is an absolute nightmare. Aside from the theft occurring less than two days before the self-portrait's unveiling, CCTV footage suggests the theft was an inside job.As the news sinks in, a surprise revelation from Gillian's predecessor confirms she is dealing with no ordinary theft. One of the portraits contains an unimaginable secret, one with the potential to reveal the whereabouts of a long-lost treasure. With time running out before the grand unveiling, Gillian realises she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. Following the clues revealed by earlier x-ray and infrared examination of the painting, Gillian finds herself in a frantic, and dangerous, race across England and through history as she attempts to track down the thieves before they reach their goal. To succeed, she must not only uncover their identity, but also unearth one of England's best-kept secrets...

    Until a one hundred year old case gives her a new purpose.When Jacqueline, a self-professed detective with a dark secret, arrives in Whitechapel, she becomes embroiled in one of London's greatest mysteries.Buried SecretsWhen Jacqueline Frye heads to Chicago for a wedding, she never expects a homicide case to land in her lap. Another copycat killer is on the loose, and this time the culprit is obsessed with America’s first serial killer, H. H. Holmes. As Jack navigates secret passageways, coded journals, and charming locals, more victims disappear and the mystery deepens. Then there’s Jack’s best friend, Evelyn, who seems to be hiding a big secret…

    She knows first-hand that funerals are family events that bring out the worst in people.Now Audrey is just six weeks away from a joyful family event--her wedding. The band has been hired, the invitations mailed.Wedded bliss is right around the corner.Then a thief strikes and destroys Audrey's happiness. As she narrows the list of possible culprits,her suspicion falls on the family she's about to join.Will catching the thief ruin Audrey's shot at the ideal family she's always dreamed of?When the crime is solved with one final twist, Audrey learns a lesson about the bonds that tie families together and the expectations that can drive them apart.A note from the author: In the chronology of Audrey's life, this short mystery novella fits between the events in This Bitter Treasure (which ended with Audrey's engagement) and Treasure in Exile (which begins with Audrey already married).Loyal readers let me know that they wanted to see Audrey's wedding. So I wrote Treasure Borrowed and Blue because I want to keep my readers happy! Nothing ever goes quite as planned for our Audrey, so the tale of her wedding takes quite a few twists and turns (but no murders!).

    With 12 dead husbands in her past, she promised to make her 13th marriage last. Unfortunately, before she could get used to her new last name, fate started in on her, but this time; it played a different game. In Ivy’s world, things had always been the same: First comes Love. Then comes Pain. Yet, through lies, lust, murder and the unseen. She finds herself with a familiar problem: Who wants to kill Husband Thirteen?

    At Crescent City Medical Center's Psychiatric Pavilion, nurses are doling out Thorazine Slurpees and Geodon shots to some of the most criminally insane and viciously psychotic patients in the South. Alexandra Destephano, a registered nurse and legal counsel for CCMC, is troubled by safety issues in The Pavilion and enlists former husband, dashing surgeon Robert Bonnet to assist her in minimizing the dangers, but they are only aware of the ones they see. The situation escalates as the days become hotter and the nights become longer. Brutal beatings and murder are the order of the day and life in the Big Easy is clearly Uneasy.

    

    

    Kencha, an unwitting witness to Its birth, is soon found dead – his body branded with a strange message written in HaLegannada, an ancient version of modern Kannada. Even as Dhruv Kaveriappa, Chief Conservator of Forests - Hassan division investigates Kencha’s death, he senses an unseen danger in the forests of Kukke, Bisle and Sakleshpura. Animals drop dead; plants wither away and just as he feared, the forest claims its first victim. Shivaranjini, on vacation in Sakleshpura, suffers a devastating tonic-clonic seizure moments after she returns from a visit to the forest. Soon, she begins to exhibit a bizarre personality disorder. Perhaps there is an outbreak of an unknown rabies-like disease? Or, as ridiculous as it seems, could it be a case of tantric witchcraft? The truth unfolds in a dizzying maelstrom of events - a truth far too terrifying to comprehend...

    With the IT Department chasing down tax evaders to curb the menace of black money, party funds begin to dry up, a year before Uttar Pradesh goes to polls. Enter Prateek Subramaniam and Yashwardhan Sharma, through their brainchild, PSYCON. Set in the heart of UP, the duo works to assist the ruling party’s agenda of conquering the Hindi heartland. Their mission: amassing the funds the task would need. Between harassing businessmen to shell out money and making money in the process, they make quite a bit in the initial windfall. And yet, a can of worms is opened when the CBI enters the picture. Do the two con their way out of the CBI’s grasp? Will truth prevail in the land of Satyamev Jayate? Or will they find reality too bizarre to handle?The royalties earned by the author from this book will go to PM’s National Relief Fund.http://www.amazon.in/PSYCON-Varun-T/d...

    Cauntz's electrifying new novel, an intense journey into the heart of a deadly and impenetrable heroin network. The first attempt to break the Cleopatra Syndicate left three agents brutally slain. Now there's a new soldier in the drug war...

    The victim is the Prince of Wales, the egg itself a gift from the Russian Tsar — and if the Tsar takes offence at the Prince's carelessness in losing it, the delicate balance of power in Europe could be destroyed for ever. Yet if Blackstone is investigating a simple robbery, why is there an attempt on his life the moment he sets foot in Russia — an attempt which would have succeeded but for the intervention of mysterious masked figures? Why will no one talk about the closed coach which fled the scene after the theft? And what is the motive behind the murder of a young British officer staying at the house? The more Blackstone learns, the less he knows … Who can he really trust? And is this priceless Golden Egg masking a deeper, darker secret? “Vivid characters, a dazzling plot, authentic period details, and plenty of surprising twists make this latest effort by Sally Spencer an outstanding choice for historical mystery fans” - Booklist “This new series from the author of the Chief Inspector Woodend novels features a nicely captured Victorian ethos, solid prose, and winning subplot diversions. Anne Perry fans and devotees of Victorian-era mysteries will enjoy this new historical. For most collections” - Library Journal Sally Spencer worked as a teacher both in England and Iran - where she witnessed the fall of the Shah. She now writes full time. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

    The story takes place in northwestern Montana, Big Sky country. This part of America is renowned for its wide open spaces and modest way of life. Most people live close to the land. Some of the key characters of this story are cattle ranchers. Modern cattle ranching is tough and demanding work, and knowledge of finance and modern methods is a key component. This difficult work creates tough individuals. Most of the people in this part of the country have libertarian leanings. Many on the left call that conservative, as if conservative thought is something evil. It is not. It is about respect for themselves and caring about the people around them. The basic ideas of conservative or libertarian thought is that of individual freedom, rights, responsibilities, and desires. Each to live their own life however they choose. From that toughness comes a failing, and an unwillingness to accept defeat. That’s what happens to the Kimble Ranch when financial failures and mismanagement drive the ranch close to financial disaster, and to one brother it seems like there is only one way out. When two FBI field agents go missing in this area, Agent Asa Clark is assigned to the case. Circumstances force her to resort to the most basic levels of investigation in order to get any help in solving this case. Does her strategy result in success?

    This gang is so ruthless that it shocks even the hardened London criminal underworld — so efficient and meticulous in its planning that it evades all the traps the police set for it with almost contemptuous ease. And it is plain to Blackstone that this is just a preliminary skirmish — that the gang ultimately intends to play for much larger stakes. But Blackstone's problems are only just beginning. When the son of the visiting Maharajah of Chandrapore - known to all as the Tiger - is taken in a full-on ambush, Blackstone realises that the previous kidnappings were just practice for a plot that impacts not only Britain, but it’s whole Empire. Blackstone finds himself caught up in a game of cat and mouse, frantically trying to pin down the loose threads to find the lost prince before it’s too late. But with the criminals always appearing to be one step ahead of the Inspector, he begins to suspect that the threat is closer to home than he previously thought… Praise for Sally Spencer: “Spencer's finest hour: a tightly plotted puzzler with surprises at every turn” Kirkus Reviews “Spencer is an accomplished craftsman who serves up a good puzzle and deftly solves it with intelligence and insight” Publishers Weekly “Characters are diverse, intriguing, and believable . . . plots never fail to surprise; and the procedural details are grittily realistic” Kirkus Reviews Sally Spencer worked as a teacher both in England and Iran - where she witnessed the fall of the Shah. She now writes full time. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.