Vince Flynn Collectors' Edition #4: Extreme Measures, Pursuit of Honor, and American Assassin


Vince Flynn - 2011
    Counterterrorist agent Mitch Rapp joins forces with a warrior as dedicated—and lethal—as they come: ex-Marine and elite operative Mike Nash. Both Rapp and Nash have stared down the jihadist culture of death. Both have saved thousands of lives without accolades or acknowledgment of their personal sacrifices. But the political winds have changed on Capitol Hill, and certain leaders want Mitch Rapp put back on a short leash. And when a nightmare scenario descends on Washington, D.C., Rapp and Nash will follow new rules of engagement: their own. Pursuit of Honor When Washington, D.C.'s National Counterterrorism Center is struck by a series of devastating explosions, the results are catastrophic—185 killed, including public officials and CIA employees. Such an act of extreme violence calls for extreme measures—and elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp, joining forces with trusted team member Mike Nash, finds himself in the frustrating position of having to illustrate the realities of national security to government officials up in arms over the agents who rushed in to save countless American lives. Meanwhile, with three al-Qaeda terrorists still at large and Nash traumatized by the horrors he witnessed during the attack, Rapp must help his friend while threading his way through the naysayers on Capitol Hill—and silently, swiftly, do what he must for the sake of his country and the pursuit of honor. American Assassin Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorist’s worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world...and then tragedy struck. Two-hundred and seventy souls perished that cold December night of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack, and thousands of family and friends were left searching for comfort. Mitch Rapp was one of them, but he was not interested in comfort. He wanted retribution.

The Brutal Telling / Bury Your Dead


Louise Penny - 2017
    Everybody goes to Olivier's Bistro―including a stranger whose murdered body is found on the floor. When Chief Inspector Gamache is called to investigate, he is dismayed to discover that Olivier's story is full of holes. Why are his fingerprints all over the cabin that's uncovered deep in the wilderness, with priceless antiques and the dead man's blood? And what other secrets and layers of lies are buried in the seemingly idyllic village?Gamache follows a trail of clues and treasures―from first editions of Charlotte's Web and Jane Eyre to a spiderweb with a word mysteriously woven in it―into the woods and across the continent, before returning to Three Pines to confront the truth and the final, brutal telling.It is Winter Carnival in Quebec City, bitterly cold and surpassingly beautiful. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has come not to join the revels but to recover from an investigation gone hauntingly wrong. But violent death is inescapable, even in the apparent sanctuary of the Literary and Historical Society--where an obsessive historian's quest for the remains of the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, ends in murder. Could a secret buried with Champlain for nearly four hundred years be so dreadful that someone would kill to protect it?Meanwhile, Gamache is receiving disquieting letters from the village of Three Pines, where beloved Bistro owner Olivier was recently convicted of murder. "It doesn't make sense," Olivier's partner writes every day. "He didn't do it, you know."As past and present collide in this astonishing novel, Gamache must relive a terrible event from his own past before he can begin to bury his dead.

The Horror Collection: Purple Edition


Kevin J. KennedyDavid Owain Hughes - 2019
    This edition brings together some of the best horror writers from the last few decades. Featuring stories from Ray Garton, Kelley Armstrong, Simon Clark, Gord Rollo, Chad Lutzke, Mike Duke, Christina Bergling, David Owain Hughes, P. Mattern & Kevin J. Kennedy.

Zombies Ate My Homework (Shingles Book 5)


John G. Hartness - 2018
    Wake his kid brother Andy up, get tormented on the school bus by the cool kids, try to avoid them while in school. Except it's Field Trip Day to the Science Museum, and now he's stuck with the meanest kids in seventh grade all day! But then the bus breaks down, so he doesn't even get to do anything cool at the science museum. It's okay, because an industrial accident brings science to Todd and his friends in the form of a zombie apocalypse. When the bus driver abandons them in the middle of a zombie outbreak, Todd, his brother Andy, his best friend Tarik, and their tomboy friend Mikayla take shelter in the first place they can find - an adult novelty store. What can you find in an adult toy store to fight zombies? Well…let's just say that the field trip was pretty educational, even if the kids never made it to the museum! Shingles is the comedy horror series from the gang that brings you the Authors & Dragons podcast. Like the podcast, these books are rated Not Safe For Anything.

Thieves' House: Tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser


Fritz Leiber - 2001
    This collection contains ten stories in the "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser" series, seven originally collected in Swords Against Death, two originally collected in Swords in the Mist, plus "Bazaar of the Bizarre", as follows, with dates of original publication:Thieves' House * Unknown, February 1943The Bleak Shore * Unknown, November 1940The Howling Tower * Unknown, June 1941The Sunken Land * Unknown, February 1942The Seven Black Priests * Other Worlds, May 1953Claws from the Night ["Dark Vengeance"] * Suspense, November 1951The Price of Pain-Ease * ss Swords Against Death, Ace, 1970Bazaar of the Bizarre * Fantastic, August 1963The Cloud of Hate * Fantastic, May 1963Lean Times in Lankhmar * Fantastic, November 1959

The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories


Peter Straub - 2010
    Ranging from the Caribbean to Vietnam to the American Midwest and spanning decades of tumultuous history, these books are both unforgettable narratives and indelible portraits of people in extremis, struggling to survive in a world marked by grief, loss, pain, trauma, and homicidal madness. The four stories gathered here are offshoots of that larger fictional universe. Each one stands entirely on its own. Together, they shine a revelatory light on the mysteries and hidden corners of the novels that inspired them."Blue Rose" recounts a defining moment in the childhood of Koko's Harry Beevers, the moment when the ten-year-old Harry discovers his capacity for violence and brutality. "The Juniper Tree" describes, with almost unbearable clarity, a lonely young boy's encounter with adult betrayal, and with the darker aspects of human sexuality. "The Ghost Village" takes us to the phantasmagoric landscape of Vietnam, where the barriers between the living and the dead begin to dissolve, to mesmerizing effect. "Bunny is Good Bread" is arguably Straub's single most harrowing story. With relentless attention to detail, it anatomizes the creation of a human monster through abuse, cruelty, and neglect.These disturbing, beautifully written stories have a moral weight and emotional resonance that only the finest fiction achieves. They are the clear product of a master storyteller at the very top of his game. No one who reads them is likely to forget them, or come away unchanged.

One Thousand Dollars


O. Henry - 1997
    A story about a very spoiled young man who must decide what to do with the $1000 his deceased uncle has given to him.

Ravaged World Saga (5 Horror Novels)


Iain Rob Wright - 2015
    Unique and terrifying. "Iain Rob Wright scares the hell out of me." - J.A.Konrath, author of Origins and Afraid. A virus the likes of which mankind has never seen has gotten loose and found its way aboard a luxury cruise liner. Follow the deadly Apocalypse Virus as it seeks to extinguish humanity - one grizzly death at a time. We're all going to die, but that won't be the end. What will you do after? SEA SICK It was supposed to be relaxing... Police Officer Jack Wardsley’s life ended the moment his partner died. He is a changed man, and his recent record of police brutality and reputation for not following the rules has prompted his seniors to give him an ultimatum: find a way to let go of all the anger – or find another job. That’s why Jack is about to board The Spirit of Kirkpatrick, a cruise liner built for relaxation and fun. Pretty soon, however, Jack is going to realize that a little fun in the sun is the last thing he’s going to get. There’s a virus onboard and it's turning people insane. It won't be long before the entire ship is overrun with blood and death -- and there is nowhere to escape in the middle of the sea. Nowhere to run. Jack needs to put his anger to good use and found out who is responsible before it's too late. So much for his vacation. Welcome aboard... "Iain Rob Wright has written a novel unlike anything else. A story that is equal parts Dawn of the Dead and Groundhog Day. An unforgettable classic." ------------------------- RAVAGE There's a nasty bug going around... Nick Adams is a salesman. The only good things in his life are his wife, Deana, and his son, James. In fact, they are the only reason he still toils at the job he hates. He's meant for something better, you see, but something better never seems to come around. He's tired of his life and sick of standing in an empty shop in a dying business. Only a single, solitary customer has walked through the door all day, and it doesn't even look like the strange man came to buy. In fact, it looks like he came to kill. Nick's entire life is about to turn upside down, sending him on a frantic journey through a ravaged world that will lead him 500-feet up in the air to a hilltop amusement park. Is it the last safe place on Earth? Or are the monsters at the top of the hill worse than the ones below? Welcome to Ripley Heights, where the fun never starts. "Iain Rob Wright reinvents the zombie apocalypse while remaining faithful to its traditions. A book sure to please fans of both George Romero and 28 Days later, Ravage is the first book in a unique and terrifying apocalypse." SAVAGE Sometimes being alone is better... The world has crumbled and the dead walk the earth, but all is not lost - yet. A group of survivors, led by weary veterinarian, Anna, and jaded scavenger, Garfield, seek salvation at an abandoned pier where the dead can’t get them. It might just be a place they can finally call home -- but then again, nowhere is truly safe any more. The dead are everywhere hunting the living, but they are not the only threat. There are other survivors out there in the ravaged world, too, and when an injured stranger turns up at the pier, everything changes in an instant. Savage. The world may have changed, but people haven’t.

Banshee


Heather Graham - 2020
    Her life was filled with crazy tales and legends, and Halloween was a beloved holiday.It was all just fun--until one certain Halloween.Then, it was time to wonder!

Furious: Sailing into Terror


Jeffrey James Higgins - 2021
    Dr. Dagny Steele is on the verge of fulfilling her lifelong calling to become a pediatric surgeon when the sudden death of her daughter sends her into a crushing depression. Grief stricken and desperate to heal, she takes a leave of absence and sails across the Indian Ocean with her husband. Dagny begins to recover from her tragic loss when her voyage turns into a nightmare. Isolated and hunted at sea, can she survive a deadly crucible?

Perfect


V.J. Chambers - 2018
    J. Chambers When Sidney Reilly, twice divorced and mother of two, moves to Lassiter Cove, she’s hoping for a fresh start. But the women of Lassiter Cove are too good to be true. They work high-powered jobs, spend quality time with their children, cook healthy and balanced meals from scratch, look ten years younger than their actual age, and are all incredibly thin. Then she discovers their secret: the Regimen, an invitation-only program offered by the local gym and spa, which promises a complete transformation. It all seems perfect. Until Sidney discovers the women who are disappearing from the spa. Until she tangles with the dark, brawny man at its center, who everyone seems to worship. Until her own daughter becomes a target. Lassiter Cove isn't what it seems, and Sidney is heading for the fight of her life.

Exit Vertigo


Jordan Crouch - 2013
    Coming to, he realizes he’s hypothermic—shivering cold—trapped inside a stasis tube, shrouded in darkness. Escaping his capsule, he lights a lantern, only to discover the locker containing his heating supplies is empty. Freezing to death now, he reflects on the last memory of his pregnant wife, beside him still, suspended in a tube. Just as Connor slips out of consciousness, two strangers arrive...Another gripping, wholly absorbing chapter of the bestselling Wayward Pines series, Jordan Crouch’s Exit Vertigo explores the dangerous netherworld existence of caretakers who emerge from stasis every two decades to ensure the facility that houses all that remains of mankind continues to function. While others hibernate, Connor and a select team of maintenance workers stumble through the Ark’s darkened hallways, racing against time in search for a clue to an apocalypse no one can remember.

Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace


Harold Bloom - 1987
    A collection of seven critical essays discussing Tolstoy's novel, arranged in chronological order of their original publication.

Bonded in Blood


Mike Bennett - 2013
    He develops a particular fondness for La Reina de Corazones - or rather, its landlady, Michelle. David does not approve, and neither does Lydia, for she and the Black Circle have plans for Underwood that definitely do not include Michelle – plans that involve Underwood granting them the vampiric gift of eternal life. And if Underwood won't grant that gift by choice, they'll take it by force.Bonded in Blood, the second of the Underwood and Flinch Chronicles, continues events started in Resurrection. It also reveals how, in the early 18th Century, Underwood became a vampire and how he and the Flinch family became forever Bonded in Blood.Winner of the Polidori Award for Best Vampire Novel 2010 and 2011.Finalist in the 2010 Parsec Awards and Winner in 2012.

Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II


Rudyard Kipling - 2010
    side at the top, and shot into the next hollow, twisting in the descent. A huge swell pushed up exactly under her middle, and her bow and stern hung free with nothing to support them. Then one joking wave caught her up at the bow, and another at the stern, while the rest of the water slunk 251 away from under her just to see how she would like it; so she was held up at her two ends only, and the weight of the cargo and the machinery fell on the groaning iron keels and bilge-stringers. "Ease off! Ease off, there!" roared the garboard-strake. "I want one-eighth of an inch fair play. D' you hear me, you rivets!" "Ease off! Ease off!" cried the bilge-stringers. "Don't hold us so tight to the frames!" "Ease off!" grunted the deck-beams, as the Dimbula rolled fearfully. "You've cramped our knees into the stringers, and we can't move. Ease off, you flat-headed little nuisances." Then two converging seas hit the bows, one on each side, and fell away in torrents of streaming thunder. "Ease off!" shouted the forward collision-bulkhead. "I want to crumple up, but I'm stiffened in every direction. Ease off, you dirty little forge-filings. Let me breathe!" All the hundreds of plates that are riveted to the frames, and make the outside skin of every steamer, echoed the call, for each plate wanted to shift and creep a little, and each plate, according to its position, complained against the rivets. "We can't help it! We can't help it!" they murmured in reply. "We're put here to hold you, and we're going to do it; you never pull us twice in the same direction. If you'd say what 252 you were going to do next, we'd try to meet your views." "As far as I could feel," said the upper-deck planking, and that was four inches thick, "every single iron near me was pushing or pulling in opposite directions. Now, what's the sense of that? My friends, let us all pull together." "Pull any way you please," roared the funnel, "so long as you don't try your experiments on me. I...