Twenty years later, Carly Rocket and her business partner, Mike Holtzer, find themselves inside Stateville Correctional Facility hired to cast extras for a Hollywood movie. Unbeknownst to her, Speck is one of Stateville's inmates. His infamous murders took place only blocks from her childhood home leaving her with deep emotional wounds. Discovering that Speck is enjoying his life behind bars, Carly is outraged and conspires with a guard to make a video tape of Speck's uninhibited life in an attempt to change prison regulations. But it backfires, and suddenly Carly finds herself in danger of becoming Speck's ninth victim.

    From the cornfields of Ohio to the gritty slums of Chicago, a bloody kitchen in a Back Bay townhouse, New York's Washington Square, and the nation's Capitol itself, the hunt is on. Someone with a penchant for sharp scalpels and embalming tables is planting bodies under other people's names, and if Talbott doesn't stop them, he and his quirky new girlfriend Sandy Kasmarek will be next on the Undertaker's list. Reviewer Comments on the Author's earlier novels:The New Yorker: "A thriller in the purest cliffhanger vein . . . Mr. Brown's technique is flawless."Publisher's Weekly: "Writing in the vein of Forsythe and Follett, Brown has produced a fast paced thriller . . . "Worldwide Library: "William F. Brown has written a mesmerizing tale . . . making the unlikely seem all too real . . . explosive, fast paced action." The Orlando Sentinel: "Brown's novel is a rainy-day adventure with each chapter ending with a cliff-hanging ending." The Newport News VA Daily Press: "A thrilling tale of espionage. His novel never stands still for a second . . . An espionage thriller about a Cairo missile crisis you'll want to read right through in one sitting . . . Brown ought to start writing the film script now." The Virginia Gazette: "It's the stuff of a real good read."McNaughton Book Service: "Tightly plotted suspense in a fast-paced terrorist thriller."South Bend Tribune: "An exceptional book of adventure, intrigue and history... strong figures . . . a well-constructed, powerful story that predicts certain Armageddon." Richmond Times Dispatch: "Author hits the mark with his first novel."

    This free eBook sampler is a curated volume of excerpts from new and upcoming titles from New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors including Wait for You by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout); three books by Cora Carmack: Losing It, Faking It and Finding It; Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs; Foreplay by Sophie Jordan; three books by Molly McAdams: Taking Chances, From Ashes and Forgiving Lies; and The Registry by Shannon Stoker.

    The worst sin he’s ever committed bubbles up, threatening to destroy his future.Are the Zodiac killings a coincidence or is someone toying with him, and if so… who?

    Beginning with a frank examination of the tragedy of the Catholic clergy abuse scandal, Coren addresses some of them most common attacks on Catholics and Catholicism. Tracing Catholic history, he deconstructs popular and frequent anti-Catholic arguments regarding the Church and the Crusades, the Inquisition, Galileo, and the Holocaust. He examines Catholic theology and central pillars of Catholic belief, explaining why Catholics believe what they do: papal infallibility, immaculate conception, the Church rather than Bible alone. Finally, he explores the dignity of life argument and why it is so important to Catholicism. In this challenging and thought-provoking book, Michael Coren demolishes often propagated myths about the Church's beliefs and teachings, and in doing so, opens a window onto Catholicism, which, he writes, "is as important now as it ever was and perhaps even more necessary."

    As niece of the Church of Scientology's leader David Miscavige, she grew up at the center of this controversial organization. At 21, she made a break, risking everything she'd ever known and loved to leave Scientology once and for all. Now she speaks out about her life, the Church, her escape, going deep inside a religion that, for decades, has been the subject of fierce debate and speculation worldwide.Piercing the veil of secrecy that has shrouded the world of Scientology, this insider reveals unprecedented firsthand knowledge of the religion, its rituals and its mysterious leader—David Miscavige. From her prolonged separation from her parents as a small child to being indoctrinated to serve the Church, from her lack of personal freedoms to the organization's emphasis on celebrity recruitment, Jenna goes behind the scenes of Scientology's oppressive and alienating culture, detailing an environment rooted in control in which the most devoted followers often face the harshest punishments when out of line. Detailing some of the Church's notorious practices, she also describes a childhood of isolation and neglect—a childhood that, painful as it was, prepared her for a tough life in the Church's most devoted order, the Sea Org. Despite this hardship, it's only when her family approaches dissolution and her world begins to unravel that she's finally able to see the patterns of stifling conformity and psychological control that have ruled her life. Faced with a heartbreaking choice, she mounts a courageous escape, but not before being put thru the ultimate test of family, faith and love. Captivating and disturbing, Beyond Belief is an exploration of the limits of religion and the lengths to which some went to break free.

    Now, Carl Hoffman uncovers startling new evidence that finally tells the full, astonishing story.Despite exhaustive searches, no trace of Rockefeller was ever found. Soon after his disappearance, rumors surfaced that he'd been killed and ceremonially eaten by the local Asmat—a native tribe of warriors whose complex culture was built around sacred, reciprocal violence, head hunting, and ritual cannibalism. The Dutch government and the Rockefeller family denied the story, and Michael's death was officially ruled a drowning. Yet doubts lingered. Sensational rumors and stories circulated, fueling speculation and intrigue for decades. The real story has long waited to be told—until now.Retracing Rockefeller's steps, award-winning journalist Carl Hoffman traveled to the jungles of New Guinea, immersing himself in a world of headhunters and cannibals, secret spirits and customs, and getting to know generations of Asmat. Through exhaustive archival research, he uncovered never-before-seen original documents and located witnesses willing to speak publically after fifty years.In Savage Harvest he finally solves this decades-old mystery and illuminates a culture transformed by years of colonial rule, whose people continue to be shaped by ancient customs and lore. Combining history, art, colonialism, adventure, and ethnography, Savage Harvest is a mesmerizing whodunit, and a fascinating portrait of the clash between two civilizations that resulted in the death of one of America's richest and most powerful scions.

    Communities where heroin had never been seen before—from Charlotte, NC and Huntington, WVA, to Salt Lake City and Portland, OR—were overrun with it. Local police and residents were stunned. How could heroin, long considered a drug found only in the dense, urban environments along the East Coast, and trafficked into the United States by enormous Colombian drug cartels, be so incredibly ubiquitous in the American heartland? Who was bringing it here, and perhaps more importantly, why were so many townspeople suddenly eager for the comparatively cheap high it offered?With the same dramatic drive of El Narco and Methland, Sam Quinones weaves together two classic tales of American capitalism: The stories of young men in Mexico, independent of the drug cartels, in search of their own American Dream via the fast and enormous profits of trafficking cheap black-tar heroin to America’s rural and suburban addicts; and that of Purdue Pharma in Stamford, Connecticut, determined to corner the market on pain with its new and expensive miracle drug, Oxycontin; extremely addictive in its own right. Quinones illuminates just how these two stories fit together as cause and effect: hooked on costly Oxycontin, American addicts were lured to much cheaper black tar heroin and its powerful and dangerous long-lasting high. Embroiled alongside the suppliers and buyers are DEA agents, local, small-town sheriffs, and the US attorney from eastern Virginia whose case against Purdue Pharma and Oxycontin made him an enemy of the Bush-era Justice Department, ultimately stalling and destroying his career in public service.Dreamland is a scathing and incendiary account of drug culture and addiction spreading to every part of the American landscape.

    That’s why she had to die.Grace is living through every mother’s worst nightmare. Her student daughter Abi went away on a dream vacation - and was murdered.Overwhelmed by grief, and fighting off old demons which have resurfaced, Grace tries to make sense of it – who would want to kill her beautiful girl?But as she learns more about Abi’s life, she realises she didn’t know her own daughter very well. How did Abi acquire all those designer clothes? And what was she doing on those mysterious trips to the city?Grace desperately needs to find answers. But soon it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her digging into Abi’s secret past. Someone who knows how to use Grace’s own weaknesses against her, sending her on a journey to the darkest hell…The Arrangement is a gripping psychological thriller that builds to a stunning climax. Perfect for fans of K. L. Slater, Teresa Driscoll, and Andrew Hart.

    Like the bungling burglar who logged on to his own Facebook page at his victim's house - and forgot to turn the computer off when he left, or the stupid bank robber who made his escape in his own car - complete with personalised number plates, or the idiotic criminal who tried to hand himself into the police... in order to collect the reward. Award-winning writer Andrew Penman has scoured the country for this hilarious collection of those who are not just bad, but also dim very dim. 'Andrew Penman enjoys a laugh at the expense of Britain's most stupid burglars' - The Mirror 'Exploits so dim-witted it's surprising they ever managed to keep themselves breathing long enough to commit any crime' - Wales Online Illustrated with cartoons drawn by Neil Kerber.

    And Casey’s instinct, as ever, is to say yes. With long term foster son Tyler off to football, and no particular plans for the weekend, even the fact that Connor arrives in what looks like a prison van doesn’t phase her – after all, challenging children are what she and Mike have trained for. And how much trouble can he really be? He’s eight.A lot, as it turns out.Connor is as streetwise as they come, and, hurt and angry, seems determined to cause trouble from the off. But despite the attitude, there’s something strangely endearing about their little visitor that makes Casey want to tease out the frightened child behind the swagger. So much so that, with Connor and Tyler getting on so well, she wonders – should they say they’ll keep him longer? It seems like the easiest decision in the world …

    The detective who checked it out soon discovered she was a welfare cheat who drove a Cadillac to collect ill-gotten government checks. And that was just the beginning: Taylor, it turned out, was also a kidnapper, and possibly a murderer. A desperately ill teacher, a combat-traumatized Marine, an elderly woman hungry for companionship; after Taylor came into their lives, all three ended up dead under suspicious circumstances. But nobody--not the journalists who touted her story, not the police, and not presidential candidate Ronald Reagan--seemed to care about anything but her welfare thievery.Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Taylor was made an outcast because of her color. As she rose to infamy, the press and politicians manipulated her image to demonize poor black women. Part social history, part true-crime investigation, Josh Levin's mesmerizing book, the product of six years of reporting and research, is a fascinating account of American racism and an expose of the "welfare queen" myth, one that fueled political debates that reverberate to this day. The Queen tells, for the first time, the fascinating story of what was done to Linda Taylor, what she did to others, and what was done in her name.

    His group, The Raiders, are about to be signed by one of Manchester's leading theatrical agents. He is head over heels in love with Jane Wilson. The pair are looking forward to an exciting future until his ex-girlfriend Angie Turner announces she is expecting his baby. Eddie is forced into a hasty marriage, gives up the group and finds menial employment in a paint factory to support his wife and son. His dream of becoming a famous rock drummer is the one thing keeping him going.Eddie's luck is about to change for the better when he hears that Jane has broken off her recent engagement. The pair meet secretly and begin a passionate affair. Roy Cantello, lead singer with The Raiders persuades him to re-join the group. Following Angie's untimely death alongside her lover, Richard Price, Eddie and Jane marry and take on the responsibility of raising Eddie's son, Jonny.Their happiness is under threat when their new baby daughter Jessica goes missing while the group is touring Europe. Presumed kidnapped for ransom, due to the groups' high profile, it soon becomes apparent that the baby has been taken by Jane's mentally disturbed ex, Mark Fisher, who believes that Jane is his wife and Jessica his daughter. He takes the baby to his step-family on The Isle of Wight.As the police move in, Jessica is rescued but Mark jumps to his death over cliffs at The Needles beauty spot. As life begins to return to normal for Eddie and Jane, The Raiders top the British and American charts and Eddie feels that life can only get better. Then he is dealt the cruellest blow of all when he learns that the son he adores is not his child...This is a gritty tale of love, betrayal, kidnap and rock'n'roll set in the 1960's The first in a trilogy about The Raiders through the decades.

    But when verifying information about Federal Judge Brenda Thompson, it becomes clear that she’s lying about a 3-week gap in her past that occurred between college and law school. Her old roommate could provide answers, but she’s missing.   Soon, Monk has a dead body on his hands, and he and Special Agent Lisa Sands are plunged into a maelstrom of deceit, corruption, and murder that reaches the highest levels of government. Monk is determined to blow the lid off a massive cover-up, but he may not be able to contain the fallout as the truth starts to emerge. Amid escalating violence, the FBI agent orchestrates a sting that will force a killer from the shadows—a cunning adversary who has his own plan for taking out Monk.

    Real teens. Real crimes.A group of teens traffic drugs between Mexico and California in this start to the brand-new Simon True series.It’s 1971 in Coronado, a small southern California beach town. For seventeen year-old Eddie Otero, a skilled waterman and avid surfer, life is simple. Then a buddy makes him an offer: Swim an illicit package across the border from Mexico. The intense workout is dangerous. Thrilling. Lucrative. And the beginning of a small business.When the young entrepreneurs involve their former high school Spanish teacher, the smuggling adventure grows into a $100 million dollar global operation.Soon they become fugitives. Living on the edge, they vow to return to their normal lives — right after one last run….