SUMMARY:
The latest title from popular Forgotten Realms® author Richard Lee Byers. The dead are restless in the magic-rich realm of Thay, and an evil necromancer begins to gather them to his cause--a cause that will change the face of Faerûn forever. "From the Paperback edition."

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In the early days of the 20th Century, two gunslingers prowl the badlands of the American wild-west - guns for hire, professional killers whose only allegiance is to the highest bidder. Meanwhile, in the remote Dead Hills of Eastern Oregon, a mysterious Victorian mansion stands isolated from civilization. It is home to Professor Hawkline, his beautiful daughters, and the secret laboratory that lies hidden within the ice caves deep beneath the house. But something has gone horribly wrong with the professor's experiments and the monster he has unwittingly created is loose somewhere in Hawkline Manor, threatening the lives of all who live there. So the beautiful daughters dispatch Magic Child, a fifteen-year-old Indian girl, to hire the gunmen and rescue their father from oblivion. Sounds weird? You ain't seen nothing yet. This modern American classic is published to mark the 25th anniversary of the author's death. It celebrates Brautigan at his wry and gently understated, playful best.

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Amazon.com Review

When Calvin Jeffries's body is found in the courthouse parking garage, eyes widen and horrified tongues wag. The fact that Jeffries was a thoroughly reprehensible human being doesn't detract from the notoriety of the first murder of a sitting Oregon judge. Defense attorney extraordinaire Joe Antonelli has a long history with Jeffries. Years ago the judge threw him into jail for contempt in a vain attempt to deter Antonelli from winning yet another case. But one of Antonelli's colleagues suffered even more. As the curious Antonelli pieces together fragments of the legendary judge's past, he discovers that Jeffries apparently drove Elliott Winston insane, had him committed, and married his wife. If only Elliott weren't still securely in the psychiatric hospital, what a sterling suspect he'd make!

But the police find the killer, a homeless man with the murder weapon and a willingness to confess, who promptly commits suicide after being taken into custody. The legal community breathes a sigh of relief--until a second judge is murdered in the same manner. When another homeless man is arrested, Antonelli's "bizarre coincidence" antennae start to quiver, and he offers his services to the defendant. So convinced is he of Danny's innocence that he plunges undercover into the vagrant's world, searching for evidence of a setup. But his discoveries seem to point directly to the impossible--for how could Elliott Winston, safely tucked behind bars, be the murderer?

At some point during The Judgment (the exact moment will vary according to individual tolerance), you may find yourself putting the book aside and picking up an Elmore Leonard for an emergency infusion of quality dialogue. Along with everyone with whom he comes in contact, Antonelli suffers from an apparent speech impediment that usually makes him sound like a particularly pompous 19th-century pundit.

When author D.W. Buffa lets his courtroom savvy take center stage, the novel moves along briskly (even though Antonelli takes some rather remarkable legal liberties, it's all in good fun). The subplot involving the return of Antonelli's high-school sweetheart, however, feels less integral than afterthought-ish. Though Buffa tries to tie everything together at the end with a heavily contrived twist that probably set O. Henry yawning in his grave, the novel's final note isn't one of ringing irony. It's more like a dull thud. --Kelly Flynn

From Publishers Weekly

Inventing a perfectly odious victim and an obvious killer with the perfect alibi, Buffa cooks up a convoluted legal thriller littered with plot-twist land mines that explode when least expected. Toss in a poignant midlife romance and an innocent, put-upon defendant, and you have a novel with wide appeal. So few people grieve when loathsome circuit judge Calvin Jeffries is stabbed to death and gutted in the courthouse parking garage that it comes as a shock when the confessed killer is revealed to be a homeless man with no apparent ties to the victim. When a second sharp-tongued judge is killed the same way in the same spot, the cops call it a copycat killing and arrest a retarded homeless man on an anonymous tip, finding him with the murder weapon. Seasoned defense attorney Joseph Antonelli, himself a particularly maligned target of the venomous Jeffries, is persuaded to take the case and becomes convinced that both murders were planned by the same brilliant criminal one Antonelli is particularly familiar with, since the man once shot him. Antonelli's investigator, disbarred lawyer and recovering alcoholic Howard Flynn, sees his own dead son in the retarded defendant and throws himself wholeheartedly into the case. Unfortunately, Antonelli's suspect has been in the state home for the criminally insane for the past 12 years and could not possibly have committed the crimes. Meanwhile, bachelor Antonelli's high school sweetheart re-enters his life after a bout with manic depression and a rough divorce. Buffa (The Prosecution) once again produces a fast-spinning tale that jolts and veers enticingly off-track, but always stays comfortably in sight of the main objective. Well-developed characters and the rich Portland, Ore., milieu add depth to this excellent thriller. Agent, Wendy Sherman. Major ad/ promo; author tour; audio.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Review

"There are fewer greater pleasures in a reader's life than witnessing a writer whose work they have enjoyed reached a new plateau in their storytelling skills, and such is the case here... Broaddus delivers in a voice that both whispers and roars and cannot be ignored." - Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck

"Maurice Broaddus' writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets... For some, King Maker is going to be the best read of 2010." - FantasyLiterature.com

"King Maker is a fascinating novel... [and] should be on every SF fan's shelf." - Adam Christopher

"Deft characterization, authentic dialogue, exciting plot... Maurice Broaddus has definitely brought his A-game to this urban joust." - Gene O'Neill

"_King Maker's_ strength is its ability to stay true-to-life even when the fantasy components come into play..." - Nick Cato, _Stem Shots

_"It’s impossible to approach a new version of the timeless tale [of King Arthur] without asking, 'Do we really need this version?' I’m pleased to report that Maurice Broaddus provides many compelling answers to this question, answers which led me to conclude with a resounding 'yes.'" - The Sci-Fi Guys Book Review

Product Description

FROM THE DRUG GANGS OF DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS, THE ONE TRUE KING WILL ARISE.

The King Arthur myth gets dramatically retold through the eyes of street hustler King, as he tries to unite the crack dealers, gangbangers and the monsters lurking within them to do the right thing. From the drug gangs of downtown Indianapolis, the one true king will arise. The King Arthur myth gets dramatically retold through the eyes of street hustler King, as he tries to unite the crack dealers, gangbangers and the monsters lurking within them to do the right thing. Broaddus' debut is a stunning, edgy work, genuinely unlike anything you've ever read.

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Street Gangs | Drug Wars | Ancient Bloodline | Dragon Rising ]

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SUMMARY:
FROM THE DRUG GANGS OF DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS, THE ONE TRUE KING WILL ARISE. Guided by the crazed visions of his advisor Merle, King knows that he must unite the opposing factions, before the streets erupt in all-out war. But how can he preach peace when even his own warriors are plotting against him? A heart-stopping mix of ancient myth and powerful gang action, from the author of King Maker.File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Street gangs | Drug wars | Wild magic | Gather darkness ]

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Four-year degree in business. Trained in hand-to-hand combat. Works well with zombies. This is the resume of the last mailman on Earth. The world we knew has been overrun and destroyed by reanimated corpses. One man routinely leaves behind safety and comfort to find the people and things we’ve long abandoned. He battles the elements. He battles insanity. But mostly, he battles zombies.

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Amazon.com Review

James Rollins Reviews *The Paris Vendetta*

James Rollins is the author of six thrillers in the bestselling Sigma Force series (Sandstorm, Map of Bones, Black Order, The Judas Strain, The Last Oracle, and The Doomsday Key); the movie novelization, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; and several stand-alone thrillers. Read his guest review of The Paris Vendetta:

I’ve known Steve Berry since the beginning of his career. Back in 2002, he approached me to read his first novel, The Amber Room, for a cover blurb. The book’s description definitely intrigued me, hinting at a story involving lost treasures, historical mysteries, and characters both compelling and repellant. Still, I turned the first page with a skeptical eye, wondering how a debut author would fare with such a big story. But within a matter of pages, skepticism faded, and awe rose. I read that book in one long sitting and closed the cover and thought: This guy is going to have a huge career. So, of course, I was happy to provide a blurb for that book. By the way, another struggling author was also impressed with the novel and described it as "my kind of thriller--a globe-trotting treasure hunt with exotic locales and ruthless villains." That little-known author was Dan Brown.

As years rolled by, my first gut reaction to Steve’s writing proved prophetic. His career rocketed after that first book as he produced story after story of nail-biting adventures that spanned the world: from the Russian steppes to the Egyptian desert to the icy caves of Antarctica. He’s since become branded as the king of intrigue, a master at folding ancient mysteries into ripped-from-the-headlines adventures. His books have dealt with Vatican prophecies, cures for AIDS, lost ancient libraries, even the discovery of a lost civilization. Over the years, he’s gathered a huge international following, climbing bestseller charts around the world.

So I picked up his latest book, The Paris Vendetta, and eyed it again with a bit of jaded skepticism. Surely he must have run out of steam. Who could keep producing masterworks of such precise plotting, complicated characters, and heart-pounding adventure year after year? So I settled into my favorite chair and turned the first page of The Paris Vendetta. Within a matter of paragraphs, I was riding with Napoleon through the scorching Egyptian desert, climbing the Great Pyramid for a midnight rendezvous, and discovering something earth-shattering was afoot. But what was it? A few pages later, his main character, the resourceful Cotton Malone, struggles to survive a firefight in his bookstore in Copenhagen. I found myself holding my breath, wincing as the suspense grew as taut as an assassin’s garrote, and quickly became embroiled in a conspiracy that trailed back centuries.

As I read that book, the hours vanished. Pages continued to fly by. And once again I was hooked. No, more than hooked... I was lost. In the end, that is the true magic and mastery of this man’s writing, the true reason he has become the king of intrigue. You don’t just read a Steve Berry novel. You live it. --James Rollins


From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Berry deftly blends contemporary suspense and historical mystery in his fifth novel to feature former U.S. Justice Department operative Cotton Malone (after The Charlemagne Pursuit). Danish billionaire Henrik Thorvaldsen, a friend of Malone's, has become consumed with finding out who masterminded the slaughter outside a Mexico City courthouse two years earlier that killed seven people, including his young diplomat son. Once he learns that a wealthy British aristocrat was behind the outrage, Thorvaldsen gets entangled in a conspiracy that involves an elite group of ruthless financial experts planning to destabilize the global economy, a terrorist plot to destroy a European landmark, and a legendary cache hidden by Napoleon. Malone soon finds himself in a desperate struggle to save not only Thorvaldsen's life but the lives of countless innocents as well. While the plot takes a few predictable turns, this well-crafted thriller also offers plenty of surprises. 5-city author tour. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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From Booklist

Nika Madison will go to any lengths to prove that her sister Tori is not dead, but rather a prisoner of the monstrous Synestryn. When Nika escapes the Sentinels’ stronghold to dig up the bones purported to be Tori’s remains, she is attacked by ravening sgath. Madoc, a Theronai warrior who is close to losing his soul, saves her. Nika is horribly pained by the touch of Theronai men who hope the blood in her veins is their redemption, but she finds Madoc’s touch enjoyable. When Tori, pregnant by an evil monster, realizes her captor is using her to lure Nika, she tries to sever their psychic link. But Nika is determined to save her sister before she gives birth, and finds new strength through a bond with Madoc that thrusts them and the other Sentinels into a violent and bloody battle. Myriad characters, multiple subplots, complex relationships, and overwhelming love build to a kaleidoscopic climax. The fourth book in Butcher’s Sentinels series continues to unite couples and forces of good against the demonic forces of evil. --Diana Tixier Herald

Product Description

For nine years, the Sentinel Nika has had one goal-to save her younger sister from the Synestryn who hold her captive. Now, the psychic bond Nika forged with her sibling on that terrible night is fading, and time is running out. But the one man who can unlock the power inside her may be the greatest danger to her.

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Product Description

Hope appeared out of nowhere, naked and alone, a woman without a past. The only thing she knows is that she is imbued with a strange power. It's in her blood. And two men want to posses it. One is Logan, a Sanguiner demon-fighter who needs Hope's essence to survive. The other is Krag, a Synestryn lord whose desire is to enslave Hope, and drain her of the lifeforce. When Hope and Logan both fall prey to Krag, a powerful desire grows between them. But is it enough to thwart their captor's diabolical plan and his demon warriors, and survive a vampire's destiny written in blood?

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Second Edition - Revised with commentary from Darrell Bain and Jeanine Berry.Change your sex; change your life! One day thousand of gates suddenly and mysteriously appear on Earth. No one knows where they are from. Some think it is the start of an alien invasion. Others credit God. When the old and the sick go through these gates, they become young again and their illnesses disappear. But there are several problems! Not everyone makes it through the first time. Some people simply disappear. When you go through a gate, your sex changes -- men become women and women become men. And no one can go back through the gate a second time. Everyone who tries disappears. When Don accidentally falls through a gate and becomes Donna, he and his friends face a life-changing adventure, for THE SEX GATES are more than they seem to be.

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Product Description

Saying Toby Klein is an unlikely cheerleader is like saying Paris Hilton might be into guys–understatement of the year. But as a Bayport High cheerleader and an undercover government operative, she’s living a life that’s anything but typical. Being on the Squad has its benefits, but just as Toby is getting the hang of protocol and pep rallies, fate kicks things up a notch.

From the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes wrote her first book when she was still a teenager, and she is currently hard at work on her next. Visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com. She lives in Oklahoma.

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Product Description

Bayport High’s Varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. They have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkeys and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.

From the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes wrote her first book when she was still a teenager, and she is currently hard at work on her next. Visit her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com. She lives in Oklahoma.

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The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power over kings and popes...until the Inquisition, when the Knights were wiped from the face of the earth, their riches left hidden – forever? Cotton Malone is enjoying his quiet new life as an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen, when he is unexpectedly plunged back into the cloak-and-dagger world he thought he’d left behind at the U.S. Justice Department. Cotton’s former supervisor, Stephanie Nelle, is in Europe on a personal mission: armed with vital clues to a series of centuries-old puzzles, she means to crack a mystery that has tantalized scholars and fortune-hunters through the ages – by finding the legendary cache of wealth and forbidden knowledge thought to be lost forever when the order of the Knights Templar was exterminated in the 14th Century. But she’s not alone. Someone else is competing for the historic prize – and they are prepared to kill to win. Cotton is soon involved in the perilous race. But the more he learns about the ancient conspiracy surrounding the Templars, the more he realizes that not only lives are at stake. At the end of a lethal game rife with intrigue, treachery and lust for power, lies a shattering discovery that could rock the civilized world – and, in the wrong hands, bring it to its knees.<

His best work since 1967's Trout Fishing in America, this assortment of essays and short stories is like a photo album of Brautigan's annual journeys between his favorite city, Tokyo, and his home, Montana's Paradise Valley (PEOPLE, Nov. 3). 

His perceptions as a traveler flash-freeze into snapshots: a Japanese family running while carrying ice-cream cones, a sad woman on a Tokyo train, a bed salesman with no customers, six crows eating a truck tire in the dead of winter. The small adventures of country living are interwoven with the bizarre encounters of the ultra-urban environment. While fact and fantasy sometimes blur, the pages are spiced with shrewd insights, whimsy and musings. 

The author coyly disowns the autobiographical details, insisting in his preface that it is really the story of the "train" of the title. That conceit aside, the funny, fast-paced reading is worth the fare.
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Review

"THE TURTLE BOY is fresh in a way that most horror fiction is not. It is equal parts hopeful and shocking, mixing carefully drawn scenes of horror with passages that sing with innocent wonder." --Mark Justice, HELLNOTES

"_The Turtle Boy_ is a literate and haunting novella and serves as a fine showcase for the remarkable talent of its author." --Drew Williams, SURREAL Magazine

"Creepy and atmospheric, it will make you reminisce about your own youthful summers, but also make you look at them in a slightly different, darker light." --Ron Dickie, HORROR WORLD

"[a] disturbing coming-of-age story..." --Publishers Weekly

"Burke masterfully recreates that magical time from childhood: summer vacation...More than a simple trip down memory lane, the short novel pulls readers along a dark path toward horrifying events." --SFReader

Product Description

Available for the first time on Amazon Kindle, Kealan Patrick Burke's Bram Stoker Award-winning coming of age story The Turtle Boy.

School is out and summer has begun. For eleven year old Timmy Quinn and his best friend Pete Marshall, the dreary town of Delaware Ohio becomes a place of magic, hidden treasure and discovery.

But on the day they encounter a strange young boy sitting on the bank of Myers Pond a pond playground rumor says may hide turtles the size of Buicks everything changes.

For it soon becomes apparent that dark secrets abound in the little community, secrets which come cupped in the hands of the dead, and in a heartbeat, Timmy and Petes summer of wonder becomes a season of terror, betrayal and murder.

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At eleven years of age, Timmy Quinn's ordinary life was abruptly thrown into chaos by the revelation that there exists a separate plane of existence reserved solely for the vengeful spirits of the murdered. But he's not the only one cursed with such an ability. Elsewhere, as young Timmy's life begins to change, another boy is reborn into the realm of the dead. A boy named Peregrine.

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