The first victim is Dylan Vogler, a charming ex-convict who manages the Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. When his body is found, inspectors discover that his knapsack is filled with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco's A-list flocked to Bay Beans West not only for their caffeine fix.

But how much did Maya Townshend – the beautiful socialite niece of the city's mayor, and the absentee owner of the shop – know about what was going on inside her business? And how intimate had she really been with Dylan, her old college friend?

As another of Maya's acquaintances falls victim to murder, and as the names of the dead men's celebrity, political, and even law-enforcement customers come to light, tabloid-fueled controversy takes the investigation into the realms of conspiracy and cover-up. Prosecutors close in on Maya, who has a deep secret of her own – a secret she needs to protect at all costs during her very public trial, where not only her future but the entire political landscape of San Francisco hangs in the balance, hostage to an explosive secret that Dismas Hardy is privilegebound to protect.

In 2009, Joseph Finder introduced Nick Heller – a 'private spy' who finds out things powerful people want to keep hidden – in the New York Times bestselling novel Vanished. Now, in Buried Secrets, Nick Heller returns, finding himself in the middle of a life-or-death situation that's both high-profile and intensely personal. Nick has returned to his old home town of Boston to set up his own shop. There he's urgently summoned by an old family friend. Hedge fund titan Marshall Marcus desperately needs Nick's help. His eighteen-year-old daughter, Alexandra, has just been kidnapped. Her abduction was clearly a sophisticated, professional job, done with extraordinary precision, leaving no trace evidence. Alexandra, whom Nick has known since she was an infant, is now buried alive, held prisoner in an underground crypt, a camera trained on her, her suffering streaming live over the internet for all to see. She's been left with a limited supply of food and water and, if her father doesn't meet the demands of her shadowy kidnappers, she'll die. And as Nick begins to probe, he discovers that his old friend Marshall Marcus seems to have been running a Ponzi scheme. His fund has collapsed, the FBI has arrested him, and now he's become the most hated man in America. He has a lot of powerful enemies who may have the motivation to go after his daughter. But to find out who's holding Alexandra Marcus hostage, Nick has to find out why. And once he does, he uncovers an astonishing conspiracy that reaches up to the highest levels of government. If he's going to find Alexandra, he has to flush out and confront some of the most deadly opponents ever…before time runs out.

From the author of the provocative hit memoir Loose Girl, this is an eye-opening look at the dangerous, secretive world of today’s adolescent girls who use casual sex as a means to prove their worth-to boys, to friends, and to themselves. Cohen examines how we got to this point, where young women use male attention like a drug and why they keep going back, even though the behavior is often self-destructive. Featuring current research and interviews with over 70 girls, this is a wake-up call for parents everywhere that’s not to be missed.

It’s hard to fall in love with an earnest, appealing young hero like Harry Potter and then to watch helplessly as he steps into terrible danger! And in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, he is in terrible danger indeed. As if it’s not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys he is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts.

Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry, and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy is out to get him. Soon it’s not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at Hogwarts. The mysteriously gleaming, foot-high words on the wall proclaim, “The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.” But what exactly does it mean? Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible—including risking their own lives—to solve this 50-year-old, seemingly deadly mystery. This deliciously suspenseful novel is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns—fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors—seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. Once again, Rowling writes with a combination of wit, whimsy, and a touch of the macabre that will leave readers young and old desperate for the next installment.

Harry Potter fait une rentrée fracassante en voiture volante à l'école des sorciers. Cette deuxième année ne s'annonce pas de tout repos... surtout depuis qu'une étrange malédiction s'est abattue sur les élèves. Entre les cours de potion magique, les matches de Quidditch et les combats de mauvais sorts, Harry et ses amis Ron et Hermione trouveront-ils le temps de percer le mystère de la Chambre des Secrets? Un livre magique pour sorciers confirmés.

Twelve-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi desperately wants to be a Jedi Knight. After years at the Jedi Temple, he knows the power of the lightsaber and the Force. But he cannot control his own anger and fear. Because of this, the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn will not take him on as a Padawan apprentice.

Now Obi-Wan is about to have his first encounter with true evil. He must face off against unexpected enemies — and face up to his own dark wishes.

Only then can his education as a Jedi truly begin.

For generations, the firstborn children of the rulers of the planet Rutan and the moon Senali have been exchanged at the age of seven. This was meant to promote peace and understanding between the societies. Now it has led them to the brink of war.

Leed, the heir to the Rutan throne, does not want to return to his home planet. His father will stop at nothing to get him back. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi must prevent this rift from turning to bloodshed.

It is their hardest challenge yet.

Nobody knows her name. Nobody knows when she will strike. All they know is that she is a deadly bounty hunter — and her latest mission has taken her to Coruscant, home of the Jedi.

Her target: an old friend of Qui-Gon Jinn's.

Qui-Gon and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, make an attempt to catch her…and fail. Now they are her targets, too.

An evil scientist is imprisoning and torturing Jedi to find the secret behind the Force. She taps their emotions, monitors their actions…and then drains them of their blood.

Qui-Gon Jinn is now her captive.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is desperately searching for his Master. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon must match wits with one of the most dangerous enemies he has ever encountered.

His survival depends on it.

Murder. Kidnapping. Torture.

Jenna Zan Arbor will stop at nothing in her quest to discover the secrets of the Force — and use them for her own power and greed. One Jedi remains in her dangerous grasp. And a whole planet is being held hostage by her sinister plans.

Only a single team of Jedi stands in her way…

Six years ago, Qui-Gon Jinn and Tahl helped the people of the planet Apsolon choose their first free leader. It seemed that peace had arrived at last.

Now the leader has been killed. His daughters have been kidnapped. And Qui-Gon and Tahl have returned to Apsolon with Qui-Gon's apprentice Obi-Wan — against the wishes of the Jedi Council.

The ties that bind Qui-Gon and Tahl are about to experience their most powerful test yet.

"I pledge myself to you, Tahl."

"I pledge myself to you, Qui-Gon."

With these words, two Jedi Knights acknowledged that their bond had grown beyond friendship and into love.

Now Tahl has been abducted in a trap that Qui-Gon feels he should have foreseen. Consumed by dark visions, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi must do everything in their power to get her back before it's too late. But that won't be easy in a land where nobody can be trusted…and everyone has something to hide.

Qui-Gon Jinn is a man on the edge. His heart has been shattered. His beliefs have been destroyed. And now he is dangerously close to stepping over a line that no Jedi dares to cross.

He wants revenge.

His fellow Jedi — his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi Council member Mace Windu — will try to stop him. But when Qui-Gon strikes out on his own, anything can happen. Revenge is not a Jedi trait…but it is a Human one. Can Qui-Gon separate his personal feelings from his Jedi training?

An evil crime family controls the fate of a planet. Only one witness can bring them down — someone from the inside. In order to make it off the planet to testify, she's going to need the protection of the Jedi.

Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi take the assignment, thinking it will be easy. But nothing is ever easy when crime is concerned, and soon the two Jedi are entangled in a violent web of power, corruption, and lies. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan know their allegiance is to the witness. But can she be trusted?

When Obi-Wan Kenobi started off as Qui-Gon Jinn's Jedi apprentice, he was just a boy. Now, on the verge of manhood, he is starting on the path that will lead him to become a Jedi Knight…and the master of his own fate.

As Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon investigate a strange wave of planetary sabotages, they find their relationship shifting — sometimes in a dangerous direction. As events turn deadly, their lives may never be the same again.

Qui-Gon Jinn's past is not at rest. How can he forge a bond with young Obi-Wan Kenobi while he is haunted by the betrayal of his first apprentice—Xanatos? Xanatos was also a promising student—until the dark side of the Force intervened. Qui-Gon thought he was gone forever.

But now Xanatos is back.

And he wants revenge.

After Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn are hijacked to the planet Phindar, they find themselves trapped in a world gone mad. The ruling Syndicat controls the people by erasing their memories. The planet's only hope lies with a band of thieving rebels.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are caught in a mind war.

And if they're not careful, their own pasts will be wiped out forever.

A queen is dying. Her angry son is conspiring to thwart his planet's elections and maintain his rule. But he might not be her only heir. There may be another bearing the elusive Mark of the Crown.

Qui-Gon Jinn and young Obi-Wan Kenobi come to the planet of Gala as guardians of peace. Now they are facing a deadly battle for power and royal position.

The true heir must be found.

The Jedi must find the way.

The Defenders of the Dead live in the past while they destroy the future. They face a revolt of the Young — a band of rebels led by two teenagers, Cerasi and Nield.

Thirteen-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn are not supposed to take sides in any war. But once Obi-Wan meets Cerasi and Nield, he feels he must join their fight…even though Qui-Gon forbids it.

The rebellion has become personal.

And Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are on opposing sides.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is no longer a Jedi. He has chosen instead to be a part of the revolution on the planet Melida/Daan. His Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, has gone back to Coruscant, where trouble is stirring inside the Jedi Temple.

Obi-Wan takes comfort in his friends, the other leaders of the revolution. Together they have power—perhaps too much power. As the revolution continues, friends become enemies, and Obi-Wan's path grows more and more uncertain. Qui-Gon is no longer around to help him.

Obi-Wan is on his own.

The Jedi Temple is under attack. An attempt has been made to kill Yoda. A dangerous intruder has infiltrated the Jedi.

Everybody is under suspicion, and no one is safe from harm. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn must get to the heart of the conspiracy… or watch the Temple be destroyed — from the inside.

Qui-Gon Jinn's evil former apprentice, Xanatos, has set a trap for his old Master. He has lured Qui-Gon and young Obi-Wan Kenobi to his home planet of Telos… and has framed them for a crime they did not commit.

The penalty is death.

Suddenly Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are fugitives on a planet where everyone is an enemy.

Xanatos' day of reckoning has come.

Most people on the planet Kegan don't want to have anything to do with the rest of the galaxy. But when a young potential Jedi is discovered there, Qui-Gon Jinn, Adi Gallia, and their apprentices, Obi-Wan and Siri, are compelled to visit this strangely isolated world.

They are not welcomed with open arms. Instead, Qui-Gon and Adi find themselves caught in a web of deception while Obi-Wan and Siri are imprisoned in a school where thought is dictated, dissent is forbidden, and detention is permanent.

On this planet, the Jedi must fight for truth…even though nobody wants to face it.

As an apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi is blamed for the death of another Jedi student. With the help of his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan must fight to clear his name. But even if he is found not guilty, he has gained an enemy for life — the dead boy's vindictive father.

Twelve years later, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Knight, with his own young apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin doesn't know about the secrets Obi-Wan is hiding. But as the past comes back to attack them, Obi-Wan and Anakin must fight deception with truth — and face off against enemies both new and old.

Who are the followers of the Sith? Devoted to the study of the dark side of the Force, they live an underground existence…but their threat is growing. Although they do not have Sith power, they are on a constant search for it. Nothing — not even the Jedi Knights — will get in their way.

Dr. Lundi is the leader of the Sith followers. As he gets closer to attaining a Sith Holocron, he comes face-to-face with Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan.

Ten years later, when the Sith followers reappear, Obi-Wan and his own apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, must rely on Lundi to help them. But he is to be feared, not trusted.

The Sith are on the rise. The Jedi must stop them.

JACEN and JAINA

When the Empire died, they were born—a new hope for the New Republic. The young twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia have taken their first steps as Jedi Knights, defeating the evil minions of the Shadow Academy. Now, with their friends Tenel Ka and Lowbacca the Wookiee, the future heroes of an already legendary saga continue their training.

Lowbacca has left the Jedi academy and traveled to the planet Ryloth, headquarters of the Diversity Alliance, to see what the Diversity Alliance is really all about.

On Yavin 4, Jacen, Jaina, and the other young Jedi Knights have already discovered one truth about the Alliance—once you go to Ryloth, you either join, or you die. Lowie is in great danger, and they must rescue him. But what can a small group of humans do against a planet full of hostile aliens?

CHOSEN TO RISE.

DESTINED TO FALL.

Anakin Skywalker is no longer a boy, but not yet a man. Almost thirteen, he has begun to travel on the path that will lead him to glory…and infamy.

In the mysterious caves of Ilum, Anakin must create his lightsaber after confronting the demons of his past — and his future. Once the lightsaber is completed, Anakin joins his Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, on a mission that will cut to the heart of his fear, anger, and power.

When Anakin was a young slave on Tatooine, everyone lived in terror of a creature named Krayn, who kidnapped slaves for his own profit — and killed anyone who got in his way. Now Krayn's evil has grown to a dangerous degree, threatening peace and safe passage throughout the galaxy.

Anakin and Obi-Wan must stop Krayn. But can Obi-Wan also stop Anakin from seeking vengeance against an old enemy?

The path to truth is a clear one.

Anakin's path is not.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

Fourteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker is strong in the ways of the Force. His lightsaber skills are exceptional, and his piloting is legendary. He should be an ideal Jedi apprentice. And yet, there is so much he still has to learn.

It is up to Obi-Wan Kenobi to teach him these things. But on a mission to a planet threatened by toxic disaster, Obi-Wan and Anakin are separated. Anakin and three other apprentices — one of them his rival — must work together in order to survive. Anakin's instincts are clear…but are they right?

Anakin Skywalker's destiny will determine the future of a galaxy. These are the events that form his fate.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

Granta Omega is an evil mastermind who has one goal: to help the Sith destroy the Jedi Order. Now Omega has escaped to the planet of Korriban — home to the tombs of the ancient Sith Lords and their terrible secrets. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker must stop him before his sinister power grows out of control.

They are not alone on this mission. Anakin's rival, Ferus, is also searching for Omega, and Anakin sees this as a contest he must win. But as the dark side of the Force becomes stronger and stronger, there is only one guaranteed outcome for any showdown:

Death.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

Anakin Skywalker knows that Obi-Wan Kenobi did not choose him as an apprentice. Instead, it was the dying wish of Obi-Wan's own Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, that brought them together. Now, Anakin is beginning to doubt his Master's commitment…and Obi-Wan is starting to wonder if he will ever be as good a Master as Qui-Gon.

With these things in mind, Master and apprentice head out on a training exercise that soon turns into a struggle to survive. A squad of bounty hunters has been hired to capture the Jedi—and they will stop at nothing to do it. Anakin and Obi-Wan must avoid the traps and ambushes…and try to discover who is behind the deadly Jedi hunt.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

When Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are sent to the Galactic Games, they are meant to be keepers of the peace. Then they discover an illegal event that Anakin knows all too well: Podracing. Even though Obi-Wan forbids it, Anakin cannot resist the thrill of the race — and the chance to face off against his childhood rival, the loathsome Sebulba.

As a Jedi, Anakin is supposed to let go of his past. But his past will not let go of him.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

How do you defeat an enemy whose riches buy unlimited power?

How do you defeat an enemy who is a master of disguise?

How do you defeat an enemy you cannot find?

Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are facing a very real threat from a very elusive adversary, who is as cunning as he is evil. He will stop at nothing to draw others to the dark side and undermine the Republic. If the Jedi do not stop him, it will mean danger for the whole galaxy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

A Senator's son has vanished. A secret squad of renegade students exists in the shadows of his elite leadership school. Do they have something to do with the disappearance? Or is it linked to the Senator's unseen political foes, who are pushing the planet toward war?

The only way to solve the mystery and maintain peace is for two Jedi apprentices — Anakin Skywalker and his rival, Ferus Olin — to infiltrate one of the fiercest places in the galaxy: school.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

The planet of Mawan has been decimated by war and the resulting chaos. The population has taken refuge underground, while three greedy crimelords battle over food and fuel on the planet's surface. Only one group has a chance at securing peace — the Jedi.

But what if there's something even more sinister behind the chaos? What if the planet is really a trap, with many innocent lives held in the balance?

What if, in order to save Mawan, a Jedi must die?

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

There is increasing tension between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Anakin still feels responsible for the death of a Jedi Council member — a guilt he does not think Obi-Wan can help him overcome.

Obi-Wan feels he is a less-than-perfect Master — trying to teach a less-than-perfect apprentice.

It is with these feelings that Obi-Wan and Anakin head to the last free planets of the Uziel system to make a daring rescue attempt. When the rescue goes awry and Anakin is taken prisoner, the Master and Padawan must overcome their conflict — or a planet will die.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

The planet of Romin is a hotbed of villainy and corruption. It is a refuge for criminals from across the galaxy — including evil scientist Jenna Zan Arbor, an arch-enemy of the Republic.

In order to foil Zan Arbor's insidious plans, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and a team of Jedi must infiltrate Romin — disguised as a band of thieves. Where lawlessness is the law, the Jedi will have to master the art of deception to trap a master deceiver.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Master and apprentice.

Chosen by fate. Destined for conflict.

The Senate makes the laws that ensure peace and justice in the galaxy. It is meant to keep chaos and lawlessness from taking over.

But what if the Senators are not safe? What if they are about to be attacked by powerful and sinister forces?

Under the watchful eye of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi must counter the threat to the Senate — or the whole galaxy might be thrown into a violent darkness.

JACEN and JAINA

When the Empire died they were born—a new hope for the New Republic. The young twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia are now fourteen, and enrolled at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi academy on Yavin 4. Together with friends both old and new, the future heroes of an already legendary saga begin their training.

The day of reckoning is at hand for the young Jedi Knights. The Shadow Academy—with its army of Dark Jedi and Imperial Stormtroopers—has appeared in the sky over Yavin 4. And when a commando raid destroys the shield generator protecting the Jedi academy, there is only one option: to fight.

Now Jacen and Jaina, along with Luke Skywalker and their friends, must trust in the Force and do battle with their sworn enemies—the Dark Jedi Zekk, his master Brakiss, and the loathsome Nightsister Tamith Kai. Victory means a new legacy of Jedi coming of age. Defeat means a final cloak of darkness over the entire galaxy…

FOUR GENERATIONS OF JEDI

ONE COMMON ENEMY

The Jedi Temple is a place of secrets and trust. Inside its walls, a legacy is passed down from generation to generation of peace, justice, and strength. But that legacy can be broken. Sometimes the greatest enemies rise from within…

Lorian Nod is a promising Jedi apprentice. A Padawan named Dooku is his best friend. Under the watchful eye of Yoda, they are preparing to become Jedi Knights. Dooku knows their fate is intertwined… yet he is not prepared for a turn of events that reveals the dark side to him for the first time.

Years later, Dooku is a Jedi Master and Lorian Nod is a pirating outcast. With an unforeseen desire for revenge, Dooku works to thwart his former friend — even if it means crossing his own apprentice Qui-Gon Jinn…

When Qui-Gon himself becomes a Jedi Master, the specter of Lorian Nod still looms. As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi struggle to find their place as Master and Padawan, they must work together to prevent an interplanetary threat — and to outwit a very familiar enemy…

During the Clone Wars, Lorian Nod wants to play a pivotal role as the Republic battles to keep hold of a strategic planet. On one side, Obi-Wan and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, must decide whether they can trust such an infamous figure. On the other side, the now compromised Count Dooku has a score to settle against his old nemesis…

FOUR GENERATIONS OF TRUST AND BETRAYAL

ONE LEGACY

Nicholas Haddonfield has something to hide...

After a wild youth, Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, has promised his ailing father he'll finally take a bride, though doing so will force Nick to make impossible choices and face old, painful wounds.

Leah Lindsey is glad to find refuge from her own desperate situation in a marriage of convenience with the gallant viscount. But soon convenience is not enough, and Leah can't understand why Nick remains so distant. What is he hiding, and will he ever allow her into his heart?

An extraordinary and passionate tale of courage tested and fears overcome. Once you enter the lush Regency world of award-winningNew York TimesandUSA Todaybestselling author Grace Burrowes, you'll never want to leave.

Old secrets, new truths…

It is the aftermath of battle. Scattered and struggling to regroup, Colonel Sheppard’s team face their darkest days yet in the war against the Wraith Queen, Death.

Continuing her perilous masquerade as Queen Steelflower, Teyla Emmagan’s friendship with Guide grows stronger. With his help she must journey into the Wraith’s distant past to uncover the shocking truth about their origin — and the key to Queen Death’s defeat.

Meanwhile, Rodney McKay has a different battle to fight as he struggles to regain his humanity in the face of the atrocity the Wraith have committed against him. With his life hanging in the balance, will Rodney be forced to do the unthinkable in order to survive…?

This book is a production of the InterWorld's Bookforge.

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From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Midwives, and Skeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice.

"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about… angels.

Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice's daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.

But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself…and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.

Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives. Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems. As one character remarks, 'Believe no one. Trust no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect.'

Homicide detective Kara Gillian has a special talent: she can sense the "arcane" in our world, and there's quite a bit of it, even in Beaulac, Louisiana. She's also a summoner of demons, and works on a task force that deals with supernatural crimes. Her partners are attractive and smart FBI agents, but they're not summoners, and they're not telling Kara why they are on this special force with her.

To make things worse, Kara has pledged herself to one of the most powerful of demons—a Demon Lord—who helped save her partner's life, but now expects things in return. Meanwhile, she's trying to solve a string of murders that are somehow tied together by money, sex, rock music and...mud. But how can she concentrate on the case when she's not even sure who—or what—her partners are?

Agnes Campion is 30 when she inherits Flagge House. Struggling with its upkeep while looking after her elderly aunts, juggling her work and nursing a bruised heart, she doesn't bank on falling for property developer Julian, whose job is everything she despises

    Theirs should have been the perfect marriage. Sarah was as wildly in love with the Duke of Cranwell as he was with her…until, on their wedding night, Sarah was forced to reveal the secret of her past. And that, midst great public scandal, ended their marriage almost before it began.

    Then in fashionable Bath their paths crossed again. The stunningly beautiful Sarah knew it was folly to think this dashing and sought-after lord would ever get over her shocking betrayal. His fury made it painfully clear that they should separate again, this time forever.

    Sarah could find a thousand arguments against the wisdom -or likelihood- of so miserable an edict. For one, the duke's ridiculous masculine pride was no match for the sensuous power of her affection for him…as she counted on love to melt the last shred of his resistance to her passionate surrender…

THREE GENERATIONS OF JEDI.

THREE UNTOLD SECRETS.

A Jedi is never to fall in love…

Grieving for the loss of his friend Tahl, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn has been sent back to the Jedi Temple to recover. But this peace is soon shattered by an urgent mission — a young boy with a knack for technology has intercepted a message that indicates a mass assassination of planetary leaders is about to take place. It is up to Qui-Gon and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to protect the boy from the bounty hunter assassins…and to foil the deadly plot.

Joining Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on their mission are the Jedi Master Adi Gallia and her headstrong apprentice, Siri. Obi-Wan and Siri have been sparring partners for a long time. But as the assassins' pursuit tightens, they find their relationship beginning to change in an unexpected direction…

A generation later, Obi-Wan, Siri, and the boy they tried to save are reunited once more — with the fate of the Clone Wars hinging on the outcome. Old tensions rise once more — as well as new conflicts and secrets. Obi-Wan's apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, has many things to hide, and when his secret wife, Padmé Amidala, joins the Jedi mission, the risks become even greater than before.

SECRETS ARE DANGEROUS.

SECRETS ARE DIFFICULT.

SECRETS CAN KILL.

THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

KEPT SECRET.

UNTIL NOW.

Berlin, 2015 — a well-connected SS Commander is found dead, having protected the last secret of the Nazi empire for seventy years. A discovery by Nazi Scientists so potent it could change the balance of world power — forever.

Led by misfit military historian Myles Munro, an international team begin to piece together the complex puzzle left by SS Captain Werner Stolz. As their hunt across Europe gathers pace, the brutal killing of one of the group signals that they are not the only ones chasing the answer.

Plunged into a world of international espionage, Myles only has his intellect and instincts to keep him alive. As the team edge closer to an explosive truth, it becomes clear to him that there is a traitor amongst them.

Who can Myles trust? And can he unravel the clues of the past in time to save the future?

Secrets of the Last Nazi is as controversial as it is compelling. A heart-stopping, action-packed and scarily plausible adventure which will captivate fans of Dan Brown, Scott Mariani and Clive Cussler.

These fifteen stories by Ann Beattie garnered universal critical acclaim on their first publication, earning Beattie the reputation as the most celebrated new voice in American fiction. Today these stories — "A Vintage Thunderbird;" "The Lawn Party, " " La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans," to name a few — seem even more powerful, and are read and studied as classics of the short-story form. Spare and elegant, yet charged with feeling and with the tension of things their characters cannot say, they are masterly portraits of improvised lives.

This is the book nobody wants you to read.

An unparalleled deception took place in the 1980s, while U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev was negotiating for the Chemical Weapons Convention. This treaty was supposed to destroy chemical weapons of the world and ban new ones. The Moscow institute that developed chemical weapons at that same time was secretly developing newer and greatly more toxic ones known anecdotally as Novichok and new binaries. Dr. Vil Mirzayanov, a scientist there, was responsible for developing methods of detecting extremely minute traces in the environment surrounding the institute. He decided this dangerous hypocrisy was not tolerable, and he became the first whistleblower to reveal the Russian chemical weapons program to the world. His book, State Secrets, takes a startling detailed look at the inside workings of the Russian chemical weapons program, and it tells how the Russians set up a new program in Syria. Mirzayanov’s book provides a shocking, up-close examination of Russia’s military and political complex and its extraordinary efforts to hide dangerous weapons from the world. State Secrets should serve as a chilling cautionary tale for the world over.

“The persecution of Dr. Mirzayanov stands in direct contradiction of the Clinton Administration’s commitment to strengthen democratization efforts in the former Soviet Union, and halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. I am confident that you share my deep concern over the treatment of this courageous scientist, and I call on you to personally appeal for his release.”

– From the Letter of John Conyers, Jr., Chairman of the Congressional Legislation and National Security Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, to Warren Christopher, the U.S. Secretary of State, October 19, 1993.

“I personally feel a strong common bond with this courageous man, recognizing that his motives are the same as those that led me to release the Pentagon Papers.

The Mirzayanov case is an immediate legal litmus test of emerging Russian democracy. He is an individual in the true tradition of Andrei Sakharov, a man persecuted under the former regime for telling the truth, but now, rightfully, universally honored.”

– By Dan Ellsberg, author of “Secrets – A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers”

“I was proud to add my voice to that of the many scientific and human rights organizations that have worked to free Dr. Mirzayanov.

– Senator Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senate (Congressional Record. Proceedings and Debates of the 103d Congress, First Session. Vol.140, No. 28. Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 1994.)

“…in recognition of his courage and his singular demonstration of the moral responsibility of individual scientists in uphold the integrity of scientific knowledge in an emerging democratic society”. The 1994 Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientific Award of The New York Academy of Sciences.

– Signed by Chairman Cyril M. Harris and President Joshua Lederberg.

“Cavallo Foundation Inc. takes great pleasure in presenting a Certificate of Special Recognition for Moral Courage in Business and Government to Vil Mirzayanov.”

– From the Text of the Award in June 1993.

“For his integrity as a scientist, strength of character, and exceptional personal courage that served to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the Russian people and of all humankind.”

– From the Text of the 1995 AAAS Freedom and Responsibility Award.

With a second CSI spinoff hitting the airwaves this fall, the timing couldn't be better for this intriguing memoir by a leading forensic anthropologist. The only full-time state employee in her field, Craig utilizes her expertise to identify victims from the tiniest remnant of tissue or bone. The author's reputation as an international expert on human anatomy led her to reconstructing faces of the dead from skull fragments to aid the police. Her credentials involved her in many notorious cases, most notably Waco, the Oklahoma City bombing and the destruction of the World Trade Center. In each instance, her dedication, professionalism and knowledge played key roles; Craig's scientific analysis established that more than one-third of the dead at Waco had died before the fire as a result of a mass murder-suicide by the Branch Davidians. She also rebutted claims that the real bomber of the Murrah Federal Building had died in the explosion by proving that a mysterious severed limb actually belonged to a victim. Despite occasional gratuitous gross-out details concerning maggots, Craig does a good job of explaining her science to the layperson and portraying the nitty-gritty everyday realities of her job.

***

Teasing Secrets from the Dead is a front-lines story of crime scene investigation at some of the most infamous sites in recent history.

In this absorbing, surprising, and undeniably compelling book, forensics expert Emily Craig tells her own story of a life spent teasing secrets from the dead.

Emily Craig has been a witness to history, helping to seek justice for thousands of murder victims, both famous and unknown. It's a personal story that you won't soon forget. Emily first became intrigued by forensics work when, as a respected medical illustrator, she was called in by the local police to create a model of a murder victim's face. Her fascination with that case led to a dramatic midlife career change: She would go back to school to become a forensic anthropologist-and one of the most respected and best-known "bone hunters" in the nation.

As a student working with the FBI in Waco, Emily helped uncover definitive proof that many of the Branch Davidians had been shot to death before the fire, including their leader, David Koresh, whose bullet-pierced skull she reconstructed with her own hands. Upon graduation, Emily landed a prestigious full-time job as forensic anthropologist for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a state with an alarmingly high murder rate and thousands of square miles of rural backcountry, where bodies are dumped and discovered on a regular basis. But even with her work there, Emily has been regularly called to investigations across the country, including the site of the terrorist attack on the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, where a mysterious body part-a dismembered leg-was found at the scene and did not match any of the known victims. Throughcareful scientific analysis, Emily was able to help identify the leg's owner, a pivotal piece of evidence that helped convict Timothy McVeigh.

In September 2001, Emily received a phone call summoning her to New York City, where she directed the night-shift triage at the World Trade Center's body identification site, collaborating with forensics experts from all over the country to collect and identify the remains of September 11 victims.

From the biggest news stories of our time to stranger-than-true local mysteries, these are unforgettable stories from the case files of Emily Craig's remarkable career.

With a second CSI spinoff hitting the airwaves this fall, the timing couldn't be better for this intriguing memoir by a leading forensic anthropologist. The only full-time state employee in her field, Craig utilizes her expertise to identify victims from the tiniest remnant of tissue or bone. The author's reputation as an international expert on human anatomy led her to reconstructing faces of the dead from skull fragments to aid the police. Her credentials involved her in many notorious cases, most notably Waco, the Oklahoma City bombing and the destruction of the World Trade Center. In each instance, her dedication, professionalism and knowledge played key roles; Craig's scientific analysis established that more than one-third of the dead at Waco had died before the fire as a result of a mass murder-suicide by the Branch Davidians. She also rebutted claims that the real bomber of the Murrah Federal Building had died in the explosion by proving that a mysterious severed limb actually belonged to a victim. Despite occasional gratuitous gross-out details concerning maggots, Craig does a good job of explaining her science to the layperson and portraying the nitty-gritty everyday realities of her job.

***

Teasing Secrets from the Dead is a front-lines story of crime scene investigation at some of the most infamous sites in recent history.

In this absorbing, surprising, and undeniably compelling book, forensics expert Emily Craig tells her own story of a life spent teasing secrets from the dead.

Emily Craig has been a witness to history, helping to seek justice for thousands of murder victims, both famous and unknown. It's a personal story that you won't soon forget. Emily first became intrigued by forensics work when, as a respected medical illustrator, she was called in by the local police to create a model of a murder victim's face. Her fascination with that case led to a dramatic midlife career change: She would go back to school to become a forensic anthropologist-and one of the most respected and best-known "bone hunters" in the nation.

As a student working with the FBI in Waco, Emily helped uncover definitive proof that many of the Branch Davidians had been shot to death before the fire, including their leader, David Koresh, whose bullet-pierced skull she reconstructed with her own hands. Upon graduation, Emily landed a prestigious full-time job as forensic anthropologist for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a state with an alarmingly high murder rate and thousands of square miles of rural backcountry, where bodies are dumped and discovered on a regular basis. But even with her work there, Emily has been regularly called to investigations across the country, including the site of the terrorist attack on the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, where a mysterious body part-a dismembered leg-was found at the scene and did not match any of the known

victims. Throughcareful scientific analysis, Emily was able to help identify the leg's owner, a pivotal piece of evidence that helped convict Timothy McVeigh.

In September 2001, Emily received a phone call summoning her to New York City, where she directed the night-shift triage at the World Trade Center's body identification site, collaborating with forensics experts from all over the country to collect and identify the remains of September 11 victims.

From the biggest news stories of our time to stranger-than-true local mysteries, these are unforgettable stories from the case files of Emily Craig's remarkable career.

In a snowbound village in the German mountains, a young woman discovers an extraordinary secret. Before she can reveal it, she disappears. All that survives is a picture of a mysterious medieval playing card that has perplexed scholars for centuries. Nick Ash does research for the FBI in New York. Six months ago his girlfriend Gillian walked out and broke his heart. Now he's the only person who can save her – if it's not too late. Within hours of getting her message, Nick finds himself on the run, delving deep into the past before it catches up with him. Hunted across Europe, Nick follows Gillian's trail into the heart of a five-hundred-year-old mystery. But across the centuries, powerful forces are closing around him. There are men who have devoted their lives to keeping the secret, and they will stop at nothing to protect it.

A Sex Comedy

Strapped for cash after an unsuccessful search for her dream job in architecture, Emma Mayson takes a less-than glamorous position as a maid for a wealthy entrepreneur. The bright spot? Her new employer, Russell Carrick, is the picture of male perfection-his mere presence sends Emma reeling. But he’s also a total workaholic who has lost his zest for living. Or did he just misplace it? Emma sets aside her feather duster and her inhibitions to find out. Soon a transitory house-cleaning gig becomes a cushy role of well-paid mistress, as Emma rekindles her employer’s passion with a fantasy world of boundless pleasure. But then the unthinkable happens: She falls for Russell. Having already fulfilled his primal desires, can she make him see her as more than a plaything?

Audrey Jordan isn't your typical Regency lady. To escape unrequited feelings for her brother's best friend Griffin Berenger, she entered a life of a spy. But her current case has brought her back to the man she once loved and lost, a man who is now a broken widower. Audrey and her brother are stalking his neighbor, a man who may be plotting to kill the Prince. Staying in Griffin's home, Audrey is reminded of all the desires and feelings he once stirred in her. As for Griffin, he finds himself obsessed with Audrey, and driven to protect her even if it threatens her case.

But as their desire for each other grows, the case Audrey and her brother are investigating heats up. And if she cannot arrest the blackguard in her sights, she may not live, let alone get to live happily ever after with the man of her dreams.

Роман написан для взрослых людей человеком, который пытается бесхитростно поведать о муках и метаниях, насмешках и несчастьях, какие могут омрачить сильнейшее из чувств, ведомых человеку; откровенно рассказать о смертельной борьбе между плотью и духом и раскрыть трагедию неосуществленных замыслов.

Это не полностью журнал, а статья из него. С иллюстрациями. Взято с http://7dn.ru/article/karavan и адаптировано для прочтения на е-ридере.

Когда феи покинули этот мир, они забрали с собой свои истории. Но оставили персонажей.

Fandom: Sherlock (TV).

Статья из цикла «Гуру менеджмента», посвященного теоретикам и практикам менеджмента, в котором отражается всемирная история возникновения и развития науки управления.

Многие из тех, о ком рассказывают данные статьи, сами или вместе со своими коллегами стояли у истоков науки управления, другие развивали идеи своих В предшественников не только как экономику управления предприятием, но и как психологию управления человеческими ресурсами. В любом случае без работ этих ученых невозможно представить современный менеджмент.

В статьях акцентируется внимание на основных достижениях «Гуру менеджмента», с описанием наиболее значимых моментов и возможного применения его на современном этапе. В каждой статье содержится их биографическая справка.