Senor 105, masked Mexican wrestler, scientist and occasional detective, has just returned from a taxing adventure and all he really wants to do is relax in his den, put his feet up and read a little. And then somebody kidnaps Santa...Senor 105, masked Mexican wrestler, scientist and occasional detective, has just returned from a taxing adventure and all he really wants to do is relax in his den, put his feet up and read a little. He has a spot of shopping to do with his family of Rodrigo, an orphan he has adopted, and Shiela, a sentient isostope of Helium bound up in a bright yellow balloon.And then somebody kidnaps Santa...A special Christmas themed addition to the popular novella series, 'The Periodic Adventures of Senor 105', from Manleigh Books.

Bobbie Bradford hadn't been the prettiest girl in town, but Jeff Taylor had no right to hurt her. Five years had passed. Could she...would she...forgive him? Set in Santa Rosa, California in the 1870s.

How far will some go to safeguard a secret? In the latest novel in Dianne Freeman's witty and delightful historical mystery series, the adventurous Countess Harleigh finds out . . . Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting—for birds or a second husband—and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns. Instead, she's immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles...

Uprisings in France encourage peasants in the neighbouring principality of Montuga to lay siege to King Julien Garibaldi’s palace. King Julien has five hundred armed royal guards at his disposal, but using them to end the siege risks retaliation by the Republicans if the latter prevail in France. Can the Garibaldis save their kingdom?Uprisings in France encourage peasants in the neighbouring principality of Montuga to lay siege to King Julien Garibaldi’s palace. King Julien has five hundred armed royal guards at his disposal, but using them to end the siege risks retaliation by the Republicans if the latter prevail in France. Can the Garibaldis save their kingdom? The Marquis de Artois and his son are two of many French nobles attempting to flee to Montuga to escape public execution on the dreaded guillotine. To reach the Montugan border post, high up in the Montugan Alps, they have to traverse a narrow mountain path - the Devil’s Orifice. But before reaching foot of the path, they learn that King Julien has ordered the closure of the mountain border post - apparently in order to avoid antagonizing the French Republicans. In terms of the Treaty which Montuga, concluded with the French King, Montuga may not grant sanctuary to any enemies of France. Uncertain as to whether the Republicans or King Louis XVI will emerge victorious in France, Montuga has to play its cards carefully. With their French Republican pursuers hot on their heels, the pass is the De Artois’s only avenue of escape

Marcus Brayden, Earl of Kinross, thought fighting Napoleon on the battlefield was dangerous. But it is nothing to the upheaval caused by Lara Le Brecque, his best friend's sister, when she climbs over his townhouse wall shortly before Christmas and attempts to sneak into his London home. Lara ought to be on the marriage mart, enjoying her London season and the holiday festivities, but when she confides the Le Brecque family problems to him, he knows he must do all he can to help...even if it means marrying Lara.Lara Le Brecque is facing another difficult Christmas with her family in disgrace and under threat of losing all their holdings. Lara has no one else to turn to but Marcus Brayden, who has just returned home from the Napoleonic War and been awarded the Scottish earldom of Kinross for his heroism in battle. With her father under house arrest and suspected of treason, and her brother condemned as a pirate and a murderer, she must expose the villain behind...

The leading ancient world historian and author of Caesar presents "an engrossing account of how the Roman Empire grew and operated" (Kirkus). Renowned for his biographies of Julius Caesar and Augustus, Adrian Goldsworthy turns his attention to the Roman Empire as a whole during its height in the first and second centuries AD. Though this time is known as the Roman Peace, or Pax Romana, the Romans were fierce imperialists who took by force vast lands stretching from the Euphrates to the Atlantic coast. The Romans ruthlessly won peace not through coexistence but through dominance; millions died and were enslaved during the creation of their empire. Pax Romana examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered, examining why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became...

In a twisty page-turner for fans of Lisa Jewell and Melinda Leigh, New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin melds psychological thriller and ghost story as one woman's daring search for the truth tests the dividing line between life and death.If you need help, we are here for you. Eve St. Clair desperately needs help sorting reality from her fearful imaginings when ghostly voices seem to haunt the Victorian house in Sunderland, England, that she inherited from her uncle. Online research leads to a group that claims to offer just the aid she's seeking. But can Ransom King's handpicked team of investigators truly banish Eve's night terrors? Since the deaths of his wife and daughter, Seattle billionaire Ransom King has devoted himself to researching parapsychology and debunking the frauds who prey upon the bereaved. But Eve is a psychologist herself, clearly sane, and her sincerity is palpable. King senses a very real danger...

"Retirement" means something altogether different to a spy. It means someone in authority over you has decided that "coming in from the cold" is out of the question. It means you'd better run.LAYNIE PORTLAND HAS masqueraded as Swedish citizen Linnéa Olander for more than two decades, the last seven years as the high-profile companion of Vassili Aleksandrovich Petroff. Petroff, a reputable Russian scientist and former officer of the KGB, serves as senior technology advisor to the Secretary of the Russian Federation's Security Council.Laynie's life as Petroff's mistress is lonely and difficult, even brutal, for Petroff has a pathological need to master what is "his." But the woman Petroff knows as "Linnéa" is not the compliant, deferential woman he believes her to be. She is Laynie Portland—spy extraordinaire—and despite Petroff's control and cruelty, Laynie has managed to steal a wealth of political and technological...

Praise for Bob Mayer's science fiction:Kirkus "A crackling science thriller in the vein of Crichton that mixes action with science fiction."Publishers Weekly. "The best combination of science fiction and technothriller this year."At the edge of the Solar System, beyond the Heliosphere, a massive warship comes out of Faster Than Light Transit. It is the Ancient Enemy spoken of in myths and legends.Do we deserve a Second Chance?Mike Turcotte, the Special Forces officer who led the fight against the Airlia, which ruled our planet from the shadows for over 10 millennia, has returned to Area 51. Earth has freed itself from the shackles of alien domination, but at high cost while winning World War III. He has learned what he believes is the truth about human origins.A truth so devastating he insists it cannot be made public.But the thing no one on Earth knows is that in winning the war they've initiated the...

collection of ditties intended to amuse, sometimes to educate, and to entertain. the writer is a long-retired and well-travelled hospital physician able to look back upon a patchwork of many years.collection of ditties intended to amuse, sometimes to educate, and always entertain a writing group in hereford, england. this group was led by an outstanding teacher who sadly died very young. the writer is a long-retired and well-travelled hospital physician who has looked back on a patchwork of many years and hopes to entertain a wider audience.

“If there’s ever been a more complex and compelling hero in crime fiction than Inspector Rutledge, I can’t think of one.”—Jeffery Deaver  In one of his most puzzling cases, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge must delve deep into a dead man’s life and his past to find a killer determined to keep dark secrets buried. A peaceful Welsh village is thrown into turmoil when a terrified boy stumbles on a body in a nearby river. The man appears to have fallen from the canal aqueduct spanning the valley. But there is no identification on the body, he isn’t a local, and no one will admit to having seen him before. With little to go on, the village police turn to Scotland Yard for help.    When Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent from London to find answers, he is given few clues—a faded military tattoo on the victim’s arm and an unusual label in the collar of his shirt. They eventually lead him to the victim’s identity: Sam Milford. By all accounts, he was a good man and well-respected. Then, why is his death so mysterious? Looking for the truth, Rutledge uncovers a web of lies swirling around a suicidal woman, a child’s tragic fate, another woman bent on protecting her past. But where among all the lies is the motive for murder?   To track a killer, Rutledge must retrace Milford’s last journey. Yet death seems to stalk his every move, and the truth seems to shift at every turn. Man or woman, this murderer stays in the shadows, and it will take desperate measures to lure him—or her—into the light.  Review "This is a series, written by a mother-and-son team under the Charles Todd pseudonym, that shows no signs of slowing down. As always, this one combines crisp plotting with stylish prose. Ideal for historical-mystery devotees." -- Booklist on A Divided Loyalty"The melancholy tone that distinguishes the Rutledge series is a reminder that war never ends for the families and friends of lost loved ones. It just retreats into the shadows.” -- New York Times Book Review“You’re going to love Todd.” -- Stephen King About the Author Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother-and-son writing team, they live on the East Coast.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsay presents a powerfully romantic Regency-era tale that is breathtaking in scope and wondrously passionate. When Sebastian Townshend, son of the eighth Earl of Edgewood, was banished from his family due to the tragic results of a duel, he vowed never to return to England. Now living on the continent, Sebastian has forged a new identity as a deadly mercenary, The Raven. But his former neighbor, Lady Margaret Landor, has different plans for him. Back in England, Sebastian's father has had several accidents and Margaret suspects foul play and deception that reach as far back as the infamous duel. Convinced that only Sebastian can set the situation to rights, Margaret arranges a scandalous bargain with him that includes Sebastian's returning home as her husband. As the newlyweds uncover a deadly scheme, a fierce passion blossoms between them, which neither anticipated -- and neither can resist.