To uncover modern Japan's darkest, deadliest secret, one man must face a living nightmare from his childhoodFew villagers are happy when Detective Tohru Takuda returns to his hometown to investigate a string of suspicious disappearances. Even the local police chief tries to shut him out from the case. For behind the conspiracy lurks a monstrous living relic of Japan's pagan history: the Kappa. Protected long ago by a horrible pact with local farmers—and now by coldly calculating corporate interests—the Kappa drains the valley's lifeblood, one villager at a time.As the body count rises, Takuda must try to end the Drowning God's centuries-long reign of terror, and failure means death…or worse.

For more than a generation, we've been taught that milk does a body good, but in Got Milked?, Alissa Hamilton dispels common misconceptions about milk, and exposes the truth behind the marketing, as well as the enormous influence the milk industry has over our diets. Separating science from advertising, Hamilton uncovers the inside story behind how milk became a dietary staple, stripping away years of conventional assumptions about diet to reveal the ways in which milk interferes with everyday health.But more than just a sobering look at how milk is not the wonder food that it has been made out to be, Got Milkedalso demonstrates how going milk-free can revolutionize your diet and your well-being. Attacking decades of accepted wisdom about milk, Got Milkedwill make you rethink the way you consume milk and empower you to eat better. Hamilton also offers delicious, dairy-free recipes and full meal plans that deliver the same nutrients found in dairy products, without all the sugar or negative side effects.At once provocative and transformative, Got Milkedchallenges much of the accepted wisdom about milk and will leave you prepared to take charge of your health. Not only will you find it easy to drop milk from your diet, you will thrive without it.

The first novel in the nationally bestselling McCabe and Savage series—perfect for fans of John Sandford and CJ Box.Someone is stealing the hearts of beautiful women... Detective Mike McCabe moved from a top homicide job with the NYPD to Portland, Maine to leave his failed marriage and suspicions of wrongdoing behind, and to find a more peaceful life for himself and his 13 year old daughter. But the small New England city is not nearly as safe as he thought. On a warm September night, a missing high-school athlete is found dead in a scrap metal yard, her heart removed from her body with surgical precision. As outrage over the killing spreads, a young business woman disappears while out on a morning jog. McCabe is certain both crimes are the work of one man—a murderer skilled in cardiac surgery who is using his scalpel to target young women. With the clock ticking, McCabe and his partner Maggie Savage find themselves in a desperate race against time to find and rescue the missing woman before she becomes the next victim of the sadistic killer's blade.

Haunted by a tragic death, Jo finds temporary respite from the all-consuming memories through running; it's the only thing that is keeping her sane. So when she discovers a young boy living rough in the woods, Jo is determined to do everything within her power to keep him safe.DS Sam Hollands wants to get her relationship back on track, unsure of how to make things right. But everything changes when she returns from work one night to find a stranger in her home . . .This is a stunning, psychologically-rich short story from one of the most authentic and compelling voices in crime fiction.Promises to Keep is a short story that includes a sneak peek from Behind Closed Doors by Elizabeth Haynes, the second novel in the Briarstone Crime Series featuring DCI Louisa Smith.

Butch Dixon has been taken for a ride …Not a jump in the car, see the sights kind of ride. He's been taken for everything he has. He's lost his house, his restaurant business, his savings, his car, his best friend, his faith—all to his conniving ex-wife. But that was seven years ago. He picked himself up, left Chicago, and started over in Peoria, Arizona, running the Roundhouse Bar and Grill. He doesn't look back on those bad years; there's no point. Not until two curious cops show up at the Roundhouse.Faith, Butch's ex-wife, has been murdered, and the evidence points to him. Stunned, Butch quickly realizes that the black-hearted woman is going to ruin him again, from her grave. Lucky for Butch, the Old Blue Line, a group of retired—but still sharp and tenacious—former legal and law enforcement coots, have taken it upon themselves, as a favor, to make sure he doesn't cross that thin line. After the dust settles, Butch's life is again upended—when a little red-haired ball of fire, Sheriff Joanna Brady, takes a seat at his bar.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You comes the touching, unforgettable story of three generations of Irish women faced with the fundamental truths of love, duty, and the unbreakable bond that unites mothers and daughtersEstranged from her mother since she ran away from her rural Irish home as a young woman, Kate swore an oath that she'd always be a friend to her daughter, Sabine. But history has a way of repeating itself, and Kate now faces an ever-widening chasm between herself and her daughter. With Sabine about to make her own journey to Ireland to see her grandmother, Kate is left wondering how they ever made it here, and what she can do to close the gap between them.For Joy, seeing her granddaughter is a dream come true. After the painful separation from Kate, she's looking forward to having time with Sabine. Yet almost as soon as the young woman arrives, the lack of common ground between them deflates her enthusiasm. And when Sabine's impetuous, inquisitive nature forces Joy to face long-buried secrets from her past, she realizes that perhaps it's time to finally heal old wounds.

Get ready to put aside all your calorie counting, appetite suppressing, no-pain-no-gain diets. Cynthia Sass, author of S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim and coauthor of Flat Belly Diet!, introduces the surprising superfood that is the secret to weight loss. Called “pulses,” this unique class of protein-rich carbs (including filling and satisfying lentils, beans, and chickpeas) actually boosts calorie- and fat-burning, whittles away belly fat, prevents snack attacks, and creates long-lasting energy. Plus, they’re gluten free, readily available, and affordable!In Slim Down Now, Cynthia Sass reveals the scientifi cally demonstrated power of pulses, which she has incorporated into a dynamic, fl exible weight-loss plan that focuses on how these supershredders can ultimately transform your body.The 30-day challenge asks you to put aside your usual weight-loss methods and adopt an entirely new approach to food, health, and weight management. You start with the four-day Rapid Pulse, where you make one simple recipe (a pudding!) daily for four days . . . but in those four days, you’ll lose up to 8 pounds! Then, you move on to the Daily Pulse, a 26-day program where you include one serving of pulse each day. Sass’s plan includes a simple DIY meal-building strategy you’ll love, as well as delicious, deprivation-free recipes, including a savory veggie quiche, garlicky shrimp scampi, and even oven-roasted potatoes. In fact, there is an entire chapter on desserts, including mouth-watering brownie bites and mini pumpkin spice muffi ns. The meal plan includes grocery lists and restaurant options and can be followed by gluten-free eaters, vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.?In addition to this new approach to eating, Sass reveals that less exercise rather than more can actually be the key to successful weight loss. Forget feeling pressure to spend hours on an elliptical or at exhausting boot camp classes. With this program, exercise becomes a more organic part of your day, rather than that nagging item on your to-do list. Bonus: you’ll also learn a simple five minute technique that will boost your mood and overall happiness.?Sound too good to be trueWe promise it’s not. Get started today, and see the pounds melt away.

There is no better introduction to R.K. Narayan than this remarkable collection of stories celebrating work that spans five decades. Characters include a storyteller whose magical source of tales dries up, a love-stricken husband who is told by astrologers he must sleep with a prostitute to save his dying wife, a pampered child who discovers that his beloved uncle may be an impostor or even a murderer. Standing supreme amid this rich assortment of stories is the title novella. Told by the narrator's grandmother, the tale recounts the adventures of her mother, married at seven and then abandoned, who crosses the subcontinent to extract her husband from the hands of his new wife. Her courage is immense and her will implacable -- but once her mission is completed, her independence vanishes. Gentle irony, wryly drawn characters, and themes at once Indian and universal mark these humane stories, which firmly establish Narayan as one of the world's preeminant storytellers.

Cunning and evil, poisoned by a lifetime of love withheld, Eileen Cartwright has an unrivaled passion for revenge. When the rich, middle-aged widow falls in love with her lawyer, she goes to fatal lengths to make him hers. Prosecutor Helen West is assigned to the case, but when Eileen's extraordinary evil reaches out even from behind prison bars, the investigation reaches a climax of frightening and frenzied violence.

Elisabeth is a picture restorer. This gives her the solitude and independence she needs—living and working alone in her flat. Despite her skills and reliability, Elisabeth undercharges for her work—valuing the worth of the paintings rather more than she values herself. Her ambitions are modest: beauty to look upon, unintrusive friendships, and complete privacy. But when a mysterious and obviously wealthy man commissions her to restore his fabulous collection, an uncharacteristic combination of curiosity and financial need prompts her to accept his offer. Elisabeth soon realizes her error, as the past and the present combine to make privacy her nemesis. As she becomes a hostage to her patron, her lover and her friend realize they know nothing about her, or where she might be.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sidney Sheldon’s most popular and enduring heroine—Tracy Whitney of If Tomorrow Comes and Sidney Sheldon’s Chasing Tomorrow—finds herself caught in a nefarious and far-reaching scheme involving international terrorism and corruption in this compelling thriller packed with heart-stopping twists and breathtaking actionOnce upon a time, Tracy Whitney was one of the best thieves in the business. Then she settled down and had a child—a beautiful, bright, mischievous boy who was the center of her life. Tracy planned to spend the rest of her days quietly, living anonymously deep in the stunning Colorado mountains, devoted to raising her son. But tragedy forces her to face her greatest nightmare. Now, with nothing left to protect, this superb con artist, jewel thief, computer wizard, and cat burglar returns to the hunt, more dangerous, ruthless, and reckless than ever.The world faces a new terror threat from Group 99, a diverse collection of global hackers intent on thecollapse of capitalism and private wealth and the creation of a new world order. When the group turns to violence—kidnapping an American investigative journalist, shooting a British military hostage, and blowing up an international industrialist—the mysterious woman pulling their strings, a wily and wealthy American known only as Althea, becomes the CIA’s most sought criminal.But their only hope of finding her is a woman with a dark and dangerous past of her own. A woman who has also successfully evaded detection by the authorities around the world: Tracy.Convinced that Althea is behind the deadly act that shattered her life, Tracy sets out on a global hunt to flush out her prey. But as she soon discovers, the truth is as elusive as her target. Hampered by corruption, lies, and enemies masked as allies, Tracy will be pushed to the brink, where she must face her darkest demons. All of her experience tells Tracy that the answers are right in front of her—if only she can look at the clues in the right way.Propelled by an unquenchable thirst for revenge, and with the fate of so many resting in her hands, just how reckless will Tracy become when she has nothing left to lose?An addictive tale of espionage, mystery, passion, greed, betrayal, and vengeance that takes you from the beautiful Rocky Mountains to Europe’s oldest and grandest cities, filled with a cast of intriguing characters both new and familiar, Sidney Sheldon’s Reckless is a glamorous thrill ride that will leave you breathless until its shocking end.

An unforgettable psychological thriller reminiscent of Emma Donoghue's Room and V. C. Andrews' Flowers in the AtticKatherine and David have the perfect life: they are beautiful, rich, debonair, and gifted. But cracks begin to form beneath the smooth exterior when David suspects that one of their two children is not his. There is no other reason why chubby, petulant Jeanetta does not conform to David's standards of perfection and order.Soon, David's mood swings become more violent and irrational. In an attempt to exercise some control over his world, he sends Jeanetta to the playroom . . . and locks the door. With harrowing precision, Fyfield tells the story of a family's descent into madness.

Power has its price.David Blake should be enjoying the high life now that he's top dog, controlling everything in the city that's worth controlling.But when it becomes clear that someone wants him dead, Blake struggles to maintain his restraint. From the heroin-laced high-rises of Newcastle to the seedy back streets of Bangkok, in a world of contract killers, corrupt politicians, bent detectives, fast women, and dangerous men, Blake is in a race against time to find—and stop—his potential assassin.Packed with action and attitude, The Damage is a gripping gangland thriller for fans of the hit films The Town and Goodfellas.

A sensuous, heartbreaking novel about art, beauty, and the choices we make that define us for lifeIn 1968 a young man travels to Paris, where a series of unlikely events take him to a tiny village in Italy—and to the one great love of his life. A marble merchant meets a couple on their honeymoon, introducing them to the sensual beauty of Carrara. An Italian woman arrives in Canada to find the father she never knew. A terrible accident in a marble quarry changes the course of a young boy's life and, ultimately, sets in motion each of these stories, which David Macfarlane masterfully shapes into a magnificent whole.Oliver Hughson falls in love with wild, bohe-mian Anna over the course of one glorious summer in Italy. Bound by a sense of responsibility to his adoptive parents back home in Canada, however, he leaves her, an act he will regret for the rest of his life. Narrated by the daughter he never knew he had, The Figures of Beauty is a love story of mythic proportions. Through luck, fate, and great good fortune, Oliver found the one place and the one woman he should never have left. This is the story of his trying to find his way back.

Already an international hit, a sly, sizzling mystery—the first in a sensational crime series—set in the Italian Alps, reminiscent of the works of Andrea Camilleri, Donna Leon, and Henning MankellAfter getting into serious trouble with the wrong people, Deputy Police Chief Rocco Schiavone is exiled to Aosta, a small, touristy alpine town far from his beloved Rome. The sophisticated yet crotchety Roman despises mountains, snow, and the provincial locals as much as he disdains his superiors and their petty rules. But he loves solving crimes.When a mangled body is discovered on a slope above Champoluc, Rocco immediately faces his first challenge—identifying the victim, a complex procedure complicated by his ignorance of the customs, dialect, and history of his new home. Proud and undaunted, Rocco makes his way among the ski runs, mountain huts, and aerial tramways, meeting instructors, alpine guides, the enigmatic folk of Aosta, and a few beautiful locals eager to give him a warm welcome. It won't be easy, this mountain life, especially with a corpse or two in the mix. But then there's nothing that makes Rocco feel more at home than an investigation.An insightful observer of human nature, Antonio Manzini writes with sly humor and a dash of irony, introducing an irresistible hero—a fascinating blend of swagger, machismo, and vulnerability—in a colorful and atmospheric mystery series that is European crime fiction at its best.

The basis for the classic film starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, Saratoga Trunk unfolds the story of Clio Dulaine, an ambitious Creole beauty who more than meets her match in Clint Maroon, a handsome Texan with a head for business -- and an eye for beautiful young women. Together they do battle with Southern gentry and Eastern society, but in their obsession to acquire all they've ever wanted, they fail to realize they already have all they'll ever need -- each other.

Former D.C. cop Leigh Ann Warren is starting a new job and looking forward to a blissful wedded life. But someone is not willing to let her escape so easily -- a lethal adversary with a grudge who's determined to make Leigh Ann pay ... and keep paying.What begins as a series of petty harassments quickly escalates into more serious crimes, as a stranger driven by hate and unburdened by conscience steals Leigh Ann's identity to threaten her extended family. And when her invisible enemy graduates to murder, Leigh Ann realizes that there's only one way to take back her life and stop the terror: She must beat a killer at her own twisted game.

Published to commemorate its 75th anniversary, The World Is Round brings back into print the classic story created by Gertrude Stein and Clement Hurd.Written in her unique prose style, Gertrude Stein's The World Is Round chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Rose—a whimsical tale that delights in wordplay and sound while exploring the ideas of personal identity and individuality. This stunning volume replicates the original 1939 edition to a T, including all of Clement Hurd's original blue-and-white art printed on the rose-pink paper that Stein insisted upon. Also featured here are two essays that provide an inside view to the making of the book. The first, a foreword by Clement Hurd's son, author and illustrator Thacher Hurd, includes previously unpublished photographs and sheds light on a creative family life in Vermont, where his father and mother, author Edith Thacher Hurd, often collaborated on children's books. The second essay, an afterword by Edith Thacher Hurd, takes readers behind the scenes of the making of The World Is Round, including the numerous letters exchanged between Hurd and Stein as well as images of Stein with the real-life Rose and her white poodle, Love.

In 1907, Irish immigrant William Mulholland designed and began to build one of the greatest civil engineering feats in history: the aqueduct that carried water 233 miles from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Los Angeles allowing this small, resource-challenged desert city to grow into a modern global metropolis. Drawing on new research, Les Standiford vividly captures the larger-than-life engineer and the breathtaking scope of his six-year, $23 million project that would transform a region, a state, and a nation at the dawn of its greatest century.Mulholland, a penniless Dublin immigrant who made his way west as a stowaway on a passenger ship, personifies the American rags-to-riches tale, working from a position as a ditchdigger to become chief engineer of the Los Angeles Water Company. Confronted with a decade-long drought that threatened his adopted city's future, the self taught Mulholland found the answer in the rushing snow melt from the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, nearly 250 miles away. He proposed to build an aqueduct that would outdo any such ever conceived, one that would carry an entire river from its source to Los Angeles, through mountains, over chasms, and across an alternately freezing and blistering terra incognita, because he believed it was the city's only hope.The project brought a simmering-to-this-day firestorm of protest from residents of California's Owens Valley where the waters would be taken, as well as an all-out onslaught from political opponents and vested interests in Los Angeles, who were fearful of losing their stranglehold on the city's yield. But after nine years of struggle, including the efforts of thousands of workmen many of whom lost their lives and the use of engineering techniques and strategies never previously employed, Mulholland turned the gates and loosed the waters that brought an unprecedented wave of development and prosperity to his city and the region.Though the landmark film Chinatown touched on the subject, Mulholland was characterized there as Hollis Mulwray, a colorless pipsqueak easily dispatched by archvillain and developer Noah Cross (John Houston). In real life, however, Mulholland was every bit the equal of any of his foes, a colorful, brook-no-nonsense man of the people who accomplished a feat like no other and became a hero in the process. Water to the Angels is not only a book that provides insight into the seeds of significant ecological concerns of this day, it is also a stirring story of accomplishment against all odds, all the more captivating for being true.As Robert Towne, author of the screenplay for Chinatown suggests, the subject is timeless. "I found the ubiquity of water in everyone's lives to be compelling. Everybody needs water."At a time when the importance of water is being recognized as never before considered by many experts to be the essential resource of the twenty-first century Water to the Angels brings into focus the vigor of a fabled era, the might of a larger-than-life individual, and the scale of a priceless construction project, and sheds critical light on a past that offers insights for our future.

A revised edition of the first book of poems by Stephen Mitchell, the renowned translator of Rilke's poetry, The Book of Job, and the Tao Te Ching. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Evidence of the Afterlife shares the firsthand accounts of people who have died and lived to tell about it. Through their work at the Near Death Experience Research Foundation, radiation oncologist Jeffrey Long and his wife, Jody, have gathered thousands of accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) from all over the world. In addition to sharing the personal narrative of their experiences, visitors to the website are asked to fill out a one hundred item questionnaire designed to isolate specific elements of the experience and to flag counterfeit accounts.The website has become the largest NDE research database in the world, containing over 1,600 NDE accounts. The people whose stories are captured in the database span all age groups, races, and religious affiliations and come from all over the world, yet the similarities in their stories are as awe-inspiring as they are revealing. Using this treasure trove of data, Dr. Long explains how medical evidence fails to explain these reports and why there is only one plausible explanation that people have survived death and traveled to another dimension.