It is the late summer of 1938, Europe is about to explode, the Hollywood film star Fredric Stahl is on his way to Paris to make a movie for Paramount France. The Nazis know he's coming--a secret bureau within the Reich Foreign Ministry has for years been waging political warfare against France, using bribery, intimidation, and corrupt newspapers to weaken French morale and degrade France's will to defend herself. For their purposes, Fredric Stahl is a perfect agent of influence, and they attack him. What they don't know is that Stahl, horrified by the Nazi war on Jews and intellectuals, has become part of an informal spy service being run out of the American embassy in Paris. From Alan Furst, the bestselling author, often praised as the best spy novelist ever, comes a novel that's truly hard to put down. "Mission to Paris" includes beautifully drawn scenes of romance and intimacy, and the novel is alive with extraordinary characters: the German Baroness von Reschke, a famous hostess deeply involved in Nazi clandestine operations; the assassins Herbert and Lothar; the Russian film actress and spy Olga Orlova; the Hungarian diplomat and spy, Count Janos Polanyi; along with the French cast of Stahl's movie, German film producers, and the magnetic women in Stahl's life, the socialite Kiki de Saint-Ange and the emigre Renate Steiner. But always at the center of the novel is the city of Paris, the heart and soul of Europe--its alleys and bistros, hotels grand and anonymous, and the Parisians, living every night as though it was their last. As always, Alan Furst brings to life both a dark time in history and the passion of the human hearts that fought to survive it. Praise for Alan Furst "Unfolds like a vivid dream . . . One couldn't ask for a more engrossing novel.""--The Wall Street Journal, "about" Spies of the Balkans" " " "Though set in a specific place and time, Furst's books are like Chopin's nocturnes: timeless, transcendent, universal. One does not so much read them as fall under their spell."--"Los Angeles Times, " about" The Spies of Warsaw" "Alan Furst's novels swing a beam into the shadows at the edges of the great events leading to World War II. Readers come knowing he'll deliver effortless narrative."--"USA Today, " about "The Foreign Correspondent" "Positively bristles with plot, characters and atmosphere . . . "Dark Voyage" has the ingredients of several genres--the mystery, the historical novel, the espionage thriller, the romance--but it rises above all of them."--"The Washington Post, " about" Dark Voyage" "No other espionage writer touches [Furst's] stylish forays into Budapest and Berlin, Moscow and Paris. No other writer today captures so well the terror and absurdity of the spy, the shabby tension and ennui of emigre communities at the time. His characters are hopeless, lethal, charming. His voice is, above all, knowing."--"Boston Sunday Globe, " about "Blood of Victory"

From the author of The New York Times #1 bestselling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a powerful yarn exposing the money, fame, sex, politics, and power that accompany being at the top of the entertainment industry.... Based on the real lives of network executives and other high-profile personalities in the early days when television first became a viable threat to the all-powerful business of the silver screen, The Inheritors is the first in Harold Robbins's "Trilogy of Greed," and spent 21 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Steve Gaunt, the rebellious visionary, is the head of a successful television empire, making him a hit, both in the ratings and with the gorgeous women he meets. Sam Benjamin, one of the last of the old motion picture tycoons, desperately wants to hold on to the power that has long been associated with the more "glamorous" part of the business--the movies. When the two combine forces, they have the potential to remake the entertainment industry--or be each other's undoing. Will their friendship fall apart when their money is on the line, or will their partnership make them even more wealthy and powerful? Entertainment is a dirty business, built by ruthless mavericks, and friendships can fall in a heartbeat when money is on the line. The only rule is that nothing is real in Hollywood. In its initial publication, The Inheritors was a timely indictment of an industry on fire. Today, it is a fascinating look back at a time when television was just coming into its own, and how the movie industry dealt with this new and growing threat.

"A rollicking tale." --Stacy Schiff, New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice Johnny One-Eye is bringing about the rediscovery of one of the most "singular and remarkable [careers] in American literature" (Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World). In this picaresque tour de force that reanimates Revolutionary Manhattan through the story of double agent John Stocking, the bastard son of a whorehouse madam and possibly George Washington, Jerome Charyn has given us one of the most memorable historical novels in years. As Johnny seeks to unlock the mystery of his birth and grapples with his allegiances, he falls in love with Clara, a gorgeous, green-eyed octoroon, the most coveted harlot of Gertrude's house. The wild parade of characters he encounters includes Benedict Arnold, the Howe brothers, "Sir Billy" and "Black Dick," and a manipulative Alexander Hamilton. Not since John Barth's The Sotweed Factor and Gore Vidal's Burr has a novel so dramatically re-created America's historical beginnings. Reading group guide included.

From the author of The New York Times #1 best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a tale of violence, sex, betrayal, revenge and intrigue. The Adventurers is a story of revolution and danger in the sultry jungles of South America.As a young boy, Diogenes Alejandro Xenos (¿Dax¿) witnesses the brutal rape and murder of his mother and sister by government troops¿experiencing the drama of revolution, loss, and tragedy firsthand. He is sent to Europe by the victorious rebel leader to rebuild his country¿s diplomatic and financial status post-revolution, and is immediately thrown into the elite environment of Europe¿s jet set society of international bankers and diplomats.Outwardly, Dax lives a life of privilege as one of the continent¿s most sought-after, hedonistic playboys¿wanted by men and women alike, but for very different reasons. Inside, however, he channels his fear, anger and hatred for the new regime, which he realizes is as corrupt as the old, into a desire to disrupt the status quo. Once a favorite of the general-turned-dictator, Dax quickly becomes an outlaw in his own country, living on the fringes of society as a rebel hell-bent on a new revolution.This epic tale of escape from the horrors of a third world regime is one of Harold Robbins' most ambitious novels ever, combining his trademark sensuality with political intrigue, a globe-spanning variety of exotic locales, and themes that never seem to change¿political intrigue, greed, power, money, violence, sex and betrayal.With Dax Xenos, Robbins thrills and excites us with one of his most memorable and intriguing characters¿a flawed and complicated hero.The Adventurers was one of Robbins¿ most successful novels, spending 41 weeks on The New York Times best sellers list. Today, this novel easily proves that Robbins¿ compelling prose still has the power to surprise, titillate, and move readers.

A compelling moral fable in the shape of a gritty, twist-filled thriller. Wall Street Journal John Shannon is a petty thief on the run. A three-time loser framed for murder, he knows that he s facing life in prison or death by lethal injection. Then, a bizarre text message draws him to a meeting in the dark of night. A foreigner who calls himself the Identity Man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start again: a new face, a new home, a new beginning. In a ruined city trying to rebuild, he gets work as a carpenter, and falls in love. It seems too good to be true and it is. It turns out this city is crawling with crooked politicians, gangsters, and dirty cops all of whom seem to want Shannon dead. Moving through the shambles of a town, he s got to ferret out the secret of his new life and fast if he wants to be left with any life at all. A gripping thriller. Entertainment Weekly A work of intense realism pervaded by sorrow, mercy, hope and ultimately, transcendence. Washington Times Andrew Klavan is the author of such classic suspense novels as True Crime , filmed by Clint Eastwood, Don t Say a Word , filmed starring Michael Douglas, and Empire of Lies . He has been nominated for the Edgar Award five times and has won it twice. "

The bestselling historical novel that exposes the less than honorable side of our Founding Fathers by the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist. In this gripping and timely work, William Safire unveils the story behind the nation's first great political scandals. James Thomson Callender, the "scandalmonger" of the title, is an ambitious gossip-peddling editor secretly hired by Thomas Jefferson as a political weapon. After carefully damaging Alexander Hamilton's reputation, thereby paving the way for Jefferson's success, Callender is shunned by the very politicians on whose behalf he was jailed for sedition. Broke and betrayed, Callender seeks revenge by exposing an illicit affair between Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemmings, an accusation that ultimately cost Callender his career and would not be authenticated for two centuries. By using actual letters, records, and notes to re-create dialogue and events, Scandalmonger embodies historical fiction at its best, politics at its most intriguing, and our Founding Fathers at their most notorious. For those who think that Washington sex scandals and lurid journalism are recent developments, this novel will be a revelation, for Safire shows how media intrusiveness into private lives-and politicians' cool manipulation of the press-are practices as old as the Constitution.

They are two sworn enemies with a single obsession: a woman on the run from them both. Scott Weiss is a private detective. John Foy is a professional killer. The woman is Julie Wyant, a hooker with the face of an angel. Julie spent one night with Foy--a night of psychopathic cruelty that Foy called love. Desperate to get away from him, she vanished without a trace. And Foy wants her back. There's only one man who can find her: Weiss, the best locate operative in the business. She's begged him not to look for her, fearing he'll bring the killer in his wake. But Weiss can't stay away. Now, from a town called Paradise, through a wilderness that feels like hell, Weiss searches for Julie--and the killer follows, waiting for his chance. They are two expert hunters matching move for move--until it ends on Damnation Street.

Paris 1899. Theaters and galleries are vibrant with artistic energy. The new Metro is under construction, and so is the site for the centennial Universal Exhibition. But there is also savage political upheaval. Asylums and jails are overcrowded. The Dreyfus Affair has released a riotous surge of anti-Semitism. Bostonian lawyer James Norton has been sent by his mother to bring back his invalid sister Elie and his younger brother Raf, a journalist., but the brutal deaths of the actress Olympe Fabre, and then of her sister Judith in the asylum of Salpêtrière, draw the siblings into a dark web of violence.

The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service is a 1903 novel by Erskine Childers. The book, which enjoyed immense popularity in the years before World War I, is an early example of the espionage novel and was extremely influential in the genre of spy fiction. It has been made into feature-length films for both cinema and television.About Childers: Robert Erskine Childers DSC (25 June 1870 - 24 November 1922), universally known as Erskine Childers, was the author of the influential novel Riddle of the Sands and an Irish nationalist, who was executed by the authorities of the nascent Irish Free State during the Irish Civil War. He was the son of British Orientalist scholar Robert Caesar Childers; the cousin of Hugh Childers and Robert Barton; and the father of the fourth President of Ireland, Erskine Hamilton Childers

A crisis unlike any other... Like his many of his forbearers, President Jeremy Haines is weighed down by the solemn duties of his post.The threat of both the Soviet Union and China is a precarious situation and one mistake could lead the U.S into another long war.It seems the strain is too much, and unusual for Haines, he decides to take a week long vacation to Palm Springs, California for some R&R.But even more uncharacteristically, Haines declines to bring any reporter with him; the norm for him, while in office.Gunther Damon, news superintendent of the Washington Bureau of International Press is definitely suspicious.While not much a writer himself, Damon knows how to run a well-oiled team of reporters.And his gut instinct has never been wrong.In the early hours of the morning, President Haines' plane goes missing.As the search for bodies goes on, the crew is slowly but surely accounted for; but no sign of President Haines.And then as one of Damon's reporters find out, a body of unknown man is found amongst the wreckage.But it's not President Haines' body.In fact, the body is not of anyone who should've been on that plane. The corpse's identity is a complete mystery.Which raises another mystery - where is the President of the United States?Set in the middle of the cold war, The President's Plane is Missing is a thrilling and suspenseful mystery. Praise for Robert J Serling 'High level of suspense and excitement.' - De Moines Sunday Register 'Serling has spun another winner' - Publisher's Weekly '...keeps you guessing til the end' - Arizona Daily Star 'Aviation buffs will revel in this thoroughgoing chronicle' - Kirkus Robert J Serling was born in 1918 in Cortland, New York and was a novelist and aviation writer. He is the author of a number of airline histories and several novels, including The President's Plane Is Missing, which was adapted in 1973 as a made-for-TV film, and Air Force One Is Haunted.

From the author of The New York Times #1 bestselling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a hard-edged look at the seductive, high-stakes and often hypocritical world of religious revivalism and televangelists.... Spellbinder is the story of a genuine and charismatic believer known as "Preacher," who returns from the foxholes and horrors of Vietnam with a simple goal--to spread the word of peace, love, and charity. He immediately attracts a following as he moves from California communes to small surfing towns. "The Church," as his mobile flock is now known, is a culture that centers as much on sex and drugs as prayers, sacraments, and salvation. Despite a growing following, The Church is bordering on bankruptcy. As they reach what is surely the end of the line in Texas, a powerful billionaire witnesses Preacher and likes what he sees. Offered a platform for his heavenly message to reach millions, Preacher takes the leap into the new world of mass broadcasting the gospel. Before long, Preacher becomes one of the most powerful televangelists in the country, making influential friends and building a vast empire as the newest religious superstar. He finds his new success and status as "the" rock star entertainer of big-top religion intoxicating. Deep inside, though, he realizes that he's become just another televangelist selling everlasting salvation for an earthly price. Religion professes the only power... Preacher's power is love, but he meets greed, lust, and corruption from his believers. With a burning conscience, he faces a truly gut-wrenching choice--preserve his empire to continue to spread the word, or become the sacrificial lamb on the altar to expose the hypocrisy surrounding him.

"As Great Britain and the United States celebrate a victorious end to WWII, Joseph Stalin's relentless Soviet Union is spreading across Eastern Europe leaving a trail of devastation and murder in its wake. Winston Churchill, the cigar-puffing icon of the British fighting spirit embarks on a crusade to lift the veil of secrecy that hangs over Stalin's Soviet Union. Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri sets the diplomatic stage upon which the world's political players grapple for supremacy as Churchill delivers his fated Iron Curtain speech on March 5th 1946. Soviet operatives have infiltrated British and American governments at the highest level. As Churchill prepares to deliver his Iron Curtain speech that will launch the cold war, Stalin unleashes his trained mole, an American Nazi who served in Hitler's SS. His mission: Assassinate Winston Churchill. Churchill travels with a lone bodyguard, W.H. Thompson, a former British police officer who protected Churchill faithfully through the turbulent years of war. Thompson alone senses danger, but will his trained instincts and vigilance be enough to protect the former Prime Minister from a ruthless killer? In this gripping historical thriller, battles are fought not on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields, on the streets or in the hills, but behind closed doors in the shadows of espionage."--P. [4] of cover.

Lucy Derrick is a young woman of good breeding and poor finances. After the death of her beloved father, she is forced to maintain a shabby dignity as the unwanted boarder of her tyrannical uncle, fending off marriage to a local mill owner. But just as she is on the cusp of accepting a life of misery, events take a stunning turn when a handsome stranger--the poet and notorious rake Lord Byron--arrives at her house, stricken by what seems to be a curse, and with a cryptic message for Lucy. Suddenly her unfortunate circumstances are transformed in ways at once astonishing and seemingly impossible. With the world undergoing an industrial transformation, and with England on the cusp of revolution, Lucy is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy in which her life, and her country's future, are in the balance. Inexplicably finding herself at the center of cataclysmic events, Lucy is awakened to a world once unknown to her: where magic and mortals collide, and the forces of ancient nature and modern progress are at war for the soul of England . . . and the world. The key to victory may be connected to a cryptic volume whose powers of enchantment are unbounded. Now, challenged by ruthless enemies with ancient powers at their command, Lucy must harness newfound mystical skills to prevent catastrophe and preserve humanity's future. And enthralled by two exceptional men with designs on her heart, she must master her own desires to claim the destiny she deserves. " The Twelfth Enchantment" is the most captivating work to date of a master literary conjurer. "From the Hardcover edition."

In the closing days of World War II, OSS Captain Dan Brooks is chosen by the Allies to damage the German war machine, and to take a dangerous assignment that no one else would dare--to kidnap Hitler. E.M. Nathanson is the author of the international bestseller The Dirty Dozen.

"An explosive story of friendship and sacrifice in the depths of the Cold War era. Connoisseurs of the literary spy thriller rank Robert Littell with John le Carre, Graham Greene, and Alan Furst in the first tier of the genre's pantheon. Set against the backdrop of the 1968 Russian invasion of Prague, The October Circle is one of Littell's most riveting early works. Seven of Bulgaria's cultural elite -- close friends and all true communists -- find their beliefs shattered by the roar of Russian tanks thundering toward the defenseless Czechoslovakian capital. Driven by conscience, the group -- 'The October Circle' -- join forces with an American drifter to stage an extremely dangerous protest that will set off a wave of repression and threatens to repay their heroism with death"--P. [4] of cover.

"Friday, October 31, 9:37 p.m., 100 block of South Martel. A vandal threw a pumpkin through the front window of a house and several eggs at the front door." "The police report read like just another Halloween prank - a nasty, petty act. But the attack is one in a recent spate of increasingly violent vandalisms targeting residents who have paid millions of dollars for their dream homes in the ritziest enclaves of Los Angeles." "Residents are already seething, hotly divided about the growing number of Historical Architectural Restoration and Preservation (HARP) boards that prevent homeowners from remodeling their expensive real estate, forcing them to preserve the traditional integrity of neighborhoods where Hollywood legends once lived. So impassioned are pro- and anti-HARP forces that Crime Sheet columnist Molly Blume suspects that members from both sides of the debate may be perpetrating the vandalism that claims new victims almost daily." "But the arson that destroys a house on Fuller Street doesn't fit the pattern. This beautiful property belongs to Margaret Reston and her husband, Hank; and the sick old man who dies when it burns is Margaret's father. Margaret herself has disappeared. She was last seen working in her garden five months ago - and although traces of her blood were found in her car, the police have no idea what has happened to the missing woman." "This intrigue all makes good copy for hard-hitting newshound Molly. Almost in love again with the high-school sweetheart who dumped her and is now a rabbi, Molly can't stop thinking about Margaret and Hank Reston and the old man whose life was tragically, though accidently, cut short. But was it an accident? What has happened to Margaret Reston? Where does malice end and evil begin?"--BOOK JACKET.

In 1941, after discovering tuberculosis, Liese, is taken to a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland by her aunt. The book traces Liese¿s incarceration in the sanatorium where she meets various characters, including her Greek-Jewish friend, Antigone. Upon Nazi orders in 1942 the sanatorium expels all the Jewish patients including Liese and Antigone under the pretext to have their papers checked. However, once they arrive at a small train station in Italy, they are surrounded by German SS troops with whips and vicious dogs. An old family friend from Vienna rescues Liese by pushing her under a train. He finds shelter for Liese in an Italian village church where she encounters a dangerous sexton. She is quickly transported to a forest underground bunker where she meets a number of compelling characters and remains there until liberation by a friendly U.S. Army.

The Letter(TM) by Jerry Yellin confronts that quality in a novel in which two men are destined for conflict from their first meeting at age 13, continuing as one accepts his personal vision of a peaceful and inclusive God to become a rabbi while the other pursues a life of political and personal conquest that seems at first to be impossible to reconcile with his Protestant Christian faith. Religion is a comfort, if not a beacon, for Yellin's rabbi, Mark Davidson; it is a tool rather than a philosophy for Adam Flowers, a shallow politician and American Talibaptist. "As a WWII fighter pilot Jerry Yellin knows a few things about threats to humanity, and this nation. In The Letter he uses his considerable insight to strike a major blow against religious bigotry, hatred, and intolerance. If you are not concerned about the invasion of American politics by religious extremists, you will be when you finish this intriguing novel. I love the book!" -- Troy Evans Author Jerry Yellin was a WW 2 fighter pilot from Hillside, NJ. He flew P-51's over Japan from Iwo Jima. Married to Helene for 60 years, they have four sons and six grandchildren, three in America and three born and raised in Japan. Jerry is the author of the award winning historical fiction book The Blackened Canteen and his memoir Of War and Weddings. For More Info perform a Video Search "World War II: Jerry Yellin" These videos will bring Jerry's true story to life. "The hint of violence is always on the back burner, and kept me turning the page. My favorite line in the book: "This is where grown men come to cry." A deep compelling story that will keep you awake at night, wondering about the future of this planet, the human family and where we came from. I highly recommend this book. Five stars!!!" -- Kathleen Rogers, MWSA Reviewer "In his novel The Letter, Jerry Yellin tells the story of an American family divided by religion and politics, love and hate, old and new. By exposing the ramifications of one-way thinking he makes the case for religious tolerance in a personal and convincing way. A consummate storyteller, Jerry keeps us turning the pages through myriad plot twists and masterful plotting. A must read for everyone." -- Linda Egenes, author of Visits with the Amish: Impressions of the Plain Life "Most human beings have the bad habit of defining themselves by nationality, religion, or both-divisions which can lead to violent disagreements and, ultimately, death. In The Letter a powerful U.S. Senator who considers himself a Christian fundamentalist learns, after reading The Letter, that his bloodline is quite different-that he may, in fact, be just what he hates. Highly recommended for those who believe in the ultimate brotherhood of man, and for those who seek to exorcise their own demons." -- Neal Stannard: Author of Now and Then, the Movies Get it Right "The playing field that is Mark Davidson's life is be-sodded when he receives a letter from an attorney that reveals that his boyhood adversary who has grown up to become a hawkish politician is indeed his half-brother. His enemy has become his family. Does he have a duty to his brother? Does he have a duty to those who are the victims of his brother's brutal hatreds? The Letter is the novel you would expect when both religion and brotherhood engage in full combat for peace and for primacy, and yet, both must find a way to survive." A rare find with real-life messages. -- Jack Woodville London, Author of French Letters

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Harmon, USAF fighter pilot, is a warrior with no war to fight; a consummate professional whose single-word credo, WIN, has left his personal life in shambles, and now threatens to destroy what he values most, his military career. Desert Storm/Desert Shield may offer him a last glistening chance at resurrecting not only his career, but more importantly, himself as a man. For the beautiful Christine Campbell, too, the war is a golden chance. Already a celebrated television journalist, her planned exclusive interview with Saddam Hussein will propel her to the very peak of her profession. And she is determined to allow nothing, not love, not even the possibility of betraying one of her own countrymen, to stand in the way of her success. To Adnan Dulaimi, the Iraqi army officer who already knows the tragedy and futility of war, this new war is a nightmare come true - more so when he finds himself enmeshed in a plot to overthrow Saddam, thereby forcing him to make a choice no soldier should be faced with: allowing ruin to fall upon his beloved country - or dishonoring his oath of loyalty to the leader of that country, the man responsible for bringing ruin to his people and his land. And for the reservist recalled to active duty, U.S. Army helicopter pilot Major Elaine Nelson, the war represents both personal achievement and personal failure. She, who has struggled so hard to overcome the prejudices of a male-dominated military hierarchy, may find that her success in securing a slot in the regular army may very well be at the cost of her fine marriage to her civilian husband. The profound effect of the Persian Gulf War on the lives of these four is played out in thedeath-filled skies over Baghdad, in the byzantine intrigues of the White House and the Palace at Riyadh, in the paranoia of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, and in the bloody streets of Iraqi-occupied Kuwait City.

Spy thriller fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder 'The men who work for you, General', he observed, 'should rid themselves of any fear of death'. Rome, 1934. Martin Fawley leaves the American secret service and is recruited by General Berati, the most feared man in fascist Italy, as a spy. After a brief encounter with a glamorous yet murderous Italian princess, Fawley's mission takes him undercover to Monaco. Suave and worldly, Fawley is quite at home in the casinos and golf courses of Monte Carlo--but he is soon entangled in a game with higher stakes. As the nations of Europe vie for power, Fawley discovers the secret weapon that will determine the outcome of the looming war. This classic thriller--undoubtedly an influence on Ian Fleming's James Bond novels--is now republished for the first time since the 1930s. With its yachts and cocktail parties, its steely hero and brutal assassins, and its cinematic range across the cities of Europe, this is a gripping and sophisticated tale of a spy who saves the world.