Tess Durbeyfield knows what it is to work hard and expect little. But her life is about to veer from the path trod by her mother and grandmother. When her ne'er-do-well father learns that his family is the last of a long noble line, the d'Urbervilles, he sends Tess on a journey to meet her supposed kin—a journey that will see her victimized by lust, poverty, and hypocrisy. Shaped by an acute sense of social injustice and by a vision of human fate cosmic in scope, her story is a singular blending of harsh realism and poignant beauty. Thomas Hardy created in Tess not a standard Victorian heroine but a woman whose intense vitality shines against the bleak backdrop of a dying way of life. The novel shocked contemporary readers with its honesty and remains a timeless commentary on the human condition.

In this free Rizzoli & Isles short story from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen, author of The Silent Girl, a bizarre death comes with a supernatural twist. Homicide cop Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have seen their fair share of mortal crimes, but the death of Kimberly Rayner may qualify as inhuman in more ways than one. When corpse of the emaciated seventeen-year-old girl is discovered next to an empty coffin in an abandoned church, mysterious bruises around the throat suggest foul play. Caught fleeing the scene is the victim’s closest friend, Lucas Henry, an equally skeletal, pale teenager who claims he’s guilty only of having a taste for blood—a craving he shared with Kimberly. But the victim’s distraught father doesn’t believe in vampires, only vengeance. And now, another life may be at risk unless Rizzoli and Isles can uncover the astonishing truth. Includes a special preview of Tess Gerritsen’s new Rizzoli & Isles novel, The Silent Girl, on sale July 5   And don’t miss the season premiere of TNT’s hit series Rizzoli & Isles on July 11

New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen has thrilled countless readers with her acclaimed novels of suspense featuring Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles—and TNT struck ratings gold with the Rizzoli & Isles series based on Gerritsen’s novels. Now here’s a convenient e-book bundle of the first eight installments of this compelling series: The Surgeon, The Apprentice, The Sinner, Body Double, Vanish, The Mephisto Club, The Keepsake, and Ice Cold.  

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER   Rizzoli & Isles now a series on TNT In the murky shadows of Boston’s Chinatown lies a severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed in black, her head nearly decapitated. Two strands of silver hair—not human—cling to her body. They are homicide cop Jane Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel. Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. One woman connected to that massacre is still alive—a mysterious martial arts master who is now the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil. Cracking a crime with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning—and a swift, avenging blade. Don’t miss Tess Gerritsen’s short story “Freaks” in the back of the eBook.

In Their Footsteps & Thief Of Hearts by Tess Gerritsen released on Mar 25, 2008 is available now for purchase.

THE FIRST BODY IS A MYSTERY. She's young. She's beautiful. And her corpse, laid out in the office of Boston medical examiner Kat Novak, betrays no secrets - except for a matchbook clutched in one stiff hand, seven numbers scrawled inside. THE NEXT BODY IS A WARNING. When a second victim is discovered, Kat begins to fear that a serial killer is stalking the streets. The police are sceptical. The mayor won't listen. And Kat's chief suspect is one of the town's most prominent citizens. THE FINAL BODY . . . MIGHT BE HERS. With the death toll rising, Kat races to expose a deadly predator who is closer than she ever dreamt. And every move she makes could be her very last.

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Tess Gerritsen's The Silent Girl. Unknown bones, untold secrets, and unsolved crimes from the distant past cast ominous shadows on the present in the dazzling new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. Present day: Julia Hamill has made a horrifying discovery on the grounds of her new home in rural Massachusetts: a skull buried in the rocky soil–human, female, and, according to the trained eye of Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, scarred with the unmistakable marks of murder. But whoever this nameless woman was, and whatever befell her, is knowledge lost to another time. . . . Boston, 1830: In order to pay for his education, Norris Marshall, a talented but penniless student at Boston Medical College, has joined the ranks of local “resurrectionists”–those who plunder graveyards and harvest the dead for sale on the black market. Yet even this ghoulish commerce pales beside the shocking murder of a nurse found mutilated on the university hospital grounds. And when a distinguished doctor meets the same grisly fate, Norris finds that trafficking in the illicit cadaver trade has made him a prime suspect. To prove his innocence, Norris must track down the only witness to have glimpsed the killer: Rose Connolly, a beautiful seamstress from the Boston slums who fears she may be the next victim. Joined by a sardonic, keenly intelligent young man named Oliver Wendell Holmes, Norris and Rose comb the city–from its grim cemeteries and autopsy suites to its glittering mansions and centers of Brahmin power–on the trail of a maniacal fiend who lurks where least expected . . . and who waits for his next lethal opportunity. With unflagging suspense and pitch-perfect period detail, The Bone Garden deftly interweaves the thrilling narratives of its nineteenth- and twenty-first century protagonists, tracing the dark mystery at its heart across time and place to a finale as ingeniously conceived as it is shocking. Bold, bloody, and brilliant, this is Tess Gerritsen’s finest achievement to date. "An old mystery is crossed with a modern story in the latest from Gerritsen (The Mephisto Club, 2006, etc.).Julia Hamill, newly divorced and still smarting, purchases an old house outside Boston. Determined to dig a garden, she instead finds the bones of a long-dead woman–the apparent victim of murder–which starts her on a journey to ferret out the story behind her death. Julia connects with Henry, a no-nonsense 89-year-old with boxes of documents that once belonged to the now-deceased previous owner of Julia’s home. The two discover a mystery dating back to the 1830s. At the heart of it is a baby named Meggie, born to the beautiful but doomed Irish chambermaid, Aurnia. Married to a man who cares nothing for her, Aurnia lays dying in a maternity ward with her sister, Rose, at her side. Rose, a spirited 17-year-old, takes Meggie to protect her from Aurnia’s husband, but soon finds herself the target of a bizarre manhunt. Someone is after the child–and Rose, as well, because she witnessed a horrifying murder. The body count piles up as Rose struggles to remain free of those who would take Meggie from her. Meanwhile, a young medical student becomes the chief suspect of the West End Reaper killings when he stumbles onto another terrible homicide. Although he fights the prospect, eventually he and Rose join forces to solve the murders and protect the baby at the heart of the mysterious deaths. Readers with delicate stomachs may find Gerritsen’s graphic descriptions of corpse dissection hard to take, but the story, which digs up a dark Boston of times long past, entices readers to keep turning pages long after their bedtimes." - Kirkus Reviews (starred)

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Tess Gerritsen's The Silent Girl. Evil exists. Evil walks the streets. And evil has spawned a diabolical new disciple in this white-knuckle thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. PECCAVI The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell–Jane’s professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club. On top of Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan himself exists among us. With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it’s clear that someone–or something–is indeed prowling the city. The members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own–or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness? Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning.

A blessed event becomes a nightmare for pregnant homicide detective Jane Rizzoli when she finds herself on the wrong side of a hostage crisis in this timely and relentless new thriller from the New Your Times bestselling author of Body Double. A nameless, beautiful woman appears to be just another corpse in the morgue. An apparent suicide, she lies on a gurney awaiting the dissecting scalpel of medical examiner Maura Isles. But when Maura unzips the body bag and looks down as the body, she gets the fright of her life. The corpse opens it eyes. Very much alive, the woman is rushed to the hospital, where, with shockingly cool precision, she murders a security guard and seizes hostages…one of them a pregnant patient, Jane Rizzoli. Who is this violent, desperate soul, and what does she want? As the tense hours tick by, Maura joins forces with Jane’s husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean, to track down the mysterious killer’s identity. When federal agents suddenly appear on the scene, Maura and Gabriel realize that they are dealing with a case that goes far deeper than just an ordinary hostage crisis. Only Jane, trapped with the armed madwoman, holds the key to the mystery. And only she can solve it-if she survives the night.

When two Boston nuns are found brutally beaten--one fatally and one with a scintilla of life left in her--it's up to homicide detective Jane Rizzoli to find the perpetrator. Medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles, nicknamed the Queen of the Dead, has the unlucky fortune to discover that the murdered nun, a young woman about to make her final vows, hid untold secrets from the rest of the aging convent. Both fallen Catholics, Rizzoli and Isles seek to reconcile the viciousness of the crimes with the seeming blind faith of the victims. Another dead body turns up, and the investigators must rely on their clinical analysis, lest they be sucked in to the drama unfolding before them. Each woman immerses herself in her work rather than face the outside world; Rizzoli refuses to face the truth of what her future holds, and Isles denies her own loneliness.

A deadly truth… When Victor Holland comes flying out of the night, he runs straight into the path of Catherine Weaver’s car. Having uncovered a terrifying secret which leads all the way to Washington, Victor is running for his life – and from the men who will go to any lengths to silence him. Victor’s story sounds like the ravings of a madman, but the haunted look in his eyes – and the bullet hole in his shoulder – tell a different story. As each hour brings pursuers ever closer, Cathy has to wonder, is she giving her trust to a man in danger or trusting her life to a dangerous man? “Gerritsen has enough in the locker to seriously worry Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben and even the great Denis Lehane. Brilliant. ” Crimetime “Gerritsen is tops in her genre. ” USA Today “Tess Gerritsen writes some of the smartest, most compelling thrillers around. ” Bookreporter

The bestselling author of The Surgeon returns and so does that chilling novel's diabolical villain. Though held behind bars, Warren Hoyt still haunts a helpless city, seeming to bequeath his evil legacy to a student all-too-diligent . . . and all-too-deadly. THE APPRENTICE **It is a boiling hot Boston summer. Adding to the city's woes is a series of shocking crimes, in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized. A sadistic demand that ends in abduction and death. The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently removed from the city's streets. Police can only assume an acolyte is at large, a maniac basing his attacks on the twisted medical techniques of the madman he so admires. At least that's what Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks. Forced again to confront the killer who scarred her, literally and figuratively, she is determined to finally end Hoyt's awful influence . . . even if it means receiving more resistance from her all-male homicide squad. But Rizzoli isn't counting on the U.S. government's sudden interest. Or on meeting Special Agent Gabriel Dean, who knows more than he will tell. Most of all, she isn't counting on becoming a target herself, once Hoyt is suddenly free, joining his mysterious blood brother in a vicious vendetta. . . . Filled with superbly created characters (and the medical and police procedural details that are her trademark) The Apprentice is Tess Gerritsen at her brilliant best. Set in a stunning world where evil is easy to learn and hard to end, this is a thriller by a master who could teach other authors a thing or two.

Never Say Die Twenty years after her father's plane crashed in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Willy Jane Maitland travels to the other side of the world to track his final moves. She recognizes the danger in what she's doing, but her search for the truth about that fateful flight is the only thing that matters. Irreverent former army officer Guy Barnard knows the jungles and the workings of the mystical land so unfamiliar to Willy--and Willy knows she couldn't proceed without him. But in a place where truth has many faces, she suspects even Guy has hidden motives. What she couldn't have prepared for are the shocking secrets and undeniable attraction she must face. Whistleblower He emerges from the mist, right in front of Cathy Weaver's car--running from killers who are closing in. Victor Holland's story sounds like the ravings of a man on the brink of madness, but his claim to be a fugitive is confirmed by the haunted look in his eyes--and the bullet hole in his shoulder. As each hour brings his pursuers closer, Cathy has to wonder: Is she giving her trust to a man in danger...or trusting her life to a dangerous man?

A fan-favorite novel by internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen Newlywed Sarah Fontaine has just received the news that every wife fears: her husband of two months has died abroad in a hotel fire. Yet convinced he's still alive, Sarah forges an alliance with Nick O'Hara from the U.S. State Department that has the two of them crisscrossing Europe on a desperate search for signs of life. As Sarah and Nick become quarry in the secret world of international espionage, they must risk everything for answers that may prove fatal.

Short story (12,442 words) The first night she meets Jo, Sophie realizes there are complications in Jo’s life. Jo doesn’t drink, and doesn’t kiss Sophie after Sophie has been drinking, and does both like it is something terribly serious. Sophie decides she likes Jo enough she will manage, whatever Jo’s problem is. This is the story of a few particular nights at the start of one relationship.Short story (12,442 words)The first night she meets Jo, Sophie realizes there are complications in Jo’s life. Jo doesn’t drink, and doesn’t kiss Sophie after Sophie has been drinking, and does both like it is something terribly serious. Sophie decides she likes Jo enough she is happy to work around whatever Jo’s problem is. Over time, as they get to know one another, Sophie learns about Jo’s past, and her drinking, and how she is managing to overcome it. Sophie does her best to support Jo when she can, and find what she needs herself as well. This story concentrates on a few particular nights in the first six months of Sophie and Jo’s relationship, those that are pivotal to their lives. This is not erotica, as the title says. I wanted this to be clear. There is no sex at all in this story, and it is barely a romance either. It’s a story about how people meet, and the problems they have staying together, and how they manage to overcome these problems.

Boston medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles literally meets her match-and must face a savage serial killer and shattering personal revelations-in the brilliant new novel of suspense by the New York Times bestselling author of The Surgeon and The Sinner. Dr. Maura Isles makes her living dealing with death. As a pathologist in a major metropolitan city, she has seen more than her share of corpses every day–many of them victims of violent murder. But never before has her blood run cold, and never has the grim expression "dead ringer" rung so terrifyingly true. Because never before has the lifeless body on the medical examiner's table been her own. Yet there can be no denying the mind-reeling evidence before her shocked eyes and those of her colleagues, including Detective Jane Rizzoli, the woman found shot to death outside Maura’s home is the mirror image of Maura, down to the most intimate physical nuances. Even more chilling is the discovery that they share the same birth date and blood type. For the stunned Maura, an only child, there can be just one explanation. And when a DNA test confirms that Maura's mysterious doppelganger is in fact her twin sister, an already bizarre murder investigation becomes a disturbing and dangerous excursion into a past full of dark secrets. Searching for answers, Maura is drawn to a seaside town in Maine where other horrifying surprises await. But perhaps more frightening, an unknown murderer is at large on a cross-country killing spree. To stop the massacre and uncover the twisted truth about her own roots, Maura must probe her first living subject, the mother that she never knew . . . an icy and cunning woman who could be responsible for giving Maura life-and who just may have a plan to take it away.

Meet Tess, a brave new heroine from beloved epic fantasy author Rachel Hartman. In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can’t make a scene at your sister’s wedding and break a relative’s nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy. Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it’s a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl—a subspecies of dragon—who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she’s tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one. Returning to the fascinating world she created in the award-winning and New York Times bestselling Seraphina, Rachel Hartman introduces readers to a new character and a new quest, pushing the boundaries of genre once again in this wholly original fantasy.

Harper:Four years ago, I fell for Jack's charms. What started as a one-night stand quickly turned into a month's worth of mind-blowing sex. Then I pushed him away, thinking I wanted space. Instead, he gave me what I needed. Raising our son together, Jack has helped heal my once shattered heart. But what about the love I carelessly pushed away, the life we could have had? And how did I get myself into the same situation again with a man I can no longer hide from?Jack:Daddy, Best Friend, and Wingman. Those are the hats I wear. One of the best days in my life was when Harper gave me the chance to be a father. Over time, I hoped she would open up but the walls around her heart were too tall for even my charms to breakdown. Until fate intervened, causing our lives to collide and those walls to crumble to the ground. Finally, letting me in... all the way.

When her world is shattered, a single mother must summon every ounce of strength and determination to rebuild a future for herself and her five precious boys. Can she save her Montana ranch and protect her babies? Stella I'm a mother above all else. My boys are my life and my heart. When I'm suddenly raising them alone, I must face the possibility of selling the ranch that's been in my family for generations. The last thing on my mind is finding a second chance at love. Yet, when a buttoned-up banker offers his assistance, I can't help but say yes. Will the man in a suit and leather loafers be the key to my next chapter? Jasper When I agreed to open a bank branch in a small town in western Montana, I had no idea how much I would love life in a sleepy community full of cowboys and cowgirls. Things get even more interesting when I meet Stella. She's a mother of...

How easily can an open heart unlock the door to happily-ever-after? When Miss Quinn Cooper arrives in Emerson Pass, Colorado, her entire life is packed into one small suitcase. Her family is depending upon her for their survival back home in Boston, and the self-appointed mayor of the rugged mountain community is counting on Miss Cooper to prove herself a fitting teacher for the entire town. Lord Alexander Barnes is determined to bring a bit of English civility to the wild terrain of Emerson Pass. Using his own resources, the widower and father of five builds a schoolhouse and recruits a young teacher from the east, and all is well until necessity forces the lovely, young newcomer to also take a room in the Barnes' home. While the five Barnes children are sure the new schoolmarm is the perfect woman for their lonely father, and the duo have been forced together by every possible circumstance, the threat of violence upon the untamed town...

What would you risk to be with the love of your life? And what if your soul mate is the one who'll destroy you? A compelling novel that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Anita Shreve. 'Looking back on it now, I can see it was instant. The second we locked eyes. Boom. Just like that. The me I had spent a lifetime perfecting began its disintegration from that moment. And despite the carnage it brought to all our lives, I still don't regret it.' Mel is living the dream. She's a successful GP, married to a charming anaesthetist and raising a beautiful family in their plush home in Perth. But when she boards a flight to Melbourne, her picture-perfect life unravels. On board she meets Matt, and for the first time ever she falls in love. What begins as a flirty conversation between strangers quickly develops into a hot and obsessive affair with consequences that neither Mel nor Matt seem capable of heeding. As Mel's dream life turns into nightmare, she learns there are some...

She may kiss like a woman. But she’s willing to fight like a man.When District Attorney Tess Hayward swept the crooked marshal out with the trash she made Buffalo Ford a peace-loving place to live. But a new election’s got the town-tamer nervous. Her rival is Big Dick Wilcox—and this one’s a true politician: dirty ethics and deep pockets. Tess doesn’t stand a chance in Hell—which is what Buffalo Ford’s going to be if Big Dick comes out on top.   Tess has a tactic of her own: Longarm. But what’s he supposed to do? Just head north and blow away the competition? Could happen. Because what the scoundrel has planned for Tess and all of Buffalo Ford is going to put justice to the test—along with Longarm’s patience and his skill with a .44-40.

Books 7 - 10 of the Torrent Witches Cozy Mysteries! Love Witch Love and Shakespeare have come to town! Harlow Torrent, Slip Witch, is just trying to make a buck as assistant to Hans Holtz, tyrant director of The Taming of the Shrew. When he's poisoned by an unknown assailant and the play comes under attack, Harlow is pulled into a dangerous mystery decades in the making. Between venomous wildlife, magical lizards, mad protesters, weddings, a proposal and an Aunt Cass last seen in a hardhat and tool belt heading into the stormwater drains, Harlow must contend with a magical force driving the town mad with love. All is fair in love and war... but Harlow is going to need help if she is to survive this one... Book #7 of the Torrent Witches Cozy Mysteries series. Cozy Witch It's meant to be an easy job for Harlow Torrent, Slip Witch: personal assistant to Red Forrest,...

In Wyoming for a medical conference, Boston medical examiner Maura Isles joins a group of friends on a spur-of-the-moment ski trip. But when their SUV stalls on a snow-choked mountain road, they're stranded with no help in sight. As night falls, the group seeks refuge from the blizzard in the remote village of Kingdom Come, where twelve eerily identical houses stand dark and abandoned. Something terrible has happened in Kingdom Come: Meals sit untouched on tables, cars are still parked in garages. The town's previous residents seem to have vanished into thin air, but footprints in the snow betray the presence of someone who still lurks in the cold darkness--someone who is watching Maura and her friends. Days later, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli receives the grim news that Maura's charred body has been found in a mountain ravine. Shocked and grieving, Jane is determined to learn what happened to her friend. The investigation plunges Jane into the twisted history of Kingdom Come, where a gruesome discovery lies buried beneath the snow. As horrifying revelations come to light, Jane closes in on an enemy both powerful and merciless--and the chilling truth about Maura's fate. Published in the UK as THE KILLING PLACE.

After sending Walter Green off to fight in World War I, Josephine Barnes dutifully writes to her love to keep his spirits up on the front lines. As word arrives that Walter was killed in action, Josephine is consumed by her grief. Declaring herself a spinster forever, she focuses not on her pain but on her love of books and building Emerson Pass's first library. And when the war finally ends, and her twin brothers safely return home, Josephine is finally ready to put the past behind her. Surely she can find all of the love she will ever need in her large, gregarious family. With his service over and his entire life ahead of him, Philip Baker is haunted by his guilt. Surviving the horrific days and nights on the front lines of the war was difficult enough. The weight of his betrayals is nearly crippling. As an orphan with no one at home to return to, he couldn't stop himself from secretly reading the lovely letters written to his friend Walter by a charming young woman...

In the twelfth gripping novel featuring Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles, the crime-solving duo—featured in the smash-hit TNT series Rizzoli & Isles—are faced with the gruesomely staged murder of a horror film producer. The crime scene is unlike any that Detective Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have ever before encountered. The woman lies in apparently peaceful repose on her bed, and Maura finds no apparent cause of death, but there is no doubt the woman is indeed dead. The victim’s eyes have been removed and placed in the palm of her hand, a gesture that echoes the terrifying films she produces. Is a crazed movie fan reenacting scenes from those disturbing films? When another victim is found, again with no apparent cause of death, again with a grotesquely staged crime scene, Jane and Maura realize the killer has widened his circle of targets. He’s chosen one particular woman for his next victim, and she knows he’s coming for her next. She’s the only one who can help Jane and Maura catch the killer. But she knows a secret. And it’s a secret she’ll never tell.

This romantic fusion of art—poetry, prose, and unbridled creativity—was birthed from one soul's season of adventure and unraveling, inviting us to surrender the great for the greater.What started as a break from Australian artist Tess Guinery's rapidly growing design business turned into an instinctive, playful experiment with words, colors, and sounds—and eventually into a tangible book, The Apricot Memoirs. This collection of poetry and prose, thoughtfully illustrated and printed on colored paper, is infused with grace and playfulness. It explores love, personal growth, creativity, spirituality, vulnerability, and motherhood in the art medium of words, all the while creating a rich portrait of a deeply empathetic, talented, and whimsical artist. Esoteric, mysterious, and unfailingly beautiful, The Apricot Memoirs is an invitation to dig deep, embrace the uncomfortable, and free your creativity, unbound.

1921 Estelle Cast out and alone, I lost everything weeks before my wedding—my betrothed, my family, my future. With nowhere to turn, I accept the help of a compassionate stranger, not knowing it may lead me towards a path I swore never to tread. Percival After my wife succumbed to a psychotic break, I placed her in an asylum, a decision that haunts me as I raise our daughter alone. Hope for her recovery wanes with each passing year. I've vowed to uphold my marital duty, yet the arrival of a mysterious woman tempts me with forbidden possibilities. My father's dishonorable legacy is a constant reminder of the man I refuse to become. Set in the tumultuous early 1920s, "When Stars Fall at Midnight" is the first installment in Tess Thompson's romantic family saga. Join USA Today Bestselling author in this tale of resilience, redemption, and unexpected love, where second chances arise from the...

Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family. When a terrible accident takes Madeline Kirby's husband and only child, the school guidance counselor is sure she can't go on. Left behind with nothing but her work and an empty heart, she vows to survive Christmas by reaching out to comfort someone else who knows similar pain.Fostering four motherless children for the holidays is supposed to be temporary, but as Maddie tends to defensive Stevie, distrustful Jo, delicate Alissa, and frightened little Hailey, the ache in her own heart slowly becomes bearable. And before the season of giving comes to an end, it becomes clear that life intended for them to find each other. Enjoy these soul sisters' first Christmas together in Christmas Sisters, a prologue novella - then catch up with each of them individually, fifteen years later.Don't miss a Soul Sisters book!Book 1: Christmas Sisters – Prolougue...

Tess and Lizzie are sisters, sisters as close as can be, who share a secret world filled with selkies, flying horses, and a girl who can transform into a wolf in the middle of the night. But when Lizzie is ready to grow up, Tess clings to their fantasies. As Tess sinks deeper and deeper into her delusions, she decides that she can't live in the real world any longer and leaves Lizzie and her family forever. Now, years later, Lizzie is in high school and struggling to understand what happened to her sister. With the help of a school psychologist and Tess's battered journal, Lizzie searches for a way to finally let Tess go.

Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family. Kind, funny, successful, and adoring, Jed Marsh is the man of Alissa Mann's dreams. But Jed's parents don't think Alissa, who supplements her kindergarten teacher's salary as a cocktail waitress at a gentlemen's club, is good enough for their son. And his controlling mother will stop at nothing to keep them from getting married. When Mrs. Marsh threatens to reveal Alissa's secret side job to the school administration and the meddling moms who run the PTA, Jed and Alissa reluctantly call off their intimate mountain wedding. But even after the nuptials are canceled, Alissa agrees to meet her sisters and mother at the beautiful Cedar Mountain Lodge. And in the loving arms of her own family, Alissa just might figure out how to move forward — with or without Jed. Fans of small-town stories, heartwarming holiday tales, sweet second chances, and whimsical winter weddings...

A Sweet 20th Century Historical Romance When their mother dies in childbirth, the responsibility of caring for her baby sister falls squarely on Luci's twelve-year-old shoulders. And the difficult task is made nearly impossible by their father's drinking and love of gambling. Desperate for help of any kind, Luci accepts the generosity of a wealthy local. But what she doesn't know about his family, or about her own mother, is certain to come back and haunt her. A single act of kindness — giving food to Luci and her infant sister — costs sixteen-year-old Wesley much more than he bargains for. Forbidden by his parents from ever helping the girls again, the privileged young man soon finds himself at boarding school. When he finally returns home a grown man with his own fortune, he must face the family secrets that still threaten him. And as he discovers both Luci and her baby sister survived in his absence, he is determined to uncover the...

Miranda's ex-lover is found murdered. She had a motive and the opportunity. After being arrested for the crime, Miranda is shocked to learn she's been released on bail--bail posted by someone determined to remain anonymous. Is someone trying to help Miranda? Or is someone trying to manipulate Miranda and draw her into the dark and secret world of a murdered man, where everybody's presumed guilty?

For David Ransom, it begins as an open-and-shut case. Malpractice. As attorney for a grieving family, he's determined to hang a negligent doctor. Then Dr. Kate Chesne storms into his office, dating him to seek out the truth -- that she's being framed. First, it was Kate's career that was in jeopardy. Then, when another body is discovered, David begins to believe her. Suddenly, it's much more. Somewhere in the Honolulu hospital, a killer walks freely among patients and staff. And now David finds himself asking the same questions Kate is desperate to have answered. Who is next? And why?

Aubrey:My life in Chicago was perfect. I had a great boyfriend, a great job, and an amazing apartment.Then it all went to shit and the city turned its back on me.Going home was my only option. Now the man that invaded my fantasies but avoided me for years is my new boss.Wolf:She destroyed the walls I built to protect everyone and made me feel something.Made me feel the urge to keep her safe, safe from me.And I did a damn good job.That is until her life implodes on my watch and I have to do everything to get her back to me and claim what has been mine all along.

An all-new original novel in which the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe must free Inhuman slaves imprisoned on a distant world.Carol Danvers—Captain Marvel—narrowly stops a spacecraft from crashing. Its pilot Rhi is a young Inhuman woman from a group who left for a life among the stars. Instead they were imprisoned on a planet where an enslaved Inhuman brings her owner great power and influence. Horrified by the account, Carol gathers a team—including Ant-Man, Mantis, and Amadeus Cho—and they set out to free Rhi's people.

An unwilling legend and the woman who made him into one finally meet in a sizzling encounter.Nathaniel has many names. They call him the Deathrider, White Wolf, The Plague of the West. He's the ice-eyed killer of the plains, the ghost of the trail, the restless spirit who haunts the frontier from California to Missouri, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. They say he moves silently through the night and changes form to run with the wolves. Or so the rumors go... Ava Archer wouldn't know. She's never seen him. But that doesn't stop her writing about him. After more than a dozen dime novels about The Plague of the West, she thinks she probably knows him better than he knows himself, even if she wouldn't recognize him on the street. Nathaniel is ready to put to bed the rumors about him by confronting A.A. Archer. BBut he never could have predicted that A.A. Archer wouldn't be at all what he expected, but rather a sexy redhead woman with sloe dark eyes...

He's a small-town veterinarian with a love for animals and naps. Haunted by a childhood trauma, she's terrified of men. Can the truth about her past bring them closer together or tear them apart forever? Breck Stokes is back where he belongs. After years at university, he's returned to Emerson Pass and taken over his mother's veterinarian practice. He loves the small ski community, spending time with his buddies and healing big and small animals. The moment he meets lovely but reserved Tiffany Birt, he's drawn to her in ways he can't explain. Can he break through her walls to win her heart? Tiffany Birt is Emerson Pass's favorite wedding planner. She's accepted she'll never be a bride herself but loves helping couples plan their perfect small-town wedding. In addition, she has good friends and her precious dog, Muffy. However, her well-ordered exterior hides a painful past. One she must keep hidden or risk being pulled back into the cult she ran...

The presents are wrapped. The stockings are hung. And two precious miracles are preparing to make their debuts. The most wonderful time of the year becomes even more joyous for Zane and Honor when their surrogate, Sophie, gifts them with an extra special delivery. And Brody and Kara's dreams come true when their son arrives just in time for Christmas. Return to your favorite small town and visit the whole gang, including Minnie the cat, in this heartwarming holiday novella from USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson!

HIM Casey Atwood, a top contender in this year’s World Finals for the Professional Bull Riders, would rather leave Dillon Creek in his rearview mirror. He wants the past in the past with each eight-second ride. He’s not into the fame or the money of it all, he’s addicted to the adrenaline that allows him to forget. But when Casey receives a letter from a local attorney that would put him, and the only woman that’s ever owned his heart, in the same place for an extended period, he’s not so sure about his future with the PBR, about his heart, especially with their fragile past. HER Tess Morgan is scheduled, regimented. A first-grade teacher, proficient in organization and list management, she finds solace with her students and has loved teaching since she started the profession. But when Tess loses her job, everything starts to unravel, including her history with Casey Atwood. When she receives a letter from a local attorney, tying her past to her future, she takes the opportunity—that is until Casey Atwood appears at the door, rugged, sexy, and unpredictable. Yet the secret that ties them together leaves them both grasping for anything to help mend their hearts. Eventually, the madness and chaos of that night all those years ago return and they can’t seem to stop the heartbreak they’re both headed for. Will Casey and Tess have the ability to face their demons, or will they both break before the healing begins?

Merry Christmas from Emerson Pass in this surprise bonus novella full of holiday cheer, romance, and family. Flynn Barnes and his wife Shannon have had an idyllic marriage. Until she discovers the dangerous secret he kept from her. One that threatens to ruin their marriage and the stability of a happy home for their two little girls. When his siblings suggest a way to gain back Shannon's love and trust, they embark on a seven-day journey to do so. Can Flynn win back her love before it's too late? Along with their focus on Flynn, the family is also helping plan Cymbeline's wedding to Viktor. Will Emerson Pass's favorite tomboy embrace a traditional wedding with all the trimmings? Her sisters are determined to make sure she does. Join the Barnes family for this bonus novella in the bestselling Emerson Pass Historicals. Christmas joy abounds as the family does what they do best, stick together no matter what happens. Don't...

The Rabbit Hutch is a stunning debut novel about four teenagers—recently aged out of the state foster-care system—living together in an apartment building in the post-industrial Midwest, exploring the quest for transcendence and the desire for love.  “Gunty writes with a keen, sensitive eye about all manner of intimacies—the kind we build with other people, and the kind we cultivate around ourselves and our tenuous, private aspirations.”—Raven Leilani, best-selling, award-winning author of LusterThe automobile industry has abandoned Vacca Vale, Indiana, leaving the residents behind, too. In a run-down apartment building on the edge of town, commonly known as the Rabbit Hutch, a number of people now reside quietly, looking for ways to live in a dying city. Apartment C2 is lonely and detached. C6 is aging and stuck. C8 harbors an extraordinary fear. But C4 is of particular interest. Here live...

One career-ending mistake sends Lance Mullen home to Cliffside Bay in search of a fresh start. And in no time at all, home begins to feel like the place he was always meant to be. With his beautiful new beach house, his friends and family close by, and a profitable business to grow, life really is good. That is until his heart tries to wreck everything... again. After losing her mother, child and marriage, Mary Hansen has built a nearly impenetrable wall around her heart. She's convinced her dream job, a few growing friendships, and a never-ending stream of books to fill her evenings are enough for a contented if not all together joyous life. Though she's on guard not to get too close to anyone, one careless moment with Lance will shatter her prospects for an uncomplicated future. The fifth installment of The Cliffside Bay Series by bestselling author Tess Thompson follows the interwoven stories of five best friends, the beach community they love, and the women...

Control was the word Dr Toby Harper lived by. She strove to keep her life in order, her ER in order. But no one could have been prepared for the man she admits one quiet night to the Springer Hospital. Delirious and in critical condition, he barely responds to treatment. And then he disappears without trace. The subsequent search leads Toby to a second patient with the same infection. And it reveals an unsettling twist - the infection can only be spread through direct tissue exchange. Soon Toby's on a trail that winds from a pregnant sixteen-year-old prostitute to an unexpected tragedy in her own home. Only then does she discover the unthinkable: a terrifying and deadly epidemic is about to be unleashed ...

From USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson, visit Blue Mountain yet again in this standalone tale that celebrates underdogs, family secrets, and forbidden love. Charlotte Wilde's life is a flop. She gives her heart to the wrong men, her first published book is a failure, and now she's dead broke too. Desperate to pay the bills, she takes a job caring for an elderly woman who is recovering from a broken hip, hopeful the position will leave her with plenty of time to focus on her writing. Yet as Charlotte gets to work, dutifully helping Mrs. Lanigan sort through a box of old letters, distractions abound. For one thing, both women immediately become consumed with a mystery unfolding in the correspondence. And to complicate matters further, Charlotte finds herself drawn to her charge's son, Ardan, like they've known each other forever. Will he become another of her mistakes or has she finally found the one? In the third volume of the...

For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston s Crispin Museum. Dubbed Madam X, the recently rediscovered mummy is, to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact. But medical examiner Maura Isles discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse horrifying proof that this centuries-old relic is instead a modern-day murder victim. When the grisly remains of two other women are found, it becomes clear to Maura and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli that a maniac is at large. Now Maura and Jane must unravel a murderer s twisted endgame before the Archaeology Killer adds another chilling artifact to his monstrous collection."

Tess Gerritsen has thrilled countless readers with her acclaimed novels of suspense featuring Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles. TNT struck ratings gold with Rizzoli & Isles, a series based on Gerritsen’s New York Times bestsellers. And now the first ten Rizzoli & Isles novels are together in one convenient eBook bundle. “Gerritsen has a knack for creating great characters and mysterious plots that seem straightforward but also dazzle with complexity and twists.”—Associated Press, on *Last to Die *  This bundle includes the following titles: THE SURGEON THE APPRENTICE THE SINNER BODY DOUBLE VANISH THE MEPHISTO CLUB THE KEEPSAKE ICE COLD THE SILENT GIRL LAST TO DIE Praise for Tess Gerritsen and her Rizzoli & Isles series “[Gerritsen] has an imagination that allows her to conjure up depths of human behavior so dark and frightening that she makes Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft seem like goody-two-shoes.”—Chicago Tribune “One of the most versatile voices in thriller fiction today.”—The Providence Journal   “A briskly paced, terrifically suspenseful work that steadily builds toward a tense and terrifying climax.”—People*, on The Surgeon “Richly suspenseful and provocative . . . leaves the reader breathless.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer*, on Body Double “Gerritsen, as always, puts her medical training to ghoulish use.”—*The Boston Globe “The kind of book you’d read in one sitting.”—Chicago Sun-Times, on Ice Cold   “Suspense doesn’t get smarter than this. Not just recommended but mandatory.”—Lee Child, on The Silent Girl*

Lia and Seth, two teenagers deeply in love and separated when he moves to New York with his family, something that has never been done in the 13 years they have known each other.The pain rips Lia apart. She's not able to sleep, to eat, or to function without Seth at her side. When he make a promise to come back, she is doubtful it will happen. See if Seth is able to keep his promise.Lia and Seth, two teenagers deeply in love and separated when he moves to New York with his family, something that has never been done in the 13 years they have known each other.The pain rips Lia apart. She's not able to sleep, to eat, or to function without Seth at her side. Seth is worried about Lia, but with going to a new school, trying for a football scholarship, and working it is becoming harder to talk to her, let alone see her.Everything is against them to stay together, from their parents, to girls at both schools,and the distance. The harder they try to be together, the harder it is for them. He made a promise to her to come back, but is doubtful it will happen. Until something unexpected happens, see if Seth is able to keep his promise.

Risking it all for the truthNever Say Die by New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen Twenty years after her father's plane crashed in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Willy Jane Maitland is finally tracking his last moves. Her search for the truth is the only thing that matters, and she'll need the help of ex-army officer Guy Barnard. But what she couldn't have prepared for are the shocking secrets and undeniable attraction she must face.FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!Witness Protection by USA TODAY bestselling author Barb Han US marshal Nick Campbell's life is a lie. But when a devastating explosion nearly kills Sadie Brooks, the one woman who can put away a murderer, only the truth will keep her alive. To protect his witness, Nick has to gain her trust. But soon he's torn between breaking every boundary for a life with her...or breaking her heart and letting her go.New York Times Bestselling Author Tess GerritsenUSA...

The latest enthralling case in Tess Gerritsen's New York Times bestselling Rizzoli & Isles series, the blockbuster books behind the smash hit TNT series. Boston Detective Jane Rizzoli is on the case of a big game hunter found dead in his apartment, alone with the body of a beautiful white snow leopard he had recently been commissioned to procure and stuff for a high-profile museum in the area. Medical examiner Maura Isles connects the case to a number of seemingly unrelated deaths where the victims have all been found hanging upside down, the hallmark of a leopard's kill. Rizzoli follows the puzzling trail of clues all the way to Botswana, where she uncovers the unsolved mystery of a deadly camping safari six years prior. When she realizes the two cases are connected, Rizzoli must track down the sole survivor of the tragic trip to discover who - or what - is behind these gruesome deaths. Story Locale: Boston, MA

Falling for the bad guy is not an option... Or is it?Kennedy JonesI'm a special agent with the CIA, and I'm good at what I do. In fact, I'm considered one of the best. I can play the role of anyone and eliminating bad guys without them seeing me coming is my forte—which is why I was chosen to take down the head of the Guzman family.Dante Guzman is a ruthless, sexy, cold-hearted cartel money-man. And now it's my job to study him, learn his likes and dislikes—in and out of the bedroom—so I can gain his trust and access to his uncle, the head of the Ensenada cartel.I just didn't count on falling into Dante's clutches.Every second I spend with him he manages to pull me further and further into his world. And the more time I spend there, the deeper I slip into the darkness with him, the more I realize...I like it.Dante GuzmanDon't let my good manners fool you—I'm one cold-hearted SOB, and I control the family's...

From Publishers WeeklyThe third Tess Noncoiré adventure (after 2007's Moon in the Mirror) follows the fantasy author and rogue demon-hunter to Las Vegas. While appearing as the guest of a regional writers conference, Tess and her imp sidekick, Scrap, are appalled to learn that the beautiful dancers performing in the hit show Faery Moon are supernatural beings kidnapped from Faery.Local vampire crime boss Lady Lucia offers to help Tess free the faeries and get them home, which seems easy enough, but the presence of another rogue Warrior hints that there's more going on. Meanwhile, Tess's old flame Donovan Estevez shows up, raising the possibility of conflict with her new would-be lover, Gollum aka Guilford Van der Hoyden-Smythe. The dark ending is leavened by the usual insider references to filk, as well as plenty of sword swinging and romantic angst. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product DescriptionA brand-new Tess Noncoiré novel from "an innovative and welcome new voice in urban fantasy"(#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs) Tess Noncoiré, successful fantasy writer and Celestial Blade Warrior, has gone to a writers' conference in Las Vegas, taking along her mother, who is depressed over the death of her demon husband. Taking in one of Vegas' Big Acts, Tess is amazed to see winged dancers flying about the stage, seemingly unsupported by any wires. Then she discovers the dancers are actually faeries, held captive in the casino against their will. And if Tess and her sidekick demon Scrap don't help the faeries return to their own dimension, they-and their realm-will die.

Razor-edge suspense in this original eBook short story from "one of the most versatile voices in thriller fiction today" (The Providence Journal) It should have been a night to remember, but Maura Isles can't recall a thing. Maura is longing to ditch a ritzy cocktail party, along with her four-inch heels, when a handsome, charming stranger appears. But somewhere between sipping a fresh glass of champagne and waking up the next day on her sofa lies a black hole of forgotten time. As Boston's medical examiner, Maura regularly teams up with police detective Jane Rizzoli on homicide investigations, and Jane's latest case makes Maura's blood run cold. A brutally murdered man has been found in a city park with Maura's address tucked in his pocket. Maura IDs the victim as the charmer she met at the party. Her alarm turns to terror when she learns the murdered man was a predator with victims of his own. Fearing she may be guilty of a lethal...

Ellie is a soldier in a world without governments. A generation ago, a series of financial crises caused most of the world’s governments to collapse, and left many of the people in those countries in terrible personal debt. Since then, the worst debtor nations have been under military occupation by the troops of the debt-recovery corporations, and the worst debtor of all is Měi-guó, the old United States. Ellie is serving in the Afghan Police Action when she receives bad news from home. She is told the daughter she hasn’t seen in years has died. She flies home, upset, to take care of the funeral and whatever else needs to be done, but once there she finds all is not as it seems. Ellie’s daughter is alive and unhurt. She is being held hostage by one of the many debt-recovery corporations. By the corporation which, indirectly, Ellie works for. Held, for leverage, to make Ellie do the corporation a favour. Ellie’s daughter will be returned unharmed if Ellie does as they wish. The son of a company director is lost somewhere in the wilderness of post-debt-restructuring America, and hasn't been seen for three days. The company wants Ellie to go and find the kid, but Ellie doesn't know if she can. She has always had one absolute rule all her working life, never go to America. Now she might have to. She will have to, if she wants to save the daughter she hasn't seen in years.   

Three generations of women. Three heartbreaking choices. Three unforgettable stories. 1969: Free-spirited hippie Jess James has no intention of falling for a soldier ... but perhaps some things are not in our power to stop.1989: Jess's daughter, Jamie, dreams of a simple life - marriage, children, stability - then she meets a struggling musician and suddenly the future becomes wilder and complex.2017: When Jamie's daughter, CJ, brings home trouble in the form of the coolest boy at school, the worlds of these three women turn upside down ... and the past returns to haunt them. Spanning the trauma of the Vietnam War to the bright lights of Nashville, the epidemic of teenage self-harm to the tragedy of incurable illness, Love and Other Battles is the heart-wrenching story of three generations of Australian women, who learn that true love is not always where you seek it.If you loved The Notebook, this is a novel for...

"Brilliant . . . Rooted in the shifting California landscape, this elegiac yet hopeful book is . . . dedicated to grieving the world as we know it." —Ada Limón, author of The CarryingThis collection of poems traces literal and metaphoric fault lines—rifts between past and present, childhood and adulthood, what is and what was. Circling Tess Taylor's hometown—an ordinary California suburb lying along the Hayward fault—these poems unearth strata that include a Spanish land grant, a bloody land grab, gun violence, valley girls, strip malls, redwood trees, and the painful history of Japanese internment.Taylor's ambitious and masterful poems read her home state's historic violence against our world's current unsteadinesses—mass eviction, housing crises, deportation, inequality. They also ponder what it means to try to bring up children along these rifts. What emerges is a powerful core sample of America at the brink—equally...

The New York Times–bestselling author of Hush Hush interviews the lead character of her hit series.In 1997, the character of Tess Monaghan debuted in Laura Lippman's detective novel, Baltimore Blues. The book launched the bestselling series that continues to delight readers decades later. But who exactly is Theresa Esther Weinstein Monaghan when she's not tackling troublesome cases?In this fictional article, author Laura Lippman takes you to Baltimore where she speaks with the accidental detective herself to find out what makes her tick. You'll learn about Tess's parents and her childhood. You'll hear from her longtime boyfriend Edward "Crow" Ransome, as well as her lifelong best friend, Whitney Talbot. Lippman shares what daily life is like for the tough PI. Soon, you'll discover why readers can't get enough of Tess. Praise for Laura Lippman and the Tess Monaghan Novels"One of the best novelists around, period."...