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An Edgar Award nominee's "best [mystery] yet--an understated small town tragedy handled in his level--dead-level--fashion" (Kirkus Reviews). A young college student is found murdered in her dorm room, a blank sheet of typing paper on her stomach. The only thing chief of police Mario Balzic knows is that the girl was lonely, a nearly friendless orphan who was so quiet, so unassuming, that no one at school knew much about her. But everyone has secrets. And if anyone is going to find out hers, it's Balzic--Rocksburg, Pennsylvania's most discerning detective. "Constantine is a marvelous writer. May Mario Balzic thrive." --The New York Times "K.C. Constantine is one of the most talked about mystery writers on the American scene. Constantine has a smooth style, and his plots are loaded with unexpected twists and turns." ―Boston Globe "Constantine writes a terrific mystery." ―Providence Journal

From an Edgar Award-nominated author, a small-town chief of police is pushed to his limits while going up against a local crime syndicate. The near-fatal stabbing of Armand "Fat Manny" Manditti, a numbers runner working for the local mob boss, has chief of police Mario Balzic in a bind. Neither Fat Manny nor his brother Tullio are talking, probably because they are putting together a revenge plan that will soon turn the small rust-belt town of Rocksburg into a morgue. Unless Balzic can come up with the perp before they do. It's the kind of fix that can get even the most conscientious cop in trouble. . . . "Constantine is a marvelous writer. May Mario Balzic thrive." --The New York Times "K.C. Constantine is one of the most talked about mystery writers on the American scene. Constantine has a smooth style, and his plots are loaded with unexpected twists and turns." ―Boston Globe "Constantine writes a terrific mystery." ―Providence Journal

Christmas is a crime for cop Mario Balzic, and this mystery set in a small rust-belt town is "steady entertainment for fans of down-and-dirty local color" (Kirkus Reviews). Not everyone is in the holiday spirit in Rocksburg, PA. Especially the little old lady who just lost her life savings in a robbery--or so she says. Once the local paper begins a charity drive for the hapless victim, chief of police Mario Balzic begins to suspect the whole story is a cooked-up fraud. But figuring out how to gather enough evidence--and go against the tide of public opinion will not be easy. Especially when everyone wants to be saviors this Christmas. The only thing clear is that Balzic has his work cut out for him, as he hopes to stay on the right side of the law--and in the good graces of his family. "Constantine is a marvelous writer. May Mario Balzic thrive." --The New York Times "K.C. Constantine is one of the most talked about mystery writers on the American scene. Constantine has a smooth style, and his plots are loaded with unexpected twists and turns." ―Boston Globe "Constantine writes a terrific mystery." ―Providence Journal

An indispensable biography of the world's most famous detective from Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Vincent Starrett In a boarding house at 221B Baker Street, a genius is at work. With the help of his tireless companion, Dr. Watson, the peerless Sherlock Holmes solves one impossible mystery after the next. Many of his adventures, such as ';The Hound of the Baskervilles' and ';The Red-Headed League,' are world famous, while others, including ';The Adventure of the Tired Captain' and ';The Singular Affair of the Aluminum Crutch,' remain strictly private, simply because Watson cannot find the time to write them down. This glimpse into the secret case files of England's greatest detective is just one of the fascinating tidbits included in Vincent Starrett's landmark book of Sherlockiana. A founding member of the Baker Street Irregulars, Starrett enriches his meticulous research with a true fan's delight. Whether he is discussing Arthur Conan Doyle's real-life criminal investigations or detailing the layout of 221B Baker Street and its surrounding neighborhood, Starrett's deep appreciation for the stories and their inimitable hero is infectious. Countless companion volumes to the series have been published, but none offers as much insight and entertainment as The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes does. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

A despised priest is drowned in a pond in this medieval mystery filled with ';lively period detail' (Kirkus Reviews). In a mild December in the year of our Lord 1141, a new priest comes to the parishioners of the Foregate outside the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Father Ailnoth brings with him a housekeeper and her nephewand a disposition that invites murder. Brother Cadfael quickly sees that father Ailnoth is a harsh man who, striding along in his black cassock, looks like a doomsaying raven. The housekeeper's nephew, Benet, is quite differenta smiling lad, a hard worker in Cadfael's herb garden, but, as Brother Cadfael soon discovers, an impostor. And when Ailnoth is found drowned, suspicion falls on Benet, though many in the Foregate had cause to want this priest dead. Now Brother Cadfael is gathering clues along with his medicinals to treat a case of unholy passions, tragic politics, and perhaps divine intervention.

To save his estranged son, a monk risks breaking his vows in this ';moving and suspenseful' entry in the Silver Dagger Awardwinning medieval mystery series (Booklist). For Brother Cadfael in the autumn of his life, the mild November of our Lord's year 1145 may bring a bitterand deadlyharvest. England is torn between supporters of the Empress Maud and those of her cousin Stephen. The civil strife is about to jeopardize not only Cadfael's life, but his hopes of Heaven. While Cadfael has sometimes bent the abbey's rules, he has never broken his monastic vowsuntil now. Word has come to Shrewsbury of a treacherous act that has left thirty of Maud's knights imprisoned. All have been ransomed except Cadfael's secret son, Olivier de Bretagne. Conceived in Cadfael's soldiering youth and unaware of his father's identity, Olivier will die if he is not freed. Like never before, Cadfael must boldly defy the abbot. The good brother forsakes the order to follow his heartbut what he finds will challenge his soul.

The twelfth-century Welsh monk is caught up in civil war and captured by Danish mercenaries, in the Silver Dagger Awardwinning medieval mystery series. In the summer of 1144, a strange calm has settled over England. The armies of King Stephen and the Empress Maud, the two royal cousins contending for the throne, have temporarily exhausted each other. On the whole, Brother Cadfael considers peace a blessing. Still, a little excitement never comes amiss to a former soldier, and Cadfael is delighted to accompany a friend on a mission of diplomacy to his native Wales. But shortly after their arrival, the two monks are caught up in another royal feud. The Welsh prince Owain Gwynedd has banished his brother Cadwaladr, accusing him of the treacherous murder of an ally. The reckless Cadwaladr has retaliated by landing an army of Danish mercenaries, poised to invade Wales. As the two armies teeter on the brink of bloody civil war, Cadfael is captured by the Danes and must navigate the brotherly quarrel that threatens to plunge an entire kingdom into chaos.

Strangers seek refuge at the abbey as floodwaters rise, a body falls, and a relic vanishesin this ';top drawer' mystery featuring the twelfth-century monk (Chicago Sun-Times) In the chill, rainy autumn of 1144, two groups of visitors seek the hospitality of the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, and Brother Cadfael fears trouble has come in with them. Among the first arrivals is Brother Tutilo, a young Benedictine with a guileless face andto Brother Cadfael's shrewd eyesa mischievous intelligence. The second group, a ribald French troubadour, his servant, and a girl with the voice of an angel, seems to Brother Cadfael a catalyst for disaster. All of Cadfael's fears become manifest as rising floodwaters endanger the abbey's most sacred relic, the remains of Saint Winifred. When the bones disappear and a dead body is found, Brother Cadfael knows carnal and spiritual intrigues are afoot. Now, in a world that believes in signs and miracles, Brother Cadfael needs his prayers answeredas well as some heavenly guidance to crucial cluesto catch a killer hell-bent on murder.

The medieval monk digs for clues when a body is unearthed by a plow: ';His detecting talents are as dazzling as ever' (Publishers Weekly). When a newly plowed field recently given to the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul yields the body of a young woman, Brother Cadfael is quickly thrown into a delicate situation. The field was once owned by a local potter named Ruald, who had abandoned his beautiful wife, Generys, to take monastic vows. Generys was said to have gone away with a lover, but now it seems as if she had been murdered. With the arrival at the abbey of young Sulien Blount, a novice fleeing homeward from the civil war raging in East Anglia, the mysteries surrounding the corpse start to multiply.

Medieval monk Brother Cadfael races to save a young man he believes is falsely accused of robberyin the Silver Dagger Awardwinning mystery series. In the gentle Shrewsbury spring of 1140, the midnight matins at the Benedictine abbey suddenly reverberate with an unholy sounda hunt in full cry. Pursued by a drunken mob, the quarry is running for its life. When the frantic creature bursts into the nave to claim sanctuary, Brother Cadfael finds himself fighting off armed townsmen to save a terrified young man. Liliwin, a wandering minstrel who performed at the wedding of a local goldsmith's son, has been accused of robbery and murder. The cold light of morning, however, will show his supposed victim, the miserly craftsman, still lives, although a strongbox lies empty. Brother Cadfael believes Liliwin is innocent, but finding the truth and the treasure before Liliwin's respite in sanctuary runs out may uncover a deadlier sin than thieverya desperate love that nothing, not even the threat of hanging, can stop.The Sanctuary Sparrowis the seventh book in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, featuring a ';wily veteran of the Crusades.' The historical mystery series earned Ellis Peters a Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Awardand a legion of devoted fans (Los Angeles Times).

From the Edgar Awardwinning author: When a troubled novice is blamed for a priest's disappearance, Brother Cadfael seeks to save his souland his life. Outside the pale of the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in September of 1140, a priestly emissary for King Stephen has been reported missing. But inside the pale, what troubles Brother Cadfael is a proud, secretive nineteen-year-old novice. Brother Cadfael has never seen two men more estranged than the Lord of Aspley and Meriet, the son he coldly delivers to the abbey to begin a religious vocation. Meriet, meek by day, is so racked by dreams at night that his howls earn him the nickname ';the Devil's Novice.' Shunned and feared, Meriet is soon linked to the missing priestly emissary's dreadful fate. Only Brother Cadfael believes in Meriet's innocence, and only the good sleuth can uncover the truth before a boy's pure passion, not evil intent, leads a novice to the noose.

A monk must find a killer among a flood of religious pilgrims in this medieval mystery by the Edgar Awardwinning author: ';A series like no other' (TheSan Diego Union-Tribune). In the year of our Lord 1141, civil war over England's throne leaves a legacy of violenceand the murder of a knight dear to Brother Cadfael. And with gentle bud-strewn May, a flood of pilgrims comes to the celebration of Saint Winifred at the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, carrying with it many strange soulsand perhaps the knight's killer. Brother Cadfael's shrewd eyes see all: the prosperous merchant who rings false, an angelic lame boy, his beautiful dowerless sister, and two wealthy penitents. In the name of justice Cadfael decides to uncover the strange and twisted tale that accompanies these travelers. Instead he unearths a quest for vengeance, witnesses a miracle, and finds himself on a razor's edge between death and the absolution of love.

In this ';enchanting' historical mystery, ';medieval England comes marvelously alive' as Brother Cadfael investigates a woman's baffling disappearance (The Washington Post). In the year of our Lord 1141, August comes in golden as a lion, and two monks ride into the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul bringing with them disturbing news of warand a mystery. The strangers tell how the strife between the Empress Maud and King Stephen has destroyed the town of Winchester and their priory. Now Brother Humilis, who is handsome, gaunt, and very ill, and Brother Fidelis, youthful, comelyand totally mutemust seek refuge at Shrewsbury. From the moment he meets them, Brother Cadfael senses something deeper than common vows binds these two good brothers. What the link is he can only guess. What it will lead to is beyond his imagining. As Brother Humilis's health failsand nothing can stop death's lengthening shadeBrother Cadfael faces a poignant test of his discretion and his beliefs as he unravels a secret so great it can destroy a life, a future, and a holy order.

A monk embarks on a dangerous quest to find a trio of missing travelers in this medieval mystery by an Edgar Awardwinning author. The winter of 1139 will disrupt Brother Cadfael's tranquil life in Shrewsbury with the most disturbing of events. Raging civil war has sent refugees fleeing north from Worcester. Among them are two orphans from a noble family, a boy of thirteen and an eighteen-year-old girl of great beauty, and their companion, a young Benedictine nun. The trio never reaches Shrewsbury, having disappeared somewhere in the wild countryside. Cadfael is afraid for these three lost lambs, but another call for help sends him to the church of Saint Mary. A wounded monk, found naked and bleeding by the roadside, will surely die without Cadfael's healing arts. Why this holy man has been attacked and what his fevered ravings reveal soon give Brother Cadfael a clue to the fate of the missing travelers. Now Cadfael sets out on a dangerous quest to find them. The road will lead him to a chill and terrible murder and a tale of passion gone awry. And at journey's end awaits a vision of what is best, and worst, in humankind.

Charges of heresy and murder are complicated by the contents of a mysterious treasure chest In the summer of 1143, William of Lythwood arrives at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, but it is not a joyous occasion--he's come back from his pilgrimage in a coffin. William's body is accompanied by his young attendant Elave, whose mission is to secure a burial place for his master on the abbey grounds, despite William's having once been reprimanded for heretical views. An already difficult task is complicated when Elave drunkenly expresses his own heretical opinions, and capital charges are filed. When a violent death follows, Sheriff Hugh Beringar taps his friend Brother Cadfael for help. The mystery that unfolds grows deeper thanks to a mysterious and marvelous treasure chest in Elave's care.

"Winter arrived early in 1142, bringing with it a heavy snowfall. The safety of the guest-hall roof at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul comes into jeopardy, and the brothers are called upoin to effect repairs. But the icy and treacherous conditions are to prove near fatal for Brother Haluin. He slips from the roof and crashes to the ground, sustaining terrible injuries-- grave enough for him to want to make his deathbed confession. The confession is heard by the abbot and Brother Cadfael: a wicked story, of trespasses hard for God or man to forgive. But Haluin does not die. On his recovery, he determines to make a journey of expiation, with Cadfael as his sole companion. It is an arduous journey, physically and emotionally, and one that leads to some shocking discoveries."--back cover.

"Bodies and red herrings pile up in a satisfying way" in the Silver Dagger Award-winning medieval mystery series starring Brother Cadfael (Library Journal). The year is 1142, and England is in the grip of civil war. Within the cloisters of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, there begins a chain of events no less momentous than the upheavals of the outside world. It starts with the sad demise of Richard Ludel, Lord of Eyton, whose ten-year-old son and heir, also named Richard, is a pupil at the abbey. The boy refuses to surrender his newly inherited powers to Dionysia, his furious, formidable grandmother. A stranger to the region is the hermit Cuthred, who enjoys the protection of Lady Dionysia, and whose young companion, Hyacinth, befriends Richard. Despite his reputation for holiness, Cuthred's arrival heralds a series of mishaps for the monks. When a corpse is found in Eyton forest, Brother Cadfael must devote his knowledge of human nature to tracking down a ruthless murderer.

The sleuthing monk unravels a thorny case of murder in this "accomplished whodunit meticulously wrought with a wealth of medieval detail" (Booklist). A late spring in 1142 brings dismay to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, for there may be no roses by June 22. On that day the young widow Perle must receive one white rose as rent for the house she has given to benefit the abbey, or the contract is void. When nature finally complies, a pious monk is sent to pay the rent--and is found murdered beside the hacked rosebush. The abbey's wise herbalist, Brother Cadfael, follows the trail of bloodied petals. He knows the lovely widow's dowry is far greater with her house included, and she will likely wed again. Before Cadfael can ponder if a greedy suitor has done this dreadful deed, another crime is committed. Now the good monk must thread his way through a tangle more tortuous than the widow's thorny bushes.

A dead source draws a newspaperman into a murder investigationMayforth Kendrick III is an unlikely name for a small-time drug dealer. As the grandson of a millionaire and the son of a Broadway mogul, Kendrick was minted for success from birth. But a fondness for controlled substances cut his education short, forcing him to make a living pushing drugs on the theater glitterati with whom he once mingled. New York Star reporter John Wells, who occasionally uses Kendrick as a source, may be his only friend. He is also one of the last to see him alive.He visits Kendrick's seedy Alphabet City apartment because the young man has pictures to sell showing a Senate candidate involved in unsavory extramarital activities. Never a muckraker, Wells passes on them. The next day Kendrick is murdered and the pictures are gone. Wells smells a scoop, if he can only find the killer.

Hoping for notoriety, a struggling psychic kidnaps a child in this Edgar Awardnominated mystery. Most so-called psychics disgust Myra Savage. She has no patience for their chintz and cheap tricks, for her power is real. Myra can see into other people's minds, can even sometimes sense the future, but she has never yet communicated with the other side. For that she needs the cooperation of great psychics, but she lacks the stature to attract their attention. To satisfy this burning need for fame, she and her husband concoct The Plan.Bill snatches a six-year-old girl from her schoolyard and pastes together a letter demanding ransom. After a few days of citywide panic, Myra will lead the police to the girl and the money, and all of London will know her name. When a criminal can see the future, what could possibly go wrong?

Tug Wyler is embroiled in the mysterious medical malady of a sexy stripper who slipped on a banana peel during her signature act Cookie, an angel in stiletto heels, is by far the most popular performer at Jingles Dance Bonanza. To her devoted audience, she’s a friend, therapist, and shoulder to cry on, all rolled into one. While meeting an old pal at the club, Tug doesn’t expect to pick up a new client but quickly realizes the gallant Cookie—dancing in a neck brace, each leg kick potentially her last—is in need of a committed champion. Righting wrongs is never a simple task for Tug, a sharp-witted and unorthodox trial lawyer who repeatedly finds himself in the middle of unusual cases and causes. But that doesn’t stop him from trying. Believing that Cookie is the victim of a spine surgeon with a sloppy touch, Tug takes her case. But as he seeks both medical remedy and a fair shake for Cookie, he realizes—a tad too late—that sinister sights are now trained on him. In Cookie’s Case, this offbeat attorney will go farther for justice than he ever has before.