Simon & Schuster

The undisputed master of the tough thriller, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter delivers a masterpiece of crime fiction set in 1940s Arkansas, where law and corruption ricochet like slugs from a 45 automatic. Earl Swagger is tough as hell. But even tough guys have their secrets. Plagued by the memory of his abusive father, apprehensive about his own impending parenthood, Earl is a decorated ex-Marine of absolute integrity — and overwhelming melancholy. Now he's about to face his biggest, bloodiest challenge yet. It is the summer of 1946, organized crime's garish golden age, when American justice seems to have gone to seed for good. Nowhere is this more true than in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the reigning capital of corruption. When the district attorney vows to bring down the mob, Earl is recruited to run the show. As casino raids erupt into nerve-shattering combat amid screaming prostitutes and fleeing johns, the body count mounts — along with the suspense.

More than a year and a half has passed since Alys, Claudia, Jane and Charles helped to free the great sorceress, Morgana Shee, from imprisonment and close the passage between the Stillworld and the Wildworld. But when an earthquake hits California and continues to shake with lingering aftershocks, the Hodges-Bradley children begin to suspect this was no ordinary quake, and that the passage seal between the worlds may no longer be stable. With their parents overseas and Morgana travelling north to find the epicentre of the quake the children are left on their own. But peril lurks around every corner, and strange happenings in their home town force them on journey that will test their skills to the very limit. It seems that Morgana's archrival, Thia Pendriel, has stolen the Forgotten Gem, the Heart of Valour, and is waiting to spring her trap...

O: A Presidential Novel is a novel about aspiration and delusion, set during the presidential election of 2012 and written by an anonymous author who has spent years observing politics and the fraught relationship between public image and selfregard. The novel includes revealing and insightful portraits of many prominent figures in the political world — some invented and some real.

Three South Yorkshire friends, all on the cusp of 40, fall pregnant at the same time following a visit to an ancient fertility symbol. For Helen, it's a dream come true, although her husband is not as thrilled about it as she had hoped. Not only wrestling with painful ghosts of the past, Helen has to deal with the fact that her outwardly perfect marriage is crumbling before her eyes. For Janey, it is an unmitigated disaster as she has just been offered the career break of a life-time. And she has no idea either how it could possibly have happened, seeing as she and her ecstatic husband George were always so careful over contraception. For Elizabeth, it is mind-numbing, because she knows people like her shouldn't have children. Damaged by her dysfunctional childhood and emotionally lost, she not only has to contend with carrying a child she doubts she can ever love, but she also has to deal with the return to her life of a man whose love she must deny herself. Heart-warming, up-lifting, tear-jerking and lovely, THE YORKSHIRE PUDDING CLUB is the story of how three women find themselves empowered by unexpected pregnancy. How it revitalises one woman's tired marriage, strengthens another's belief in herself and brings love and warmth to a cold and empty life.

On Sunday April 27, 2003, 27-year old Aron Ralston set off for a day's hiking in the Utah canyons. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, Ralston, a seasoned climber, figured he'd hike for a few hours and then head off to work. 40 miles from the nearest paved road, he found himself on top of an 800-pound boulder. As he slid down and off of the boulder it shifted, trapping his right hand against the canyon wall. No one knew where he was; he had little water; he wasn't dressed correctly; and the boulder wasn't going anywhere. He remained trapped for five days in the canyon: hypothermic at night, de-hydrated and hallucinating by day. Finally, he faced the most terrible decision of his life: braking the bones in his wrist by snapping them against the boulder, he hacked through the skin, and finally succeeded in amputating his right hand and wrist. The ordeal, however, was only beginning. He still faced a 60-foot rappell to freedom, and a walk of several hours back to his car — along the way, he miraculously met a family of hikers, and with his arms tourniqued, and blood-loss almost critical, they heard above them the whir of helicopter blades; just in time, Aron was rescued and rushed to hospital. Since that day, Aron has had a remarkable recovery. He is back out on the mountains, with an artificial limb; he speaks to select groups on his ordeal and rescue; and amazingly, he is upbeat, positive, and an inspiration to all who meet him. This is the account of those five days, of the years that led up to them, and where he goes from here. It is narrative non-fiction at its most compelling.

Dan Gutman brings his classic kid humor and school-based stories to a favorite holiday in The Christmas Genie, now in paperback!

David A. Carter's bestselling Bugs appear in every hue in this pop-up book focused on the first concept of color!

In the year of grace 1345, as Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville is gathering an army to join King Edward III in the war against France, a most astonishing event occurs: a huge silver ship descends through the sky and lands in a pasture beside the little village of Ansby in northeastern Lincolnshire. The Wersgorix, whose scouting ship it is, are quite expert at taking over planets, and having determined from orbit that this one was suitable, they initiate standard world-conquering procedure. Ah, but this time it's no mere primitives the Wersgorix seek to enslave — they've launched their invasion against free Englishmen. In the end, only one alien is left alive — and Sir Roger's grand vision is born. He intends for the creature to fly the ship first to France to aid his King, then on to the Holy Land to vanquish the infidel. Unfortunately, he has not allowed for the treachery of the alien pilot, who instead takes the craft to his home planet, where, he thinks, these upstart barbarians will have no choice but to surrender. But that knavish alien little understands the indomitable will and clever resourcefulness of Englishmen, no matter how great the odds against them.

Dan Abnett returns to the best-selling Horus Hersey series in this latest instalment of the saga!

It's A Wonderful Life meets The Sopranos in this classic holiday tale from bestselling authors Mary and Carol Higgins Clark.

On Saturday, 26 April 2003, Aron Ralston, a 27-year-old outdoorsman and adventurer, set off for a day's hike in the Utah canyons. Eight miles from his truck, he found himself in the middle of a deep and remote canyon. Then the unthinkable happened: a boulder shifted and snared his right arm against the canyon wall. He was trapped, facing dehydration, starvation, hallucinations and hypothermia as night-time temperatures plummeted. Five and a half days later, Aron Ralston finally came to the agonising conclusion that his only hope was to amputate his own arm and get himself to safety. Miraculously, he survived. BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE is more than just an adventure story. It is a brave, honest and above all inspiring account of one man's valiant effort to survive, and is destined to take its place among adventure classics such as TOUCHING THE VOID.

Distraught at the judgement of the Emperor, the Word Bearers cast their fury and fervour onto the battlefield. All the while they explore the old ways of Colchis, seeking their own path — one that can only lead to damnation and heresy?

In a derelict cottage in L.A, a young woman is found savagely murdered. Naked, strung from two wooden posts, the skin has been ripped from her face — while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck is carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer. But that's not possible. Because, two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this be the work of a copycat? Or is Homicide Detective Robert Hunter forced to face the unthinkable? Is the real Crucifix Killer still out there, taunting Hunter with his inability to catch him? Robert Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining...

Britain's first female prime minister remains a political figure of almost mythical proportions. Margaret Thatcher divided a political nation, became a cultural icon, and was the longest-serving prime minister of the twentieth century. Her period in government coincided with extraordinary changes in British society and in Britain's place in the world. Thatcher's Britain tells the story of Thatcherism for a generation with no personal memories of the 80s, as well as for those who want to revisit the polemics of their youth. It seeks to rescue Thatcher from being seen as John the Baptist for Tony Blair, stresses that Thatcherism was not a timeless phenomenon, but rooted in the 70s and 80s, and focuses our attention away from her legend, to what her government actually did during this tumultuous period in British history.

Female enforcer, Shira Calpurnia maintains law and order in the grim world of the 41st millenium. It contains the books «Crossfire, Legacy, Blind» and two short stories.

A half-starved young Russian man is smuggled into Hamburg in the dead of night with an improbable amount of cash secreted in a purse around his neck. He is a devout Muslim. Or is he? He says his name is Issa. Annabel, an idealistic young German civil rights lawyer, determines to save Issa from deportation, even if the price is her career — and her safety. Searching for clues to his mysterious past, she confronts the incongruous sixty-year-old scion of a failing British bank — and a triangle of impossible loves is born. Meanwhile, scenting a sure kill in the «War on Terror» the rival spies of three nations converge upon the innocents. Thrilling, compassionate, peopled with characters the reader never wants to let go, «A Most Wanted Man» is a work of deep humanity with uncommon relevance to our times.

It’s fire season in Montana... A disillusioned litigator forges a new life in Big Sky Country and stumbles onto the toughest case of his career in this electrifying thriller from New York Times bestselling author Stephen Frey. When lawyer Hunter Lee decides to turn his back on the New York City rat race that has made him rich but cost him his marriage, he escapes to beautiful but isolated Fort Mason, Montana. He befriends a Fire Jumper—one of an elite corps of firefighters—and gets a terrifying firsthand look at vast tracts of forest being reduced to ash in seconds. In this tiny town where everyone seems to have a secret, Hunter suspects these fires are anything but accidental. As he follows his instincts, Montana becomes a crucible where good and evil collide—and where one man, running from his past, must expose the guilty before he’s sacrificed to the inferno.

From the authors of the smash bestseller The Carrot Principle comes an inspiring and lively page-a-day guide to harnessing the remarkable power of the carrot—taking yourself and your team to new heights of success in work and life.Based on their twenty years of experience teaching leaders at Fortune 100 companies, as well as one of the largest research studies ever conducted on workplace satisfaction, Gostick and Elton share a wealth of wisdom about simple but amazingly effective ways to boost your productivity and work satisfaction by setting clear goals, communicating effectively, building trust, and offering recognition in ways that make others feel appreciated and motivated.Each engaging page of The Daily Carrot Principle features a core kernel of wisdom, enlivened by thoughtful and witty quotes from the likes of Thomas Edison, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Jim Collins, and Oprah Winfrey, plus a bonanza of insights from standout managers and employees the authors have studied. An easy-to-implement «carrot action» ends each page, providing the simple steps to begin applying this wealth of wisdom immediately. Whether you are a business leader, team member, student, mom or dad, or anyone hoping to achieve more in your life, this book will be an inspiring and practical guide to unleashing your hidden potential and leading a richer life.

When your son can't look you in the eye... does that mean he's guilty? Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject — forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he's always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right. But when Jacob's small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

Brother turns on brother. The throne of England is at stake. The deadly Wars of the Roses have begun. «They ruled England before the Tudors, and now internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings the Plantagenets to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women». Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, secretly marries the newly crowned boy king of England. While she rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become the central figures in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London. Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series.

Following on the heels of his stunning #1 bestseller «Under the Dome», Stephen King delivers a new collection of four original never-before-published stories, all linked by the common theme of retribution.

Nick the chocolate ogre wants to help the children of Everlost to reach the light at the end of the tunnel, and is slowly handing each child a coin which will release them from Everlost. But Mary Hightower wants to trap the children forever, and joins forces with Pugsy Capone, a death boss, who gains allies in a terrible way... Meanwhile, Allie has gone in search for her parents and joins up a group of skinjackers. But, as her search takes her further away from Nick and the children of Everlost, Allie uncovers a shocking secret... it seems that skinjackers are not actually dead... In this riveting sequel to the imaginative, supernatural thriller, Everlost, there is new dark force to be reckoned with.

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as «the dome» comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when — or if — it will go away. Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens — town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing — even murder — to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

16-year-old Lily has just moved to Australia, dragged by her lovesick mum to the other side of the world. She's desperately homesick, away from her friends and life in London. Then she meets 26-year-old Ben. Despite the age difference, they have a lot in common. Ben is gorgeous, protective of her, teaching her to drive and encouraging her love of photography. But when Lily suddenly discovers that he is engaged to a woman back in England, she is heartbroken and Ben, despite having feelings for Lily, follows his head and not his heart back to England to marry. Fast-forward ten years and Lily is living in Sydney, working as a receptionist for a magazine publishing company, her dreams of being a photographer abandoned. When her boyfriend, the cool and confident Richard, proposes to her at the reception of their friends' wedding she says yes. Lily has never got over Ben, but thoughts of him consume her, turning him into an almost mythical figure — the one that got away — and now that she's going to get married, she feels like he's lost to her forever. Then one day she is amazed to bump into Ben. When he tells her that his marriage broke down five years ago, something stops her from telling him that she's engaged. But Lily will have to make a decision — will she go with her heart?