Showing results by narrator "Peter Berkrot" in All Categories

On the surface, the court-appointed case that lands on young Dean Abernathy's desk is a biggie; he is slated to defend a homeless man accused of the felony murder of the popular black New York City Police commissioner during an early-morning mugging attempt. But at second look, the case promises to be a routine conviction. The evidence is overwhelming.

As 1872 opened, the New York Times headlined four stories that symptomized the decay in public morals that the editors so frequently decried: financier Jim Fisk was gunned down in a love triangle; suffragist and free-love advocate Victoria Woodhull was running for president; antivice activist Anthony Comstock battled smut dealers poisoning children’s minds; and abortionists were thriving.

Separated as a child from his family, Theo has always had a feeling that he’s made for something bigger than the suburban life he seems to be headed for. When a bully threatens his best friend, he can’t help but step in the way. The problem is that Theo’s just not much of a fighter. Bruised and broken, Theo wakes up to a massive headache and what appears to be floating game text inviting him to become a dragon. While ludicrous, no matter how often he rejects the prompt, it simply returns. Knowing that his life can’t get any worse, he finally accepts...

Arek cooks lasagna, and tops it with a dash of finely chopped basil. An orc who has seen more than his fair amount of fighting, Arek wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his days cooking and away from the chaos of combat. However, when Ming and her group of adventurers hire him as their full-time chef, his plans of avoiding violence crumble. He longs to leave his blood-soaked mistakes in his past, but old friends and foes have different ideas.

Sid and Ronnie Abel are a first-rate husband-and-wife detective team, both retirees of the LAPD. Ed and Nicole Hoyt are married assassins for hire living in the San Fernando Valley. Except for deadly aim with a handgun, the two couples have little in common—until they are both hired to do damage control on the same murder case. A body was recovered from one of the city's overwhelmed storm sewers, and the victim identified as James Ballantine, who worked as a research scientist for a prestigious company. Two bullets to the back of the head looked like nothing if not foul play.

Take a crime-filled tour of Manhattan with this collection of all-new mystery stories compiled and edited by Mary Higgins Clark - with contributions by Lee Child, Jeffrey Deaver, Ben H. Winters, and others.

With the legendary sword Zariduke and the Coffer of Devla securely in the hands of Lord Alistair, the fate of the Revolution - along with the three Blackwood brothers - has never looked so bleak. As the Congregation prepares to deliver the killing blow, the only chance the brothers have is to find each other and band together, retrieve the stolen artifacts, and lead the Revolution in a war against the wizards. But is there a chance of victory against the overwhelming might and magic of the Congregation?

In Europe, the Nazis are triumphant. England is under siege by air and sea. France has fallen to the Nazi Wehrmacht, which in turn fell on Soviet Russia. The Red Army is in full retreat, with the Nazis at the gates of Moscow. In the Pacific, Japan has been at war with China since 1937. Her war industries depend upon imports of scrap metal and oil from the Allied nations. When an embargo is placed on imports to Japan, they are left with a year's supply of oil to supply their armed forces.

The engrossing, often scandalous saga of one of the wealthiest, longest-lasting, and most colorful family dynasties in the history of American commerce—a cautionary tale about prosperity, profligacy, hubris, and the blessings and dark consequences of success. This engrossing, vivid narrative captures the Busch saga through five generations. At the same time, it weaves a broader story of American progress and decline over the past 150 years. It's a cautionary tale of prosperity, hubris, and loss.

Los Angeles burglar Junior Bender has a rule about never taking a job that pays too well: In the criminal underworld, if you’re offered more money than a job is worth, someone is going to end up dead. But he’s bending his rule this one time because he and his girlfriend, Ronnie, are in desperate need of cash to hire a kidnapper to snatch Ronnie’s two-year-old son back from her ex. The whole thing is pretty complicated and has Junior on edge.

When Kenny is chosen for InterRealm, a real-life wargame where defenders are portaled in from their homeworld, he is forced to survive in a violent fantasy landscape. Build a powerful presence in InterRealm and his homeworld will likely remain safe. Fail, and the invaders will break through.

The Nelsons have grown in just about every way since being exiled to Eloria. Now they will face their biggest challenge yet. For all that they thought they had begun to understand what faced them, it has now become apparent that there are larger forces at work and more powerful enemies behind the scenes. The monstrous dark mage Seimion seems almost unstoppable with a host of fiends at his command and behind him is the mysterious Master. If they are to save not only their home but the very kingdom of Albia from utter chaos, all of the Nelson's will be required.

Jacob Riverson has assumed the mantle of the King Below and now rules over all the Shadowkind races. However, his desire to break the cycle of violence between the peoples of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms is doomed. The Nine Heroes will not rest until not just the Dark Lord is slain, but all of his followers.

A few months ago, Winslow Houndstooth put together the damnedest crew of outlaws, assassins, cons, and saboteurs on either side of the Harriet for a history-changing caper. In the aftermath of the Harriet catastrophe, that crew has scattered to the winds. Some hunt the missing lovers they refuse to believe have died. Others band together to protect a precious infant and a peaceful future. All of them struggle with who they've become after a long life of theft, murder, deception, and general disinterest in the strictures of the law.

Max Fisher used to run a computer company; Angela Petrakos was his assistant and mistress. But that was last year. Now Max is reinventing himself as a hip-hop crack dealer, and Angela is back in Ireland hooking up with a would-be record setter - in the field of serial killing. Will their paths cross again?

Three incredible journeys in the shadow of a revolution. Distraught by the slaughter of his loved ones, Caleb embarks on a mission of revenge to the Tower of Elarion, a forgotten outpost on the Barrier Coast said to exist outside of time and space - and which Caleb believes holds the key to unlocking his inexplicable new powers. With Caleb gone and Mala fleeing a deadly assassin from her past, Will agrees to lead a band of adventurers to recover the stolen Coffer of Devla.

Blending counterintuitive observations, anecdotes, and research across a range of disciplines - notably medicine, psychology, sociology, history, neuroscience, and economics - Playful Intelligence shows adults the profound and unexpected ways that playfulness impacts everyday life. It also offers practical suggestions on how to make life more playful. Playful Intelligence's core chapters are devoted to exploring the effects and benefits of five playful qualities: imagination, sociability, humor, spontaneity, and wonder.

Vincent Paterson began his professional dancing career late in life. It would take an exceptional turn when he became one of the lead dancers in Michael Jackson's Beat It music video. Through hard work, he rises to the rank of choreographer and director for the world's greatest singers, but also for cinema and musical comedy. He tells with humility the fascinating universe of film sets, the rehearsal sessions where he had to orchestrate and synchronize dozens of dancers, and life backstage, where it is sometimes necessary to manage a few whims of the stars.

Lost, broken, and questioning his place as a MOTH and as a man, Rade faces a new crisis when an enemy force - a terrifyingly familiar one - threatens the future of humanity itself. Entering human territory from the depths of uncharted space where Rade lost everything, this massive alien vessel wears the face of death. Once the nightmarish invader begins threatening total annihilation, can Rade and his team hope to prevail... or even survive?

The ATLAS mechanized battle suits are the pinnacle of military technology, boasting awesome destructive power - but what is behind the armor is only human. Rade Galaal, elite soldier and ATLAS operator, has been tested - and broken - by savage battles and devastating losses. Now, an old enemy poses a new threat.