Some of Our Staff Favorites
The Exodus Quest
By Will Adams
Grand Central Publishing $24.99
Facts collide with fiction in the pulse-pounding sequel to the highly praised
The Alexander Cipher, featuring archaeologist Daniel Knox. On the trail
of the lost Dead Sea Scrolls, archaeologist Daniel Knox stumbles upon a theft in
progress at an ancient temple near Alexandria. Then a senior Egyptian
archaeologist is violently killed, and the finger of suspicion points at Knox
himself. To add to his mounting worries, his partner Gaille Bonnard is kidnapped
while showing a television crew around the ruins of Amarna. She manages to
smuggle out a message, pleading with Knox to rescue her, but he's locked in a
police cell on suspicion of murder hundreds of miles away. His only hope of
clearing his name and saving Gaille is to crack one of the greatest unsolved
mysteries of the ancient world...before it's too late.
Laura Woodward: The Artist Behind The Innovator Who Developed Palm Beach
By Deborah C. Pollack
Blue Heron Press $39.99
Laura Woodward (1834-1926), born in Mount Hope, Orange County, New York, was one of a handful of women members of the Hudson River and White Mountain Schools. In the 1870s-80s, she hiked and sketched in the wilderness of the Northeast, revering nature and realistically depicting its pristine state. Her paintings invoked great praise from the critics of the day and her bravery cleared the path for women landscape artists to follow.
Woodward came to Florida in the 1880s and from ca.1888-1896 became one of the
most extensively traveled artists in the state. She braved the alligator,
panther and bear-infused jungles to depict Florida's natural beauty in colorful
watercolors and oils. Woodward was the pioneer artist of Palm Beach, one of the
first professional women artists to paint in the Everglades and Miami, and the
inspiration to Henry Morrison Flagler in his development of the most magnificent
resort in the world. Brought up in the Victorian tradition of modesty, she
remained publicly silent about her accomplishments and it is only now that the
breadth of her importance is finally known.
Laura Woodward: The Artist Behind the Innovator Who Developed Palm Beach
not only rediscovers Florida's most important nineteenth-century woman artist
and one of its greatest publicists, it also explores the challenges of women
artists who lived in Woodward's era. It thoroughly discusses the early history
of Palm Beach and myths about the great Henry Morrison Flagler are refuted. As
Palm Beach County celebrates its 100th anniversary, it is appropriate to
acknowledge the woman who precipitated its development.
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
By Katherine Howe
Voice $25.99
A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history -- the Salem witch trials. Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key secreted within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest to find out who this woman was, and to unearth a rare colonial artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge of herbs and other, stranger things.
As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined.
Written with astonishing conviction and grace, The Physick
Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the trials in the 1690s,
and a modern woman's story of mystery, intrigue, and revelation.
The Help
By Kathryn Stockett
Penguin Group $24.95 (Hardcover)
Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps
the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she
can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a
position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new
boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these
women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put
them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that
define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.
Palm Beach, Florida (Images of America Series)
By Richard A. Marconi and Debi Murray
Arcadia Publishing $21.99
Palm Beach is known internationally as a winter resort where the wealthy enjoy life in a tropical paradise. More than 100 years ago, Palm Beach was far different from its well-kept beaches, estates, and fabulous Worth Avenue shopping mecca of the 21st century. When the first permanent settlers arrived, they found the area covered by thick jungle that had to be tamed before they could carve out a new life for themselves. The settlers ended up with a paradise, and when Henry Flagler decided to build a grand hotel in Palm Beach, he planted the first seed for the creation of a modern winter retreat for the rich.
Palm Beach, Florida (Postcard Packets)
Arcadia Publishing $7.99
Palm Beach boasts a rich history. In this collection of
vintage-photograph postcards, Richard A. Marconi and Debi Murray, with the
Historical Society of Palm Beach County, explore the city's past.
Overland
By Gari M. Stroh
StarGroup International $20.00
(Paperback)
Overland-A Mercedes-Benz Journey Through The Americas-is a journey, a year-long road trip from Colorado to Argentina and back covering 34,000 miles through 17 countries. On this incredible journey, the author and his vehicle are faced with military roadblocks, confusing border crossings, high altitude mountain passes and steamy jungles. Not only does OVERLAND describe the hardships, loneliness and daily challenges of being behind the wheel day after day, it also speaks of the wonderful people met on the road and the incredible beauty of the world we live in.
A native of Detroit, Gari Stroh is a fifth-generation family member of the Stroh Brewery Company, founded by his great-great-grandfather in 1850. He received his BA in photography from Lewis and Clark College and is a graduate of the Diploma Course in Brewing Technology at the Siebel Institute. Gari has traveled overland through 50 countries by car or motorcycle. He lives near Vail, Colorado.
WWW:WAKE
By Robert J. Sawyer
Penguin Group $24.95
Caitlin Decter is young, pretty, feisty, a genius at math-and blind. Still, she can surf the net with the best of them, following its complex paths clearly in her mind. But Caitlin's brain long ago co-opted her primary visual cortex to help her navigate online. So when she receives an implant to restore her sight, instead of seeing reality, the landscape of the World Wide Web explodes into her consciousness, spreading out all around her in a riot of colors and shapes. While exploring this amazing realm, she discovers something-some other-lurking in the background. And it's getting more and more intelligent with each passing day
Halsey's Typhoon
By Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
Grove/Atlantic, Inc. $25.00 (Hardcover)
In the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Flags of Our Fathers, Halsey's Typhoon chronicles the epic tale of men clashing against the ruthless forces of war and nature.
In December 1944, America's most popular and colorful naval hero, Admiral William Bull Halsey, unwittingly sailed his undefeated Pacific Fleet into the teeth of the most powerful storm on earth.
Three destroyers were capsized sending hundreds of sailors and officers into the raging, shark infested waters.
Over the next sixty hours, small bands of survivors fought seventy-foot waves, exhaustion, and dehydration to await rescue at the hands of the courageous Lt. Com. Henry Lee Plage, who, defying orders, sailed his tiny destroyer escort USS Tabberer through 150 mph winds to reach the lost men.
Thanks to documents that have been declassified after sixty years and dozens of first-hand accounts from survivors including former President Gerald Ford,one of the greatest World War II stories, and a riveting tale of survival at sea, can finally be told.
The Piano Teacher
By Janice Y. K. Lee
Penguin Group $25.95 (Hardcover)
In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient,
a gripping tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong
In 1942, Will Truesdale, an Englishman newly arrived in Hong Kong, falls
headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian
socialite. But their love affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the
Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Will is sent to an
internment camp, where he and other foreigners struggle daily for survival.
Meanwhile, Trudy remains outside, forced to form dangerous alliances with the
Japanese—in particular, the malevolent head of the gendarmerie, whose desperate
attempts to locate a priceless collection of Chinese art lead to a chain of
terrible betrayals.
Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong and is hired by the wealthy
Chen family as their daughter’s piano teacher. A provincial English newlywed,
Claire is seduced by the heady social life of the expatriate community. At one
of its elegant cocktail parties, she meets Will, to whom she is instantly
attracted—but as their affair intensifies, Claire discovers that Will’s
enigmatic persona hides a devastating past. As she begins to understand the true
nature of the world she has entered, and long-buried secrets start to emerge,
Claire learns that sometimes the price of survival is love.
Emissaries from the Dead
By Adam-Troy Castro
Eos Publishing $7.99 (Paperback)
Two murders have occurred on One One One, an artificial ecosystem created by the universe's dominant AIs to house several engineered species, including a violent, sentient race of sloth-like creatures. Under order from the Diplomatic Corps, Counselor Andrea Cort has come to this cylinder world where an indentured human community hangs suspended high above a poisoned, acid atmosphere. Her assignment is to choose a suitable homicide suspect from among those who have sold their futures to escape existences even worse than this one. And no matter where the trail leads her she must do nothing to implicate the hosts, who hold the power to obliterate humankind in an instant. But Andrea Cort is not about to hold back in her hunt for a killer. For she has nothing to lose and harbors no love for her masters or fellow indentures. And she herself has felt the terrible exhilaration of taking life.
Cross Country
By James Patterson
Little, Brown & Company $27.99
When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is
turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him
to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his
girlfriend, Brianna Stone, become entangled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of
Washington D.C., what they discover is shocking: a stunningly organized gang of
lethal teenagers headed by a powerful, diabolical man--the African warlord known
as the Tiger. Just when the detectives think they're closing in on the elusive
murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Tracking him to Africa, Alex knows
that he must follow. Alone.
Kill Time
By T.J. MacGregor
(Kensington $6.99)
Nora McKee has never forgotten the terrible day her mother was abducted by government agents and "disappeared." Now, it's happening again. In a crowded cafe‚ on an ordinary street, they've come for her husband, Jake, a man who knows too much. And the last thing he says to Nora before he vanishes is a chilling warning. Run, Nora, run. Alone and hunted by a shadow organization that will stop at nothing to find her, Nora is in a fight for survival far more important than she knows. For she is a link to a discovery beyond all human imagining. A brilliant experiment that has suddenly crossed the line into uncontrollable nightmare.
Field of Fire
By James O. Born
(Penguin $25.95)
With Walking Money, James O. Born was hailed as "the real thing" by Elmore Leonard; Shock Wave was called "a constant blitz of action" (The Miami Herald); and with Escape Clause, Born was celebrated as "the best thing to happen to Florida crime writing since Elmore Leonard hit the Sunshine State" (Chicago Sun-Times). Now Born takes it to the next level with a remarkable novel of corruption, fraud, and the messy business of murder by explosives.Since returning from Bosnia, ATF agent Alex "Rocket" Duarte has been slowly reacclimating to life in South Florida. But when a gunrunner's car explodes, Duarte's life kicks into high gear in a high-profile hunt for what appears to be a serial bomber. Teamed up with a lawyer from the Department of Justice who herself is looking into possibly related bombings in Virginia and Seattle, Duarte crisscrosses the country, following the bomber and hoping to anticipate his next move, but as he peels away the layers of deception, the lines between friends and enemies begin to blur-and the results are explosive.
Lessons From Rocky
By Bradford P. Miller
"Lessons From Rocky" is the perfect gift for pet lovers. Whether you have a dog today or have lost one of your dearest friends, you will see something of your little friend in this amazing book of insight, love, happiness and joy. This book of inspirational wisdoms has put into words the feelings that all of us have about our loyal little friends. Each Chapter helps us to see and feel that our lives are so much more full when when we have a pet in our lives. A portion of the profits are donated to animal care groups. By buying this book for yourself or multiple books for friends, you will be supporting those groups whose primary mission is to care for pets.
Orville Bulman: An Enchanted Life and Fantastic Legacy
By Deborah C. Pollack
(Blue Heron Press $85.00)
This important hardcover, limited first edition art book is the only monograph
about the Palm Beach and Grand Rapids artist and the most complete compilation
of his artwork to date. It is 264 pages comprised of an extensive annotated
biography along with over 365 illustrations including over 190 in color and over
170 in black and white. The book is an ample 13 ¼ high X 10 ¼ inches wide --
perfect for a gift. Molly Charland, Director of Library Services at the Society
of the Four Arts has written the foreword. One of the most successful American
artists of the mid-twentieth century, Orville Bulman (1904-1978) remained
humble, kind and generous despite his worldwide fame. (Almost all of his one-man
exhibitions sold out before they opened to the public.) Learn the authentic
story about this marvelous artist while enjoying the highlights of his enchanted
life and fantastic art. Vicariously experience his exotic adventures in Haiti
where he lived among the islanders in the hills who loved and encouraged his
art. Be a part of his subsequent whirlwind fame throughout towns and cities such
as Palm Beach, New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Paris and London. Marvel at the
roster of collectors of his art, from Hollywood stars such as Henry Fonda, Greer
Garson and George Hamilton, to high society doyennes such as Marjorie
Merriweather Post and European royalty such as the Duchess of Windsor.
Corporation magnates and United States politicos such as Robert F. Kennedy and
President Gerald Ford owned his works as well.
Family Tree
By Barbara Delinsky
(Random House $14.00)
Dana Clarke has always longed for the stability of home and family—her own
childhood was not an easy one. Now she has married a man she adores who is from
a prominent New England family, and she is about to give birth to their first
child. But what should be the happiest day of her life becomes the day her world
falls apart. Her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, but no one can help
noticing the African American traits in her appearance. Dana’s husband, to her
great shock and dismay, begins to worry that people will think Dana has had an
affair.
The only way to repair the damage done is for Dana to track down the father she
never knew and to explore the possibility of African American lineage in his
family history. Dana’s determination to discover the truth becomes a poignant
journey back through her past and her husband’s heritage that unearths secrets
rooted in prejudice and fear.
Barbara Delinsky’s Family Tree is an utterly unforgettable novel that
asks penetrating questions about race, family, and the choices people make in
times of crisis—choices that have profound consequences that can last for
generations.
Tsar (Alex Hawke Series #5)
By Ted Bell
(Simon & Schuster $2.95)
Swashbuckling counter Spy Alex Hawke returns in New York Times bestselling author Ted Bell's most explosive tale of international suspense to date.
There dwells, somewhere in Russia, a man so powerful no one even knows his name. His existence is only speculated upon, only whispered about in American corridors of power and CIA strategy meetings. Though he is all but invisible, he is pulling strings — and pulling them hard. For suddenly, Russia is a far, far more ominous threat than even the most hardened cold warriors ever thought possible.
The Russians have their finger on the switch to the European economy and an eye on the American jugular. And, most importantly, they want to be made whole again. Should America interfere with Russia's plans to "reintegrate" her rogue states, well then, America will pay in blood.
In Ted Bell's latest pulse-pounding and action-packed tour de force, Alex
Hawke must face a global nightmare of epic proportions. As this political crisis
plays out, Russia gains a new leader. Not just a president, but a new tsar, a
signal to the world that the old, imperial Russia is back and plans to have her
day. And in America, a mysterious killer, known only as Happy the Baker,
brutally murders an innocent family and literally flattens the small Midwestern
town they once called home. Just a taste, according to the new tsar, of what
will happen if America does not back down. Onto this stage must step Alex Hawke,
espionage agent extraordinaire and the only man, both Americans and the Brits
agree, who can stop the absolute madness borne and bred inside the modern police
state of Vladimir Putin's 'New Russia'.
Lifeguard
By James Patterson
(Little, Brown paperback $9.99)
Take a look into the exclusive world of Palm Beach where a lifeguard is accused of art theft and murder. Working as a lifeguard at a Florida resort, Ned Kelly meets a woman he is wild about, the woman of his dreams. It feels perfect in every way - except that she is used to caviar and Manolo Blahniks, and he is used to burgers and flip-flops. She is a guest at the luxurious hotel - he lives above a garage. So when Ned's cousin offers to cut him in on a rich deal he's been commissioned to execute, Ned can't turn him down. The plan is simple, just a fast break-and-enter. The risk is high, and the reward is even greater - $5 million. But on the night of the heist, something goes devastatingly wrong. Who will save the lifeguard? Ned walks away from his job, his town, and the woman he's fallen in love with. Runs away, actually, knowing that only velocity and secrecy can save his life. But who is pursuing him? The FBI? Whoever sabotaged the heist? Or is it all somehow tied into his new love - and his oldest enemies?