They could not have been more different, yet war was to forge a link between them which would never be broken . . .Alys Peterson: beautiful, pampered and rich, she wanted for nothing - except understanding . . . and love. Tragedy had touched her life, but her parents had been too concerned with their standing in society to care.Tara Kelly: gritty and talented, raised in the slums of Sydney - she had been mistress to a gangland boss while still in her middle teens. But she had taken a bitter revenge on her lover and was now in fear of her life.Sweeping across the continent of Australia during World War II, Women and War is a compulsive story of love and hate, bravery and fear, passion and quiet, and deadly determination.

Sheltered innocent Miss Marianne Horne had come to Cornwall to care for her ailing great-aunt. She had expected quiet and solitude--not to be drawn into adventure! Surrounded by smugglers, spies and plots, Marianne hardly knew whom to trust. Instinctively, she turned to the enigmatic and handsome Mr. Beck. But plain Mr. Beck turned out to be Andrew, Marquis of Marlbeck--a nobleman who surely would never look twice at the daughter of a country vicar. So why was he insistent on paying Marianne such flattering attention?

In February of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel and her companion Eadulf are about to get married. Again.  Their initial trial marriage of a year and a day has ended and they are about to embark on a permanent partnership.  As the sister to the King of Muman, Fidelma's marriage ceremony is a major event in the kingdom of Ireland and the High King, as well as kings of the other Irish kingdoms and other major figures are going to be in attendance.  One not so welcome guest is the fanatical Abbot Ultan, who advocates the radical position of celebacy for all religieuse and feels that Sister Fidelma's upcoming nuptials are an abomination.  On the eve of the ceremony, Abbot Ultan is found murdered in his chamber.  Worse still, one of the most distinguished guests, the King of Connacht, has been seen fleeing from the scene and is charged with the murder. Quickly Fidelma, who is appointed in the King's defense, discovers that Abbot Ultan is not the pious man he was thought to be, and has numerous enemies amongst those assembled for the wedding. Her wedding delayed, the high born guests restless and querulous, and the murder and it's aftermath threatening to cause chaos throughout the Kingdom, it's up to Fidelma to uncover the murderer--and the truth behind the murder itself--if the often tenuouos peace of 7th century Ireland is to be maintained.From Publishers WeeklyTremayne's engrossing 17th Ancient Ireland mystery (after 2006's Master of Souls) finds series heroine Fidelma on the eve of her marriage. Political and ecclesiastical bigwigs have gathered for the ceremony. The tremendously unpopular Abbot Ultán also arrives to protest that Fidelma must uphold her long-ago religious vows by remaining celibate. Ultán soon turns up dead, and there's no shortage of suspects. Muirchertach Nár, the king of Connacht, who believed his sister-in-law had been wronged by Ultán, was spotted near the crime scene. The sons of a woman Ultán beat for worshipping a pagan deity also come under suspicion. When Muirchertach Nár is killed, Fidelma must determine whether the deaths were related. The solution to that riddle is so unexpected that it slightly strains credulity. Rich in historical detail, this series also reflects on many contemporary issues, including celibacy, gender and church leadership. Tremayne (pseudonym for scholar Peter Berresford Ellis) has produced another winner. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistAfter being joined together for a year in accordance with ancient Irish custom, Sister Fidelma of Cashel and Brother Eadulf are about to be officially married. Of course, it will come as no surprise to fans of this series that their much-anticipated ceremony is postponed when one of their guests is murdered. Not only was Abbot Ultan universally despised, he was also vehemently opposed to Fidelma and Eadulf's marriage. Although not uncommon for members of religious orders to marry in the seventh-century Celtic Church, Ultan was among the growing number of clergy lobbying against these unions. When the king of Connacht is accused of the crime, he enlists the scholarly Fidelma as his advocate. As the list of suspects grows longer, so do the frustration levels of the would-be bride and groom. Another stellar installment in the most authentically detailed medieval mystery series currently being published. Flanagan, Margaret

One man's musical passion leads on a temporal hunt through a Lovecraftian world on a collision course with extinction! Reminiscent with Guy de Maupassant's The Horla

Brody Elliott is a single dad, struggling to bring up his young daughter, Molly. Brody blames himself for the loss of Molly's mother, and is determined to protect his little girl from heartbreak again. So when Molly befriends their pretty and lively new neighbor, Carissa Lewis, Brody is immediately wary.Braving Brody's hostility, Carissa instantly bonds with Molly. Brody's doing his best, but it's obvious his little girl needs a mother--and Molly wants Carissa for the job! If only challenging, infuriating and gorgeous Brody was willing to let go of his past and give in to their reluctant attraction, maybe Carissa could be his, too....

With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in I Feel Bad About My Neck, a candid, hilarious look at women who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself.Ephron chronicles her life as an obsessed cook, passionate city dweller, and hapless parent. But mostly she speaks frankly and uproariously about life as a woman of a certain age. Utterly courageous, uproariously funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, I Feel Bad About My Neck is a scrumptious, irresistible treat of a book, full of truths, laugh out loud moments that will appeal to readers of all ages.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Rennison's subversive diaries of teenager Georgia Nicholson, now into their sixth volume of reprehensible marvelosity, have been consistently funny and uproariously real ever since her first confessions, contained in *Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging * appeared yonks ago in 1999. The unique language of Georgia's hectic existence, and assorted life disasters--her day-to-day relationships with friends, family, cats, various other olds and potential love gods---all add up, each time, to an unmissable feast for her fans and new devotees alike. Georgia, pining for her new wannabe heart throb and Italian-American stallion Masimo, who is currently visiting rellies in the States, is bolstered by the news that she and Mutti and Vati are off to Hamburger-a-gogo land as well. It'll be the perfect opportunity for Georgia to partake of a really long holiday snogathon with the (probable) man of her dreams. Slight problem number one is that Masimo is in New York, and the Nicholsons are headed to Memphis. But all is not lost. Jas, Georgia's bestest mate from the Ace Gang, can go with them and she can help get the two lovebirds together. Slight problem number two is the re-emergence in her life, via letters from Kiwi-a-gogo land, of Robbie the love god. What with Dave the Horn never far away either, the future of Georgia's mixed-up love life is reaching a critical, decision-making stage. There's no better series of books for teens around at the moment that capture more accurately the trials of life in the hormone-emerging fast lane. Rennison, a stand-up comedienne of some renown, injects each page with the sharpest, wittiest and achingly relevant material there is. It certainly doesn't get any better than this. And… it's another cliffhanger ending, so expect more marvy confessions soon. (Age 12 and over) --John McLay

An award-winning science writer presents a captivating collection of cosmological essays for the armchair astronomer The galaxy, the multiverse, and the history of astronomy are explored in this engaging compilation of cosmological "tales" by multiple award†'winning science writer Marcia Bartusiak. In thirty†'two concise and engrossing essays, the author provides a deeper understanding of the nature of the universe and those who strive to uncover its mysteries. Bartusiak shares the back stories for many momentous astronomical discoveries, including the contributions of such pioneers as Beatrice Tinsley and her groundbreaking research in galactic evolution, and Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the scientist who first discovered radio pulsars. An endlessly fascinating collection that you can dip into in any order, these pieces will transport you to ancient Mars, when water flowed freely across its surface; to the collision of two black holes, a cosmological event that released...

In this short story from the thrilling anthology FaceOff, bestselling authors Ian Rankin and Peter James—along with their most famous characters, John Rebus and Roy Grace—team up for the first time ever.Detectives John Rebus and Roy Grace could not be more different. Different generations, different backgrounds, and not to mention, they work 500 miles apart.The case that eventually brings them together centers on a crime that happened when Rebus was just a teenager in the 1960s—but it took place in Roy Grace’s stomping grounds in Brighton, England, at a time when violence erupted between rival gangs known as Mods and Rockers.Now, a deathbed confession in in Edinburgh brings Rebus and Grace together to investigate a cold case with a shocking twist.For more exciting pairs, check out all eleven stories in FaceOff!

The Penderwicks meets Warhorse in this charming story about a girl who is fighting for her independence during World War I, from award-winning author Hilary McKay.Clarry Penrose finds the good in everyone. Even in her father, who isn't fond of children, and especially girls. He doesn't worry about her education, because he knows she won't need it. Her grandparents, who care for her in the summers, assume that she'll play nicely and do what she's told. It's the early twentieth century, after all, and the only thing girls are expected to do is behave. But Clarry longs for a life of her own. She wants to dive off cliffs and go swimming with her brother Peter and cousin Rupert. And more than anything, she wants to get an education. She helps Peter with his homework all the time, so why can't she manage it by herself? When war breaks out, Clarry is shocked to find that Rupert has enlisted, but she focuses on her schoolwork. Then Rupert is declared...