In her most eagerly anticipated novel yet, Elizabeth George brings back Scotland Yard's Thomas Lynley to investigate a ruthless crime.

After the senseless murder of his wife, Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley retreated to Cornwall, where he has spent six solitary weeks hiking the bleak and rugged coastline. But no matter how far he walks, no matter how exhausting his days, the painful memories of Helen's death do not diminish.

On the forty-third day of his walk, at the base of a cliff, Lynley discovers the body of a young man who appears to have fallen to his death. The closest town, better known for its tourists and its surfing than its intrigue, seems an unlikely place for murder. However, it soon becomes apparent that a clever killer is indeed at work, and this time Lynley is not a detective but a witness and possibly a suspect.

The head of the vastly understaffed local police department needs Lynley's help, though, especially when it comes to the mysterious, secretive woman whose cottage lies not far from where the body was discovered. But can Lynley let go of the past long enough to solve a most devious and carefully planned crime?

Careless Love is the full, true, and mesmerizing story of Elvis Presley's last two decades, in the long-awaited second volume of Peter Guralnick's masterful two-part biography.

Last Train to Memphis, the first part of Guralnick's two-volume life of Elvis Presley, was acclaimed by the New York Times as "a triumph of biographical art." This concluding volume recounts the second half of Elvis' life in rich and previously unimagined detail, and confirms Guralnick's status as one of the great biographers of our time.

Beginning with Presley's army service in Germany in 1958 and ending with his death in Memphis in 1977, Careless Love chronicles the unravelling of the dream that once shone so brightly, homing in on the complex playing-out of Elvis' relationship with his Machiavellian manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It's a breathtaking revelatory drama that for the first time places the events of a too-often mistold tale in a fresh, believable, and understandable context.

Elvis' changes during these years form a tragic mystery that Careless Love unlocks for the first time. This is the quintessential American story, encompassing elements of race, class, wealth, sex, music, religion, and personal transformation. Written with grace, sensitivity, and passion, Careless Love is a unique contribution to our understanding of American popular culture and the nature of success, giving us true insight at last into one of the most misunderstood public figures of our times.

Until Peter Guralnick came out with Last Train to Memphis in 1994, most biographies of Elvis Presley--especially those written by people with varying degrees of access to his "inner circle"--were filled with starstruck adulation, and those that weren't in awe of their subject invariably went out of their way to take potshots at the rock & roll pioneer (with Albert Goldman's 1981 Elvis reaching now-legendary levels of bile and condescension). Guralnick's exploration of Elvis's childhood and rise to fame was notable for its factual rigorousness and its intimate appreciation of Presley's musical agenda.

Picking up where the first volume left off, Guralnick sees Elvis through his tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Germany, where he first met--and was captivated by--a 14-year-old girl named Priscilla Beaulieu. We may think we know the story from this point: the return to America, the near-decade of B-movies, eventual marriage to Priscilla, a brief flash of glory with the '68 comeback, and the surrealism of "fat Elvis" decked out in bejeweled white jumpsuits, culminating in a bathroom death scene. And while that summary isn't exactly false, Guralnick's account shows how little perspective we've had on Elvis's life until now, how a gross caricature of the final years has come to stand for the life itself. He treats every aspect of Presley's life--including forays into spiritual mysticism and the growing dependency on prescription drugs--with dignity and critical distance. More importantly, Careless Love continues to show that Guralnick "gets" what Presley was trying to do as an artist: "I see him in the same way that I think he saw himself from the start," the introduction states, "as someone whose ambition it was to encompass every strand of the American musical tradition." From rock to blues to country to gospel, Guralnick discusses how, at his finest moments, Elvis was able to fulfill that dream. --Ron Hogan

“The local Bank of Hannibal was robbed at gunpoint thirty minutes ago,” the announcer said. “The thief got away with over $100,000. He was last seen heading south on Highway 79 toward the Mark Twain Caves. The police have set up a road block just south of the caves, but the thief has yet to reach it. It appears he may have either passed the area before the police arrived, or has stopped somewhere.”
“That means he’s headed our way!” Jamie said excitedly.
“I know you kids like solving mysteries,” their father said, “but I’d rather you didn’t get involved with an armed robber.”

Find out if Kendall and Jamie get involved or not. And see if you can solve this 15-minute mystery before the Brodericks do.

Similar to the old Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, these short mysteries give kids all the clues they need to solve the mystery, before revealing the answer on the last page.

LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books also work well as hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

“The local Bank of Hannibal was robbed at gunpoint thirty minutes ago,” the announcer said. “The thief got away with over $100,000. He was last seen heading south on Highway 79 toward the Mark Twain Caves. The police have set up a road block just south of the caves, but the thief has yet to reach it. It appears he may have either passed the area before the police arrived, or has stopped somewhere.”
“That means he’s headed our way!” Jamie said excitedly.
“I know you kids like solving mysteries,” their father said, “but I’d rather you didn’t get involved with an armed robber.”

Find out if Kendall and Jamie get involved or not. And see if you can solve this 15-minute mystery before the Brodericks do.

Similar to the old Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, these short mysteries give kids all the clues they need to solve the mystery, before revealing the answer on the last page.

LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books also work well as hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

Here is England's leading man of letters-as old as the century-at the height of his powers, the incomparable V. S. Pritchett, whose brilliantly observed short stories have become classics in his own lifetime. In these six beautifully crafted stories-his latest effort-we see a master at work, casting his eye over the subjects he knows best, the ordinary men and women of England: studious fourteen- year-old Sarah, whose life is changed by a game of hide-and-seek; or Lionel Frazier, the hairdresser, who looks at a woman and sees only her head; or George Andrews, the salesman, for whom new floral carpeting is always an exciting omen.

The genius of these stories is their familiarity-almost everyone will recognize a moment or a revelation of his own life in the experiences of Pritchett's utterly individual and incomparably real characters. Renowned in both the United States and England, Pritchett celebrates his eighty-ninth birthday with the publication of these six masterpieces. V. S. Pritchett's admirers and those lucky enough to be discovering him for the first time will find in A Careless Widow the work of a major talent at its best.

Here is England's leading man of letters-as old as the century-at the height of his powers, the incomparable V. S. Pritchett, whose brilliantly observed short stories have become classics in his own lifetime. In these six beautifully crafted stories-his latest effort-we see a master at work, casting his eye over the subjects he knows best, the ordinary men and women of England: studious fourteen- year-old Sarah, whose life is changed by a game of hide-and-seek; or Lionel Frazier, the hairdresser, who looks at a woman and sees only her head; or George Andrews, the salesman, for whom new floral carpeting is always an exciting omen.

The genius of these stories is their familiarity-almost everyone will recognize a moment or a revelation of his own life in the experiences of Pritchett's utterly individual and incomparably real characters. Renowned in both the United States and England, Pritchett celebrates his eighty-ninth birthday with the publication of these six masterpieces. V. S. Pritchett's admirers and those lucky enough to be discovering him for the first time will find in A Careless Widow the work of a major talent at its best.

Brody is on borrowed time and the only thing he wants is to visit his parents before he deploys out. The last thing he expects is a woman from his past sitting beside him on the plane home whispering a sweet proposition in his ear.

Pepper can't believe her own boldness. But fate steps in during her trip home for her sister's wedding and she has to act. Carelessly, she tosses aside everything she's held dear for a night in the arms of Brody, a man she's always desired, without any promise of tomorrows.

Secrets of the past are revealed and Brody and Pepper realize too late that they are in over their heads. Now life is throwing them one curve ball after another and admitting their love maybe the only thing that will save them.

Brody is on borrowed time and the only thing he wants is to visit his parents before he deploys out. The last thing he expects is a woman from his past sitting beside him on the plane home whispering a sweet proposition in his ear.

Pepper can't believe her own boldness. But fate steps in during her trip home for her sister's wedding and she has to act. Carelessly, she tosses aside everything she's held dear for a night in the arms of Brody, a man she's always desired, without any promise of tomorrows.

Secrets of the past are revealed and Brody and Pepper realize too late that they are in over their heads. Now life is throwing them one curve ball after another and admitting their love maybe the only thing that will save them.

Merlin Fanshaw is the "Bodacious Kid." Now, as a young man, he finds himself the proud new owner of a blood-bay thoroughbred race horse. After his parents death, Merlin had been semi-adopted by livery owner Walt Finkleman. But now old Walt is dead and Merlin is alone, except for the prized horse the fine old man had left him. Touched by the inheritance, Merlin sees the horse, Quicksilver, as a chance to change his future. Quicksilver could win him fortune and fame at the racetracks. Read by the author. 6 CD's 5.5 Hrs.