The finest historical short stories ever written" is Conan-Doyle expert Owen Edwards’ verdict on the Brigadier Gerard series. In this new complete edition, which includes 55 original illustrations by W B Wollen, the aged Brigadier tells all his tales of Napoleonic gloire, quite unhindered by any sense of false modesty. He was, he tells us, "the finest horseman … and the best swordsman in the entire Grande Armee", an outstandingly brave, hot-blooded hussar who was, of course, beloved by any woman fortunate to cast her eyes upon him. Nor was the Emperor unaware of Etienne Gerard’s accomplishments, and sought him out for a variety of secret, or especially dangerous assignments. And so we are told of wild adventures from the Peninsular War, Waterloo, the retreat from Moscow, Gerard's imprisonment in England, and even an attempt to rescue Napoleon from St. Helena. As we listen, we gradually realise that the bold Hussar’s brain was perhaps not quite as sharp as his sword. Gerard regularly misconstrues orders, and has the most preposterous ideas on the sporting ideals of his favourite enemy, the English, who he mistakenly believes to be in awe of his prowess at both pugilism and fox-hunting. An inspiration for the Flashman series, George MacDonald Fraser describes Brigadier Gerard as "a splendid catalogue of secret missions, escapes, love affairs, duels, disguises, pursuits, triumphs, and occasional disasters," narrated in "inimitable mock French style.

“Is it politically correct to awaken the Jewish protagonists of old anti-Semitic Europe in today’s wavering, once-more dangerous Europe? Let me speak for myself, as a Jew, an Israeli, a historian, a writer and a woman with a voice: no. It is not politically correct to arouse the Jews of the old operas from their slumber. But we should.“ (Fania Oz-Salzberger) Jede Annäherung an das sensitive und vielschichtige Thema ‚Judentum‘ erfordert ein multiperspektivisches Vorgehen. Es gilt, Religion, Historie, Tradition zu reflektieren und Perzeptionen des Jüdischen zu diskutieren und zu hinterfragen. Die Publikation versucht ein möglichst breites Spektrum abzudecken, um der Komplexität der Zielsetzung gerecht zu werden: Ganz im Sinne der Aufgabe der Europäischen Musiktheater-Akademie als Forum des Dialogs von Forschung und Praxis versammelt sie Beiträge internationaler Wissenschaftler und (Theater-)Praktiker wie Komponisten, Regisseure, Opernsänger, Synagogen-Kantoren, Intendanten und Kulturkritiker aus Europa, Israel und den USA, um Einsichten aus ganz unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln zu garantieren. Der Titel des Buches mag wohl vordergründig provokativ auf Richard Wagners unheilvolles antisemitisches Traktat „Das Judentum in der Musik“ verweisen, dennoch ist dieses viel diskutierte Pamphlet nicht Thema der vorliegenden Beiträge. Vielmehr macht sich dieser Band zur Aufgabe, gerade den bereichernden Einfluss und die schöpferische Kreativität von jüdischer Kultur und jüdischen Künstlern im Bereich der Oper in den Fokus zu nehmen. Mit Beiträgen von: Julie Brown, Aviel Cahn, David Conway, Chaya Czernowin, John Deathridge, Anat Feinberg, Ruth HaCohen, Hilde Haider, Jehoash Hirshberg, Ioan Holender, Andor Iszák, Vladimir Jurowski, Peter Konwitschny, Barrie Kosky, Moshe Leiser, Erik Levi, Benjamin Muller, Fania Oz-Salzberger, Frieder Reininghaus, Isolde Schmid-Reiter, Neil Shicoff, Mathias Spohr, Massimo Acanfora Torrefranca, Susanne Vill and Jossi Wieler.

THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING NOVEL. A TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER. HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD IN THE UK. ' If you love The Kite Runner you'll love The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul' Look magazine In a little coffee shop in one of the most dangerous places on earth, five very different women come together . . . SUNNY , the proud proprietor, who needs an ingenious plan - and fast - to keep her café and customers safe. YAZMINA , a young pregnant woman stolen from her remote village and now abandoned on Kabul's violent streets. CANDACE , a wealthy American who has finally left her husband for her Afghan lover, the enigmatic Wakil. ISABEL , a determined journalist with a secret that might keep her from the biggest story of her life. And HALAJAN , the sixty-year-old den mother, whose long-hidden love affair breaks all the rules. As these five women discover there is more to each other than meets the eye, they form a unique bond that will change their lives forever. Because even in a place rife with conflict, love, friendship and hope will always survive . . . The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is the heart-warming and life-affirming fiction sensation that captured the hearts of readers across the globe. The final chapter in Sunny and friends' heart-wrenching and uplifting story is available now. Order Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul to find out what happens next...

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER! AN INDIE NEXT MARCH 2025 PICK ∙ A FEBRUARY LIBRARYREADS PICK A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf. Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she’s saved! On the not-so-bright side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has...dinosaurs? Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can’t resist the attraction that’s developing in their trio.... As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined...zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp.

This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read Through Jean M. Auel's magnificent storytelling we are taken back to the dawn of modern humans, and with a girl named Ayla we are swept up in the harsh and beautiful Ice Age world they shared with the ones who called themselves the Clan of the Cave Bear. A natural disaster leaves the young girl wandering alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous land until she is found by a woman of the Clan, people very different from her own kind. To them, blond, blue-eyed Ayla looks peculiar and ugly-she is one of the Others, those who have moved into their ancient homeland; but Iza cannot leave the girl to die and takes her with them. Iza and Creb, the old Mog-ur, grow to love her, and as Ayla learns the ways of the Clan and Iza's way of healing, most come to accept her. But the brutal and proud youth who is destined to become their next leader sees her differences as a threat to his authority. He develops a deep and abiding hatred for the strange girl of the Others who lives in their midst, and is determined to get his revenge.

The finest historical short stories ever written" is Conan-Doyle expert Owen Edwards’ verdict on the Brigadier Gerard series. In this new complete edition, which includes 55 original illustrations by W B Wollen, the aged Brigadier tells all his tales of Napoleonic gloire, quite unhindered by any sense of false modesty. He was, he tells us, "the finest horseman … and the best swordsman in the entire Grande Armee", an outstandingly brave, hot-blooded hussar who was, of course, beloved by any woman fortunate to cast her eyes upon him. Nor was the Emperor unaware of Etienne Gerard’s accomplishments, and sought him out for a variety of secret, or especially dangerous assignments. And so we are told of wild adventures from the Peninsular War, Waterloo, the retreat from Moscow, Gerard's imprisonment in England, and even an attempt to rescue Napoleon from St. Helena. As we listen, we gradually realise that the bold Hussar’s brain was perhaps not quite as sharp as his sword. Gerard regularly misconstrues orders, and has the most preposterous ideas on the sporting ideals of his favourite enemy, the English, who he mistakenly believes to be in awe of his prowess at both pugilism and fox-hunting. An inspiration for the Flashman series, George MacDonald Fraser describes Brigadier Gerard as "a splendid catalogue of secret missions, escapes, love affairs, duels, disguises, pursuits, triumphs, and occasional disasters," narrated in "inimitable mock French style.

WINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S TOP TEN 21ST CENTURY FANTASY NOVELS 'Clever, wickedly fun . . . with an excellent balance of humour and heart. I loved it' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she's certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer. So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, Al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be Al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage. Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city - or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems . . . P. Djèlí Clark is the winner of the Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards and has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award.

A zany and sexy romance about a woman who finds herself stranded on a far-off planet and mated to the warlord alien king, from USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Lemming. It’s not in Blair’s nature to just give up. Not when she’s beamed up to a spaceship and then dropped on an alien planet. Not even when she’s in the middle of a forest fire surrounded by dinosaurs. And definitely not when she’s captured by an arrogant alien king. If King Osid thinks he can break her, he’s in for a shock. Blair lives by one motto: If you stay ready, you never have to get ready. But absolutely nothing could have prepared her for finding out that she’s that arrogant King Osid’s mate. Despite recent hiccups, the alien researchers are determined to get their breeding program back on track. With that in mind, Blair and Osid are bundled off to the research center for what they’re told is couples counseling. As they face a series of increasingly dangerous challenges, it soon becomes clear the research aliens may have confused an episode of The Bachelor with Survivor. Bonding over their common enemy, and shall we say...encouraged by love darts, Blair and Osid let down their walls (and take off their clothes). When they discover that there are—somehow—even more secret plans in the works, another hilarious, steamy, over-the-top adventure is in store.

' Warlock shows us that what is called society, with its law and order, is as frail, as precarious, as flesh' Thomas Pynchon A renowned gunslinger tries to impose law and order in an anarchic frontier boomtown, in this masterly Western The taste and smell of Warlock was not merely that of its dust, but the taste of apprehension, the smell of fear and anger like a dangerous animal snarling and stinking in its cage . . . In the dust-soaked, lawless town of Warlock, chaos reigns. After a band of local cowboys led by the cut-throat Abe McQuown chases the deputy sheriff out of town, the local citizens decide to take action. Enter famed Texan gunslinger Clay Blaisedell, hired to restore the peace and see off the outlaws, from San Pablo in the valley to the distant peaks of the Dinosaur Mountains. But in the heat-haze of the town, allegiances shift and justice blurs with vengeance. As a strike in the local silver mines reaches fever pitch, each man and woman must face the horrors of the past, and confront an uncertain future. Inspired by true events surrounding the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, Warlock blazed a trail for the modern Western. A finalist for the 1958 Pulitzer Prize, it offers a scathing deconstruction of the myth of America and the duel between order and anarchy.

DISCOVER Evan Smoak's most complex mission yet - with his usual skills off the table, how can he bring vengeance for those who most need it? Sometimes two wrongs do make a right . . . ' Non-stop action and a wonderful lightness of touch. Hurwitz kills it again ' DAILY EXPRESS PRAISE FOR THE ORPHAN X SERIES 'Weapons-grade thriller writing' The Guardian 'Feels like a missile launch' David Baldacci 'Outstanding in every way' Lee Child 'Makes the Jack Reacher books look quaint' Sun --- Two problems: A tech-billionaire whose psychological crisis could have catastrophic implications for the global order. And the abduction of vulnerable young woman, Anca, seized from the New York City Subway, held, hurt, then discarded like trash. One solution: Evan Smoak , a former black ops assassin codenamed Orphan X , now dedicated to helping the desperate with nowhere else to turn. But saving the world from a powerful man who has lost his mind while pursuing justice for an innocent survivor will test Evan like never before . Especially when complicated by Anca's inconvenient insistence that he show some measure of mercy to the men who abducted her. Because if the world's greatest assassin cannot kill, then this mission just got a whole lot more daunting and dangerous. As lethal threats mount, Evan may have to choose between upholding a higher code . . . and his own life.

*** GAME ON, the final book from the MULTI-MILLION BESTESELLING INTO DARKNESS series is OUT NOW *** THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the author of TikTok's favourite dark and steamy romance, Lights Out, comes Navessa Allen's second book in the New York Times bestselling Into Darkness trilogy I want this woman, and I'm a man who always gets what he wants. Nico 'Junior' Trocci knows Lauren Marchetti is off limits. Men like him don't get to have women like her. It's why he pushed her away in high school and still keeps his distance. But Junior follows Lauren online, and now that the shy, bookish girl he remembers is gone, he can't stop obsessing over the strikingly beautiful woman who has taken her place. He's ruthless; a walking red flag. Good thing red is my favorite color. Lauren 'Lo' Marchetti knows Junior is dangerous. He broke her heart once and she won't let him do it again. But as their flirtatious encounters escalate, Lauren starts to remember why she fell for the brooding antihero all those years ago. As old obstacles resurface, Junior and Lauren are forced to face their true feelings for each other and decide just how far they're willing to go for a second chance at love. Caught Up is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally grey male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the content warning at the beginning of the book. 18+ mature content. Not suitable for younger readers. Readers LOVE Caught Up! ''Deliciously hot, emotionally deep, and incredibly paced' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Darker, sexier, and somehow even more addictive. I couldn't put it down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Had me hot under the collar. Stunning. 10/10. Perfection' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Sexy, fun, full of tension and so much chemistry' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Intense and unforgettable' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Caught Up, No. 1 New York Times bestseller, June 2026.

In the midst of war, love might be the deadliest weapon of all. For ten long years, Angels and Demons have waged a brutal war, with one man standing between the Demons and total annihilation: Rokath, the cruel and merciless general feared for his power to raise the dead. A prophecy whispers of a woman with eyes of devious burgundy who will shift the balance of power, but Rokath has plans of his own. After a deadly plague wipes out millions of Demons across the realm, Rokath issues an unforgiving command-every family must send one male to the front or face being put to the sword. Assyria, a sharp-tongued, burgundy-eyed farmgirl, is trapped in an abusive marriage to a nobleman who only values her for the power she could give their offspring. Her life unravels when Rokath's soldiers arrive with the decree. A violent clash leaves her covered in blood-and running for her life. With her rare magic, she assumes the form of her slain husband and marches off to war, hiding among the very men she's sworn to hate for killing her family. In a society where women must remain veiled and pure, Assyria's survival hinges on secrecy. Yet nothing can prepare her for the sharp, sinister gaze of Rokath, whose punishments for disobedience are swift and savage. When their paths cross, fate sets into motion a dangerous chain of events neither of them can control. With tension crackling between them and thousands of lives balanced on a knife's edge, will their unlikely connection ignite salvation for the Demons-or doom them to destruction? Eyes of Devious Burgundy is the first book in the Deathcaller Duet, a slow meet, hate-to-love, banter-filled high dark fantasy romance with a vicious, dangerous MMC and a fiery FMC. Perfect for fans of A Choice of Light and Dark, Carissa Broadbent, and LJ Andrews. An Age of War and Prophecy is a series of interconnected duets and standalones centering around the world-altering events of the Great War between the Angels and Demons. It contains mature, dark themes that some readers might find disturbing. A full TW list is available on the author's website.

In the midst of war, love might be the deadliest weapon of all. For ten long years, Angels and Demons have waged a brutal war, with one man standing between the Demons and total annihilation: Rokath, the cruel and merciless general feared for his power to raise the dead. A prophecy whispers of a woman with eyes of devious burgundy who will shift the balance of power, but Rokath has plans of his own. After a deadly plague wipes out millions of Demons across the realm, Rokath issues an unforgiving command-every family must send one male to the front or face being put to the sword. Assyria, a sharp-tongued, burgundy-eyed farmgirl, is trapped in an abusive marriage to a nobleman who only values her for the power she could give their offspring. Her life unravels when Rokath's soldiers arrive with the decree. A violent clash leaves her covered in blood-and running for her life. With her rare magic, she assumes the form of her slain husband and marches off to war, hiding among the very men she's sworn to hate for killing her family. In a society where women must remain veiled and pure, Assyria's survival hinges on secrecy. Yet nothing can prepare her for the sharp, sinister gaze of Rokath, whose punishments for disobedience are swift and savage. When their paths cross, fate sets into motion a dangerous chain of events neither of them can control. With tension crackling between them and thousands of lives balanced on a knife's edge, will their unlikely connection ignite salvation for the Demons-or doom them to destruction? Eyes of Devious Burgundy is the first book in the Deathcaller Duet, a slow meet, hate-to-love, banter-filled high dark fantasy romance with a vicious, dangerous MMC and a fiery FMC. Perfect for fans of A Choice of Light and Dark, Carissa Broadbent, and LJ Andrews. An Age of War and Prophecy is a series of interconnected duets and standalones centering around the world-altering events of the Great War between the Angels and Demons. It contains mature, dark themes that some readers might find disturbing. A full TW list is available on the author's website.

Internationally bestselling author Chantal Fernando brings fans another sexy motorcycle novella in the Wind Dragons MC series, as rival club president Talon has to decide what's more dangerous: facing down the WDMC, or losing his heart to a woman under their protection. Talon has a complicated relationship with the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club. He's the president of their rival club, the Wild Men, but he's also related to one of their members—who hates him. He could handle that, but he's also got problems in his own club; someone is leaking information and disrupting their business, but Talon can't find the mole. So the last thing he needs is even more complication in the form of a beautiful single mother who's bolder than half the bikers on his squad. But he can't take his eyes—or his hands—off her... Tia's always been a little reckless, up for a good time wherever she found it, but she's also a great mom to her young son. So even though she thinks Talon is basically sex on a stick, when she realizes she wants to be more to him than just a club groupie, she has to take things a bit slow. Plus, a momentary attraction, no matter how smoking hot, isn't worth risking her son's happiness in any way. Is there any chance that Talon might be up for a more permanent arrangement? Or has Tia leapt before looking once again?

**CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF RYAN AND RAY? BUY THE LATEST BOOK, THE DANGEROUS STRANGER, NOW** 'Simon Mason has created crime fiction's most entertaining double act in decades' Mick Herron 'As great a contribution to the noble British genre of detective fiction as any writer for decades ' Stephen Fry Oxford. A city of lost things - and buried crimes. At three o'clock in the morning, Emergency Services receives a call. 'This is Zara Fanshawe. Always lost and never found.' An hour later, the wayward celebrity's Rolls Royce Phantom is found abandoned in dingy Becket Street. The paparazzi go wild. For some reason, news of Zara's disappearance prompts homeless woman Lena Wójcik to search the camps, nervously, for the bad-tempered vagrant known as 'Waitrose', a familiar sight in Oxford pushing his trolley of possessions. But he's nowhere to be found either. Who will lead the investigation and cope with the media frenzy? Suave, prize-winning, Oxford-educated DI Ray Wilkins is passed over in favour of his partner, gobby, trailer-park educated DI Ryan Wilkins (no relation). You wouldn't think Ray would be happy. He isn't. You wouldn't think Ryan would be any good at national press presentations. He isn't. And when legendary cop Chester Lynch takes a shine to Ray - and takes against Ryan - things are only going to get even messier. What readers are saying about Lost and Never Found 5* An engaging detective double act 5* Best in the series so far 5* Set in present day Oxford, it is Morse times two

Two masters of deception. One dangerous game. In this deadly dance of espionage and seduction, one misstep could be their last. *** He is Her Majesty's most lethal weapon. Ronan Callahan shed his criminal past to rise through the ranks as the Crown's deadliest spy. But for years, he's always been a step behind the elusive thief known as Spectre, a cunning woman who has led him on a cat-and-mouse chase across the globe. She is the underworld's most wanted mastermind. Isabel Dumont clawed her way from the gutters of Paris to become the Syndicate's most skilled operative. But when she betrays the very criminal empire that forged her, she's forced to ally with the spy she once outwitted. Thrust into an uneasy partnership, these rival operatives plunge into an undercover mission to dismantle the Syndicate. As bodies pile up and the passion ignites, they navigate a world where loyalty is a death sentence and trust is a fatal weakness-and the price of failure is paid in blood. *** Readers LOVE A Lady's Handbook of Espionage: ' Fast paced, suspenseful and full of sizzling romance that had me entranced' - 5* NetGalley review 'The tension , the yearning , the FLAMES, and the banter are all exquisite ' 5* NetGalley review 'Perfect mix of regency vibes and romance, suspense, and intrigue ... It had me gripping the edge of my seat' 5* NetGalley review 'The romance was absolutely incredible ' 5* NetGalley review 'This book blew me away ' 5* NetGalley review

THE UK NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER* From the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Housemaid, The Boyfriend, and The Tenant comes a story of monstrous motherhood. She gave you a life. Now she wants yours. *** She was promised a miracle. She got more than she bargained for. Abby wants a baby more than anything. But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer to serve as a surrogate. It's an offer that will make all of Abby's dreams come true. But soon, strange things start happening. And it turns out Monica isn't who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby's child has an unspeakable secret. And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Freida McFadden delivers a page-turner that redefines what it means to be in the family way, with gut-wrenching twists and pulse-pounding thrills that will keep you hooked until the suspenseful conclusion. Tropes Psychological Thriller Suspense Mystery Thriller Dangerous Secret Also by Freida McFadden: Do Not Disturb The Tenant Ward D The Crash The Boyfriend The Housemaid is Watching The Perfect Son The Coworker The Locked Door Never Lie The Teacher The Inmate One by One *The Surrogate Mother was the UK's #1 bestselling title during its release week (August 2025, Nielsen BookScan)

Best of BookTok: Caught between four dangerous men, one woman indulges her hidden desires, in this deliciously dark reverse-harem romance. The Vipers run this town and everyone in it. They make deals as sordid as their business--and they have no mercy. They're a mafia family only an idiot would mess with, so of course my estranged, abusive father did just that. Then he sold me off to them to cover his debts. Now, trapped in their penthouse, they say I'm their toy to play with and discard whenever they see fit. But the Vipers have no idea who they're dealing with. I intend to take advantage of the hunger in their eyes. As their scarred, blood-stained hands roam my body, I'm getting under their skin, turning their desires into an addiction they won't be able to shake. What's more? I'm indulging my own dark fantasies, ones I've never been able to satisfy. . . until now. Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel think they're in control. They think that I'm their prey. But this girl? She has fangs too. This deluxe edition features sprayed edges with stenciled artwork, a signed letter from the author, and five bonus scenes. Intended for adult readers, bestselling author K.A. Knight's Den of Vipers is a polyamorous, reverse-harem standalone romance with graphic sex scenes, violence, and references to abuse and assault. "One badass female, four hot-as-sin men. Den of Vipers is dark, twisted, and utterly addictive!" --Somme Sketcher, bestselling author of the Sinners Anonymous series

Two worlds. One prophecy. A love that could doom them both. Harper Elves don't exist. They definitely don't crash through portals in the middle of the DMV, looking like a gorgeous God of Thunder, and announce that I'm the chosen one destined to save their world. Aaran is definitely real, dangerous, magic-wielding, impossible to ignore, and terrifyingly persuasive. After he saves my mother from a brutal, early death, how am I supposed to say no to helping him? I can barely keep my own life together-my driver's license is about to expire, for gods' sake. How am I meant to fight a witch queen, survive her monsters, and save an entire world I didn't even know existed? Aaran My mission was simple: find the human woman and bring her to Domhan to fulfill the prophecy. Caring for her was never part of the bargain. I shouldn't have healed her mother of the cancer. The effort nearly killed me. But my world is dying, and I couldn't stand the thought of Harper losing the last person she loves, even if it costs me everything. The oracle claims her magic is powerful and untapped. If they're wrong, we won't survive long enough to reach the witch queen. If they're right, maybe Harper will save us all, if dark magic and constant danger don't tear us apart first. Every step we take binds her closer to me. Desire may be the one magic neither of us can control.

Mercury Carter is a deliveryman and he takes his job very seriously. When a parcel is under his care, he will stop at nothing to deliver it directly to its intended recipient. Not even, as in the current case, when he finds a crew of violent men at the indicated address that threaten his life and take the woman who lives there hostage. That's because Carter has special skills from his former life as a federal agent with the postal inspection service, skills that make him particularly useful for delivering items in circumstances as dangerous as these. After Carter dispatches the goons sent to kill him, he enters a home besieged by criminals-but the leader of the gang escapes with attorney Rachel Stanfield before the mailman can complete his assignment. With Rachel's husband Glenn in tow, Carter takes off in pursuit of the kidnapper and his quarry, hunting them across Indiana, up to Chicago, and into small-town Illinois. Along the way, he slowly picks off members of the crew and uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy and a powerful crime syndicate, all in service of his main objective: to hand the package over to Rachel. Carter has never missed a delivery and isn't about to start now. Introducing a new lone-wolf protagonist to rival Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Steve Hamilton's Nick Mason, and Gregg Hurwitz's Evan Smoak, The Mailman is a pulse-pounding series opener with captivating action and enough thrills to leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment.