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Mystery Corsair by Clive Cussler Published 2009 by Putnam Adult Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780399155390 Find this book in our catalog. Jacket Notes: For five novels, Cussler has brought readers into the world of the "Oregon," a seemingly dilapidated ship packed with sophisticated equipment, and captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo. And now the "Oregon" and its crew face their biggest challenge yet. For five novels, Clive Cussler has brought readers into the world of the "Oregon," a seemingly dilapidated ship packed with sophisticated equipment, and captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo. And now the "Oregon" and its crew face their biggest challenge yet. Corsairs are pirates, and pirates come in many different varieties. There are the pirates who fought off the Barbary Coast in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the contemporary pirates who infest the waters of Africa and Asia, and the pirates . . . who look like something else. When the U.S. Secretary of State as plane crashes while bringing her to a summit meeting in Libya, the CIA, distrusting the Libyans, hire Juan Cabrillo to search for her, and their misgivings are well founded. The crew locates the plane, but the Secretary of State has vanished. It turns out Libya's new foreign minister has other plans for the conference, plans that Cabrillo cannot let happen. But what does it all have to do with a two-hundred-year-old naval battle and the centuries-old Islamic scrolls that the Libyans seem so determined to find? The answers will lead him full circle into history, and into another pitched battle on the sea, this time against Islamic terrorists, and with the fate of nations resting on its outcome. Readers will burn up the pages following the blazing action and daring exploits of these men and women and their amazing machines, a writes "Publishers Weekly" of the "Oregon" Files series. And theyall do it once again, with "Corsair."   Publishers Weekly 01/26/2009 Subduing a band of Somali pirates is just the warmup for Juan Cabrillo and the valiant crew of the supership "Oregon" in the rousing sixth Oregon Files thriller from bestseller Cussler and Du Brul (after "Plague Ship"). Cabrillos main mission is to locate U.S. Secretary of State Fiona Katamora, whos been kidnapped en route to important international peace talks in Libya. Katamora's abductor, the terrorist Al-Jama, wishes to disrupt the talks. It is only through conflict that we are truly the beings that Allah intended, Al-Jama asserts. A major subplot involves the search for an ancient corsair, a sailing ship that contains writings that could bring peace to the Mideast. The hunt for a pendant known as the Jewel of Jerusalem and a mystery surrounding Al-Jama's actual identity also figure in, but these are minor diversions. As ever, the principal draw for the series faithful readers is the clever, indefatigable Cabrillo along with his merry band of tough, tech-savvy, fighting men and women. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.         True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman Published 2009 by Ballantine Books Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780345495143 Find this book in our catalog. Jacket Notes: "True Detectives" follows Moe Reed and Aaron Fox on the twisted trail of a missing girl. This dark, baffling whodunit forces the brothers to put aside their mutual animus and to confront the unresolved family mystery that turned them into enemies. In Jonathan Kellerman's gripping novels, the city of Los Angeles is as much a living, breathing character as the heroes and villains who roam its labyrinthine streets. Sunny on the surface but shadowy beneath, this world of privilege and pleasure has a dark core and a dangerous edge. In "True Detectives," Kellerman skillfully brings his renowned gifts for breathless suspense and sharp psychological insight to a tale that resonates on every level and satisfies at every turn. Bound by blood but divided by troubles as old as Cain and Abel, Moses Reed and Aaron Fox were first introduced in Kellerman's bestselling "Bones." They are sons of the same strong-willed mother, and their respective fathers were cops, partners, and friends. Their turbulent family history has set them at odds, despite their shared calling. Moses--part Boy Scout, part bulldog, man of few words--is a no-frills LAPD detective. Aaron, sharp dresser and smooth operator, is an ex-cop turned high-end private eye. Usually they go their separate ways. But the disappearance of Caitlin Frostig isn't usual. For Moses, it's an ice-cold mystery he just can't outrun, even with the help of psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis. For Aaron, it's a billable-hours bonanza from his most lucrative client. Like it or not, Moses and Aaron are in this one together-and the rivalry that rules them won't let either man quit till the case is cracked. A straight-arrow, straight-A student from Malibu, Caitlin has only two men in her life: her sullen single father and her wholesome college sweetheart, who even the battling brothers agree seems too downright upright to be true. Reluctantly tag-teaming in a desperate search for fresh leads, Moses and Aaron zero in on Caitlin's white knight as their primary "person of interest," hoping that, like most people in L.A., he has a secret side. But they uncover more than just a secret as they descend into the sinister, seamy side of the City of Angels after dark, populated by a Hollywood Babylon cast of the glamorous and the damned: a millionaire movie director turned hatemongering eccentric; a desperate Beverly Hills housewife looking for an exit from the fast lane; a heartthrob actor being eaten alive by personal demons; a hooker who's probably seen it all . . . and might just know too much. And at the center, a dead young woman whose downward spiral and brutal end loom over Moses and Aaron like an omen of what may come to be if the dark end of the street claims another lost soul.   Publishers Weekly 02/02/2009 PI Aaron Fox and L.A. cop Moe Reed, interracial half-brothers who played minor roles in 2008's "Bones," take center stage in bestseller Kellerman's routine 24th Alex Delaware novel. When Fox, who used to work for the LAPD, looks into the missing-persons case of 20-year-old Caitlin Frostig, he runs into conflict with Reed. The brothers end up pursuing some predictable lines of inquiry, checking out Rory Stoltz, Frostig's college boyfriend, as well as links to a filmmaker, Lem Dement, who's suspected of domestic abuse. More A-list connections surface after the investigators learn Stoltz was the personal assistant for actor Mason Book, whose rumored suicide attempt came shortly after Frostig's disappearance. The strains between Fox and Reed don't generate much heat, while the pacing and writing aren't up to Kellerman's best. Hopefully, Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis, relegated to cameos, will be back in their usual starring positions next time. "(Mar. 24)" Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.         Dead Silence by Randy Wayne White Published 2009 by Putnam Adult Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780399155406 Find this book in our catalog. Jacket Notes: Imagine the worst that can happen. Then imagine again. The stunning new Doc Ford novel by the "New York Times"-bestselling author. Winter in New York City: Amid sleet and snow, Doc Ford is at the Explorers Club with his new friend, former (and maybe current) British agent Sir James Montbard, researching a jungle expedition and awaiting the arrival of an attractive U.S. senator with whom Ford has become more than friendly. Her car pulls up, she starts to get out-and the unthinkable happens: an abduction attempt right before Ford's eyes. Ford engages, managing to save the senator, but the companion in her car is not so lucky. A fourteen-year-old Minnesota boy, in New York as the prize for an essay-writing contest, he is snatched and vanishes-dead, authorities fear, until they receive the kidnappers ultimatum. Ford goes on the hunt, an odyssey that brings him first to Long Island, then to Florida, but if what happened before was unthinkable, it's nothing compared with what he discovers. The boy's captors have a definite agenda, and to make sure he isnat rescued before their thirty-six-hour deadline is up, they've put him someplace they're sure no one will find him: they've buried him alive. But there's something about the boy his captors do not know. He has a past, as do Doc Ford and many of the other key players in these extraordinary events. And before those thirty-six hours are over, all those pasts will catch up to the present-with catastrophic results. Randy Wayne White's novels have always won praise for their remarkable imagination, intrigue, and some of the best characters in suspense fiction. Nothing, however, will prepare his readers for the remarkable twists and revelations of "Dead Silence."   Publishers Weekly 01/19/2009 Bestseller White's high-octane 16th thriller to feature Marion Doc Ford (after "Black Widow") opens with a splash as Ford deep-sixes serial rapist Bern Heller into the ocean a mile off Sanibel Island, Fla. Killing Heller is a sidebar to Doc's primary mission: rescuing Will Chaser, a 14-year-old Indian boy from Oklahoma, from two Cuban psychopaths who in a bungled kidnapping attempt wound up with Will instead of their intended target, a U.S. senator. Will is the real star of the showa tough, resourceful juvenile delinquent with rodeo skills and a propensity for rage that make him a pretty even match for the two demonic kidnappers, who are demanding valuable information found in the belongings of the now-deceased Fidel Castro. Despite some confusing backstory and an unnecessarily complicated plotWhite drags in many of Doc's sidekicks from earlier books for not much apparent reasonthe action roars along as Doc does what Doc does best: kick butt. Author tour. (Mar.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.     Publisher's Marketing Text: Imagine the worst that can happen. Then imagine again. The stunning new Doc Ford novel by the "New York Times"-bestselling author. Winter in New York City: Amid sleet and snow, Doc Ford is at the Explorers Club with his new friend, former (and maybe current) British agent Sir James Montbard, researching a jungle expedition and awaiting the arrival of an attractive U.S. senator with whom Ford has become more than friendly. Her car pulls up, she starts to get out--and the unthinkable happens: an abduction attempt right before Ford's eyes. Ford engages, managing to save the senator, but the companion in her car is not so lucky. A fourteen-year-old Minnesota boy, in New York as the prize for an essay-writing contest, he is snatched and vanishes--dead, authorities fear, until they receive the kidnappers ultimatum. Ford goes on the hunt, an odyssey that brings him first to Long Island, then to Florida, but if what happened before was unthinkable, it's nothing compared with what he discovers. The boy's captors have a definite agenda, and to make sure he isn't rescued before their thirty-six-hour deadline is up, they've put him someplace they're sure no one will find him: they've buried him alive. But there's something about the boy his captors do not know. He has a past, as do Doc Ford and many of the other key players in these extraordinary events. And before those thirty-six hours are over, all those pasts will catch up to the present--with catastrophic results. Randy Wayne White's novels have always won praise for their remarkable imagination, intrigue, and some of the best characters in suspense fiction. Nothing, however, will prepare his readers for the remarkable twists and revelations of "Dead Silence." Pursuit by Karen Robards Published 2009 by Putnam Adult Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780399155420 Find this book in our catalog. Jacket Notes: The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Obsession" weaves a complex tale of political conspiracy and a steamy love affair, in her sizzling new work. "Pursuit." "New York Times" bestselling author Karen Robards weaves a complex tale of a political conspiracy at the highest level of government, with a steamy love affair between protector and prey. When rookie lawyer Jessica Ford gets the call from her boss, John Davenport, the senior partner at the illustrious law firm for which she works, she can tell he is well on his way to being drunk. He needs Jess to meet First Lady Annette Cooper, for whom Davenport is a personal lawyer, at a Washington, D.C., hotel. Jess is thrilled: this high-profile assignment must mean that sheas earned her bossas trust and sheas on her way to bigger things. But unfortunately, bigger isn't always better. Jess doesn't remember much--only that in the course of the late-night meeting with Annette Cooper, she ended up in the backseat of a car, speeding off into the darkness. All Jess knows is that the car crashed en route, and the other three passengers were killed, including the First Lady. Badly injured, Jess is the only survivor of what is trumpeted around the world as a tragic accident. Although she has no memory about the events leading up to the accident, Jess is still bothered by one question: Was it really an accident? The Secret Service agent on the case, Mark Ryan, gets the feeling that Jess is hiding something. As his suspicions grow, Jess' world starts falling apart. First, she is brutally attacked in the hospital, barely escaping with her life. Then her boss dies under questionable circumstances. In fact, everyone who might possibly know the details about the First Lady's last few hours starts turning up dead. And then Jess understands: If she remembers that night, she'll be dead too. Terrified and certain that the First Lady's death was no accident, Jess has only Mark Ryan to turn to. . . .   Publishers Weekly 01/26/2009 Jessica Ford is a young lawyer trying to rise in a powerful Washington, D.C., law firm. Her life gets thrown for a loop when she gets into a car accident that kills the First Lady. Jessica wakes in the hospital to find someone trying to kill her as well--tipping her off that the crash wasn't just an accident and she never should have survived it. In steps Secret Service agent Mark Ryan, the head of the First Lady's security detail. As bodies start piling up around Jessica, she and Mark have no one to turn to except each other, and as the conspiracy begins to point to some very high places, the duo begin to realize the key to saving their lives is locked away in Jessica's memories. Jessica and Mark make a superb team, and even if their romance feels tacked on and the big twist contrived, Robardss fans will enjoy this fast-paced and action-packed romantic thriller. (Mar.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.         Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross Published 2009 by William Morrow & Company Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780061143441 Find this book in our catalog. Jacket Notes: Detective Ty Hauck is caught in a deadly maze of cover-up and corruption in this new thriller from the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "The Dark Tide." In this dramatic new novel following the bestselling "The Dark Tide," a drive-by shooting rocks the posh suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut, and an innocent bystander is left dead. Detective Ty Hauck plunges into what seems like a vicious case of retribution and follows the trail to a sinister gambling scheme at an upstate casino. Until Annie Fletcher, a young restaurateur in the midst of rebuilding her life, witnesses something she shouldn't have--and immediately runs to him with what she knows. Suddenly, Hauck is pulled into a rising storm far greater than it first appeared--a storm wide enough to encompass corruption inside Greenwich's circle of wealthy and powerful citizens. And punishing enough to consume Hauck's own family, and tear brothers apart forever . . . if it doesn't kill them first. "Don't Look Twice" is a gripping story of profiteering on an international scale and an emotionally resonant domestic thriller from one of the hottest new talents in suspense fiction.   Publishers Weekly 01/26/2009 At the start of bestseller Grosss twisty second thriller to feature Ty Hauck (after "The Dark Tide"), the Greenwich, Conn., police detective gets caught in a shooting at a local service station. A young man wearing a red bandana leans out a car window and fires: he nicks Hauck; kills David Sanger, a federal prosecutor; and wounds others. Was Hauck the target? Was it a hate crime directed at the Pakistani who owned the gas station? Or was Sanger the target? As Hauck investigates, potential leads evaporate or end in blind alleys. When the triggerman is shot dead in the Dominican Republic, the Greenwich police chief suggests Hauck should consider the case closed. Hauck decides to continue, despite increasing pressure to desist from many quarters, including the FBI and the owners of the Pequot Woods Resort and Casino. Hauck does look twice, with results that will change his life radically, though some readers may doubt the wisdom of the choice he makes at the end. (Mar.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.         Execution Dock by Anne Perry Published 2009 by Ballantine Books Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780345469335 Find this book in our catalog. Jacket Notes: From the bestselling author of "Buckingham Palace Gardens" and "Dark Assassin" comes a deftly plotted Victorian crime novel featuring the long-awaited return of police superintendent William Monk. Readers of Anne Perry's bestselling William Monk novels feel as if they've experienced the many shades of Victorian London, from Belgravia to Limehouse, from drawing room to brothel. In "Execution Dock," Perry's first Monk novel in three years, we find ourselves on the bustling docks along the River Thames. Here the empire's great merchant ships unload the treasures of the world. And here, in dank and sinister alleys, sex merchants ply their lucrative trade. The dreaded kingpin of this dark realm is Jericho Phillips. On his floating brothel, sex slaves are forced to endure unspeakable acts. Now one such soul, thirteen-year-old Fig, is found with his throat cut, his tortured body tossed into the river. Commander William Monk of the River Police swears that Phillips will hang for this abomination. But the miscreant is as wily as he is monstrous, and his wealthy clients seem far beyond the reach of the law. Monk's attempt to bring about justice becomes the first electrifying episode in a nightmare that will test his courage and integrity. However, reinforcements are on the way. Monk's wife, Hester, who runs a free clinic for abused women, draws a highly unusual guerrilla force to her husband's cause--a canny ratcatcher, a retired brothel keeper, a fearless street urchin, and a rebellious society lady. To one as criminally minded as Phillips, these folks are mere mosquitoes, to be sure. But as he will soon discover, some mosquitoes can have a deadly sting. This gripping, terrifying story hurtles toward to a denouement that will leave the reader breathless but cheering. Execution Dock is Anne Perry at her incomparable, magnificent best.   Publishers Weekly 01/12/2009 Set in 1864, bestseller Perry's outstanding 16th novel to feature William Monk (after "Dark Assassin") finds Monk suffering from a series of hard knocks, including memory loss. Now superintendent of the Thames River Police Force, Monk is on the verge of closing the books on Jericho Phillips, a particularly nasty villain who specializes in child pornography. Monk and his team catch Phillips, but what appears to be an airtight murder case springs leaks and ends with the accused's acquittal. Many in authority view the judgment as a rebuke to the river police, whose existence as a separate force is threatened. Convinced that he got the right man, despite the jury's verdict, Monk devotes himself to setting the record straight. Monk's wife, Hester, who works with London's downtrodden, provides support. Rich in plot development, believable characters and period detail, this entry will only add to the already sizable ranks of Perry's admirers. (Mar.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.