Early Fiction

Hercule Poirot made his first public appearance in 1920 at the age, one guesses, of about 60. He finally breathed his metaphorical last in 1975 at the age of maybe 75 or 80. And in that short span of time — either 55 years or about 20, depending on how you count it — Poirot became one of England’s most profitable and ubiquitous export commodities.

In the real world, England and France allowed Adolf Hitler to gobble up the Sudetenland in 1938. Once Hitler finished dismembering Czechoslovakia, he was ready to go to war over Poland a year later. But Hitler had always been eager to seize Czechoslovakia, no matter the consequences. So what if England and France had stood up to the Nazis from the start, and not 11 months later? That is the question behind the War That Came Early series.

Journeys Beyond the Map “Use this stick to vanish from sight, But return before the fall of night.” Jack and Emily, siblings who didn’t always get along, are sent to visit their aunt, a specialist in ancient magic and archaeology. While exploring a secret room in the basement of her mysterious home, they discover an enchanted map that transports them to far-off worlds. In each place, they must solve puzzles and help the local inhabitants, all while racing against time. If they fail to complete their tasks before nightfall, they risk being trapped there forever. Through these thrilling...

Georgeanne Howard leaves her fiancé at the altar when she realizes she can't marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, no matter how rich he is. Hockey superstar John Kowalsky unknowingly helps her escape, and only when it's too late does he realize that he's absconded with his boss's bride. This bad boy isn't looking to be anybody's savior but his own. Still, a long night stretches ahead of them - a night too sultry to resist temptation.

Peyton and Marco have the best crime-solve statistics in the Homicide Division, but that accolade might be in jeopardy when a football player is murdered on Halloween. The suspects look like a line-up for the Village People: a clown, a cowboy, and a police officer. Can they solve the case before the assailants remove their masks and go back to their 9 to 5 jobs?

He’s powerful, he’s virtually unstoppable, and he just wants to be left alone. In a world filling up with the supernatural, a lone werewolf drifts into a farming community looking for work and promptly kicks a hornet’s nest. Actually, he would prefer it was a hornet. What he kicks is much worse.

A historical fiction book set in Virginia and the early United States during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Journey into the heart of America's untamed wilderness with "A Son of the West," where the spirit of exploration collides with the intimate complexities of love and familial bonds. Experience the life of Meriwether Lewis—not just as a celebrated explorer, but as a son shaped by his mother's enduring influence and a man grappling with his myriad passions and ambitions against the backdrop of a young nation. As the narrative unfolds, we meet Widow Lewis, a figure steeped in ...

Join Imani, Tommy, and Maya on Their Most Magical Adventure Yet! When a talking acorn appears on their front steps asking for help, three best friends discover that the legendary Paul Bunyan needs their assistance to save the Great Forest Festival. Perfect for early readers ages 6-9, this enchanting chapter book combines beloved American folklore with important life lessons about friendship, gratitude, and helping others. What Makes This Story Special: • Educational adventure that brings Paul Bunyan folklore to life in an age-appropriate way • Character development through individual ...

When the preserved foot of a dead man with extra toes arrives at St. Bartholomew's Medical College, the students are fascinated. However, despite this unusual feature being reported in the press, the man's identity remains a mystery. Intrigued by the puzzle, medical student Mr. Stamford calls on his acquaintance Sherlock Holmes to help him learn more about the deceased. With only the man's boots and a few possessions to examine, Holmes relishes the challenge. He soon finds a coded message hidden inside the man's purse, which suggests a possible connection to criminals or spies.

A catastrophic fall from a towering cliff face sends shockwaves through a migrating people, leaving ten dead and their world irrevocably changed. Danijel, the strong and enigmatic leader, must guide his people on a perilous journey to the warmer lands of the Lowland, where dangers both seen and unseen lurk at every turn. His authority is challenged by the cunning and ambitious Ohad, whose treachery threatens to shatter the fragile unity of the group. In this brutal and unforgiving world, survival is a constant battle. Liùsaidh, Danijel's woman, fights against desperate odds to stay alive ...

What happens when everything you believe is true is turned upside down? A character-driven story of money, power, friendship, and second chances. In 1876, Dick Baker, a down-on-his-luck California gold miner, dreams of striking it rich. He doesn't want much, just to be the richest man in Calaveras County — and that his secret past stay buried on Mackinac Island. When he wins an abandoned goldmine while gambling in Chinatown, his life is turned upside down. Join the adventure that changes his life forever. Dick is about to learn a valuable lesson. True happiness is right in front of us if ...

There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother....

Peter Cunningham has been looking for inspiration for his novel - that is, when he isn’t teaching at the local women’s prison, walking his dog, getting high, and wondering whether it’s time to tie the knot with his college girlfriend. When Peter meets Leslie, a sexual adventurer taking a break from her fiancé, he gets a glimpse of what he wishes and imagines himself to be: a writer of talent and nerve. Over the course of a Virginia summer, their charged, increasingly intimate friendship opens the door to difficult questions about love and literary ambition.

In 1938, two men held history in their hands. One was Adolf Hitler. The other was British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, who, determined to avoid war at any cost, came to be known as "the great appeaser". But Harry Turtledove, the unrivaled master of alternate history, has launched a gripping saga that springboards from a different fateful act: What if Chamberlain had stood up to Hitler? How would the war have unfolded and changed our world?

There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private inves­tigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: He knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy.

Centered around an obscure group of malcontents intent on creating a terrible explosion in New York City in 1993, Fear City shows the final stages of young Jack becoming Repairman Jack. It is a dark and terrible story, full of plots and needless mayhem, with secret agents, a freelance torturer, a secret society as old as human history, love, death, and a very bleak triumph.

Follow the adventures of Chompy the shark and his best friends (Jilly the jellyfish, Buzz the swordfish, Slick the seal, and Flashy the starfish). Chompy didn't always have friends, because most of the sea creatures were afraid of him. Find out how he made friends!

Ansley Park is one of Atlanta’s most desirable neighborhoods. But in one mansion, in a teenager’s lavish bedroom, a girl has been savagely murdered. In the hallway, her horrified mother stands amid shattered glass, having killed her daughter’s attacker with her bare hands. Detective Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is here only to do a political favor; the murder site belongs to the Atlanta police. But Trent soon sees something the cops are missing, something in the trail of blood, in a matrix of forensic evidence, and in the eyes of the shell-shocked mother.

The Ranger's Apprentice origin story fans have been waiting for. Before they became the most famous Ranger in the land and the hard-working Ranger Commandant, Halt and Crowley were young friends determined to change the world. The scheming Baron Morgarath is drawing other power-hungry knights and barons to his banner. King Oswald is wasting away, and, if gossip can be believed, Prince Duncan is causing havoc in the north.

WHITE CAT BLACK CAT - The Hunter ******************************************** One hot summer day, in front of the fan The white cat was sweating as only cats can When outside the window he suddenly spied A tiny bird chirping on the other side. The cat stretched hard, from his back to his front, And thought, “What a great day to go out and hunt!”