Highlights of Our Signed First Edition Programs

Fans of FBI thrillers have a new protagonist / team to cheer for. Steve Vail was an FBI agent who took a semi-involuntary early retirement after being caught in an untenable situation. Now he’s a self-employed bricklayer, finding satisfaction in a job well done where he’s his own boss. But when the FBI is targeted by extortionists, making the investigators the victims, and it appears that there’s a leak inside the organization, Vail is brought out of retirement to provide his expertise in an under-the-radar, mostly off-the-books capacity. The apparent insider knowledge of operations makes the Rubaco Pentad a wily intelligent opponent, and it’s to Boyd’s credit that while Vail’s sometimes “cowboy” methodology is important to the solution, it’s not at the expense of the other FBI agents, including his main contact, deputy assistant director Kate Bannon. Vail is a loner, but not a borderline sociopath, like some of his contemporaries. A fast-paced and engaging start to a new series – recommended to fans of Lee Child, P.J. Tracy, or John Sandford. Signed copies available in Feb.
-- MeH & sd

On his 27th birthday, Alex meets the girl of his dreams, almost gets killed, and gets a special birthday present -- an inheritance really -- from his grandfather. Then the really interesting stuff starts to happen. I'd love to tell you more, but to do so might ruin it for you. Trouble will find you.
How do we categorize this? It's not exactly fantasy or sf; it's not exactly a thriller either. Hell, it's not exactly anything ... except good. The "other world" Goodkind writes about will seem quite familiar to anyone who's ever read a Goodkind novel, but this is the beginning of a completely new series and perfect for someone looking for something fresh. Having read it, however, you Goodkind newbies may find you have an irresistible urge to read his previous works while you wait for this series to continue. Enjoy. Signed first editions available in September, while supplies last.

-- PMH

Finally, the sequel to Duainfey has arrived to answer all of our questions. Rebecca has escaped her fey Master but is now bound to the fey Queen. She still struggles to escape, wanting nothing more than total freedom. Meanwhile, Meripen Vanglelauf has come to the aid of some newmen, humans who have found themselves across the barrier and settled in the fey world. Naturally, after his horrible experiences in the past, he doesn't want to have anything to do with humans but must obey his queen. He realizes that something is happening to the trees that makes them almost dead to him. Rebecca is brought to stay with the newman family and ends up on a quest with Meripen to try to find the source of the damage to the trees. Their discovery could mean the end to both fey and human worlds if the problem is not fixed. What an adventure!

-- lre

Signed First Edition SF AND Mystery for February!

Charles Unwin, clerk for Detective Travis Sivert in a large, unnamed agency, is promoted to detective and has to leave his desk of twenty years on the 14th floor. Convinced the promotion is a mistake, he takes an elevator trip to see Lemich, Watcher, floor 36. Instead of receiving an explanation for his promotion, Unwin is faced with a dead man. Unwin not only fails to report his discovery, he removes a disc from Lemich's office then proceeds to check out his new detective's class office on the 29th floor. Charles decides to find Sivert and force the detective to return to his job which will enable Charles to return to his previous position as clerk. With the assistance of his copy of the "Manual of Detection," and some very odd allies, Unwin begins to investigate. After seeing Colonel Baker alive, Unwin suspects Sivert's solution to The Three Deaths of Colonel Baker is problematic. And the recovered body of The Oldest Murdered Man has a gold tooth in his mouth which did not exist before he went missing. Did the mastermind who committed the crimes also control the solution to the crimes? Did he control Sivert's actions? Is this master criminal responsible for Sivert's vanishing? Joining forces with a lady on the wrong side of the law and suspected of murdering Lemich, Unwin finds himself hunted by people who want to eliminate him. Where are all the alarm clocks? Why are so many people functioning while asleep? Is someone controlling their thoughts and actions? Caught between the agency and the criminals, Unwin must find and save Sivert in order to save himself and his sleeping city. I was asked to review this book by Maryelizabeth and Linda T.. At the beginning of the book, I was not certain of my opinion. This book could be classified as imaginative fiction and I could not decide if I was reading fantasy or mystery. Then I found myself staying awake to read the book. I became attached to the mysterious clerk who, with bicycle and umbrella, investigated using a book with a missing chapter. I keep turning pages because I needed to know where the investigation would lead Charles Unwin and what the conclusion would be. A Debut to Watch -- signed first editions available in late February. -- Guest Reviewer Sandra Hale