Showing results by publisher "Phoenix Books" in Literature & Fiction

Back in Pickax, Jim Qwilleran expects to resume a quiet life, but the people and animals of Pickax have other ideas. A noisy cardinal wakes him every morning, nosy neighbors drop by uninvited, and the Siamese cats—Koko and Yum Yum—misbehave, even sneezing on guests. As if they weren't bad enough, Qwill's long-time companion, Polly Duncan, acts as though she is in love—with another man. Worst of all, Qwill finds a body in his apple orchard. When his friend, Dennis Hough, becomes the chief suspect, Qwill embarks on a crusade to clear Hough's name and win back Polly's heart.

Dave Barry exposes natural childbirth for what it is: a pop phenomenon of the 1960's that, along with paisley bell-bottoms and creative sideburns, deserves a rest. His new book gives parents-to-be the hard facts they need. He examines the new federal law requiring prospective fathers to free themselves from their self-made macho prison - to laugh, cry, love and just generally behave like certified wimps.

Author David Morrell is a consummate storyteller, investing his tales with passion, sympathy, and narrative drive. From this master of literate, high-adrenaline novels of action comes three suspenseful short stories that will keep listeners guessing.

In Tokyo, a squad of fanatic Japanese nationalists force their way into the Imperial Palace and behead the emperor. It is a grisly first move in a sinister conspiracy to take advantage of a weakened Russia and invade oil-rich Siberia. The goal? World domination. The price? A third world war. Bound by a secret protocol to come to Russia's aid in the event of a war, but eager to avoid armed conflict, Washington sends Air Force Colonel Bob Cassidy and a squadron of fighter pilots on a secret mission to thwart the Japanese terrorists.

The legacy of Alexandra Ripley's Charleston lives on in this next installment in her Deep South saga. Let the passion, deception, secrets, and revenge creep under your skin like South Carolina heat as you plunge into this gripping novel of Southern intrigue.

Subtitled "512 boorish, insensitive, and socially obnoxious pointers for leading a simple, self-centered life," this little book is a hilarious parody of the best seller with a similar name. Here are just a few of the gems contained within. Number 24: Give little kids clothes for their birthdays. Number 101: Argue with everybody. Number 326: Leave the alarm on when he doesn't have to get up. This guide is bound to bring at least 512 laughs.

When a mysterious benefactor offers three single, attractive career women the use of his Beverly Hills mansion, pool, and card for a year. At the exclusive polo grounds, spas, and parties of the very rich, all three women meet the desirable, wealthy men they dreamed of. But as the champagne bubbles fade, each one discovers that the dream has a dark side.

When the philanthropic, genial Dr. Jekyll becomes intensely submersed in the problems of good and evil and their affects on the nature of man, his deliberations soon drive him into his laboratory. There, he pursues to answer a question that has become his obsession: can the two opposing forces be separated?

This landmark saga of adventure and romance spans 200 years against the rich and dangerous wilds of Alaska as a backdrop. The epic begins with the love of a beautiful Aleut woman for a noble and ambitious Cossack hunter. From their union come seven generations of a proud breed of native Alaskans, in whose veins flows the blood of the many peoples—Russian, Indian, English, American—who played a part in forging the new land. The story of these intrepid men and women, their dynasty, their dreams, and the heritage they share is a grand as the land from which they sprang.

In a speculative dystopian thriller based on the premise that the South won the Civil War, President Spencer Jefferson Lee is shocked to discover that underneath the facade of civil order in his world of very separate races, there is dissent. A protest group made up of "losers" among this "ideal" society— same-sex and cross-racial lovers and their children— threatens the seeming peace and order.

Perhaps the finest novel of nineteenth-century England, Bleak House embodies artful narrative, an engaging cast of characters, biting satire, and a detailed depiction of Victorian society. At the height of his creative power in this great work, Dickens pursues two great themes.

Following the success of Malice Domestic 1—recipient of the Agatha Award for Best Short Story and called "outstanding" by Publishers Weekly— acclaimed author Mary Higgins Clark serves a feast of original traditional mystery stories in classic Agatha Christie style. Featured writers include Amanda Cross, Frances Fyfield, and K.K. Beck.

Regan Reilly, is a young PI who has come from L.A. to ski and celebrate with her parents and their rich Aspen friends. It ends up being a busman's holiday for Regan, who gets swept up in art theft intrigue after some multimillion-dollar paintings are stolen from her parent's friends. The thieves continue to elude capture, but Regan is on their trail. She's up agaist time, though, as the clock ticks down to Aspen's biggest party of the season—at which the town's most valuable painting of all will be unveiled.

Successful romance novelist Nat Noland has just had his cage severely rattled. After receiving an email directly from God, he just can't seem to get anywhere with his new novel. In Just Desserts, the grand poobah of American comedy, Carl Reiner, will have you holding your sides like never before. Follow Nat on his romps around New York City, as he tries to make sense of this divine intervention. Reminiscent of Mark Twain's Letters from the Earth, Just Desserts sparkles with the slapstick comedy and madcap hijinks that Reiner fans have loved for decades.

When Abe Ringel takes the case of Joe Campbell, the "White Knight" of the New York Knicks who stands accused of rape, he thinks he's found the perfect easy victory to get his career on track. But when Ringel's investigations suggest that Campbell is guilty and dangerous, the defense attorney must confront the conflict between his courtroom responsibilities and his ethics as a human being.

This sequel to Beaches picks up after the tragic death of Bertie Barron, who has entrusted the care of her eight-year-old daughter, Nina, to her best friend, the dazzling entertainer Cee Cee Bloom. But life in the Hollywood spotlight never prepared Cee Cee for this role: mother to a little girl she barely knows. For several years, it all seems to work for her: career, motherhood, and even high-profile romance with a marvelous and unlikely lover.

Nuala Anne McGrail has twice before amazed her faithful suitor, Dermot Coyne, with her psychic ability to "reach back" to the past and discover a wrong that needs righting. With their wedding only a few weeks away, Dermot's not a bit surprised when, while paying respects to his grandparents in Chicago's Mount Carmel Cemetery, Nuala points to the grave of the famous bootlegger Jimmy "Sweet Rolls" Sullivan .

Spanning almost thirty years, My Other Life traces the journey of a fictional Paul Theroux—from young bachelorhood in Africa to his travels between continents, from in and out of marriage through various affairs and multiple means of employment. From his early education at the knee of a highly eccentric uncle until his years as a fledgling novelist in London under the wing of the rapacious Lady Max, this writer of different guises eventually retreats alone to his hometown, where he finds the raw material to begin again.

A hilarious but heartrending diary that chronicles the trials and tribulations of a 30-year-old woman during her first year of adjustment following divorce. In a simple and down-to-earth style, Mary Sheldon paints a brilliant portrait of a sensitive woman in transition, capturing the frustations of learning how to live all over again.

The "web" has become our most powerful ecological image of the interconnectedness of all creatures, yet this image predates science, it is present in every culture's anthology. Chief Seattle said "Whatever man does to the web, he does to himself." Award-winning journalist Richard Louv explores the fragile network that connects people and the strands that make it up: nature, childhood, adulthood, spirit, purpose, and community.