Download or read book Fiddle Game written by Richard A. Thompson and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2009-12-08 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Herman Jackson chose St. Paul as his place of permanent exile from Detroit after his former life as a bookie got too hot. Now he leads a respectable, low-profile life as a bail bondsman, selling second chances to losers and looking over his shoulder. When a young woman named Amy Cox leaves Jackson a priceless antique violin as security for her brother's bail bond, it's really the beginning of an elaborate con game. But the game has barely begun when she is murdered in front of Jackson's office. And for reasons that make no sense, the police are calling him the prime suspect... unless he gives them the violin as evidence. With his criminal past, Jackson can't afford to be a prime suspect for jaywalking. But he is also not prepared to give in to extortion. Soon he is on the run, trying to solve Amy Cox's murder, pursued by one real and one crooked cop, a band of urban Gypsies, and an unknown killer who also wants Jackson dead. Then the violin, reputed to carry a 400-year-old curse, takes on a life of its own.

Download or read book Spell Robbers The Quantum League 1 written by Matthew J. Kirby and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2014-01-28 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A magical crime saga filled with marvelous thrills, high action, and extraordinary adventure, from critically acclaimed author Matthew J. Kirby. After Ben Warner is recruited to join a "science camp" led by the eccentric quantum physicist Dr. Madeleine Hughes, he quickly realizes it's no regular science camp. Along with his new friend, Peter, Ben discovers the secret, powerful art of Actuation -- the ability to change reality by simply imagining it differently.When a mysterious group of men invade Dr. Hughes's laboratory, abducting her and stealing her precious equipment, Ben and Peter are suddenly caught up in a turf war between dangerous actuators desperate for Dr. Hughes's innovative technology. And as Ben and Peter are pulled into a perilous, hidden world full of impossibilities now made possible, will their combined powers be enough to save Dr. Hughes and vanquish their enemies before it's too late?From Edgar Award-winning author Matthew J. Kirby comes a fast-paced, boldly imagined tale of friendship, deadly adventure, and the infinite power of imagination.

Download or read book Olivia Jane Doe written by Dylan Edward Asher and published by Dog Ear Publishing. This book was released on with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fiddle Game An exploitation of con-genre, “The Fiddle Game” introduces a character like no other, as we meet the mysterious Olivia “Jane Doe” through the eyes of Parker—a young, self-proclaimed scam artist who thinks he’s clever in the way he and his friend Dave do petty shoplifting scams around town and pull off cash tricks from their job at a local marina. Then along comes Olivia, a real grifter. She takes Parker for $300 in a short con, only to give the money back later that same day. Why? She tells him she’s got plans for them. From there, it’s her game. She brings Parker into a “long con” that she seems to be teaching him in pieces, as each small con leads into a larger one. And Parker knows he is always one step behind as his world is repeatedly turned on its head. Inject a tricky romance, and things get even more complicated. Is he the next target? And if he is, is there anything that this girl has missed that might possibly let him get a step ahead? “If there’s one thing you’re going to have to learn,” Olivia tells him, “when dealing with me? The answers don’t always come in the order of the questions.” Run - A Getaway Story If we meet Olivia Jane Doe in “The Fiddle Game,” then we begin to know her in “Run.” Because Olivia had always had a plan. Until now. In fact, her latest high-risk plot now looks like nothing more than a wish list as she finds herself stranded in the most desolate area of Southern Baja with a bag of money she can’t risk carrying, a car she’s forced to ditch, and an “out” that has been completely burned. The man after her is powerful and has people everywhere. These dire straits will push her to places until now ignored. From her earliest days as a seventeen-year-old “short con operator,” to her brief moments of vulnerability in romance, to the vast array of things tragically lost but never mourned, and ultimately to her biggest and most dangerous failures to date that have led to this: raw escape and survival. Unfortunately, this time Olivia is ignorant to the big picture, and to the chain of events that have resulted from her actions. And now she’s the one who’s a step behind. And she’s the one who doesn’t see the fit of the puzzle. And if she’s learned anything throughout her jaded life on the grift, it’s that if there’s something she can’t figure out, then there’s somebody who wants it that way.

Download or read book American Gods Volume 2 My Ainsel Graphic Novel written by Neil Gaiman and published by Dark Horse Comics. This book was released on 2023-07-04 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bizarre road trip across America continues as our heroes gather reinforcements for the imminent god war! Shadow and Wednesday leave the House on the Rock and continue their journey across the country where they set up aliases, meet new gods, and prepare for war. The Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula award–winning novel and hit Starz television series by NEIL GAIMAN is adapted as a graphic novel! This value priced trade paperback collects issues #1–#9 of American Gods: My Ainsel.

Download or read book The Enchanted Lies of C leste Artois written by Ryan Graudin and published by Redhook. This book was released on 2024-08-27 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this lush and lyrical fantasy debut, Ryan Graudin transports readers to the hidden magical pockets of early 1900s Paris, a place of enchanted salons, fortune tellers who can change your stars, and doorways that can take you to the most unexpected places—and introduces readers to the delightful Céleste Artois, a con artist who will make a deal with the devil in exchange for her life...and change the fate of the world. Once, Céleste Artois had dreams of being an artist. But when the creative elite of Paris dashed those plans, she turned her talents to forgery and cons. She and the Enchantresses—her two fellow thieves and best friends—see Paris as a rich hunting ground for marks. Yet even though their hideout in Père Lachaise cemetery is bursting with francs, Céleste cannot rest. There is always more to take. And the blood she has begun to cough into her handkerchief means her time is running out. But everything changes when she encounters Rafe, a mysterious and beautiful stranger who leads her to an enchanted salon—a place where artists can bring wondrous imaginations to life. Céleste is captivated by this establishment, and learns of the existence of magical Paris, hidden in the pockets and alleys of the ordinary world, if one only knows where to look. Rafe offers Céleste an irresistible deal: the gift of time in exchange for lending him and his benefactor her forging talents. But one must be careful making deals with devils, and there's more to this hidden world than meets the eye. Shadows have begun to circle Paris. And soon, the Enchantresses will find that true magic is far more powerful, and deadly, than they ever imagined.

Download or read book The Big Con written by Nate Hendley and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines a broad range of infamous scams, cons, swindles, and hoaxes throughout American history—and considers why human gullibility continues in an age of easy access to information. Covering American cons and hoaxes past and present, including the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, the controversy over "subliminal messaging" (do bands, filmmakers, and advertisers really put secret messages in their works?), the panic about "satanic" daycare operators in the 1980s, and recent Internet scams, this book provides a fascinating, fact-based look at infamous frauds across the centuries. Offering an engaging mix of history, sociology, and psychology, author Nate Hendley gives readers an appreciation of how prominent scams, cons, "confidence men," and hoaxes have impacted American society, past and present. Each entry details the scheme or hoax and the pertinent con artist/schemer involved, examining the sociological, cultural, political, and/or economic effect of the scams. Each topic is accompanied by a short bibliography of further reading selections. As the old saying goes, "There is a sucker born every minute"—and there has always been a keen-eyed swindler to take advantage of the situation. The Big Con: Great Hoaxes, Frauds, Grifts, and Swindles in American History explores this sordid underbelly of American civilization and invites readers to revel in the felonious experience.

Download or read book The Golem of Deneb Seven and Other Stories written by Alex Shvartsman and published by UFO Publishing. This book was released on 2018-04-01 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 31 science fiction and fantasy short stories encompassing hard SF, fantasy humor, and everything in-between. * Refugees with a salvaged mech suit find that family ties are stronger than armor. * Two artificial intelligences in love turn the world into their playground. * Modern-day Dante is guided through hell by the ghost of Bob Marley. * Ancient gods and monsters stalk the halls of a 1920s night club. * A young woman must save her planet by committing an act of terror. * In the rekindled space race between the United States, Russia, and India, the winner might be the nation willing to sacrifice the most.

Download or read book Our Voyage a Book for the Cape Or Any Other Voyager written by Robert Richards (of Natal.) and published by . This book was released on 1884 with total page 594 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The 500 written by Matthew Quirk and published by Reagan Arthur Books. This book was released on 2012-06-05 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping thriller debut, set deep in the heart of the world's most powerful political arena. A year ago, fresh out of Harvard Law School, Mike Ford landed his dream job at the Davies Group, Washington's most powerful consulting firm. Now, he's staring down the barrel of a gun, pursued by two of the world's most dangerous men. To get out, he'll have to do all the things he thought he'd never do again: lie, cheat, steal -- and this time, maybe even kill. Mike grew up in a world of small-stakes con men, learning lessons at his father's knee. His hard-won success in college and law school was his ticket out. As the Davies Group's rising star, he rubs shoulders with "The 500," the elite men and women who really run Washington -- and the world. But peddling influence, he soon learns, is familiar work: even with a pedigree, a con is still a con. Combining the best elements of political intrigue and heart-stopping action, The 500 is an explosive debut, one that calls to mind classic thrillers like The Firm and Presumed Innocent. In Mike Ford, readers will discover a new hero who learns that the higher the climb, the harder -- and deadlier -- the fall.

Download or read book Stars of Alabama written by Sean Dietrich and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2019-07-09 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this heartfelt tale about enduring hope amid the suffering of the Great Depression, Sean Dietrich—also known as Sean of the South—weaves together a tale featuring a cast of characters ranging from a child preacher, a teenage healer, and two migrant workers who give everything they have for their chosen family. When fifteen-year-old Marigold becomes pregnant during the Great Depression, she is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. She is arrested while trying to steal food and loses her baby in the forest, turning her whole world upside down. She’s even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power to heal, making her a sought-after local legend. Meanwhile, middle-aged migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby abandoned in the woods and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men continue their search for work and soon pair up with a poverty-stricken widow, plus her two children, and the misfit family begins taking care of each other. As survival brings this chosen family together, a young boy finds himself without a friend to his name as the dust storms rage across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher, is on the run from his abusive tent-revival pastor father with thousands of stolen dollars—and the only thing he’s sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination. In a sweeping saga with a looming second world war, these stories intertwine in surprising ways, reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars. Stand-alone Southern historical fiction set during the Great Depression Book length: approximately 98,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs Also by Sean Dietrich: The Incredible Winston Browne

Download or read book Archie Meets Nero Wolfe written by Robert Goldsborough and published by Overamstel Uitgevers. This book was released on 2012-11-13 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Lovey Award for Best Historical Novel To become part of the Nero Wolfe legend, Archie Goodwin must prove his worth Archie Goodwin comes to New York City hoping for a bit of excitement. In his third week working as a night watchman, he stops two burglars in their tracks—with a pair of hot lead slugs. Dismissed from his job for being “trigger-happy,” he parlays his newfound notoriety into a job as a detective’s assistant, helping honest sleuth Del Bascom solve cases like the Morningside Piano Heist, the Rive Gauche Art Gallery Swindle, and the Sumner-Hayes Burglary. But it’s the kidnapping of Tommie Williamson, the son of a New York hotel magnate, that introduces Goodwin to the man who will change his life. Young Tommie has gone missing, and only one detective is built for the job: Nero Wolfe, the heavyset genius of West Thirty-Fifth Street. Together they will form one of the most unlikely crime fighting duos in history—but first Goodwin must find Tommie Williamson, and prove to Wolfe that he deserves a place by his side.

Download or read book The Folkloresque written by Michael Dylan Foster and published by University Press of Colorado. This book was released on 2015-11-02 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This volume introduces a new concept to explore the dynamic relationship between folklore and popular culture: the “folkloresque.” With “folkloresque,” Foster and Tolbert name the product created when popular culture appropriates or reinvents folkloric themes, characters, and images. Such manufactured tropes are traditionally considered outside the purview of academic folklore study, but the folkloresque offers a frame for understanding them that is grounded in the discourse and theory of the discipline.Fantasy fiction, comic books, anime, video games, literature, professional storytelling and comedy, and even popular science writing all commonly incorporate elements from tradition or draw on basic folklore genres to inform their structure. Through three primary modes—integration, portrayal, and parody—the collection offers a set of heuristic tools for analysis of how folklore is increasingly used in these commercial and mass-market contexts.The Folkloresque challenges disciplinary and genre boundaries; suggests productive new approaches for interpreting folklore, popular culture, literature, film, and contemporary media; and encourages a rethinking of traditional works and older interpretive paradigms."

Download or read book The Book of Proposition Bets written by Owen O'Shea and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-09-15 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the modern world the theory of probability is used extensively in mathematics, science, engineering, medicine and, of course, gambling. A proposition bet is one that involves the use of probability –both estimated and actual –where an individual makes an apparently attractive bet to someone who is easily deceived by the odds, which are at first glance in his favor. The Book of Proposition Bets gathers together, and reveals the true mathematics behind, over 50 classic and original proposition bets. From the famous Three Card Monty (really an exercise in the Monty Hall Paradox), to probabilities based on rolling dice and pulling playing cards, or whether or not a mark can guess 3 correct digits of a one dollar bill’s serial number (spoiler: the odds are against it), author Owen O’Shea here compiles a fascinating and engaging survey of prop bets. In addition, Part 2 of the book contains a brief history of the theory of probability and some examples of cons and scams perpetrated on the general public to this day around the world, (plus a few more mathematical proposition bets!). Whether to learn the intricacies used by hustlers, or borrow a couple of tricks for yourself, we wager that there is a high probability that readers will enjoy this entertaining and illuminating book!

Download or read book High Andes written by Rolf Margenau and published by Rolf Margenau. This book was released on 2014-07-15 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wylie Cypher, a corporate attorney, has a dying marriage, a midlife crisis, and is disillusioned with his work. Trying to regain fading youth, he plans a trekking vacation with his daughter, Mercy, across the White Mountains of Peru. When he arrives in Lima a young law student mistakenly believes Wylie is an agent of the US government and gives him a travel guide concealing documents that show how the government is torturing and murdering dissidents. Wylie decides to deliver those documents to US authorities, which will affect the outcome of the civil war raging in Peru at the time. Peruvian government thugs and agents of the Shining Path communist guerrilla movement are quickly on Wylie's trail, both eager to kill Wylie and his entire trekking party. Wylie, his daughter, a local guide, and his friend, an archeologist (who is more than he seems), and porters set out using various ruses to throw their pursuers off track. Wylie narrowly escapes from the local police after being tortured and losing a toe. But can they cross the foreboding eighteen thousand foot high pass and make it to Cajamarca in time to take the only safe flight home and deliver the documents?

Download or read book The Essential Mystery Lists written by Roger M Sobin and published by Poisoned Pen Press Inc. This book was released on 2011-09-30 with total page 591 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first time in one place, Roger M. Sobin has compiled a list of nominees and award winners of virtually every mystery award ever presented. He has also included many of the “best of” lists by more than fifty of the most important contributors to the genre.; Mr. Sobin spent more than two decades gathering the data and lists in this volume, much of that time he used to recheck the accuracy of the material he had collected. Several of the “best of” lists appear here for the first time in book form. Several others have been unavailable for a number of years.; Of special note, are Anthony Boucher’s “Best Picks for the Year.” Boucher, one of the major mystery reviewers of all time, reviewed for The San Francisco Chronicle, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and The New York Times. From these resources Mr. Sobin created “Boucher’s Best” and “Important Lists to Consider,” lists that provide insight into important writing in the field from 1942 through Boucher’s death in 1968.? This is a great resource for all mystery readers and collectors.; ; Winner of the 2008 Macavity Awards for Best Mystery Nonfiction.

Download or read book National Parks written by Rolf Margenau and published by Rolf Margenau. This book was released on 2016-05-16 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Disguised as a semi-dystopian look at America in a few years, this is a delicious satirical send-up of the beltway culture, a paean to our national parks, and an exposition of characters, hilarious, irritating, and very human, who struggle in the Washington web. The author extends current political idiocies to their reasonable, logical, and hilarious conclusions. Along the way, he offers surprising predictions of how current and proposed inventions will affect our future lives. Some of those predictions are happening even sooner than the author expected. Many of the characters that inhabit the pages of National Parks are instantly and indelibly recognizable. Noble and base, they mirror our highest aspirations and lowest common denominators. The author mixes them all in a froth of comic conflict. The director of the national parks, Agatha Jackson, collaborates with green defense lawyer, Portia Merson, to defeat the assault on the parks. Tureen O’Porto, a beautiful lobbyist of questionable moral character, joins forces with the parks’ defenders, not realizing her actions could be fatal. Opposing them is, among others, Senator Deborah Hatchett, who has her own less than honorable reasons for pursuing the sale. There are a lobbyist with a secret toe fetish, a computer genius who creates an x-rated video avatar game, a Chinese gangster looking for respectability, an industrialist intending to dam the Grand Canyon and sell high-priced water to California, corrupt legislators, and, of course, lusty heroines, birth, death, and betrayal . In other words, business as usual.

Download or read book Ouroboros Adventures in the Matrix written by E. R. Scofield and published by E.R.Scofield. This book was released on 2010-08-07 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ouroboros, Adventures in the Matrix, is a collection of illustrations and the short stories inspired by the pictures. In Ouroboros you will meet fairies and ghouls, Aliens and everyday people. Each story is an adventure not to be missed.