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Hickory Dickory Dock
There’s more than petty theft going on in a London youth hostel… An outbreak of kleptomania at a student hostel was not normally the sort of crime that aroused Hercule Poirot’s interest. But when he saw the list of stolen and vandalized items – including a stethoscope, some old flannel trousers, a box of chocolates, a slashed rucksack and a diamond ring found in a bowl of soup – he congratulated the warden, Mrs Hubbard, on a ‘unique and beautiful problem’. The list made absolutely no sense at all. But, reasoned Poirot, if this was merely a petty thief at work, why was everyone at the hostel so frightened?
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The Cassandra Compact
The powerful and prescient new novel in the bestselling Covert-One series. Lt. Colonel Jon Smith, currently working as a medical researcher, is contacted by a Russian colleague with an urgent request that they meet in Venice in ten days. When they meet, however, his colleague is killed almost instantly in a hail of automatic gunfire but not before he passes on to Smith the vital intelligence – someone is out to steal Russia's store of the smallpox virus. Completely eradicated, smallpox is the deadliest of viruses and could well cause an epidemic of unheard of proportions should it be unleashed on the population at large. Smith, with the help of his colleagues at Covert-One, must prevent the virus from being stolen. But his adversaries are several steps ahead of him and now he must find and stop the conspirators before they loose Armageddon upon the world.
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The Unwaba Revelations
Under the all-seeing eyes of the assembled gods, armies are on the move. The Game has begun. And when it ends, the world will end too . . . In The Unwaba Revelations, the third and concluding part of the GameWorld trilogy, a way must be found to save the world; to defeat the gods at their own game. A daunting prospect under any circumstances, made worse by the fact that the gods, who control all the heroes, are blatantly cheating by following only one rule―that they cannot be defeated by their own creations. As epic battles ravage the earth, Kirin and Maya, guided only by an old, eccentric and extremely unreliable chameleon, and egged on by the usual rag-tag gang, carry out their secret plan; a plan so secret that, in fact, no one involved has any idea what they are doing! Monsters, mayhem, mud-swamps; conspiracies, catastrophes, chimeras; betrayals, buccaneers, bloodshed―The Unwaba Revelations continues the roller coaster journey that began with The Simoqin Prophecies and gathered momentum with The Manticore’s Secret. Traversing earth, sea and sky, realms both infernal and celestial, worlds both imagined and material, this book will draw you irresistibly into a tantalizing, action-packed, epic race to reclaim the flawed, magical world of its heroes. ‘A fresh and very original voice’ ―Indian Express Praise for The Simoqin Prophecies and The Manticore’s Secret ‘Simoqin is a romp. It is quite simply the most fun book to see in print this year’ ―The Times of India ‘Basu sprinkles [The Manticore’s Secret] with sass and spice, telling the tale from different points of view and in different voices―moving between each with ease and a sense of humour that is infectious’ ―DNA
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Manticore's Secret Part 2
Being a Hero isn't easy?but it's a lot easier than being a Dark Lord. Dark forces just aren't what they used to be in the good old days. The Manticore's Secret is the spellbinding sequel to The Simoqin Prophecies: Part One of the GameWorld Trilogy. Once again Samit Basu creates a mesmeric landscape bursting with weird and wonderful characters and a gripping narrative that's complex, playful, sometimes sombre but always dazzlingly inventive. A mysterious Dark Lord and his grotesque army threaten all that is good on earth? or do they? The heroic immortals who vanquished his rakshas father long ago have returned to do battle with the forces of evil, which is good news? or is it? In the shadows a secret society of shapeshifters battles deadly mind-controlling foes who threaten history, humanity and the future of the planet. A beautiful, amoral rakshasi plots world domination while a strangely civilized barbarian fights to save the world. But the world is spinning out of control. Because the gods are back. And they want to play?
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Fair Blows the Wind
His father killed by the British and his home burned, young Tatton Chantry left Ireland to make his fortune and regain the land that was rightfully his. Schooled along the way in the use of arms, Chantry arrives in London a wiser and far more dangerous man. He invests in trading ventures, but on a voyage to the New World his party is attacked by Indians and he is marooned in the untamed wilderness of the Carolina coast. It is in this darkest time, when everything seems lost, that Chantry encounters a remarkable opportunity. . . . Suddenly all his dreams are within reach: extraordinary wealth, his family land, and the heart of a Peruvian beauty. But first he must survive Indians, pirates, and a rogue swordsman who has vowed to see him dead.
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The Simoqin Prophecies (Part One)
ndia's first ever sff (science fiction/fantasy) genre novel in English The Simoqin Prophecies marks the debut of an assured new voice. Written with consummate ease and brimming with wit and allusion, it is at once classic sff and subtle spoof, featuring scantily clad centauresses, flying carpets, pink trolls, belly dancers and homicidal rabbits. Monty Python meets the Ramayana, Alice in Wonderland meets The Lord of the Rings and Robin Hood meets The Arabian Nights in this novel―a breathtaking ride through a world peopled by different races and cultures from mythology and history. The Prophecies foretell the reawakening of the terrible rakshas, Danh-Gem, and the arrival of a hero to face him. But heroes do not appear magically out of nowhere; they have to be found and trained. And sometimes the makers of prophecies don't know everything they need to know... As the day of Danh-Gem's rising draws closer and the chosen hero is sent on a quest, another young man learns of terrible things he must do in secret and the difficult choices he must make in order to save the world from the rakshas. Drawn from a variety of sources ranging from Greek and Indian epics to spy novels, fairy tales to superhero comics, The Simoqin Prophecies is a compelling tale, marked by meticulous plotting and artful storytelling―a page-turner sure to grip you from start to finish.
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Princess in Peril
When insurgents attack the king's motorcade, scattering the royal family, bodyguard Levi Granaldo has one goal—to protect the princess. Even though he knows Princess Isabelle distrusts him. On the run together, they flee to New York, to the shelter of a sanctuary established by Levi's father. But their safety can't last. After a surprise attack divides the pair, Isabelle is forced to face some hard truths. The danger she's in is getting deadlier by the day…and she'll never be able to face it without Levi by her side.
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The Bancroft Strategy..
The superb new global thriller from the master storyteller ..
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A Necessary Evil
When a monsignor is found knifed to death in a Nebraska airport restroom, FBI special agent Maggie O'Dell is called in to profile the ritualistic murder of a priest, the latest in a series of killings. Maggie soon discovers a disturbing Internet game that's popular among victims of abuse by Catholic priests. With this first real lead in the investigation, she wonders if the group has turned cyberspace justice into reality. Then Maggie gets a second lead–one that leaves her stunned. For the past four years she has been obsessed with finding Father Michael Keller, whose brutal acts against children continue to haunt her. Now, it seems, he has become a target. When Keller offers to help Maggie solve the ritual killings in exchange for protection, she decides to ally herself with the elusive child killer, stepping into a world of malevolence from which she may not return unscathed. Maggie knows the bargain is a necessary evil…one that may be made in blood…. Alex Kava is an international bestselling suspense writer. Her work has been widely praised by critics and fans alike, and her previous novels in the Maggie O’Dell series, A Perfect Evil, Split Second and The Soul Catcher, have spent several weeks on the New York Times extended and USA TODAY bestseller lists. Growing up in the country outside Silver Creek, Nebraska, Alex Kava fantasized about becoming a writer. Her parents, although they understood the value of education, had a tremendous work ethic. Reading was seen as frivolous unless required as schoolwork. As a teenager, Kava wrote short stories on the backs of calendars, sharing them only with her younger brother and hiding them in a shoe box under her bed. / Kava earned an art scholarship to attend college. To pay living expenses, she worked in a nearby hospital’s central supply department collecting and sterilizing all of the basins, instruments and equipment from surgery, pathology and the morgue. In 1982 she graduated magna cum laude from College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, with a B.A. in art and English. /After graduating, Kava held a variety of jobs, mostly in advertising and marketing. Starting her own graphic design firm, Square One, she designed food packages and logos for national corporations, wrote brochures and newsletters, created a line of greeting cards and directed TV and radio commercials. In 1992 she returned to her alma mater as its director of public relations. /Kava quit her public relations position in the summer of 1996, wanting to dedicate more time to writing fiction and getting published. To pay the bills, she resurrected Square One, refinanced her home, maxed out her credit cards and even took on a newspaper delivery route. /Alex Kava is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska.
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False Memory
Martie Rhodes, a happily married, successful video games designer, takes an agoraphobic friend to therapy sessions twice a week. Each trip is a grim ordeal, but the experience has brought the two friends even closer together. Then, one morning, Martie experiences a brief, irrational but disquieting fear of... her shadow. When autophobia - one of the rarest and most intriguing phobias known to psychology - is diagnosed, suddenly, radically her life changes, and her future looks dark. Martie's husband, Dusty, loves her profoundly, and is desperate to understand the cause of her autophobia. But as he comes closer to the terrible truth, Dusty himself starts showing signs of a psychological disorder even more frightening than that afflicting Martie... A thriller that plays terrifying tricks with your mind. Dean Koontz is an international household name whose novels have sold many millions of copies worldwide and have appeared on national and international bestseller lists, selling millions of copies each year. He lives with his wife Gerda, their dog Anna and the enduring spirit of their dog Trixie in southern California.
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Spartan Gold
An ancient treasure stolen by Xerxes the Great . . . Discovered by Napoleon Bonaparte . . . The clues to its hidden location lost until now . . . Adventurers and treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo are on a wild-goose chase. Up to their waists in the Great Pocomoke Swamp in Maryland, they're hunting for lost gold. What they find instead is a small Second World War German U-boat. Inside the submarine they find a body - and a puzzling, incredibly rare bottle of wine. This bottle was one of twelve taken from Napoleon's 'lost cellar'. But it is also a clue to a fabulous, ancient treasure. One that Hadeon Bondaruk - a half-Russian, half-Persian millionaire - will do anything to get his hands on. For he claims descent from treasure's one-time owner. It will be his, no matter who stands in his way . .
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State Of Fear
The Number One international bestselling author of Jurassic Park, Congo and Sphere takes on global warming in this gripping and critically acclaimed thriller. In Paris, a physicist dies after performing a laboratory experiment for a beautiful visitor. In the jungles of Malaysia, a mysterious buyer purchases deadly cavitation technology, built to his specifications. In Vancouver, a small research submarine is leased for use in the waters of New Guinea. And in Tokyo, an intelligence agent tries to understand what it all means.
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The Prince
“It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.” How can a prince rise to power? What must he do to remain in it? What is expected of a good ruler? Which is better—to be feared or to be loved? Offering an explicit insight into the minds of a ruler, here is a practical handbook and a political treatise exploring the attainment, maintenance and utilization of political power in the Western world. It warns that if a state is not governed properly it shall collapse on the ruler. It describes the art and craft of war. It elaborates on the qualities of a prince and his prudence. It gives lessons in statesmanship and on judging the strength of principalities. One of the first works of modern political philosophy, Niccolò Machiavelli’s the Prince expounds on why the princes of Italy lost their states. He dedicates the book to Lorenzo de’ Medici, believing that it is he who can bring salvation for Italy. Full of historical references, the book continues to influence its readers and the hidden ruler in them. Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy, on 3rd May 1469. He was the second son of Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli, a lawyer of some repute and of Bartolommea di Stefano Nelli, his wife. Both parents were members of the old Florentine nobility. His life falls naturally into three periods, each of which singularly enough constitutes a distinct and important era in the history of Florence. No one can say where the bones of Machiavelli rest, but modern Florence has decreed him a stately cenotaph in Santa Croce, by the side of her most famous sons; recognizing that, whatever other nations may have found in his works, Italy found in them the idea of her unity and the germs of her renaissance among the nations of Europe.
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Munich
MUNICH, SEPTEMBER 1938 Hitler is determined to start a war. Chamberlain is desperate to preserve the peace. They will meet in a city which forever afterwards will be notorious for what is about to take place. As Chamberlain's plane judders over the channel and the Fuhrer's train steams south, two young men travel with their leaders. Former friends from a more peaceful time, they are now on opposing sides. As Britain's darkest hour approaches, the fate of millions could depend on them - and the secrets they're hiding. Spying. Betrayal. Murder. Is any price too high for peace? 'A brilliantly constructed spy novel' Observer 'Grips from start to finish ... Superb' Mail on Sunday
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The Mind Of Adi Shankaracharya
New Enlarged Edition, Though he is considered one of the foremost of India's philosophers, Shankara is also one of the most misunderstood. Much of the misunderstanding of Shankara's position may be due to the absence of a lucid presentation of his life and works in a comprehensive and readable form. This short monograph is an attempt to meet that need for the benefit of those who have no previous acquaintance with philosophy. Shankara was one of the most subtle of Indian philosophers and though for him intellectual dexterity was not an end in itself, the reader will find some reasoning worthy of his steel in the following pages.
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Inspector Angre And The Pizza Delivery Boy
On a routine day, or so it seems to inspector an gre, a young motorcyclist delivering pizzas dies in an accident on the lower parel flyover. An gre in the mumbai traffic police hasn’t exactly earned a good reputation for himself. He asks too many questions, is stubborn, and given to a studied vagueness. And all this has not endeared him either to politicians or his colleagues. So when he notices a bullet injury on the dead motorcyclist’s neck, it makes him curious, and he begins poking around. But as one dot seems to lead to another, a spate of deaths follow and an gre, isolated within his own force, realises he is on his own. It is a thankless case to pursue, and matters are not helped when his own personal life is in turmoil. Is the search for truth a lonely, uncompromising one? Is the gunman rawat, who an gre is chasing all over the place, the real villain or is it someone else altogether? And then, as an gre gets embroiled in the case, he understands that ‘truth’ can occupy a fuzzy space, when friends turn enemies overnight and your enemy could be the one whose help you one day come to need desperately. Anu kumar lives in singapore. Her most recent novel is it takes a murder (hachette india). Inspector an gre and the pizza delivery boy is her first novel based in mumbai, a city she lived in for many years and has never really left. She has been awarded for her stories by the commonwealth foundation (2004, 2010) and the little magazine (tlm) in 2006.
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Power Pen And Patronage
In this selection of Aroon Tikekar's occasional addresses and articles, he unravels with unambiguous clarity the malaise that has struck the society and media. He censures media for its doubletalk, its hysterical demeanor and denounces media persons' hobnobbing with the high and mighty. He specifies causes for its growing conflict with judiciary. He faults the political and cultural forces for turning the Marathi society insular and retrograde. The book provides a rock-steady guide to classical journalism.
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Paradise Lost
“Of man’s first disobedience and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal tast Brought death into the world and all our woe, With loss of Eden..” Satan and his fellow rebel angels contemplate on corrupting God’s beloved new creation, Mankind. He volunteers and prepares to leave. His children—Sin and Death—build a bridge between Hell and Earth. and disguising himself as a cherub, he lands on Earth. Adam and Eve, after a long day at work, are resting in their bower. and that’s when in the form of a serpent, Satan whisper’s into Eve’s ears. Tempted to eat from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge, Eve commits the sin. And hence follows the Fall of Man.. Milton’s magnum opus, Paradise Lost, threads together two stories focused on different heroes—the half-heroic, half-evil charismatic Satan and the united Adam and Eve—skillfully balancing them. the epic poem continues to remain as celebrated as ever.
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The Golden Code
Foreword by Shweta Bachchan Nanda Mastering the Art of Social Success In a world where being polite is considered a sign of weakness, image consultant and grooming expert Rukshana Eisa takes a bold step and shows how good manners come in handy in everyday life. The Golden Code meticulously details manners and standards for every situation, be it dining at a swanky restaurant, interacting with higher management, hosting a formal party, preparing for a first date, dressing for a fancy event or giving a speech. A must-read for anyone wishing to live an elegant life! Rukshana Eisa has been a leading fashion model, an on board leader with international airlines and an etiquette and grooming professional since the past 17 years. Her expertise in the field of etiquette training has seen her coach professionals, corporates, brides-to-be, youth on the cusp of a career and a wide array of management and hospitality executives. Given her vast experience, she has been the official grooming leader for participants of the Miss India pageants. She has groomed Rohit Khandelwal, who made India proud by winning the prestigious Mr. World 2016 title. Rukshana Eisa has also trained the current Reigning Ms. World 2017, Manushi Chillar
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Beast...
An urban adventure thriller inspired by the legend of the Narasimha Avatar and explained through Genetics. It was always the same dream, a dream that began with darkness and blood. When Assistant Commissioner of Police Aditi Kashyap is called upon to solve a gruesome triple homicide in a Mumbai suburb, she is dragged into the terrifying world of the Saimhas -- werelions -- who have lived alongside humans, hiding amongst them, since ancient times. Faced with the unbelievable, Aditi has no choice but to join hands with Prithvi, an Enforcer called in to hunt down this seemingly otherworldly murderer. But can Prithvi overcome the nightmarish burdens of his dark and violent past to unravel the mystery hidden deep within this secret world of werelions? Can he be trusted to save lives, or will he choose to serve a different, more powerful, master? As a greater conspiracy unfolds and the very survival of humankind is placed under threat, Aditi and Prithvi must race through the dark underbelly of Mumbai -- from quiet suburbs to gritty brothels, from forgotten colonial tunnels to the lights and glamour of the inner city -- in search of a dangerous truth. In search of a monster.
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Kartikeya
He was the son of the fierce Durga and three-eyed Shiva. He was born, he lived, and he would die, if need be, for a divine purpose--to kill the Soul Stealer Surapadma's reign of terror flourishes and the fate of all creatures--mortal and immortal--hangs in the balance. Shiva's son, Kartikeya, must destroy several formidable asuras before he can confront the Soul Stealer and savethe dying, gasping universe. But Kartikeya, whisked away by mysterious forces to live amidst birds and beasts on a bleak mountainside, is ignorant of his destiny, and struggles to learn his identity. Not even the gods--Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva--come to his aid. He can win the final battle only if he can discern his enemy's weakness and his own inner strength. Will Shiva's son rise to the challenge before it is too late? The world waits with bated breath. . .
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Murder in Amaravati
Padmavati, the village hostess's body is found in the sacred chamber of the Kali temple. Men wanted her, women hated her and some wanted to keep their liaisons hidden. But who had the motive, means and opportunity to kill her? Padmavati charged by the hour - her laughs, her understanding, her empathy, her advice - everything was available only in return for the payment, which made her, in the sarpanch Seetaraamaiah's eye, little more than a trader. 'Look', the priest Krishna Shastri said, pointing to the letters around him. 'Satyam, Shekhar Seetaraamaiah - how many men did she have in her grasp? How many?' The onus of solving the case puts head constable Venkat Reddy in a quandary. He has never even solved petty crimes and here he is faced with murder. If this were a novel, the constable Venkat Reddy thought vacantly, would the reader think of him as a worthy detective? Would anyone bother reading about a bundling, confused constable pretending to be a detective? The equation before him is simple, seven suspects, seven motives, one murder.
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The Human Journey: Ecology, Equity And The Economy
Even as some of the greatest minds have contributed to its development, modern economics clearly seems to have missed society's expectations. Human economic activities have continuously grown our ecological footprint and widened the gap between haves and have nots. This book takes the reader on a fascinating journey of the history of trade and commerce and analyses what went wrong at each stage. The author discusses reasons and impacts of natural resource depletion and effects of consumption driven growth on society and nature. Citing examples from India, the author proposes an alternative economic system to facilitate the transition towards a sustainable future.
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Superpower?
In his career as a journalist and one of India’s top entrepreneurs, Raghav Bahl has often faced a barrage of questions from visiting businesspeople bewildered by India: Why are Indian regulations so weak and confusing? Why is your foreign investment policy so restrictive? How is it that you speak such good English? Inevitably, the questions are followed by the observation: But, you know, that’s not the way it is in China. Indeed, even as the two economies are together projected to dominate the world, there is a palpable difference in the way China and India work on the ground. China is spectacularly effective in building infrastructure and is currently investing almost half its GDP. Meanwhile, India is a ‘promising’ economy: more than half its GDP is consumed by its billion plus population; half its population is younger than twenty-five, giving it a unique demographic advantage; 350 million Indians understand English, making it the largest English-using country in the world In the race to superpower status, who is likely to breast the tape—China’s hare or India’s tortoise? For anyone looking to understand China and India and the ways in which these two nations are about to change the history of the world, this is the book to read.