Fiction

Arguably America’s most influential short story writer, Edgar Allan Poe’s tales of suspense never fail to spook and amaze. Gathered in this selection are his very best horror stories, including the gothic tour de force “The Fall of the House of Usher,” the other-worldly “The Masque of the Red Death,” and the murderous “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Hair done. Nails too. Make-up flawless. Indigo Clark is an accomplished, independent woman. Now she wants a partner to share her fabulous life.
Standing on the sidelines of her sister’s third baby shower with her thirtieth birthday around the corner, Indigo is feeling the pressure about one thing she hasn’t yet mastered: a healthy, long-term relationship. As owner of Houston’s hottest destination for luxury shoes and accessories, Indigo excels at finding clients the perfect shoe, but she’s having a hard time finding a partner who is her perfect fit.

So she approaches her lackluster dating life the same way she does any challenge―with determination―and books her social calendar full of potential suitors. She needs a man who can handle her busy life, get along with her big and boisterous family, and mesh with her tight-knit friends, including Nate, her childhood bestie.

While one guy is great on paper, and another sets off sparks, neither are Mr. Right. And her drive to find him begins to interfere with the things and people she values most. Can Indigo let go of past hurts and unrealistic expectations and finally admit to herself that her perfect man has been in front of her the whole time?

In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love.

Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents.

The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost.

Set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire is one of Follett’s most exciting and ambitious works yet. It will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and is the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett.

When CIA agent Claire Saylor is told that she’ll be going undercover in Hamburg to pose as the wife of an academic who has published a controversial interpretation of the Quran’s promise to martyrs, she assumes the job is a punishment for past unorthodox behavior. But when she discovers her team leader is Paul Bridger, another Agency maverick, she realizes there may be more to this mission than meets the eye—and not just for professional reasons.

Meanwhile, across town in Hamburg, Mahmoud, a recent Moroccan émigré, begins to fall under the sway of a group of radicals at his local mosque. The deeper he’s drawn into the group, the greater the danger he faces, and he is soon torn between his obligations to them and his feelings toward a beautiful Westernized Muslim woman.

As Claire learns the truth about her mission, and Mahmoud grows closer to the radicals, the danger between them builds and spells disaster far beyond the CIA.

Nothing about Emma Makepeace is real. Not even her name.

A newly minted secret agent, Emma’s barely graduated from basic training when she gets the call for her first major assignment. Eager to serve her country and prove her worth, she dives in headfirst.

Emma must covertly travel across one of the world’s most watched cities to bring the reluctant—and handsome—son of Russian dissidents into protective custody, so long as the assassins from the Motherland don’t find him first. With London’s famous Ring of Steel hacked by the Russian government, the two must cross the city without being seen by the hundreds of thousands of CCTV cameras that document every inch of the city’s streets, alleys, and gutters.

Buses, subways, cars, and trains are out of the question. Traveling on foot, and operating without phones or bank cards that could reveal their location or identity, they have twelve hours to make it to safety. This will take all of Emma’s skills of disguise and subterfuge. But when Emma’s handler goes dark, there’s no one left to trust. And just one wrong move will get them both killed.