The regions that have survived the holocaust in Watson's new novel have largely transformed themselves from prewar violence into a peaceful utopia, without either conflict or art. In place of belief in a religious afterlife, the old and ailing accept euthanasia at Houses of Death where priestlike guides counsel them. One of these guides is Jim Todhunter, who pursues research into the nature of death despite official censure. When he is assigned to guide that rarity in the new world - a murderer - he finds a natural ally in the obsessive Nathan Weinberger, himself an ex-guide. As usual with Watson, the initial impression of a green and pleasant land is revealed to be only one facet of a more complex and disturbing reality.

The regions that have survived the holocaust in Watson's new novel have largely transformed themselves from prewar violence into a peaceful utopia, without either conflict or art. In place of belief in a religious afterlife, the old and ailing accept euthanasia at Houses of Death where priestlike guides counsel them. One of these guides is Jim Todhunter, who pursues research into the nature of death despite official censure. When he is assigned to guide that rarity in the new world - a murderer - he finds a natural ally in the obsessive Nathan Weinberger, himself an ex-guide. As usual with Watson, the initial impression of a green and pleasant land is revealed to be only one facet of a more complex and disturbing reality.

Josiah Reynolds is hitching Morning Glory, her American Paint Horse, to an antique pony cart when horse whisperer, Velvet Maddox, hurries over to them. Pointing a thin, crooked finger at Josiah, she announces that Josiah can’t participate in the annual Shawnee Trace Horse Parade. “I see death standing next to your horse. Beware, Josiah. Beware.” Startled, Josiah is worried as Miss Velvet is never wrong about such things, but decides to plunge ahead. Surely this time Velvet is mistaken. No one can see death. The event goes off without a hitch until spectators surge forward onto the parade route and surround the horses, causing them to spook. Morning Glory rears up and the pony cart runs over something. Josiah stops her horse immediately and peers over the side of her cart. There is a shoeless leg sticking out from underneath the cart. Josiah realizes that Miss Velvet was correct. Death was, indeed, hovering near her horse. If you like mysteries from Jana DeLeon, CeeCee James, Kathi Daley, Lynn Cahoon, Sally Berneathy, Tonya Kappes, Cindy Bell, Vikki Walton, Dianne Harmon, Janet Evanovich, Krista Davis, Leighann Dobbs, Heather Hoffman, Laurien Berenson, Hope Callaghan, and Leslie Langtry, you will love the Josiah Reynolds Mysteries by Abigail Keam.

How does death help us understand the living? Death is more than the last event of life; it is interwoven into our growth, development, protection against disease, and more. It influences the direction of entire species via the cycle of a lifespan, and it involves asking many fascinating questions. How do we differentiate between life and death, though? How do we know when a person, animal, or cell is really dead? How much grey area is there in the science? Why do we age? Can we do anything about it? Scientifically, there's much we can learn about a living thing from its cells. In all living things, cells seem to carry "death" gene programs. Some living organisms have created systems to use these to their own advantage. Humans, for example, use the death of specific cells to hone our immune system and to give us fingernails and hair. Perhaps the most dramatic use occurs during the metamorphosis of insects and frogs. Even single-celled organisms use "quorum sensing" to eliminate some cells to ensure the overall survival of their colony in harsh environments. Thus, there is more to death than just dying. This latest book from science writer Gary C. Howard ties together the many ways that death helps us understand life. He synthesizes the involvement and relation of cells, tissues, organisms, and populations, explaining what happens at the end of life. Between discussions about popular topics such as the ethics of extending life and cell regeneration, Howard also answers fascinating questions about life and death. The resulting book examines how the end of life is determined and what we can learn from this process.

Ghost Hunter Shane Ryan is out for revenge. And his enemies better pray he doesn’t find them… Shane Ryan has a special relationship with death. A retired Marine, he’s seen the worst humanity has to offer, and his hands are stained with blood. But the taint of pain and suffering has left its mark on Shane as well. Cursed with the ability to speak with the dead, Shane has put his talents to work as a Ghost Hunter. But when someone steals a shipment of haunted antiques from a local boutique, it triggers a chain reaction that sends Shane on a hunt for justice… and revenge. Facing cold-blooded criminals, deadly spirits, and horror beyond imagination, Shane is determined find the person behind it all. The same one who killed the woman whom he truly loved… Traveling across New England, Shane tracks down clues and battles the supernatural wherever he finds it. But the dark forces behind the robberies are playing a far more dangerous game than anyone realizes. And they’re determined to bring Shane’s investigation to a very dead end…

"In Top 10 Sunday Times (UK) bestselling author Chris Carter's electrifying follow-up to his "chilling" (Daily Mail) thriller An Evil Mind, the LAPD's Ultra Violent Crimes Unit lead detective, Robert Hunter, races to stop a serial killer whose past secrets rival those of Hunter's himself. Seven days after being abducted, the body of a twenty-year-old woman is found on a grassy area by the Los Angeles International Airport. She has been left with her limbs stretched out and spread apart, placing her in a five-point human star. The autopsy reveals that she has been tortured and murdered in a bizarre way but the surprises don't end there. The killer likes to play, and he left something behind for the cops to find. Detective Robert Hunter is assigned to the case but almost immediately a second body turns up. Detective Hunter quickly realizes that he is chasing a monster--a predator whose past hides a terrible secret, whose desire to hurt people and thirst for murder can never be quenched--for he is DEATH. Fast-paced, action-packed, and filled with suspense, I Am Death is perfect for fans of Jeffery Deaver, Thomas Harris, and Chelsea Cain"--

The Hunter Elite will face a deadly foe when they are sent to Scotland, but they have more problems than just their latest mission. If Connor’s kin learn about his forbidden relationship with a vampire, it could end in disaster for them both. Ever wily, Spencer has sent his team overseas for more than just one mission. He also wants them to investigate the witch that he imprisoned so long ago. If Morgwen truly has escaped from her prison, they will have a common enemy to battle. Ari’s power as a witch is growing, but it draws danger to her in an unusual form that she could never have anticipated. A magical object attaches itself to her in the Scottish Archives. It is one she can’t shake and one she senses will change things for the worse.

Pre-order the 13th chilling and adrenaline-packed Robert Hunter thriller, from the #1 Sunday Times and multi-million-copy bestselling author, Chris Carter. When a routine autopsy on what looked like a straightforward hit-and-run leads the LA Chief Medical Examiner, Dr Carolyn Hove, to discover some puzzling inconsistencies, she calls in Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Not only did Dr Hove discover that the death wasn’t caused by a hit-and-run, but she also found indications that the victim had been severely tortured prior to death. What no one realises is that what Dr Hove has stumbled upon is just the tip of the iceberg and it will lead Hunter and his partner, Carlos Garcia, on the trail of a twisted and clever killer who hides in plain sight. A serial killer no one even knew existed – a killer who has always operated under the radar, expertly disguising every gruesome murder as an accidental death. But with no leads as to why the victim was targeted, the investigation comes to a standstill, until another body is discovered with an alternative cause of death. What becomes clear is that this serial killer isn’t going to stop – unless Hunter and Garcia can get to him. But how do you investigate a murder when you have no victims? How do you catch a killer who leaves behind no crime scene? How do you stop a ghost who no one can prove even exists? PRAISE FOR CHRIS CARTER: ‘This is a chilling, compulsive portrait of a psychopath, and proves that Carter is now in the Jeffery Deaver class’ Daily Mail ‘Carter has a background in criminal psychology and the killers at the centre of his novels are all the more terrifying for it’ Mail on Sunday ‘Carter is one of those authors who makes writing look effortless . . . I couldn't put it down’ Crimesquad ‘An insanely good crime series. Extraordinarily well written, high quality and high drama all the way’ Liz Loves Books ‘An intriguing and scary thriller’ Better Reading ‘A gripping psychological thriller’ Breakaway ‘Punchy and fast paced’ Sunday Mirror

A unique compendium of anthropomorphic personifications of death from historical to present day phenomenon including traditional and non-traditional death encounters told in the words of those who have experienced this growing phenomenon.

A dark force is rising. And only Gray Brooks can sense its power… For Gray Brooks, death was only the beginning. Once a Marine, his life took a turn for the worst, and he found himself wrapped up in a robbery gone wrong. Shot and left for dead, Gray was revived in the hospital. But he was forever touched by the land of the dead, cursed to see the sinister spirits stalking this realm… After surviving yet another deadly supernatural encounter, Gray finds himself contacted by a man who desperately needs his help. The man’s daughter lies in a coma, trapped between life and death. And her condition is caused by something not of this earth… Gray soon realizes a diabolical creature is using the girl as a source of energy, slowly draining her soul dry. And feeding off her life force is only the beginning. Can Gray stop it before it’s too late? Or will he end up being the demon's next victim...