Book Summary It happens in Vietnam and what better place for it to happen.

For the readers of Olivia Goldsmith and Susan Isaacs comes a dramatic - and fun - thriller with an over-the-top ending that will leave readers gasping. For twenty-five years Emily Childs has been the perfect wife. She has devoted herself completely to her successful husband, Walter, on his climb to the top of the banking world, kept his home, raised his children, and entertained his clients. Now he is about to dump her for the younger, more beautiful Angela Hilliard, the perfect trophy for his life of conspicuous achievement. But suddenly Emily vanishes from her home amidst clear evidence of violence. The kidnapper - demanding an enormous ransom - is known only by his mysterious computerized voice. Is this Walter's sick plan to get rid of his wife without the scandal that might ruin his career? Is it his mistress's way of moving Emily aside? Or is it one of Walter's business rivals, determined to beat him in the race to the chairman's office? From her basement prison, Emily pleads with her husband to save her. But as her captors panic, she realizes that she will have to save herself. In a thriller that spans the financial towers of the world's money centers and the underworld markets of the Caribbean, Detective Andrew Hogan races against the ransom deadline to discover the identity of Emily's kidnapper. The ending to this novel of marriages, mistresses, and money is a shocker that serves as a warning to men who are reaching for that one final trophy.

In 1850, the legendary Koh-i-noor diamond, gem of Eastern potentates, was transferred from the Punjab in India and, in an elaborate ceremony, placed into Queen Victoria’s outstretched hands. This act inaugurated what author Adrienne Munich recognizes in her engaging new book as the empire of diamonds. Diamonds were a symbol of political power—only for the very rich and influential. But, in a development that also reflected the British Empire’s prosperity, the idea of owning a diamond came to be marketed to the middle class. In all kinds of writings, diamonds began to take on an affordable romance. Considering many of the era’s most iconic voices—from Dickens and Tennyson to Kipling and Stevenson—as well as grand entertainments such as The Moonstone, King Solomon’s Mines, and the tales of Sherlock Holmes, Munich explores diamonds as fetishes that seem to contain a living spirit exerting powerful effects, and shows how they scintillated the literary and cultural imagination. Based on close textual attention and rare archival material, and drawing on ideas from material culture, fashion theory, economic criticism, and fetishism, Empire of Diamonds interprets the various meanings of diamonds, revealing a trajectory including Indian celebrity-named diamonds reserved for Asian princes, such as the Great Mogul and the Hope Diamond, their adoption by British royal and aristocratic families, and their discovery in South Africa, the mining of which devastated the area even as it opened the gem up to the middle classes. The story Munich tells eventually finds its way to America, as power and influence cross the Atlantic, bringing diamonds to a wide consumer culture.

Shannon Page has been a backwoods hippie child, a nude model, a trophy wife, a failed realtor, a successful copy editor, and a wine enthusiast. She has been monogamous and polyamorous, vegetarian and enthusiastically carnivorous, poor and rich. But she has always been a writer. In this engaging collection of essays on topics ranging from personal growth to money to relationship styles to life on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, Page explores the pressing questions of life, such as why she never wanted children, why do we have to wear bras anyway, how to make cassoulet, what to do when you're snowed in, what it was like to pose for Playboy, and how to write a novel in three weeks.Other essays include reflections on the loss of parents, money and inequality in relationships, reclaiming a yoga practice after falling badly out of shape, and waiting (or NOT waiting) for permission to do what you really want to do.Tying all these threads together is Page's warm and welcoming voice. So get comfortable, put your feet up, and have a favorite beverage by your side-because once you start reading, you won't want to stop.

Shayla, Kyle and Amber have a lot in common: good looks, college educations, rich husbands and - despite their affluent lifestyles - deep dissatisfaction with their lives. Each feels there is a void in her dream relationship and begins to seek fulfilment beyond the routine of being a trophy wife. The three draw support from each other, but despite their close-knit relationship, each has her own secret she's not willing to share. So when a newcomer, Terra, befriends the trio, they start to question her sincerity and wonder if she has her own agenda.

Mrs. E.J. DeLong is found nowhere on the World Wide Web. She also keeps to herself in person and flies private once a week from the Silicon Valley to a dirt airstrip in a remote corner of Utah. I've been picking her up and dropping her off at San Francisco International Airport for four years now. How she caught the attention of my other passengers - all high-octane tech types - only became clear after somebody tried to kill me - for the third time. From patent trolls and VC's, to the FBI and the Red Chinese, everyone's in a bloody hurry to get their hands on the next big thing. And all they had to do was ask their driver - the insider no one notices.

The thrilling story of a brazen, uncatchable jewel thief who roamed the homes of Dallas high society—and a window into the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of the Swinging Sixties. As a string of high profile jewel thefts went unsolved, "the King of Diamonds," as he was dubbed by the press, eluded police and the FBI for more than a decade and took advantage of the parties and devil-may-care attitude of the Swinging Sixties. Like Cary Grant in "To Catch a Thief," the King was so bold that he tip-toed into the homes of millionaires while they were watching television, or hosting parties. He hid in their closets. And dared to smoke a cigarette while they were sleeping not far away. Rena Pederson, then a young cub reporter at the Dallas Morning News, heard the police reports trickle in while she managed the night desk. With gymnastic skill, this thief climbed trees or crawled across rooftops to get into these sprawling mansions. He took jewels from heiresses, oil kings, corporate CEOs. These were not just some of the richest people in Texas; they were some of the richest people of their time. Scotland Yard and Interpol were on the look-out. But the thief was never caught and the jewels never recovered. To follow the tracks of the thief, Rena has interviewed more than two hundred people, from veteran cops to strippers. She went to pawn shops, Las Vegas casinos, and a Mafia hangout—and discovered that beneath the glittering façade of Dallas debutantes and raucaous parties was a world of sex trafficking, illegal gambling, and political graft. When one of the leading suspects was found dead in highly unusual circumstances, the story darkened. What seemed to be taken from the pages of an Edna Ferber story now crashed head-first into Mickey Spillane. Like the stories of Fantomas or Raffles, the odd psychological aspects of the The King of Diamonds give us different kind of crime story. Detectives were stumped: Why did the thief break into houses when his targets were inside, increasing the risk of being captured? Why did he hide in their closets? Many times, he was so close he could hear their breathing as they slept. As one socialite put it, “It was a very peculiar business.”

The gritty gangland thriller from Gillian Godden! Is the Diamond reign over? Head of the Diamond family, Patsy is determined to make a success of husband Nick’s gangland empire – whatever the cost. Nick was ruthless and cold-blooded, but he built a legacy that Patsy wants to protect. So when a mysterious woman from Nick’s past turns up claiming to be Patsy’s new business partner, she senses trouble. Karen Duret demands Patsy’s help, but it comes with a catch. If Patsy refuses, Karen threatens to expose the Diamond family’s darkest secrets... Patsy needs the help of her trusted allies more than ever, but when a rival gang start a turf war, the stakes suddenly become deadly. Torn between loyalties, Patsy knows that blood will be spilled. And as battle commences, the question on everyone's lips is - who will be crowned the queen of diamonds? What people are saying about Gillian Godden! *'An edge of your seat read that will leave you breathless!' Bestselling author, Kerry Kaya. 'Characters were so real I'm still looking over my shoulder! Bestselling author Owen Mullen. *

Imagine the informed Thomas Friedman (of the The World is Flat), the provocative Christopher Hitchens (The Trial of Henry Kissinger) and the witty Maureen Dowd (Bush World) producing daily commentaries on international current events. And that is what Anthony Livingston Hall, author of the The iPINIONS Journal weblog, offers in this riveting review of the major events of 2005. So, if you're tired of partisan talking points masquerading as informed debate, this book is your refuge from those screaming pundits and political hacks. This book is your opportunity to be provoked into thinking about the important events of our time from an objective and rational perspective. Hall's refreshing world stems from his Caribbean heritage, American education and genuine compassion-all of which are reflected in his insightful articles.

Reece knew that Alanna would make the perfect trophy wife! Stunning and sophisticated, she wanted nothing more than a marriage of convenience. And that was fine by Reece! But suddenly, their comfortable life together was turned upside down when Reece discovered that his wife had a dark past. But, he realized, he wasn't prepared to lose Alanna — even if the only thing they shared was passion….