We call it justice—the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the incarceration of corrupt politicians or financiers like Rod Blagojevich and Bernard Madoff, and the climactic slaying of cinema-screen villains by superheroes. But could we not also call it revenge? We are told that revenge is uncivilized and immoral, an impulse that individuals and societies should actively repress and replace with the order and codes of courtroom justice. What, if anything, distinguishes punishment at the hands of the government from a victim’s individual desire for retribution? Are vengeance and justice really so very different? No, answers legal scholar and novelist Thane Rosenbaum in Payback: The Case for Revenge—revenge is, in fact, indistinguishable from justice. Revenge, Rosenbaum argues, is not the problem. It is, in fact, a perfectly healthy emotion. Instead, the problem is the inadequacy of lawful outlets through which to express it. He mounts a case for legal systems to punish the guilty commensurate with their crimes as part of a societal moral duty to satisfy the needs of victims to feel avenged. Indeed, the legal system would better serve the public if it gave victims the sense that vengeance was being done on their behalf. Drawing on a wide range of support, from recent studies in behavioral psychology and neuroeconomics, to stories of vengeance and justice denied, to revenge practices from around the world, to the way in which revenge tales have permeated popular culture—including Hamlet, The Godfather, and Braveheart—Rosenbaum demonstrates that vengeance needs to be more openly and honestly discussed and lawfully practiced. Fiercely argued and highly engaging, Payback is a provocative and eye-opening cultural tour of revenge and its rewards—from Shakespeare to The Sopranos. It liberates revenge from its social stigma and proves that vengeance is indeed ours, a perfectly human and acceptable response to moral injury. Rosenbaum deftly persuades us to reconsider a misunderstood subject and, along the way, reinvigorates the debate on the shape of justice in the modern world.

Swedish public prosecutor Jana Berzelius is back in the twisted second instalment of Emelie Schepp’s award-winning series, perfect for fans of Jo Nesbø and Stieg Larsson.

Juniper After a cult tried to sacrifice me to their wicked God, I went on the run, doing whatever was necessary to survive. Until a demon offered me a deal: give him my soul and he'll help me claim the vengeance I seek. Blood will be spilled, and the monsters I once ran from will soon be running from me. But damning my soul was just the beginning - it's my heart the demon wants next. Zane I've been hunting souls for centuries, but she's the ultimate prize - vicious and feral, with a broken soul as dark as my own. I thought claiming her would be a simple game, but Juniper is far from simple. I chose to follow her on a path drenched with the blood of her enemies, but it's our blood that may be spilled next. As an ancient God wakes from Its slumber, neither of us may survive. Her Soul for Revenge is book 2 in the Souls Trilogy. Although all the books are interconnected, they are stand-alone and can be read in any order. Content Note This book contains sexual scenes, kink/fetish content, horror elements, drug use, scenes of trauma, anxiety, and PTSD, and depictions of "hard" kink/edgeplay. A complete CW can be found in the frontmatter of the book.

Hit man Gideon traverses a steamy criminal underworld to confront the most challenging adversary of his career.

At the ball, she meets the prince of her dreams! Sarah is astonished to be approached by the man of her dreams at a masquerade party. She’d been so busy as a student that she never had time to fall in love and is still a virgin at twenty-five. So when Josh gently asks her out, she spends a passionate night with him! After the sweet dream of a night is over, Sarah resigns herself to reality and leaves without a word, but a few days later, she’s shocked when Josh appears as her new boss!

A little girl is taken underground by vegetables, where they plant her in a garden and eat the results.

Cheerleading co-captains Jessica Wakefield and Heather Mallone thought they'd found the perfect faculty advisor for their squad in Nancy Swanson. They were sure the mousy assistant librarian wouldn't cramp their style at all. But neither of them knows about the dark secret in Nancy's past, or how dangerous she really is.

FEATURING NEW EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT! Like Buffy or The Vampire Diaries but with tons more spice, a titillating fork-tongued demon, and a ritualistic monster cult, the edgy dark romance that set Tiktok on fire is now here as a special edition with bonus content for fans of Scarlett St. Claire, Penelope Douglas, and Katee Robert. The demon didn't just want my body. He wanted my soul. Leon: My reputation among magicians is unblemished. Killer, they call me; killing is what I’m best at. One wrong move and you’re dead. Except her. The one I was supposed to take, the one I should have killed. The cult that once controlled me wants her, but I’m not about to lose my new toy to them. Rae: I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Hunting for ghosts is my passion, but summoning a demon was never part of the plan. Monsters are roaming the woods, and something ancient—something evil—is waking up . . . and calling my name. I don’t know who I can trust, or how deep this darkness goes. All I know is my one shot at survival is the demon stalking me, and he doesn’t just want my body—he wants my soul.

Why is revenge such a pervasive and destructive problem? How can we create a future in which revenge is less common and forgiveness is more common? Psychologist Michael McCullough argues that the key to a more forgiving, less vengeful world is to understand the evolutionary forces that gave rise to these intimately human instincts and the social forces that activate them in human minds today. Drawing on exciting breakthroughs from the social and biological sciences, McCullough dispenses surprising and practical advice for making the world a more forgiving place. Michael E. McCullough (Miami, Florida), an internationally recognized expert on forgiveness and revenge, is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, where he directs the Laboratory for Social and Clinical Psychology.

As Brett watched, one hand slipped loose, then the other. Tom dropped, screaming, into the flames. His body, all red and bubbled, boiled up once to the surface, then was gone. PLAYER ONE HAS ONE LIFE REMAINING. GAME CONTINUES. Flaming fire rivers. Divebombing buzz-bugs. A cruel king waiting to do battle in his computer-generated castle. Video game whizzes Brett Wilder and Tom Houston think that new virtual reality game Rodomonte’s Revenge is awesome-until it takes over their minds. Then the game playing becomes dangerously real, and one wrong move could be the last.