An investigation into a gang of Nazi-affiliated art thieves leads Billy Boyle and his comrades directly into the line of fire at the catastrophic Battle of the Bulge. Winter 1944: Months after the Liberation of France, ex-Boston cop Billy Boyle finds himself in a Paris reeling from the carnage it has endured but hopeful that an end to war is in sight. When Billy finds a rare piece of artwork after a tense shoot-out in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, he thinks it could be connected to the Syndicat du Renard, a shadowy network of Nazi sympathizers known to be smuggling stolen artwork out of France. Trailing the Syndicat, Billy discovers that someone with a high level of communications clearance—someone in the Phantom regiment of the British Army—may be using his position to aid the thieves. Billy, determined to stop the abettor, heads up to the frontlines where he experiences a last-ditch battle against overwhelming odds. There, the ruinous Battle of the Bulge unfurls in the Ardennes Forest. Can Billy and his team survive the bracing onslaught and return the stolen artwork to its rightful protectors?

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Johnny Trescott is as smart, tough, and fearless as they come. But he’s about to lose everything—his boat, his freedom, and his identity. Long before Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips fell into the hands of modern-day pirates, Johnny faced the same high-stakes action on the high seas. Johnny’s mission is to track down drug runners in the Gulf of Mexico, and he’s got his eye on the biggest fish of all—Georges Coquelin. But an SOS from a downed plane that’s sinking fast leads him straight to disaster. . . . Coquelin springs a trap. Stranding Johnny and the plane’s passengers on a deserted island, the drug smuggler commandeers Johnny’s boat and his name. In the company of a weak-kneed millionaire and a long-legged beauty, Johnny’s at the end of his rope—which could turn into a noose around his neck. He’s got nothing left to lose . . . and there’s nothing he won’t do to reclaim his reputation. The Phantom Patrol marked a turning point in L. Ron Hubbard’s fiction. In writing this story he recognized the vital importance of research and realism. To that end, Hubbard toured Coast Guard vessels and interviewed officers who were actually involved in chasing down drug smugglers. The resulting authenticity and success of the tale was a sign of things to come. Read The Phantom Patrol and experience the development of a unique voice in storytelling. “Nonstop action and a hero to root for.” —Publishers Weekly * An International Book Awards Finalists

Geobreeders Book 1 - Old Printing

Meet Desmond Cole! A fearless eight-year-old who runs his own ghost patrol, looking for ghosts, monsters, and mischief makers everywhere. Oh, and he just so happens to be my new best friend…and thank goodness! Because I’m afraid of everything. Welcome to Kersville, a town with a spooky history and a collection of ghosts and spirits who are major mischief-makers. Most kids spend their days without ever seeing or dealing with a ghost, but some kids get stuck with a haunt. When that happens, they call Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol. Desmond is the hall monitor of ghosts and monsters. There’s no job too spooky, icky, or risky for Desmond. I’m not like that at all. My name’s Andres Miedoso. I’m Desmond’s best friend. We do everything together…including catch ghosts. Seems cool, right? There’s only one problem: I’m afraid of everything. With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

A haunted ice cream truck is on the loose in this fourteenth chilling adventure in the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series! Summer in Kersville is like summer in a lot of other places. The sun is bright and hot. School is closed and the pool is open. And kids know to run away as fast as they can when they hear the familiar song of the ice cream truck. Because that means the I Scream Man is here for dessert! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

PHANTOM was - and still is - one of the most secret but most effective of the wartime special regiments. It was formed in 1939 with the mission of finding out exactly where all the Allied forward positions were - a task which required linguistic ability, unlimited tact, and radio expertise. After Dunkirk its squadrons at first kept an eye on all invasion points, before deploying to Greece, and to the Middle East. An indispensable direct communication link between the forward patrols and command headquarters, it operated in Italy, Sicily, Austria, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Phantom was at Dieppe with the Commandos, in France with the SAS, at Arnhem with Airborne and in Germany until the surrender. PHANTOM members were as varied and colourful as its tasks. Among its member were two Privy Councillors, three life peers, five hereditary peers, the Master of a Cambridge college, three professors, a famous actor-playwright, a film star, a famous sculptor, a Law Lord, a steward of the Jockey Club, a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and numerous authors and journalists.As this fascinating history shows, PHANTOM was so successful in its role of tracking both allied and enemy movements and relaying vital information direct to commanders that it became hugely respected and yet retained its aura of mystery.

It’s Desmond and Andres versus creepy monster lunch ladies in the sixth book of the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series! Usually the cafeteria is where good food goes to meet its maker, but at Kersville Elementary, lunchtime is a little different. For starters, the food is delicious and they serve dessert every day! But there’s one important thing to remember—Monsters cook great food, but they have to eat, too! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

After Andres discovers a haunted bike park, he calls best friend Desmond, a ghost investigator.

There’s trouble brewing of mythic proportions, making the residents of Kersville go mer-mad, in this sixteenth adventure in the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series! Something is fishy at the Kersville Aquarium and it’s not just the fish. Okay, it is the fish, but there’s a bigger mystery lurking in the water. It’s slimy. It’s sneaky. And it sings an eerie song so strong that no one ever escapes! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

Watch out for ghouls on the dance floor in the tenth book of the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series! School dances are tricky. Everybody wants to go, but nobody wants to dance. The music is too loud for anyone to talk. Teachers are there watching kids, but telling them to go out and have a good time. Oh, and at Kersville Elementary…be careful because you’ll have to watch out for ghouls on the dance floor! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.