All three books in Ed Duncan's 'Pigeon-Blood Red', a series of crime thrillers, now available in one volume! Pigeon-Blood Red: For underworld enforcer Rico Sanders, it seemed like an ordinary job: retrieve his boss's ruby necklace and teach the double-dealing cheat who stole it a lesson. But after the chase goes sideways, Rico has to move from the mean streets of Chicago to sunny Honolulu. There, the hardened hit man finds himself in uncharted territory, when innocent bystanders are embroiled in a crime. As Rico pursues his targets, hunter and prey develop an unlikely respect for one another, and Rico is faced with a decision: kill the couple whose courage has won his admiration, or endanger the life of the woman he loves? The Last Straw: After a carjacking goes bad, a teenage girl is marked for death by a crime boss. A black lawyer and a white enforcer with an unlikely history forge an alliance to protect the girl from a hit man with an agenda of his own. After they find out that the crime boss is the father of carjacker, Paul Elliott - lawyer and close friend of the witness’s family - begins counseling them. As the long-simmering feud between Rico and John D'Angelo reaches boiling point, bodies start to pile up - and old scores will be settled. Rico Stays: After Rico Sanders steps in to protect his girlfriend from a local mob boss’s nephew, all hell breaks loose. When the smoke clears, three goons lay dying where they’d stood. Fighting for his life, Rico needs a place to crash – a place where he wouldn’t be found. A place like the cabin owned by lawyer Paul Elliott, whose life Rico had saved more than once. But Paul’s girlfriend hasn't forgotten Rico’s dark history - or Paul’s fascination with him. Vengeful killers would soon be coming for him. But is he ready to face them one more time?

For underworld enforcer Richard "Rico" Sanders, it seemed like an ordinary job: retrieve his gangster boss's stolen goods, and teach the person responsible a lesson. But the chase quickly goes sideways and takes Rico from the mean streets of Chicago to sunny Honolulu. There, the hardened hit man finds himself in uncharted territory, when innocent bystanders are accidentally embroiled in a crime. As Rico pursues his new targets, hunter and prey develop an unlikely respect for one another. Soon, he is faced with a momentous decision: follow his orders to kill the very people who have won his admiration, or refuse and endanger the life of the woman he loves?

Our frequent urban companion, cooing in the eaves of train stations or scavenging underfoot for breadcrumbs and discarded French fries, the pigeon has many detractors—and even some fans. Written out of love for and fascination with this humble yet important bird, Barbara Allen’s Pigeon explores its cultural significance, as well as its similarities to and differences from its close counterpart, the dove. While the dove is seen as a symbol of love, peace, and goodwill, the pigeon is commonly perceived as a filthy, ill-mannered flying rodent, a “rat with wings.” Readers will find in Pigeon an enticing exploration of the historical and contemporary bonds between humans and these two unique and closely related birds. For polluting statues and architecture, the pigeon has earned a bad reputation, but Barbara Allen offers several examples of the bird’s importance—as a source of food and fertilizer, a bearer of messages during times of war, a pollution monitor, and an aid to Charles Darwin in his pivotal research on evolutionary theory. Allen also comments on the literary love and celebration of pigeons and doves in the work of such writers and poets as Shakespeare, Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Proust, and Isaac Bashevis Singer. Along the way, Allen corrects the many stereotypes about pigeons in the hope that the rich history of one of the oldest human-animal partnerships will be both admired and celebrated.

You don't need to travel to experience the joy of bird-watching: just take a look at the pigeons in your nearby park! With this fun, quirky, and scientifically correct field guide to the most common bird in most cities, you'll learn to see pigeons and doves (they're the same thing) with a bird-watcher's expertise, understanding their fascinating behavior and appreciating nature right outside your window.

This book provides a comprehensive review of gem corundum origins worldwide, highlighting the enduring value of rubies and sapphires despite synthetic alternatives. By delving into natural corundum origins and associated minerals, this knowledge boosts corundum prices and intensifies market trade. The book explores formation conditions and key evidence such as trace elements, mineral inclusions, and stable isotopes. These findings elucidate corundum’s origin, linking to the rock types and geological occurrences. Drawing from high-impact journals, books, and the author’s research, it offers valuable insights into synthetic processes and treatments. Catering to mineralogists, geologists, gemmologists, students, and gem traders, the book serves as a valuable reference for identifying gemstone origins. Its rarity in the market makes it particularly valuable for enthusiasts and professionals. As researches in this field continue to grow, this book bridges the gap by making complex terminology accessible to a wide audience.