Ufrid Tyrunath, the heir apparent to the throne of Ulmenir, has been a hero, a leader and a traitor. He’s colluded with the Shadow Master, murdered his father and raped his brother’s wife. In retribution, he’s been forced into slavery to an ancient half-elf female, grandmother of the woman he can never have. How can life get any worse? Oh, it can get much worse, if one has crossed the line of social decency and taken a certain renegade monk for a lover. Slavery will seem an easy burden by the time Ufrid learns the truth of former Abbot Herfod, revered living saint of the Turamen Order. The promise of death will be but a small price to pay for having earned the secret.

Their first winter together is at an end, and the relationship between Ufrid, Nicky and Herfod has survived, but it has been a troubled association. Herfod has kept his doubts about Ufrid's motives hidden, but he's certain, because the Goddess subverted Ufrid last autumn, that his lover will soon betray him. Complicating the situation, Nicky has lost her sense of foresight. Something is going to happen, and Herfod can only hope that he will survive it long enough to keep Ugoth and his angel from destroying Ufrid.

The Ulmeniran army is on the march for home, and with it rides Herfod, the mortal avatar of an inscrutable god who has defied the comprehension of the pantheon for aeons beyond count. Ufrid, uncrowned king of Ulmenir, is well aware of what he takes to bed each night, but it hasn't been easy, and life isn't getting easier. His brother has returned from travels afar with a god in tow, a satyr who may well know who and what Herfod is. Worse yet, there is a secret watcher in the heavens, and he seems disapproving of the current path Herfod has chosen to take in life.

Three crime classics in one volume starring the defense lawyer who inspired the HBO series. From the Edgar Award–winning author, these novels from the long-running, multimillion-selling mystery series that inspired the HBO hit starring Matthew Rhys include: The Case of the Lazy Lover Perry Mason is surprised to receive two checks from a stranger named Lola Allred. When he speaks with Lola’s husband, he discovers the woman has run off with her daughter’s boyfriend—who happens to be an important witness in a lawsuit. Soon Mason is caught up in a case involving forgery and murder . . . “The only dull pages in this book are the blank ones.” —The New York Times The Case of the Lonely Heiress Marilyn Marlow has inherited a good deal of money from her mother. But the money originated with another will—that of her mother’s wealthy employer. Now his relatives are contesting the will and the key witness to its signing has just been murdered. It’s up to the sleuthing lawyer to clear the cloud of suspicion over Miss Marlow’s head . . . “No one has ever matched Gardner for swift, sure exposition.” —Kirkus Reviews The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom Edward Garvin is a very successful businessman with a very unhappy ex-wife—who wants his money. Garvin calls on Perry Mason to protect his company from her schemes, and ensure the divorce they’d gotten in Mexico is actually finalized. But when Garvin’s former spouse is struck down by a killer, Mason’s client becomes the chief suspect . . . “A stellar ending.” —Kirkus Reviews

The aim of this book is to provide the student of Japanese with a simple method for correlating the writing and the meaning of Japanese characters in such a way as to make them both easy to remember. It is intended not only for the beginner, but also for the more advanced student looking for some relief from the constant frustration of how to write the kanji and some way to systematize what he or she already knows. The author begins with writing because--contrary to first impressions--it is in fact the simpler of the two. He abandons the traditional method of ordering the kanji according to their frequency of use and organizes them according to their component parts or "primitive elements." Assigning each of these parts a distinct meaning with its own distinct image, the student is led to harness the powers of "imaginative memory" to learn the various combinations that result. In addition, each kanji is given its own key word to represent the meaning, or one of the principal meanings, of that character. These key words provide the setting for a particular kanji's "story," whose protagonists are the primitive elements. In this way, students are able to complete in a few short months a task that would otherwise take years. Armed with the same skills as Chinese or Korean students, who know the meaning and writing of the kanji but not their pronunciation in Japanese, they are now in a much better position to learn to read (which is treated in a separate volume). For further information and a sample of the contents, visit http: ///www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/publications/miscPublications/Remembering_the_Kanji_l.htm.

Macabre tales of death and mourning in Victorian America.

Seventy per cent of British families now choose cremation for their funerals, a rapid change in traditional death customs. This is the first book to investigate why cremation replaced burial. It examines the political, religious, economic and social reasons behind personal choice and sets them in a European context. This study is doubly timely with the expanding scholarly interest in death studies, and the new media interest in the British way of death.

Hearing his dead ex-girlfriend’s voice in an empty room is enough to make a man question his sanity. Worse is when that ex insists she shouldn't have died. Broken cop Jake Carrigan has no interest in delving into a past full of heartache and regrets. But he can’t deny she still matters, even if she’s simply a voice in his head. Hannah Dixon is having a hard time believing she’s dead. How can she be when she feels so much inside? She can see Jake, can talk to him, but she can’t touch him. And right now, touching Jake is all she wants. Jake’s probe into Hannah’s death stirs up a sinister psychic link, something dark that will stop at nothing to keep its secrets. To protect her own heart, Hannah left Jake once. Can she leave him again to protect his life?