He was born a prince, but bravery will make him a hero. When playboy Prince August meets Kate Bradford, he falls hard. But love isn’t in the cards…yet. A mystery from his past threatens to tear them apart. He’s about to discover a secret so earth-shattering, it could change the course of history, and so dark it could endanger not only his life but Kate’s as well. Can they survive a deadly game of cat and mouse? Or will an unknown enemy get to them before they uncover the truth?

There are no heroes anymore...only villains of varying degrees...From the author of "Tex Murphy and the Tesla Effect", "Tex Murphy and the Pandora Directive" and "Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon" comes the latest exciting adventure in the series.It's November, 2050 and Tex Murphy, P.I. is fresh off a mid-life crisis...but not the fun kind. First, his memory of the past seven years was mysteriously erased. Then he found out his dream girl, Chelsee, was long gone. And now his bank account-which got inexplicably fat during his lost years-is back to skin and bones.Fate has dealt Tex some lousy cards, but he has one ace in the hole. During his just-completed case, he turned up a secret bit of information worth a "king's ransom". Or so he was told by a new player in the game, the enigmatic Count St. Germain, who seemed more than ready to deal.But before Tex can determine what a king's ransom comes to in 2050 dollars, St. Germain raises the stakes: Tex has played a pivotal role in four potentially world-changing events over the past thirteen years (six, depending on your definition of "world-changing") and St. Germain suspects this hasn't happened by accident; a "Man Behind the Curtain" has made Tex an unwitting pawn in an unknown game. And it all seems to have started during Tex's very first case.With St. Germain's unique assistance, Tex travels into the past, recounting the story of his first case, back in 2037. Together, they find new connections between all of Tex's cases and pick up the trail of the unknown puppet master. A shocking discovery awaits about what happened all those years ago...and how those events are about to change Tex's future.

Detective Mike Ellis returns to Ottawa from Cuba to find he’s the main suspect in his wife’s unexplained and unexpected death. Meanwhile, Inspector Ramirez, head of the Havana Major Crimes Unit, is dispatched to Canada’s capital to take custody of a priest found with a laptop full of disturbing pictures of Cuban children. While Ramirez is abroad, other women suddenly start dying in Havana. Powerless to assist pathologist Hector Apiro find out why, Ramirez focuses on untangling a web of deceit and depravity that extends all the way from the corridors of power in Ottawa to the Vatican. As he does, he not only uncovers the truth about Mike Ellis, but discovers who, or what, is killing Cuban women. The Poisoned Pawn is the gripping, fast-paced sequel to the award-winning, critically acclaimed mystery The Beggar’s Opera. Evoking the crumbling beauty of Old Havana and featuring Inspector Ramirez, a man haunted by the victims of his unsolved cases, it’s perfect for fans of Donna Leon and Martin Cruz Smith who love exotic settings and unforgettable characters.

AWARDS: Shortlisted for the Guardian Chess Book of the Year Award Runner-up for the English Chess Federation 2009 Book of the Year Award CHESS Magazine: Best Books of 2009 Back in Print! Ever wondered why grandmasters take only seconds to see what’s really going on in a chess position? It’s all about structures, as Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov explains in this groundbreaking book. ‘Winning Chess Middlegames’ addresses the often ignored but extremely important topic of pawn structures, divided into four main types: doubled pawns, isolated pawns, hanging pawns and pawn majorities. With its highly accessible verbal explanations and deep analyses of top-level games, this book helps you to solve the basic problems of the middlegame: space, tension and initiative. Club players studying this book will:greatly enhance their middlegame skills, develop an accurate feeling as to which particular positions suit their style and acquire new strategic and practical opening knowledge. Ivan Sokolov explains matters profoundly, honestly and objectively including lots of inside stories from top-level chess, neither sparing his colleague grandmasters nor himself in his comments. With a foreword by British Grandmaster Michael Adams.

A quiet morning at Baker Street is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of Inspector Lestrade who informs Holmes a man's body has been discovered in the Tower Bridge which was then under construction. That grisly event proves to be the opening salvo in a terrifying game of wits between Holmes and an unknown adversary. Determined to make Sherlock Holmes suffer, the ruthless foe launches a campaign of terror against the Great Detective. However, instead of striking at Holmes directly, this nemesis targets those in the Great Detective's limited circle of friends and acquaintances. Stymied, Holmes must first ascertain why he has been targeted because he cannot retaliate until he discovers who is behind this persecution. With moves and countermoves, gambits declined and accepted, the struggle soon evolves into a human chess game between Holmes and a grandmaster of evil - where each move might have untold consequences on the lives and reputations of those on both sides.

In this thrilling sequel to World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott's bestselling young adult debut Court of Fives, a girl immersed in a high-stakes competition holds the fate of a kingdom in her hands. Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives--the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the change to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on her traveling party puts Jes at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos--the prince she still loves--is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion....She must become a warrior.

From New York Times Bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder Choose: a quick death… or slow poison… Locked deep in the palace dungeon for killing her abuser, Yelena knows she’ll never be free again. The laws in Ixia are strict, and murderers must be executed, no matter the reason. But just as she’s resigned herself to her fate, she’s offered an extraordinary reprieve. As the food taster, Yelena will eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. To make matters worse, the chief of security deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust, and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again, and in order to survive, she must unravel the secrets behind the past she’s been running from. The Chronicles of Ixia Series by Maria V Snyder Book One: Poison Study Book Two: Magic Study Book Three: Fire Study Book Four: Storm Glass Book Five: Sea Glass Book Six: Spy Glass Book Seven: Shadow Study Book Eight: Night Study Book Nine: Dawn Study

Presents the story behind the self-learning artificial intelligence system with its stunning chess skills