When Sherwin Wyser sees two cops standing at his front door with hats in hand, he knows right away what has happened. His wife has been murdered and Sherwin is devastated beyond words. Allison was a newspaper reporter investigating the activities of Raymond Dark, a well-connected politician and gangster, and Sherwin feared for her safety. It becomes clear that Dark will not be punished for Allison's murder and Sherwin begins to contemplate revenge. But how will a diffident, sedentary college professor, unskilled in the use of fire arms or fisticuffs, exact revenge upon a gangster? Sherwin understands that it won't happen the way it does in the movies where ordinary people suddenly become able to outfight and out-shoot those more practiced in the killing arts. His rational mind tells him that revenge will be both suicidal and morally repugnant and he has no illusions of coming out victorious, or even coming out alive, but his emotions rise up with unexpected intensity and move him against his will like a stranger within his own skin. Will he seek revenge? When Sherwin finally makes up his mind, a bizarre coincidence shakes his belief in the rational world he has built for himself. And revenge may take strange forms.

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Library Lover’s Mysteries and Death of a Mad Hatter comes a tale of hat shop owners who put a cap on crime. MURDER CAN BE SO OLD HAT Cousins Scarlett Parker and Vivian Tremont’s fashionable London hat shop, Mim’s Whims, is visited by a new customer bearing an old hat box. Ariana Jackson is getting married and wants to restore her mother’s bridal hat and veil for the occasion. The elegant item was made by Scarlett and Vivian’s grandmother over thirty years ago, so Viv is delighted to take the job. When Scarlett goes to Ariana's office to consult about the restoration cost, she finds her outside, standing over her boss’s dead body. Though Ariana claims to know nothing about his demise, the investigation unveils a motive for murder. Now, with the bride-to-be in custody and the wedding on hold, Scarlett and Viv must find the real killer before Ariana's future is boxed up for good.

Susan Lacey, A Chilterns Poet, debuts in this, her first ever book featuring a wide selection of her poetry used when performing, as well as a more varied selection from her repertoire. Susan has become synonymous for her poetry and music, with performance poetry taking centre stage. Susan's poetry mixes the humorous with the serious in an amazing way, to provide you with a book to remember! In her own words " I like to leave you smiling" If you are suitably intrigued and fancy a poem book with a difference, pick this one up.

Randall Von Hartmans writing is shot through with erie energy, the energy of exhaustion, of rage against injustice, and the energy of a skewed-comic, driven-to the-edge-and-over, vision that is totally unpredictable, and very like how it feels to be alive now, driving to the mall, listening to the news, bitter, and yet enjoying the ride withal, as twere. ~Coleman Barks Van Hartmans At the Drop of a Hat is as much rollicking, side-splitting, puerile,0 boy-fun as it is evocative, heartfelt and deeply mature art. He demands that you play as much as you think, and gives what seems merely sensation real feeling. ~H G Carrillo author of Loosing My Espanish (Pantheon 2004)

Experience a heart-pumping and thrilling tale of suspense! Originally published in THRILLER (2006), edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson. In this Thriller Short filled with Balkan intrigue, bestselling author Denise Hamilton uses a chapter from her own life to create an unforgettable escapade. Jane wants to leave Albania and visit Macedonia so she can attend a Balkan literature conference. She bums a ride from a restaurateur and quickly realizes that there is more to her driver than meets the eye. It’s a trip she will never forget. Don’t miss any of these exciting Thriller Shorts: James Penney’s New Identity by Lee Child Operation Northwoods by James Grippando Epitaph by J. A. Konrath The Face in the Window by Heather Graham Kowalski’s in Love by James Rollins The Hunt for Dmitri by Gayle Lynds Disfigured by Michael Palmer and Daniel Palmer The Abelard Sanction by David Morrell Falling by Chris Mooney Success of a Mission by Dennis Lynds The Portal by John Lescroart and M. J. Rose The Double Dealer by David Liss Dirty Weather by Gregg Hurwitz Spirit Walker by David Dun At the Drop of a Hat by Denise Hamilton The Other Side of the Mirror by Eric Van Lustbader Man Catch by Christopher Rice Goodnight, Sweet Mother by Alex Kava Sacrificial Lion by Grant Blackwood Interlude at Duane’s by F. Paul Wilson The Powder Monkey by Ted Bell Surviving Toronto by M. Diane Vogt Assassins by Christopher Reich The Athens Solution by Brad Thor Diplomatic Constraints by Raelynn Hillhouse Kill Zone by Robert Liparulo The Devils’ Due by Steve Berry The Tuesday Club by Katherine Neville Gone Fishing by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Whenever you’re at a party or any gathering of friends, family, and others, there will be a period when things get dull. This book is a wealth of information of simple games, which can be played on the spur of the moment anywhere and will give you the power to take any sagging gathering and turn it into a fun, memorable, game-playing experience, guaranteed.

The second volume of Sondheim's collected lyrics is both a remarkable glimpse into the brilliant mind of a legend, and a continuation of the acclaimed and best-selling Finishing the Hat. Picking up where he left off in Finishing the Hat, Sondheim gives us all the lyrics, along with excluded songs and early drafts, of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Assassins and Passion. Here, too, is an in-depth look at the evolution of Wise Guys, which subsequently was transformed into Bounce and eventually became Road Show. Sondheim takes us through his contributions to both television and film, some of which may surprise you, and covers plenty of never-before-seen material from unproduced projects as well. There are abundant anecdotes about his many collaborations, and readers are treated to rare personal material in this volume, as Sondheim includes songs culled from commissions, parodies and personal special occasions—such as a hilarious song for Leonard Bernstein’s seventieth birthday. As he did in the previous volume, Sondheim richly annotates his lyrics with invaluable advice on songwriting, discussions of theater history and the state of the industry today, and exacting dissections of his work, both the successes and the failures. Filled with even more behind-the-scenes photographs and illustrations from Sondheim’s original manuscripts, Look, I Made a Hat is fascinating, devourable and essential reading for any fan of the theater or this great man’s work.

Mr. Brown loves hats and can’t leave the house without wearing just the right one. But on this day, every time he opens the door to leave, the situation changes, and Mr. Brown must change his hat accordingly. At last, wearing every hat he owns, Mr. Brown is on his way. When he finally arrives at his destination, we find that it’s Mr. Brown’s birthday, and his friends have just the right hat for that as well.

From 'A Low Blow' to 'Went the Distance', a fascinating and lively examination of the regular use of terms from the boxing ring in our everyday language. Have you ever stopped to notice how often your local newspaper or favourite magazine uses the terms 'On the Ropes', 'The Gloves Are Off' and 'Knockout Punch'? How often TV newsreaders will say that a politician has "Thrown His hat in the Ring', is a 'Big Hitter', is 'Taking it on the Chin', is 'Down for the Count' or has the 'Killer Instinct'? Knight of the realm, leading businessman, colourful and controversial commentator, and boxing aficionado Sir Robert — Bob —Jones certainly has. Over a period of years he made careful note of how often terms cropped up and then retraced their etymological origins in boxing history. The result is a lively, entertaining, and thought-provoking miscellany of boxing terms that are now part of our everyday English language. Some have strayed far from their original meanings, others are more frequently in use now than at any other time. Jones asks why that might be, and his answers are, well, a knockout.

The only rule for attending this party is . . . you MUST bring a hat. But what if you don’t own a hat? Will bringing a monkey wearing a hat be enough? Find out in this tale that builds to a gloriously surreal and hilarious ending.