Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house's sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a pale young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black - and her terrible purpose.

“The book I most often give as a gift to cheer people up.” —Hilary Mantel “A deceptively smart comic gem.” –The New York Times Book Review “Witty and delicious.” –People The women in black, so named for the black frocks they wear while working at Goode’s department store, are busy selling ladies’ dresses during the holiday rush. But they somehow find time to pursue other goals… Patty, in her mid-thirties, has been working at Goode’s for years. Her husband, Frank, eats a steak for dinner every night, watches a few minutes of TV, and then turns in. Patty yearns for a baby, but Frank is always too tired for that kind of thing. Sweet, unlucky Fay wants to settle down with a nice man, but somehow nice men don’t see her as marriage material. Glamorous Magda runs the high-end gowns department. A Slovenian émigré, Magda is cultured and continental and hopes to open her own boutique one day. Lisa, a clever and shy teenager, takes a job at Goode’s during her school break. Lisa wants to go to university and dreams of becoming a poet, but her father objects to both notions. By the time the last marked-down dress is sold, all of their lives will be forever changed. A pitch-perfect comedy of manners set during a pivotal era, and perfect for fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Women in Black conjures the energy of a city on the cusp of change and is a testament to the timeless importance of female friendship.

This acclaimed biography shines a light on a trailblazing woman who created a classic movie monster—and the author’s quest to rescue her from obscurity. As a teenager, Mallory O’Meara was thrilled to discover that one of her favorite movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon, featured a monster designed by a woman, Milicent Patrick. But while Patrick should have been hailed as a pioneer in the genre, there was little information available about her. As O’Meara discovered, Patrick’s contribution had been claimed by a jealous male colleague and her career had been cut short. No one even knew if she was still alive. As a young woman working in the horror film industry, O’Meara set out to right the wrong, and in the process discovered the full, fascinating story of an ambitious, artistic woman ahead of her time. Patrick’s contribution to special effects proved to be just the latest chapter in a remarkable, unconventional life, from her youth growing up in the shadow of Hearst Castle, to her career as one of Disney’s first female animators. And at last, O’Meara discovered what really had happened to Patrick after The Creature’s success, and where she went. A true-life detective story and a celebration of a forgotten feminist trailblazer, Mallory O’Meara’s The Lady from the Black Lagoon establishes Patrick in her rightful place in film history while calling out a Hollywood culture where little has changed since. A Hugo and Locus Award Finalist A Thrillist Best Book of the Year One of Booklist’s 10 Best Art Books of the Year

New York Times Bestseller CHRISTINA DODD brings you hot suspense and cool romance in LADY IN BLACK A straight-laced lady butler... A powerful billionaire... Margaret Guarneri thought she had found sanctuary managing the home of a rich, elderly man...until the day he receives a deadly kidnapping threat. Enter Reid Donovan, dynamic, wealthy in his own right, and suspicious of the gorgeous young widow who so diligently cares for his grandfather. Distrust, extortion, and the shadows of the past drive Reid and Margaret apart. Wild, uninhibited passion brings them together. They must learn to trust each other before they can vanquish a killer...and in the process, they discover a passion more powerful than anything either of them could imagine. But has love come too late for the handsome billionaire and his lady in black? "Hot romance, fast action and that magic ingredient--heart." Jayne Ann Krentz "A delicious concoction that readers will be hard-pressed not to consume in one gulp." Publisher's Weekly Join Christina Dodd's FREE mailing list for book sales, book news, and entertainment brought right to your inbox! Just copy and paste * christinadodd.com * into your browser, fill out the form in the upper right corner with your name and email (Christina pledges to keep your information private), and you'll always know about the best in romance and suspense. Join now!

Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house's sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black.

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1908) is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. The Perfume of the Lady in Black marked the second appearance of popular character Joseph Rouletabille, a reporter and part-time sleuth who features in several of Leroux’s novels. Originally a journalist, Leroux turned to fiction after reading the works of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Often considered one of the best mysteries of all time, the novel has been adapted several times for film. Joseph Rouletabille is more than meets the eye. A reporter by profession, he spends his free time working as an amateur detective, using his journalistic talents to compile facts and track down leads. In The Mystery of the Yellow Room, he saved the life of Mathilde Stangerson, the daughter of a prominent professor, from the clutches of Ballmeyer, a violent criminal mastermind gifted in the art of disguise. Unbeknownst to her father, Mathilde had married Ballmeyer while living in America before realizing he had been living under a false identity. Now believed to be dead, Ballmeyer fades into history as Rouletabille, his assistant Sainclair, and Mathilde return to their lives. Shortly after leaving for her honeymoon with Robert Darzac, however, Mathilde contacts Rouletabille with terrifying news—their common enemy seems to have returned. The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a story of mystery and suspense from one of history’s finest detective novelists. Joseph Rouletabille is without a doubt France’s answer to Sherlock Holmes. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Gaston Leroux’s The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

Stephanie J. Shaw takes us into the inner world of American black professional women during the Jim Crow era. This is a story of struggle and empowerment, of the strength of a group of women who worked against daunting odds to improve the world for themselves and their people. Shaw's remarkable research into the lives of social workers, librarians, nurses, and teachers from the 1870s through the 1950s allows us to hear these women's voices for the first time. The women tell us, in their own words, about their families, their values, their expectations. We learn of the forces and factors that made them exceptional, and of the choices and commitments that made them leaders in their communities. What a Woman Ought to Be and to Do brings to life a world in which African-American families, communities, and schools worked to encourage the self-confidence, individual initiative, and social responsibility of girls. Shaw shows us how, in a society that denied black women full professional status, these girls embraced and in turn defined an ideal of "socially responsible individualism" that balanced private and public sphere responsibilities. A collective portrait of character shaped in the toughest circumstances, this book is more than a study of the socialization of these women as children and the organization of their work as adults. It is also a study of leadership—of how African American communities gave their daughters the power to succeed in and change a hostile world.

Come take a journey with Lisa on an exhilarating ride of her life! Just when she was settled with life being as it was, in walks the handyman she prayed for. Now her life is being turned upside down! Or was it beginning to turn right-side up? Time and chance will bring about their maturation through life's travails.

By the summer of 1908, Sherlock Holmes has left the Baker Street days of crime and detection behind to take his retirement in a small Sussex cottage overlooking the sea. Holmes extends an invitation to his old colleague and confidant, Dr. Watson, to join him for a week's holiday. Accepting the summons, Watson arrives anticipating long coastal walks and pub lunches in the local village. But his holiday takes a darker turn when they spot a shadowy figure below the cliffs one night; Holmes cannot reist the temptation to solve one more mystery and Watson realizes he was never invited to the country for recreation. Against the backdrop of the stormy Sussex coast, suspicious men, tragic family history and a crafty theft weave an engaging and complex case that only Holmes and Watson can crack. -- Cover, page [4].