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From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author: “The story of L.A.’s dirtiest cop . . . A riveting glimpse of the dark side of human behavior” (Flint Journal). Bill Leasure was among the least ambitious officers ever to wear the badge for the Los Angeles Police Department. He was content to work the traffic beat and only rarely gave out tickets. He also ran scams that netted him countless riches, from stealing yachts to collecting guns and cars. And he further enriched himself by setting up a murder-for-hire ring. Was he in it for the thrills? Was he a cop playing both sides of the law for the fun of it? Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Edward Humes explores the lies and psychopathy that enabled Bill Leasure to fool even the most savvy of city prosecutors, his own wife. “Rife with vivid description. Disturbing.” —The Miami Herald “Fascinating . . . A superbly crafted chronicle of one of the most complex, enigmatic criminals in memory. Far stronger and more compelling than most crime fiction.” —Kirkus Reviews “Excellent . . . Authoritative, impeccably documented and disturbing.” —The Orange County Register “Painstaking research and hair-trigger pacing.” —Publishers Weekly

A killer is threatening the life of rookie cop Sydney Tucker's sister–unless Sydney turns over evidence from a drug bust. But she doesn't have the evidence. Not that the thug believes her. Now she and the sibling in her care are under the watchful eye of Logan Lake police chief Russ Morgan...

"Behind the Man Behind the Badge" is a collection of short stories recounting what I did as the wife of a Special Agent in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Or, as the world knows it today---NCIS. A special agent's job is not only very demanding but at times the cases are extremely sensitive and secretive. So, as a wife living in this environment, I had to find my own way in each new country where we were assigned. Since, NCIS is attached to various military offices in each country, many of the stories involve activities with both American and foreign military personnel. I also explain how I had to adjust to military life as a civilian, one who had never been exposed to military life before. When my husband retired and we finally returned to the United States, friends and relatives would listen to my husband's intriguing tales of adventure. Then invariably they would turn to me and say, "And what did you do?" Occasionally, I would have the chance to tell one of my favorite stories. But before long they were eagerly asking my husband to tell them another story of intrigue. My own tales of intrigue, though none of them are super-secret types, cover---The Week I Went to War, To Sir With Love, My Nights in the Brothel, One for the Grinch, Modern Conveniences, Titillating Tidbits---just to name a few. The stories are written with subtle humor, compassion, and honesty, and relate my adventures of living in foreign countries. So, now, this is my way of telling what it was really like, "Behind the Man Behind the Badge."

An innovative look at the changing symbolic value of Chairman Mao badges, from the Cultural Revolution to the present day. Biography of a Chairman Mao Badge is a work of cultural history that contributes to our understanding not only of Chinese society but, more generally, of strategies people employ in responding to and transforming the meaning of propaganda campaigns and symbols.

Dominic DiPietro paints cars in his brother's auto body shop in Hamilton by day. By night, he chops cars for a brutal Romanian mobster, Bela Nastasi. Dominic's true passion is classic cars. So when a friend discovers a 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang at the bottom of Hamilton Harbour, Dominic gathers a team to help him restore the car, including Andy, a talented female mechanic. Dominic tries to uncover the identity of the car's original owner; instead, he stumbles into a long-forgotten murder. The city's power players want the Mustang to disappear, just like it did in 1964.

Murders, surfing, and a travelogue to Honolulu fill the pages as a young artist unknowingly becomes a foil for a ruthless serial killer. A retired, suburban couple, on vacation in Waikiki, become involved as does an ambitious but dizzy blond who becomes the killer's next target.

C. Rodney James, Ph.D. is a forensic firearms examiner (currently involved in ongoing cases) and firearms writer in both the popular and scientific press. In a previous incarnation he was a university professor teaching courses in film and television at Concordia University, Montréal P.Q. Canada. Saturn collides with Venus as disillusioned firearms examiner Chris Vickers and 18-going-on-30 Cyn Longacre investigate murder and kidnapping to their mutual astonishment. Original Cyn presents two exciting new investigators to mystery readers -- Cynthia Longacre, a more than bright and pretty eighteen-year old, and Chris Vickers, a fortyish forensic firearms examiner with a sense of humor. They pursue a murderous gang through the historic warehouse district of Cleveland to the posh estates of the distant suburbs, following bullets, cartridge cases, and guns. They may even fall in love. HOWARD Mc'CORD, Poet, Novelist, Author, THE MAN WHO WALKED TO THE MOON. As an inveterate fan of crime novels, I have one question about C. Rodney James -- where the hell has this guy been? And as a life long firearms aficionado, my question goes double. Rodney James has combined great story telling, exquisitely satisfying writing and an extraordinary knowledge and love of firearms into a unique novel -- Original Cyn. His anti-hero protagonist, Chris Vickers is a peer of Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee, and of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware. I guarantee when you finish this most satisfying read, you will want more. JAMES O.E. NORELL, firearms writer, political consultant, television writer, co-writer of the Emmy-award winning film, THE INCIDENT. COVER DESIGN: Ariel Delacroix Dax