In 1881, the scrappy, rough-and-tumble baseball team in a California mining town enlists the help of a quick-witted twelve-year-old orphan and the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid to win a big game against the National League Champion Chicago White Stockings. Prequel to: The boy who saved baseball.

In the tradition of The Orchid Thief, a compelling narrative set within the strange and genteel world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunged herself into the world of book lust and discovered just how dangerous it can be. John Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him. Bartlett befriended both outlandish characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure. With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she has woven this entertaining cat-and-mouse chase into a narrative that not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes, where he stashed the loot, and how Sanders ultimately caught him but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. Immersing the reader in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love.

Two taut psychological thrillers and a gripping memoir from the creator of the hit BBC crime series Luther and a “master of suspense” (Daily Mirror). The PEN/Ackerley Prize–shortlisted author and creator of Luther starring Idris Elba, British author Neil Cross is “an astonishing writer—tautly lyrical, and able at a stroke to fill you with cold, dark fear of the malign forces at large in the world” whether writing fiction or memoir (Time Out London). In this collection, Cross unflinchingly explores the dark side of parenting and family drama in ways equally startling and unforgettable. Always the Sun Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Looking for a fresh start after the death of his wife, Sam and his thirteen-year-old son, Jamie, return to Sam’s hometown. But at his new school, a group of kids led by a savage bully target Jamie, and the administration does nothing. When Jamie comes home bearing real, physical scars, Sam is left at a crossroads: How far will he go to protect his child? “Harrowing but gripping.” —Time Out London Natural History: In a last-ditch attempt to save their floundering marriage, Patrick and Jane founded an animal sanctuary called Monkeyland. But following the mysterious death of an ape, Patrick becomes obsessed, while Jane’s in Zaire shooting a nature show—and possibly cheating—and their son gets fired after an altercation. As a predatory cat stalks the periphery of the dilapidated zoo, Jane and Patrick’s search for wild beasts blinds them to the danger in their own backyard. “A masterpiece . . . seductively readable, no matter how much one dreads what may happen next.” —The Daily Telegraph Heartland Shortlisted for the PEN/Ackerley Prize In this “wonderful memoir,” Neil Cross tells the complicated story of his relationship with his stepfather. Derek Cross showers his young stepson with attention and love, teaches him about music and books, and is more reliable than Neil’s emotionally unstable mother. But as Neil grows older, he realizes the stepfather he loves is also a manipulator, adulterer, racist, and con man (The Guardian). “Moving and engrossing . . . Heartland is a tour de force.” —Daily Mail

In 1868, William Standing, a man shadowed by his history, is forced into thievery, taking a majestic horse that is half mustang, half Arabian. He returns to an unspeakable tragedy: his sister’s homestead ravaged by the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, a tribe notorious for their fearsome warfare, leaving only the children taken captive. Driven by desperation, Standing tracks the Cheyenne, witnessing the aftermath of their raids. In an unexpected confrontation, Standing proves his mettle, rescuing the children but surrendering the black horse to his adversaries. Just as hope dawns, the horse’s original owners emerge, leading to Standing’s harsh sentencing: twenty years in Georgia Penitentiary. His escape sparks a relentless search for the scattered children, now with distant kin. Joining Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show offers Standing a guise to move from town to town, yet the Pinkertons’ pursuit is unyielding. His quest is a tumultuous ride through the heart of a man’s indomitable spirit and the wild tapestry of the American frontier.

Collects Avengers (1963) #189-202, Marvel Premiere #55 and Tales of Astonish (1979) #12. Who knew the fight of the Avengers’ lives would be in the courtroom? Henry Peter Gyrich has his sights set on stripping Earth’s Mightiest Heroes of their charter — but when the Grey Gargoyle crashes the hearing, the only motion is to Assemble! Then, the action moves to Pittsburgh before a new nemesis arrives in the form of the Taskmaster! In his first appearance, the villain who can replicate any hero’s actions battles the Avengers, Yellowjacket, the Wasp — and Scott Lang, the all-new Ant-Man! On the way to its milestone 200th issue, the team encounters the towering robot Red Ronin and unites against Ultron in an all-time classic! Also featuring a Wonder Man solo tale, a rare Vision story and an action-packed adventure starring — Jarvis?!

That rumbling youÕre hearing is the arrival ofÊThunder!, the new comic-sized magazine devoted exclusively to comic book heroes brought to life on film, television, and in animation.ÊOur premiere issue features a complete guide to the animated seriesÊThe Avengers: EarthÕs Mightiest Heroes, going behind the scenes on every episode of the first season and featuring the comments of Jeph Loeb, story editor Chris Yost, and supervising producer Josh Fine. From there we have exclusive new interviews with Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon and producer Kevin Feige in time for the DVD release. It also features an episode guide to Walking Dead!

His pa named him Cain because his birth was a curse… but what happens when he’s the only one who can save the town? Anna Mae Harding never thought getting married would be so hard. It’s not that she hasn’t had any offers. On the contrary, it seems like someone is always asking her to be his wife. The trouble is, she up and fell in love with the wrong man years ago, and no matter how much she tries to forget him, no one else she’s met has measured up. Texas Ranger Cain Whitelaw is happy to leave the town where he grew up behind him forever. Being around his childhood friends stirs up too many old feelings—feelings that are best left buried beneath the cracked desert dirt. The hardest part is seeing Anna Mae Harding. Each time he looks at her, he gets a hankering to sweep her off her feet and carry her to the church for a surprise wedding. But he had too rough of a childhood—and has seen too many things as a Ranger—to ever become a family man. That’s why he’s better off shaking the dust of Twin Rivers from his worn boots and never returning. When one of Cain’s enemies sets his sights on Twin Rivers and threatens both Anna Mae and his friends, Cain finds himself not only returning home, but facing a choice between his duty to the Rangers and the closest thing he has to a family. And he’s not quite sure who will survive the outcome… From jagged mountains and green river valleys, to cattle ranches and vivid sunsets, Tomorrow’s Lasting Joy offers a powerful story about loyalty, love, and the bonds that hold us together through the deepest of trials.