The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte

Laura Joh Rowland

"Upon learning that she has been falsely accused of breaching her contract, the normally mild-mannered Charlotte Bronte, the author of Jane Eyre, sets off for London to clear her name. But when she unintentionally witnesses a murder, Charlotte finds herself embroiled in a dangerous chain of events. With the clandestine aid of the other Bronte sisters, Emily and Anne, and of the suspiciously well-informed but irrestibly attractive brother of the victim, Charlotte works to unravel a deadly web of intrigue that threatens not only her own safety but the very fabric of the British Empire. Will Charlotte be able to stop a devious villain whose schemes endanger her life, her family, and her country?"
Contact the library to request this book

Playing with Cobras

Craig Thomas

It was to be a small and simple task, a matter of two or three days – something Patrick Hyde could do by stopping over in Delhi on his way back to Australia. All he had to do was to make certain that Philip Cass, to whom he owed his life, really had murdered the film-star wife of an Indian Cabinet Minister. Once the truth was established, Cass could be conveniently forgotten by British Intelligence and the government.

But Cass protests his innocence, and claims he was framed. The dead woman’s husband is a drug-smuggler. Hyde’s problem is that he believes Cass… and nothing is simple any longer. When the drug-smuggler becomes Prime Minister and Cass conveniently disappears, Hyde finds himself involved – unofficially – in the most dangerous game of his long career. He must play with men as deadly as cobras for the highest stakes – the future of India itself. – book cover.
Contact the library to request this book

The Chancellor Manuscript

Robert Ludlum

"A terrific thriller, Ludlum in top form. This is back in the days when his intricate plots made sense and fit like a glove. He also kept the page count down in this one, never padding the book, and never veering into unnecessary sidetracks (like ICARUS AGENDA's 100+ page prologue!)
I can't see a thriller fan not loving this book, nor failing to appreciate the brilliant device Ludlum uses to get the action going. If you've never read Ludlum, this is a great place to start." - review from "A Customer" on Amazon.com
Contact the library to request this book

Pompeii

Robert Harris

All along the coast, the Roman Empire’s richest citizens are relaxing their luxurious villas. The world’s largest navy lies peacefully at anchor in Misenum. The tourists are spending their money in the seaside resorts of Baiae, Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Only one man is worried. The engineer Marius Attilius Primus has just taken charge of the Aqua Augusta, the enormous aqueduct which brings fresh water to a quarter of a million people in nine towns around the Bay. Springs are failing for the first time in generations. His predecessor has disappeared. And now there is a crisis on the Augusta’s sixty-mile main line – somewhere to the north of Pompeii, on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.

Attilius – decent, practical, incorruptible – promises Pliny, the famous scholar who commands the navy, that he can repair the aqueduct before the reservoir runs dry. But as he heads out towards Vesuvius he is about to discover there are forces which even the worls; only superpower cannot control. – book cover
Contact the library to request this book

The secret history

Donna Tartt

"A scholarship student at an exclusive New England college, Richard unexpectedly finds kindred spirits in the the charismatic students of his ancient Greek class, children of privilege immersed in beauty and culture. But his new friends have a horrific secret.

When blackmail and violence threaten to blow their magic circle apart, Richard is drawn into a heart of darkness from which he may never return." -- book cover.
Contact the library to request this book