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Sherlock Holmes and The Plague of Dracula
After Mina Murray asks Sherlock Holmes to locate her fiancee, Holmes and Watson travel to a land far eerier than the moors they had known when pursuing the Hound of the Baskervilles. The confrontation with Count Dracula threatens Holmes' health, his sanity, and his life. Will Holmes survive his battle with Count Dracula?
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Not Just An Accountant
Not just an accountant is an incisive, no-holds-barred account of Indias eleventh comptroller and auditor general and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Through a narrative, rich in anecdote and inside information, Rai sheds light on the major scams that shook the country. Among the case studies-chosen for the diversity of failures they highlight are - the procedural irregularities in the issuance of licenses for second generation spectrum allotment, the last minute quick-fixes in the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games, the loss of national resources while allocating coal blocks, the flouting of systems and the clear display of crony capitalism in the exploration of hydrocarbon and the tragic tale of civil aviation in India. Through these illustrations, Rai wishes to not only expose government malfeasance, but also probe the mandate of the CAG as a watchdog. Equally, he hopes to push for long-term solutions to corruption and bring home the urgent need for ethics-for the pursuit of excellence, accountability, probity and transparency within governments, the bureaucracy, corporate enterprises and public life. Interesting facts A blow-by-blow, explosive, yet thoughtful account that sheds new light on the scams that shook India - 2G, coalgate, civil aviation, the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games and hydrocarbon contracts. Explodes the myth of accountability in contemporary Indian governance. Written by the eleventh CAG of India and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Presents long-term solutions for the future, so as to contain procedural irregularities within the government and corporate enterprises. Provides a roadmap for good governance, important for the growth of the nation. Exhorts younger professionals / administrators to strive for excellence.
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God is a Gamer
Aditya is an entrepreneur, running his own gaming company. The arrival of a part-time drug dealer and full-time genius named Varun turns Aditya’s struggling company’s fortunes around. However, things are not as they seem. A banker slips from the rooftop of a high-rise building and falls to his death. A finance minister with his heart on his sleeve discovers that he has made some promises which will cost him far too much. An explosion in Washington D.C. leads the FBI to a chase in Mumbai. The investigators begin to plummet down a world where bitcoins are the only meaningful form of currency. Here, everything is governed by the Dark Net, a group of nefarious websites dealing with illegal transactions. In this world, God is a Gamer, martyrs are villains, the hunters become the hunted and the ancient Greeks teach the secrets of assassination. In this new novel, nothing is what it seems.
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Kalidasa For The 21st Century Reader
A fresh and very readable translation of the world's greatest Sanskrit writer, Kalidasa. Kalidasa (circa fourth century CE) is widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. Not much is known with certainty about his life, and though many are aware of his timeless Sakuntalam and Meghadutam, very few have actually read him, even in translation. The aesthetics of poetry may have changed over 1500 years-we no longer compare women's faces to lotuses or their figures to vines-but it is difficult not to be moved by the sheer beauty and lyricism of Kalidasa's description of the exiled yak?a beseeching a cloud to carry his message across the mountains to his lover, or his evocative narration of the meeting of doomed lovers in the forest. Mani Rao's supple, contemporary translation removes the distance between Kalidasa and the modern reader; she helps 'read' the poetry for us while remaining loyal to the text. Selections from all seven of the great poet's works (which are considered by Sanskrit scholars to be authentically his creations) are included in this volume- Meghadutam, Kumarasambhavam and ?tusa?haram; the heroic exploits narrated in Raghuva?sam which gives us a remarkable picture of ancient India; as well as the celebrated dramas Abhijnana Sakuntalam, Vikramorvasyam and Malavikagnimitram. This is a translation that belongs to today; Kalidasa renewed.
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The Monogram Murders
The new Hercule Poirot novel-another brilliant murder mystery that can only be solved by the eponymous Belgian detective and his little grey cells. The bestselling novelist of all time. The world's most famous detective. The literary event of the year. Hercule Poirot's quiet supper in a London coffee house is interrupted when a young woman confides to him that she is about to be murdered. She is terrified, but begs Poirot not to find and punish her killer. Once she is dead, she insists, justice will have been done. Later that night, Poirot learns that three guests at a fashionable London hotel have been murdered and a cufflink has been placed in each ones mouth. Could there be a connection with the frightened woman? While Poirot struggles to put together the bizarre pieces of the puzzle, the murderer prepares another hotel bedroom for a fourth victim. In the hands of internationally bestselling author Sophie Hannah, Poirot plunges into a mystery set in 1920s London-a diabolically clever puzzle that can only be solved by the talented Belgian detective and his little grey cells.
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Alterd Destiny
Is the destiny of every person already written and sealed? If so, can anyone change it? Does the sub-conscious mind have the power to alter the destiny by positive thinking alone? Welcome to altered destiny a book based on human optimism, faith and belief. It is the story of Yashwant Rathore, a jailor who always tries to transform every prisoner in his jail. He treats all the prisoners with compassion, counsels and motivates them to lead a positive life after their release. His life changes one day when he decides to reform the notorious criminal Dilawar Khan by using the power of his sub-conscious mind. However, his dreams are shattered when Dilawar Khan escapes from the prison in a daring adventurous drama and continues to execute the tasks assigned by the organisation. But Yashwant does not give up and continues to believe that Dilawar Khan would be reformed one day Strangely enough, Dilawar Khan comes across certain extra-ordinary situations while executing his tasks which show him an unknown new side of life, which is full of innocence, hope, love and spirituality. In order to avoid being caught by the police and the organisation, Dilawar Khan turns fugitive and stays incognito. Would Yashwants sub-conscious mind succeed in eventually reforming Dilawar Khan? How would the organisation react to Dilawar Khans new ideology, which is based on love and compassion? Would the law ever catch up with Dilawar Khan and punish him for the crimes committed by him earlier in his life? Can a reformed criminal live a peaceful life? What does the human side of a terrorist look like? Altered destiny is an interesting fast-paced story with several twists and turns which will keep the reader glued to the book till the very end. The book also attempts to explore whether world peace can be attained through the power of sub-conscious mind, thereby altering the global destiny.
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Personal
Jack Reacher has had enough with the army, but the army isn’t quite finished with him yet. When a long-range shot threatens the safety of the French President, Jack is pulled back into service. This time, he serves the State Department and the CIA. However, he faces an expert marksman whose work looks oddly familiar. How could anyone make a shot at a distance of three-fourths of a mile from the target? To make matters worse for America, the bullet is one of theirs and the gunman is an ex-convict with 15 years of prison time behind him: John Kott. Jack must once again track down the man he put away years before. This time, the stakes are higher. Jack continues to be haunted by memories of a woman he couldn’t save. He is teamed up with a young analyst named Casey Nice, and he begins to feel like the situation is repeating itself. However, he is desperate to keep it from happening this time. This time, he tells himself, the killer made it personal. About Lee Child Lee Child is a British thriller novelist. He is best known for his Jack Reacher series of novels. The first novel in the series won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel. Child was presented the Crime Writers Association Diamond Dagger.
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Seduced by Murder
"When detective Vishal Bajaj receives a call from his old flame Aditi,he is seduced into a vortex of family lies and a murder. Vishal sets out to catch the murderer, while dealing with the resurgence of an irresistible desire for Aditi that he had buried years ago. Vishal is a witty, hard drinking, tough private detective who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty as he races against time to catch a meticulous killer. Seduced by Murder weaves a web of noir and suspense that keeps the reader riveted and guessing till the end."
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The Blood on My Hands..
"RUNNING DOESNT CHANGE ANYTHING... DYING DOES." Rehan lrani's life is a mess. His line of work isn't strictly legal and the pressure is mounting. Getting into this assassination business wasn't his brightest idea. But then, beggars can't be choosers, right? And the Colonel's offer had been poisonously sweet to refuse. Hiding, lurking, killing in these damp lanes of Mumbai is now a way of life. However hard it may rain, the stains on his hands just refuse to wash. And now, this blood trail has led him to his past... A past that doesn't want to exist anymore and he has to be the one to pull the trigger. Can he kill the person he loved so much? Can he stop a person who wants to die when the cost might be his own life ?"
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The Dead Woman Writing
"Devika has an unstable mind, or so the doctors have been saying. While working on her second book, she starts receiving letters from an enigmatic woman who was already dead. While a bewildered police force investigates mysterious cases happening around town,Devika decides to unfold the true story behind these strange psychotic incidents and the purpose of those letters. Is there more to all this than what meets the eye? Is all this real at all, or just a figment of her imagination? In her search for truth, Devika cannot trust anybody, not even herself. Struggling between her volatile mind and a personal crisis that saps every bit of sanity out of her, Devika has to find answers. She has to take the journey which could take her to the doorstep of a complete mental breakdowna wild ride between the real and the paranormal world to find the truth behind The Dead Woman Writing."
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Lady Windermeres Lover
Hell hath no fury Damian, Earl of windermere, rues the day he drunkenly gambled away his familys estate and was forced into marriage to reclaim it. Now, after hiding out from his new bride for a year, Damian is finally called home, only to discover that his modest bride has become an alluring beauty-and rumour has it that shes taken a lover. Damian vows to keep his wife from straying again, but to do so, he must seduce her-and protect his heart from falling for the wife he never knew he wanted. Like a woman abandoned. Lady Cynthia never aspired to be the subject of scandal. But with her husband off gallivanting across Persia, what was a lady to do? Flirting shamelessly with his former best friend seemed like the perfect revenge except no matter how little Damian deserves her loyalty, Cynthia cant bring herself to be unfaithful. But now that the scoundrel has returned home, Cynthia isnt about to forgive his absence so easily-even if his presence stirs something in her shed long thought dead and buried. He might win her heart if he can earn her forgiveness!
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To Marry a Scottish Laird
New York times bestselling author Lynsay Sands returns to the Highlands of Scotland in her hottest new historical romance yet! highlander Campbell Sinclair is no stranger to battle, so when he sees a lad attacked by bandits, he jumps into the fray. He didnt count on being stabbed. Grateful to the boy for nursing him back to health, Cam offers to accompany Jo safely to his destination. But when he accidentally comes across the lad bathing in the river, Cam discovers that Jo is actually Joan with the most sinful of curves. Joan promised her mother that she would deliver a scroll to the clan MacKay. But travelling alone is dangerous, even disguised as a boy. When a Scottish warrior lends his aid, she is more than relieved until he surprises her with lingering kisses and caresses that prove her disguise hasnt fooled him. As their passion ignites, will the secrets of the scroll force a wedding and lead to a love shes never known?
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Southern Cross The Dog
Robert Chatham loses everything in the flood. His home, his family and his first love are gone. He journeys through the deep South, seeking some manner of escape from his own memories. He finds it nowhere, not in the desperation of a refugee camp or in the fiery and raucous brothel Hotel Beau-Miel. The journey takes him to the Mississippi hinterland, and he joins a band of men commissioned with clearing the swamp and building a dam. Through his journey he meets hustlers who play the piano, Klansmen who never do or mean well, and a family of fur trappers. The trappers, called the L’Etangs, are threatened by the clearing of the swamp. The L’Etang brothers are fierce, but their cousin, the soft and caring Frankie, might be the only woman who can once again touch Robert’s heart and cleanse it of the darkness and melancholy it hides.
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Before The Fall
A compelling, moving tale of a love affair, set in the East End during World War I and inspired by an unforgettable true story. A great war. A powerful love. An impossible choice. 1916. Across the channel, the Great War rages; in London's East End, with her husband away fighting, Hannah Loxwood struggles to hold everything together. But when Hannah takes a job in a caf, she discovers a glimpse of freedom away from her needy young children, her spiteful sister and desperately ill father. While the conflict drags on, Hannah battles with the overwhelming burden of 'duty'. She has sacrificed so much for a husband who left her behind, a husband who may never come home. Then, when she meets Daniel - thoughtful, intelligent, quietly captivating - Hannah finds herself faced with the most dangerous of temptations. As the war grips tighter and bombs fall down upon the streets, the stakes for the couple grow ever higher. Soon Hannah and Daniel will realise just how precarious their happiness is, as their destiny rushes towards them. Beautifully wrought, utterly compelling and with a twist that will leave you breathless, Before The Fall, inspired by a true story, hurls you into a London torn apart by the First World War and paints a vivid and haunting portrait of one woman's struggle.
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The Art Of Hunting
Welcome to the next installment of Alan Campbells extraordinary Gravedigger Chronicles, The Art of Hunting. Welcome to the next installment of Alan Campbell's extraordinary Gravedigger Chronicles, The Art of Hunting, following on fromSea of Ghosts. With the Haurstaf decimated, the Unmer have seized the palace at Awl. The Unmer Prince Paulus Marquetta discovers an ally in the blind girl Ianthe, albeit a dangerous one. She has the power to destroy his mind with a single thought. But Ianthe's friendship with the Unmer has made her dangerous enemies. The exiled Unmer lord, Argusto Conquillas is determined to challenge the prince and his followers-and kill anyone who gets in his way. When the disgraced Gravedigger soldier Granger learns of his daughter's danger, he must use every scrap of his cunning to protect her. Even that may not be enough as the Unmer, in their quest to unlock the secrets of the universe, have made a bargain with a god, a deal that threatens to destroy the world.
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The Heist
The art trader Julian Isherwood has evidenced a terrifying murder scene in Lake Como and is held as a suspect. Gabriel has to now find one of the most famous paintings in the world which is missing, to save his friend. The man who was murdered was a British spy with a secret – he was involved in trafficking stolen works of art and selling them to an unknown collector. One of the stolen artwork is the world’s most iconic painting, a masterpiece - Caravaggio’s magnificent Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence. Gabriel embarks on a brave manoeuvre to get the Caravaggio back, which will take him on a nerve-racking hunt from Paris and London to Marseilles and Corsica. Finally, he ends up in a small private bank in Austria. Journeying between the worlds of art and espionage, The Heist is yet another page-turning novel with a riveting plot, peopled by an incredible cast of spies, murderers and burgles.
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The Hundred-Foot Journey
A middle-aged chef, Hassan Haji, recounts his lifes journey, from his familys modest restaurant in Mumbai to his elegant restaurant in Paris where he has conquered the insular world of French haute cuisine. A tragedy at home in Mumbai pushes Hassans boisterous family into a picaresque journey across Europe, where they ultimately settle opposite a famous chef, Madam Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumiere. After a series of hilarious cultural mishaps, the grand French chef discovers that the young boy cooking in the cheap Indian restaurant across the way is a chef with natural talents far superior to her own. A culinary war ensues. Full of eccentric characters, vivid settings and delicious meals, Hassans charming tale lays bare the inner workings of the elite world of French haute cuisine. In the process, however, Hassan also discovers a truism that bedevils any man who has gone out into the world to make his mark-the true costs of rising to the top are only revealed later in life. About the Author Richard C. Morais is a senior editor at Forbes and chairs the Forbes Family Business Forum. An American raised in Switzerland, Morais has lived most of his life overseas, returning to the US in 2003. He was stationed in London for seventeen years, eventually becoming European Bureau Chief. His first book, an unauthorized biography of Pierre Cardin, was published to critical acclaim by UKs Bantam Press in 1991. The Hundred-Foot Journey is his first novel.
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Something Sweeter
A dream come true. To the single women of sweet, Texas, former Marine, Jesse Wilder, is hot, hunky perfection with six-pack abs and a heart of gold. Hes a veterinarian who loves animals, kids, is devoted to his family and is financially stable. The best part? No woman has yet snagged him or put a ring on his finger. The problem? Jesses been down a long, bumpy road and isnt the least bit interested in setting his boots on the path to matrimony. Comes heart-to-heart with a wedding planner and her big secret. Sure, Allison Lane makes a living helping others plan their big day, but that doesnt mean she has to actually believe in matrimonial bliss. Her familys broken track record proves she just doesnt have the settle-down gene swimming in her DNA. And though she finds Jesse fantasy material, why should she take the word of this confirmed playboy that all roads lead to I do?
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The Wedding Wager
Lord Tyrone Wallingford has known miss Mary Spencer since they were young. She never gave him the time of day, even though he was the most eligible bachelor in their county. Now, hes one of the most desireable rogues in London and they meet again. Shes a debutante set on making a convenient marriage, but when he takes her in his arms and waltzes her across a ballroom suddenly shes struck by the fact that the one man who has always infuriated her now intrigues her-and in some very unexpected ways.