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Smoke and Mirrors
India and China share a 3500 km border and have interacted with each other for over 2000 years. It is remarkable then that their people know so little of each other: what they think, how they live, their language, customs and philosophy. Or even their cuisine.Pallavi Aiyar was very much the average Indian in her knowledge of China when she set out for Beijing in 2002. As she headed there, she felt the fear of the unknown, Over the next five years that would change as she learnt Mandarin Chinese, settled into a friendly neighborhood in the city's old quarter, and developed a taste for the food. Beyond these, as she travelled across the country from booming Zhejiang to troubled Tibet, she also became a fascinated observer of a country undergoing relentless change, and the pressures this was creating in a society free to become rich but not to criticize. India's own experience of change, its strengths and many weaknesses, provided a basis for comparison. .Smoke and Mirrors: An Experience of China is an intimate look at a society evolving at double-digit pace. Even as it engages the reader with its affectionate portraits of people like Mr. Wu, her landlord, and Mohan, an entrepreneurial yoga teacher, it deftly raises-and answers-questions about the deeper concerns of development and freedom that are relevant to both India and China. In the process, Pallavi Aiyar breaks down many cliches, and opens new gateways through the Great Wall of China.
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The Best Laid Plans
The Best Laid Plans" tells the explosive story of the beautiful and ambitious Leslie Stewart, who learns that for some men power is the greatest aphrodisiac, and of Oliver Russell, the handsome governor of a small southern state, who finds out why hell has no fury like a woman scorned. With the unexpected twists and turns that are the hallmarks of his novels, Sidney Sheldon spins a tale of two equally determined people headed on a collision course. Oliver has a strategy to win the White House; Leslie has a scheme to make him wish he´d never been born. They both should have known that even the best-laid plans can go dangerously astray...with deadly consequences. "The Best Laid Plans" takes readers inside two of America´s most powerful and ruthless institutions: the world of politics with its scandals, corruption, and cover-ups; and that of newspaper publishing, where it is not unusual to use the power of the press to destroy lives - or bring down heads of state - in pursuit of a story or to settle a score.
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Are you afraid of the Dark?
Two women -- the widows of two of the dead -- find themselves under ruthless attack and are drawn together in fear, confusion and for mutual protection. But are they being targeted because one of them is the prosecution witness at a famous criminal trial? Or is there a connection to the mystery behind their husband's deaths? Meanwhile, Tanner Kingsley, Chief Executive of an international Think Tank created only seven years ago, is on the cusp of an amazing discovery which could alter the future of the world. If properly handled, the outcome of this could deliver unbelievable power into the company's hands. But are the mysterious deaths connected to this volatile secret? Taut with suspense and vivid characterization, and with an unnervingly realistic premise ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK is a tour de force from a master storyteller.
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Windmills Of The Gods
She's on the glinting edge of east west confrontation, a beautiful and accomplished scholar who has suddenly become the new US ambassador to an iron curtain country, a woman who is about to dramatically change the course of world events-if she lives. For mary ashley has been marked for death by the world's most proficient and mysterious assassin, and plunged into a nightmare of espionage, kidnapping and terror. Only two people-both powerfully attractive and ultimately enigmatic men-can offer her help.But soon she comes to believe that one of them is out to kill her.
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Morning Noon & Night
When Harry Stanford, one of the wealthiest men in the world mysteriously drowns while cruising on his yacht off the rugged coast of Corsica, it sets off a chain of events that reverberates around the globe. At the family gathering following the funeral in Boston, a strikingly beautiful young woman appears. She claims to be the daughter of harry stanford and entitled to a share of the tycoon's estate. Is she genuine, or is she an imposter?
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Nothing Lasts Forever
Dr. Paige Taylor. She swore it was euthanasia, but when Paige inherited a million dollars from a patient, the D.A. called it murder. Dr. Kat Turner. She vowed to never let another man too close again -- until she accepted the challenge of a deadly bet. Dr. Honey Taft. To make it in medicine, she knew she'd need something more than the brains that god gave her.
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If Tomorrow Comes
Lovely, idealistic Tracy Whitney is framed into a fifteen year sentence in an escape-proof penitentiary. With dazzling ingenuity she fights back to destroy the untouchable crime lords who put her there. With her intelligence and beauty as her only weapons, Tracy embarks on a series of extraordinary escapades that sweep her across the globe. In an explosive confrontation Tracy meets her equal in irresistible Jeff Stevens, whose past is as colorful as Tracy´s.
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Master Of The Games
Kate blackwell is one of the world's most powerful women and the daughter of a diamond prospector who struck it rich beyond his wildest dreams. The extravagant celebrations of her ninetieth birthday include toasts from a supreme court jedge and a telegram from the white house. But for a kate there are ghosts of absent friends and absent enemies. Ghosts from a life of blackmail and deceit and murder. Ghosts from a empire spawned by naked ambition.
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The Other Side Of Me
Growing up in 1930s America, the young Sidney knew what it was to struggle to get by. Millions were out of work and the Sheldon family was forced to journey around America in search of employment. Grabbing every chance he could, Sidney worked nights as a busboy, a clerk, an usher - anything - but he dreamt of becoming something more. His dream was to become a writer and to break Hollywood. By a stroke of luck, he found work as a reader for David Selznick, a top Hollywood producer, and the dream began to materialise. Sheldon worked through the night writing stories for the movies, and librettos for the musical theatre. Little by little he gained a reputation and soon found himself in demand by the hottest producers and stars in Hollywood. But, this was wartime Hollywood and Sidney had to play his part. He trained as a pilot in the US Army Air Corps and waited for the call to arms which could put a stop to his dreams of stardom.Returning to Hollywood and working with actors like Cary Grant and Shirley Temple; with legendary producers like David Selznick and Dore Schary; and musical stars like Irving Berlin, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, memories of poverty were finally behind Sheldon. This is his story: the story of a life on both sides of the tracks, of struggles and of success, and of how one man rose against the odds to become the master of his game.
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Bloodline
The daughter of a rich and powerful father, Elizabeth Roffe is young, beautiful - and sole heir to a billion dollar fortune. Then tragedy strikes. Her father is killed in a freak accident and Elizabeth must take command of his mighty global empire, the pharmaceutical company Roffe and Sons. It makes Elizabeth the richest girl in the world. But someone, somewhere, is determined that she must die. From the backstreets of Istanbul to the upmarket offices of New York, Bloodline is a hypnotic tale of love and ambition, danger, intrigue and death.
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The Other Side Of Midnight
A beautiful French actress whose craving for passion and vengeance takes her from the gutters of Paris to the bedroom of a powerful billionaire; a dynamic Greek tycoon who never forgets an insult, never forgives an injury; and a handsome war hero lured from his wife by another woman. From Paris to Washington, Hollywood to the islands of Greece, The Other Side of Midnight is the story of four star-crossed lives enmeshed in a deadly ritual of passion, intrigue and corruption.
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A Stranger In The Mirror
Toby is a super star adored by fans, but plagued by suspicion and distrust. Jill comes to Hollywood to be a star and discovers she has to buy her way with her body.
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The Sky Is Falling
The Sky is Falling contains all the elements which make Sidney Sheldon's works impossible to put down: power, money, greed, lust, corruption and a strong female central character. In this instance it is a TV anchorwoman from Washington DC. All her investigative instincts tell her that a brutal series of murders are linked - and she travels the world to prove it. But the closer she comes to uncovering the truth the more she realizes her own life is in jeopardy. However, she is not about to give up - the hunter becomes the hunted. As readers navigate the twists and turns of the plot, they'll know they must anticipate the unexpected - Sidney Sheldon's hallmark. And they won't be disappointed.
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Rage of angels
Jennifer Parker is brilliant, beautiful and indomitable - the most glamorous lawyer in America and one of the most successful. Her life is shadowed by two men. Both of them powerful and both drawn irresistibly to her.
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Memories Of Midnight
The Internationally bestselling The other side of midnight was dominated by the man who is Sheldon's most magnificant creation.
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Tell Me Your Dreams
She had read about stalkers, but they belonged in a different, faraway world. She had no idea who it could be, who would want to harm her. She was trying desperately not to panic, but lately her sleep had been filled with nightmares, and she had awakened each morning with a feeling of impending doom". Thus begins Sidney Sheldon's haunting new novel, Tell Me Your Dreams. When a series of brutal murders are committed, the police suspect three beautiful young women. An arrest is made, and what follows is one of the most bizarre murder trials of the century. Based on actual events, Tell Me Your Dreams races at a feverish pace from London to Rome to the city of Quebec to San Francisco, and builds to a shocking climax that will leave the listener stunned. This suspenseful follow-up to Sheldon's most recent best seller The Best Laid Plans, is rich with tension and heart-stopping action. Laced with the kinds of plot twists and turns that his fans love, Tell Me Your Dreams is an entertaining and gripping story. Computer whiz Ashley Patterson is convinced she is being stalked. Coworker Toni Prescott has a penchant for Internet dating and little time for anyone else. And Alette Peters prefers quiet weekends in the arms of a beefcake artist. They know virtually nothing about each other--until the three women are linked by a murder investigation that will lead to one of the most bizarre trials of the century. Three beautiful young women are suspected of committing a series of brutal murders. The police make an arrest that leads to one of the most bizarre murder trials of the century. Based on actual events, Sheldon's novel races from London to Rome, from Quebec to San Francisco, with a climax that will leave readers stunned.
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By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept
What happen when shyness prevents an adolescent love affairs from developing And what happens when, 11 years later, destiny bring the lovers together again pilar is now an independent and strong young woman who has learnt to bury her feelings. She is studying at a small-town university when she receives an unexpected call from her old childhood sweetheart. He is now a handsome spiritual teacher - with a reputation for performing miracles - who has turned to religion as a refuge from his inner conflicts.Together they take a journey that is initially fraught with difficulty as blame and resentment resurface after years of being hidden. But by the River Piedra, in a small village in the French Pyreness, they find a way to discuss many of life's big questions and re-evaluate their own special relationship.By The River Piedra is a wonderful novel, with a poetic and transcendent narrative, that reflects all the mysteries of love and life Paul Coelho was born in Brazil and has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today. Renowned for his best-loved work The Alchemist, he has sol over 43 millions books worldwide and has been translated into 56 languages. The recipient of numerous prestigious international awards, Paulo Coelho is a storyteller with the power to inspire nations and to change people's lives.
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The Devil And Miss Prym
A community devoured by greed, cowardice, and fear. A man persecuted by his painful past. A woman searching for happiness. In one eventful week, each of them will face questions of life, death, and power, and each will choose their own path. Will they choose good or evil? The remote village of Viscos is the setting for this extraordinary struggle. A stranger arrives, carrying with him a backpack containing a notebook and 11 gold bars. He comes searching for the answer to a question that torments him: Are human beings, in essence, good or evil? In welcoming the mysterious foreigner, the whole village becomes an accomplice to his sophisticated plot, which will forever mark their lives.Paulo Coelho's stunning novel explores the timeless struggle between good and evil and its relevance to our everyday dilemmas: to dare to follow our dreams, to have the courage to be different, and to master the fear that prevents us from truly living.
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The Fifth Mountain
Fleeing his from persecution, 23-years-old Elijah takes refuge with a young widow and her son the beautiful town of Akbar. Already struggling to maintain his sanity in a chaotic world of tyranny and war, he is now forced to choose between his-new found love and his overwhelming sense of duty. Evoking all the intrigue of the colourful, chaotic Middle East, Paulo Coelho turns the trials of Elijah into an inspiring story of how faith and love can ultimately triumph over suffering. A gripping and moving story of how one man can surmount tragedy and inspire a war torn city to rebuild itself.
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The Alchemist
Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book a magical fable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life's path and, above all, follow your dreams. This is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a worldly treasure as fabulous as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers, and from there into the Egyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him With Paulo Coelho's visionary blend of spirituality, magical realism and folklore, The Alchemist is a story with the power to inspire nations and change people's lives
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Death In The Clouds
From seat No.9, Hercule Poirot was ideally placed to observe his fellow air passengers. Over to his right sat a pretty young woman, clearly infatuated with the man opposite; ahead, in seat No.13, sat a Countess with a poorly-concealed cocaine habit; across the gangway in seat No.8, a detective writer was being troubled by an aggressive wasp. What Poirot did not yet realize was that behind him, in seat No.2, sat the slumped, lifeless body of a woman.
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Murder In Mesopotamia
When Amy Leatheran agrees to look after archaeologist Dr. Leidner’s wife at a dig near Hassanieh, she finds herself taking on more than just nursing duties – she also has to help solve murders. Fortunately for Amy, Hercule Poirot is visiting the excavation site. But will the great detective be ...
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The Clocks
A typist uncovers a man's body from behind the sofa...As instructed, stenographer Sheila Webb let herself into the house at 19 Wilbraham Crescent. It was then that she made a grisly discovery: the body of a dead man sprawled across the living room floor. What intrigued Poirot about the case was the time factor. Although in a state of shock, Sheila clearly remembered having heard a cuckoo clock strike three o'clock. Yet, the four other clocks in the living room all showed the time as 4.13. Even more strangely, only one of these clocks belonged to the owner of the house!
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Elephants Can Remember
Hercule Poirot stood on the cliff-top. Here, many years earlier, there had been a tragic accident. This was followed by the grisly discovery of two more bodies – a husband and wife – shot dead.But who had killed whom? Was it a suicide pact? A crime of passion? Or cold-blooded murder? Poirot delves back into the past and discovers that ‘old sin leave long shadows’.