Books with category Twists & Turns
Displaying 4 books

Mistress of the Art of Death

2007

by Ariana Franklin

Mistress of the Art of Death is a chilling and mesmerizing novel that masterfully combines the best elements of modern forensic thrillers with the rich detail and drama of historical fiction.

In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, accused of committing these acts in blasphemous ceremonies. To protect them from the rioting mob, the king places the Cambridge Jews under his protection, hiding them in a castle fortress.

King Henry II, despite his general disdain for the Jews, is invested in their fate due to the taxes he receives from Jewish merchants, which are crucial for his treasury. Hoping that scientific investigation will exonerate the Jews, Henry calls upon his cousin, the King of Sicily, to send his finest medical expert. Yet, instead of a "master," the Italian doctor sent is a young prodigy named Adelia, a "mistress of the art of death."

Adelia, along with her companions Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor, travels to England to unravel the mystery of the Cambridge murders. The investigation reveals the work of a serial killer, likely someone who has been on Crusade with the king. In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia must conceal her true identity as a doctor to avoid accusations of witchcraft.

Assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, a tax collector with a personal stake in the investigation, Adelia navigates the shadowy river paths of Cambridge and the closed doors of its churches and nunneries. As the hunt intensifies, the killer prepares to strike again, leaving Adelia in a race against time to prevent further tragedy.

A High Wind in Jamaica

1929

by Richard Hughes

A High Wind in Jamaica is a classic adventure novel and a brilliant chronicle of two sensitive children's violent voyage from innocence to experience.

After a terrible hurricane levels their Jamaican estate, the Bas-Thorntons decide to send their children back to the safety and comfort of England. On the way, their ship is set upon by pirates, and the children are accidentally transferred to the pirate vessel. Jonsen, the well-meaning pirate captain, doesn't know how to dispose of his new cargo, while the children adjust with surprising ease to their new life.

As this strange company drifts around the Caribbean, events turn more frightening, and the pirates find themselves increasingly incriminated by the children's fates. The most shocking betrayal, however, will take place only after the return to civilization.

The swift, almost hallucinatory action of Hughes's novel, together with its provocative insight into the psychology of children, made it a bestseller when it was first published in 1929. It has since established itself as a classic of twentieth-century literature—an unequaled exploration of the nature, and limits, of innocence.

It's Not What You Think (It's Not What You Think, #1)

Gehenna, New York. It was the type of place where dreams were damned to die. As a longtime resident, Cora Gottlieb knew this firsthand. Despite being a gifted pianist, her hopes of getting into the New York Philharmonic were always dashed.

Cora wasn't the only miserable resident of the gloomy town, though. It seemed as if everyone lacked the capacity to feel happiness—at least permanent happiness, that is. Family and friends all got lost in the daily humdrum of life. There was no escape.

Could it be that something far more sinister was in the country air? Or was this all really just the result of living in a tired town? Find out what's at play, when you follow Cora and her friends on a journey with plenty of twists and turns. Just remember, it's not what you think.

Una Historia de Ayer

Una Historia de Ayer es un puñetazo conciso y directo a la mandíbula de la vida.

Desnuda la emoción del realismo mágico y la intriga del suspense, encerrados en este relato alineal sobre sinuosos ajustes de cuentas y condescendientes adicciones.

Are you sure you want to delete this?