Skip to main content

Ann Patchett, author of Tom Lake

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and they are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Editorial Content for Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Defiance

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Outside of Ian Fleming’s James Bond, there may not be a more famous or world-renowned fictional spy than Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne. Read More

Teaser

From the glacial waters of Alaska to a sexy nightclub in the Bahamas, Treadstone agents are being hunted down and murdered. Someone high up in the U.S. government will stop at nothing to cover up a secret Treadstone mission from the past known as Defiance. With a team of killers hot on his trail, Jason Bourne chases the mystery of Defiance around the world. But as he closes in on the shocking truth, Bourne realizes that one man holds the key --- his archenemy, the assassin known as Lennon. The Russian hitman has been at the heart of Defiance from the very beginning, and his next target will put Bourne --- and the woman he loves --- in the crosshairs. As Bourne races to stop the ruthless conspiracy behind Defiance, he must come face to face with Lennon one last time.

Promo

From the glacial waters of Alaska to a sexy nightclub in the Bahamas, Treadstone agents are being hunted down and murdered. Someone high up in the U.S. government will stop at nothing to cover up a secret Treadstone mission from the past known as Defiance. With a team of killers hot on his trail, Jason Bourne chases the mystery of Defiance around the world. But as he closes in on the shocking truth, Bourne realizes that one man holds the key --- his archenemy, the assassin known as Lennon. The Russian hitman has been at the heart of Defiance from the very beginning, and his next target will put Bourne --- and the woman he loves --- in the crosshairs. As Bourne races to stop the ruthless conspiracy behind Defiance, he must come face to face with Lennon one last time.

About the Book

Someone is killing Treadstone agents, and Jason Bourne may be next on the list in this latest electrifying entry in Robert Ludlum’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.
 
From the glacial waters of Alaska to a sexy nightclub in the Bahamas, Treadstone agents are being hunted down and murdered. Someone high up in the U.S. government will stop at nothing to cover up a secret Treadstone mission from the past known as
Defiance.

With a team of killers hot on his trail, Jason Bourne chases the mystery of Defiance around the world. But as he closes in on the shocking truth, Bourne realizes that one man holds the key --- his archenemy, the assassin known as Lennon. The Russian hitman has been at the heart of Defiance from the very beginning, and his next target will put Bourne --- and the woman he loves --- in the crosshairs.

As Bourne races to stop the ruthless conspiracy behind Defiance, he must come face to face with Lennon one last time --- and the stage is set for a final violent showdown.

Audiobook available, read by Scott Brick

Editorial Content for An Honest Man

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Michael Koryta is a true “writer’s writer,” and his work is not to be missed. When you see some of the best authors in the business such as Stephen King, Lee Child, David Baldacci and Lisa Unger praising AN HONEST MAN and speaking about the high esteem in which they hold a Michael Koryta novel, you realize that you should be reading his work. If you’re not, then hopefully this review will encourage you to check him out. Read More

Teaser

After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht --- including two Senate rivals --- Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. A troubled man infamous on Salvation Point Island for killing his own father a decade before, Israel has few options, no friends and a life-threatening secret. Elsewhere on the island, 12-year-old Lyman Rankin seeks shelter from his alcoholic father in an abandoned house only to discover that he is not alone. A mysterious woman greets him with a hatchet and a promise: “Make a sound and I’ll kill you.” As the investigation barrels forward, Lyman, Israel and the fate of the case collide in immutable ways.

Promo

After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht --- including two Senate rivals --- Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. A troubled man infamous on Salvation Point Island for killing his own father a decade before, Israel has few options, no friends and a life-threatening secret. Elsewhere on the island, 12-year-old Lyman Rankin seeks shelter from his alcoholic father in an abandoned house only to discover that he is not alone. A mysterious woman greets him with a hatchet and a promise: “Make a sound and I’ll kill you.” As the investigation barrels forward, Lyman, Israel and the fate of the case collide in immutable ways.

About the Book

In this breathtaking thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD, the murder of several politicians at sea shatters the world of a local lobsterman who must prove his innocence and save his own life.​

Israel Pike was a killer, and he was an honest man. They were not mutually exclusive.

After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht --- including two Senate rivals --- Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. A troubled man infamous on Salvation Point Island for killing his own father a decade before, Israel has few options, no friends and a life-threatening secret.

Elsewhere on the island, 12-year-old Lyman Rankin seeks shelter from his alcoholic father in an abandoned house only to discover that he is not alone. A mysterious woman greets him with a hatchet and a promise: “Make a sound and I’ll kill you.”

As the investigation barrels forward, Lyman, Israel and the fate of the case collide in immutable ways. Written with mounting suspense, stirring emotion and deep understanding of character, Koryta continues to prove why David Baldacci has called him “an exceptionally gifted storyteller” and Michael Connelly has deemed him “one of the best of the best, plain and simple.”

Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff

Editorial Content for The Bookbinder

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Pauline Finch

To call THE BOOKBINDER a coming-of-age, early-feminist or lost-innocence story may seem rather trite and dismissive. But in the deeper and more difficult layers of meaning where this thoroughly engaging novel goes, Pip Williams’ vibrant storytelling is all of these things and much, much more. Read More

Teaser

It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press. Peggy has been told for most of her life that her job is to bind the books, not read them. But as she folds and gathers pages, her mind wanders to the opposite side of Walton Street, where the female students of Oxford’s Somerville College have a whole library at their fingertips. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has: to spend her days folding the pages of books in the company of the other bindery girls. Then refugees arrive from the war-torn cities of Belgium, sending ripples through the Oxford community and the sisters’ lives.

Promo

It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press. Peggy has been told for most of her life that her job is to bind the books, not read them. But as she folds and gathers pages, her mind wanders to the opposite side of Walton Street, where the female students of Oxford’s Somerville College have a whole library at their fingertips. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has: to spend her days folding the pages of books in the company of the other bindery girls. Then refugees arrive from the war-torn cities of Belgium, sending ripples through the Oxford community and the sisters’ lives.

About the Book

A young British woman working in a book bindery gets a chance to pursue knowledge and love when World War I upends her life in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS. 

It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press.

Ambitious, intelligent Peggy has been told for most of her life that her job is to bind the books, not read them --- but as she folds and gathers pages, her mind wanders to the opposite side of Walton Street, where the female students of Oxford’s Somerville College have a whole library at their fingertips. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has: to spend her days folding the pages of books in the company of the other bindery girls. She is extraordinary but vulnerable, and Peggy feels compelled to watch over her.

Then refugees arrive from the war-torn cities of Belgium, sending ripples through the Oxford community and the sisters’ lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future where she can educate herself and use her intellect, not just her hands. But as war and illness reshape her world, her love for a Belgian soldier --- and the responsibility that comes with it --- threaten to hold her back.

THE BOOKBINDER is a story about knowledge --- who creates it, who can access it, and what truths get lost in the process. Much as she did in the international bestseller THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS, Pip Williams thoughtfully explores another rarely seen slice of history through women’s eyes.

Audiobook available, read by Annabelle Tudor

Editorial Content for What Never Happened

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Pamela Kramer

Life on Santa Catalina Island seems to be idyllic and carefree, but in WHAT NEVER HAPPENED, Rachel Howzell Hall imagines the dark side of the serene, secluded and supposedly safe vacation spot. Colette Weber, also known as Coco, is back after a failed marriage that almost led to a breakdown. Her aging aunt, who lives on the island, needs help. While they've never been close, Gwen did help raise Coco, so she feels she must be there for her now. Read More

Teaser

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion 20 years ago. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep her busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island. But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then she receives her own obituary in the mail. As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive.

Promo

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion 20 years ago. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep her busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island. But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then she receives her own obituary in the mail. As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive.

About the Book

It’s murder in paradise as a woman uncovers a host of secrets off the rocky California coast in a gripping novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall.

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, 20 years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen get as far away from her ex as possible and get back to her craft --- writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.

But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.

As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest.

Audiobook available, read by Kristen Ariza

Editorial Content for With Love, from Cold World

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Norah Piehl

Just when you think you’ve read every possible variation of romantic comedy, a talented writer like Alicia Thompson comes along and proves that the genre is not exhausted yet. Her latest, a follow-up to fan-favorite LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS, is a workplace romance set in a very unlikely workplace. Read More

Teaser

Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that's always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Her coworker, Asa Williamson, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn't know how to enjoy herself, he's surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn't serious about anything, she's surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.

Promo

Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that's always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Her coworker, Asa Williamson, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn't know how to enjoy herself, he's surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn't serious about anything, she's surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.

About the Book

She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn't on it --- yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS.

Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that's always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name. 

Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World --- whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn't know how to enjoy herself, he's surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn't serious about anything, she's surprised by how seriously he seems to take her

As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.

Audiobook available, read by Lindsey Dorcus

Editorial Content for The Trap

Book

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Catherine Ryan Howard is so explicit and exact with her novels about serial crime that you might think she has had personal experience with it. Thankfully she hasn’t. She is just extremely good at bringing dark tales about human monsters to life in a way that not many other writers in this genre are capable of doing. Read More

Teaser

One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So she’s going to take matters into her own hands. Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open --- and destroy her chances of ever joining the force. A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning.

Promo

One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So she’s going to take matters into her own hands. Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open --- and destroy her chances of ever joining the force. A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning.

About the Book

From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes THE TRAP: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the '90s, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.

One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So she’s going to take matters into her own hands.

Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open --- and destroy her chances of ever joining the force.

A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning. And soon she’ll realize: what you don’t know can hurt you.

Audiobook available, read by John Keating and Alana Kerr Collins

Editorial Content for Time's Mouth

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Sarah Rachel Egelman

Does time travel always come with a catch? How could it not? Philosophers, physicists and writers have examined the ways in which time travel, if possible, would impact the travelers, the world and time itself. Though in fiction there is creativity in math and science, one can really play with time travel and consider implications, mechanics, ethics and emotions. Read More

Teaser

Ursa can travel through memory and revisit her past. After she flees her hometown for the counterculture glory of 1950s California, the intoxicating potential of her unique ability eventually draws a group of women into her orbit and into a ramshackle Victorian mansion. Soon this cultish community of sisterhood takes an ominous turn, prompting Ursa’s son, Ray, and his pregnant lover, Cherry, to flee their home and reinvent themselves far from her insidious influence. But a series of mysterious events forces Cherry to abandon their baby, leaving Ray to raise Opal alone. Now a teenager and still heartbroken over the abandonment of the mother she never knew, Opal must journey into her own past to reveal the generations of secrets that gave rise to the shimmering source of her family's painful legacy.

Promo

Ursa can travel through memory and revisit her past. After she flees her hometown for the counterculture glory of 1950s California, the intoxicating potential of her unique ability eventually draws a group of women into her orbit and into a ramshackle Victorian mansion. Soon this cultish community of sisterhood takes an ominous turn, prompting Ursa’s son, Ray, and his pregnant lover, Cherry, to flee their home and reinvent themselves far from her insidious influence. But a series of mysterious events forces Cherry to abandon their baby, leaving Ray to raise Opal alone. Now a teenager and still heartbroken over the abandonment of the mother she never knew, Opal must journey into her own past to reveal the generations of secrets that gave rise to the shimmering source of her family's painful legacy.

About the Book

From New York Times bestselling author Edan Lepucki comes an enthralling saga about family secrets that grow more powerful with time, set against the magical, dangerous landscape of California.

Ursa possesses a very special gift. She can travel through memory and revisit her past. After she flees her hometown for the counterculture glory of 1950s California, the intoxicating potential of her unique ability eventually draws a group of women into her orbit and into a ramshackle Victorian mansion in the woods outside Santa Cruz. Yet Ursa’s powers come with a cost. Soon this cultish community of sisterhood takes an ominous turn, prompting her son, Ray, and his pregnant lover, Cherry, to flee their home for Los Angeles and reinvent themselves far from Ursa’s insidious influence. But escaping their past won’t be so easy. A series of mysterious events forces Cherry to abandon their baby, leaving Ray to raise Opal alone.

Now a teenager and still heartbroken over the abandonment of the mother she never knew, Opal must journey into her own past to reveal the generations of secrets that gave rise to the shimmering source of her family's painful legacy.

From the forests of Santa Cruz, to the 1980s glam of Melrose Avenue to a solitary mansion among the oil derricks off La Cienega Boulevard, and brimming with the double-edged capacity of memory to both heal and harm, TIME'S MOUTH is a poignant and evocative excavation of the bonds that bind families together.

Audiobook available, read by Alyssa Bresnahan

Editorial Content for Three Fires

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Norah Piehl

This summer, I’ve been reading a lot of very long novels, and I’ve loved them. But there’s also something to be said for a slim book, especially one that packs in as much drama, history and unlikely humor as Denise Mina’s THREE FIRES. Read More

Teaser

Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar living in Florence at the end of the 15th century. An anti-corruption campaigner, his hellfire preaching increasingly spilled over into tirades against all luxuries that tempted his followers toward sin. These sermons led to the infamous "Bonfire of the Vanities” --- a series of fires lit throughout Florence for the incineration of everything from books, extravagant clothing, musical instruments, make-up and mirrors to paintings, tapestries and sculptures. Railing against the vice and avarice of the ruling Medici family, he was instrumental in their removal from power. Denise Mina brings a modern take to this fascinating historical story, drawing parallels between the febrile atmosphere of medieval Florence and the culture wars of the present day.

Promo

Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar living in Florence at the end of the 15th century. An anti-corruption campaigner, his hellfire preaching increasingly spilled over into tirades against all luxuries that tempted his followers toward sin. These sermons led to the infamous "Bonfire of the Vanities” --- a series of fires lit throughout Florence for the incineration of everything from books, extravagant clothing, musical instruments, make-up and mirrors to paintings, tapestries and sculptures. Railing against the vice and avarice of the ruling Medici family, he was instrumental in their removal from power. Denise Mina brings a modern take to this fascinating historical story, drawing parallels between the febrile atmosphere of medieval Florence and the culture wars of the present day.

About the Book

From the award-winning master of crime fiction, Denise Mina reimagines the "Bonfire of the Vanities," a series of fires lit throughout Florence at the end of the 15th century --- inspired by the fanatical Girolamo Savonarola.

Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar living in Florence at the end of the 15th century. An anti-corruption campaigner, his hellfire preaching increasingly spilled over into tirades against all luxuries that tempted his followers toward sin. These sermons led to the infamous "Bonfire of the Vanities” --- a series of fires lit throughout Florence for the incineration of everything from books, extravagant clothing, playing cards, musical instruments, make-up and mirrors to paintings, tapestries and sculptures.

Railing against the vice and avarice of the ruling Medici family, he was instrumental in their removal from power --- and for a short time became the puritanical leader of the city. After turning his attention to corruption within the Catholic Church, he was first excommunicated and then executed by a combination of hanging and being burned at the stake.

Just as in RIZZIO --- her latest novel with Pegasus Crime --- Denise Mina brings a modern take to this fascinating historical story, drawing parallels between the febrile atmosphere of medieval Florence, and the culture wars of the present day. In dramatizing the life and last days of Savonarola, she explores the downfall of the original architect of cancel culture and, in the process, explores the never-ending tensions between wealth, inequality and freedom of speech that so dominate our modern world.

Editorial Content for Her Dangerous Journey Home: No Man is Her Master, Vol. III

Reviewer (text)

Barbara Bamberger Scott

In this third installment of his No Man Is Her Master series, Lee Swanson again explores the public world and private aspirations of a gutsy woman pretending to be a man, braving the seas while longing for a permanent connection with her true love. Read More

Teaser

1310, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. Edward II knights Frederick Kohl for his bravery fighting the Scots. But Sir Frederick is not the man the king believes him to be; instead, it is his sister, Christina, who assumes her dead brother's identity. Still posing as Frederick, Christina escorts Lady Cecily, a young noblewoman joining Queen Isabella's court at Westminster Palace, to London. Unexpectedly, Christina and Cecily fall in love. But the wife of one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the city is Christina's bitter enemy. Katharine Volker, whose lascivious advances Christina rejects, goads her into voyaging from her London home to the Baltic waters of her birthplace. Christina journeys not to engage in trade. She sails for a far deadlier purpose --- to exact revenge on the pirates who killed her father and brother.

Promo

1310, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. Edward II knights Frederick Kohl for his bravery fighting the Scots. But Sir Frederick is not the man the king believes him to be; instead, it is his sister, Christina, who assumes her dead brother's identity. Still posing as Frederick, Christina escorts Lady Cecily, a young noblewoman joining Queen Isabella's court at Westminster Palace, to London. Unexpectedly, Christina and Cecily fall in love. But the wife of one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the city is Christina's bitter enemy. Katharine Volker, whose lascivious advances Christina rejects, goads her into voyaging from her London home to the Baltic waters of her birthplace. Christina journeys not to engage in trade. She sails for a far deadlier purpose --- to exact revenge on the pirates who killed her father and brother.

About the Book

1310, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. Edward II knights Frederick Kohl for his bravery fighting the Scots. But Sir Frederick is not the man the king believes him to be; instead, it is his sister, Christina, who assumes her dead brother's identity and receives his spurs.

Still posing as Frederick, Christina escorts Lady Cecily, a young noblewoman joining Queen Isabella's court at Westminster Palace, to London. Unexpectedly, Christina and Cecily fall in love. Their joy is short-lived, as their future together is seemingly impossible.

The wife of one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the city is Christina's bitter enemy. Katharine Volker, whose lascivious advances Christina rejects, goads her into voyaging from her London home to the Baltic waters of her birthplace. Christina journeys not to engage in trade, as one would expect of a master merchant. She sails for a far more deadly purpose --- to exact revenge on the pirates who killed her father and brother.

What will transpire in London during her absence, and is there any hope for her lasting happiness with Cecily?

Christina must employ all her courage and fighting skill, as well as a secret weapon, to survive her adventure quest through pirate infested waters.