Editorial Content for Kills Well with Others
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Women of a certain age (of whom I am one) loved Deanna Raybourn's KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE. The sequel, KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS, is just as brilliantly conceived, wonderfully executed and thrilling as its predecessor. It features the same deadly sexagenarians: Mary Alice, Helen, Natalie and Billie. Read More
Teaser
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie are called back into action. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready to tackle the greatest challenge of their careers. Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power-hungry plans, and the aging quartet of killers is next. Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it.
Promo
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie are called back into action. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready to tackle the greatest challenge of their careers. Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power-hungry plans, and the aging quartet of killers is next. Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it.
About the Book
Four women assassins, senior in status --- and in age --- sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE.
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.
Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power-hungry plans, and the aging quartet of killers is next.
Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.
Audiobook available, read by Jane Oppenheimer and Christina Delaine
Editorial Content for Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
At the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., there is an exhibit about the women who were employed by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in assignments that were often top-secret. Here is what visitors learn about one of them: Read More
Teaser
Betty MacDonald was a 28-year-old reporter from Hawaii. Zuzka Lauwers grew up in a tiny Czechoslovakian village and knew five languages by the time she was 21. Jane Smith-Hutton was the wife of a naval attaché living in Tokyo. Marlene Dietrich, the German-American actress and singer, was one of the biggest stars of the 20th century. As members of the OSS during World War II, their task was to create a secret brand of propaganda produced with the sole aim to break the morale of Axis soldiers. Betty, Zuzka, Jane and Marlene forged letters and “official” military orders, wrote and produced entire newspapers, scripted radio broadcasts and songs, and even developed rumors for undercover spies and double agents to spread to the enemy. And outside of a small group of spies, no one knew they existed. Until now.
Promo
Betty MacDonald was a 28-year-old reporter from Hawaii. Zuzka Lauwers grew up in a tiny Czechoslovakian village and knew five languages by the time she was 21. Jane Smith-Hutton was the wife of a naval attaché living in Tokyo. Marlene Dietrich, the German-American actress and singer, was one of the biggest stars of the 20th century. As members of the OSS during World War II, their task was to create a secret brand of propaganda produced with the sole aim to break the morale of Axis soldiers. Betty, Zuzka, Jane and Marlene forged letters and “official” military orders, wrote and produced entire newspapers, scripted radio broadcasts and songs, and even developed rumors for undercover spies and double agents to spread to the enemy. And outside of a small group of spies, no one knew they existed. Until now.
About the Book
The incredible untold story of four women who spun the web of deception that helped win World War II.
Betty MacDonald was a 28-year-old reporter from Hawaii. Zuzka Lauwers grew up in a tiny Czechoslovakian village and knew five languages by the time she was 21. Jane Smith-Hutton was the wife of a naval attaché living in Tokyo. Marlene Dietrich, the German-American actress and singer, was of course one of the biggest stars of the 20th century. These four women, each fascinating in her own right, together contributed to one of the most covert and successful military campaigns in WWII.
As members of the OSS, their task was to create a secret brand of propaganda produced with the sole aim to break the morale of Axis soldiers. Working in the European theater, across enemy lines in occupied China, and in Washington, D.C., Betty, Zuzka, Jane and Marlene forged letters and “official” military orders, wrote and produced entire newspapers, scripted radio broadcasts and songs, and even developed rumors for undercover spies and double agents to spread to the enemy. And outside of a small group of spies, no one knew they existed. Until now.
In PROPAGANDA GIRLS, bestselling author Lisa Rogak brings to vivid life the incredible true story of four unsung heroes, whose spellbinding achievements would change the course of history.
Audiobook available, read by Samara Naeymi
Editorial Content for Ward D
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
WARD D, Freida McFadden’s latest psychological thriller, takes readers behind the doors of a locked psych ward. As with all of her other books, this one is hard to predict and full of unexpected twists.
Amy Brenner is a medical student who needs to put in the hours at the mental health unit of a hospital in order to graduate. But she has no idea what her first (and possibly last) night within the walls of Ward D will provide. All she knows is that she must keep all patient information confidential and report to Dr. Beck, who will manage her during the overnight shift. Read More
Teaser
Ward D is the hospital's mental health unit, and as a medical student, Amy is required to gain experience on the floor. But little do her colleagues know that it may force her to confront a past she has fought hard to forget. The night starts. The countdown begins. As the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced that something terrible is happening within the ward's tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger. Amy never wanted to spend the night on Ward D. Now she might not make it out alive.
Promo
Ward D is the hospital's mental health unit, and as a medical student, Amy is required to gain experience on the floor. But little do her colleagues know that it may force her to confront a past she has fought hard to forget. The night starts. The countdown begins. As the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced that something terrible is happening within the ward's tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger. Amy never wanted to spend the night on Ward D. Now she might not make it out alive.
About the Book
In WARD D, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a taut, locked-room thriller that will make you want to leave the light on.
All she has do is make it through the night shift.
Ward D is the hospital's mental health unit, and as a medical student, Amy is required to gain experience on the floor. But little do her colleagues know that it may force her to confront a past she has fought hard to forget.
The night starts. The countdown begins.
As the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced that something terrible is happening within the ward's tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger.
Amy never wanted to spend the night on Ward D. Now she might not make it out alive.
Audiobook available, read by Leslie Howard
Editorial Content for Hang On St. Christopher: A Sean Duffy Novel
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
With a title taken from a classic Tom Waits song, I eagerly tore into the latest Sean Duffy novel. Throughout HANG ON ST. CHRISTOPHER, Adrian McKinty displays his command of the delightful Irish way of speaking. Read More
Teaser
It's July 1992, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after 25 apocalyptic years. Detective Inspector Sean Duffy got his family safely over the water to Scotland, to "Shortbread Land." Duffy is a part-timer now, only returning to Belfast six days a month to get his pension. It's an easy gig, if he can keep his head down. But then a murder case falls into his lap while his protege is on holiday in Spain. A carjacking gone wrong and the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter. But something is not right, and as Duffy probes, he discovers that the painter was an IRA assassin. So the question becomes: Who hit the hitman, and why? This is Duffy's most violent and dangerous case yet, and the whole future of the burgeoning "peace process" may depend upon it.
Promo
It's July 1992, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after 25 apocalyptic years. Detective Inspector Sean Duffy got his family safely over the water to Scotland, to "Shortbread Land." Duffy is a part-timer now, only returning to Belfast six days a month to get his pension. It's an easy gig, if he can keep his head down. But then a murder case falls into his lap while his protege is on holiday in Spain. A carjacking gone wrong and the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter. But something is not right, and as Duffy probes, he discovers that the painter was an IRA assassin. So the question becomes: Who hit the hitman, and why? This is Duffy's most violent and dangerous case yet, and the whole future of the burgeoning "peace process" may depend upon it.
About the Book
New York Times bestselling author Adrian McKinty continues the Edgar Award-winning Sean Duffy series with Hang on St. Christopher.
Rain-slicked streets, riots, murder, chaos. It's July 1992, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after 25 apocalyptic years. Detective Inspector Sean Duffy got his family safely over the water to Scotland, to "Shortbread Land." Duffy is a part-timer now, only returning to Belfast six days a month to get his pension. It's an easy gig, if he can keep his head down.
But then a murder case falls into his lap while his protege is on holiday in Spain. A carjacking gone wrong and the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter. But something is not right, and as Duffy probes, he discovers that the painter was an IRA assassin. So the question becomes: Who hit the hitman, and why?
This is Duffy's most violent and dangerous case yet, and the whole future of the burgeoning "peace process" may depend upon it. Based on true events, Duffy must unentangle parallel operations by the CIA, MI5 and Special Branch. Duffy attempts to bring a killer to justice while trying to keep himself and his team alive as everything unravels around them. They might not all make it out of this one.
Audiobook available, read by Gerard Doyle
Editorial Content for The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Munchausen by proxy (MBP) is in a category of mental disorders known as factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), and it results in crimes that are labeled medical abuse. Generally misunderstood, MBP is often sensationalized in the media. With her podcast, “Nobody Should Believe Me,” Andrea Dunlop has shared with her audience various MBP cases and the work of those trying to protect young victims. That work continues in her book, THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR, which is co-authored by Mike Weber, an investigator specializing in crimes against children. Read More
Teaser
No one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point? Munchausen by proxy (MBP) has fascinated and horrified both professionals and the general public since this disturbing form of child abuse was first identified. But even as the public has been captivated by these tales of abuse and deception, there remains widespread misinformation and confusion about MBP. Are these mothers unfeeling psychopaths, or sick women who need help? And how can we protect the children whose lives are at stake? THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR offers a groundbreaking look at MBP from an unlikely duo: a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation.
Promo
No one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point? Munchausen by proxy (MBP) has fascinated and horrified both professionals and the general public since this disturbing form of child abuse was first identified. But even as the public has been captivated by these tales of abuse and deception, there remains widespread misinformation and confusion about MBP. Are these mothers unfeeling psychopaths, or sick women who need help? And how can we protect the children whose lives are at stake? THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR offers a groundbreaking look at MBP from an unlikely duo: a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation.
About the Book
A groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that investigates Munchausen by Proxy from the host and creator of the award-winning true crime podcast "Nobody Should Believe Me."
No bond is more sacred than that between a mother and child. And no one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point?
Munchausen by proxy (MBP) has fascinated and horrified both professionals and the general public since this disturbing form of child abuse was first identified. But even as the public has been captivated by these tales of abuse and deception, there remains widespread misinformation and confusion about MBP. Are these mothers unfeeling psychopaths, or sick women who need help? And more important, how can we protect the children whose lives are at stake?
THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR offers a groundbreaking look at MBP from an unlikely duo: a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation. Readers ride along on three high-stakes MPB investigations; through riveting reporting and shocking stories from the family members, friends and doctors caught in the blast zone of these unthinkable acts, a twisted portrait of motherhood and deceit is revealed.
With help from some of the top MBP experts in the world, Dunlop and Weber uncover the complex maze of psychological, systemic and cultural issues that compound MBP and offer solutions for how we might find our way out.
Audiobook available, read by Andrea Dunlop
Editorial Content for No Less Strange or Wonderful: Essays in Curiosity
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
A. Kendra Greene is a gifted writer. Her earlier work, THE MUSEUM OF WHALES YOU WILL NEVER SEE, captured my attention based on its title alone. The focus of that charming book is on the immense variety of unusual museums in Iceland, the country with the highest per-capita concentration of museums. Read More
Teaser
In 26 sparkling essays, illuminated through both text and image, celebrated author and artist A. Kendra Greene is trying to make sense of the things that matter most in life: love, connection, death, grief, the universe, meaning, nothingness and everythingness. Through a series of encounters with strangers, children and animals, the wild merges with the domestic; the everyday meets the sublime. Each essay returns readers to our smallest moments and our largest ones in a book that makes us realize --- through its exuberant language, playful curation and delightful associative leapfrogging --- that they are, in fact, one and the same.
Promo
In 26 sparkling essays, illuminated through both text and image, celebrated author and artist A. Kendra Greene is trying to make sense of the things that matter most in life: love, connection, death, grief, the universe, meaning, nothingness and everythingness. Through a series of encounters with strangers, children and animals, the wild merges with the domestic; the everyday meets the sublime. Each essay returns readers to our smallest moments and our largest ones in a book that makes us realize --- through its exuberant language, playful curation and delightful associative leapfrogging --- that they are, in fact, one and the same.
About the Book
Exploding sharks, trees riding bicycles, a Hollywood-esque balloon dress, a giant sloth in costume, a stolen woodpecker, and a sentient bag of wasps. And remember, this is nonfiction.
Celebrated author and artist A. Kendra Greene’s NO LESS STRANGE OR WONDERFUL is a brilliant and generous meditation --- on the complex wonder of being alive, on how to pay attention to even the tiniest (sometimes strangest) details that glitter with insight, whimsy and deep humanity, if only we’d really look.
In 26 sparkling essays, illuminated through both text and image, celebrated author and artist A. Kendra Greene is trying to make sense of the things that matter most in life: love, connection, death, grief, the universe, meaning, nothingness and everythingness. Through a series of encounters with strangers, children and animals, the wild merges with the domestic; the everyday meets the sublime. Each essay returns readers to our smallest moments and our largest ones in a book that makes us realize --- through its exuberant language, playful curation and delightful associative leapfrogging --- that they are, in fact, one and the same.
Audiobook available, read by A. Kendra Greene
Editorial Content for The Dollhouse Academy
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
THE DOLLHOUSE ACADEMY by Margarita Montimore is a bold novel that scandalizes Hollywood and the modern-day pursuit of fame. The book is set against a talent cult that compares to the studio system dynamics of classic Tinseltown.
When a former actress and Hollywood starlet created and named a talent agency in her own image, the results varied. Some young up-and-comers were able to graduate from the Dollhouse Academy to obtain starring roles and win awards, while others were outwardly rejected and crushed under the pitfalls that come with the pursuit of perfection. Read More
Teaser
For the past 18 years, Ivy Gordon has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But in secret diary entries, she begins to reveal the truth of her life at the Dollhouse: strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that has left her terrified and feeling like a prisoner. Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Neither has made much headway in showbiz until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. When Ramona begins to receive threatening anonymous messages, it’s easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace’s skyrocketing success. But as the messages grow more unsettling, so does life at the Dollhouse.
Promo
For the past 18 years, Ivy Gordon has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But in secret diary entries, she begins to reveal the truth of her life at the Dollhouse: strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that has left her terrified and feeling like a prisoner. Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Neither has made much headway in showbiz until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. When Ramona begins to receive threatening anonymous messages, it’s easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace’s skyrocketing success. But as the messages grow more unsettling, so does life at the Dollhouse.
About the Book
From the national bestselling author of the "GMA" Book Club pick OONA OUT OF ORDER, a novel about two best friends and aspiring actresses who join the Dollhouse Academy, where stars are made and dangerous secrets are hidden.
Ivy Gordon is living on borrowed time. For the past 18 years, she has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But now, at age 34, she is tired of pretending everything is fine. In secret diary entries, Ivy begins to reveal the truth of her life at the Dollhouse: strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that has left Ivy terrified and feeling like a prisoner.
Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Now both 22, neither has made much headway in showbiz until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. They’re enchanted by the picturesque campus and the chance to perform alongside their idols. When Ramona begins to receive threatening anonymous messages, it’s easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace’s skyrocketing success, while Ramona struggles to keep up with the fierce competition. As the messages grow more unsettling, so does life at the Dollhouse. Can Ramona overcome her jealousy and resentment to figure out what’s really going on? Will Ivy finally find her voice, before another young performer follows her catastrophic path?
With dark academia twists and enormous heart, THE DOLLHOUSE ACADEMY is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality.
Audiobook available, read by Brittany Pressley and Xe Sands
Editorial Content for Smoke on the Water: An Amos Walker Mystery
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Amos Walker, the private investigator in Loren D. Estleman's SMOKE ON THE WATER, indicates that his hometown of Detroit is divided into three parts: the automotive industry, the city government and the casinos. Read More
Teaser
As the smoke from Canadian wildfires chokes Detroit, PI Amos Walker is tasked with investigating a fatal hit-and-run. The victim is Spencer Bennett, a junior law associate with the Waterford Group, and he supposedly had a file of confidential documents on him when he died. But those documents have now gone missing, and the firm is dead set on Walker finding them. As Walker digs deeper into the events leading to Bennett's death, all signs are pointing towards the crash being anything but accidental. Summer in Detroit was hot enough before the smoke descended, but as the temperature rises and more bodies crop up in connection to the missing file, Walker will have to track down those documents --- and unearth why they were worth killing over --- before it's too late.
Promo
As the smoke from Canadian wildfires chokes Detroit, PI Amos Walker is tasked with investigating a fatal hit-and-run. The victim is Spencer Bennett, a junior law associate with the Waterford Group, and he supposedly had a file of confidential documents on him when he died. But those documents have now gone missing, and the firm is dead set on Walker finding them. As Walker digs deeper into the events leading to Bennett's death, all signs are pointing towards the crash being anything but accidental. Summer in Detroit was hot enough before the smoke descended, but as the temperature rises and more bodies crop up in connection to the missing file, Walker will have to track down those documents --- and unearth why they were worth killing over --- before it's too late.
About the Book
From the master of the hard-boiled detective novel and recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award comes Loren D. Estleman's next enthralling Amos Walker mystery SMOKE ON THE WATER.
As the smoke from Canadian wildfires chokes Detroit, PI Amos Walker is tasked with investigating a fatal hit-and-run. The victim is Spencer Bennett, a junior law associate with the Waterford Group, and he supposedly had a file of confidential documents on him when he died. But those documents have now gone missing, and the firm is dead set on Walker finding them. As Walker digs deeper into the events leading to Bennett's death, all signs are pointing towards the crash being anything but accidental.
Summer in Detroit was hot enough before the smoke descended, but as the temperature rises and more bodies crop up in connection to the missing file, Walker will have to track down those documents --- and unearth why they were worth killing over --- before it's too late.
Editorial Content for A Murder in Zion: A National Park Mystery
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Somewhat in the vein of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon novels, Nicole Maggi stages her series launch, A MURDER IN ZION, in Zion National Park, which appropriately features Mystery Canyon.
Emmeline “Emme” Helliwell mourns the death of her mother, and her younger sister is AWOL on an archaeological dig in Tanzania. Addie has been incommunicado, and their mother’s estate can’t be settled without her. Read More
Teaser
Grief-stricken over her mother’s death and bruised by her failure on her most recent case, Special Agent Emmeline Helliwell with the National Park Service returns to her Utah hometown to heal and regroup. She’s determined to turn in her badge and take over her mother’s bakery for a much quieter life…until the body of a childhood friend turns up in The Narrows of Zion National Park. The case is too personal for Emme to turn down, but the seemingly simple investigation turns treacherous as clues that connect to her previous case grow too glaring to ignore. When bodies start to pile up, Emme must track down the killer before they take more lives, venturing deep into Zion National Park to uncover the sordid secrets hiding beneath its stunning beauty.
Promo
Grief-stricken over her mother’s death and bruised by her failure on her most recent case, Special Agent Emmeline Helliwell with the National Park Service returns to her Utah hometown to heal and regroup. She’s determined to turn in her badge and take over her mother’s bakery for a much quieter life…until the body of a childhood friend turns up in The Narrows of Zion National Park. The case is too personal for Emme to turn down, but the seemingly simple investigation turns treacherous as clues that connect to her previous case grow too glaring to ignore. When bodies start to pile up, Emme must track down the killer before they take more lives, venturing deep into Zion National Park to uncover the sordid secrets hiding beneath its stunning beauty.
About the Book
Beautiful views, deadly encounters.
Grief-stricken over her mother’s death and bruised by her failure on her most recent case, Special Agent Emmeline Helliwell with the National Park Service returns to her Utah hometown to heal and regroup. She’s determined to turn in her badge and take over her mother’s bakery for a much quieter life…until the body of a childhood friend turns up in The Narrows of Zion National Park.
The case is too personal for Emme to turn down, but the seemingly simple investigation turns treacherous as clues that connect to her previous case grow too glaring to ignore. When bodies start to pile up, Emme must track down the killer before they take more lives, venturing deep into Zion National Park to uncover the sordid secrets hiding beneath its stunning beauty.
Perfect for fans of C. J. Box and Lisa Gardner.
March 7, 2025
For years, my sons loved my line about whether March came in like a lion or a lamb. It came in here like a lion, and the winds have been rather crazy all week. Last night, the covers blew off our outdoor furniture. May March end like a lamb. There is no way we want a lion/lion month!
This is my least favorite weekend of the year as we move the clocks ahead to Daylight Saving Time. I know, I know, everyone loves daylight in the evening. But my weekend hours are precious as that is typically when I have time to read. I guess I will need to read faster.