Adult

Brooklyn, 1947: In the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born minutes apart to two women. They are sisters by marriage with an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic night. But as the years progress, small cracks start to appear, and their once-deep friendship begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost --- but not quite --- wins.

The sale of Babe Ruth by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees in 1919 is one of the pivotal moments in baseball history, changing the fortunes of two of baseball's most storied franchises. More than a simple transaction, the sale resulted in a deal that created the Yankee dynasty, turned Boston into an also-ran, sold the American people on the modern home run era after the Black Sox scandal, and led the public to fall in love with Ruth. Award-winning baseball historian Glenn Stout reveals brand-new information about Babe and the unique political situation surrounding his sale.

Book editor Samantha Clair learns that the partner of her art-dealer friend, Aidan Merriam, has just been found dead in their gallery, slumped over his desk with a gun in his hand. The police investigation is being led by Inspector Jake Field, who just happens to be Sam's new boyfriend. And Aidan, who just happens to be Sam's ex-boyfriend, wants Sam's help. Finding herself drawn into another investigation, Sam does the only sensible thing and calls her mother. Before long, she finds her loyalties stretched to the limit as she herself is threatened.

In the autumn of 1944, as Patton’s army paraded through Paris, another Allied force was gathering in southern Italy. Spearheaded by over 100,000 American troops, this vast, international army was faced with a grim task --- break The Gothic Line, a series of interconnected German fortifications that stretched across the mountains of northern Italy. These Allied soldiers fought uphill against entrenched enemies in some of the final and most brutal battles of the Second World War. Veteran war correspondent and historian Christian Jennings provides an unprecedented look inside this unsung but highly significant campaign.

The new police commissioner wants Molly Murphy Sullivan's husband, Daniel, off the police force altogether. So when Daniel is offered an assignment from John Wilkie, head of the secret service, he’s eager to accept. Molly can’t draw any details of the assignment out of him, even where he’ll be working. But then she receives a strange and cryptic letter from him, leading her to conclude that he wants her to join him in San Francisco. Embarking on a cross-country journey with her young son, Molly can’t fathom what’s in store for her, but she knows it could be dangerous --- in fact, it might put all of their lives at risk.

In the late 18th century, Sicilian nobleman Vitello Scarpia finds himself penniless and disgraced on the streets of Rome. After being expelled from the Spanish royal guard, he is left to seek his fortune in Italy, a fortunate bound to the Pope, whose rule is threatened by the French Revolution. Scarpia enrolls in the papal army and is soon taken up by a countess, eager to have a handsome officer at her side. She introduces him to Roman society, and he meets the beautiful singer Floria Tosca on a mission to Venice. Exploring the lives of figures from Puccini’s famous opera, SCARPIA shines light on war and revolution during France’s advance into Italy. 

Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. Then she discovers Amy Stevenson, who was found unconscious after a merciless assault and has been in a coma for 15 years. Unbeknownst to her doctors, Amy remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past. Soon Alex’s routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter’s story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale?

Wendell and Frank meet at the end of World War II, when Frank returns home to their North Carolina town. Soon he's loitering around Wendell's taxidermy shop, and the two come to understand their connection as love --- a love that, in this time and place, can hold real danger. Cutting nearly all ties with the rest of the world, they make a home for themselves on the outskirts of town. But when Wendell finds Frank lying outside among their tomatoes at the age of 83, he feels a new threat to their careful self-reliance. As Frank's physical strength and his memory deteriorate, the two of them must fully confront the sacrifices they've made for each other --- and the impending loss of the life they've built.

Air force captain Riley McCord has come home on medical leave to find one heck of a welcome reception. Every unattached woman in Spring Hill, Texas, wants to nurse him back to health. That includes his childhood friend, Claire Davidson --- the only person who understands how damaged he really feels. In high school, she chose his best friend over him. According to Riley's rules, that should make her off-limits forever. But when Claire suggests a no-strings fling, he can't refuse. Yet once he realizes the depth of her feelings --- and his own --- he'll have to make the ultimate choice: return to the job he loves, or stay home for the woman who's always lived in his heart.

As thriller writer Hayden Winters is deeply ashamed of his past, his hunger for an honest relationship and dreams of starting a family remain unsatisfied. He's determined to outrun his personal demons, but the charming old Peach Orchard Inn and a woman whose presence is as gentle as a sparrow's song stops him in his tracks. Carrie Riley is afraid of everything from flying to thunderstorms, but meeting the enigmatic writer staying at the inn emboldens her to learn everything about him. When they discover a vulnerable boy hiding at the inn, Hayden is compelled to help Carrie protect him.