THE ROAD TO HELL

Description

“The Road to Hell” collects four stories by Paul Levine, the Edgar-nominated author of the bestselling Jake Lassiter series. Levine's heroes travel dark and dangerous paths as they confront devilish and powerful villains. The journeys are by land, by sea, and in one case, perhaps only in the mind.

In “El Valiente en el Infierno,” (The Brave One in Hell), a 13-year-old Mexican boy tells his own story as he makes a treacherous midnight crossing into California in search of his father. The boy's courage is tested when he runs into two gun-toting American vigilantes, and the confrontation will change all of them forever.

“Development Hell” is a well-known Hollywood term symbolizing the purgatory where projects are stuck in “development,” rather than being made into films. The story imagines a pitch session in which a bedraggled Poe squares off with a slick Hollywood producer who wants to make a cheesy slasher flick out of “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Bookgasm praised the story as “going straight to the funny bone.”

“A Hell of a Crime” echoes with notions of “The Twilight Zone.” A prosecutor prepares for a homicide trial while being pestered by his domineering mother, a famous lawyer herself. Just what role did she play in the murder? And how is the prosecutor's enigmatic wife involved in the case? It's a mystery with a punch to the gut at the end.

Two of the author's best-loved characters, Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, appear in “Solomon & Lord: To Hell and Back.” The ethically-challenged Steve Solomon and the very proper Victoria Lord are mismatched Miami law partners. Steve says he's going fishing with Manuel Cruz, a sleazy con man. Victoria knows that Cruz embezzled a bundle from Steve's favorite client and is an unlikely fishing buddy. So just what is Steve up to now? Something between mischief and murder, Victoria figures. To protect Steve from himself - and Cruz - she hops aboard the boat, and the three of them head for deep water and dark troubles.

The "Solomon and Lord" novels have been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity and International Thriller Awards, as well as the James Thurber Humor Prize. “Remarkably fresh and original with characters you can't help loving and sparkling dialogue that echoes the Hepburn-Tracy screwball comedies. A hilarious, touching and entertaining twist on the legal thriller." - Chicago Sun-Times

An excerpt of “Mortal Sin,” one of the award-winning Jake Lassiter novels, is also included in the collection. This time, the linebacker-turned-lawyer has a dangerous conflict of interest. He's sleeping with Nicky Florio's wife...and defending the mob-connected millionaire in court. Florio has hatched a scheme deep in the Florida Everglades that oozes corruption, blood, and money. One false move, and Jake will be gator bait. “Recalling the work of Carl Hiaasen, this thriller races to a smashing climax.” - Library Journal.

PRAISE FOR THE FICTION OF PAUL LEVINE

“Mystery writing at its very, very best.” - Larry King, USA TODAY

"Irreverent...genuinely clever...great fun." - The New York Times Book Review

"Just the remedy for those who can't get enough Spenser and miss Travis McGee terribly." - St. Petersburg Times

“Genuinely chilling.” - Washington Post Book World

“Take one part John Grisham, two parts Carl Hiaasen, throw in a dash of John D. MacDonald, and voila!” - Tulsa Sun

“Wildly entertaining blend of raucous humor and high adventure.” - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Cracking good action-mystery...funny, sardonic, and fast-paced.” - Detroit Free Press

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author of 14 novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald fiction award and was nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, and James Thurber prizes. A former trial lawyer, he also wrote 20 episodes of the CBS military drama “JAG.” His next novel will be “Lassiter” in Fall 2011.

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“The Road to Hell” collects four stories by Paul Levine, the Edgar-nominated author of the bestselling Jake Lassiter series. Levine's heroes travel dark and dangerous paths as they confront devilish and powerful villains. The journeys are by land, by sea, and in one case, perhaps only in the mind.

In “El Valiente en el Infierno,” (The Brave One in Hell), a 13-year-old Mexican boy tells his own story as he makes a treacherous midnight crossing into California in search of his father. The boy's courage is tested when he runs into two gun-toting American vigilantes, and the confrontation will change all of them forever.

“Development Hell” is a well-known Hollywood term symbolizing the purgatory where projects are stuck in “development,” rather than being made into films. The story imagines a pitch session in which a bedraggled Poe squares off with a slick Hollywood producer who wants to make a cheesy slasher flick out of “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Bookgasm praised the story as “going straight to the funny bone.”

“A Hell of a Crime” echoes with notions of “The Twilight Zone.” A prosecutor prepares for a homicide trial while being pestered by his domineering mother, a famous lawyer herself. Just what role did she play in the murder? And how is the prosecutor's enigmatic wife involved in the case? It's a mystery with a punch to the gut at the end.

Two of the author's best-loved characters, Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, appear in “Solomon & Lord: To Hell and Back.” The ethically-challenged Steve Solomon and the very proper Victoria Lord are mismatched Miami law partners. Steve says he's going fishing with Manuel Cruz, a sleazy con man. Victoria knows that Cruz embezzled a bundle from Steve's favorite client and is an unlikely fishing buddy. So just what is Steve up to now? Something between mischief and murder, Victoria figures. To protect Steve from himself - and Cruz - she hops aboard the boat, and the three of them head for deep water and dark troubles.

The "Solomon and Lord" novels have been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity and International Thriller Awards, as well as the James Thurber Humor Prize. “Remarkably fresh and original with characters you can't help loving and sparkling dialogue that echoes the Hepburn-Tracy screwball comedies. A hilarious, touching and entertaining twist on the legal thriller." - Chicago Sun-Times

An excerpt of “Mortal Sin,” one of the award-winning Jake Lassiter novels, is also included in the collection. This time, the linebacker-turned-lawyer has a dangerous conflict of interest. He's sleeping with Nicky Florio's wife...and defending the mob-connected millionaire in court. Florio has hatched a scheme deep in the Florida Everglades that oozes corruption, blood, and money. One false move, and Jake will be gator bait. “Recalling the work of Carl Hiaasen, this thriller races to a smashing climax.” - Library Journal.

PRAISE FOR THE FICTION OF PAUL LEVINE

“Mystery writing at its very, very best.” - Larry King, USA TODAY

"Irreverent...genuinely clever...great fun." - The New York Times Book Review

"Just the remedy for those who can't get enough Spenser and miss Travis McGee terribly." - St. Petersburg Times

“Genuinely chilling.” - Washington Post Book World

“Take one part John Grisham, two parts Carl Hiaasen, throw in a dash of John D. MacDonald, and voila!” - Tulsa Sun

“Wildly entertaining blend of raucous humor and high adventure.” - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Cracking good action-mystery...funny, sardonic, and fast-paced.” - Detroit Free Press

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author of 14 novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald fiction award and was nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, and James Thurber prizes. A former trial lawyer, he also wrote 20 episodes of the CBS military drama “JAG.” His next novel will be “Lassiter” in Fall 2011.

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Optimal English Grammar: The Most Efficient English Grammar Book

Description

Very concise, yet very comprehensive grammar book that covers most of both basic grammar and SAT-level grammar concepts. Especially useful for students who are trying to master almost every important aspect of English Grammar in the most efficient way. Extremely helpful for the preparation of the Writing/English sections of the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, etc. This book is packed with invaluable examples, questions, and exams that will enhance the learners' grasp of these important concepts. Optimal English Grammar also has an appendix in which the Optimal Memorization Method (OMM) is explained in detail, along with the Optimal Vocabulary Accumulation Method(OVAM), which were also developed by Paul S. Lee.

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The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family

Description

There are few American families that feature such a collection of characters, both heroic and ignoble, who have made such a mark on history as the Lees. In The Lees of Virginia, Paul Nagel chronicles seven generations of Lees, covering over two hundred years of accolades and scandals. We meet Thomas Lee, who dreamed of America as a continental empire, and his son, Arthur Lee, who created a political storm with his accusations against Benjamin Franklin. Arthur's cousin was Light-Horse Harry Lee, a controversial cavalry officer in the Revolutionary War, whose wild real estate speculation led to imprisonment for debt and finally self-exile in the Caribbean. One of Harry's sons, Henry Lee, further disgraced the family by seducing his sister-in-law and frittering away Stratford, the Lees' ancestral home. It was a third son, Robert E. Lee, who would become the family's redeeming figure, a brilliant tactician still revered for his lofty character and military success. In these and numerous other portraits, Nagel discloses how, from 1640 to 1870, a family spirit united the Lees, making them a force in Virginian and American affairs. This Bicentennial Edition, celebrating the birth of Robert E. Lee in 1807, features a new Preface by the author in which he discusses the ways in which family biographies can contribute to the ongoing debate about what constitutes "family values."
Paul Nagel is a leading chronicler of families prominent in our history. His Descent from Glory, a masterful narrative account of four generations of Adamses, was hailed by Chicago Sun-Times as "a magnificent embarrassment of biographical riches." Now, in The Lees of Virginia, Nagel brings his skills to bear on another major American family, taking readers inside the great estates of the Old Dominion and the turbulent lives of the Lee men and women.

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