Nabokov's third novel, The Defense, is a chilling story of obsession and madness. As a young boy, Luzhin was unattractive, distracted, withdrawn, sullen — an enigma to his parents and an object of ridicule to his classmates. He takes up chess as a refuge from the anxiety of his everyday life. His talent is prodigious and he rises to the rank of grandmaster — but at a cost: in Luzhin' s obsessive mind, the game of chess gradually supplants the world of reality. His own world falls apart during a crucial championship match, when the intricate defense he has devised withers under his opponent's unexpected and unpredictabke lines of assault.

The Journey... Every Friday night a lilac-colored minibus leaves Dublin for the Irish country town of Rathdoon with seven weekend commuters on board. All of them, from the joking bank porter to the rich doctor's daughter, have their reasons for making the journey. The Destination... Rathdoon is the kind of Irish village where family histories are shared and scandals don't stay secret for long. And this weekend, when the bus pulls in, the riders find the unexpected waiting for them... as each of their private lives unfolds to reveal a sharp betrayal of the heart, a young man's crime, and a chance for new dreams among the eight intriguing men and women on... Plus a special bonus in this volume... Maeve Binchy's DUBLIN 4 tales — a truly unforgettable collection of stories about today's Ireland that captures the profound intimacy and drama of ordinary lives.

Colorado congressman Evan Kendrick is trying to live out his term of officequietly — when a political mole reveals to the world Kendrick's deepestsecret... that Kendrick was the anonymous man in Masqar, the man whocourageously freed the hostage held in the American embassy by Arab terrorists; the unknown hero who performed an act of outrageous daring then silentlydisappeared. Now, suddenly, Kendrick is a living target pursued by theterrorists he outwitted. Together with the beautiful woman who once saved hislife, Kendrick enters a deadly arena where the only currency is blood, wherefrightened whispers speak of violence yet to come and where Kendrick'slife — and the fate of the free world — may ultimately rest in the powerful handsof a mysterious and deadly figure known only as the Mahdi.

«Winner of the Pulitzer Prize Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth — and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, crowned co-tsar at the age of ten. Robert K. Massie delves deep into the life of this captivating historical figure, chronicling the pivotal events that shaped a boy into a legend — including his «incognito» travels in Europe, his unquenchable curiosity about Western ways, his obsession with the sea and establishment of the stupendous Russian navy, his creation of an unbeatable army, his transformation of Russia, and his relationships with those he loved most: Catherine, the robust yet gentle peasant, his loving mistress, wife, and successor; and Menshikov, the charming, bold, unscrupulous prince who rose to wealth and power through Peter's friendship. Impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, tender and unforgiving, a man of enormous energy and complexity, Peter the Great is brought fully to life.»

It is always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore. Incomparable sleuth Nero Wolfe and his perennially hardy sidekick, Archie Goodwin, find themselves trying to weed out a garden-variety killer at the annual flower show.

When Rachel Bruner sends out copies of a book critical of the FBI to 10,000 influential people, the agency begins harassing her. Then she hires Nero Wolfe to make them stop, and once he's discovered the bureau's weak spot, he sets in motion a scheme guaranteed to force the FBI to leave both him and Rachel alone.

Two Nero Wolfe novellas make for one great read in this latest addition to the Rex Stout Library. Archie Godwin is in the Military Intelligence, and is framed for murder. In the second story, Archie and Nero are embroiled in another war-time mystery, this one involving a captain whose fatal fall leads to a theft of military secrets.

Bestselling author Nora Roberts dazzles once again with a powerful tale of passion, murder, and small-town scandal. In this classic novel, a woman returns to the home she left behind, to a past that is waiting to kill her... A decade ago, sculptor Clare Kimball fled Emmitsboro, Maryland, to take the art world by storm. Now she's celebrated as the artist of her generation. But no amount of success can eclipse the nightmares that haunt her — or the memories of her father's suicide. Just as her star is shining brighter than ever, Clare leaves it all behind to face her demons. Emmitsboro sheriff Cameron Rafferty loved Clare from afar all through high school. Now that she's back, they form a bond that grows stronger each day — fueled by an attraction that's been simmering for years. But Clare's past soon rises up with a vengeance, rocking the town with a sinister murder that is clearly linked to her return. As an investigation gets under way, Clare and Cameron will learn that evil can linger anywhere — even in those you love and trust the most. But it's a discovery that may come too late to save them...

At a small-town carnival two men, each mysteriously summoned by telegram, witness a bizarre killing. The telegrams are signed Jason Bourne. Only they know Bourne's true identity and understand the telegram is really a message from Bourne's mortal enemy, Carlos, known also as the Jackal, the world's deadliest and most elusive terrorist.

Led by its founding father, the great psycho-historian Hari Seldon, and taking advantage of its superior science and technology, the Foundation survived the greed and barbarism of its neighboring warrior-planets. Yet now it must face the Empire — still the mightiest force in the Galaxy, even in its death throes. When an ambitious general determined to restore the Empire's glory turns the vast Imperial fleet toward the Foundation, the only hope for the small planet of scholars and scientists lies in the prophecies of Hari Seldon. But not even Hari Seldon could have predicted the birth of the extraordinary creature called the Mule — a mutant intelligence with a power greater than a dozen battle fleets... a power that could turn the strongest-willed human into an obedient slave.

At last, the costly and bitter war between the two Foundations had come to an end. The scientists of the First Foundation had proved victorious; and now they retum to Hari Seldon's long-established plan to build a new Empire that the Second Foundation is not destroyed after all — and that its still — defiant survivors are preparing their revenge. Now the two exiled citizens of the Foundation — a renegade Councilman and the doddering historian — set out in search of the mythical planet Earth... and proof that the Second Foundation still exists. Meanwhile someone — or something — outside of both Foundations sees to be orchestrating events to suit its own ominous purpose. Soon representatives of both the First and Second Foundations will find themselves racing toward a mysterious world called Gaia and a final shocking destiny at the very end of the universe!

The first and most autobiographical of Maugham's masterpieces. It is the story of Philip Carey, an orphan eager for life, love and adventure. After a few months studying in Heidelberg, and a brief spell in Paris as a would-be artist, he settles in London to train as a doctor where he meets Mildred, the loud but irresistible waitress with whom he plunges into a tortured and masochistic affair.

For the first time Asimov chronicles the life of Hari Seldon, the man who laid the framework for the universe that came to be known as the Foundation. The long-awaited overture to the greatest science fiction series of all time.

So far the Foundation was safe. But there was a hidden Second Foundation to protect the first. The Mule has yet to find it, but he was getting closer all the time. The men of the Foundation sought it, too, to escape from Mule's mind control. Only Arkady, a 14 year-old girl seemed to have the answer, or did she...?

A humor classic by one of the funniest writers today, Side Effects is a treat for all those who know his work and those just discovering how gifted he is. Included here are such classics as Remembering Needleman, The Kugelmass Episode, a new sory called Confessions Of A Buglar, and more.

The Godfather is the Mafia leader Vito Corleone, a benevolent despot who stops at nothing to gain and hold power. Set in Long Island, Hollywood and Sicily, this is a story of a feudal society within society which does not hesitate to consolidate its power.

«Prisoner of war, optometrist, time-traveller — these are the life roles of Billy Pilgrim, hero of this miraculously moving, bitter and funny story of innocence faced with apocalypse. «Slaughterhouse 5» is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centring on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden in the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.»

«Primarily known as a dramatist, Chekhov also wrote short stories. This selection of his work includes «The Swedish Match», «Easter Eve», «Mire», «On the Road», «Verotchka», «Volodya», «The Kiss», «Sleepy» and «The Steppe».»

«Homer's epic chronicle of the Greek hero Odysseus' journey home from the Trojan War has inspired writers from Virgil to James Joyce. Odysseus survives storm and shipwreck, the cave of the Cyclops and the isle of Circe, the lure of the Sirens' song and a trip to the Underworld, only to find his most difficult challenge at home, where treacherous suitors seek to steal his kingdom and his loyal wife, Penelope. Favorite of the gods, Odysseus embodies the energy, intellect, and resourcefulness that were of highest value to the ancients and that remain ideals in out time. In this new verse translation, Allen Mandelbaum — celebrated poet and translator of Virgil's «Aeneid» and Dante's «Divine Comedy» — realizes the power and beauty of the original Greek verse and demonstrates why the epic tale of «The Odyssey» has captured the human imagination for nearly three thousand years.»