"One should never make one's debut in a scandal. One should reserve that to give interest to one's old age." ~ Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish poet
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Learn something new in 2015
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If you have plans to try something new in 2015, why not jump into learning? We support all ages – from preschoolers and parents, to lifelong learners who want to get more out of their computers. Our Learning Centres at South, New Brighton and Upper Riccarton run programmes throughout the year.
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New and Recently Released!
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The big finish
by James W. Hall
Teaming up with the FBI to catch his son's killer by setting himself up as bait, Thorn travels to a small North Carolina town to infiltrate a gang, only to discover that nothing he has been told is true. By the Edgar Award-winning author of Going Dark.
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Crimson angel: a Benjamin January novel
by Barbara Hambly
Benjamin January is forced to travel to rebellion-torn Haiti of 1838 when his brother-in-law is murdered while searching for a family treasure that is tied to a dangerous secret. By the author of Good Man Friday.
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Woman with a gun: a novel
by Phillip Margolin
Inspired by a Pulitzer-winning photograph, an aspiring novelist obsessively investigates the unsolved murder behind the photo and struggles to obtain key facts from a reclusive photographer who may know the truth. By the best-selling author of Sleight of Hand.
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| The Delta by Tony ParkAfter a failed assassination attempt on the president of Zimbabwe, mercenary Sonja Kurtz heads to Botswana, where she agrees to blow up the Okavango Dam, which may be destroying the environment but is certainly hurting the profits of the Western tour operators who hire her. Though Sonja herself is more anti-hero than hero, it's difficult not to be engaged by her tough-as-nails demeanour and clear love for Africa, which is itself vividly depicted. Personal complications and a "furious pace" (Library Journal) add to the appeal of this well-known Australian author's North American debut. |
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Prophecy of bees
by R. S. Pateman
Psychological suspense novel in which mother and daughter are looking at a new life in the country but find the house and the locals quite strange and unnerving.
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Soul of the fire
by Eliot Pattison
Chosen to fill a vacancy on a special international commission investigating Tibetan suicides, Shan Tao Yun discovers that the commission itself is riddled with crime and intrigue and makes a final desperate effort to expose the commission's terrible secrets and save the lives of many Tibetans.
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| The cruiser: a Dan Lenson novel by David PoyerIn this 14th entry in the Dan Lenson series, the newly promoted captain is assigned to a ship that has just run aground. His job is to take control of the vessel and head to the Persian Gulf, where he'll be testing a top-secret missile system. But personnel issues, a demoralised crew, hostile ships, rough seas, and a mysterious death on board don't make Lenson's job any easier. Full of technological details and action on the high seas, this thriller will appeal to those hankering for naval derring-do. |
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The Titanic secret
by Jack Steel
A German financier's 1912 plot to orchestrate a war between Britain and the United States is tackled by unlikely partners Alex Tremayne of Britain's Secret Service Bureau and pioneering U.S. Bureau of Investigation agent Maria Weston, who find their efforts further challenged when they travel together on the Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage.
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Aunty Lee's deadly specials
by Ovidia Yu
When Singapore socialite Mabel Sung and her son, Leonard, are found dead, authorities blame one of caterer Aunty Lee's dishes, but she believes their deaths are linked to an organ-donor scandal that has been in the news, and sets out to find out before her goose is cooked.
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| The Trident Deception by Rick CampbellReaders looking for a tale as gripping as the one offered by Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October should not hesitate to check out this alarming thriller. Having received spurious orders to launch an attack on Iran in retaliation for the decimation of Washington, D.C. (which never happened, though the crew doesn't know this), a ballistic-missile submarine is heading radio-dark and at speed to the Persian Gulf. The U.S. President and the Navy have mere days to figure out how to prevent the attack -- or risk starting a major war. The author, a former naval commander, follows up his 2014 debut with Empire Rising, which is to be published soon. |
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| North of Boston by Elisabeth EloAfter the small lobster boat she was working on was rammed by a freighter, perfume heiress Pirio Kasparov somehow survived four hours in frigid water before her rescue. The owner of the boat, Pirio's friend Ned, was not so lucky, and Pirio, struggling with survivor's guilt, is convinced it was murder. Though the U.S. Navy wants to study her imperviousness to hypothermia, Pirio would rather figure out why Ned left his previous job so abruptly -- and whether the fact that the freighter that killed him was owned by his former employer is a coincidence or something more meaningful. This debut moves briskly and will offer conspiracy theorists plenty to chew on. |
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| A burnable book by Bruce HolsingerBefore Canterbury Tales scribe Geoffrey Chaucer secured his place in the English literary canon, he served as a government official -- and an (unofficial) information broker. In 1380s London, he's recruited fellow poet John Gower to find a "burnable book," the contents of which are so sensitive that merely possessing it is high treason. Gower's attempts to locate the manuscript soon lead him into a labyrinthine conspiracy that could depose reigning monarch Richard II and destabilise the kingdom. A suspenseful, intricate narrative rife with historical detail and strong characterisations make this debut an enticing journey into a medieval England that "never tasted so rich nor smelled so foul." (Library Journal). |
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| Precious thing by Colette McBethBack in high school, when Rachel was awkward and Clara was charismatic and beautiful, they were best friends. As adults, however, Rachel's the success, while Clara's never quite gotten her life together. Then, one night, Clara fails to appear at a social engagement Rachel attended -- and to anything else. Rachel, as a crime-news correspondent, is told to look into her disappearance. Soon, however, Rachel is the prime suspect. But it's unclear what's happened: is Clara framing Rachel? Is Rachel not telling all she knows? Fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl's layered relationships and potentially untrustworthy narrator will appreciate this captivating debut. |
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| Confessions by Kanae MinatoThe drowning of four-year-old Manami Moriguchi at S Middle School has been ruled accidental, but her mother, who teaches at the school, knows otherwise. Knowing exactly which of her students killed her daughter, and understanding that, as juveniles, Japanese law wouldn't punish them, Yuko Moriguchi puts in motion an exceedingly clever and far-reaching plan for revenge. Narrated by several characters, including Yuko and three of her students, this dark, chilling debut, only now translated into English, inspired an award-winning movie by the same name in 2010. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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