Noir contains three long lost thrillers by Richard Matheson, the grand master of suspense. Star Science Fiction Books In Publication Order
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The book opens with a critique of atheism, which combines anecdotes from the author’s two decades of interactions with atheists in post-communist Hungary as an English instructor with a philosophical analysis of its limitations. While exploring a myriad of topics germane to Christianity, from forgiveness and humility to biblical history and Renaissance art, Dickerson always returns to the significance of God’s love. Just as each human has a “unique set of fingerprints” used to identify them, so too, argues the author, does God, whose distinctive identifier is love. Dickerson, a Christian educator, focuses on the centrality of God’s love in this nonfiction exploration of spirituality. Predicated on an inspired gimmick, this is one of the great surprise endings in the genre.ĭespite advance warnings, Poirot is unable to prevent the murders of Alice Ascher, Betty Barnard and Carmichael Clarke. This glamorous era of train travel provides Poirot with an international cast of suspects and one of his biggest challenges. Ratchett is found stabbed in his compartment and untrodden snow shows that the killer is still on board. The glamorous Orient Express stops during the night, blocked by snowdrifts. Of its type, perfection this is how the classic detective story should be written. Which of the other guests is a murderer? Perfectly paced, with subtle and ingenious clueing, and an unexpected but totally logical solution. The impoverished owner of End House hosts a party where fireworks camouflage the shot that kills her cousin. An unmissable, and still controversial, milestone of detective fiction. This title would still be discussed today even if Christie had never written another book. A typical village murder mystery or so it seems until the last chapter with its stunning revelation. But when wealthy Roger Ackroyd is found stabbed in his study, he agrees to investigate. Hercule Poirot has retired to the village of King’s Abbot to cultivate marrows. This is the second of Kay's works that I've read, and while it didn't inspire the same awe in me that Under Heaven did, it's still a book that I greatly appreciated reading. Genre fans looking for more romance and strong female character development will find this an engrossing tale. Lions of Al-Rassan is a standalone novel written by Guy Gavriel Kay, set in a fictional rendition of medieval Spain, inspired by the history of El Cid. Studded with poetry that is evocative of Spain (some selections are reminiscent of El Cid), the story is buttressed with convincing cultural and social details and descriptions of medicine as it was practiced in the 12th century. Mindful of the confusion that alternate universes can create for readers, Kay is careful to periodically summarize the current positions of the various factions in the struggles between the many kingdoms in the empire. Kay provides insightful glimpses into the goals and motives of his many characters, including King Almalik of Cartada, his advisor Ammar ibn Khairan, a young soldier, Alvar de Pellino, and the compelling female physician Jehane. Though the setting is the fictitious Al-Rassan, and there are passing references to the ``Star-born,'' any ancillary connection with science fiction is almost irrelevant to the story. Here he draws on the crumbling empire of medieval Spain to inspire this tale of brutality and romance. Canadian attorney Kay has eschewed the courtroom thriller for fantasy (A Song for Arbonne, etc.). |