For health reasons Father O'Hara must leave his parish. But, before he does, he takes the time to recall the many humorous and irreverent nuances of his tenure.

Buzzards hovering overhead attest to the many shallow graves they've left behind. Months after they walked off their land and left the midwest in search of water, preacher Joshua Hardy is in deep despair. Has his God abandoned him? Is he partially responsible because of his obsession with Lynora, the beautiful wife of his good friend Doctor Culpepper? When it seems those remaining will also perish, they encounter Thisbe, a soothsayer. Thisbe has forseen their future. They will be saved. Bu...

On an isolated English beach a man looks back on his school days, recalling the joy and torment of a secret love affair with a boy full of strange ideas, a boy obsessed with the language of the King James Bible. Moments from their relationship return to him: the hidden meetings on the beach, the first attempts at sex, the boredom of a school assembly in summertime, the cruelty of a young English teacher. But most of all he remembers the boy’s words. They’re words that, years later, will ha...

A Whyborne & Griffin short story.Griffin Flaherty wants nothing more than to create a perfect Valentine’s Day for his lover, Dr. Percival Endicott Whyborne. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, an evening at the theater, and a romantic interlude at home should do the trick.But a new client with an urgent case puts Griffin’s plans in jeopardy. A magic talisman has been stolen, and if it isn’t returned by sundown, disaster will befall not only on the thief but the innocents...

With Star Over Bethlehem, the beloved Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie shines in a totally unexpected way, offering readers a wondrous collection of poems and holiday short stories.A retelling of the Christmas Story in a way you’ve never heard it before. . . . The fable of a donkey who carries a mother and child safely to Egypt. . . . The tale of a widow who dislikes people until she meets a stranger. . . .From the most popular writer of all time c...

A remote English village wakes on the morning after harvest, looking forward to enjoying a hard-earned day of rest and feasting. But two mysterious columns of smoke mar the sky, raising alarm and suspicion.The first column of smoke comes from the edge of the village land, sent as a signal by newcomers to announce their presence as per regional custom. The second smoke column is even more troubling: it comes from a blaze set in Master Kent's stables. Walter Thirsk, ...

Quirke finds himself at the center of a deadly intergenerational feud in the latest novel from Booker Prize-winning "literary polymath" (The New York Times) John BanvilleTwo men go sailing off the coast of Ireland. Only one comes back, claiming the other shot himself. But Detective Inspector Hackett and his friend Quirke aren’t so sure…The dead man is the patriarch of the powerful Delahaye family; the survivor is the scion of the Clancy family, the...

BB Delgado has obtained full and exclusive access rights to the time-travelling exploits and sexploits of a 'Whisperer,' numbers of whom can be found everywhere in time but who are as yet unknown to us. In this exclusive series BB Delgado relates the incredible stories told to him in complete secrecy by a 'Whisperer.' He does not know the end of the story. He might be the story; you might be the story. Have fun finding out..***Their bodies explored each other, skin against o...

In a world where magic is real and danger lurks around every corner, Garrett finds himself in a race against time.It should have been a simple job. But for Garrett, a human detective in a world of gnomes, tracking down the woman to whom his dead pal Danny left a fortune in silver is no slight task. Even with the aid of Morley, the toughest half-elf around, Garrett isn't sure he'll make it out alive from a land where magic can be murder, the dead still talk, and vam...

To investigate the mysterious death of Crown secret agent Joshua Smallman, Marc Edwards goes undercover in the small town of Crawford’s Corners, wading into rumours of sedition and secret societies.It’s 1836 and Ensign Marc Edwards, of His Majesty’s 24th Regiment of Foot, is eager for some adventure and intrigue. Unfortunately he’s been posted to the colonial backwater of Toronto, Upper Canada, and at first glance there doesn’t seem to be much chance for that sort ...

Look...there by the dustbins, what do you see? A shimmering and a glimmering, and a figure forming in the darkness. It is the Ghost Teacher...Class 3 are the worst class ever. They do lots of crashing and bashing, nose-picking and flicking, fighting and fidgeting. No teacher can control Class 3. Until Miss Shade - the Ghost Teacher - pays them a visit...

A young man reluctantly on his way to an online date, tries to strike up a conversation with a girl on the tube. Despite her initial reluctance, she opens up slightly when she finds out his destination. As the train carries them onwards, both find their conversation moving them towards an unexpected conclusion.