The Jester is a novel focusing on a young man named Hugh, beginning in the year 1096. He is living in a time of unrest, when nobles treat peasants like himself as dirt. The region is ruled over by a tyrannical ruler named Baldwin. Seeking freedom, he joins the Crusades. However, when they manage to invade one of the Turk Cities, he sees the horror around him, and decides he cannot face it. He passes a church, where he sees a priest being beaten, and kills the men attacking him. At the now dead priest''s side lays a staff, which Hugh decides to carry with him from then on. Hugh flees the Holy Land, returning to his home village of Veille du Pere, to find his wife kidnapped, his son Phillipe dead (whom his wife Sophie gave birth to after he left) and his inn destroyed. Townsfolk say the attackers wore no colors except for black crosses sewn onto their tunics, and were dishonored knights who seemed to be looking for him alone. Half mad with grief, he wanders into the forest, then goes to search for Sophie who he believes is still alive and being held captive in the dungeons at Treille. In the woods, he attacked by a boar which although he kills, wounds him badly. He is saved by Emilie, a woman who reminds him of Sophie. She turns out to be highborn, the daughter of the King of France, though he does not learn of this until much later. Hugh''s plan is to infiltrate the castle of Lord Baldwin at Treille. With Emilie and the jester (at Boree) Norbert''s help, he adopts the pretext of a Jester. After winning his Lord and the Lord''s crowds'' ear, he soon finds that his wife was never in Treille, with Baldwin. He travels to Borée to see Emilie once more. Winning Anne (Emilie''s mistress)''s ear, he eventually finds that his wife, Sophie was in the dungeon of Borée all along, and that Anne had been lying to him. Killing three of the Tafurs (the guards of Anne which turn out to be the dishonored knights who took his wife), Hugh runs back to Veille du Pere. By then he is sure men are hunting him, but he knows not for what. The Tafurs launch an attack on Veille du Pere, but Hugh and his friends had prepared traps, and so killed all of them but one. This one attacks Hugh before his escape, and breaks his staff, but not the object within, which turns out to be the Holy Lance that pierced Jesus Christ''s side as he lay on the cross. Peasants flock to the spear, so Hugh marches on Treille and takes Baldwin prisoner. Next he marches on Borée, but try as they might, they could not take it. Finally the leader of the Tafurs, "Black Cross" attacks Hugh and his Peasant army, but they rebuff them, Hugh killing Black Cross as they did so. Stephen (Anne''s evil husband who had recently returned from the Crusades), threatened to kill Emilie, but a plot by Hugh and Anne save her. Stephen runs into the castle with Hugh in pursuit, Anne eventually killing Stephen with the Holy Lance. Emilie turns out to be the daughter of the King of France, and Hugh and Emilie get married, living well from then on.

The Jester

The novel takes place in Three Rivers, Connecticut. Dominick Birdsey''s identical twin, Thomas, suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. With medication, he can function properly and work at a coffee stand, but occasionally he has severe episodes of his illness. Thinking he is making a sacrificial protest that will stop the war in the Middle East, Thomas cuts off his own hand in a public library. Dominick sees him through the ensuing decision not to attempt to reattach the hand, and makes efforts on his behalf to free him from what he knows to be an inadequate and depressing hospital for the dangerous mentally ill. In the process, Dominick reviews his own difficult life as Thomas''s normal brother, his marriage to his gorgeous ex-wife, which ended after their only child died of SIDS, and his ongoing hostility toward his stepfather. Dominick also displays classic symptoms of PTSD, as a result of stressors in his adult life. First in Thomas''s interests, and then for his own sake, he sees a therapist, Dr. Rubina Patel, an Indian psychologist, employed by the hospital. She helps Dominick come to understand Thomas''s illness better and the family''s accommodations or reactions to it. In the course of Thomas''s treatment, Dominick is covertly informed of sexual abuse taking place in the hospital, and helps to expose the perpetrators. He succeeds in getting Thomas released, but Thomas soon dies, apparently by suicide. After Thomas''s death, Dominick discovers the identity of their birth father, who was part African American and part Native American--a secret their mother had shared with Thomas, but not with him. In the midst of this, Dominick is also reading the autobiography of his grandfather, Italian/Sicilian-born Domenico Tempesta, which discloses details about the legacy of twins in their family. Dominick learns about himself and his mother through learning about his grandfather. He also learns that his live-in girlfriend, Joy, has been seeing a man on the side, who is her bisexual half-uncle, as well as letting him watch her and Dominick during sex. She is also HIV-positive, having contracted it from her secret lover. She asks Dominick to raise her baby if she dies. At first he resists, but later, after having found his way back into a relationship with his ex-wife, Dessa, they decide to remarry each other and adopt Joy''s daughter. The book ends with Dominick able to cope with the considerable loss, failure, and sadness in his personal and family history.

I Know This Much Is True

Susan Wheeler is the protagonist of the novel. She is an attractive 23-year-old third-year medical student working as a trainee at Boston Memorial Hospital. Susan, along with four other students—George, Harvey, Geoffrey, and Paul—takes rounds in surgery rooms and ICUs for making post-treatment notations on the health of patients. Mark Bellows, a surgery resident in the hospital, is the instructor and supervisor of this group. The book is a journey into the inner workings of a hospital. As these students complete their three-month surgical rotation, the dilemmas and problems faced by a woman in a so-called "man''s" profession are also highlighted. There are two patients, Nancy Greenly and Sean Berman, who mysteriously went into comas immediately after their operations. These incidents were attributed to complications within their surgeries due to anesthesia. Nancy Greenly became comatose when her brain did not receive sufficient oxygen during surgery. Similarly, Sean Berman, a young man in his 30s in good physical condition, underwent a scheduled knee operation. Despite the operation''s success, Sean failed to regain consciousness. Medically, the odds for such occurrences are one in 100,000; however, such odds seemed resolutely higher at the Boston Memorial Hospital. Baffled by the comas of these two patients, Susan decides to investigate the mystery behind these peculiar events and of other recent coma victims. Susan discovers the oxygen line to Operating Room 8 has been tampered with to cause the patients carbon monoxide poisoning during surgery and, hence, brain death. At the same time Susan develops a brief, but intimate, relationship with Bellows and discusses her findings with him. After unraveling further details, and evading pursuit by a man hired to kill her, Susan is led to the Jefferson Institute. The institute is hailed as an intensive care facility designed to cut down on heavy medical costs. All patients who are declared brain dead or "vegetables" are referred to the institute. Here, she finds that patients are suspended from the ceiling by wires in rooms walled by glass and are moved from room to room with little human involvement. The "samples" are kept alive and healthy until a call for an organ comes in. The organ of choice is removed surgically (and without consent) and then sold on the black market. At the end of the story Howard Stark, chief of the Department of Surgery at Boston Memorial, is revealed as the main antagonist. Stark confronts Susan over her findings and then drugs her, intending to put Susan in a coma under the pretext of an appendix operation. However, Bellows manages to disable to the oxygen line during the operation, thereby preventing a full dose of carbon monoxide poisoning. Stark is arrested but Susan''s fate is left in doubt.

Coma

The story begins with a team of human hunters passing through a forest in search of game. After days of coming up empty-handed, they begin to believe they are passing through a Unicorn''s forest, where animals are kept safe by a magical aura. They resign themselves to hunting somewhere else; but, before they leave, one of the hunters calls out a warning to the Unicorn that she may be the last of her kind. This revelation disturbs the Unicorn, but she initially dismisses the thought. She encounters a talking butterfly who speaks in riddles and songs and initially dodges her questions about the other unicorns. Eventually, the butterfly issues a warning that her kind have been herded to a far away land by a creature known as the Red Bull. Fearing for the other unicorns, the Unicorn decides to leave the comfort and safety of her forest to find out what has happened to the others. During her journey, she is taken captive by a traveling carnival led by witch Mommy Fortuna, who uses magical spells to create the illusion that regular animals are in fact creatures of myth and legend. The Unicorn finds herself the only true legendary creature among the group, save for the harpy, Celaeno. Schmendrick, a magician traveling with the carnival, sees the Unicorn for what she is, and he frees her in the middle of the night. The Unicorn frees the other creatures including Celaeno, who kills Mommy Fortuna and Rukh, her hunchbacked assistant. The Unicorn and Schmendrick continue traveling in an attempt to reach the castle of King Haggard, where the Red Bull resides. When Schmendrick is captured by bandits, the Unicorn comes to his rescue and attracts the attention of Molly Grue, the bandit leader''s wife. Together, the three continue their journey and arrive at Hagsgate, a town under Haggard''s rule and the first one he had conquered when he claimed his kingdom. A resident of Hagsgate named Drinn informs them of a curse that stated that their town would continue to share in Haggard''s fortune until such a time that someone from Hagsgate would bring Haggard''s castle down. Drinn also went on to claim that he discovered a baby boy in the town''s marketplace one night in winter. He knew that the child was the one the prophecy spoke of, but he left the baby where he found it, not wanting the prophecy to come true. King Haggard found the baby later that evening and adopted it. Molly, Schmendrick and the Unicorn leave Hagsgate and continue toward Haggard''s castle, but on their way they are attacked by the Red Bull. The Unicorn runs, but is unable to escape the bull. In an effort to aid her, Schmendrick unwittingly turns the Unicorn into a human female. Confused by the change, the Red Bull gives up the pursuit and disappears. The change has disastrous consequences on the Unicorn, who suffers tremendous shock at the sudden feeling of mortality in her human body. The three continue to Haggard''s castle, where Schmendrick introduces the Unicorn as "Lady Amalthea" to throw off Haggard''s suspicions. They manage to convince Haggard to allow them to serve him in his court, with the hopes of gathering clues as to the location of the other unicorns. During their stay, Amalthea is romanced by Haggard''s adopted son, Prince Lír. Haggard eventually reveals to Amalthea that the unicorns are trapped in the sea for his own amusement, because the unicorns are the only things that make him happy. He then openly accuses Amalthea of coming to his kingdom to save the unicorns and says that he knows who she really is, but Amalthea has seemingly forgotten about her true nature and her desire to save the other unicorns. Following clues given to them by a cat, Molly, Schmendrick, and Amalthea find the entrance to the Red Bull''s lair. Haggard and his men-at-arms attempt to stop them, but they manage to enter the bull''s lair and are joined by Lír. When the Red Bull attacks them, Schmendrick changes Amalthea back to her original form. In an effort to save the Unicorn, Lír jumps into the bull''s path and is killed. Fueled by anger and sorrow, the Unicorn drives the bull into the sea. The other unicorns are freed and they run back to their homes, with Haggard''s castle falling in their wake. Lír, who has been revived by the Unicorn and is now king after Haggard''s death, attempts to follow the Unicorn despite Schmendrick advising against it. As they pass through the now-ruined town of Hagsgate, they learn that Drinn is actually Lír''s father, and that he had abandoned him in the marketplace on purpose to fulfill the prophecy. Realizing that he has new responsibilities as king after seeing the state of Hagsgate, Lír returns to rebuild it after accompanying Schmendrick and Molly to the outskirts of his kingdom. The Unicorn returns to her forest. She tells Schmendrick that she is different from all the other unicorns now, because she knows what it''s like to feel love and regret.

The Last Unicorn

After the death of Grand Admiral Thrawn in Timothy Zahn''s The Last Command, the New Republic has decided to go after the numerous warlords terrorizing the galaxy. Its first target is Admiral Krennel. The mission seems straightforward at first, but then Isard appears from the dead, offering her services and using New Republic prisoners as bait (the same prisoners with whom Corran Horn spent some time aboard the Lusankya). After several initial victories against Krennel, the New Republic begins taking savage political blows from Krennel thanks to Isard. Meanwhile, Iella Wesseri and Mirax Terrik begin investigating a series of strange events and clues, and discover that somebody is setting up a trap for Rogue Squadron. Unfortunately, they are too late to warn Rogue Squadron. While on a mission, the Rogues are ambushed by an entire wing (6 squadrons, or 72 fighters) of assorted TIE-Fighters. With the unexpected aid of a squadron of TIE Defenders, the Rogues manage to win, but not before losing Janson, Asyr, and their two replacement pilots. It is revealed that they were rescued by Isard, and that the Isard working for Krennel is in fact a clone. She makes a deal with Wedge, saying that in return for helping the Rogues defeat Krennel and retrieve the Lusankya prisoners, she is to be granted amnesty for all past crimes. Wedge has no choice but to agree. While most of the galaxy, including Krennel, believe that Rogue Squadron is dead, Mirax finds out that they are still alive when Whistler and Gate escape Isard''s base. The New Republic then receives a message from Wedge outlining the final decisive attack on Krennel. During the battle, Isard betrays Rogue Squadron and denies their commando and fighter support. Corran decides to land his Defender and liberate the prisoners himself, taking Ooryl and Nrin Vakil with him. Fortunately, Admiral Ackbar suspected a trap and brought secret reinforcements, including a large commando force. Krennel and the Isard clone are killed in the battle, and the Lusankya prisoners are liberated. Meanwhile, Isard takes her extra forces and attempts to steal the Lusankya, which was captured by the New Republic during the Bacta War and almost fully repaired. However, Iella and Mirax predicted her actions and thwarted Isard''s plan. Isard was killed in the process. At a party celebrating the success of the campaign against Krennel, Janson, who survived Isard''s ambush, is reunited with Rogue Squadron. Asyr, who also survived, keeps news of her survival secret, wanting to return to Bothawui and try to change the Bothan way of life for the better.

Isard''s Revenge

There are two parts to the novel, Iron, and Inconstant Star. In “Iron”, Saxtorph and the Rover, hired by the wealthy Crashlander Laurinda Brozik, set out to explore a newly discovered red dwarf star. When they arrive, they are challenged by a Kzinti warship. Separating the crew onto the shuttles, the Rover is captured and landed on one of the moons. The first shuttle sets on Prima, the first planet, and is held fast by a planet-sized organism that begins dissolving the shuttle. They broadcast for rescue, and are refused help by the Kzin. Meanwhile, helpless to rescue their friends, Robert, Dorcas, and Laurinda make a plan to steal a tug and escape back to friendly space with the news of the Kzin base. Dorcas pilots the tug, and takes out the ship guarding the ‘’Rover’’. Robert and Laurinda land, fight off a Kzinti shuttle, and recover the Rover. They are able to rescue Juan and Carita, and destroy the base with a guided asteroid. In “Inconstant Star”, Saxtorph and crew are hired by Tyra Nordbo to redeem her father’s honor, as he was accused of collaboration with the Kzin during their occupation of Wunderland. To do so, they must use notes he had left behind and follow a ship that had left 30 years prior to investigate a concentration of gamma rays. They travel to the coordinates, and find a massive artifact made of an unknown metal. A hole in the spherical artifact is pouring out lethal radiation. As the study it, they learn it is a weapon of the Tnuctip. It is a shell around a “captured” black hole, one that had been holed by a meteorite and is thus releasing the Hawking radiation. They then deduce the route of the original Kzin ship, and head off to the Father Sun, the star of the Kzin homeworld. En route, they locate the Sherrek, where Tyra’s father Peter had worked free of his Kzin captors. They rescue him and head back to the artifact. Another Kzin ship, Swordbeak, also finds the old ship. They, too, head to the artifact, and catch the Rover by surprise. Just when all looks lost, Robert and Dorcas conceive a plan to use the artifact''s radiation against the Kzin warship. In a last act of defiance, a dying Weoch-Captain activates the artifact’s hyperdrive and heads out into unknown space.

Inconstant Star

The following lists the 38 stratagems described by Schopenhauer, in the order of their appearance in the book: # The Extension # The Homonymy # Generalize Your Opponent''s Specific Statements # Conceal Your Game # False Propositions # Postulate What Has to Be Proved # Yield Admissions Through Questions # Make Your Opponent Angry # Questions in Detouring Order # Take Advantage of the Nay-Sayer # Generalize Admissions of Specific Cases # Choose Metaphors Favourable to Your Proposition # Agree to Reject the Counter-Proposition # Claim Victory Despite Defeat # Use Seemingly Absurd Propositions # Arguments Ad Hominem # Defense Through Subtle Distinction # Interrupt, Break, Divert the Dispute # Generalize the Matter, Then Argue Against it # Draw Conclusions Yourself # Meet Him With a Counter-Argument as Bad as His # Petitio principii # Make Him Exaggerate His Statement # State a False Syllogism # Find One Instance to the Contrary # Turn the Tables # Anger Indicates a Weak Point # Persuade the Audience, Not the Opponent # Diversion # Appeal to Authority Rather Than Reason # This Is Beyond Me # Put His Thesis into Some Odious Category # It Applies in Theory, but Not in Practice # Don''t Let Him Off the Hook # Will Is More Effective Than Insight # Bewilder Your opponent by Mere Bombast # A Faulty Proof Refutes His Whole Position # Become Personal, Insulting, Rude

The Art of Being Right

Squire tells the story of Keladry of Mindelan''s years as a squire, between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Having passed the "big examinations", Kel becomes a squire without a knight-master. While she becomes frustrated at waiting for offers from knights, her best friend, Nealan of Queenscove becomes squire to Alanna the Lioness, the first lady knight in Tortall, and Kel''s personal hero. While Kel is disappointed at not becoming the Lioness''s squire, she shortly receives an equally prestigious offer from Lord Raoul of Goldenlake, commander of the elite King''s Own and a personal friend to the Lioness. As Lord Raoul''s squire, she travels with the King''s Own and participates in routine duties ranging from chasing rogue centaurs to helping to rebuilt villages afflicted by natural disasters such as mudslides. Along the way, Kel acquires a baby griffin from the bandits who kidnapped him from his parents'' nest. Due to the high incidence of kidnapping immature griffins for their magical powers, griffin parents attack any human who has ever touched one of their offspring, so this task is not without its dangers. As knight-master, Raoul teaches Kel the fineries of command, and hones her proven skills in jousting, eventually entering her into tournaments where she jousts against other squires and knights. She jousts twice against Wyldon of Cavall, her previous training master, a political conservative who was initially vehemently opposed to Kel''s training to be a knight. After the second time, she meets three girls, two of them sisters, who explain that they wish to train for knighthood as well. Kel gives them some advice, noting that the sisters appear serious about it while the third girl seems more like the type that jumps around from idea to idea. When a political marriage is arranged for Prince Roald, the heir apparent, the Yamani Princess he is betrothed to, turns out to be Shinkokami (nicknamed Shinko), a friend from Kel''s childhood years in the Yamani Islands; one of her ladies-in-waiting is Yukimi noh Daiomoru, another of Kel''s old friends. Shinko''s anxiety about her upcoming marriage, and the prospect of integrating into Tortallan society, become catalysts for the three to reforge their friendship, as Kel introduces Shinko to various aspects of Tortallan culture. She also introduces Yuki to her squire friends, and she and Neal strike up a quick romance. Joren of Stone Mountain is found to be the noble who paid two men to kidnap Lalasa Isran, Kel''s maid. He is, however, acquitted with a fine. Kel protests the unfairness of the law to the monarchs and gets them to attempt to change it. Princess Shinkokami''s introduction to the subjects of Tortall provides an excuse for the Grand Progress, a progress of the royal family, nobility and other notables. Against his wishes, Raoul joins the progress, with Kel in tow. This becomes a chance that lets Kel strike up a secret romance with Cleon of Kennan, and Raoul becomes involved with the commander of the Queen''s Riders, Queen Thayet''s former bodyguard and right-hand lady, Buriram Tourakom. Kel''s second Midwinter as a squire sees her facing the ordeals of knighthoods of her older friends Prince Roald and Cleon of Kennan (who is at this point Kel''s sweetheart). Their Age group includes Joren of Stone Mountain, who dies in the Chamber, and Vinson of Genlith, who is punished by the Chamber for all the evil deeds he has done to women, namely by feeling every injury done to them. On the Midwinter after her eighteenth birthday, Kel is scheduled to undergo the Ordeal of Knighthood, a ritual that determines if a squire is worthy to become a knight. Of all her year-mates, her name is drawn for the last day of midwinter. Kel waits anxiously while all her friends pass their Ordeals, but her anxiety is disproven; she passes the Ordeal and receives her knight''s shield after seeing a disturbing vision in the Chamber, as well as a sword from the Lioness, who had been anonymously sending her gifts of weapons and training equipment throughout her page and squire years.

Squire by Tamora Pierce

Catherine Cassilis, known as Coquette, born in France and orphaned by the recent death of her father, comes to Airlie near Saltcoats in Southern Scotland, to live with her uncle, the Minister. Her Catholic upbringing brings her into immediate conflict with the sternly Presbyterian household, and she quickly seeks sympathy and friendship with the more free-spirited nobleman, Lord Earlshope. During a yachting trip around western Scotland Earlshope makes a half-hearted confession of his love to Coquette (which she reciprocates), although he is already married, but estranged from his wife. But when this wife is seen in Glasgow, and his secret is exposed, Earlshope abandons Coquette and disappears. In due course Coquette accepts the marriage proposal of her devoted cousin Tom "the Whaup", although she does not truly love him. Their wedding is to be delayed until Tom has completed his medical studies. The crisis comes suddenly. Earlshope returns unexpectedly and meets Coquette: he begs her to run off to America with him and she agrees. But on the night of the planned elopement Earlshope''s boat is run down in a storm and he is drowned. Coquette believes he has left for America without her. It is only after her marriage to Tom that Coquette finally learns the truth. She persuades her husband to drive her to Saltcoats to look at her lover''s grave—the sea. Shortly after she collapses and within a few short weeks, she too is dead.

A Daughter of Heth

Dr. Nora Kelly''s life as an archeologist at New York City''s American Museum of Natural History becomes complicated when Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, a secretive and highly resourceful FBI Special Agent, convinces her to help him uncover the truth behind a string of brutal murders that appears to stretch back 130 years. The adventure starts out with the discovery of a long-buried tunnel at a construction site in Manhattan containing the bodies of 36 young people all with parts of their spine removed, buried in the basement. Kelly''s assistance as archeologist is needed by Pendergast. But they are soon frustrated by forces opposing their involvement: *Roger C. Brisbane III: Museum''s first Vice Director *Anthony Fairhaven: Wealthy entrepreneur, owner of the development property. Fairhaven is a large contributor to the museum, and to the mayor''s election campaign. *The City of New York: The Mayor and the police exert every effort to stop Pendergast and Kelly''s investigation. Anthony Fairhaven, owner of the site, wishes to build his glass tower of apartments before bad publicity and archeologists can stop him. He has the bodies quickly taken away and buried, but not before Dr. Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Pendegrast take a cursory look. Nora discovers a note written by Mary Greene sewn into the bodice of a discarded dress. Nora has her reservations about continuing the investigation, despite the personal connection she feels to Mary Greene through her painstakingly-written note. Nora has recently been hired by the museum, and is afraid of losing her job, especially since budget cuts and politics make it harder for her to continue her research. In spite of efforts to thwart them, Pendergast and Kelly make some important discoveries at the construction site, especially the gruesome manner in which the victims were killed. Agent Pendergast is determined to discover the name of the murderer for his own reasons. Nora''s boyfriend, William Smithback, tries to help Kelly in his way, writing a newspaper article about the investigation. Contrary to Smithback''s hopes, his article does not help Nora, and she refuses to have anything further to do with him. After the article is published, a copycat killer begins a new stream of murders. The Police Department, in spite of its desire to curtail Pendergast''s activities, must appear as though it''s aiding the investigation, and so supplies a liaison officer, Patrick Murphy O''Shaughnessy. To the department''s chagrin, O''Shaughnessy is much too helpful and becomes a boon to Pendergast and Kelly. The copycat murders continue, moving ever closer to the museum. A horrific murder is discovered in the museum''s basement, and with each clue Pendergast uncovers, he has the sensation that someone is following his trail. Strangely, the evidence points towards the same person who committed the gruesome crimes over a century ago. The investigation reveals a startling secret in the Pendergast family, a successful means of prolonging life, and a murderous obsession to achieve the eradication of mankind''s ''disease''. Pendergast''s great-grand uncle Antoine Leng Pendergast (a.k.a. Enoch Leng) is revealed as the serial killer who stole his victim''s spinal columns in an attempt to produce an elixir enabling him to prolong life. He succeeds, and survives into the late 20th century, until he himself is killed by the copycat killer, revealed to be Anthony Fairhaven, who tracked Enoch Leng to his mansion on Riverside Drive. Leng, now an old man, no longer uses the formula, and is powerless against Fairhaven’s feverish brutality. Leng dies while being tortured by Fairhaven without ever revealing his secret formula. Pendergast arrives to stop him, and after Fairhaven is dead, Pendergast burns the formula that would prolong life. The story introduces the cabinet of curiosity (created by the killer Leng), and hints at something hidden in it, which is featured in the consecutive novels. it:La stanza degli orrori

The Cabinet of Curiosities

In 1970, the first person narrator, a 23-year-old college drop-out by the name of Willie Traynor, comes to Clanton, Mississippi for an internship at the local newspaper, The Ford County Times. However the editor, Wilson Caudle, drives the newspaper into bankruptcy through years of mismanagement. Willie decides to buy the paper spontaneously for fifty-thousand dollars, through money from his wealthy grandmother, and becomes the editor and owner of The Ford County Times. Shortly after this, a member of the notorious and scandalous Padgitt family brutally rapes and kills a young widow named Rhoda Kassellaw. The murderer, Danny Padgitt, is tried in front of a jury and is found guilty. Prior to being sentenced, Danny threatens to kill each of the jury members, should they convict him. Although they do find him guilty, the jury cannot decide whether to send him to life in prison or to Death Row, so Danny is sentenced to life in prison at the Mississippi State Penitentiary. After only nine years in prison, Danny Padgitt is paroled and returns to Clanton. Immediately, two jury members are killed and one is nearly killed by a bomb. Jury member and close friend of Willie, Miss Callie Ruffin, reveals that the recent victims were the jurors who were against sentencing Danny to Death Row. Callie Ruffin is black, and was the first black on a jury trying a white criminal in Ford County. With her husband, she has a family of highly accomplished adult children, who live outside of Mississippi. Convinced that Danny is exacting his revenge, as promised, the judge of Clanton issues an arrest for Danny Padgitt. At Padgitt''s trial, the former lover of Rhoda Kassellaw, Hank Hooten, guns down Danny Padgitt in the courtroom by positioning himself on the balcony. Willie later discovers that the assassin is also a schizophrenic and would often hear the voices of the victim''s children in his head, convincing him to murder Danny and the three jurors who voted against his conviction to Death Row. After nine years of ownership, Willie sells The Ford County Times for 1.5 million dollars. Soon after, Callie Ruffin dies of a heart attack, and the book ends with Willie writing her obituary.

The Last Juror

Seize the Night begins a few months after Fear Nothing. It starts with Chris and his dog Orson happening upon Chris''s ex-girlfriend, Lilly Wing, whose son Jimmy has just disappeared. Chris swears to Lilly he''ll find Jimmy, and departs with Orson to begin the search. The trail leads them to Fort Wyvern, the abandoned military base Chris likes to explore. They search the base, but soon become separated, and Orson goes missing. Fearing for his dog''s well-being, along with that of Jimmy, Chris calls his best friend Bobby Halloway to join him in the search and then sends his girlfriend Sasha Goodall to Lilly''s house to console her. Soon after calling them, Chris sees about thirty or so of the rhesus monkeys encountered towards the end of Fear Nothing and takes refuge from them in a nearby bungalow. The monkeys follow him in, and he is saved from being found by Bobby''s arrival. Bobby and Chris search the base, but find nothing except a few strange devices and rooms. After leaving, they stop by Lilly''s house. Sasha and Chris head to their place, while Bobby heads off to Lilly''s mother-in-law Jenna, to bring her back to Lilly''s. The next day, Chris calls Manuel Ramirez, the acting chief of police, to give him information about Jimmy Wing''s kidnapper''s vehicle. Getting no answer, he leaves a message for Manuel to call him after noon. Bobby stops by a bit later to say that Jimmy is not the only child missing. Later, Manuel tells Chris in no uncertain terms to back off, while confiscating his and Bobby''s guns and trashing his house. After he leaves, Roosevelt Frost arrives with his cat, Mungojerrie. They all leave and head out to an old road a few miles away where Sasha''s coworker at the radio station, Doogie, meets up with them. They then head back to Fort Wyvern to continue the search for the children and Orson. Chris and company head into the base, where Bobby is critically wounded in an ambush. He sends everyone else on to find the kids and Orson, and when they return with them in tow, Bobby dies. Chris, refusing to leave Bobby''s body behind, demands it be taken with them on the way out. On the elevator ride back up, they actually encounter themselves at the top of the shaft, and Chris is able to stop Bobby''s past self from being shot. With the past now altered, Bobby''s body disappears from the elevator, and Chris takes the live Bobby with him out of the base to return Jimmy and the other kids to their parents.

Over 8000 Takeaways For Your Brain!

Read - Listen - Learn

The Jester

By James Patterson

I Know This Much Is True

By Wally Lamb

Coma

By Robin Cook

The Last Unicorn

By Peter S. Beagle

Isard's Revenge

By Michael A. Stackpole

Inconstant Star

By Poul Anderson

The Art of Being Right

By Arthur Schopenhauer

Squire by Tamora Pierce

By Tamora Pierce

A Daughter of Heth

By William Black

The Cabinet of Curiosities

By Lincoln Child

The Last Juror

By John Grisham

Seize the Night

By Dean Koontz