"Sally Grissom is a top secret service agent in charge of the Presidential Protection team. She knows that something is amiss when she is summoned to a private meeting with the President and his Chief of Staff without any witnesses. But she couldn't have predicted that she'd be forced to take on an investigation surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the First Lady with strict orders to keep it a secret. The First Lady's absence comes in the...

"A small town hides big secrets in The Dry. After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke's steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the...

The novel's narrator, Stevens, is a perfect English butler who tries to give his narrow existence form and meaning through the self-effacing, almost mystical practice of his profession. In a career that spans the second World War, Stevens is oblivious of the real life that goes on around him -- oblivious, for instance, of the fact that his aristocrat employer is a Nazi sympathizer. Still, there are even larger matters at stake in this heartbreaking,...

"For fans of The Alice Network, THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER brings readers to the WWII homefront, as 20-year-old factory assembly line worker Justine Byrne discovers the carbon parts she assembles 8 hours a day have nothing to do with boats, but are intended for a secret government initiative-The Manhattan Project-and that her factory may be a target for sabotage"--

"A dozen female Imagineers recount their trailblazing careers! Capturing an era -- and preserving the stories they have told their daughters, their mentees, their husbands, and their friends -- a dozen women Imagineers have written personal stories from their decades designing and building the Disney world-wide empire of theme parks. Illustrated with the women's personal drawings and photos in addition to archival Imagineering images, the book represents...

"From her place in the store that sells artificial friends, Klara--an artificial friend with outstanding observational qualities--watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara she is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In this luminous...

"Set in a world inspired by historical India, The Jasmine Throne begins a sweeping new epic fantasy trilogy in which a captive princess and a servant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies--and eventually, much more than allies--on a dark journey to save their empire. Imprisoned by her tyrannical brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless...

Managing a failed seafood restaurant in a run-down New England mall just before Christmas, Manny DeLeon coordinates a challenging final shift of mutinous staff members, an effort that is complicated by his love for a waitress, a pregnant girlfriend, and an elusive holiday gift.

New Yorker Clare Cosi manages a coffee shop, but this summer she'll leave it behind as she heads for the Hamptons-and perhaps the biggest jolt of her life ... Clare Cosi's new friend, millionaire David Mintzer, has an offer no New York barista could turn down: an all-expenses-paid summer away from the sticky city. At his Hamptons mansion, she'll relax, soak up the sun, and, oh yes, train the staff of his new restaurant. So Clare packs up her daughter,...

"A game-changing model for giving great feedback that employees hear and take to heart. Recent studies have revealed 44% of managers dread giving feedback, and 65% of employees wish their managers gave more feedback. But fear of hurt feelings leads managers to bite back valuable insights. Or they rehearse feedback conversations obsessively in advance--only to find the interchange still doesn't go as planned. However, critical feedback, delivered skillfully...