Livros da colecção de Elisa Martinho

A Chave Para Rebecca

Ken Follett — 2010-02-26 00:00:00

Norte de África, Verão de 1942. Rommel parece imbatível: as suas armas secretas são Alex Wolff, espião exímio , e um código fatal enterrado nas páginas do romance de Daphne de Maurier, Rebecca. Wolf cruza o Sara escaldante e entra no Cairo para roubar os planos militares britânicos. O major Vandam, no seu encalço, encarrega a encantadora Elene de o seduzir. À medida que as tropas de Rommel se aproximam da vitória, a perseguição desenrola-se no deserto até chegar a um confronto impressionante e explosivo.

Um Crime no Museu Britânico

Elizabeth Peters — 2005-09-22 12:46:37

Um vigilante nocturno do Museu Britânico é encontrado morto junto de uma múmia. Amelia Peabody desvenda o mistério, à sua maneira.

Poderá o medo matar? Há quem acredite nisso, mas Amelia Peabody não partilha dessa opinião. Egiptóloga respeitada e detective por gosto, Amelia desmascarou esquemas perversos da Inglaterra vitoriana ao Médio Oriente e duvida que tenha sido a maldição de uma múmia da XIX dinastia a causadora da morte de um vigilante nocturno do Museu Britânico.
O cadáver foi encontrado junto da múmia, com uma expressão de terror gravada no rosto. O quê, ou quem, terá morto o infeliz homem é um mistério que parece irresistivelmente intrigante para que Amelia lhe passe ao lado, especialmente agora que ela, o seu irascível marido, o arqueólogo Radcliffe Emerson e o filho de ambos, o precoce Ramsés, voltaram a Inglaterra.
No entanto, uma maldição contemporânea pode ser tão letal como outra com séculos, e, quando a noite cai, as enevoadas ruas de Londres podem ser tão perigosas como as apertadas vielas do Cairo para Amelia, que não desiste de perseguir o seu eterno inimigo.

The Gun Seller

Hugh Laurie — 2004-10-07 00:00:00

Cold-blooded murder just isn't Thomas Lang's cup of tea. Offered a tidy sum to assassinate an American industrialist, he opts to warn the intended victim instead - a good deed that soon takes a bad turn. Quicker than he can down a shot of his favourite whiskey, Lang is bashing heads with a Buddha statue, matching wits with evil billionaires, and putting his life (among other things) in the hands of a bevy of femmes fatales.

Up against rogue CIA agents, wanna-be terrorists, and an arms dealer looking to make a high-tech killing, Lang's out to save the leggy lady he has come to love...and prevent an international bloodbath to boot.

O Vampiro dos Olhos Vermelhos

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

Mataram o Sr.Parkinson

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

O Mistério dos Sete Loucos

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

A Terrível Noite no Jardim Zoológico

Jean Ray — 1977-04-01 00:00:00

As Fábricas de Morte Súbita

Jean Ray — 1977-04-01 00:00:00

A Cabeça de Dois Soldos

Jean Ray — 1977-04-01 00:00:00

As Sete Cadeirinhas

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

Os Vingadores do Diabo

Jean Ray — 1977-04-01 00:00:00

Os Espectros Carrascos

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

Os Tenebrosos

Jean Ray — 1978-04-01 00:00:00

A Pedra Lunar

Jean Ray — 1978-04-01 00:00:00

O Caminho dos Deuses

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

O Leito do Diabo

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

A Casa das Alucinações

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

A Ressurreição da Gorgona

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

O Polvo Negro

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

A Estranha Chama Verde

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

O Jardim das Fúrias

Jean Ray — 1977-04-01 00:00:00

O Sábio Invisível

Jean Ray — 1978-04-01 00:00:00

X - 4

Jean Ray — 1978-04-01 00:00:00

O Bando da Aranha

Jean Ray — 1976-04-01 00:00:00

People of the Book

Geraldine Brooks — 2008-10-01

Mulher Procura Hotel de Cinco Estrelas com Homem Incluído

Gaby Hauptmann — 2002-04-01 00:00:00

Um Amante a Mais Ainda Sabe a Pouco

Gaby Hauptmann — 2001-04-01 00:00:00

Todas as segundas-feiras são dedicadas a Lars, o colosso de músculos ideal para as aventuras. É no Ramses, hotel finíssimo Hamburgo, que Anna tira o máximo proveito desses momentos extra conjugais... Não só Anna mas também um certo parzinho no quarto do andar de cima.
Unidos no amor!, pensa Anna e, num impulso, usa o telefone interno para os contactar. Atendem. Anna desliga. Nesse momento os gemidos lá em cima transformam-se em silêncio de morte. No dia seguinte, uma manchete inacreditável no jornal: No Hotel Ramses foi encontrado um cadáver de um homem, precisamente no quarto em cima de Anna e Lars. Ao ler a notícia, Anna dá-se conta de que a presumível hora da morte está completamente errada. Para complicar um pouco a situação, o marido de Anna, um advogado aparentemente isento, é encarregue do caso. Anna decide então fazer uma investigação por conta própria, mas não se apercebe das influências e jogos de poder que estão no terreno.
Tocando a comédia negra, Gaby Hauptman constrói magistralmente toda uma série de armadilhas em torno do caso amoroso.

Homens na Cozinha, Mulheres no Sofá

Gaby Hauptmann — 2003-04-01 00:00:00

Gaby Hauptmann reuniu neste livro as mais emblemáticas e divertidas circunstâncias do par homem/mulher. Escrito no seu estilo tipicamente ligeiro e irónico, num tom directo e frontal, eis aqui reveladas surpresas de deixar boquiabertos tanto os protagonistas como os leitores. Em todas as relações há deficiências, catástrofes, mudanças de rumo e mínimas questões do dia-a-dia, que se tornam, sem pré-aviso, no mais evidente fundamento para uma revolução.

Virilidade a Quanto Obrigas !

Gaby Hauptmann — 2001-04-01 00:00:00

Mentiras na Cama

Gaby Hauptmann — 1999-04-01 00:00:00

Um Homem Bom é Um Homem Morto

Gaby Hauptmann — 2000-04-01 00:00:00

Ursula Winkler é vítima de uma tragédia: acaba de perder o marido. De mulher de empresário bem sucedido, de uma vida confortável e de ócio, Ursula passa a mulher de negócios, vendo-se obrigada a acordar para uma realidade complexa e difícil e a ter que resolver os imbróglios deixados pelo seu querido Walter. Os desenvolvimentos vão ser surpreendentes, nesta história divertida e irresistível de Gaby Hauptmann.

A Matilha dos Herdeiros

Gaby Hauptmann — 2000-04-01 00:00:00

Mulher Procura Homem Impotente para Relacionamento Sério

Gaby Hauptmann — 1999-04-01 00:00:00

Carmen Legg é uma mulher bonita, sexy, bem sucedida nos negócios e os homens acham-na irresistível. Assediam-na constantemente, pedem sexo no primeiro encontro. Carmen resolve colocar um anúncio num jornal para encontrar o companheiro perfeito: um homem inteligente mas impotente. Recebe inúmeras respostas, e quando se apaixona pelo lindíssimo David, Laura, a sua melhor amiga, faz-lhe notar que ela não é tão feliz com a sua opção como julgara: «Querias um homem impotente e conseguiste o homem impotente dos teus sonhos e agora queres transformá-lo num super-homem potente».

Dragon Teeth: A Novel

E. Howard Hunt — 1997-05

The Spring Cleaning Murders (Ellie Haskell Mysteries)

Dorothy Cannell — 1999-05-27

The Wheel of Darkness

Douglas Preston Lincoln Child — 2008-08-14

Relic

Douglas Preston Lincoln Child — 2003-10-31

A Sea of Troubles

Donna Leon — 2002-03-28

Killer Pancake: A Culinary Mystery

Diane Mott Davidson — 1995-11

The Main Corpse (Culinary Mysteries)

Diane Mott Davidson — 2000-01-01

Sticks & Scones

Diane Mott Davidson — 2002-05

Chopping Spree

Diane Mott Davidson — 2003-03-04

Death at St.James's Palace (A John Rawlings mystery)

Deryn Lake — 2003-07-01

Robinson Crusoé

Daniel Defoe — 2008-09-05 00:00:00

Esta obra clássica da literatura, na consagrada adaptação de John Lang, transporta-nos através dos mares até à ilha perdida onde o herói, Robinson Crusoé, vive aventuras que desafiam a nossa imaginação...

De assinalar que esta é uma obra para leitura orientada, recomendada nos Programas da Língua Portuguesa.

Um Apartamento dos Diabos

Chris Niles — 2002-04-01 00:00:00

Um Apartamento dos Diabos, é um terrível policial, cheio de tensão e humor. Cyrus é um eremita milionário... E um assassino em série. As suas primeiras vítimas são, um casal de noivos que sabiam que procurar um apartamento em Nova Iorque ia ser um inferno. Apenas desconheciam que poria termo à sua curta vida. Tye é uma bonita jovem de Londres que imagina poder negociar os seus olhares de mulher fatal por uma estadia grátis num sótão do centro da cidade. Quinn é um escritor sem ideias e sem sorte. Quer manter-se em Manhattan sem perder a camisa - e a namorada. Marion Neidermyer é uma mãe determinada em descobrir o paradeiro do filho e da nora. Cyrus, Quinn, Tye e Marion - todos deambulando por Nova Iorque, todos colidindo nesta brilhante comédia negra que nos fará pensar duas vezes antes de responder a um anúncio para... um apartamento!

Cidade Escaldante

Chester Himes — 1995-04-01 00:00:00

Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë — 1992-05-01 00:00:00

Ranked as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction, this title portrays the heroine, who although poor and of plain appearance, possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage. She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order.

Pickwick Papers

Charles Dickens — 2000-02-24 00:00:00

Beginning as a literary spoof centred around sketches of stock sporting fops, this title presents Dickens' most popular characters such as: Samuel Pickwick, and his companions Winkle, Augustus Snodgrass, and Tracy Tupman.

Dracula

Bram Stocker — 2002-10-02 00:00:00

O Segredo da Cruz de Cristo

Bill Napier — 2007-03-20 00:00:00

Harry Blake leva uma vida descansada. Como negociante de mapas antigos numa pequena vila inglesa, raramente se depara com surpresas. Mas quando um milionário o contrata para avaliar um diário com quatrocentos anos e é de seguida brutalmente assassinado, a vida de Harry nunca mais poderá ser a mesma. Afinal, o que estará no diário que leve alguém a matar?

A decifração do diário leva-o para um mundo de conspirações seiscentistas e ainda mais para trás, através de mil anos de intriga religiosa, para as sanguinárias Crusadas e a localização de uma relíquia sagrada. Será que Harry vai encontrar a peça deste puzzle celestial que ameaça a sua vida e, em última instância, o mundo tal como o conhecemos?

The Basement

Bari Wood — 1996-06

A Estrela da Babilónia

Bárbara Wood — 2009-06-19 00:00:00

Numa noite de tempestade, a arqueóloga Candice Armstrong é chamada de urgência à cabeceira do seu velho professor, John Masters, que sofreu um acidente. O moribundo implora-lhe para ir a casa dele, mencionando a «Estrela da Babilónia» e uma misteriosa chave. Candice inicia então uma trepidante busca que a leva à Síria na companhia do filho do professor, Glenn Masters, um misterioso e taciturno inspector da polícia. Entretanto, Philo Thibodeau - seguindo as instruções da seita ultra-secreta a que pertence, os Alexandrinos - parte no seu encalço, e Candice e Glenn vêem-se obrigados a arriscar as suas vidas, numa corrida contra o tempo através do deserto.

Os Cus de Judas

António Lobo Antunes — 2008-09-12 00:00:00

Memória de Elefante

António Lobo Antunes — 2009-09-28 00:00:00

A Escriba

Antonio Garrido — 2009-01-15 00:00:00

Alemanha, ano 799. Carlos Magno, em vésperas de ser coroado imperador do Ocidente, encarrega Gorgias, um ilustre escriba bizantino, da tradução de um documento de vital importância para o futuro da Cristandade. O trabalho deverá ser executado no mais absoluto segredo. Entretanto, Theresa, filha de Gorgias e aprendiz de escriba, é falsamente acusada de um crime e procura refúgio na cidade alemã de Fulda, perdendo o contacto com o pai. Aí, conhecerá Alcuino de York, um frade britânico que investiga uma terrível epidemia que assola a população. Quando Theresa é informada do desaparecimento misterioso de Gorgias, ela e Alcuino embarcam numa aventura inquietante para o encontrar e infiltram-se numa teia conspirativa de ambição, poder e morte, em que nada nem ninguém é o que parece e da qual depende o futuro do mundo ocidental.
Combinando o rigor histórico com uma prosa de ritmo trepidante, este romance de Antonio Garrido conduz o leitor por cidades, claustros e abadias medievais, num thriller apaixonante inspirado em factos reais.

Diário de Anne Frank

Anne Frank — 1999-04-01 00:00:00

Anne era uma rapariguinha de uma família judaica de Francfort que se refugiou na Holanda para escapar às perseguições nazis. Invadido este país, a família esconde-se com outras pessoas num "anexo" de uma casa, onde, protegida por gente corajosa e dedicada, consegue viver largo tempo sempre no terror de ser descoberta. Acabou por sê-lo. E o diário de Anne foi encontrado por acaso num monte de papéis velhos. Anne veio a morrer no campo de concentração de Bergen-Belsen. Mas o diário que essa rapariguita escreveu é, na sua perspicácia e na sua desenvoltura adolescente, um documento, um autêntico documento humano - e, só pelo facto de existir, um protesto contra as injustiças do mundo em que vivemos.

Black Beauty (Wordsworth's Children's Classics)

Anna Sewell — 1993-04-01

A horse is a horse of course, unless of course the horse is Black Beauty. Animal-loving children have been devoted to Black Beauty throughout this century, and no doubt will continue through the next. Although Anna Sewell's classic paints a clear picture of turn-of-the-century London, its message is universal and timeless: animals will serve humans well if they are treated with consideration and kindness.

Black Beauty tells the story of the horse's own long and varied life, from a well-born colt in a pleasant meadow to an elegant carriage horse for a gentleman to a painfully overworked cab horse. Throughout, Sewell rails--in a gentle, 19th-century manner--against animal maltreatment. Young readers will follow Black Beauty's fortunes, good and bad, with gentle masters as well as cruel. Children can easily make the leap from horse-human relationships to human-human relationships, and begin to understand how their own consideration of others may be a benefit to all. (Ages 9 to 12)

Andre Augustine - Guardian of the Gods: An Inside Look at the Dangerous Business of Music

Mark Rodgers — 1999-12

Labyrinth

Kate Mosse — 2006-01-11

The Complete Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia)

C. S. Lewis — 2000-10-02

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, is one of the very few sets of books that should be read three times: in childhood, early adulthood, and late in life. In brief, four children travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far more than it seems. Richly told, populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world and pacing of plot, and profoundly allegorical, the story is infused throughout with the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope. This boxed set edition includes all seven volumes.

A Última Crónica

Mario Crespo — 2010-02-11 00:00:00

Mário Crespo é um dos mais respeitados jornalistas portugueses, com uma longa carreira na televisão. Passou pela RTP, onde foi correspondente internacional e é desde há vários anos carismático pivot do Jornal das Nove da SIC Notícias, para além de assinar colunas regulares na imprensa escrita.

A 1 de Fevereiro, deveria ter assinado no Jornal de Notícias a sua crónica semanal onde descrevia uma troca de palavras acerca da sua pessoa num encontro entre o Primeiro-Ministro, dois ministros e um executivo de uma cadeia de televisão num restaurante lisboeta.

A não publicação desta crónica está a gerar ondas de solidariedade para com o jornalista e a provocar aceso debate na sociedade civil e nos meios políticos e governamentais.

Neste livro, Mário Crespo dá a conhecer «A Última Crónica» e reúne o conjunto das suas crónicas publicadas no Jornal de Notícias e semanário Expresso, através das quais comenta os acontecimentos mais marcantes dos últimos anos.

The Left Hand of God

Paul Hoffman — 2010-01-07

Book of Souls

Glenn Cooper — 2010-02-04

The Holy Bullet

Luis Miguel Rocha Lua-S M. Rocha — 2009-08-20

The Last Pope

Luis Miguel Rocha — 2009-08-06

A Biblioteca Mágica

Jostein Gaarder — 2002-04-01 00:00:00

Dois jovens primos e grandes amigos separam-se depois das longas férias do Verão. Mas as novidades são tantas que para se manterem em contacto um com o outro recorrem às cartas, numa espécie de livro-diário, onde contam tudo o que lhes acontece. Nesta troca de correspondência encontram acidentalmente uma estranha carta caída da mala da Lilli dos Livros, com indicações misteriosas que os dois jovens vão investigar…
Uma descoberta ou um reencontro com o mundo dos livros, desde os mais antigos até aos mais actuais, onde se revelam a todos os leitores importantes características das diferentes épocas do livro.

The Sign

Raymond Khoury — 2009-12-10

The Ice Princess

Camilla Lackberg — 2009-02-05

A Filha de Deus

Lewis Perdue — 2006-07-03 00:00:00

O Vaticano perdeu o seu mais bem guardado segredo... um segredo cuja revelação poderia destruir as próprias fundações da religião do mundo ocidental, fazer o poder mudar de mãos e despertar a violência religiosa como há séculos não se vê.

O segredo? A prova irrefutável da existência de uma mulher Messias cujo nome era Sofia. Nascida na Terra Santa no ano 310 D.C., Sofia ficou conhecida por fazer milagres. A sua divindade ameaçou de tal forma o dogma cristão da época, onde a mulher era inferiorizada, que foi executada pelas autoridades

La Magdalena

William M. Valtos — 2008-04-14 00:00:00

Theo Nikonos era um psicólogo. Após ter sido absolvido de uma injusta acusação de duplo homicídio, decide deixar Nova Iorque e passar uma temporada em Espanha. Tudo o que queria era esquecer o passado e sarar o coração ferido pela morte prematura da mulher que amava.
Mas um encontro fortuito com uma jovem freira na Catedral de Valência vai transformar a jornada de Nikonos numa investigação que o leva aos mistérios do mundo cristão. Conhecida apenas por La Magdalena, ela é uma flor rara, protegida de quaisquer influências exteriores e nunca conheceu outra vida senão a dos conventos.
Padre Serrano, um ancião proibido de qualquer contacto com a enigmática Magdalena, revela a Nikonos uma história chocante e potencialmente herege.
Será esta jovem uma reencarnação de Maria Madalena? Ou serão as suas visões e memórias, apenas fruto da sua demência?
Depois desta revelação, Nikonos vê-se envolvido numa espiral de acontecimentos incontroláveis e mortais. Ele é um homem sozinho, e alguém está disposto a tudo para esconder a verdadeira identidade de La Magdalena.

A sombra do que fomos

Luis Sepúlveda — 2009-08-27 00:00:00

Luis Sepúlveda regressa ao romance com uma grande homenagem ao idealismo dos perdedores.

Num velho armazém de um bairro popular de Santiago do Chile, três sexagenários esperam impacientes pela chegada de um quarto homem. Cacho Salinas, Lolo Garmendia e Lucho Arencibia, antigos militantes de esquerda derrotados pelo golpe de estado de Pinochet e condenados ao exílio, voltam a reunir-se trinta e cinco anos depois, convocados por Pedro Nolasco, um antigo camarada sob cujas ordens vão executar uma arrojada acção revolucionária. Mas quando Nolasco se dirige para o local do encontro é vítima de um golpe cego do destino e morre atingido por um gira-discos que insolitamente é lançado por uma janela, na sequência de uma desavença conjugal¿

Prémio Primavera de Romance 2009, A Sombra do que Fomos é um virtuoso exercício literário posto ao serviço de uma história carregada de memórias do exílio, de sonhos desfeitos e de ideais destruídos. Um romance escrito com o coração e o estômago, que comove o leitor, lhe arranca sorrisos e até gargalhadas, levando-o no fim a uma reflexão profunda sobre a vida.

A Lâmpada de Aladino

Luis Sepúlveda — 2008-11-21 00:00:00

A Lâmpada de Aladino constitui o esperado regresso de Luis Sepúlveda ao território da ficção. Ao longo das histórias que compõem este livro reencontramo-nos com esse território de sentimentos que fizeram do autor um dos nomes mais apreciados da literatura da América Latina.

Enquanto os nomearmos e contarmos as suas histórias, os nossos mortos nunca morrem, diz a certa altura um personagem. Foi precisamente para resgatar do esquecimento momentos, lugares e existências irrepetíveis que Luis Sepúlveda escreveu A Lâmpada de Aladino, uma lâmpada de onde surgem, como por arte de magia, treze contos magistrais.

A Alexandria de Kavafis, o Carnaval em Ipanema, uma cidade de Hamburgo fria e chuvosa, a Patagónia, Santiago do Chile nos anos sessenta, a recôndita fronteira do Peru, Colômbia e Brasil, são alguns dos cenários deste livro. Nas suas histórias, cada uma delas um romance em miniatura, Luis Sepúlveda dá vida a personagens inesquecíveis, prendendo o leitor da primeira à última página.

O Historiador

Elizabeth Kostova — 2005-09-29 17:55:56

"Nas tuas mãos, leitor, entrego a minha história…"

Uma noite, já muito tarde, explorando a biblioteca do pai, uma jovem mulher encontra um livro antigo e um pacote de cartas amarelecidas agoirentamente destinadas ao "Meu querido e desgraçado sucessor". Este achado vai mergulhá-la num mundo com que nunca sonhou - um labirinto onde os segredos do passado do pai e o misterioso destino da mãe se ligam a um mal escondido nas profundezas da história.
Uma sociedade secreta numa luta de séculos contra a mais terrível encarnação do mal. A aventura de uma jovem mulher em busca da verdade sobre os seus pais e sobre o destino do homem que inspirou a lenda de Drácula.
O livro de Elizabeth Kostova é uma aventura de proporções monumentais, fundindo a realidade e a ficção, a história e o fantástico, o presente e o passado, a narrativa na primeira pessoa e diários, cartas, documentos, o romance histórico e o psicológico, o thriller literário e a história de amor.
O Historiador vai ser um dos principais acontecimentos editoriais de 2005, publicado em mais de 20 países.

The Paris Vendetta

Steve Berry — 2010-04-15

O Psicanalista

John Katzenbach — 2007-02-28 00:00:00

«Um 53º aniversário muito feliz, senhor doutor. Seja bem-vindo ao primeiro dia da sua morte».
O psicanalista nova-iorquino Frederick Starks acaba de receber uma misteriosa e ameaçadora carta. Sem perceber como, nem porquê, a sua vida rotineira é lançada ao caos. Encontra-se no centro de um jogo diabólico, concebido por um homem que se intitula Rumplestiltskin. Este jogo tem as suas regras: no prazo de duas semanas Starks tem que descobrir a verdadeira identidade do autor da carta e a razão da sua fúria. Se conseguir, fica livre. Se não, Rumplestiltskin destruirá, um a um, os seus parentes mais queridos, a menos que o psicanalista aceite suicidarse. «Uma coisa pode ter a certeza. A minha fúria não conhece limites.»Ignorar a ameaça não é uma opção. Starks entra numa autêntica corrida contra o tempo, onde se vê à mercê do perverso jogo de vingança de um psicopata que controla as suas contas bancárias, os seus pacientes, a sua casa e a sua reputação. Nada nem ninguém está a salvo.

História de Portugal

Bernardo Vasconcelos e Sousa Rui Ramos — 2009-11-05 00:00:00

Rui Ramos, Bernardo Vasconcelos e Sousa e Nuno Monteiro, professores universitários da nova geração de historiadores apresentam a História de Portugal num só volume, da Idade Média ao século XXI. Numa narrativa clara e rigorosa os autores abordam os nove séculos da nossa história através das suas dimensões política, económica, social e cultural, dando uma visão integrada de cada época e momento histórico, colocando, ao mesmo tempo, a História de Portugal no contexto da História da Europa e do mundo. Com ilustrações a cores, mapas, cronologias e lista de governantes trata-se sem dúvida de uma obra de referência fundamental para compreender o passado e o presente num momento de grandes decisões e escolhas para o futuro de Portugal.

O Autenticador

William M. Valtos — 2007-03-20 00:00:00

Entre o mundo dos vivos e o dos mortos, até onde pode ir um homem na busca pela verdade?

Seguindo uma denúncia anónima, Theo Nikonos, investigador de Experiências de Quase-Morte, descobre uma mulher aprisionada nas caves de uma luxuosa clínica. Apesar de estar sob o efeito de drogas, ela revela factos verdadeiramente inacreditáveis sobre as suas Experiências de Quase-Morte e implora para que ele a ajude.
Fascinado pela beleza daquela mulher desprotegida, Theo sente-se compelido a levá-la consigo. Mas o seu interesse não termina aqui: o que ela lhe revelou pode revolucionar o conceito das Experiências de Quase-Morte. Talvez por isso há quem esteja disposto a tudo para a ter em seu poder... nem que para isso Theo tenha que ser eliminado.
À medida que junta as peças do complicado puzzle, Theo vai compreender que há respostas que estão para lá do mundo dos vivos.

A Mão de Rasputine

William M. Valtos — 2006-11-09 00:00:00

Uma mão cortada aparece no cofre de um banco que não é aberto há mais de 50 anos. Uma nota, escrita em Esloveno num pedaço de pano, diz que é a mão de Rasputine...

Rasputine, o monge lendário que foi em tempos o homem mais poderoso do império Russo. Considerado por muitos como um homem de Deus e um santo, visto por outros como a própria encarnação do Demónio.
No entanto, Rasputine está morto desde 1916 e a mão sangra como se tivesse sido separada do braço há apenas algumas horas. Os fieis acreditam que se trata de uma relíquia com poderes curativos. Mas todos os que entram em contacto com a mão, vão morrendo misteriosamente...

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot)

Agatha Christie — 2001-06-04

Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Agatha Christie — 2001-09-03

The ABC Murders (Hercule Poirot)

Agatha Christie — 2001-06-04

Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot)

Agatha Christie — 2001-06-04

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Poirot)

Agatha Christie — 2002-04-02

Miss Marple Omnibus: "Body in the Library", "Moving Finger", "Murder is Announced", "4.50 from Paddington" v.1: The Body in the Library / The Moving ... Is Announced", "4.50 from Paddington" Vol 1

Agatha Christie — 1997-07-10

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot)

Agatha Christie — 2001-06-04

And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie Collection)

Agatha Christie — 2003-03-03

The Gospel of Judas

Simon Mawer — 2005-07-07

This carefully wrought and ambitious novel relates the life-history of Father Leo Newman, a priest who is called in to translate and to help authenticate a first-century papyrus scroll that appears to predate the gospels and was written and signed by one Judas Iscariot. The stakes in such an intellectual exercise are high and are exacerbated by the complications of Father Newman's personal life: an affair with the wife of a British diplomat and uncertainty about his family origins. Is he the son of a Nazi officer's wife and her Italian-Jewish lover, whom his mother turns in? Mawer writes with sympathy and wit and is compelling across the entire range of his subject matter: shaken faith, adultery, betrayal, religious intrigue, scholarly controversy. The opening of the novel sets the tone with some flair:

A curious structure, the confessional. A cross between a wardrobe and a prie-dieu, a varnished wooden construction that is probably the only piece of furniture never to have awoken the interest of collectors. You'll not go into a precious modern house, somewhere in Islington say, and find a confessional in the hall and a careless confession by the proud owner that it was "Something we picked up at an auction. We thought it would go so well just there ..."

Skilful writing on many levels makes The Gospel of Judas an intelligent and moving meditation on one man's search for the elusive truth of his life and faith and, never mired in its own profundity, the novel simultaneously reads like a thriller. Neville Hoad END

The Gun Seller

Hugh Laurie — 2004-10-07

Digging for the Truth: One Man's Epic Adventure Exploring the World's Greatest Archaeological Mysteries (History Channel Audiobook)

Josh Bernstein — 2006-12-12

Gone, Baby, Gone

Dennis Lehane — 2006-09-02

Cheese Olamon, "a six-foot-two, four-hundred-and-thirty- pound yellow-haired Scandinavian who'd somehow arrived at the misconception he was black", is telling old high school friends, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, why they have to convince another mutual chum, dealer Bubba Rugowski, that Cheese didn't try to have him killed. "You know I'm clean when it comes to what happened to him. You want me alive. Okay? Without me, that girl will be gone. Gone-gone. You understand? Gone, baby, gone."

Of all the chilling, completely credible scenes of sadness, destruction and betrayal in Dennis Lehane's fourth and possibly best book about Kenzie and Gennaro, this moment stands out because it captures in a few pages the essence of Lehane's success.

Private detectives Kenzie and Gennaro, who still live in the same working-class Dorchester neighbourhood of Boston, Massachusetts, where they grew up, have gone to visit drug dealer Cheese in prison because they think he's involved the kidnapping of 4-year-old Amanda McCready. Without sentimentalising the grotesque figure of Cheese, Lehane tells us enough about his past to make us understand why he and the two detectives might share enough trust to save a child's life when all the best efforts of traditional law enforcement have failed. By putting Kenzie and Gennaro just to one side of the law (but not totally outside--they have several cop friends--a very important part of the story), Lehane adds depth and edge to traditional genre relationships. The love affair between Kenzie and Gennaro--interrupted by her marriage to his friend--is another perfectly controlled element that grows and changes as we watch. Surrounded by dead, abused and missing children, Kenzie mourns and rages; Gennaro longs for one of her own. The choices made by both of them in the final pages of this absolutely gripping story have the inevitability of life and the dazzling beauty of art.

Other Kenzie/Gennaro books available in paperback are: Darkness, Take My Hand, A Drink Before the War, Sacred. -- Dick Adler

Prince of Fire

Daniel Silva — 2006-11-30

The Lucifer Code

Michael Cordy — 2006-02-13

The Venus Conspiracy

Michael Cordy — 2006-10-02

The Messiah Code

Michael Cordy — 2005-08-01

Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders

Zahi A. Hawass — 2006-08-22

Inkdeath (Inkheart Trilogy)

Cornelia Funke — 2009-06-01

Inkspell (Inkheart Trilogy)

Cornelia Funke — 2006-06-05

Just a few chapters into Inkspell, Mo (a.k.a. "Silvertongue") sagely says to his daughter, "Stories never really end, Meggie, even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page." A fitting meta-observation for this, the unplanned second installment in Cornelia Funke's beloved now-trilogy.

Of course, it's that sort of earnest, almost gushing veneration of books and book-loving that made the absorbing suspense-fantasy Inkheart so wonderful in the first place, with that lit-affection getting woven integrally into the plot (Inkheart being both Funke's first book in the series, and the fictitious book within that book, authored by the frustrated Fenoglio, now trapped within the book, er, within the book. Fenoglio, perhaps not surprisingly, self-referentially wishes in Inkspell that he had written a sequel to Inkheart.) Inkspell should serve as a special treat for fans of the first book, as characters from Inkheart who have found themselves in the "real world" (if there is such a thing) find themselves read back into their own mythic, word-spun world--along with some of our favorite "real-world" characters. As with the previous book, Funke's greatest accomplishment here is telling such a rich and involving (and fun!) story, while still managing sweet, subtle commentary on the nature of words and meaning. Expect a tantalizing finale, too--as Funke says, "No reader will forgive me the ending, though, without a part three." (Ages 8 and up) --Paul Hughes

Inkheart

Cornelia Funke — 2004-06-07

Some books are destined to be lifelong treasured possessions. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, the bestselling German author of The Thief Lord, could easily lay claim to being such a book. It is a meaty, magical adventure that oozes a passion for books and the awesome power of words on a page, written by an author who clearly adores stories. Every chapter is introduced by tempting quotations from classic novels that whet your appetite for more and help underline the terrific heritage of children's literature that Inkheart is added to.

Meggie is the daughter of a revered bookbinder called Mo whose peaceful existence is one night shattered by the arrival of Dustfinger--a shadowy man with a mysterious link to Mo's past. Mo and Meggie are soon on the move, running from something that threatens everything they hold dear. But the past inevitably catches up with them and Mo is forced to reveal to his daughter for the first time his terrible secret. He has the ability, or curse, to breathe life into any story he reads and make the characters come alive. Just such a character, the sinister Capricorn, is after Mo to ensure that he stays alive and is never returned to the pages from which he was sprung. And, of course, he'll stop at nothing to guarantee success.

Inkheart is a treat and echoes of its many colourful characters, nail-biting drama and unrelenting invention will stay with the reader for a long time. It's also a novel for people who really love books. (Recommended for ages 10 and over.) --John McLay

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter 5)

J.K. Rowling — 2004-07-10

As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief… or will it?

Book five in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series follows the darkest year yet for our young wizard, who finds himself knocked down a peg or three after the events of last year. Over the summer, gossip (usually traced back to the magic world's newspaper, the Daily Prophet) has turned Harry's tragic and heroic encounter with Voldemort at the Triwizard Tournament into an excuse to ridicule and discount the teenager. Even Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of the school, has come under scrutiny from the Ministry of Magic, which refuses to officially acknowledge the terrifying truth: that Voldemort is back. Enter a particularly loathsome new character: the toad-like and simpering ("hem, hem") Dolores Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the minister of Magic, who takes over the vacant position of defence against dark arts teacher--and in no time manages to become the high inquisitor of Hogwarts. Life isn't getting any easier for Harry Potter. With an overwhelming course load as the fifth years prepare for their examinations, devastating changes in the Gryffindor Quidditch team line-up, vivid dreams about long hallways and closed doors, and increasing pain in his lightning-shaped scar, Harry's resilience is sorely tested.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, more than any of the four previous novels in the series, is a coming-of-age story. Harry faces the thorny transition into adulthood, when adult heroes are revealed to be fallible, and matters that seemed black and white suddenly come out in shades of gray. Gone is the wide-eyed innocent, the whiz kid of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Here we have an adolescent who's sometimes sullen, often confused (especially about girls), and always self-questioning. Confronting death again, as well as a startling prophecy, Harry ends his year at Hogwarts exhausted and pensive. Readers, on the other hand, will be energised as they enter yet again the long waiting period for the next title in the marvellous magical series. --Emilie Coulter

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)

J.K. Rowling — 2001-07-06

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the long-awaited, heavily hyped fourth instalment of a phenomenally successful series that has captured the imagination of millions of readers, young and old, across the globe. For J K Rowling the pressure is certainly on to continue to come up with thrilling, pacey storylines that allow her hero to mature into a young man without detracting from the magical secret that has made Harry into a superstar. In this book, the teenage Harry has a certain gawky charm that fits well with his advancing adolescence. As the story moves on, Harry too moves on to a new level of maturity that leaves the reader wondering how he will learn from his experiences, and liking him all the more as a character.

Once returned to Hogwarts after his summer holiday with the dreadful Dursleys and an extraordinary outing to the Quidditch World Cup, the 14-year-old Harry and his fellow pupils are enraptured by the promise of the Triwizard Tournament: an ancient, ritualistic tournament that brings Hogwarts together with two other schools of wizardry--Durmstrang and Beauxbatons--in heated competition. But when Harry's name is pulled from the Goblet of Fire, and he is chosen to champion Hogwarts in the tournament, the trouble really begins. Still reeling from the effects of a terrifying nightmare that has left him shaken, and with the lightning-shaped scar on his head throbbing with pain (a sure sign that the evil Voldemort, Harry's sworn enemy, is close), Harry becomes at once the most popular boy in school. Yet, despite his fame, he is totally unprepared for the furore that follows.

This is a hefty volume: 636 pages, of which probably at least 200 could have been cut without detracting from the story. The weight and complexity of the book is perhaps a hint that Rowling now has her eye sharply focused on her adult audience, and the average child-reader (particularly one who is coming to Harry Potter for the first time) may well find its girth daunting. Rowling's ironic and pointed observations on tabloid journalism and the nature of media hype is just one of the references littered through the book that will tickle the grown-ups but may well fly over the heads of her young fans.

However, after a slow start, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire really starts to sparkle halfway through with Rowling's familiar magic (and yes, there is a death--sudden and tragic--and yes, Harry does start to notice girls). The crux of this story, however, is Harry's gradual coming-of-age and his handling of the increasingly determined threats to his own life.

This book is pivotal, not just for the author for whom the heat is well and truly on, but for Harry and his readers who, by the last chapter, are left in little doubt that there is much more to come. (Ages 10 to adult) --Susan Harrison

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) Paperback

J.K. Rowling — 2000-04-01

The worry, when faced with the follow-up to books as good as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (both winners of the Nestlé Smarties Prize Gold Award), is that it won't be as good. With J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban any concerns are banished from page one. This, the third in the series, continues where the previous two left off and is a fantastic adventure of mystery, magic and mayhem combined with liberal doses of humour and plenty of suspense.

Forced to do his homework in the dead of night and forbidden to refer to his magic skills or his life at Hogwarts school, Harry Potter is forced to endure the summer holidays with the dreaded Dursleys. The arrival of Aunt Marge is the final straw and, in a fit of anger, Harry breaks all the rules and casts a spell on her, causing her to blow up like a balloon. Running away from his dreaded relatives, Harry expects to be expelled from Hogwarts for his blatant flaunting of the rule not to use magic outside term time. However, the arrival of the mysterious Knight Bus and a meeting with Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, result in Harry enjoying the rest of the holidays in the wonderful surroundings of the Leaky Cauldron.

The escape of Sirius Black--one time friend of Harry's parents, implicated in their murder and follower of "You- Know-Who"--from Azkaban, has serious implications for Harry for it would appear that Black is bent on revenge against Harry for thwarting "You-Know-Who". Back at Hogwarts, Harry's movements are restricted by the presence of the Dementors--guards from Azkaban on the look out for Black--however, this doesn't stop him throwing himself into the new Quidditch season and going about his normal business--or at least attempting to. Despite warnings Harry is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Sirius Black--how could this one-time close friend of his parents become the cause of their deaths?

And why does the presence of the Dementors have such a devastating effect on him, causing him to hear the last moments of his mother's life?

With another four Harry Potter novels planned, Jo Rowling is creating a series of books which will become classics to rival C.S. Lewis'Chronicles of Narnia--books written for children but loved by adults too. (Ages 9 and up) --Philippa Reece

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter 6)[Children's Edition]

J.K. Rowling — 2006-06-23

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in J.K. Rowling’s bestselling series, picks up shortly after we left Harry at the end of The Order of the Phoenix. Lord Voldemort is acting out in the open, continuing his reign of terror which was temporarily stopped almost 15 years beforehand. Harry is again at the Dursleys, where the events of the previous month continue to weigh on his mind, although not as much as the impending visit from his Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Given their last meeting, Harry is understandably confused as to why the old wizard would want to visit him at home.

Rowling opens with a chapter she had wanted to use for the first book, of The Philosopher’s Stone--Lord Voldemort has been creating chaos in the Wizard and Muggle communities alike, the war is in full swing and the Wizarding community now lives in fear. The press have been questioning the events at the Ministry which led to the admission of Voldemort’s return, and of course Harry’s name is mentioned a number of times. Harry’s got his problems, but his anxiety is nothing compared to Hermione’s when the OWL results are delivered. There’s a new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, an assortment of new characters and creatures, and startling revelations about past characters and events.

Gone is the rage-filled Harry of The Order of the Phoenix--he’s not being kept in the dark any more, his unjustified Quidditch ban has been lifted and he has matured considerably in his short time out of school. Half-Blood Prince follows Harry into the world of late-teens, and his realisation that nobody is infallible has made his growth that much easier. Accepting his destiny, Harry continues to behave as teenagers do, enjoying his time with his friends, developing his relationships outside of his usual circle, and learning more about how he must, eventually, do what he is destined to do.

J.K. Rowling delivers another fantastic tale which will have the readers gasping for more, capturing the characters perfectly and continuing a tale which readers will enjoy over and over again. --Ziggy Morbi

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

J.K. Rowling — 1999-02

J K Rowling's sequel to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone carries on where the original left off. Harry is returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after the summer holidays and, right from the start, things are not straightforward.

Unable to board the Hogwarts express, Harry and his friends break all the rules and make their way to the school in a magical flying car. From this point on, incredible events happen to Harry and his friends--Harry hears evil voices and someone, or something is attacking the pupils. Can Harry get to the bottom of the mystery before it's too late?

As with its predecessor Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a highly readable and imaginative adventure story with real, fallible, characters, plenty of humour and, of course, loads of magic and spells. There is no need to have read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to enjoy this book. However, if you have read it, this is the book you have been waiting for... (Ages 9 to Adult)--Philippa Reece

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) [Children's Edition]

J.K. Rowling — 2008-07-10

The Final Chapter
Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him.

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.

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Begin at the Beginning

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Hardcover
Paperback

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hardcover
Paperback

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Hardcover
Paperback

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Hardcover
Paperback

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hardcover
Paperback

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Hardcover
Paperback

Why We Love Harry
Favourite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favourite moments, characters, and artefacts from the first six books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards.
* Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

* The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius.
* Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother.
* The Duelling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Duelling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

* Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'.
* Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behaviour in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children.
* The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge.
* Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming.
* Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone.
* Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager.
* Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape.
* Dumbledore's confession to Harry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

* This book is much darker than the rest. Lord Voldemort has been creating chaos in the Wizard and Muggle communities alike, the war is in full swing and the Wizarding community now lives in fear.
* It is much more emotional. The story turns at the whim of a temperamental teenager from war and life-changing tragedy, to euphoria and glistening happiness.

Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling

"I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I’m sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.

Did You Know?

The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favourite book as a child.

Jane Austen is Rowling's favourite author.

Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favourite living writer.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Book 1)

J.K. Rowling — 1997-06-26

Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand and jellybeans that come in every flavour, including strawberry, curry, grass and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J K Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In the non-magical human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is renowned as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoilt, pig-like cousin Dudley.

A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig ... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins.

This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave children clamouring for a sequel. (Ages 8-13) --Karin Snelson

The House at Riverton

Kate Morton — 2007-06-15

The Forgotten Garden

Kate Morton — 2008-06-06

McNally's Puzzle

Lawrence Sanders — 1996-02

McNally's Gamble

Lawrence Sanders — 1997-04

McNally's Risk

Lawrence Sanders — 1993-02

Lawrence Sanders McNally's Alibi (Archy McNally Novels)

Lawrence Sanders Vincent Lardo — 2003-08

The Eighth Commandment

Lawrence Sanders — 1986-06

The McNally Files

Lawrence Sanders — 2006-12-05

Lawrence Sanders McNally's Dare

Lawrence Sanders Vincent Lardo — 2004-08-31

A Walk in the Woods

Bill Bryson — 1998-07-01

Bill Bryson has made a living out of travelling and then writing about it. In The Lost Continent he re-created the road trips of his childhood; in Neither Here nor There he retraced the route he followed as a young backpacker traversing Europe. When this American transplant to Britain decided to return home, he made a farewell walking tour of the British countryside and produced Notes from a Small Island. Once back on American soil and safely settled in New Hampshire, Bryson once again hears the siren call of the open road--only this time it's a trail. The Appalachian Trail, to be exact. In A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson tackles what is, for him, an entirely new subject: the American wilderness. Accompanied only by his old college friend Stephen Katz, Bryson starts out one March morning in north Georgia, intending to walk the entire 2,100 miles to the trail's end atop Maine's Mount Katahdin.

If nothing else, A Walk in the Woods is proof positive that the journey is the destination. As Bryson and Katz haul their out-of-shape, middle-aged bodies over hill and dale, the reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through. Whether you plan to make a trip like this one yourself one day or only care to read about it, A Walk in the Woods is a great way to spend an afternoon. --Alix Wilber

Down Under

Bill Bryson — 2001-08-06

As his many British fans already know, bearded Yankee butterball Bill Bryson specialises in going to countries we think we know well, only to return with travelogues that are surprisingly cynical and yet shockingly affectionate. It's a unique style, possibly best suited to the world's weirder destinations. It's helpful here: Bryson's latest subject is that oddest of continents, Australia.

For a start, there's the oddly nasty fauna and flora. Barely a page of Down Under is without its lovingly detailed list of lethal antipodean critters: sociopathic jellyfish, homicidal crocs, toilet-dwelling death-spiders, murderous shrubs (yes, shrubs). Bryson's absorbing and informative portrait is of a terrain so intractably vast, a land so climatically extreme, it seems expressly designed to daunt and torment humankind.

This very user-unfriendliness throws up another Aussie paradox. If the country is so hostile how come the natives are so laid back, so relaxed? As Bryson shuffles from state to state, he seeks the key to the uniquely cool Australian character and finds it in Australia's tragicomic past, her genetic seeding of convicts, explorers, gold diggers, outlaws. This is a country of lads and mates, of boozy gamblers--nowadays mellowed by sunshine and sporting success.

Down Under is a fine book. So it may not be quite as deliciously malicious as Bryson's The Lost Continent, nor as laugh-out-loud funny as Neither Here Nor There. But so what? A Bill Bryson on cruise control is better than most travel writers on turbodrive. --Sean Thomas

Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe

Bill Bryson — 1998-04-02

Notes from a Small Island

Bill Bryson — 1996-08-01

Bill Bryson is an unabashed Anglophile who, through a mistake of history, happened to be born and bred in Iowa. Righting that error, he spent 20 years in England before deciding to repatriate: "I had recently read that 3.7 million Americans according to a Gallup poll, believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, so it was clear that my people needed me." That comic tone enlivens this account of Bryson's farewell walking tour of the countryside of "the green and kindly island that had for two decades been my home."

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson — 2004-06-01

What on earth is Bill Bryson doing writing a book of popular science--A Short History of Almost Everything? Largely, it appears, because this inquisitive, much-travelled writer realised, while flying over the Pacific, that he was entirely ignorant of the processes that created, populated and continue to maintain the vast body of water beneath him.

In fact, it dawned on him that "I didn't know the first thing about the only planet I was ever going to live on". The questions multiplied: What is a quark? How can anybody know how much the Earth weighs? How can astrophysicists (or whoever) claim to describe what happened in the first gazillionth of a nanosecond after the Big Bang? Why can't earthquakes be predicted? What makes evolution more plausible than any other theory? In the end, all these boiled down to a single question--how do scientists do science? To this subject Bryson devoted three years of his life, reading books and journals and pestering the people who know (or at least argue about it); and we non-scientists should be pretty grateful to him for passing his findings on to us.

Broadly, his investigations deal with seven topics, all of enormous interest and significance: the origins of the universe; the gradual historical discovery of the size and age of the earth (and the beginnings of the awesome notion of deep time); relativity and quantum theory; the present and future threats to life and the planet; the origins and history of life (dinosaurs, mass extinctions and all); and the evolution of man. Within each of these, he looks at the history of the subject, its development into a modern discipline and the frameworks of theory that now support it. This is a pretty broad brief (life, the universe and everything, in fact), and it's a mark of Bryson's skill that he is able to carve a clear path through the thickets of theory and controversy that infest all these disciplines, all the while maintaining a cracking pace and a fairly judicious tone without obvious longueurs or signs of haste. Even readers fairly familiar with some or all of these areas o! f discourse are likely to learn from A Short History. If not, they will at least be amused--the tone throughout is agreeable, mingling genuine awe with a mild facetiousness that often rises to wit.

One compelling theme that appears again and again is the utter unpredictability of the universe, despite all that we think we know about it. Nervous page-turners may care to omit the sensational chapters on the possible ways in which it all might end in disaster--Bryson enumerates with cheerful relish the kind of event that makes you want to climb under the bedclothes: undetectable asteroid colliding with the earth; superheated magma chamber erupting in your back garden; ebola carrier getting off a plane in London or New York; the HIV virus mutating to prevent its destruction in the mosquito's digestive system. Indeed, the chief theme of this sprightly book is the miraculous unlikeliness, in a universe ruled by randomness, of stability and equilibrium--of which one result is ourselves and the complex, fragile planet we inhabit. --Robin Davidson

Buckingham Palace Gardens (Thomas Pitt Novel)

Anne Perry — 2008-04-03

Resurrection Row (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Novels)

Anne Perry — 2009-09-01

The Face of a Stranger (William Monk)

Anne Perry — 1994-05-05

Paragon Walk (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Novels)

Anne Perry — 2009-05-26

The Cater Street Hangman (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Novels)

Anne Perry — 2008-09-30

Callander Square (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Novels)

Anne Perry — 2009-05-26

Buckingham Palace Gardens

Anne Perry — 2009-02-05

The Alexandria Link

Steve Berry — 2007-12-13

The Amber Room

Steve Berry — 2007-05-31

The Venetian Betrayal

Steve Berry — 2008-12-11

The Third Secret

Steve Berry — 2006-05-08

The Romanov Prophecy

Steve Berry — 2008-05-15

The Templar Legacy

Steve Berry — 2006-11-30

The Charlemagne Pursuit

Steve Berry — 2009-03-05

The Last Gospel

David Gibbins — 2008-08-21

Atlantis

David Gibbins — 2008-08-21

Crusader Gold

David Gibbins — 2006-12-28

Deception

Amanda Quick — 2009-11-24

Don't Look Back

Amanda Quick — 2003-04

Wait Until Midnight

Amanda Quick — 2005-01-06

Slightly Shady (Lake and March Trilogy)

Amanda Quick — 2008-10-02

Desire

Amanda Quick — 2008-09-15

Dangerous

Amanda Quick — 2008-09-15

Late for the Wedding

Amanda Quick — 2005-03-01

Second Sight (Arcane Society Series)

Amanda Quick — 2007-05-03

The River Knows

Amanda Quick — 2008-05-01

Lie by Moonlight (Vanza Series)

Amanda Quick — 2006-04-06

I Thee Wed (Vanza Series) (The Vanza Series)

Amanda Quick — 2008-10-02

Amanda Quick proves once again that opposites most definitely do attract in her new Regency romance, I Thee Wed.Sharp-witted lady's companion Emma Greyson has as much trouble holding a job as she does holding her tongue. But lack of references can't deter Emma; she just writes her own and finagles a new position. Her present employment brings Emma to a tedious house party in the country where she spends most of her time trying to dodge the lecherous groping of the gentlemen guests. In fact, to avoid just such an encounter Emma is forced to hide in a wardrobe. The only problem is that the space is already occupied--by mysterious financier Edison Stokes, no less! Stokes is on a quest to locate a volume of arcane potions that could prove deadly if it falls into the wrong hands, and he believes the text is in the possession of one of the partygoers. Emma soon finds herself the focus of another kind of attention, equally undesirable, when her highly developed intuition makes her susceptible to the powerful potions of the black arts. To protect her, Stokes hires Emma to be his assistant, but quickly realises that keeping Emma out of danger is a full-time job. The only solution is to keep her close to him--very close to him. And neither Stokes nor Emma minds that at all! Best-selling author Amanda Quick keeps readers begging for more in this highly entertaining historical. --Alison Trinkle

Mystique

Amanda Quick — 1996-08-01

Mischief

Amanda Quick — 2008-06-05

With This Ring (The Arcane Society Series)

Amanda Quick — 2008-06-05

Ravished

Amanda Quick — 1992-11-01

The Third Circle (Arcane Society Series): The Arcane Society 04 (The Arcane Society Series)

Amanda Quick — 2009-04-02

In Dog Years I'd Be Dead: Garfield at 25

Jim Davis — 2004-06-30

O Mundo de Mafalda

Quino — 2002-04-01 00:00:00

The God Delusion

Richard Dawkins — 2007-05-21

333

Pedro Sena-Lino — 2009-05-11 00:00:00

Esta é a história de um livro e de todos os seus 333 exemplares impressos.
É a história secreta do impacto de um livro na vida de cada um dos seus leitores, e de como um rectângulo de papel pode transformar uma vida.

The Golden One (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-06-07

The Hippopotamus Pool (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-01-25

Seeing a Large Cat (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-04-26

The Ape Who Guards the Balance (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-04-26

Falcon at the Portals (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-04-26

"'Really', I thought in mounting exasperation, 'there never was a household in which so many people felt free to offer their unsolicited opinions!'" This, of course, is the eminent Egyptologist and dedicated crime solver Amelia Peabody, setting the stage and the tone (an updated Oscar Wildean irony) for Elizabeth Peters' 11th book. And it's true that there are no shrinking violets in this particular household, from the redoubtable Amelia and her hot-tempered archaeologist husband Emerson (his native diggers call him the Father of Curses), to their dashing, unpredictable son Ramses (born Walter). Also, let's not forget their lovely ward, Nefret (rescued from a desert tribe several books back) and their butler, Gargery, "who wields a cudgel as handily as he carves a roast."

As she has so many times before, Peters presents us with this quaint--even campy--little group of people, plops them down in an exotic Egyptian setting and then surprises us by involving them in a story of great strength and emotion.

It's 1911 and David Todros, a young Egyptian who has just married into the Peabody family, is suspected of dealing in forged antiquities, possibly to help support a rising nationalist movement. Amelia, Emerson, Ramses and Nefret all take various actions to help David and there are serious, dangerous consequences for everyone involved. Despite the melodramatic setting and the theatrical language, Peters' story is--as always--modern, believable and exciting.

Other books in the Peabody series available in paperback are The Ape Who Guards the Balance, The Crocodile on the Sandbank, The Curse of the Pharaohs and The Hippopotamus Pool. --Dick Adler

Tomb of the Golden Bird (Amelia Peabody 18): An Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-05-24

The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-01-25

Thunder in the Sky (Amelia Peabody 12)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-04-26

Lord of the Silent (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2007-06-07

The Mummy Case (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery): An Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery

Elizabeth Peters — 2006-06-29

Lion in the Valley (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2006-07-06

The Curse of the Pharaohs (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2006-06-29

The Laughter of Dead Kings (Vicky Bliss Mysteries 6)

Elizabeth Peters — 2009-04-23

Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery): An Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery

Elizabeth Peters — 2006-05-25

Elizabeth Peters' unforgettable heroine Amelia Peabody makes her first appearance in this clever mystery. Amelia receives a rather large inheritance and decides to use it for travel. On her way through Rome to Egypt, she meets Evelyn Barton-Forbes, a young woman abandoned by her lover and left with no means of support. Amelia promptly takes Evelyn under her wing, insisting that the young lady accompany her to Egypt, where Amelia plans to indulge her passion for Egyptology. When Evelyn becomes the target of an aborted kidnapping and the focus of a series of suspicious accidents and mysterious visitations, Amelia becomes convinced of a plot to harm her young friend. Like any self-respecting sleuth, Amelia sets out to discover who is behind it all. --Coco Avondale

A River in the Sky (Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery)

Elizabeth Peters — 2010-04-29

Digital Fortress

Dan Brown — 2004-07-05

The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown — 2004-03-01

With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoterica culled from 2,000 years of Western history. A murder in the silent after-hours halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle.

The duo become both suspects and detectives searching not only for Neveu's grandfather's murderer, but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England and history itself. Brown has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh, Amazon.com

Angels and Demons

Dan Brown — 2001-07-01

It takes guts to write a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, a papal conclave, mysterious ambigrams, a plot against the Vatican, a mad scientist in a wheelchair, particles of anti-matter, jets that can travel 15,000 miles per hour, crafty assassins, a beautiful Italian physicist and a Harvard professor of religious iconology. It takes talent to make that novel anything but ridiculous. Kudos to Dan Brown (Digital Fortress) for achieving the nearly impossible. Angels and Demons is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller--think Katherine Neville's The Eight (but cleverer) or Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum (but more accessible).

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, anti-matter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilisation.

Brown seems as much juggler as author--there are lots and lots of balls in the air in this novel, yet Brown manages to hurl the reader headlong into an almost surreal suspension of disbelief. While the reader might wish for a little more sardonic humour from Langdon and a little less bombastic philosophising on the eternal conflict between religion and science, these are less fatal flaws than niggling annoyances--readers should have no trouble skimming past them and immersing themselves in a heck of a good read. "Brain candy" it may be, but it's tasty. --Kelly Flynn, Amazon.com

Deception Point

Dan Brown — 2009-08-28

In the world of page-turning thrillers, Dan Brown holds a special place in the hearts of many of us. After his first book, Digital Fortress, almost passed me by, he wrote Angels and Demons, which was probably one of the half-dozen most exciting thrillers of last year. It is a pleasure to report that his new book lives up to his reputation as a writer whose research and talent make his stories exciting, believable, and just plain unputdownable.

The time is now and President Zachary Herney is facing a very tough re-election. His opponent, Senator Sedgwick Sexton, is a powerful man with powerful friends and a mission: to reduce NASA's spending and move space exploration into the private sector. He has numerous supporters, including many beyond the businesses who will profit from this because of the embarrassment of 1996, when the Clinton administration was informed by NASA that proof existed of life on other planets. That information turned out to be premature, if not incorrect. The embattled president is assured that a rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice will prove to have far-reaching implications on America's space program. The find, however, needs to be verified.

Enter Rachel Sexton, a gister for the National Reconnaissance Office. Gisters reduce complex reports into single-page briefs, and in this case the president needs that confirmation before he broadcasts to the nation, probably ensuring his re-election. It's tricky because Rachel is the daughter of his opponent. Rachel is thrilled to be on the team travelling to the Arctic Circle. She is a realist about her father's politics and has little respect for his stand on NASA, but Senator Sexton cannot help but have a problem with her involvement.

Adventure, romance, murder, skulduggery, and nail-biting tension ensue. By the end of Deception Point, the reader will be much better informed about how the space program works and how politicians react to new information. Bring on the next Dan Brown thriller! --Otto Penzler, Amazon.com

The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown — 2009-09-15

Vehicles move through the murky night, carrying highly secret material. And that clandestine material will only be available--after midnight--to those who have signed non-disclosure notices. The plot of the new Dan Brown novel? No, it’s actually how reviewers such as myself obtained our copies of the much-anticipated The Lost Symbol, the follow-up to the Da Vinci Code. And as we read it in (literally) the cold light of dawn, we wonder: is it likely to match the earlier book’s all-conquering, phenomenal success?

Firstly, it should be noted that The Lost Symbol has incorporated all the elements that so transfixed readers in The Da Vinci Code: a complex, mystifying plot (with the reader set quite as many challenges as the protagonist); breathless, helter-skelter pace (James Patterson's patented technique of keeping readers hooked by ending chapters with a tantalisingly unresolved situation is very much part of Dan Brown’s armoury). And, of course, the winning central character, resourceful symbologist Robert Langdon, is back, risking his life to crack a dangerous mystery involving the Freemasons (replacing the controversial trappings of the Catholic Church and homicidal monks of the last book). And while Dan Brown will never win any prizes for literary elegance, his prose is always succinctly at the service of delivering a thoroughly involving thriller narrative in vividly evoked locales (here, Washington DC, colourfully conjured).

Robert Langdon flies to Washington after an urgent invitation to speak in the Capitol building. The invitation appears to have come from a friend with copper-bottomed Masonic connections, Peter Solomon. But Langdon has been tricked: Solomon has, in fact, been kidnapped, and (echoing the grisly opening of the last book) a macabre mutilation plunges Langdon into a tortuous quest. His friend’s severed hand lies in the Capitol building, positioned to point to a George Washington portrait that shows the father of his country as a pagan deity. The ruthless criminal nemesis here is another terrifying figure in Brown’s gallery of grotesques: Mal’akh, a powerfully built eunuch with a body festooned with tattoos. Mal’akh is seeking a Masonic pyramid that possesses a formidable supernatural power, and a pulse-pounding hunt is afoot, with Langdon stalled rather than aided by the CIA.

Caveats are pointless here; Dan Brown, comfortably the world’s most successful author, is utterly review-proof. And there's no arguing with the fact that he has his finger on the pulse of the modern thriller reader, furnishing the mechanics of the blockbuster adventure with energy and invention. Like its predecessor, The Lost Symbol will unquestionably be--in fact, already is--a publishing phenomenon. --Barry Forshaw

Sandstorm (Sigma Force 1)

James Rollins — 2006-11-01

The Judas Strain (Sigma Force 4)

James Rollins — 2008-10-16

Map of Bones (Sigma Force 2)

James Rollins — 2006-07-12

Black Order (Sigma Force 3)

James Rollins — 2007-11-15

The Doomsday Key (Sigma Force 6)

James Rollins — 2009-07-09

The Last Oracle (Sigma Force 5)

James Rollins — 2009-09-03

The Hunt for Atlantis (Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase 1)

Andy McDermott — 2008-06-12

Following in the tradition of Clive Cussler and Matthew Reilly, Andy McDermott takes us a roller-coaster ride in search of the legendary Atlantis. Archaeologist Nina Wilde believes she hasfound the location of the lost city of Atlantis andnow she wants the opportunityto prove her theory. Someone else though wants her dead! With the help of ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase and beautiful heiress Kari Frost, Nina faces a breakneck race against time around the world, pursued at every step by agents of the mysterious and murderous Brotherhood of Selasphoros. From the jungles of Brazil to the mountains of Tibet, from the streets of Manhattan to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the hunt for Atlantis leads to a secret hidden for 11,000 years which in the wrong hands could destroy civilization as we know it...

The Secret of Excalibur (Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase 3)

Andy McDermott — 2009-05-14

The third thrilling adventure thriller featuring archaeologist Nina Wilde, in which Nina must find Excalibur, King Arthur's beloved sword. Said to make whoever holds it unstoppable in battle, the sword Excalibur has been coveted across the ages, and thought lost for over a thousand years. With a cryptic message to archaeologist Nina Wilde, this may be about to change. Historian Bernd Rust believes he can locate Excalibur...and that the sword is the key to harnessing an incredible source of energy. Nina is sceptical -- until she and Rust are attacked by mercenaries determined to steal his research. Nina and her boyfriend, ex-SAS soldier Eddie Chase, are soon propelled into a deadly race to find Excalibur. From the deserts ofSyria to the arctic wastes ofRussia, Nina and Chase must battle a merciless enemy who plans to use the sword's powers to plunge the world into a new era of war...

The Covenant of Genesis (Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase 4)

Andy McDermott — 2009-09-17

The Tomb of Hercules (Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase 2)

Andy McDermott — 2008-11-13

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest

Stieg Larsson — 2009-10-01

A young girl lies in a hospital room, her tattooed body very close to death -- there is a bullet lodged in her brain. Several rooms away is the man who tried to kill her, his own body grievously wounded from axe blows inflicted by the girl he has tried to kill. She is Lisbeth Salander, computer hacker and investigator, and the man is her father, a murderous Russian gangster. If Salander recovers from her injuries, she is more than likely to be put on trial for three murders -- the authorities regard her as a dangerous individual. But she won't see the inside of a courtroom if her father manages to kill her first.

This is the high-tension opening premise of the third book in Stieg Larsson’s phenomenally successful trilogy of crime novels which the late author (a crusading journalist) delivered to his publisher just before his death. But does it match up to its two electrifying predecessors, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire? The success of Larsson’s remarkable sequence of books is, to some degree, unprecedented. Crime fiction in translation has, of course, made a mark before (notably with Peter Hoeg’s Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, published, in fact, by Larsson's British publisher, Christopher MacLehose). But even the success of that book gave no hint of the juggernauts that the Salander books would be (the late author's secondary hero is the journalist Blomqvist -- who bears more than a passing resemblance to Stieg Larsson himself).

There are two overriding reasons for the hold that this massive trilogy has attained on the public: machine-tooled plotting which juggles the various narrative elements with a master's touch and (above all) the vividly realised character of Lisbeth Salander herself. She is something of a unique creation in the field of crime and thriller fiction: emotionally damaged, vulnerable and sociopathic (all of this concealed behind a forbidding Goth appearance), but she is also the ultimate survivor, somehow managing to stay alive despite the machinations of some deeply unpleasant villains (and the new book has a slew of those) as well as the hostility of often stupid establishment figures, who want her out of the picture quite as passionately as the bad guys. She is, of course, aided by the protective journalist Blomqvist, despite the fact that she had dumped him as a lover. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest brings together all the elements that have made the previous books of the sequence so successful. Its relentless pace may be a bit exhausting for some readers, but most will be happy to strap themselves in for the ride. It's just a shame that this will be the final book in the sequence (though conspiracy theorists are hinting that Larsson began another manuscript before his untimely death…) --Barry Forshaw

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Stieg Larsson — 2009-07-09

Stieg Larsson gleaned a remarkable degree of success before his too-early death in 2004. He had delivered to his publisher three remarkable crime novels; the initial book in his ‘Millennium’ sequence, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, had enjoyed an unprecedented success in his native Sweden before the translation took the UK by storm. Larsson had made a considerable mark as a crusading journalist, with a speciality in tackling political extremist groups. But he offered assistance to many people and groups who he felt were vulnerable – something of a modern hero, in fact.

One of Larsson's key achievements as a writer was to create an innovative kind of heroine for the crime novel. His unconventional sleuth, the highly intelligent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, is a confrontational young woman, whose Goth accoutrements sometimes alienate those around her (except the individuals she opts to have sexual relations with – strictly, that is, according to the rules she lays down). In the second book in the Millennium sequence, The Girl Who Played with Fire (as in its its predecessor), Lisbeth's closest ally is the older journalist Mikael Blomqvist, even though she has abruptly ended her emotional relationship with him. Lisbeth has left all she knows behinds her and has begun a relationship with a gauche young lover. But after a grim revenge run-in with a man who has abused her, she becomes a suspect in three murders, and is the subject of a nationwide search. Blomqvist, however, is convinced of her innocence (he has just been responsible for a blistering report on the sex trafficking industry in Sweden), and is determined to help her – whether she wants his help or not.

As with Larsson’s earlier book, this is highly compelling fare, with tautly orchestrated suspense; it's often grisly and uncompromising (not a problem for many readers), and the massive text may be longer than is good for it, but Larsson admirers won't begrudge the late author a word,and will be impatient for the third (and, regrettably, concluding) book in the sequence. --Barry Forshaw

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larsson — 2008-07-24

A Fórmula de Deus

José Rodrigues dos Santos — 2006-10-14 00:00:00

Nas escadarias do Museu Egípcio em pleno Cairo, Tomás Noronha é abordado por uma desconhecida. Chama-se Ariana Pakravan, é iraniana e traz consigo a cópia de um documento inédito, um velho manuscrito com um estranho título e um poema enigmático.
O inesperado encontro lança Tomás numa empolgante aventura, colocando-o na rota da crise nuclear com o Irão e da mais importante descoberta jamais efectuada por Albert Einstein, um achado que o conduz ao maior de todos os mistérios: a prova científica da existência de Deus.
Uma história de amor, uma intriga de traição, uma perseguição implacável, uma busca espiritual que nos leva à mais espantosa revelação mística de todos os tempos.
Baseada nas últimas e mais avançadas descobertas científicas nos campos da física, da cosmologia e da matemática, A Fórmula de Deus transporta-nos numa surpreendente viagem até às origens do tempo, à essência do universo e o sentido da vida.

A Ilha das Trevas

José Rodrigues dos Santos — 2007-04-24 00:00:00

Paulino da Conceição é um timorense com um terrível segredo. Assistiu, juntamente com a família, à saída dos portugueses de Timor-Leste e a todos os acontecimentos que se seguiram, tornando-se um mero peão nas circunstâncias que mediaram a invasão indonésia de 1975 e o referendo de 1999 que deu a independência ao país.

Só há uma pessoa a quem Paulino pode confessar o seu segredo - mas terá coragem para o fazer?

A vida e tragédia de uma família timorense serve de ponto de partida para aquele que é o romance de estreia de José Rodrigues dos Santos, precursor de grandes êxitos como A Filha do Capitão, O Codex 632 e A Fórmula de Deus.

Um romance pungente onde a ficção se mistura com o real para expor, num ritmo dramático, poderoso e intenso, a trágica verdade que só a criação literária, quando aliada à narrativa histórica, consegue revelar.

A Vida Num Sopro

José Rodrigues dos Santos — 2008-10-21 00:00:00

Portugal, anos 30.

Salazar acabou de ascender ao poder e, com mão de ferro, vai impondo a ordem no país. Portugal muda de vida. As contas públicas são equilibradas, Beatriz Costa anima o Parque Mayer, a PVDE cala a oposição.

Luís é um estudante idealista que se cruza no liceu de Bragança com os olhos cor de mel de Amélia. O amor entre os dois vai, porém, ser duramente posto à prova por três acontecimentos que os ultrapassam: a oposição da mãe da rapariga, um assassinato inesperado e a guerra civil de Espanha.

Através da história de uma paixão que desafia os valores tradicionais do Portugal conservador, este fascinante romance transporta-nos ao fogo dos anos em que se forjou o Estado Novo.

Com A vida num sopro, José Rodrigues dos Santos traz o grande romance de volta às letras portuguesas.

O Codex 632

José Rodrigues dos Santos — 2005-10-20 11:45:42

Baseado em documentos históricos genuínos, o novo romance de José Rodrigues dos Santos transporta-nos numa surpreendente viagem pelo tempo, uma aventura repleta de enigmas e mitos, segredos encobertos e pistas misteriosas, aparências enganadoras e factos silenciados, um autêntico jogo de espelhos onde a ilusão disfarça o real para dissimular a verdade. Uma obra admirável que não se consegue parar de ler!

A Filha do Capitão

José Rodrigues dos Santos — 2004-04-01 00:00:00

O capitão Afonso Brandão mudou a sua vida quase sem o saber, numa fria noite de boleto, ao prender o seu olhar numa bela francesa de olhos verdes e voz de mel. O oficial comandava uma companhia da Brigada do Minho e estava havia apenas dois meses nas trincheiras da Flandres quando, durante o período de descanso, decidiu ir pernoitar a um castelo perto de Armentières. Conheceu aí uma deslumbrante baronesa e entre eles nasceu uma atracção irresistível.

Fúria Divina

José Rodrigues dos Santos — 2009-10-24 00:00:00

Uma mensagem secreta da Al-Qaeda faz soar as campainhas de alarme em Washington. Seduzido por uma bela operacional da CIA, o historiador e criptanalista português Tomás Noronha é confrontado em Veneza com uma estranha cifra: 6AYHAS1HA8RU.
Ahmed é um menino egípcio a quem o mullah Saad ensina na mesquita o carácter pacífico e indulgente do islão. Mas nas aulas da madrassa aparece um novo professor com um islão diferente, agressivo e intolerante. O mullah e o novo professor digladiam-se por Ahmed e o menino irá fazer uma escolha que nos transporta ao maior pesadelo do nosso tempo.
Baseando-se em informações verídicas, José Rodrigues dos Santos confirma-se nesta obra surpreendente como o mestre dos grandes temas contemporâneos. Mais do que um empolgante romance, Fúria Divina é um impressionante guia que nos orienta pelo labirinto do mundo e nos revela os tempos em que vivemos.

Este romance foi revisto por um dos primeiros operacionais da Al-Qaeda.

O Sétimo Selo

José Rodrigues dos Santos — 2007-10-18 00:00:00

Um cientista é assassinado na Antárctica e a Interpol contacta Tomás Noronha para decifrar um enigma com mais de mil anos, um segredo bíblico que o criminoso rabiscou numa folha e deixou ao lado do cadáver: 666.

O mistério em torno do número da Besta lança Tomás numa aventura de tirar o fôlego, uma busca que o levará a confrontar-se com o momento mais temido por toda a humanidade: O apocalipse.

De Portugal à Sibéria, da Antárctica à Austrália, O Sétimo Selo transporta-nos numa empolgante viagem às maiores ameaças que se erguem à sobrevivência da Humanidade. Baseando-se em informação científica actualizada, José Rodrigues dos Santos volta com este emocionante romance aos grandes temas contemporâneos, numa descoberta que poderá abalar a forma como cada um de nós encara o futuro da humanidade e do nosso planeta.

Prepare-se para o choque.

A Sombra do Vento

Carlos Ruiz Zafón — 2004-04-01 00:00:00

Prémio Correntes d' Escritas / Casino da Póvoa 2006

Uma história inesquecível sobre os segredos do coração e o feitiço dos livros.

Numa manhã de 1945 um rapaz é conduzido pelo pai a um lugar misterioso, oculto no coração da cidade velha: o Cemitério dos Livros Esquecidos. Aí, Daniel Sempere encontra um livro maldito que muda o rumo da sua vida e o arrasta para um labirinto de intrigas e segredos enterrados na alma obscura de Barcelona.
Juntando as técnicas do relato de intriga e suspense, o romance histórico e a comédia de costumes, "A Sombra do Vento" é sobretudo uma trágica história de amor cujo o eco se projecta através do tempo. Com uma grande força narrativa, o autor entrelaça tramas e enigmas ao modo de bonecas russas num inesquecível relato sobre os segredos do coração e o feitiço dos livros, numa intriga que se mantém até à última página.

O Jogo do Anjo

Carlos Ruiz Zafón — 2008-10-15 00:00:00

Na Barcelona turbulenta dos anos 20, um jovem escritor obcecado com um amor impossível recebe de um misterioso editor a proposta para escrever um livro como nunca existiu a troco de uma fortuna e, talvez, muito mais.

Com deslumbrante estilo e impecável precisão narrativa, o autor de A Sombra do Vento transporta-nos de novo para a Barcelona do Cemitério dos Livros Esquecidos, para nos oferecer uma aventura de intriga, romance e tragédia, através de um labirinto de segredos onde o fascínio pelos livros, a paixão e a amizade se conjugam num relato magistral.

Poesia Erótica

Zé Albano Isabel Fontes — 2009-11-18 00:00:00

"Dois poetas decidiram fazer uma parceria, num diálogo simbiótico e sinérgico que valoriza o conjunto, entretecendo um enredo que até desperta a curiosidade pelo seu final.." Joaquim Evónio (do Prefácio)