Showing results by narrator "Ray Montecalvo" in All Categories

After the tragedies befalling their parents… siblings Grant Wolfe and Charlotte Greene prepare to return to their broken lives, a continent apart. But when a persuasive associate of their late father asks them to track down a precious gem stolen from his estate, the pair are thrust back together in their first paying job as a private investigation team. As they unravel the convoluted secrets behind the infamous jewel, their research leads them to Tanzania and the mysterious East African Island of Zanzibar.

Charlie Greene's life is unraveling…. Dismissed from Scotland Yard, she's jobless, aimless, and living with her father in London. But as she struggles to get her life in order, he mysteriously disappears while on a business trip to Florida. With nothing more than a duffel bag and an uneasy feeling, Charlie flies to Miami and quickly discovers… someone has their sights set on her too.

Caleb Saunders, the elusive ex-government assassin known as Corsair, is navigating the shadows, juggling the responsibilities of protecting not only his daughter but also Khloe—a young woman he rescued from the clutches of the mafia and drug cartels. As he strives to secure new identities for Khloe, Corsair is drawn to Cartagena, Colombia, on an assignment for a skilled counterfeiter. However, in this vibrant city, he unexpectedly crosses paths with an old adversary, Minuit, a former DGSE agent with a personal vendetta against Corsair, further fueled by the bounty on Caleb's head.

On March 20, 1822, the Missouri Republican published a notice addressed “to enterprising young men” in the St. Louis area. “The subscriber,” it said, “wishes to engage one hundred young men to ascend the Missouri River to its source, there to be employed for one, two, or three years. For particulars enquire of Major Andrew Henry…or of the subscriber near St. Louise.” The “subscriber” was General William H. Ashley, and among the “enterprising young men” who embarked with Major Henry less than a month later was 18-year-old James Bridger.

In 2032, interconnect, an advanced artificial intelligence supercomputer, emerges as a beacon of hope for humanity, promising a utopian future guided by flawless algorithms and 24/7 connectivity to citizens. Jared Rohde, a disillusioned academic seeking meaning, witnesses the disturbing rise of algorithmic control over human behavior. Torn between two realities, Jared experiences psychic turmoil as he's drawn into a machine-curated world fostering narratives of hate and division.

Investigating the historical roots of our peculiar brand of political paranoia, Arthur Goldwag helps us make sense of the senseless and, in so doing, uncovers three uncomfortable truths: that it is older than Trumpism and will outlast it; that theocratic authoritarianism is as hardwired in our American heritage as the principles of the Enlightenment; and that the fear that our system is “rigged” is not altogether unfounded. A probing, surprising, and critical examination of America’s paranoid style, The Politics of Fear sheds new light on the age-old question: What exactly are we so afraid of?

In The Devil and Philosophy, 34 philosophers explore questions about one of the most recognizable and influential characters (villains?) of all time. From Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion to Bram Stoker's Dracula to Darth Vader to Al Pacino's iconic performance in The Devil's Advocate, this book demonstrates that a little devil goes a long way.

When Air Force sergeant Christopher Adams finds himself the lone survivor after his forward observation post is overrun by enemy forces in Vietnam, he realizes he only wants to go somewhere he might quietly and peacefully mend his young, torn body and shattered mind. Instead, the fateful-as-they-are-ironic hands of the military drop him onto the world stage of continents facing off in Cold War.

Although Montaigne’s writing resists easy analysis, Montaigne includes seven essays before he even explicitly states the purpose of the Essays. Manent finds in it a subtle unity, and demonstrates both the philosophical depth of Montaigne’s reflections and the distinctive and even radical character of his central ideas.

In 2017 the Houston Astros won their first World Series title, a particularly uplifting victory for the city following Hurricane Harvey. But two years later, the feel-good energy was gone after The Athletic revealed that the Astros had stolen signs from opposing catchers during their championship season, perhaps even during the playoffs and World Series.

The American Revolution gave birth to a nation, forever changed the course of political thought, and shattered and transformed the lives of the citizens of the new republic. An iconic figure of the Old Northwest, governor, Indian fighter, general in the War of 1812, and ultimately president, William Henry Harrison was one such citizen. The son of a rich Virginia planter, Harrison saw his family mansion burned and his relatives scattered.

Caleb Saunders was a killer—codenamed Corsair—working for a shadowy government office. Until one day he vanished in the middle of an assignment. Presumed dead, Caleb Saunders assumed a new role—father. When a random crime steals that away, Corsair is unmasked. Now, he's in hiding again, trying to find a new life. But his enemies know he's alive, and they'll stop at nothing to make sure he dies with all his secrets.

James Abijah Brooks (1855-1944) was one of the four Great Captains in Texas Ranger history, others including Bill McDonald, John Hughes, and John Rogers. Over the years historians have referred to the captain as “John” Brooks, because he tended to sign with his initials, but also because W. W. Sterling’s classic Trails and Trials of a Texas Ranger mistakenly named him as Captain John Brooks.

Blankenship identifies three factors that determine the severity of this burden-sharing dilemma and how it is managed: the latent military power of allies, the shared external threat environment, and the level of a patron's resource constraints. Through case studies of US alliances formed during the Cold War, he shows that a patron can mitigate the dilemma by combining assurances of protection with threats of abandonment and by exercising discretion in its burden-sharing pressure.

On the surface, the mountain town of Engelstatt, Austria is picture-perfect. It offers guests stunning views, fresh air, and the chance to experience an Alpine village untouched by time. For university student Jacob Liro, a school shooting survivor and aspiring artist, it is the perfect place to spend spring break with his classmates and a chance to hit the reset button on his life. What Jacob and his class don't know is that beneath its fairy-tale facade, something sinister lies in wait in the salt mines below the town.

Everyone deserves a vacation… even Grant Wolfe. But private investigators don't get to choose when cases come their way, especially this shocking kidnapping in Hawaii… Where Grant is the victim! Join Grant and Charlie for another thrilling action-packed adventure ride which takes them to the tropical islands of Hawaii.

In Richard III’s Bodies from Medieval England to Modernity, Jeffrey Wilson tracks disability over 500 years, from Richard’s own manuscripts, early Tudor propaganda, and x-rays of sixteenth-century paintings through Shakespeare’s soliloquies, into Samuel Johnson’s editorial notes, the first play produced by an African American Theater company, Freudian psychoanalysis, and the rise of disability theater.

When rookie teacher Todd Hunter greets his first class of ninth graders, he sees in half their faces bedtime stories and good-night kisses, piano lessons and 4-H clubs. In the other half, he sees ducking and dodging, last picked and first kicked. At that moment, Todd decides to make the bruised and beaten half of his class as successful as the cheerful, confident half. Somehow, some way, he’s going to help the pelicans soar with the eagles.

In Unfriendly to Liberty, Christopher F. Minty explores the origins of loyalism in New York City between 1768 and 1776, and revises our understanding of the coming of the American Revolution.

Esteemed bounty hunter Charlie Archer isn’t looking for that one last majestic ride into the sunset. He’d much prefer to spend his days hitting the bars and blackjack tables, and his evenings mourning the loss of his family. But when a representative from the United States government comes knocking on the door with an opportunity too good to turn down, well...looks like Charlie will be jumping into that saddle for one last hunt—track down the bastard Francis Burner, murderer of his wife and child.