mystery fiction

"From the #1 bestselling author of The Historian comes an engrossing novel that spans the past and the present--and unearths the dark secrets of Bulgaria, a beautiful and haunted country. A young American woman, Alexandra Boyd, has traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria, hoping that life abroad will salve the wounds left by the loss of her beloved brother. Soon after arriving in this elegant East European city, however, she helps an elderly couple into a taxi--and realizes too late that she has accidentally kept one of their bags. Inside she finds an ornately carved wooden box engraved with a name: Stoyan Lazarov. Raising the hinged lid, she discovers that she is holding an urn filled with human ashes. As Alexandra sets out to locate the family and return this precious item, she will first have to uncover the secrets of a talented musician who was shattered by oppression--and she will find out all too quickly that this knowledge is fraught with its own danger. Kostova's new novel is a tale of immense scope that delves into the horrors of a century and traverses the culture and landscape of this mysterious country. Suspenseful and beautifully written, it explores the power of stories, the pull of the past, and the hope and meaning that can sometimes be found in the aftermath of loss. Praise for Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian "Quite extraordinary. Kostova is a natural storyteller. She has refashioned the vampire myth into a compelling contemporary novel, a late-night page-turner."--San Francisco Chronicle "Hypnotic. a thrill ride through history."--The Denver Post "Part thriller, part history, part romance. Kostova has a keen sense of storytelling and she has a marvelous story to tell."--Baltimore Sun "Kostova's vampire is no campy Lugosi knockoff. Blending history and myth, Kostova has fashioned a version so fresh that when a stake is finally driven through a heart, it inspires the tragic shock of something happening for the very first time."--Newsweek Praise for The Swan Thieves "Exquisite."--The Boston Globe "Engrossing."--O: The Oprah Magazine "Stunning. A beautifully written tale of art, love and an obsession triggered by both."--Associated Press"--.

When the Aldens agree to watch the house of a local author who has written a book about a vampire, they end up investigating activities that are suspiciously similar to those in his book.

Timmy prepares to crack the biggest case of his generation during a school competition, to find a stolen globe and win a $500 prize.

A talented young soccer player in Greenfield is given the honor of being a child mascot at an international soccer tournament in Brazil, but when an anonymous letter insists that she doesn't deserve to go, the Aldens investigate.

When a puppy who is being trained as a police dog goes missing, third-grader Judy forms a detective agency to solve the mystery, imitating her literary heroine, Nancy Drew.

Fourteen-year-old Jason and his friends witness a crime at a War of 1812 reenactment camp. When they investigate, they find themselves in danger, and without modern conveniences such as cell phones to call for help.

When her mother was killed fourteen years ago, Olivia's father disappeared, and became the prime suspect, now, it is discovered that he was murdered as well, and Olivia must track down the killer before she becomes the next victim.

After twelve-year-old Addison Cooke's uncle unearths ancient Incan secrets in Peru, he is kidnapped by a shadowy organization intent on stealing the treasure unless Addison and his friends can decipher the clues first.

Realizing that she is too old to travel, Miss Jane Marple decides she is through with crime detection, but a murder that happens almost on her doorstep changes her mind.

Teddy Fitzroy must solve the crime of the kidnapped rare and expensive panda, Li Ping.