Christopher Ragland

New Orleans, 1919. A dark serial killer - The Axeman - stalks the city, and three individuals set out to unmask him. As Michael, Luca and Ida each draw closer to discovering the killer's identity, the Axeman himself will issue a challenge to the people of New Orleans: play jazz or risk becoming the next victim. And as the case builds to its crescendo, the sky will darken and a great storm will loom over the city…

Five hundred years have passed since the war that almost exterminated humankind. When Sider Ament, last surviving Knight of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, and Trackers find two of their own gruesomely killed, there can be no doubt: the once safe haven of generations has been laid bare…

Inextricably linked to the ongoing 'War on Terror', the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dominated more than a decade of international politics, and their influence is felt to this day. Blood, Metal and Dust is the first military history to offer a comprehensive overview of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, providing in-depth accounts of the operations undertaken by both US and UK forces. Brigadier Ben Barry explores the wars which shaped the modern Middle East, providing a detailed narrative of operations as they unfolded.

With unparalleled access to official military accounts and extensive contacts in both the UK and the US militaries, Brigadier Barry is uniquely placed to tell the story of these controversial conflicts, and offers a rounded account of the international campaigns which irrevocably changed the global geopolitical landscape.

Chicago, 1928. In the stifling summer heat three disturbing events take place. A clique of city leaders is poisoned in a fancy hotel. A gangster is found mutilated in an alleyway in the Blackbelt. And a famous heiress vanishes without a trace. Pinkerton detectives Michael Talbot and Ida Davis are hired to find the missing heiress by the girl's troubled mother. Scene photographer Jacob Russo can't get the dead man's image out of his head, and so he embarks on his own investigation. And Dante Sanfelippo is back in Chicago on the orders of Al Capone, who suspects there's a traitor in the ranks and wants Dante to investigate. As the three parties edge closer to the truth, their paths cross. But will any of them find the answers they need in the capital of blues, booze and corruption?

The involvement of the US Air Force in the Southeast Asian Wars began in 1962 with crews sent to train Vietnamese pilots, and with conflict in Laos, and finally ended in 1972 with the B-52 bombing of Hanoi, though there were Air Force pilots unofficially flying combat in Laos up to the end in 1975.

The missions during those years differed widely, from attacking the Ho Chi Minh Trail at night with modified T-28 trainers, to missions ‘Downtown’, the name aircrew gave Hanoi, the central target of the war.

Featuring a wide range of personal accounts and previously untold stories, this fascinating history brings together the full story of the US Air Force's struggle in the skies over Southeast Asia.

Can you commit the perfect crime? Pilgrim is the codename for a man who doesn't exist. The adopted son of a wealthy American family, he once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation. But that book will come back to haunt him. It will help NYPD detective Ben Bradley track him down. And it will take him to a rundown New York hotel room where the body of a woman is found facedown in a bath of acid, her features erased, her teeth missing, her fingerprints gone. It is a textbook murder - and Pilgrim wrote the book. What begins as an unusual and challenging investigation will become a terrifying race-against-time to save America from oblivion. Pilgrim will have to make a journey from a public beheading in Mecca to a deserted ruins on the Turkish coast via a Nazi death camp in Alsace and the barren wilderness of the Hindu Kush in search of the faceless man who would commit an appalling act of mass murder in the name of his God.

In today's competitive business landscape, the art of communication is more important than ever. It's essential to develop a deep awareness of not only what we say, but also how we deliver it, resulting in a message that is both credible and incredibly impactful.

In this era of digital communication and information overload, clear messaging has never been more vital - and personal credibility has never been more valuable. Regardless of experience or expertise, no interview, pitch or meeting will be successful unless it is succinctly, confidently and convincingly delivered.

InCredible Communication brings 75 years' combined experience of practical expertise to the art of effective business communication. Exploring both individual credibility and wider corporate culture, this book provides intuitive tools and techniques that anyone can use to become a more effective communicator or salesperson.

This collection of letters forms a fascinating day-by-day account of Steinbeck's writing of EAST OF EDEN, his longest and most ambitious novel. The letters, ranging over many subjects - textual discussion, trial flights of workmanship, family matters - provide an illuminating perspective on Steinbeck, the creative genius, and a private glimpse of Steinbeck, the man.

Rory Yates's commitment to the badge has seen him rise through the ranks in the Texas Ranger division, but it came at a cost – his marriage. When he receives a worrying phone call from his ex-wife, Anne, Rory arrives to a horrifying crime scene and a scathing accusation: he is now a suspect in Anne's murder. Rory's only choice is to find the killer himself. He risks his job, his pride, his reputation among everyone he loves to pursue the truth.

Rory Yates's commitment to the badge has seen him rise through the ranks in the Texas Ranger division, but it came at a cost – his marriage. When he receives a worrying phone call from his ex-wife, Anne, Rory arrives to a horrifying crime scene and a scathing accusation: he is now a suspect in Anne's murder. Rory's only choice is to find the killer himself. He risks his job, his pride, his reputation among everyone he loves to pursue the truth.

Wildfires are getting more destructive than ever before. Flames in forests are scorching about twice as many trees as they did two decades ago, and nearly 100,000 homes, barns, and other structures have been incinerated.

At the same time that wildfires leave swathes of the country in ash, they also renew. Wildfire is crucial for ecosystems to function and flourish. We're putting out many of the fires our landscape needs, and the ones that escape our control are devastating for forests and communities. It's clear what we're doing isn't working. Wildfire is inevitable, and we need to learn to live with it.

The first of its kind, This Is Wildfire is required reading for our new reality. It offers everything you need to know about fire in one useful volume.

On August 2, 1964, USS Maddox became embroiled in the infamous 'Gulf of Tonkin incident' that lead directly to America's increased involvement in the Vietnam War. Supporting the Maddox that day were four F-8E Crusaders from the USS Ticonderoga, signalling the start of the US Navy's commitment to the air war over Vietnam. The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was the nickname for the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, Task Force 77, stationed off the coast of Vietnam.

Serving with the US Seventh Fleet during this period was author Tom Cleaver, who was a 20-year-old member of Commander Patrol Forces Seventh Fleet which had operational control over Maddox and Turner Joy. His use of dramatic first-hand experiences from interviews with both American and Vietnamese pilots plus official Vietnamese accounts of the war provides a balanced and personal picture of the conflict from both sides.