"An easy and light read, especially for young sci-fi mystery lovers." Kirkus------------------------------"Despite its part in the larger series, The Boy Who Played with Dark Matter makes a fine read all on its own, although a reader will most certainly crave the sequel to find out if Zeddy gets his father back." ForeWord Clarion"In a world where caffeine is distributed only by terrorists and 1000-SPF sunscreen isn't strong enough, scientists long for a discovery that will restore Earth to a greener state. However, the International Government likes to think it has everything under control, especially since it issues twenty to thirty new laws each day to keep its constituents current."Six-year-old Zeddy, whose "IQ is off the charts," soon finds himself racing to avoid capture when his physicist father, Zane, goes missing. His mother, Zadie, suspects that the International Military Police have taken Zane, but Nimueh, the ancient Lady of the Lake, believes that he's in a parallel universe in a neighboring constellation. She also believes that young Zeddy, with a "brain that is exceptionally rare," is the key to saving Earth."The Boy Who Played with Dark Matter is a charming tale told in the tradition of A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle. Like young Charles Wallace, who is misunderstood by his teachers and peers, Zeddy finds himself alone and forced to "hide as much as possible in front of others." His only friend is a zutterfly made of dark matter, which proves to be a significant clue to finding his father. Other classic tales influence this story as well, such as The Man of La Mancha, The Count of Monte Cristo, and some King Arthur legends."The postapocalyptic setting is filled with fascinating social reforms, such as newly engaged couples being required to take parenting classes and the International Military Police kidnapping gifted children in order to force them into government service. The story's technologies have plausible explanations, like the transporter device that was supposed to get Zeddy's father to Zamira (a dark-matter planet) or the pretty crystal that contains dark energy."At times, Zeddy's dialogue is overly mature for his age, but his adult-like speech patterns might be attributed to his high IQ. Still, the character's adventures are appropriate for his tender years, like chatting with a dark-matter butterfly, believing in Nimueh's magical gifts, or convincing a nervous professor to divulge information about Zane's last experiment. These scenes are paced in short chapters, making them just the right length for young children with shorterattention spans. Although six-year-olds aren't likely to have the reading abilities to tackle this story, it would make excellent bedtime reading with a parent's help. Even teens might be amused by all the high-tech explanations and the challenge of solving the author's mystery."Known as Holy Ghost Writer, the author has placed clues about his/her identity throughout the series. The first reader who figures out the author's identity will earn a $1,000 reward. Despite its part in the larger series, The Boy Who Played with Dark Matter makes a fine read all on its own, although a reader will most certainly crave the sequel to find out if Zeddy gets his father back." ForeWord Clarion review

"Reading the The Sultan of Monte Cristo is like meeting old friends who have not changed over time, a sense of pure delight. This book is a must read for all Alexander Dumas fans and also those who have a craving for complex plots and fabulous characterization.Though one can find Dumas' characters in this book, there are many new characters." Sporty Neha's review"For so many years, passionate fans of The Count of Monte Cristo have suffered a loss upon finishing Alexandre Dumas' last words. It is a grieving of sorts that has long been unmitigable... until now. The mysterious Holy Ghost Writer has penned "The Sultan of Monte Cristo" as a direct continuance of the story readers have long struggled against leaving behind. The adventure-laden journeys of Edmond Dantes continues in (Dumas') newly-honed role as investigative reporter who publishes his (original) book as part of (this) story. New life is breathed into those characters we all knew and loved (or loved to hate) in the original Count of Monte Cristo tale (what can now, finally, be referred to as Book 1). Haydee, the infamous Villeforts, and even Countess G are lifted from the stalemate of our beloved story and given new life, and readers will also be introduced to a host of colorful new characters (like the memorable Raymee) whose lives, loves, and circumstance flow comprehensively and effortlessly through the entire narrative. Amazingly, the prose so closely matches the mood, tone, pacing, and richness of environment of Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo that this feels like the natural continuance of those lives. The sequel manages to introduce such a microscopic view into the full-flesh world our colorful characters engage in that readers can't help being sucked in. We cannot help but run breathlessly alongside them throughout the journey, to imagine the consequences between their words, to ponder on their insights and their woe-filled courses of action. We stand next to Mercedes as she lives and breathes; we get that rare glimpse into the future of the characters that Alexandre Dumas himself surely intended. Through well-defined and multilayered plotlines, the story's laser-point pacing, and rich character building, this work lends the quagmire of adventures, missteps, and danger-filled mysteries a guarantee of unforeseen, adventurous turns and cathartic "a-ha" insights. The Holy Ghost Writer seems a literary time-traveller: the swiftness with which he carries us straight into the 1800s is mind-boggling and a rare feat even in the best historical fiction writing. Excellent novel, and highly recommended!" Peanut's review.

When Anya Corazon's beloved mentor is killed, she is swept up into an epic quest for justice.

From Anthony Award-winning writer Alex Segura comes Secret Identity, a rollicking literary mystery set in the world of comic books.It's 1975 and the comic book industry is struggling, but Carmen Valdez doesn't care. She's an assistant at Triumph Comics, which doesn't have the creative zeal of Marvel nor the buttoned-up efficiency of DC, but it doesn't matter. Carmen is tantalizingly close to fulfilling her dream of writing a superhero book.That dream is nearly a reality when one of the Triumph writers enlists her help to create a new character, which they call "The Lethal Lynx," Triumph's first female hero. But her colleague is acting strangely and asking to keep her involvement a secret. And then he's found dead, with all of their scripts turned into the publisher without her name. Carmen is desperate to piece together what happened to him, to hang on to her piece of the Lynx, which turns out to be a runaway hit. But that's complicated by a surprise...

An Ash McKenna and Pete Fernandez JointWhen beloved college football star Raleigh "The Gun" Davis is suspected of shaving points, sports reporter Pete Fernandez is tasked with digging up all the dirt that's fit to print. Mired in his own mounting personal problems and drinking himself blind, Pete slams into an unexpected brick wall: Ash McKenna, an amateur private investigator with a very bad attitude. Both are looking for the AWOL QB, but their goals run counter to each other—Ash is trying to help an old friend, while Pete is looking to redeem his once-promising journalism career.What they find is more than they bargained for—and more than they can handle alone. Can the unlikely duo find common ground in time to bust a dangerous crime ring? Or will they get tangled up in their own egos and agendas?Acclaimed crime writers Rob Hart and Alex Segura pair up for a unique adventure that brings together their series characters Ash McKenna and Pete Fernandez for an untold tale of vice, double-crosses and the back alleys of suburban New Jersey. Before NEW YORKED and SILENT CITY, there was BAD BEAT.

THE THRILLING FINAL CHAPTER IN ALEX SEGURA'S ACCLAIMED PETE FERNANDEZ SERIES! A year has passed since Pete Fernandez's latest, closest brush with death. After months of recovery, the newly sober Pete has managed to rebuild his life, contentedly running a small Miami bookstore and steering clear of the dangers of private eye work. So when an aging Cuban mobster asks Pete to find out who killed his drug-addicted, jazz pianist son and to locate his missing daughter-in-law, Pete balks. Until another victim suggests that the murder of the gangster's son may be connected to the people that nearly ended Pete's life, while revealing an unexpected, dangerous truth about the death of the Miami PI's own mother. Pulled back into the darkness and chaos he'd desperately tried to avoid, Pete finds his life derailed once more as he's forced to investigate a murder that should have never gone cold while dodging assassins' bullets and his own demons. Can Pete make peace with his complicated,...

Pete Fernandez has settled into an easy, if somewhat boring life as a P.I.. He takes pictures of cheating husbands. He tracks criminals who've skipped bail and he attends weekly AA meetings The days of chasing murderous killers are behind him. Or are they?When his sometimes partner Kathy Bentley approaches him with a potential new client, Pete balks. Not because he doesn't need the money, but because the case involves Gaspar Varela, a former Miami police officer serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife - one of the most infamous crimes in Miami history. The client? None other than Varela's daughter, Maya, who has doggedly supported her father's claims of innocence.As Pete and Kathy wade into a case that no one wants, they also find themselves in the crosshairs of Los Enfermos, a bloodthirsty gang of pro-Castro killers and drug dealers looking to wipe Pete off the Miami map. As if trying to exonerate Varela wasn't enough, they find themselves entangled in...

PETE FERNANDEZ SHOULD BE DEAD.His life – professional and personal – is in ruins. His best friend is dead. His newspaper career is past tense. His ex is staying with him as her own marriage crumbles. On top of that, the former journalist finds himself in the eye of a dangerous storm; investigating a missing girl with an unexpected partner and inching closer and closer to a vicious, calculating killer cutting a swath of blood across Miami – while at the same time battling his own personal demons that refuse to be silenced.DOWN THE DARKEST STREET, the hard-boiled sequel to Alex Segura's acclaimed debut, SILENT CITY, tells a tale of redemption, survival and the sordid backstreets of Miami – while asking the question that many are too scared to answer: When faced with pure darkness, would you fold or fight?