Books published by Open Road Media

An epic saga of love, blood, and destiny in twentieth-century Vietnam: ';This superb novel could well be the War and Peaceof our age' (San Francisco Chronicle). Joseph Sherman first visits Saigonthe capital of French colonial Cochin-Chinaas a young man on his father's hunting trip in 1925. But the exotic land lures him back again and again as a traveler, soldier, and reporter. He returns because of his fascination for the enchanting cityand for Lan, a mandarin's daughter he cannot forget. Over five decades Joseph's life becomes enmeshed with the political intrigues of two of Saigon's most influential families, the French colonist Devrauxs, and the native Trans. In this sweeping saga of tragedy and triumph, Joseph witnesses Vietnam's turbulent, war-torn fate. He is there when millions of coolies rise against the French, and during their bloody last stand at Dien Bien Phu. And he sees US military ';advisors' fire their first shots in America's hopeless war against the Communist revolution. A story of adventure, love, war, and political power, Saigon presents an enthralling and enlightening depiction of twentieth-century Vietnam.

From skinny scholar to muscle-bound showman. ';Easily the best memoir ever written about weight training, steroids and all' (Men's Journal). When blue-blooded, storklike Samuel Wilson Fussell arrived in New York City fresh from the University of Oxford, the ethereal young graduate seemed like the last person on Earth who would be interested in bodybuilding. But he was intimidated by the dangers of the cityand decided to do something about it. At twenty-six, Fussell walked into the YMCA gym. Four solid years of intensive training, protein powders, and steroid injections later, he had gained eighty pounds of pure muscle and was competing for bodybuilding titles. And yet, with forearms like bowling pins and calves like watermelons, Fussell felt weaker than ever before. His punishing regimen of workouts, drugs, and diet had reduced him to near-infant-like helplessness and immobility, leaving him hungry, nauseated, and prone to outbursts of ';'roid rage.' But he had come to succeed, and there was no backing down now. Alternately funny and fascinating, Muscle is the true story of one man's obsession with the pursuit of perfection. With insight, wit, and refreshing candor, Fussell ushers readers into the wild world of juicers and gym rats who sacrifice their lives, minds, bodies, and souls to their dreams of glory in Southern California's so-called iron mecca.

A collection of supernatural horror stories by a multiple award-winning master of the fantastic. From the author of Swords and Deviltry and many other classic novels, a recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, this is a treasure trove of horrific tales, many of which remained out of print for decades after appearing in such magazines as Unknown, Thrilling Mystery, Startling Stories, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and the acclaimed horror specialty magazine Whispers 1314. In addition to the title story, this collection also includes: ';Cry Witch!' (1951), ';I'm Looking for Jeff' (1952), ';Ms. Found in a Maelstrom' (1959), ';The Button Molder' (1979), ';Dark Wings' (1976), and ';The Enormous Bedroom' (2001), which is original to this volume.

The War Within: America’s Battle over Vietnam is a painfully engrossing and popularly written account of how the battle on the home front ended America’s least popular war. This absorbing narrative, hailed by critics of every persuasion, is the fruit of over a decade’s worth of research: the author sifted through mountains of government documents, press coverage, and transcripts of interviews he conducted with virtually all of the key players, both inside the U.S. government and among the dissenters who eventually brought the war to an end. In these pages the antiwar era comes to life through the words of scores of participants, both the famous and the forgotten, who speak with candor and passion about this tumultuous period. A remarkable story of a powerful grassroots movement and its influence on officials in Washington.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Signal and the Noise tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Nate Silver’s book.Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader.This short summary and analysis of The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver: Drawing on groundbreaking research, The Signal and the Noise, written by the founder and editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight.com, examines how data has been used in prediction and forecasting, and how to find the true signals—the points that indicate that something will happen—amidst noisy and distracting data. Addressing different fields of forecasting and predictions—from politics to earthquakes to poker—Silver explores the reasons why some things are easier to forecast, like the weather, while others are so difficult, such as terrorism. From one of the country’s smartest thinkers. The Signal and the Noise provides vital insights into how to think about probability and predictions on the economy, climate change, sports, and other subjects that impact our lives. The summary and analysis in this book are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

The difference between a status-quo, but revisable, "common sense" and new realities, new discoveries, and such, generates a tension. One of the places where philosophy spends its time is the border country between a new science and an old common sense. What sense can we make of new truths, new possibilities, in, reprogenetics, cloning, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, artificial life, and such? How shall we think about them? Should they alter our view of the world, not merely additively, as in learning a new telephone number, but radically, as in taking seriously the hypothesis that wind is a meteorological phenomenon and not the breath of a god, that the earth moves, that humanity might be transformed, for example, biologically, by means of genetic engineering, and technologically, by means of electronic implants and enhancements? Our species, unique among known species, can control its own evolution. Will it do so? Should it do so? How might it do so? Philosophy has new things to do, and new places to go. This book begins the journey.

Tarl Cabot must prove his final loyalty to the harsh and caste-bound planet known as Counter Earth. ';Surrender Gor,' reads a message sent from the Others, a mysterious people from the worlds of steel. Either the proud rulers of Gor must submit or be destroyed. Now Tarl is leaving the decadent city of Port Kar to wander in the wilds of Gor, taking up the sword to defend his rulers and enemies, the Priest-Kings, for he knows that the fate of his home planet, Earth, is inextricably tied to the fate of Gor. Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire. Slave Girl of Gor is the 11th book in the Gorean Saga, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

When no one stands up to a bully, can anyone be truly safe? "Weaves together a tender and poignant coming-of-age story with a powerful narrative." --Lyn Yeowart, author of The Silent Listener Tormented at school, ten-year-old Jane wants a best friend more than anything. Her wish is answered when Acacia moves in next door, and a carefree summer break beckons. Yet as their friendship blossoms and secrets are shared, Acacia remains stubbornly guarded about her home life, especially when it comes to her mother's new boyfriend Daryl, a Harley-riding ladies' man. At a neighborhood party, Jane stumbles onto a disturbing scene involving Daryl and is coerced into silence. Frightened and confused, she stays quiet, but when sounds of violence start emerging from Acacia's house, she hopes an adult will intervene. Instead, everyone turns a blind eye. Jane's own family seems to be deteriorating into chaos too, as if the darkness in Acacia's house is spreading like ripples in a pond. It will end in disaster if no one acts, and it may end in tragedy if someone does . . . "A brave and hugely necessary book." --Tabitha Bird, author of The Emporium of Imagination

When you've found your happily ever after, can you ever let it go? Abandoned by her mother and left in the care of an absent father, as a child Francesca escaped her sad reality by dreaming of a better life. Her dream came true the summer she turned nine and she met the FitzRoys--a loving family who welcomed her into their world. Almost two decades later, Francesca's life is just about perfect. She has achieved everything she wanted and is engaged to her one true love, Paul FitzRoy. But, in a cruel twist of fate, on the day of her wedding, instead of walking down the aisle, Fran races to the hospital to find Paul lying in a coma after a brutal assault. Days turns into weeks, and as she remains by his side, Francesca is swept up in a flood of memories. When Paul's condition deteriorates and their future appears to be slipping away, Fran is left with a heartbreaking question: should she keep believing that love can conquer all, or accept the reality that life is not a fairytale? Us, Forever is a heart-wrenching tale of love, loss, and the power of hope. "Emotionally charged and beautifully romantic, Us, Forever is a moving tale of love and hope in the most challenging of circumstances." --Kate Galley, author of The Second Chance Holiday Club "Heartbreaking, hopeful and so, so romantic. Us, Forever is a gorgeous read about finding love and holding on to it when life gets impossibly difficult." --Suzanne Ewart, author of One Month of You

When a teenage boy is found dead in a Cambridge park, three women are determined to keep their secrets hidden . . . Emma, a detective's wife, watches the park outside her window where a body was discovered. She sees contagion everywhere--even in her new baby. Emma was there the night of the murder, but as her mind spirals, can she be certain about what took place? Jenny's son had fought with the victim at school and didn't come home that night. The detective is Jenny's son's father. She knows she should say something to him. But will she? Sandra is the victim's grandmother. She's aware that murder investigations focus close to home. Is she also hiding something? Only the police seem to care about the boy or the circumstances of his death. And if they don't uncover the truth soon, there may be more tragedy to come . . .

A literary festival turns lethal, in this sharp-witted series debut: "A marvellous set of unsavoury suspects . . . good, nasty fun with a ring of truth." --The Mail on Sunday, Thriller of the Week Bryce Peabody is ready to give a scandalous talk at the annual literary festival in the pretty English town of Mold-on-Wold. Scathing in his reviews and unseemly in his affairs, Bryce is known to have many enemies. So when he's discovered dead in his hotel room, festival attendees are desperate to know what happened. Could one of the numerous writers he has insulted have taken revenge? Or perhaps one of his scorned lovers? Soon, author Francis Meadowes is drawn into a role he knows only from his own fiction--that of amateur detective. But will he catch the culprit before more festival-goers meet a grizzly end? "A rollicking read." --London Evening Standard "A very engaging literary romp." --The Sydney Morning Herald "Ingenious." --The Independent Chosen for the Independent on Sunday's "Alternative Booker Prize Longlist"

Forced into the Battle of the Bulge, two soldiers on opposing sides find the courage to desert when their honor is betrayed in this WWII thriller.Belgium, 1944. For both American GI Wendell Lett and German seaman Holger Frings, the relentless bloodbath of World War II has become a prison and a curse. Just as Lett meets a Belgian woman who offers him deliverance from the toll of combat, he is pushed into a reckless false flag mission. At the same time, Frings is conscripted into a similar operation that takes him to the breaking point. Their fates collide in the surprise Ardennes counteroffensive known as the Battle of the Bulge. As Lett tries to find his way back to his beloved Heloise, he and Frings team up to desert their savage overseers while the battle rages around them. In Under False Flags, the absurdity of war is brought to brutal light as each side attempts to disguise their cannon fodder in enemy uniform. Under False Flags is the prequel to The Preserve, the second book featuring Wendell Lett.

A man with no name is out to find a labor activist friend who disappeared on the streets of Portland in this noir crime novella. It's 2009, and the economy's falling apart. Formerly homeless, our nameless hero owes what little he has to his friend Oscar. As a fellow day laborer, Oscar always stood up for their rights, even if it meant trouble. But now the cops are looking for Oscar--but he's nowhere to be found. The man with no name needs to find Oscar and soon, or he just might take the rap himself. He dodges the cops, tries to save his drug-addicted ex, and discovers a criminal coverup protecting some of Portland's richest and most powerful. To get at the whole truth, he'll have to finally face his past, and accept who his friend Oscar really was. Only then can he reclaim his name and place in a harsh world.

A WWII vet finds himself trapped inside a sinister military experiment in this historical thriller based on true events and sequel to Under False Flags.Hawaii, 1948. In World War II, Wendell Lett was considered a hero before he became a deserter. Now he's looking for a cure for his severe combat trauma, and The Preserve seems to be his salvation. Run by military intelligence, the secretive training camp promises relief from the terrors in his mind. Together with tough-minded Hawaiian Kanani Alana, who's also looking for a new start at The Preserve, Lett begins to feel hopeful. But soon Lett discovers the chilling, true purpose of his treatment. The Preserve intends to rebuild him into a cold-blooded assassin--whether he's willing to cooperate or not. His only hope is Alana's dangerous escape plan. But even if it succeeds, he'll still have to survive a merciless manhunt through the harsh wilderness of the Big Island.

A scandalous accusation sends a woman fleeing to the countryside, where she meets an enigmatic man who also has something to hide . . . After a teenage boy makes allegations of inappropriate behaviour, Evie Cooper goes back to her hometown. There, her old friend Alex, now a solicitor, can help her navigate the situation, as well as offer her a job to tide her over. Evie rents a cottage while she waits for the crisis to blow over; it's isolated and rundown, but it's cheap, and she finds the rural quiet soothing. After a local man, Jay, helps her out of a tight spot, she starts a friendship with him that quickly becomes romantic. But she senses a strange tension between Jay and Alex. Why does Jay seem to avoid Alex? Is there something Alex isn't telling her--and why would he keep it secret? Then Evie stumbles on a surprising revelation about Jay--and as the truth begins to emerge, she must decide who she can really trust . . .

She's trained to stop killers. He's trained to be one. And they're set to collide with potentially lethal consequences . . . Following personal trauma, Kate "Cass" Cassidy has resigned from the detective squad and retreated to her hometown on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way to work a community policing beat. But to Cass's dismay, her new boss immediately assigns her to an unsolved case--a murder with no clear suspects and few leads. At the same time, her colleagues are chasing a marauding gang committing violent burglaries in the region. When an elderly farmer is killed and his property ransacked, the evidence points in only one direction--until a former US soldier, Mason Brady, walks into the local station and sets the investigation on a startling new path. What neither Cass nor Brady realize is the extent to which their actions will cause both cases to overlap and see them become each other's greatest threat. What links a scenic Irish tourist town to these crimes, to a daring international bank raid, and to Brady's past? Is Brady an ally or an enemy? Who's doing the hunting, and who's being hunted? To find the answers, Cass will have to follow a path that leads her to the darkest of places . . .

A crime scene investigator looks into the lingering mystery of her own traumatic history, in this suspenseful British police thriller. Maya Barton is an experienced SOCO now--but gathering evidence after the crime's been committed is one thing and being targeted for murder is another . . . As Maya examines the scene of a stabbing the team become overwhelmed with the volume of knife crime being committed. They're left questioning whether the teenage victims are as innocent as they seem. As a threatening figure from her past watches and waits, Maya struggles to assess her situation when she has little to no memory of the childhood trauma she experienced, aside from fleeting flashbacks. Hoping for a breakthrough, Maya begins treatment using a therapeutic technique. But can she unearth the truth in time to save her own life? Praise for the Maya Barton series "Bendelow proves her experience as a SOCO makes for a brilliant novel . . . stunning." --Lynda La Plante, Edgar Award-winning author of Prime Suspect

Visiting the sick leads a curious clergyman into a web of danger and greed at a secretive nursing home . . . Part of Rev. Oxford Christie's duty is to comfort the sick, but the nursing home where he shows up to see a patient feels strange and unsettling. One of the many facilities owned and operated by The Group, Incorporated, brings in profits far exceeding that of the typical nursing home--and some residents seem to have mysteriously disappeared. The state's inspection systems are deeply flawed, and Ox is aware that severe, ongoing abuse can easily go unchecked. The corporation soon becomes aware of Christie's nosing around--and orders are given to do whatever is necessary to stop his snooping. Now Ox, aware that he's being watched, is torn between the possible danger to his wife and children and his suspicion that what's happening to helpless patients is far worse than what he's witnessed . . .

It's said the truth shall set you free--but what a new minister discovers in this sparsely attended sanctuary may haunt him for eternity . . . When Rev. Oxford Christie is brought in to lead the Church of the One Soul in Philadelphia, his first thought is "What happened to the congregation?" No one has joined the church for many years, and the previous minister's portrait is now hanging in the basement, far from all eyes to see. Though there is a cemetery, there are no graves for the missing spouses of the remaining members--who refuse to talk about it. Something sinister has clearly taken over the church. Angel, the church secretary, is hiding something. Nehmi, the caretaker, lurks about watching Reverend Ox's every move. Ammahn seems to be a prospective parishioner, though he only ever sneaks in and sits in the back pew, never speaking to anyone. And Cynthia Neal says she's drawn to the church through sounds emanating from its core, of which only she is aware. Then Ox learns that Emmett and Mary Jane, two new visitors, are actually undercover detectives--and they're investigating an old, still-open case that involves this gloomy place and its dwindling congregation . . .

A hospital administrator copes with chaos and death at his new job--but one act of terror will create an emergency he never imagined . . . Eastern College Hospital is on its third administrator in four years--and newly arrived Doug Carpenter is already finding it a challenge to provide quality care with the existing atmosphere of power struggles and greed. The combative environment obstructs any chance at a smooth-running operation and threatens Doug's authority--but that's not all. A patient commits suicide. A drunk anesthesiologist kills a mother during an emergency delivery. Several patients fall victim to an "angel of death," and another is poisoned by an unscrupulous doctor. Then a union strike explodes into violence--and something much more precious to Doug than his career is endangered . . .

"Relevant, hard hitting, brilliantly written." --Keri Beevis, bestselling author of With Friends Like These When a single mother's angry moment is uploaded online without her consent, it triggers a nightmare of blackmail, betrayal, and cruelty, in this gripping new thriller from the author of The Husband Trap. Abbie loses her cool during an argument with her daughter's teacher, unaware the conversation is being recorded. Soon, her tirade is shared on social media and she is fired. Even her children suffer from the fallout. To make matters worse, the public scandal has attracted an old enemy intent on ruining Abbie's life. As the shaming and outrage intensifies, her children are forced to face some terrible truths. And when lives are threatened, Abbie must ask herself . . . Will anyone come out of this unharmed?

In this brand-new murder mystery by the author of The Flight, a yacht crosses the North Atlantic while a perfect storm of suspicion and vengeance develops onboard . . . Duchess is about to set sail from Scotland to St. Lucia. But before she even leaves port, an argument erupts. It's only the first in a series of unsettling events that will beset Helen, the skipper, her best friend, and the remaining crew. During a port of call in the Canary Islands, tensions mount further when an unexpected guest joins the crew. Then, a near-fatal allergic reaction raises the pressure level--and finally, during a fierce storm, someone goes overboard . . . Is this a run of bad luck or is one person at the heart of the turmoil and violence? And if so, can the culprit be identified before they reach the Caribbean?

A true-crime podcaster investigates a decades-old suspected abduction, in this powerful psychological suspense novel. 1979 >2014 > Can a small-time journalist with a shoestring podcast really hope to reconstruct the ultimate fate of Carolyn Russell after all these years, or are some secrets best left buried? "Takes hold of the head and the heart and simply does not let go." --Jacquelyn Mitchard, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Good Son "Captures the zeitgeist for each period with telling accuracy." --Suzanne Goldring, bestselling author of My Name is Eva "A rare and thrilling book that manages to be thoughtful and intelligent." --Joanna Barnard, author of Hush Little Baby

By the author of Girl in Bed Three: At a Cornish castle, a writer finds a promising story, a surprising family connection--and a deadly threat . . . Grace Haythorpe's family has claimed for generations that they're somehow related to the scandalous Trengrouse clan who live in Godwyne Castle. Grace thinks their history would make a great book and hopes to earn some money from the project. After being welcomed as a guest at Godwyne, Grace soon gets to know the household staff, the elderly Lady Alexandra, and several of her descendants. But just as Grace is finding some interesting leads about the Trengrouses' past, Lady Alexandra takes a suspicious, fatal fall from a window. Should Grace keep trying to unlock the layers of secrets surrounding this eccentric clan? Or does she need to flee for her life?

A flu epidemic ushers in a plague of dark magic in this spooktastic mystery featuring teenage sleuth Johnny Dixon from The Wrath of the Grinning Ghost. Though forty miles away, Duston Heights is not safe from the flu that's raging through Boston. When Johnny Dixon's grandmother falls ill, he's sent to live with his neighbor to avoid infection. So many locals are getting sick that school is canceled for a week, and the reclusive Dr. Abram Ashburn comes out of retirement to make house calls. After seeing a scary vision of his bedridden grandmother outside of a window, Johnny starts to feel on edge. Then he and his best friend find what looks to be a weird map of a cemetery in Dr. Ashburn's house. One specific grave is marked with an "X," the burial place of a woman who practiced witchcraft in the seventeenth century. The townspeople recover from the flu, but they can't escape the terrifying illusions and shadow people that now haunt them, unless Johnny and his friends find the key to unlock the secrets of the graveyard before a dreadful prophecy comes to pass . . . Praise for The Wrath of the Grinning Ghost "Fans of the series will enjoy this new supernatural adventure, which reads so much like Bellairs's books that they won't believe he didn't write it." --School Library Journal "Strickland's story is eerie, suspenseful, and true to the personalities and writing style of Bellairs, who began the Johnny Dixon series . . . This is good reading for adventure enthusiasts as well as for series fans." --Booklist

In this suspense novel by the bestselling author of The Devil's Advocate, a Catskills realtor's life begins to unravel after discovering her doppelganger. Cynthia Palmer Warner is worried her imagination is running away with her. Her husband, Stephen, and brother, Jason, are working long hours to grow the Palmer family business, and Jason's misogynistic attitude seems to be wearing off on Stephen. Stephen is antagonizing his wife more and more and Cynthia can't stand it. But when she finds old news clippings about Karla Hoffman, things get worse. Karla was the same age, had the same face and the same odd marital dilemma. The trouble is, Karla was murdered by her brother fifty years ago, and Cynthia can't help but wonder if she'll meet the same fate . . . "An expert weaver of suspense." --Fresh Fiction

An ad exec's dream date drags her into a twisted conspiracy in this romantic suspense tale by the bestselling author of The Devil's Advocate. Twenty-six-year-old Jillian Caldwell is on the verge of a promotion at a New York City advertising agency. Her mother, however, is more concerned that Jillian is the only one of her children who isn't married or engaged. It's not that Jillian hasn't tried. The men she's dated were just terribly boring and predictable. She wants a man with an air of mystery . . . Thirty-year-old Ron Cutler is a confident man who knows what he wants. He needs someone to help him expand his chain of upstate department stores, but after meeting Jillian, he'll settle for a date. That is followed by a full-blown romance, and Ron eventually surprises her with an engagement ring. When Jillian discovers something about Ron she doesn't like--he's disappears. Phone calls don't help. There's no number in Ron's name. His department store has never heard of him. They do, however, know a John Cutler, and Jillian decides to dig deeper. To find answers, she begins a twisted journey through a family's past that will irrevocably change her future . . . "A master of psychological thrillers." --V. C. Andrews

How far would you go to protect your child? An absorbing new novel of psychological suspense by the author of Venus Was Her Name. Three friends at pivotal points in their lives have some serious decisions to make . . . Gina is struggling with demons from her past while trying to be the opposite of her feckless mother. She is about to lose everything and will do whatever it takes to avoid following in her parents' footsteps. Babs also has a battle on her hands, with her husband and her grown-up kids. After putting everyone first for so long, will she find the courage to break free? Robin has her own secret to keep, a vow to honour, and a fragile daughter to protect. But when her back is against the wall, and she has nowhere to turn, who will help her? These women, beset by threats, obstacles, and anguish, must find their paths forward. Each woman is living on the edge but for one of them, it's the final straw. Who will it be?