Books published by Open Road Media

In this WWII memoir, a woman recounts her struggle to survive and serve her country in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Marjorie Terry Smith was a teenage girl living in the suburbs of London when the Second World War began. Before it was over, her family would be bombed out of three homes, her fiancé would be killed fighting Rommel's forces in North Africa, and she would join the WAAF. Stationed in the operations rooms on seven different Royal Air Force bases, she encountered RAF legends Douglas Bader and Leonard Cheshire, as well as the indomitable Winston Churchill. In Her Finest Hour, Smith recounts a youth in England leading up to the war, her six years of service, and life in a recovering England, in which she worked for the British Overseas Airways Corporation as well as the BBC. Vividly recalling how the war changed her life and the world around her, Smith offers a rare insider's view of WWII military operations from a woman's perspective, as told to her son, Stephen Doster.

A lawyer gets an unsettling message twenty years after her lover’s death on 9/11, in this “fast-paced and emotional page-turner” by the author of The Dilemma (Christian White, bestselling author).At last, I’ve found you. A shock, I’m sure. But in time, I’ll explain. Martin Back in 2001, a young Lucie worked in New York City and was in love with Martin, who promised to leave his wife for her. Then he became one of the many victims of the terrorist attack of September 11. Two decades later, Lucie has just joined the staff of a prestigious London law firm after a bitter separation. However, her attempt at a new start is derailed by a baffling hand-delivered note—signed Martin. Is her vivid imagination playing tricks? Did her long-lost lover have stage his own disappearance under the cover of that fateful day, or could it be that someone else is stalking her? Filled with compelling characters and unsettling plot twists, spanning London, New York, and Sydney, A Voice in the Night is an addictive thriller about one woman’s quest to solve a mystery from the past and the thin line between hope and dread. “Masterful pacing and stealthy execution . . . keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing right up until the end.” —Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman “An eerie and riveting story.” —Lynn Hightower, author of Alien Blues “A tightly crafted, clever thriller.” —Sarah Clutton, author of The Daughter’s Promise

“A rip-roaring yarn of baseball, poker, and Wall Street told with humor and humanity, and a loving rendering of Wharton in the seventies.” —Geoffrey Garrett, dean, The Wharton School Rogers Stout has the gambler’s gifts: a titanic brain, an uncanny ability to read people, and a risk-taker’s daring. As an apathetic high school student who loves baseball but lacks a ninety-miles-per-hour fastball, he knows that the game does not begin until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. But his life needs direction. Everything changes the summer Roger is invited into the boisterous environment of an investment bank’s trading room—and to a gambling hall dive where he immediately wins big at poker, capturing the attention of his coworkers with his card-playing skills. Intrigued by trading markets, Rogers’s intellectual curiosity takes him to Wharton and then to Wall Street, facing challenges as an outsider who thinks and acts differently from the white-shoe establishment. As Rogers plays his career hand, life plays another. Should he follow the temptress Elsbeth and her ravishing beauty or Charlotte, his high-spirited first love? An intriguing look at human aspiration and the interplay of honor, greed, fear, and individuality, Make Me Even and I’ll Never Gamble Again reveals a time when a new generation upended the status quo on Wall Street and forever changed investing. “By turns hilarious, insightful, and touching, Fine has written a coming-of-age story for the ages.” —Peter Lattman, vice chairman, The Atlantic “[An] absorbing story of an aspiring Wall Street trader.” —Kirkus Reviews

First in the historical trilogy set in Czarist Russia: "Filled with suspense, beauty, love, and true-life horror . . . a riveting read." --Diane Yates, author of Pathways of the Heart Nineteenth-century Russia is not a safe place for those of Jewish faith. They are prisoners in their country, unable to own land, and denied an education beyond their Hebrew schools. Pogroms rage--and it is one such massacre that rips Havah Cohen's family from her . . . Found wounded and barefoot on the steps of nearby synagogue, clad in only a nightdress, Havah is taken to safety by a rabbi and his son, Arel, who are shocked to hear the words of the Kaddish come from a mere girl. No woman should know the holy writings. Havah is welcomed into the house of the local midwife, where she becomes part of the family and close-knit community--though some eye her with suspicion as the rumor of her praying spreads. And while she now lives with the girl who is Arel's intended, his kind face is never far from her mind. With the pain of her family's death and the threat of pogrom always hanging over her, the fiercely intelligent and independent Havah knows that a bigger world awaits--if she's brave enough to meet it . . . "This book will ignite the fire of indignation in your soul against all forms of intolerance, as well as the fire of faith in the face of despair." --James C. Washburn, author of Touching Spirit: The Letters of Minominike

The author of Please Say Kaddish for Me continues the story of a Jewish woman's journey from Czarist Russia to the heartland of America. Since losing her family in a pogrom, Havah Gitterman has already seen the worst of humanity. But at last, she and her husband Arel have made it to Kansas City, thanks to Havah's benefactor. Though haunted by friends and family they have lost--and those left behind--the couple hopes to make a new beginning, especially since Havah is pregnant. But some traditions are hard to change. Havah studies the Torah in Hebrew and considers teaching it to other girls, much to the chagrin of those still clinging to the old ways. And when Havah gives birth to a daughter who is blind, Arel's dismay shocks Havah, threatening their marriage. Havah will learn that even in the New World, prejudice and hate thrive in the shadows, and some wounds will never heal. But with perseverance and faith, Havah will find her way and set an example for her daughter, her community, and generations to come . . . "Heart-wrenching, incisive and elegantly written, From Silt and Ashes is ultimately a compelling and riveting look into the heart of humanity--at is worst and its best." --Lisa Regan, author of Local Girl Missing "Introduces the reader to unique and intensely-drawn characters who bring the story of Jewish persecution in Czarist Russia into stark realization." --Ginny Fite, author of Possession and Cromwell's Folly "An engrossing family saga." --Jack Martin, author of Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? and Hail, Columbia!

"The heartwarming--and heart wrenching--tale of life for pre-World War I Jewish society. . . . Well-researched and a gem of a novel." --Caroline Giammanco, author of Into the Night In Kansas City, 1907, Havah Gitterman continues her rebellious ways, teaching Hebrew and Humash classes for girls and doing everything she can for her family, even though the nerve pain in her legs continues to plague her, a constant reminder of the pogrom that nearly destroyed her childhood. At home and abroad, anti-Semitism rears its ugly head once again. Havah's husband Arel could go to prison for not observing the Christian Sabbath. Her blind daughter Rachel, a piano prodigy, is taken on a European tour by their family friend, where they are confronted by none other than a young Adolf Hitler. But no matter how often Havah has been thrown about by life, she always lands on her feet. She rises above the close-mindedness that surrounds her to see Rachel play at the White House--and to usher a new life into the world just when all seems lost . . . "As they did in Please Say Kaddish for Me and From Silt and Ashes, the characters shine in the third in Havah's trilogy . . . a story of triumph over adversity." --L.D. Whitaker, author of Soda Fountain Blues "This story of love, joy, conflict and fear kept me turning the pages and taught me many things about Jewish culture." --Jan Morrill, author of The Red Kimono

It's an unhappy birthday when murder crashes the party--but luckily, a sleuthing baker is in the mix . . . Shilpa Solanki has settled into life in Otter's Reach, and her cakes are selling like . . . well, hotcakes. When tycoon Roy Arden turns eighty, Shilpa caters the event--but the party's over when it turns out it was Roy's last birthday. Roy's daughter, Caroline, asks Shilpa to investigate, and delving into the Arden family dysfunction provides a surfeit of suspects: the much-younger second wife; the gardener-turned-son-in-law Roy never approved of; the brother he had a strained relationship with. Then Caroline turns up dead, too, and Shilpa has to burn the candle at both ends to find the culprit in this cozy culinary mystery by the author of A Slice of Murder.

In England''s East Midlands, a harried police detective juggles multiple cases that soon reveal the depths of human depravity . . .DI Tim Yates has been following up for months on reports of missing farm machinery-with no success-when a local farmer and philanthropist is physically assaulted. Could this be a lead? If so, it doesn''t take Yates very far, since the victim, Jack Fovargue, refuses to accept any help.∩╗┐Meanwhile, there''s a more urgent case to attend to-a decapitated body has been found in the Fossdyke Canal. This may be the first clue that finally connects a series of recent disappearances: a paper girl out on her rounds; a prostitute abducted off the street; an immigrant woman who vanished after stepping off a bus. After frogmen find two more corpses in the canal, and Yates''s researcher wife notes a similarity to a long-ago case someone is already in prison for, the situation starts becoming as murky as the canal itself . . .

A medical conference becomes a murder scene, in this mystery starring a doctor in rural Scotland by the author of Shooting Pains.Dr. Cathy Moreland welcomes the chance to stay at a country hotel for an advanced life support course. But the atmosphere among her fellow practitioners seems fraught with tension-and the equipment meant for saving lives is instead used to kill a bad-tempered doctor.He will not be the only one to die-and when Cathy discovers that intimidating notes were being sent to the attendees, including one that calls Cathy herself out for an unethical act in the past, she must find out who may have broken an oath to do no harm . . .

Long-listed for the Bath Novel Award: An estranged brother and sister reunite, stirring up dark truths about their childhood, in this brooding mystery.As children, siblings Gareth and Helen went ignored and utterly unsupervised in their isolated English farmhouse while their mother obsessively tended to her beloved, exquisite garden. When they were little, Gareth would occupy himself by trapping insects under glass and Helen would find ways to entertain herself-but the older they grew, the more sinister their lives became, with no attentive parent to shield them from the predators of the world.Decades later, Helen is in the same crumbling house, unhappily married and looking after their bedridden mother, and Gareth finally returns home. Evidence of a long-ago crime has recently emerged, and in its wake will come a series of shattering truths . . .

"Had me gasping and on the edge of my seat. Gripping from the start and took my breath away!" --Goodreads reviewer, five stars He's just proposed to his girlfriend--but another woman has him in her sights, in this terrifying thriller by the author of My Dead Husband. Liam finally popped the question, and Emily said yes. But that very same night, Liam gets abducted . . . and wakes up to a nightmare. On a large estate in the middle of nowhere, Liam finds himself the object of a woman's twisted affections--and confined to a stone cell. A servant ignores him. A guard watches over him. Meanwhile, Emily struggles to take care of their newborn child and tries to find the strength to move on. Can Liam ever escape and recover the life that was stolen from him--or will this bizarre prison be the last place he ever sees?

Hailed by Sue Grafton as “a true original,” ex-cop turned private eye Carlotta Carlyle risks her neck in Boston’s Combat Zone for two very different clients Six-foot-tall, redheaded ex-cop and Boston-based private eye Carlotta Carlyle is “the genuine article: a straightforward, funny, thoroughly American mystery heroine” (New York Post). Carlotta Carlyle is halfway through a pizza when her former boss, Lieutenant Mooney of the Boston Police, shows up at her door needing help even more than Carlotta needs a case. In a Combat Zone bar, Mooney got into a scrap with a stranger over a woman. Now the stranger is comatose, the woman has vanished, and Mooney has been suspended. He wants Carlotta to find the blond hooker with a snake tattoo who witnessed the brawl, and who can exonerate him.   Doing surveillance in the Zone, Carlotta gets a second case. A ritzy prep school kid with a bloody lip hires her to find his missing girlfriend. Drawn into two different yet equally dangerous worlds where dead bodies are showing up, Carlotta has only two weeks to save the most honest cop in Boston from going to jail, and to find a girl whose privileged parents don’t seem to care that she’s run away.  The Snake Tattoo was named an outstanding book of the year by the London Times.The Snake Tattoo is the 2nd book in the Carlotta Carlyle Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

The stunning new legal thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Hanging Judge, “a talent to watch” (The Washington Post). When FBI agents barge into Sidney Cranmer’s home accusing him of a heinous crime, the respected literature professor’s life becomes a nightmare. Cranmer insists the illicit material found by the agents isn’t his, but the charge against him appears airtight, and his academic specialty—the life and work of controversial author Lewis Carroll, creator of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—convinces investigators he’s lying. Presiding over the case against Professor Cranmer, U.S. District Judge David Norcross fears his daily confrontation with evil has made him too jaded to become a husband and father. His girlfriend, Claire Lindemann, teaches in the same department as the defendant and is convinced of his innocence. Soon, she will take matters into her own hands. Meanwhile—with his love life in turmoil and his plans for the future on hold—a personal tragedy leaves Norcross responsible for his two young nieces. Unbeknownst to him, a vengeful child predator hovers over his new family, preparing to strike. Michael Ponsor’s debut novel, The Hanging Judge, was praised by retired Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens for reminding readers “that the judicial process is not infallible” and by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Tracy Kidder for bearing “the heft of authenticity.” The One-Eyed Judge again draws on Ponsor’s thirty years as a US district judge, offering readers an insider’s view of one of the most harrowing kinds of cases faced by the courts. Fast-paced, thrilling, and thought-provoking, this is legal fiction at its most realistic and compelling. The One-Eyed Judge is the 2nd book in the Judge Norcross Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

A fun, funny, and informative guide to the weird world of American politicsHow does the president get his job? How do people know who will win an election before everybody's voted? Do the candidates hate each other?Dan Gutman takes on his strangest subject ever: the American political system. Reaching through history from the days of the founding fathers to today's voting system, Gutman tackles complex subjects in a clear, easy-to-understand way. Even grown-ups will find something in here that they've never learned before. Politics are a crazy game, and with Dan Gutman teaching you the rules, you're going to have a blast learning how to play.

Following a money trail leads a PI into danger in this hard-boiled mystery by the creator of Perry Mason and author of Turn on the Heat. Brainy private detective Donald Lam is always one step ahead of the bad guys--but he's also smaller than them and typically gets beat up. That's why his boss, the ever-irascible Bertha Cool, has hired a martial arts master to teach him self-defense. The first class isn't easy for Donald, but he is rewarded with a new client . . . Henry Ashbury is concerned about his daughter's recent spending habits. He wants Donald to find out where her money is going, without letting on that he's a detective. So, going undercover as Ashbury's trainer, Donald soon learns the story behind the daughter's finances. But when his investigation also turns up a dead body, the diminutive detective must teach the killer a lesson in justice . . . "Lively wit and machinegun dialogue." --Ralph E. Vaughan, author of Murder in the Goblins' Playground "Gardner has a way of moving the story forward that is almost a lost art: great stretches of dialogue alternate with lively chunks of exposition, and the two work together perfectly, without sacrificing momentum." --Booklist

Dealing with debtors turns deadly for a prickly PI in this hard-boiled mystery by the creator of Perry Mason and author of Bats Fly at Dusk. A hot-headed widow and a glass-jawed ex-lawyer, Bertha Cool and Donald Lam seem like an unlikely duo of private detectives. Even so, they've managed to solve the most difficult of mysteries--when they're together. With Donald now on a European vacation, Bertha is hesitant to accept any new business--but money is money, and this new case seems routine enough . . . Bertha is hired to get sales engineer Everett Belder out of a $20,000 problem. Unfortunately, his troubles soon multiply. His wife is receiving poisoned-pen letters accusing him of infidelity. Then she disappears. And there's also the matter of the body in his cellar. With everything spiraling out of control, Bertha must determine who is behind this deadly game of cat and mouse before another murder comes into play. "No one has ever matched Gardner for swift, sure exposition." --Kirkus Reviews "The best American writer, of course, is Erle Stanley Gardner." --Evelyn Waugh

A mind-opening collection of short science fiction from one of the genre''s most revered Grand Masters.Legendary author Robert A. Heinlein proclaimed, "To read science fiction is to read Simak. A reader who does not like Simak stories does not like science fiction at all." The remarkably talented Clifford D. Simak was able to ground his vast imagination in reality, and then introduce readers to fantastical worlds and concepts they could instantly and completely dig into, comprehend, and enjoy.In the title story, a man''s newfound ability to walk in the past allows him to dwell among dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers . . . and something even more timeless. In "Construction Shack," the first manned expedition to Pluto reveals that no matter how advanced aliens may be, even they don''t always get everything right. And in "Univac 2200," the thin line between humans creating technology and humans becoming technology is about to be crossed-and there may be no going back.Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

Nine tales of imagination and wonder from one of the formative voices of science fiction and fantasy, the author of Way Station and City.   Named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, Clifford D. Simak was a preeminent voice during the decades that established sci-fi as a genre to be reckoned with. Held in the same esteem as fellow luminaries Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury, his novels continue to enthrall today’s readers. And his short fiction is still as gripping and surprising now as when it first entertained an entire generation of fans.   The title story is just one example of this. Cheviot Sherwood doesn’t believe in miracles. They never seem to pay off. So when he’s marooned on a planet with no plan for escape and no working radio, he takes it in stride and prepares for a long stay gathering food, making shelter, and collecting all the diamonds the world has to offer. But when a ship like none he’s ever encountered lands, he sees his salvation—and an opportunity to take the priceless craft for himself. Unfortunately, his “rescuer” has the same idea . . .   This volume also includes the celebrated short works “Eternity Lost,” “Shotgun Cure,” and “Paradise,” among others.  Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.