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The Library of the World’s Best Mystery and Detective Stories is a six-volume edition, which contains one hundred and one tales written by authors as diverse and separated by history as Pliny the Younger (first century AD), Voltaire (17th century) and Guy de Maupassant (19th century) and also from different parts of the world. This volume which is the first, contains twenty interesting stories, and an introduction by the editor. The fascinating aspect of mystery stories is that sometimes the author allows the puzzle to solve itself without expert detective aid, while in other cases, a sleuth bends his or her deductive powers to the mystery. In rare cases, the author leaves the tale unexplained and allows the readers to draw their own conclusions. The stories contained in this volume include Francis Marion Crawford’s strange yarn, By the Waters of Paradise, which recounts how a young man’s tragic past takes a turn for the better when he meets a lovely young stranger. The New England writer, Mary Wilkins Freeman’s chilling tale of the supernatural, The Shadows on the Wall, tells of the strange circumstances which face a young woman who arrives at the home of her dead fiancé to find his three adoring sisters behaving in a very odd fashion. From the creator of the famous amateur sleuth, Uncle Abner, comes another charming puzzle in the form of the story, The Corpus Delicti. This story by Melville Davisson Post is certainly a deliciously enjoyable one! Other stories include two by Ambrose Bierce entitled The Heiress from Redhorse, a seemingly trite tale with a happy ending about a foolish heiress, but one which employs a sinister twist in the tail. Bierce’s other creepy tale The Man and the Snake tells of the horror experienced by a lonely man when he finds a snake in his apartment. No anthology of mystery stories is complete without at least one from the master, Edgar Allan Poe. This one too, has its share – The Gold Bug, a story of a man who visits his entomologist friend on a remote South Carolina and becomes obsessed by a weird bug that looks like a skull but seems to be made of pure organic gold! Washington Irving and Charles Brockden Brown are also featured in this collection. One of the most fascinating aspects of this anthology is that it was edited by Julian Hawthorne, the star-crossed son of the famous writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. A great read for all ages!

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, editor, fiction, free audio books, Julian Hawthorne, Library of the World's Best Mystery and Detective Stories, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, Short stories

Who is stealing all the magic in Oz? Dorothy and her friends set out to comb all of Oz, not only for magic stolen from Glinda and the Wizard, but also for the kidnapped princess, Ozma. Along the way, they explore regions never seen in other Oz books, meeting strange and interesting people and animals, and falling into peril more than once. It’s a desperate mission – for if the thefts are all linked, then it means that some magician unknown to them has acquired powers beyond any available to them now. How will they find him? And how will they conquer him? Not one of them knows – but with continuing faith that goodness will triumph, they march forth to try.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Kids, L. Frank Baum, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, The Lost Princess of Oz

Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” gives an in-depth discussion of different economic principles like the productivity, division of labor and free markets. Although written and published more than 200 years ago, it’s still hailed as one of the most original works in the field of economics and is still used as a reference by many modern economists. “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” is the complete title of this book and it was first published in 1776, the same year that the American colonies declared their independence from Britain. It’s interesting to note that Adam Smith once suggested to British authorities before this year that they should let the colonies be represented in the British parliament because of the contributions they give to the British Empire. But as we all know, they didn’t follow his suggestion and the Americans in defiance of British rule declared their independence. Experts at the time argued that if the British only followed Smith’s suggestion, the American Revolution wouldn’t have happened. Aside from this, Adam Smith had many other brilliant ideas about politics and economics, many of which were discussed in this book. He was the first economist to make an in-depth analysis about the division of labor, how it affects productivity, and what real price is. He also explained in this book the reasons why he opposed mercantilism, an economic theory which was very popular during that time. Then, he recommended and discussed here why free trade is better for nations. This was one of the first books about economics which advocates free trade. This concept is very important in modern economics and have now been embraced by most of the whole world. “The Wealth of Nations” is an indispensable work that every student of economics should read. It’s a timeless classic and many of the concepts discussed in it are still valid today. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adam Smith, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Economics/Political Economy, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, The Wealth of Nations

Taking the reader back to the horror and devastation of September 11, 2001, the 9/11 Commission Report by the 9/11 Commission, is the official report that presents the final findings of the committee Krean Hamilton Commission (better known as the 9/11 Commission.) The report reveals not just the events that happened on that fateful day, but also describes the circumstances that led up to it. It analyzes the role of several government agencies in the drama and also pinpoints the lacunae in the system that allowed such events to occur. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were the most heinous committed on American soil and led to nearly 4,000 deaths, countless injuries, enormous loss of property and forever changed the course of world history. The Krean Hamilton Commission was set up by President George W. Bush on November 2002 and the final report was released on July 26, 2004. During this period, the Commission examined thousands of people in many countries, went through millions of pages of documents, some of them top secret, and came to some very startling conclusions. Among the statements made by the commission were evidence of lax security, eyewitness testimony of the final moments of the fatal plane crash, and the conclusion that though the terrorists were from certain countries, there was no evidence to prove that they were funded by the governments of those countries. It traces the genesis of the dreaded terrorist organization al-Qaeda and portrays in great detail how they were able to infiltrate the country and plan their operations. The report directly led to more U.S. emphasis on diplomacy and more counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan. Some critics panned the report deeming it merely cosmetic in nature and only skimming the surface of the real issues. Yet the book remains an engrossing and riveting slice of history, which makes interesting reading for both casual readers and those engaged in politics, counterterrorism or diplomacy. It has been authored by several people and far from being a boring tract on administrative matters, is written in a dramatic and lyrical style. It zoomed to the top of the bestseller charts when it was first published and became a contender for the non-fiction prize in the National Book Awards. It has also been adapted for film and television. One of the notable features is that the point of view contained in this book remains completely neutral and unbiased in spite of the great emotional impact the events depicted had on the psyche of a nation. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Politics, The 9/11 Commission, The 9/11 Commission Report

Christmas Eve. Guests round a fireside begin telling each other ghost stories. One of them relates a true incident involving the governess of his little nephew and niece. Strange events begin to take place, involving the housekeeper, a stranger who prowls round the grounds, a mysterious woman dressed in black and an unknown misdemeanor committed by the little nephew. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James was published in 1893 and it remains one of the best-known and admired works of this great American writer. One of the factors that makes it so appealing is that the structure and ending are open to the reader’s interpretation. Over the years, many critics, readers and scholars have provided their own theories about the ending and all of them may be valid from a certain viewpoint. However, the real “horror” in this book is the nameless, ambiguous sense of evil that pervades the story and brings out all that is deeply frightening to us. Henry James came from a distinguished family. His father was a philosopher, while his brother William James was a famous developmental psychologist. His sister, Alice was also a writer, but is known mostly for the personal diaries she kept in the last years of her life. Though James was born in America, he considered England to be his spiritual home and constantly traveled between the two countries. His novels focus on the interaction between Europeans and Americans. He was also a brilliant literary critic and prolific letter writer. The Turn of the Screw was his second novel and in it he gives expression to his life long interest in ghost stories and Gothic themes. However, he avoided the conventional screaming/slashing type of horror and preferred to keep the fear factor extremely subtle and understated, which paradoxically increases the sense of horror! He seeks to invest the ordinary, everyday happenings of daily life with a sinister significance and this is what makes The Turn of the Screw so extraordinarily effective. Henry James’ elaborate and often roundabout way of describing events makes the unraveling of the mystery even more difficult. Hence, the reader has plenty of work to do in James’ novels and nothing is provided on a platter! James himself constantly revised the story and made several changes. Though these are minor in nature, they add to the complexity of the plot and give readers many more facets from which to try to find the right solution. The Turn of the Screw is certainly a great read if you enjoy mysteries and ghost stories.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Henry James, Horror/Ghost stories, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, The Turn of the Screw

George Eliot’s seventh and perhaps most famous novel almost didn’t get written! It took birth as a short novella titled Miss Brooke but she was unhappy with its progress and finally in despair, she decided to put it aside for a couple of years. Meanwhile, personal problems intervened and when she took up the project again, it was with a renewed sense of creativity. Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life first appeared as an eight-part serial novel in 1871-72. In 1874, it was finally compiled into a full length novel and attained instant fame and success. Planned and executed on an epic scale, it is a monumental work that brings together many streams, plot ideas, characters, social and economic concepts and the author’s deep concern for the issues of the day. Women’s status, the industrial revolution, the disappearance of rural England and the rise of the newly rich and brash middle class, politics, sexual mores, morality, religion and marriage were some of the many viewpoints explored in this very significant work. Set in the fictitious Midlands town of Middlemarch, the plot contains three main themes which are connected through a complex maze of relationships and devices. Dorothea Brooke is a gentle and idealistic young woman who seeks a noble cause that she can dedicate her life to. She is well-off, good-looking and engaged to be married to a wealthy neighbor, Sir James Chettam. However, her life takes an unexpected twist when she meets the older, scholarly Edward Casaubon, an equally wealthy clergyman who has undertaken to write an important thesis on mythology. A hurried marriage and honeymoon in Rome follow, during which Dorothea is rapidly disillusioned by Casaubon’s cold and emotionless personality. Her emotions are now centered on Casaubon’s young cousin Ladislaw but her husband becomes furiously jealous of this friendship. Another plot concerning an idealistic doctor, Tertius Lydgate and the mayor of Middlemarch’s beautiful daughter Rosamund, is woven with the story of Rosamund’s feckless brother Fred and his childhood sweetheart, Mary Garth. These three plot lines are skilfully brought together in what many have called “the greatest novel in the English language.” Peopled with a host of interesting characters, Middlemarch has remained one of the must-reads in English by virtue of its magnificent scale and scope. It won great acclaim for its author, Mary Ann Evans who chose to write under the pseudonym George Eliot. The book has been adapted for stage, screen and television several times and each succeeding generation has found something of great depth and relevance in it. George Eliot’s wry wit and subtle humor make it a delightful read for young and old alike.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, George Eliot, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Middlemarch, romance

From the master of the psychological horror genre comes this brilliant collection 12 Creepy Tales by Edgar Allan Poe. It features some of his classics like The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat and The Cask of Amontillado which are supreme examples of his craft. The Black Cat is a truly horrifying story of a death-row confession of guilt by a serial killer. The much loved family cat becomes the agent of his destruction and inevitable descent into crime and madness. Another superb story is The Facts in the Case of M Valdemar. In this chilling tale, a mesmerist uses his skill to put a man into a trance at the exact moment of death. Poe wrote this story based on a newspaper report that he read about a New York doctor who was supposed to have conducted an operation after placing the patient under hypnosis. Such was Poe’s talent that the story was mistaken for a genuine scientific report when it first came out! Writers and poets like Kipling and Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote personally to Poe, congratulating him on creating such a fantastic story. For sheer suspense and Gothic horror, The Masque of the Red Death is unrivaled. Set in some unnamed country, in an unnamed time, it tells of Prince Prospero who retreats into a sealed fortress with his trusted friends to escape a scourge called the Red Death, a mysterious and fatal disease that is decimating the countryside. The images of death, blood and disease linger in the mind long after you put the book down. A crumbling ruin steeped in an atmosphere of doom and decay… the last descendant of a noble family… an opium addict and his deluded fantasies&emdash;these form the elements of one of Poe’s most atmospheric creepy tales The Fall of the House of Usher. It is also one of his most famous stories and is considered to depict Poe as being at the peak of his craftsmanship. The surreal feeling of this story has made it a perfect choice for adaptation on film and television. Another truly scary tale is The Pit and The Pendulum, which describes the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition in medieval Spain in the sixteenth century. The collection also features Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem The Raven which is guaranteed to send a shiver down the spine of even the most skeptical of readers. Whether you’re a horror story fan or not, 12 Creepy Tales by Edgar Allan Poe is a great addition to your bookshelf. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: 12 Creepy Tales, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edgar Allan Poe, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Horror/Ghost stories, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories

The first novel in her renowned series of detective fiction, Sayers introduces Lord Peter Wimsey, a bon vivant gentleman, whose hobby of playing detective is put to the test, as he is launched into his first official crime investigation. The mystery begins when the body of an unidentified man has been found in the bathtub of local architect Mr. Thipps. Adding to the peculiarity of the situation is the fact that the corpse is stark naked except for a pair of expensive pince-nez glasses. Due to the incriminating circumstances of the murder, the official investigator suspects Thipps to be the perpetrator of the bizarre murder. At the same time a well-known financier Sir Reuben Levy also goes missing, supposed to have disappeared from his very own bedroom. Wimsey hears the news about the body discovered in Thipps’ apartment after receiving a distressed call from his mother, who asks him to help solve the mystery and prove Thipps’ innocence. Consequently, Wimsey takes it upon himself to unravel the truth behind the mysteriously disposed corpse, whilst also investigating the disappearance of Levy. Investigators are also put up against quite the challenge, as they are presented with juxtaposing circumstances. Although apparent that the man found in the bath is not Levy, Wimsey insists the two cases are somehow related and continues to develop this theory. Escalating in brilliance with every turn of the page, the novel presents an enthralling mystery plot which prompts the audience to bring out their inner detective and work alongside Wimsey to piece together the events surrounding the two cases. Furthermore, Sayers offers a generous array of distinctive characters including the sophisticated Wimsey, his talented servant Bunter, and his witty mother, the Dowager Duchess of Denver. A compelling whodunit, the novel marks the debut of the endearing gentleman detective Wimsey, and initiates the beginning of the many investigations dependent on his sleuthing expertise.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dorothy L. Sayers, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, Whose Body?

“Come with me, ladies and gentlemen who are in any wise weary of London: come with me: and those that tire at all of the world we know: for we have new worlds here.” – Lord Dunsany, the preface to “The Book of Wonder”

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Lord Dunsany, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories, The Book of Wonder

Tom Swift is an inventor, and these are his adventures. The locale is the little town of Shopton in upstateNew York, near Lake Carlopa. While some of Tom’s inventions are not well-founded in a scientific sense, others elaborated developments in the news and in popular magazines aimed at young science and invention enthusiasts. Presenting themselves as a forecast of future possibilities, they now and then hit close to the mark. Some predicted inventions that came true include “photo telephones”, vertical takeoff aircraft, aerial warships, giant cannons, and “wizard” cameras. However some other devices, such as magnetic silencers for motors, have not appeared yet. -adapted from Wikipedia by Karen Merline More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, or, Teen/Young adult, the Naval Terror of the Seas, Tom Swift and His Aerial Warship, Victor Appleton

Plato’s Republic is a Socratic dialogue which deals mainly with the definition of justice, the characteristics of a just city state and the just man. Although it was written more than two thousand years ago, many of the ideas and thoughts expounded here are still very much relevant to modern society. This is Plato’s best known work and is also considered his most influential especially when it comes to the fields of philosophy and political theory. The Republic is divided into ten books and in each book Socrates discusses different topics from the immortality of the soul to the meaning of justice with his disciples like Glaucon, Thrasymachus, Adeimantus and others. The first two books focus on justice and its meaning. After hearing the arguments of his disciples, Socrates made a very enlightening statement when he said that it’s the advantage of a person to be just and it’s his disadvantage to be unjust. A statement like this can be very much true today as it is thousands of years ago. After that, they continued their discussions about education and the guardian class. I’m sure many have already heard about the guardians, in this book Socrates referred to them as the ideal rulers of an ideal city. Book eight of the The Republic discusses the different types of government, some of which we’re familiar with today. Socrates referred to the different types of governments as timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and tyranny. It’s interesting to note that he considered these types of governments including democracy as unjust. He said that in a democracy there’s a strong tendency for the poor people to revolt against the rich class because the rich enjoy too much freedom in this kind of government. This work by Plato is a timeless classic and it laid the ground work for many important modern philosophical and political ideas. This book is definitely a good read especially to political science or law students and the philosopher in all of us. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Education, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), ebooks, free audio books, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Plato, Plato's Republic

The foundations of modern skepticism and objective thinking are thought to be rooted in the philosophy of Rene Descartes, the French mathematician, philosopher and writer. This great sixteenth century thinker also gave us theories on mind-body dualism and the concept of ethics as the highest form of science. He is considered the Father of Modern Western Philosophy. His theories also led to the emancipation of humanity from the doctrine that the Church is the sole authority over Man and led to a more autonomous idea of the human condition. He also wrote extensively on subjects as diverse as music, the search for truth, geometry, discourse as a method of scientific investigation, philosophy, biology and psychology. He had a profound impact on the age he lived in and also on future generations. He was a teacher and counselor to several heads of state in Europe and guided them in their political and ethical actions. His most famous maxim, “I think, therefore I am” became the guiding principle of modern Western thought. Meditations on First Philosophy was first published in 1641. The original Latin title also had the subtitle: In Which the Existence of God and the Immortality of the Soul are Demonstrated. The treatise was translated into French in 1647. The work essentially consists of six separate meditations. In each one, Descartes abandons all belief in things that are not absolutely certain and then tries to replace these beliefs with those that are more certain. The book is designed as a series of meditations that took place over six days in his life, and in each one, he talks about “yesterday’s meditation.” It is important to remember that Rene Descartes was writing at a time of great scientific discoveries which were in conflict with the Church. Galileo’s fate was dreaded by all pioneering philosophers. Descartes’ Meditations follows a new yet cautious approach which would not be in direct confrontation with the powerful Catholic Church. In Meditations, Descartes seeks to go beyond Aristotle’s philosophy which dominated Western thinking till then. Here, the Greek philosopher posited that all knowledge comes via the senses, hence the outside world is but a mirror image of our inner thoughts. In the First Meditation, Descartes provides bizarre examples of our thoughts and questions whether we can assume that reality in any way resembles these. This forms the root of his skepticism and his ideas on the mind/body divide, the existence of God and human perception. Meditations on First Philosophy follows the tradition of St Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. For the modern reader, it is a thought-provoking and interesting read.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Meditations on First Philosophy, Non-fiction, Philosophy, René Descartes

Written originally for his own children, Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories have continued to delight generations of youngsters since they were first published in 1902. The thirteen stories collected in this book are meant for very young children, but they engage older kids and adults too with their charming conversational style and simple plot lines. These stories are typical examples of the “origin” story, where children are provided with imaginative rather than practical explanations for the “why” “what” “how” “where” “who” “when” questions of childhood. The Just So Stories were tales that Kipling would tell his own daughter who tragically died in infancy of pneumonia. An early forerunner of these stories can be found in The Second Jungle Book in the chapter, “How Fear Came” where the story of how the tiger got its stripes is narrated to Mowgli. All the fables in the Just So Stories follow a similar theme. They relate how a particular creature is altered from an original form into its present appearance either by a magical spirit or a human being. So the reader encounters wonderful and fantastical reasons why The Whale Got Its Throat, The Camel Got Its Hump, The Rhinoceros Got Its Skin, How the Alphabet was Made, and so on. Written in a pretend grand style, as though the narrator was recounting a great and important myth, the stories are studded with fabulous made up words and turns of phrase that catch the reader’s attention. Comic exaggeration, wordplay, lots of spontaneous, funny poems, juxtapositions of everyday events with the fantastical tales, amusing and entertaining “explanations” and a short poem at the beginning of each story serve to highlight Kipling’s prodigious story telling talents. The reader is always called “Best Beloved” which adds to the personal touch, reminding us of the original listeners of these stories, who were Kipling’s own children. Some of the stories may seem politically incorrect to modern day readers, but they must be read in the context in which they were written and could in fact become a starting point for discussions on such issues as race, gender etc. with your own children. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Kids & Family

Tags: animals, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, humor, Just So Stories, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, Rudyard Kipling, Short stories, Teen/Young adult

Set in nineteenth century New England, Little Women follows the lives of the four March sisters-Jo, Beth, Amy and Meg. The novel is a classic rites of passage story, that has often split literature critics but has been adored by many over the years. Intended as a book for young girls, the book is too sentimental for some but plenty of adults and young men have Little Women firmly featured in their best books of all time. The pace of the novel can be slow at times and the language almost too perfect but the overall sympathetic tone of Alcott wins over the reader. The book is semi-autobiographical, with Jo Marsh mirroring the life of an ambitious Alcott. Just like Alcott, Jo is a strong, independent woman who is fighting through her domestic duties to do what she truly loves. Writing is Jo’s passion and in a world where women are expected to put personal growth aside in order to withhold traditional family values, she is met with many challenges. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” The book speaks to every woman that has had to fight against convention. With their father away at war, the four sisters pull together to support each other but still have time to search for their own identity. These ‘little women’ are not children but young adults finding their way via love, religion and confidence. Whilst it may seem sad that the sisters do have to conform to some extent, if you read between the lines there is so much inspiration for young female readers.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, romance

The Gift of the Magi is an O. Henry short story in which a young couple are very much in love with each other but can barely afford their one-room apartment. For Christmas, they each make a sacrifice to purchase a gift for the other, with ironic results. The moral of the story is that physical possessions, however valuable they may be, are of little value in the grand scheme of things. The true unselfish love that the characters, Jim and Della, share is greater than their possessions. O. Henry ends the story by clarifying the metaphor between the characters in the story, Della and James (or Jim), and the Biblical Magi. The Gift of the Magi features O. Henry’s characteristic twist ending and use of flowery diction.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, O. Henry, Short stories, The Gift of the Magi

A naïve but sincere young lawyer’s assistant who only dreams of marrying his childhood sweetheart and yearns to have a home and family with her. His sharp witted boss keeps the firm going by dint of shrewd business sense and legal talent. When the assistant accidentally stumbles into a murder case, the scene is set for events that change all their lives. Dead Men’s Money by Joseph Smith Fletcher was published in 1920, the era considered to be the Golden Age of detective fiction. Writers like Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers, Raymond Chandler, Ellery Queen, Georges Simenon and many more from different parts of the world were writing hundreds of novels that followed a more or less similar style and pattern. Cozy country houses, remote and lonely locations, a closed group of people, a series of murders, a romantic interest, the incompetence of the local police, an amateur or professional sleuth who successfully unravels the mystery and a final explanation were the elements of most of their books. Though these elements were acknowledged to be clichéd, the charm and appeal of the classic detective story has never waned. Joseph Smith Fletcher was a multi-talented writer. He was a journalist and historian as well as a leading writer of detective fiction during the Golden Age. His books are characterized by memorable characters, solid plot elements, brisk pace and “clean” story telling style. Fletcher also wrote some very notable non-fiction books on history, some novels about rural life, poetry and essays before turning to detective fiction in 1914. The success of his first book encouraged him to write more than 100 whodunits, many of them featuring his fictional sleuth, Ronald Camberwell. Set initially in the quiet environs of a rural small town, Berwick-on-Tweed, bordering Scotland, the plot of Dead Men’s Money takes the reader across many changing locales. It features a hero, Hugh Moneylaws, who is none too bright. His widowed mother runs a small boarding house to supplement the family income. Hugh wants desperately to make some extra cash, so he agrees to run a mysterious errand for one of the lodgers who is apparently too ill to go out. This sparks off a chain of events that impact all of them. Well constructed, exciting and amusing in parts, Dead Men’s Money is indeed a great addition to your library and is sure to appeal to readers of all ages. If you haven’t encountered JS Fletcher before, this could also be the start of a great collection of his novels.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Dead Men's Money, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Joseph Smith Fletcher, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY

Mary Everest Boole (1832-1916) was born Mary Everest in England and spent her early years in France. She married mathematician George Boole. She was the author of several works on teaching and teaching mathematics in particular. This short book, Philosophy and Fun of Algebra, is meant to be read by children and introduces algebra and logic. She uses the word “algebra” broadly, defining it as a “method of solving problems by honest confession of one’s ignorance”. Using this definition, Boole introduces, in a conversational manner, the concepts of logic and algebra, illustrating these concepts with stories and anecdotes, often from biblical sources. At times, her discussion seems somewhat mystical, speaking of the imagination and angels as messengers which guide one toward the next step in a logical investigation. Boole ends the book with a reminder that algebra’s essential element is “the habitual registration of the exact limits of one’s knowledge” and a call for the public to keep this principle in mind when encountering any situation.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mary Everest Boole, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy and Fun of Algebra, science

Set in the affluent town of Hamilton, Austin’s classic presents a whodunit mystery focusing on a crime involving a young woman who has been murdered under mysterious circumstances during a game of Bridge, with no hard evidence pointing to the perpetrator. Accordingly, the townspeople are also affected by the mystery and they refuse to play the dummy in fear of sharing the same fate as the unfortunate victim. A gripping mystery crime novel, Murder at Bridge evokes feelings of suspense, awe, mystery and puts to the test the crime solving capabilities of the audience as they take up the role of detective. The novel begins when Broadway dancer Nita Selim moves to Hamilton, which is regarded as a prosperous neighborhood, and upon settling in she inveigles herself within the circle of high society. Taking up the role as hostess, she organizes a bridge party for high class locals in her home for a chance to mingle with the crowd. Subsequently, during the dummy hand in the game she excuses herself and heads to her bedroom to freshen up for the cocktail party which is to follow. However, while absent, Selim is murdered by a fatal shot in her very own bedroom with little clues tracing back to the murderer. Consequently, investigator Bonnie Dundee comes into the picture when he is assigned to investigate the mystery and put together the pieces of the puzzle. Dundee goes about various approaches to solving the mystery, one method of which is re-enacting the night’s events as they unfolded. The investigator must interview suspects and search for the murder weapon, while additionally try to determine the motive behind the murder. Fortunately, Austin is generous with descriptive detail, dialogue and imagery, which gives the novel a personal touch and encourages the reader to join in and assist in unraveling the baffling crime. An engrossing case of parlor mystery, Murder at Bridge presents an intriguing plot with multifaceted characters and unanticipated twists that additionally amplify the suspense as it is heightened with every turn of the page. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: Anne Austin, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Murder at Bridge, MYSTERY