In December 1974, a front-page story in the New York Times revealed the explosive details of illegal domestic spying by the Central Intelligence Agency. This included political surveillance, eavesdropping, detention, and interrogation. The revelation of illegal activities over many years shocked the American public and led to investigations of the CIA by a presidential commission and committees in both houses of Congress, which found evidence of more abuse, even CIA plans for assassinations. Investigators and the public soon discovered that the CIA abuses were described in a top-secret document agency insiders dubbed the "Family Jewels." That document became ground zero for a political firestorm that lasted more than a year. The "Family Jewels" debacle ultimately brought about greater congressional oversight of the CIA, but excesses such as those uncovered in the 1970s continue to come to light. The Family Jewels probes the deepest secrets of the CIA and its attempts to avoid scrutiny. John Prados recounts the secret operations that constituted "Jewels" and investigators' pursuit of the truth, plus the strenuous efforts—by the agency, the executive branch, and even presidents—to evade accountability. Prados reveals how Vice President Richard Cheney played a leading role in intelligence abuses and demonstrates that every type of "Jewel" has been replicated since, especially during the post-9/11 war on terror. The Family Jewels masterfully illuminates why these abuses are endemic to spying, shows that proper relationships are vital to control of intelligence, and advocates a system for handling "Family Jewels" crises in a democratic society. With a new epilogue that discusses former CIA employee Edward Snowden's revelation of massive covert surveillance by the NSA, this powerful accounting of intelligence abuses committed by the CIA from the Cold War through the war on terror reveals why such abuses and attempts to conceal them are endemic to spying and proposes how a democratic nation can rein in its spymasters.

Simultaneously powerful and vulnerable, the male genitals offer boundless possibilities for painful pleasures. From anatomy to psychology to descriptions of actual play scenarios, Family Jewels offers a wealth of information and ideas for any man or woman who wants to offer more pleasure and intensity to the male anatomy. A first in its field, the author is a respected member of the US fetish community, a gay activist and has been awarded numerous awards for his contributions to sex education.

When Stone Barrington takes on a wealthy heiress as his client, he finds himself handling a whole lot of trouble in this “this glossy, modern take on the classic detective story” (Publishers Weekly). Stone Barrington’s newest client is a poised lady of considerable wealth who’s looking for help discouraging the attentions of a tenacious gentleman. But no sooner does Stone fend off the offensive party than his client becomes involved in two lethal crimes. With suspects aplenty, Stone probes deep into his client’s life to find the truth, and he discovers that the heart of the mystery may be a stunningly beautiful vestige of a bygone era. It’s a piece with a long and storied past and untold value...the kind of relic someone might kill for. Among the upper crust nearly everyone has buried a skeleton or two, and it will take all of Stone’s investigative powers to determine whose secrets are harmless, and whose are deadly.

The New York Times bestselling first book in the Rose Gardner Investigation series by New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank. Trouble always comes to those who court it. Rose Gardner’s ability to see glimpses of the future has gotten her into hot water time and again, but so have her curiosity and her sense of daring. Those very qualities helped her defeat the most powerful man in Arkansas—a man so adept at hiding his crimes there was no way to defeat him inside of the law—but her success came at a steep personal price. Now she’s throwing herself into her landscaping business, trying to live a life that’s as orderly as one of her gardens. Rose’s best friend, Neely Kate, is struggling with her own losses, so when she suggests they help a local man find a missing necklace, Rose agrees. It’ll give both of them a welcome distraction, and besides, it’s a simple investigation. What harm could befall them? But things that should be simple rarely are. In seeking out the necklace, Rose and Neely Kate find themselves in the thick of a power struggle in the Fenton County underworld, one that could dethrone Rose’s friend James Malcolm, the surprisingly moral king. The last thing Rose should do is court more trouble, but she’s not the type to step away from a friend in need—and she’s also not so sure she wants an orderly life.

Michigander Elizabeth "Junior" Starreveld is fairly certain this is the worst year of her twenty-something life. Her girlfriend recently dumped her for her best friend, her longtime mentor is seriously ill, and her conservative Dutch-American family still struggles to accept her "chosen lifestyle." When her father invites her on a business trip to the Netherlands, she suspects he plans to try to talk her into coming back to work at the family jewelry store-a return to the fold she has no intention of making. Still, a free trip to Europe is surely worth a bit of drama, isn't it? But as she and her father explore Amsterdam and get to know each other again over dark coffee and Belgian beer, Junior begins to question what she thought she knew about her family-and herself. Could this turn out to be a good year, though one of the hardest, after all?

Derek Mason arrives in Charlotte, North Carolina for the funeral of his Aunt Walterene. He encounters the family who sent him away because he revealed he was gay. His mother and Uncle Vernon want him out of town because of Vernon's senate campaign. His sister and Aunt Ruby urge him to stay. His cousin Mark denies their past relationship. Derek uncovers mysteries in the death of a family gardener, possibly at the hands of a young Vernon. Secrets and lies unravel as Derek digs into the family history with the help of hunky reporter Daniel.

An amazing collection of images of the Romanovs, their world, and their fabulous jewels brings the last years of the dynasty to life