Boston University professor, Ivan Kanovsky, was found stabbed to death in his Boston apartment. The investigation will bring private eye Caterina Antonucci from Boston Harbor to the shores of Odessa, Ukraine, known as the Pearl of the North Sea. Does Caterina have what it takes to solve this murder mystery? Come along on a journey of adventure, mystery, and romance to find out.

"In the end," writes Tori McClure, "I know I rowed across the Atlantic to find my heart, but in the beginning, I wasn't aware that it was missing." During June 1998, Tori McClure set out to row across the Atlantic Ocean by herself in a twenty-three-foot plywood boat with no motor or sail. Within days she lost all communication with shore, but nevertheless she decided to keep going. Not only did she lose the sound of a friendly voice, she lost updates on the location of the Gulf Stream and on the weather. Unfortunately for Tori, 1998 is still on record as the worst hurricane season in the North Atlantic. In deep solitude and perilous conditions, she was nonetheless determined to prove what one person with a mission can do. When she was finally brought to her knees by a series of violent storms that nearly killed her, she had to signal for help and go home in what felt like complete disgrace. Back in Kentucky, however, Tori's life began to change in unexpected ways. She fell in love. At the age of thirty-five, she embarked on a serious relationship for the first time, making her feel even more vulnerable than sitting alone in a tiny boat in the middle of the Atlantic. She went to work for Muhammad Ali, who told her that she did not want to be known as the woman who "almost" rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. And she knew that he was right. In this thrilling story of high adventure and romantic quest, Tori McClure discovers through her favorite way—the hard way—that the most important thing in life is not to prove you are superhuman but to fully to embrace your own humanity. With a wry sense of humor and a strong voice, she gives us a true memoir of an explorer who maps her world with rare emotional honesty.

Fulfilling a lifetime dream of finding a house by the sea, Pearl Lowe now brings her laid-back decorating style to coastal living with Faded Glamour by the Sea. Pearl Lowe's gloriously decadent yet perfectly lived-in decorating style was featured in her bestselling interiors book Faded Glamour. Now Pearl is taking us to the coast, and in Faded Glamour by the Sea we get the first glimpse of her new home – a beautiful renovation project that she and her husband, musician Danny Goffey, have created in East Sussex. Built in the 1940s for an artist whose shell sculptures are still dotted round the garden, the house and adjacent cabins have been lovingly restored by Pearl. The house may have been a life-long dream for the couple, who have always loved the solace of water, but it has only been just over a year in the making, thanks to the inspiration Pearl has drawn from many friends who live in the area and also further afield. And so she takes us on a tour of their seaside homes. A pair of antique dealers whose love of all things French inspired them to set up their own brocante in Kent; an artist with a love of beach huts; an author who swapped London life for a clifftop house with his own writer's hut. Add to this the Malibu beachfront home of stylist Rachel Ashwell, the hippy-chic style of supermodel Helena Christensen's waterside retreat and the 'punk noir Victorian' vibe of the hotel created by friends from rock band The Libertines. In Faded Glamour by the Sea Pearl visits these properties, and as the owners tell their stories she explains how she found inspiration for this new chapter in her life.

A Newbery Honor Book From the depths of a cave in the Vermilion Sea, Ramon Salazar has wrested a black pearl so lustrous and captivating that his father, an expert pearl dealer, is certain Ramon has found the legendary Pearl of Heaven. Such a treasure is sure to bring great joy to the villagers of their tiny coastal town, and even greater renown to the Salazar name. No diver, not even the swaggering Gaspar Ruiz, has ever found a pearl like this! But is there a price to pay for a prize so great? When a terrible tragedy strikes the village, old Luzon’s warning about El Diablo returns to haunt Ramon. If El Diablo actually exists, it will take all Ramon’s courage to face the winged creature waiting for him offshore. Like the author's Newbery Medal-winning classic Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell's The Black Pearl is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage.

Yousuf doesn't know how to swim, so he is scared when it is his turn to go diving for pearls.

“To me, an object that was once the height of elegance but is now a bit battered has far more allure than something brand new.” Pearl Lowe in The Daily Telegraph Pearl Lowe has a passion for vintage finds with character—jewel-toned velvet sofas, hand-dyed lace curtains, gleaming lacquer cabinets—and these are the essential ingredients of Faded Glamour, a gloriously decadent and perfectly lived-in decorating style. With evocative photography, Pearl’s beautiful Georgian home is revealed, showcasing her trademark blend of grandly romantic and cool rock ’n’ roll interiors. Take a tour through the colorful living rooms, intimate bedrooms, and plush bathrooms of her creative friends’ unique homes. There are hand-painted peacocks and an emerald silk bedspread in the charming house of a renowned British fashion designer; bright contemporary paintings on the perfectly rustic plaster walls of Hauser and Wirth in Somerset; a rainbow staircase and vivid embroidered wall hangings in the home of an eclectic jewelry designer, and so much more.

A comprehensive study guide offering in-depth explanation, essay, and test prep for selected works by John Steinbeck’s, 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner. Titles in this study guide include The Red Pony and The Pearl. As an author of the Civil Rights Era, Steinbeck effectively writes symbolic structures and conveys social criticism in a progressively idealistic tone. Moreover, his proletarian themes strike a universal chord with readers as they battle with moral and complex ideologies. This Bright Notes Study Guide explores the context and history of Steinbeck’s classic work, helping students to thoroughly explore the reasons they have stood the literary test of time. Each Bright Notes Study Guide contains: - Introductions to the Author and the Work - Character Summaries - Plot Guides - Section and Chapter Overviews - Test Essay and Study Q&As The Bright Notes Study Guide series offers an in-depth tour of more than 275 classic works of literature, exploring characters, critical commentary, historical background, plots, and themes. This set of study guides encourages readers to dig deeper in their understanding by including essay questions and answers as well as topics for further research.