A celebration of the San Francisco films of Alfred Hitchcock, this book examines the master director's familiarity with Northern California and how it greatly influenced his decision to use the Bay Area location in several of his landmark motion pictures. More importantly, this book shows how San Francisco was often the source of inspiration for many of these same cinema classics. The masterpieces that are examined are Shadow of a Doubt, Vertigo, The Birds, Suspicion, Psycho, and Family Plot. Hitchcock fans are taken on a journey around the Bay Area, experiencing cinematographic intrigue and learning about Bay Area history, lore, and the timeless elegance of San Francisco and its picturesque surroundings. Hundreds of historical and contemporary photos are included, with an emphasis on those buildings and businesses that no longer exist.--From publisher description.

Five houses, haunted by shadows from the past. Unsuspecting victims, battling with events that have no rational explanation. A race against time to unravel dark secrets and confront vengeful spirits… In these five stories of haunted houses and restless ghosts, everyday heroes dig deep to find the strength and courage to face the past, for the sake of a better future. THE HAUNTING OF TRUSCOTT HOUSE A house with a dark secret. A grieving daughter determined to carry out her parents’ last wishes. A grandmother with something to hide… Chloe Thomas brushes aside her grandmother’s pleas that she stay away from Truscott House, and moves in with her friend Emily to finish the project her parents had begun before their death—the renovation of a property that had been in the family for a century. It isn’t long before Chloe has to admit that something doesn’t seem want them there—but who? Or what? And why? THE HAUNTING OF ARMITAGE HOUSE Little Isabella Burnside is fading away, and no matter how many specialists her mother takes her to, they can’t pinpoint the problem. Her twin brother, Jack—once open and gregarious—can now barely communicate. Isabella’s father, desperate to help his children, calls in Lincoln Sweeney and his partner Katie Dyer, paranormal investigators, to see if there is any basis to his children’s nightmares. Then Lincoln disappears, and his twin, Tara, knows immediately that something unspeakable has happened to him. Where is Lincoln? Is he on this plane, or the next? Has a vengeful ghost condemned him to a fate worse than death? THE HAUNTING OF WYATT HOUSE Jodie Wyatt is missing. Nick, her husband and a police detective, is convinced that her disappearance is payback from a criminal he’s put away. His son Josh knows differently. He has always been able to see and hear those on the other side, and he is certain that a malevolent spirit inhabits Wyatt House. But how can he convince his father? THE HAUNTING OF KNOTT COTTAGE A picturesque but dilapidated cottage. Centuries of ownership by a family of doctors with a chequered past A little girl who is too scared to come to lessons in a converted stable… What secrets does Knott Cottage hold? Carla Sinclair jumps at the chance to sell her soulless modern home and buy Knott cottage. But Carla is not in the cottage for more than a day when things start going wrong. Someone—or something—seems to be averse to her delving into the past. When one of her students is too terrified to return to her lessons, Carla knows something must be done. But what? How can she stop the interference in her life from a force she can’t see? THE HAUNTING OF MORETON MANOR It started as a joke: a couple of backpackers upload a YouTube video about their stay in a supposedly haunted house… But then, someone spots a strange column of light that has been picked up by the camera, and things quickly go from bad to worse. Amy’s and Dylan’s friends share the video… and it goes viral. As the days go on, and the ghost becomes more vengeful, Amy’s fear grows. She wants to leave, but with millions of eyes on his nightly YouTube updates, Dylan is certain that this will make his career. He’s staying, no matter what….

From its beginnings narratology has incorporated a communicative model of literary narratives, considering these as simulations of natural, oral acts of communication. This approach, however, has had some problems with accounting for the strangeness and anomalies of modern and postmodern narratives. As many skeptics have shown, not even classical realism conforms to the standard set by oral or ‘natural’ storytelling. Thus, an urge to confront narratology with the difficult task of reconsidering a most basic premise in its theoretical and analytical endeavors has, for some time, been undeniable. During the 2000s, Nordic narratologists have been among the most active and insistent critics of the communicative model. They share a marked skepticism towards the idea of using ‘natural’ narratives as a model for understanding and interpreting all kinds of narratives, and for all of them, the distinction of fiction is of vital importance. This anthology presents a collection of new articles that deal with strange narratives, narratives of the strange, or, more generally, with the strangeness of fiction, and even with some strange aspects of narratology.

BEWARE THE CALIGINENT. Saffron has been imprisoned in Medlock's Detention, where the guards are soulless, the prisoners are secretive, and the shadows are sharpening their claws. But she knows something even darker is lurking in the depths of the cells. Her friend Ray was detained here before he mysteriously vanished. The only clues he left were warning messages about a monster that feeds on thoughts and devours sanity. A monster that may still be watching from the dark corners of every room. THE CALIGINENT WILL EAT YOUR MIND. Saffron is now determined to discover what happened to Ray. She is willing to search through forbidden rooms, cultish séances, and brainwashing drug trials to uncover the secrets kept in the ever-growing shadows. Including the secrets she's keeping from herself. RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN.

A dynamic engagement of the past and fascinating story of a courageous young man who was a "Bobby on the Beat" age 19, Detective Constable Probationer age 20, Detective Constable Suspect Branch age 22, Detective Sergeant age 24, Member of Special Force of twelve detectives to hunt down German spies and saboteur in South Africa during WW2 (1939, age 26). At the end of the war he was discharged as medically unfit due to various injuries sustained during the war. E. W. Tonkin joined the Cape Times as a crime reporter and entered the world of twilight politics and head-on confrontation with the South African Apartheid Government. He died very suddenly on the 11th September 1950 age 37 on the same night as South Africa's wartime Prime Minister Field Marshall Jan Smuts.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Jacqueline Winspear’s Journey to Munich, here is the next exciting historical novel featuring Clara Vine, the actress and British spy in prewar Germany who maneuvers through the treacherous Nazi society gathering intelligence—and discovering a deadly secret. Berlin, 1937. Clara Vine’s star is on the rise. The British-born, half-German actress is about to take her first leading role in a movie produced by the Nazis’ official film studio. Even as she moves through the upper echelons of the Third Reich, Clara never stops acting. At cocktail parties hosted by Joseph and Magda Goebbels, she collects key information for Britain, risking her life for the cause. But soon it is another young woman’s life, and its abrupt end, that draw her attention. Clara knew Anna Hansen as a dancer and artist’s model in the heady days of the cabaret scene. Then she became engaged to an SS officer. Attending one of Hitler’s notorious Bride Schools, she was being groomed as the perfect Nazi wife. When she is found murdered on the school grounds, her death is hushed up, one casualty among many in the lead-up to war. But Clara cannot fathom why Anna’s death would be concealed. Was it simply an embarrassment to the regime, or did Anna know something that hastened her demise? Clara must tread carefully to unravel the truth—for the Gestapo is one step behind her. Previously published in the U.K. as The Winter Garden

Aewyn returns to her home, the Kingdom of Erun, to find it in absolute ruin. The once lush green plains have been burned to ashes and the trees torn to shreds. The blue skies are now filled with gray smoke from the plumes of fire that rage across the lands. Her quest to find her sister and stop the Pit Lord from resurrecting the Lich King has come full circle. Robyn is still learning her newfound powers that she learned from her training with the Shifters. She, along with Tirador, Rick and Kara are ready to support Aewyn in finding Leila and stopping Lord Lazarus. As the five of them traverse the dangerous lands, Aewyn senses something is horribly wrong, her sister has succumbed to the Call of the Krakenos. The group learn that Aewyn's connection with her sister puts them all in danger, yet they refuse to stop fighting. They decide to meet Lord Lazarus head on and devise a strategy to enter the castle and sneak into the Library of High Arts before taking on Lord Lazarus. Once the plan executes things start to get more and more troubling...