'A pacy, twisty read that had me on the edge of my seat...what a brilliant debut! 'KL Slater

“Dictionary, n: A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a most useful work.” Bierce’s groundbreaking Devil’s Dictionary had a complex publication history. Started in the mid-1800s as an irregular column in Californian newspapers under various titles, he gradually refined the new-at-the-time idea of an irreverent set of glossary-like definitions. The final name, as we see it titled in this work, did not appear until an 1881 column published in the periodical The San Francisco Illustrated Wasp. There were no publications of the complete glossary in the 1800s. Not until 1906 did a portion of Bierce’s collection get published by Doubleday, under the name The Cynic’s Word Book—the publisher not wanting to use the word “Devil” in the title, to the great disappointment of the author. The 1906 word book only went from A to L, however, and the remainder was never released under the compromised title. In 1911 the Devil’s Dictionary as we know it was published in complete form as part of Bierce’s collected works (volume 7 of 12), including the remainder of the definitions from M to Z. It has been republished a number of times, including more recent efforts where older definitions from his columns that never made it into the original book were included. Due to the complex nature of copyright, some of those found definitions have unclear public domain status and were not included. This edition of the book includes, however, a set of definitions attributed to his one-and-only “Demon’s Dictionary” column, including Bierce’s classic definition of A: “the first letter in every properly constructed alphabet.” Bierce enjoyed “quoting” his pseudonyms in his work. Most of the poetry, dramatic scenes and stories in this book attributed to others were self-authored and do not exist outside of this work. This includes the prolific Father Gassalasca Jape, whom he thanks in the preface—“jape” of course having the definition: “a practical joke.” This book is a product of its time and must be approached as such. Many of the definitions hold up well today, but some might be considered less palatable by modern readers. Regardless, the book’s humorous style is a valuable snapshot of American culture from past centuries. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

A lawyer is found dead in a Peak District cave, his face ribboned with scratches. Amidst rumours of a local curse, DI Meg Dalton is convinced this is cold-blooded murder. There's just one catch - chiselled into the cave wall above the body is an image of the grim reaper and the dead man's initials, and it's been there for over a century. As Meg battles to solve the increasingly disturbing case, it's clear someone knows her secrets. The murderer is playing games with Meg - and the dice are loaded ...

Georgette Heyer's bestselling historical romance featuring a dashing and wild young nobleman and the gently bred young lady, both chasing happiness on a collision course with destiny. A rogue on a rampage... The Marquis of Vidal is a notorious rake, impossible to tame. Any night of the week you can find him wenching, gambling, or fighting, much to the dismay of his parents the Duke and Duchess of Avon. Forced to leave England after nearly killing his man in a duel, he decides to take a beautiful girl with him. In his rush, however, he runs off with the wrong woman. This lady is not a doormat... Determined to save her sister from the scandalous Marquis, Miss Mary Challoner throws herself into his path, hoping he'll release her when they get to Paris. But Vidal is intrigued by the unexpected young lady, who's not particularly impressed with him. The devilish rake has apparently met his match. And as Mary finds herself more and more entangled with the fascinating rogue, her reputation and her future are on the line. Take a deep breath and don't trip over your petticoats: This best-selling historical Regency romance features mistaken identities, a dashing rake, and a very smart young lady on a collision course with a marriage made in scandal.

A burned car sits on a Tennessee hilltop, a woman's lifeless, charred body seated inside. Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton's job is to discover the truth hidden in the fire-desecrated corpse. Was the woman's death accidental . . . or was she incinerated to cover up her murder? But his research into the effect of flame on flesh and bone is about to collide with reality like a lit match meeting spilled gasoline. The arrival of a mysterious package—a set of suspiciously unnatural cremated remains—is pulling Brockton toward a nightmare too inhuman to imagine. And an old nemesis is waiting in the shadows to put him to the ultimate test, one that could reduce Brockton's life to smoldering ruins.