There are Pretenders among us, geniuses with the ability to become anyone they want to be. In 1983 a corporation known as The Centre isolated a young Pretender named Jarod and exploited his genius for their 'research. Then, one day, their Pretender ran away... Written by the creators of the cult-hit TV show The Pretender - Rebirth is a slick mystery thriller about a brilliant human chameleon named Jarod who after escaping from the notorious Centre, plunges headlong into his newfound freedom. While also discovering the joys and intricacies of everyday life with the pure wonderment of the man/child he is, Jarod uses his unequaled abilities to literally become anyone he wants to be (a surgeon, a pilot, a physicist, etc.) as well as his dazzling mind over muscle vigilante-like skills to bring down the powerful and corrupt and protect those who can't defend themselves. All the while he must stay a step ahead of his relentless pursuers from The Centre. First and foremost is the sexiest woman on the planet, the complex, bitch-on-wheels, Miss Parker who wants him recaptured at any cost - alive - preferably. Parker is a deliciously cunning woman Jarod has known since childhood and theirs is a truly multifaceted cat and mouse relationship - one driven by Jarod who holds the key to the emotional secrets at her very core, secrets that fuel her relentless drive to recapture him. Then there is Sydney, Jarod's surrogate father figure and psychologist who raised and nurtured his genius for The Centre's disreputable purposes. To Jarod, Syd is both friend and foe, confidante and captor, counselor and betrayer. But Syd's calm paternal connection to Jarod remains strong, often in conflict with The Centre agenda. Jarod senses Sydney holds the emotional keys to his core - the truth about his past and the identity of the parents he was stolen from and whom he longs to reunite with. In Rebirth, Jarod employs multiple sophisticated pretends in his quest to save one missing boy and hundreds of other innocent lives hanging in the balance at the hands of multi-national corporate terrorists and mercenaries. Rebirth is at once an enthralling tale of one man's exploration of life around him, intricate suspenseful mystery and intense edge-of-your-seat thrill ride - that captures and reignites the cult hit TV series for both loyal fans of the show and new readers alike. There are Pretenders among us...

"The FBI generally has about 100 undercover agents working full-time in the field. In the 1990s and 2000s, Marc Ruskin had the most diverse, and notorious, case list of all, and the broadest experience within the bureaucracy, including overseas. He worked ops targeting public corruption, corporate fraud, Wall Street scams, narcotics trafficking, La Cosa Nostra, counterfeiting -- and gritty street-level scams and schemes. Sometimes working three or four cases simultaneously, Ruskin switched identities by the day: Each morning he had to walk out the door with the correct ID, clothes, accessories and frame of mind for that day's mission. And how is the right UC agent chosen, how is a bogus identity manufactured and "backstopped," how is the Bureau's long-term con painstakingly assembled? No one has ever given us the inside story like Ruskin. The Pretender is the definitive narrative of undercover ops -- the procedures, the successes, the failures--and the changes in the culture of the new-era FBI."--Jacket flap.

Three girls, two guys, five secret journals. The five most popular students at Noble High have secrets to hide; secrets they wrote down in their journals. Now one of their own exposes the private entries... I am leaking these because I'm tired and I know you are too. The success bar is too high and pretending has become the only way to reach it. Instagrams are filtered, Facebook profiles are embellished, photos are shopped, reality TV is scripted, body parts get upgraded like software, and even professional athletes are cheating. The things we believe in aren't real. We are pretenders.

How could a two-bit investor, too paralyzed with fear to trade stocks, bilk insurance companies out of $200 million? How could a gawky misfit with an obsessive terror of germs induce a harem of attractive young women to feud over him? How could a recluse from Toledo, Ohio, penetrate the circles of political and financial power in Washington, D.C., and New York City without leaving his house? How could a Jewish guy with a passion for S&M sex persuade the Vatican to go into business with him? And how could he do all this without anybody noticing? Now the whole amazing story of how Martin Frankel pulled off one of the greatest financial scams of the century is revealed by The Wall Street Journal's Ellen Joan Pollock, who was a lead writer on the reporting team that broke story after story as Frankel eluded the FBI's four-month international manhunt. The Pretender chronicles how a bumbling thirty year old used his financial skills to build an intricate Ponzi scheme based on lies and his amazing gift for luring businessmen -- including Democratic powerbroker Robert Strauss -- into his web. Frankel's stolen millions allowed him to transform himself easily from mama's boy to corporate mogul. His creation of a phony Catholic charity drew the interest of priests with close Vatican ties as well as a new group of mysterious business partners. But his attempts to go "global" proved more challenging and aroused the suspicions of state regulators. Frantic that his empire was about to unravel, Frankel vanished from his multimillion-dollar Greenwich, Connecticut, mansion, leaving behind a mysterious fire, a dozen or so heartbroken women, and some very confused law-enforcement officials. His bizarre scamper through Europe as a fugitive would ultimately climax in a German hotel room. Frankel's world was peopled with desperate businessmen, well-heeled con artists, women looking for love, vindictive husbands, diamond merchants, private eyes -- the whole colorful cast of characters that propelled this fast-moving drama. The Pretender is filled with countless revelations from business associates and former lovers -- many of whom were interviewed for the first time for this book. What finally makes The Pretender so compelling is that it is a snapshot of a peculiar moment in business history. Just as figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken epitomized the deal-crazed eighties, Martin Frankel is the quintessential criminal of the millionaire-a-minute nineties.

Rule #1: Never fall in love. Celeste Bradley captivated critics and readers alike with her unforgettable novel Fallen, which was nominated for the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America for Best First Book. Now, she brings us The Lover, the first book in the wildly fun, exciting, and sexy new Liar's Club series both featuring irresistible heroes who are out to steal their leading ladies hearts! She had a secret she'd do anything to hide. Agatha Cunnington, a headstrong beauty from the country, has come to London in search of her missing brother James. The only clue she has is a cryptic letter signed The Griffin. Agatha decides to disguise herself as a respectable married woman so that she can go about the city unnoticed. But for her charade to work she needs a suitable "husband," preferably someone tall, elegant, and rakish-someone like Simon Montague Rain. He had a secret he'd do anything to hide. Simon Montague Rain, also known as The Magician, is a member of The Liar's Club, a renegade group of rogues and thieves in the service of the Crown. When someone begins murdering members of the undercover cabal one by one, Simon is given the mission to bring in The Griffin, one of his comrades who is suspected of betraying his brothers. Simon goes undercover and infiltrates the home of "Mrs." Agatha Applequist who he believes is the Griffin's mistress. Before Simon knows what's happened, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Agatha's soft, feminine charms-and he is tempted beyond reason to break the first rule of The Liar's Club: never fall in love. "An entertaining romp...Celeste Bradley uses humor to draw you into the story...a new voice to watch." --Romantic Times "An engaging, lusty tale, full of adventure and loaded with charm." --Gaelen Foley, USA Today bestselling author of Lord of Ice

Someone's looking for Tobias. Someone who says she's his long-lost cousin. Tobias isn't sure the person is telling the truth, but she's really nice, and knows a lot about him. And what she tells Tobias definitely gets his attention.It seems a lawyer has discovered Tobias's father's last will and testament. So, Tobias needs to attend the reading. His cousin even offers to go along. But something just doesn't feel quite right. That's when Tobias and the other Animorphs decide to do a little checking on this "cousin." And what they discover will change the rest of Tobias's life...

Fiercely intelligent, beautiful, and ready to claim her birthright, she navigates a dangerous world torn between war and witchpower. Seduction and stealth are Belinda Primrose’s skills–weapons befitting the queen’s bastard daughter, a pawn of espionage conceived by Lorraine, ruler of Aulun, and her lover and spymaster, Belinda’s father. Now an accomplished assassin, Belinda uncovers the true game her father never intended her to play. For Belinda has found her witchpower, a legacy born from something not of this earth. In a treacherous world where religion and rebellion rule, Lorraine is now in a position to sweep over the countries of Echon and to back her chosen successor to the throne: Belinda. But Belinda is no longer anyone’s pawn. Lured by the sensual dark magic of Dmitri, envoy to a neighboring throne, yet still drawn to the witchlord embrace of her former lover, Javier, Belinda knows that she has entered a realm where power and control go to those who can master and manipulate their fiercest desires. For the witchpower depends on the skill its wielder holds. From the Trade Paperback edition.