Theo is ugly. The girls whispered voice returned in the darkness, and sang the chant, Theo is ugly. Theo is ugly. Theo Martins sister waited for his reaction from the backseat of the family car. Eight-year-old Theo turned away. He looked at his faint reflection in the car window. Am I ugly? he wondered. Suddenly, there was a truck. There was a scream, an impact, bending metal, shattered glass, a tree, and blood. Moments after the crash, Theo found himself caught between two worlds. It was clear to him he was not heaven-bound with his family, but instead, returning as the sole survivor. However, when he returned, he brought a secret back with him. And like a hand in a poker game he would sometimes play, it was best for him to keep his secret from others, especially when he witnessed their cruelty and their capacity for destruction. But Theo of all people should have known not to be fooled by appearances. Everyone has secrets. There was even a secret in the mud of a local pond that if discovered, would unravel many other surprises. So, when a drought ravages the landscape of the northeast town of Copper Valley, it means the best chance for that secret to be revealed. Receding water alone will not be enough. It will remain at the bottom of a murky pond unless Theo Martin, Copper Valleys angriest recluse, forgives old sins. A soaking rain is coming from the west. Theo cant wait forever.

An uncanny and eye-opening journey into a mysterious building, adapted from a short story by Jeff VanderMeer To the west: trees. To the east: a mall. North: fast food. South: darkness. And at the centre is The Building, an office building wherein several factions vie for dominance. Inside, the walls are infiltrated with vines, a mischief of mice learn to speak English, and something eerie happens once a month on the fifth floor. In Secret Life, Theo Ellsworth uses a deep-layered style to interpret Nebula award-winning author Jeff VanderMeer’s short story. What emerges is a mind-bending narrative that defamiliarizes the mundanity of office work and makes the arcane rituals of The Building home. When his manager borrows his pen for a presentation, a man is driven to unspeakable acts as he questions the role the pen has played in his workplace success. The despised denizens of the second floor develop their own tongue, incomprehensible to everyone else in The Building. A woman plants a seed of insurgency that quickly permeates every corner of the building with its sweet, nostalgic perfume. With deft insight, Secret Life observes the sinister individualism of bureaucratic settings in contrast with an unconcerned natural world. As the narrative progresses you may begin to suspect that the world Ellsworth has brought to life with hypnotic visuals is not so secret after all; in fact, it’s uncannily similar to our own.

**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." —Entertainment Weekly The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

Silphium, like all nymphs has a job, a purpose. She is supposed to protect her plant and stay hidden. Silphium is such a rare plant that she must always be collecting her seeds and planting new fields. Hiding from people as she cares for her plants leads to a lonely existence. When Silphium comes across a curious farm boy she begins to ignore all the nymph rules. It could be dangerous for her, and all nymphs, if her secret is discovered. Silphium soon learns that she is keeping more secrets than she knows, and they are all held in a tiny seed.

Following Susan Cox’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel award-winning debut, The Man in the Microwave Oven is her next delightfully quirky mystery featuring San Francisco transplant Theo Bogart. Fleeing from a murder and family tragedy in her native England, where she was the scandal du jour for the tabloid press, Theo Bogart changed her name and built an undercover life in a close-knit San Francisco neighborhood. She didn’t expect to find love and friendship there, and now she doesn’t know how—or if—to reveal the truth. After a confrontation with a difficult neighbor, Theo fears her secrets are about to be uncovered after all. When the woman who threatened to expose her is murdered, Theo is embroiled in the kind of jeopardy she crossed an ocean to escape. Worse yet, dangerous family secrets have followed her. Theo’s grandfather unveils a glimpse of the shadowy world he once inhabited as an agent for the British Secret Service, bringing an even bigger breed of trouble—and another death—to Theo’s doorstep. She finds herself fighting to protect herself, her family, and her new friends, aware that one of them might be a murderer. Susan Cox has once again painted a delightfully quirky portrait of a colorful San Francisco neighborhood and a woman finding her way through exactly the kind of scandalous mystery she was trying to leave behind.

This is your guide to dozens of spectacular and often hidden beaches on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island between Qualicum and the Malahat. While some of them are well used by people living nearby, many are virtually impossible to find without combing through official maps and back-road guides. From tiny rocky coves to broad sandy beaches, these public-access spots are enormously diverse. Just as important as finding these spots is knowing what to expect. Thus each location is accompanied by detailed information that any beach explorer should know before setting out. Is the beach a few level steps from a vehicle or down a high, steep bank? Is the beach suitable for children? Large groups? Kayakers? All of these questions and many more are answered in this book, which includes Theo’s hand-drawn maps, photographs and artwork. Watch sea lions in the winter (Higginson Road) Paint one of the few great views of Mt. Arrowsmith—go before noon for dramatic light (Rowland Road) Head to the most child-friendly beach between Crofton and the Malahat (Cherry Point Nature Park) Splash and swim in warm water over sand (Benwalden Road) Refresh your pleasure in the shore and head out to picnic, play, launch kayaks, watch winter storms or just enjoy the waves.

A rabbit with the taboo ability to read and write must team with an axe-wielding bear to save their fellow animals from the human empire. A fantasy adventure about friendship, courage, and the power of the written word.