The divisive incident that anticipated the Kursk disaster in August 2000

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A fiery crash at a remote air force base in the Azores archipelago takes the lives of five USAF airmen and a civilian farmer. Captain Jim Welch joins the ensuing accident investigation. After a finding of pilot error, it is determined that the crash was no accident. Absent a logical explanation, a criminal investigation begins. Several suspects surface each having motive, means and opportunity. A briefcase found at the crash scene leads Welch and Alberto Zagame, an irascible local lawyer, through a complex web of evidence and relationships as the investigation unfolds on two continents. An apparent suicide is thought to provide answers, but an autopsy reveals that death also to be murder. The protagonist grasps the connection, and is certain he knows who the killer is, but not that he can prove it. He is very nearly another murder victim before the truth is revealed in a confrontation with the killer. The main characters are introduced in the early chapters, and flash backs examine their personas. Relationships are rooted in the aerial combat arena of WW II and the culture of pre war America. As the criminal investigation winds to its climax, a penetrating overview of the military justice system of the era is offered. History, mystery and romance along with an introduction to the islands beauty and Portuguese culture are all captured in this saga.

It can be easy to overlook the poor and homeless. But truly seeing leads us to act with compassion and justice. Sharing personal encounters and real-life stories, Terence Lester calls us to see the invisible people around us through God's eyes, restoring their dignity and helping them flourish. And when we recognize our own inner spiritual poverty, we have greater empathy for others, no matter their circumstances.

Seeking to explore the blurred boundary between religion and pop culture, God in the Details offers a provocative look at the breadth, diversity, and persistence of religious themes in contemporary American consciousness. Representing a diverse range of disciplines, the contributors criticaly assess the ways in which American popular culture reappropriates traditional religious symbols to serve the purposes of particular communities.

An essential guide to the oil painting techniques that will allow artists to master a variety of subjects, including figures, portraits, still life, landscapes, and interiors. Many painters limit themselves to one type of subject matter, but in Oil Painting Essentials, artist and art instructor Gregg Kreutz shows how a multi-genre approach can dramatically improve your painting skills. Arranged by category, each chapter covers both the essentials specific to that subject matter and those that apply to all genres. Through step-by-step lessons and examples from his own oil paintings, Kreutz shows how you can strengthen your skillset for one genre by painting in another. This comprehensive exploration of the conceptual and practical issues behind oil painting provides all of the tools and encouragement you need to successfully take on any type of oil painting.