From New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards comes a thrilling new novel of suspense and steamy seaside sensuality set in North Carolina's Outer Banks, where a serial killer combs the beaches filled with beautiful female tourists for his next victim. Christy Petrino hadn't planned on a vacation on Ocracoke Island, but when she learns her fiancé and boss, suave Michael DePalma, is a "made man" and the Philadelphia law firm where she works is a front for the mob, she breaks her engagement and quits her job. But no one walks away from the DePalma family business so easily. Only if she delivers a locked briefcase to a motel on Ocracoke Island will she—and her mother and sisters—be free. But after clandestinely making her drop-off late at night, Christy suspects she is being followed on the moonlit beach—and unwittingly runs into a new kind of terror. Now a witness at the center of a homicide investigation, Christy learns the police are hunting a serial killer they refer to as the "Beachcomber" because beautiful young women—women who, in fact, resemble her—have disappeared recently while vacationing at nearby beach communities. Christy doesn't know whom to fear more—a serial killer who believes she might be able to identify him, or the DePalma family, whose tentacles she can't seem to escape. Only when she's with Luke Rand, her big surfer-dude next-door neighbor, does she feel safe. But with Luke's asking so many questions about her ex-fiancé and his showing up almost too conveniently whenever danger strikes, she can't help but wonder if his interest in her is due to more than sexual attraction. Can she trust this handsome stranger to help her survive a hot and deadly summer? Karen Robards creates a tour de force of passion and suspense in this scintillating page-turner, the quintessential summertime read.

Another page-turning story of tragedy and triumph from the No.1 bestselling author

Millions of years before humans began visiting Atlantic and Gulf coast beaches, amazing creatures roamed this region. They are gone now but left behind fossil treasures you can pick up today. A Beachcomber's Guide to Fossils uses hundreds of color close-up photos and detailed descriptions to show you how to recognize these exciting finds. This field guide will help you uncover mysteries hiding among the seashells, sand, and driftwood. You'll learn to identify remnant bones and teeth from mammoths, sharks, armadillos, tortoises, and many other prehistoric giants.

The first edition of Florida's Living Beaches (2007) was widely praised. Now, the second edition of this supremely comprehensive guide has even more to satisfy the curious beachcomber, including expanded content and additional accounts with more than 1800 full-color photographs, maps, and illustrations. It heralds the living things and metaphorical life along the state's 700 miles of sandy beaches. The expanded second edition now identifies and explains over 1400 curiosities, with lavishly illustrated accounts organized into Beach Features, Beach Animals, Beach Plants, Beach Minerals, and Hand of Man.

BONUS: This edition contains a Beachcombers discussion guide and an excerpt from Nancy Thayer's Heat Wave. Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, devastated after losing her high-powered job and breaking up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is worried that the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse has set her sights on their widowed father. The Fox sisters closed ranks years ago after the haunting, untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock. Over the course of the summer, the sisters’ lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents off the New England coast: Abbie breaks her own rules in the name of love, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success, and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. At summer’s end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices—and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves.

A field guide to shells, sand dollars, sea glass, and more that “inspires a new appreciation for the wonders of the shore” (Providence Journal). The Beachcomber’s Companion is a charming illustrated guide to collecting and identifying shells and other coastal treasures. Each of the entries includes fascinating descriptions, fun tidbits, and detailed artwork that makes it easy to identify your own beach discoveries. A handy resource section offers tips on how to prepare before setting out on a shoreline adventure, from the beachcomber’s commandments to must-have items for every beachcombing toolkit and advice on preserving shells. Awash with information and gorgeous watercolor illustrations, this is an essential companion for all who love the ocean’s shore, asbreezy, inviting, and delightful as a day at the beach. “Loaded with interesting information, charming anecdotes, and useful hints.” —Dr. David L. Pawson, Emeritus Senior Scientist, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History