Ibram Ucalegon is a private investigator in the strictest sense of the term. He only has one client: Lady Azadiya Hobon, the intelligent, poised, and beautiful alchemist who oversees the daily struggles of life in the alchemical village of Lityen, and he investigates whatever she tells him to. In a village crammed with foreign deities, potion pushers, and folk who can see through a man's skin straight to his bones, Ibram's the thoroughly mundane answer to every murky question. Together with his childhood friend, Ahksell Solari, alchemist and movable mountain, they tidy up the dark corners and murderous disputes of Lityen's population amidst the never-ending upheaval of merchants, adventurers, and displaced nobility seeking their fortunes. In The Gilty Party: Ibram thought he knew everything he needed to know about the death of Harken Tolk, but when the man who found him disappears before the inquest, Lady Azadiya has no choice but to reopen the investigation. Did Ibram sign off on a natural death, when the verdict should have been murder? Or is Rustam Monbrith hiding some other secret? In Cursebird On A Wire: Following a short period of unfortunate incarceration, Ibram buys his freedom by promising his jailer an introduction to Lady Azadiya. But on the day of the introductory gala, a cursebird flies in the face of everybody's plans. Can Lady Azadiya discover the culprit and save the party before Ibram trades in his smooth sailing for another hard landing? The Alchemist's Agent Omnibus 1 is a collection of two books in E.M. Burnham's standalone fantastical mystery series: The Alchemist's Agent. The books included are: The Gilty Party, the first book in the series, and Cursebird On A Wire, a prequel novella.

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself...the legendary Philosopher's Stone. Accompanied by their bodyguard, Alex Louis Armstrong, our heroes seek out the closest childhood friend, mechanic Winry Rockbell, to fix their battered "auto-mail" body parts. Soon their quest for the Philosopher's Stone takes them to the great central library, where the Stone's formula may be hidden...if the mysterious figure named Lust doesn't get there first! But the secret of the Philosopher's Stone may be even more frightening than the beings who guard it...

Dead men can’t rob themselves Evrik Attel wanted to live life on his terms, and where better to start than in Lityen, the village at the foot of the great alchemical Sect of Seven Fires? On the first day of the Preceptory of Yseult's exhibition, he held a card tournament at his draughtshop with a special prize, a deck of lucky cards blessed by a god. Now, he lies dead at Lady Azadiya Hobon’s feet. Hot on her heels as ever, Ibram Ucalegon discovers Evrik was robbed of everything except his money. Inside the draughtshop, everyone wanted to profit off of Evrik’s work, but no one wants to believe he was murdered. His cousin claims it’s on account of foreign food, his prospective business partner says it was bad shellfish, and the Imperial clerk simply wants to escort Lady Azadiya to her meeting. But men don’t simply drop dead clutching their throats, and a robbery is a robbery. To find out what really happened, Lady Azadiya and Ibram must discover what caused ... The Body In The Larder?

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art, and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel. Now Edward is a agent of the government, a slave of the military-alchemical complex, using his unique powers to obey orders...even to kill. Except his powers aren't unique. The world has been ravaged by the abuse of alchemy. And in the pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...

One dead blacksmith One missing witness One agent with a very big problem When an itinerant blacksmith dies in the village of Fontis, Ibram Ucalegon is sent to report back on the unattended death. No one thinks much about it. Hard-living old men die all the time, after all, and little changes except the name in the record of testimony. But when Rustam Monbrith, the man who found the deceased, suddenly disappears on the day of the inquiry, the circuit court judge invokes an ancient and deadly punishment from Vissilia’s war-torn past: If the First Finder is not returned, then the entire village will pay the price. Now, Rustam’s pretty sister begs the Sect of Seven Fires for aid and Lady Azadiya is looking very carefully into Ibram’s future as one of her agents. Did Ibram sign off on a natural death, when the verdict should have been murder? Or is Rustam Monbrith hiding some other secret? The Gilty Party is the first book in The Alchemist's Agent series, a fantastical mystery set in the Golden Age of the Empire of Vissilia. Each novel is a standalone story, but fans of alternate worlds, audacious detective stories, and intrepid alchemists will want to read the entire series!

In this book leading scientists share their experiences and observations of developing and testing hypotheses, offering insights on the dangers of manipulating science for political gain. It describes how politicization--whether by misapplication, overextension, or outright manipulation of the scientific record to advance particular policy agendas--imposes expenditures of money, missed opportunities, and burdens on the economy.

COLLECTING VAMPIRELLA (2014) #1-13, ANNUAL 2015, & PRELUDE TO SHADOWS BY NANCY A. COLLINS IN ONE MASSIVE, 424-PAGE OMNIBUS! Vampirella is sent by the Vatican to investigate the kidnapping of a little girl by Ethan Shroud and the Chaos cultists, only to become the centerpiece of a ritual invoking Lady Umbra, the sister-bride of Chaos, that leaves her marked as a living sacrifice to the dark goddess who rules the shadows. Then...Vampirella assumes the role and obligations of Lord Drago, joining The Kabal, a clandestine organization of supernatural creatures. When a strange, rabies-like plague spreads through the slums of Sao Paolo like wildfire, infecting victims with homicidal fury, the Kabal calls upon Vampirella to capture the disease's murderous creator -- one of The Accursed, a human condemned to eternal life for his sins: the fabled Dr. Faustus. VAMPIRELLA is back and returns to her horror roots with Bram Stoker Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins (Swamp Thing, Sunglasses After Dark, Jason vs. Leatherface) and Patrick Berkenkotter (Avengers/Invaders, Red Sonja).