The battle for the kingdom of the dwarves comes to the door of its mad king... Brandon Bluestone has finally cleared his family's name and rallied the nation of dwarves. Now one great task remains to him: he must open up the greatest of the dwarf nations, Thorbardin, which has been sealed against the outside world by the edict of a mad king. Aided by Gretchan Pax, a mighty priestess, Brandon leads an army to the north gate of Thorbardin. The hill dwarves and mountain dwarves strive to bury longstanding enmity and form an uneasy alliance against the King of Thorbardin and his potent magical minions.From the Paperback edition.

In 1893, the Amlingmeyer boys venture forth from the west in response to a summons from Otto’s (“Big Red”) publisher— they are to come to Chicago immediately, to the World’s Columbian Exposition, and compete with some of the most famous detectives in the world. Set to coincide with the closing days of the first World’s Fair and the publication of the story revealing the death of Sherlock Holmes, Gustav (“Old Red”) will be competing for the title of World’s Greatest Sleuth! Hating train travel and cities, the real draw is the chance to meet up again with the intriguing and elusive Diana Corvus. But the competition has barely begun before there is a murder in “the White City”—the organizer of the contest is discovered face down in the Mammoth Cheese from Canada—and from there, the game is really afoot.

Uncle Gregory is found with a knife in his back and "blackmailer" as his epitaph. Only Miss Maud Silver can solve the crime.

Science Fiction. 68408 words long.

The safety of Silverhill rested on Rafe McClintock's broad shoulders. Good-natured but hard-nosed, the sheriff kept the peace in Colorado with a shotgun and a smile. At least until Dana Croft crossed into his jurisdiction. She was here on FBI duty -- a dead body on the rez -- but after all these years Rafe could still put a hitch in her throat. Though a star was pinned to the rangy cowboy's chest, he didn't have authority over her heart. As they hunted a killer together, across the reservation and into uncharted territory, Dana's secret threatened to explode at any moment. But before Rafe could wrap her in his protection, would their reunion be cut short?

After an attack on his lover, Croft scours New Mexico for vengeanceEver since a bullet smashed her spine, detective Joshua Croft has tried to entice Rita Mondragón away from her house. For years the response from his boss and unrequited love has been the same: "I'll go into town when I can walk there." When she is finally strong enough to walk, their relationship blossoms into love. Rita and Croft are basking on the patio outside her mountain home when a helicopter swoops overhead. A single rifle shot erupts, and Rita is struck down again.After hours in the operating room, the surgeons are able to remove the bullet from Rita's brain, leaving her comatose but stable. As she fights to wake up, Croft starts on the trail for the gunman. Avenging Rita will require him to look back into their past, to the beginnings of their relationship, and the birth of a love that is too young to die.

From BooklistAkashic’s Noir series, which began in 2004, turns to Denmark. Edited by Danish book critic and editor Michaëlis, this volume features stories by authors whose names may be unfamiliar to American readers but whose themes are universal. The stories are organized into three broad categories: (Men and) Women, Mammon, and Corpses, all essential motifs in the noir world. Fans used to the watered-down noir now prevalent in America will notice immediately the much harder edge of these stories, which are much closer to the noir of the 1940s and ’50s. Translations effectively render the text in North American idiom while keeping the flavor of the original. --David Pitt Review"The indefatigable noir series of anthologies (Orange County Noir, Trinidad Noir, Brooklyn Noir 3, etc.) focuses in its 43rd volume on the home of Hans Christian Andersen. [...] Based on this collection, Copenhagen may be a great place to visit, but nobody seems to live there, at least not well or long." --Kirkus Reviews "Fans used to the watered-down noir now prevalent in America will notice immediately the much harder edge of these stories, which are much closer to the noir of the 1940s and '50s." --Booklist "[This] volume has grim, uncomfortable power." --Publishers Weekly "The latest entry in the publisher's series (41 and counting) proves the resilience of, and market for, these locale noirs. Editor Michaëlis, a Danish book critic, is both scholarly and insightful in the introduction and outlines how the stories reflect the greed and ennui of modern Denmark in contrast to the Danish idyll depicted in tourist brochures. [...] Although some stories veer from noir orthodoxy, there are fine examples of lyrical writing, noir sensibilities, and insight into the current Danish psyche. Overall, a very impressive anthology." --Library Journal