Books with author Abbie Philips Walker

"Sandman's Goodnight Stories" by Abbie Phillips Walker. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

"Sandman's Goodnight Stories" by Abbie Phillips Walker. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

A frustrated corporate admin starts a side gig as a PI in this debut mystery—“Think Monk meets Moonlighting, with a whole bunch of The Office tossed in” (M. William Phelps). Chuck Restic has achieved the American dream: a successful career with a large corporation, his own home, a great health insurance and retirement package. But after twenty years in Human Resources he sees very little value in what he does all day . . . until he embarks on a mission to find a missing employee. Soon, Chuck finds himself moonlighting as a private detective—and feeling alive again. While balancing the inane demands of his office, he begins to unravel a web of murder and crooked real estate deals. And while his HR skills are surprisingly useful in detective work, Chuck just hopes to solve the mystery without getting himself terminated. “Full of humor, outrage, and suspense. Adam Phillips’s book is everything a thriller should be.” —Phoef Sutton, New York Times–bestselling author of Heart Attack and Vine “Phillips’ prose overall is smart and supple, with a humorous bent.” —Booklist “[An] absorbing first novel.” —Publishers Weekly “One of the most engaging and refreshing novels to hit the market this season . . . Like me, you’ll laugh your ass off while immersed in the mystery.” —M. William Phelps, New York Times–bestselling author of Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer

Chuck Restic has achieved the American dream: a successful career with a large corporation, his own home, the best health care insurance and retirement package... but he's crumbling inside. Twenty years in Human Resources have pushed him into an existential crisis. He realizes there is so little value in what he does all day, and it is only when he embarks on a mission to find a missing employee from his firm that he truly starts to feel alive again.This is Chuck's first step toward moonlighting as a private detective ― a job in which he turns out to excel. Constantly balancing the inane demands of his office and the excitement of his new "job," he finally finds what he's been missing. By applying his HR skills and wit to his new passion for detective work, Chuck unravels a web of crooked real estate deals and three murders, staving off a fourth: his own.The first in the Chuck Restic mystery series, The Silent Second began life as the novel Smile Now, Cry Later, a self-publishing success story that led to a series commitment from publisher Prospect Park Books. Thoroughly re-edited, improved, re-designed, and re-titled, this smart, witty crime novel introduces an engaging (if sometimes bitter) private eye for the corporate era.

On an island of rocks out in the ocean lived a sea monster. His head was large, and when he opened his mouth it looked like a cave.It had been said that he was so huge that he could swallow a ship, and that on stormy nights he sat on the rocks and the flashing of his eyes could be seen for miles around.The sailors spoke of him with fear and trembling, but, as you can see, the sea monster had really been a friend to them, showing them the rock in the storm by flashing his eyes; but because he looked so hideous all who beheld him thought he must be a cruel monster.One night there was a terrible storm, and the monster went out into the ocean to see if any ship was wrecked in the night, and, if possible, help any one that was floating about.He found one little boy floating about on a plank. His name was Ko-Ko, and when he saw the monster he was afraid, but when Ko-Ko saw that the monster did not attempt to harm him he climbed on the monster's back and he took him to the rocky island. Then the monster went back into the sea and Ko-Ko wondered if he were to be left alone. But after a while the monster returned and opened his mouth very wide.Ko-Ko ran when he saw the huge mouth, for he thought the monster intended to swallow him, but as he did not follow him Ko-Ko went back.The monster opened his mouth again, and Ko-Ko asked, "Do you want me to go inside?" and the monster nodded his head."It must be for my own good," said Ko-Ko, "for he could easily swallow me if he wished, without waiting for me to walk in."So Ko-Ko walked into the big mouth and down a dark passage, but what the monster wanted him to do he could not think. He could see very faintly now, and after a while he saw a stove, a chair, and a table. "I will take these out," said Ko-Ko, "for I am sure I can use them."He took them to a cave on the island, and when he returned the monster was gone; but he soon returned, and again he opened his mouth.Ko-Ko walked in this time without waiting, and he found boxes and barrels of food, which he stored away in the cave. When Ko-Ko had removed everything the monster lay down and went to sleep.Ko-Ko cooked his dinner and then he awoke the monster and said, "Dinner is ready," but the monster shook his head and plunged into the ocean. He soon returned with his mouth full of fish. Then Ko-Ko knew that the monster had brought all the things from the sunken ship for him, and he began to wish that the monster could talk, for he no longer feared him.

Dicky Duck was a very wise young fellow. He swam about the pond alone long before his brothers left their mother, and such worms and bugs and things of that sort as he found made all the other young ducks quite green with envy. But one day Dicky Duck almost lost his life by thinking he was so wise, for he was swimming around the pond when he came to the woods where Mr. Fox was hiding back of some bushes. Dicky did not go near enough for Mr. Fox to catch him, but Mr. Fox could see that he was a nice plump duck and it made his eyes shine with longing to look at him. "Ah me," he sighed as Dicky swam by, "if only I knew some wise creature to ask! I am far too dull to know anything myself." When Dicky heard the word "wise" he felt sure that meant him, for was not he the wisest duck of his size and age? So he stopped swimming and looked around. Mr. Fox had hidden himself well under the bushes now. Not even the tip of his nose could be seen and he made his voice sound very weak, as if he were a very small animal. "Who is it that wants to know a wise creature?" asked Dicky Duck. "Oh, a poor little animal called Eatyoup," answered Mr. Fox, laughing so at his joke that he could hardly speak. "I am very stupid and do not know much and I have no wise friends." Dicky Duck had never heard of an Eatyoup, but he had no intention of letting anyone think there was anything he did not know, so he swam nearer and said, "Well, I am wise, and if you wish to know anything ask me. Come out where I can see you and we can talk to each other better." He was trying all the time to get a glimpse of the new animal, but Mr. Fox was a wise creature himself and he had no intention of being seen.

One night when the wind was blowing and it was clear and cold out of doors, a cat and a dog, who were very good friends, sat dozing before a fire-place. The wood was snapping and crackling, making the sparks fly. Some flew up the chimney, others settled into coals in the bed of the fireplace, while others flew out on the hearth and slowly closed their eyes and went to sleep.