Books with author Laural Merlington

A Puritan tale of sin, repentance, conversion, and redemption from the acclaimed author of Robinson Crusoe. Moll Flanders, Defoe's 18th century classic novel, is at once a novel of sin and redemption and a playful and beguiling social commentary set between the Puritan age and the Age of Reason. Taking center stage in this whorl of irony, humor, pathos, and religious faith is one Moll Flanders—both the most plausible sinner and the most pious repentant in English literature. Moll is as controversial today as when she first appeared in 1722.This novel is part of Brilliance Audio's extensive Classic Collection, bringing you timeless masterpieces that you and your family are sure to love.

Three decades ago, Jackie Schut was considered one of the most prolific “baby sellers” in the country. She traveled all over the US, murdered women who had just borne babies, and then stole their infants. She is still imprisoned in the South.A lovely, vibrant woman in San Antonio was found dead in a vacant lot. Her mother, a popular local realtor, never stopped looking for her killer. Just months ago, a truly unlikely suspect was found many states away. At last, the seemingly impossible case to solve had answers no one ever considered.On Christmas Day three years ago, two grandparents, their son, his wife, their two small boys, their daughter, and her boyfriend gathered to celebrate the holiday. For reasons that are still almost impossible to contemplate, the sister and her boyfriend shot and killed everyone in the room.In these chilling true stories, Ann Rule reveals the dark underside of the American family unit—together and torn apart. Her unforgettable accounts will intrigue you, and once again prove the obvious: that Rule is “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews).

Part One of the New Three-Part Godmothers Serial!The best of friends, Toots, Ida, Mavis, and Sophie have been there for each other through thick and thin. Now Sophie needs the rest of the Godmothers to help her through something they’ve never faced before....As Sophie De Luca has learned, many things really are better the second time around. She’s celebrating a wonderful year of marriage to her sweet second husband, Goebel. Meanwhile, the rekindled bond between Sophie and her childhood friends Toots, Ida, and Mavis is stronger and more supportive than it’s ever been. All four are happily settled outside of Charleston, and Toots, who’d sworn to never marry again after eight trips down the aisle, is so blissfully content with her beau that she might be ready for lucky number nine...with a little coaxing.Yet ever since she and Goebel moved into their new home, Sophie has sensed something a little...unusual. Old houses often contain items left behind from previous owners, but what remains in this case is the legacy of a painful secret that only Sophie’s unique gift can uncover. It’s a special kind of challenge...and who better than three extraordinary friends to help her do it?

Three decades ago, Jackie Schut was considered one of the most prolific “baby sellers” in the country. She traveled all over the US, murdered women who had just borne babies, and then stole their infants. She is still imprisoned in the South.A lovely, vibrant woman in San Antonio was found dead in a vacant lot. Her mother, a popular local realtor, never stopped looking for her killer. Just months ago, a truly unlikely suspect was found many states away. At last, the seemingly impossible case to solve had answers no one ever considered.On Christmas Day three years ago, two grandparents, their son, his wife, their two small boys, their daughter, and her boyfriend gathered to celebrate the holiday. For reasons that are still almost impossible to contemplate, the sister and her boyfriend shot and killed everyone in the room.In these chilling true stories, Ann Rule reveals the dark underside of the American family unit—together and torn apart. Her unforgettable accounts will intrigue you, and once again prove the obvious: that Rule is “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews).

Civility and society come head to head in Henry James’ seminal work.The heroine of this powerful novel is the spirited young American Isabel Archer. Blessed by nature and fortune, she journeys to Europe to seek her future, but what she finds may prove to be her undoing. She is courted by three men: an English aristocrat, an American gentleman, and a sensitive expatriate. Her invalid cousin becomes her benefactor and adviser.But it is after the ingenuous Isabel falls prey to the schemes of an infinitely more sophisticated older woman that her life takes shape. Rich in character and the interplay of tensions, The Portrait of a Lady is a brilliant, timeless, and essential American novel.This novel is part of Brilliance Audio's extensive Classic Collection, bringing you timeless masterpieces that you and your family are sure to love.

I'll be watching you.Walking home on a dark night, you hear footsteps coming up behind you. As they get closer, your heart pounds harder. Who is closing in with dangerous intent—a total stranger? Or someone you know and trust? The answer is as simple as turning around, but don’t look behind you…run. Ann Rule, who shared her own nerve-jangling account of unknowingly befriending sadistic sociopath Ted Bundy in The Stranger Beside Me, chronicles other fateful encounters with the hidden predators among us in this riveting collection, fifteenth in the bestselling series drawn from her personal files. First in line is a stunning case that spanned thirty years and took a determined detective to four states—ending, finally, in Alaska—where he unraveled not one but two murders. A second case appears to begin and end with the hunt for the Green River Killer, focusing on a Washington State man who was once cleared as a suspect in that deadly chain of homicides. But the millionaire property owner believed he had successfully buried his own murderous past and the awful truth behind his young wife’s disappearance. She vanished soon after she left for a day at the Seattle World’s Fair, and her three small children grew up believing their mother had abandoned them. But one amazing witness remained—the missing woman’s best friend, who heard her last words in a frantic phone call—“He’s coming!”—before the line went dead. Only since Robert Hansen’s suicide has the monster within been revealed. In another true story, a petite woman went to a tavern, looking only for conversation and fun. Instead, she met violent death in the form of a seven-foot man who had seemed shy and harmless. You’ll feel a chill as you uncover these and numerous other cases of unfortunate victims who made one tragic mistake: trusting the wrong person—even someone they’d known intimately, or thought they knew.

I'll be watching you.Walking home on a dark night, you hear footsteps coming up behind you. As they get closer, your heart pounds harder. Who is closing in with dangerous intent—a total stranger? Or someone you know and trust? The answer is as simple as turning around, but don’t look behind you…run. Ann Rule, who shared her own nerve-jangling account of unknowingly befriending sadistic sociopath Ted Bundy in The Stranger Beside Me, chronicles other fateful encounters with the hidden predators among us in this riveting collection, fifteenth in the bestselling series drawn from her personal files. First in line is a stunning case that spanned thirty years and took a determined detective to four states—ending, finally, in Alaska—where he unraveled not one but two murders. A second case appears to begin and end with the hunt for the Green River Killer, focusing on a Washington State man who was once cleared as a suspect in that deadly chain of homicides. But the millionaire property owner believed he had successfully buried his own murderous past and the awful truth behind his young wife’s disappearance. She vanished soon after she left for a day at the Seattle World’s Fair, and her three small children grew up believing their mother had abandoned them. But one amazing witness remained—the missing woman’s best friend, who heard her last words in a frantic phone call—“He’s coming!”—before the line went dead. Only since Robert Hansen’s suicide has the monster within been revealed. In another true story, a petite woman went to a tavern, looking only for conversation and fun. Instead, she met violent death in the form of a seven-foot man who had seemed shy and harmless. You’ll feel a chill as you uncover these and numerous other cases of unfortunate victims who made one tragic mistake: trusting the wrong person—even someone they’d known intimately, or thought they knew.

Ann Rule presents another collection of fascinating and disturbing true-crime stories—drawn from her real-life personal files—in this seventeenth volume in the #1 New York Times bestselling Crime Files series.Three decades ago, Jackie Schut was considered one of the most prolific “baby sellers” in the country. She traveled all over the US, murdered women who had just borne babies, and then stole their infants. She is still imprisoned in the South.A lovely, vibrant woman in San Antonio was found dead in a vacant lot. Her mother, a popular local realtor, never stopped looking for her killer. Just months ago, a truly unlikely suspect was found many states away. At last, the seemingly impossible case to solve had answers no one ever considered.On Christmas Day three years ago, two grandparents, their son, his wife, their two small boys, their daughter, and her boyfriend gathered to celebrate the holiday. For reasons that are still almost impossible to contemplate, the sister and her boyfriend shot and killed everyone in the room.In these chilling true stories, Ann Rule reveals the dark underside of the American family unit—together and torn apart. Her unforgettable accounts will intrigue you, and once again prove the obvious: that Rule is “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews).

Ann Rule presents another collection of fascinating and disturbing true-crime stories—drawn from her real-life personal files—in this seventeenth volume in the #1 New York Times bestselling Crime Files series.Three decades ago, Jackie Schut was considered one of the most prolific “baby sellers” in the country. She traveled all over the US, murdered women who had just borne babies, and then stole their infants. She is still imprisoned in the South.A lovely, vibrant woman in San Antonio was found dead in a vacant lot. Her mother, a popular local realtor, never stopped looking for her killer. Just months ago, a truly unlikely suspect was found many states away. At last, the seemingly impossible case to solve had answers no one ever considered.On Christmas Day three years ago, two grandparents, their son, his wife, their two small boys, their daughter, and her boyfriend gathered to celebrate the holiday. For reasons that are still almost impossible to contemplate, the sister and her boyfriend shot and killed everyone in the room.In these chilling true stories, Ann Rule reveals the dark underside of the American family unit—together and torn apart. Her unforgettable accounts will intrigue you, and once again prove the obvious: that Rule is “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews).

With high school over, Emily Starr is ready to find her destiny - but she's not quite ready to leave the safety of New Moon farm. She knows that she doesn't need New York City or some other exotic locale to help her become a famous writer, but as all of Emily's friends begin moving away to pursue their own aspirations, she wonders if she's made the right decision. After suffering through a devastating illness, receiving rejection notices from multiple publishers, and nearly losing Teddy, her childhood sweetheart, Emily realizes that her quest for love, acceptance, and happiness is far from over. This new edition lovingly restores the original, unabridged text of the final volume of the Emily Starr trilogy and includes an all-new, exclusive introduction with special memories from L.M. Montgomery's granddaughter.

In this follow-up to her acclaimed 2007 novel The Bastard of Istanbul, Turkish author Elif Shafak unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives-one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz-that together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love.Ella Rubenstein is forty years old and unhappily married when she takes a job as a reader for a literary agent. Her first assignment is to read and report on Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by his tale of Shams' search for Rumi and the dervish's role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams's lessons, or rules, which offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi's story mirrors her own and that Zahara-like Shams-has come to set her free.

I'll be watching you.Walking home on a dark night, you hear footsteps coming up behind you. As they get closer, your heart pounds harder. Who is closing in with dangerous intent—a total stranger? Or someone you know and trust? The answer is as simple as turning around, but don’t look behind you…run.Ann Rule, who shared her own nerve-jangling account of unknowingly befriending sadistic sociopath Ted Bundy in The Stranger Beside Me, chronicles other fateful encounters with the hidden predators among us in this riveting collection, fifteenth in the bestselling series drawn from her personal files. First in line is a stunning case that spanned thirty years and took a determined detective to four states—ending, finally, in Alaska—where he unraveled not one but two murders. A second case appears to begin and end with the hunt for the Green River Killer, focusing on a Washington State man who was once cleared as a suspect in that deadly chain of homicides. But the millionaire property owner believed he had successfully buried his own murderous past and the awful truth behind his young wife’s disappearance. She vanished soon after she left for a day at the Seattle World’s Fair, and her three small children grew up believing their mother had abandoned them. But one amazing witness remained—the missing woman’s best friend, who heard her last words in a frantic phone call—“He’s coming!”—before the line went dead. Only since Robert Hansen’s suicide has the monster within been revealed.In another true story, a petite woman went to a tavern, looking only for conversation and fun. Instead, she met violent death in the form of a seven-foot man who had seemed shy and harmless. You’ll feel a chill as you uncover these and numerous other cases of unfortunate victims who made one tragic mistake: trusting the wrong person—even someone they’d known intimately, or thought they knew.