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Death in American Texts and Performances: Corpses, Ghosts, and the Reanimated Dead
by Mark PizzatoHow do twentieth and twenty-first century artists bring forth the powerful reality of death when it exists in memory and lived experience as something that happens only to others? Death in American Texts and Performances takes up this question to explore the modern and postmodern aesthetics of death. Working between and across genres, the contributors examine literary texts and performance media, including Robert Lowell's For the Union Dead, Luis Valdez' Dark Root of a Scream, Amiri Baraka's Dutchman, Thornton Wilder's Our Town, John Edgar Wideman's The Cattle Killing, Toni Morrison's Sula and Song of Solomon, Don DeLillo's White Noise and Falling Man, and HBO's Six Feet Under. As the contributors struggle to convey the artist's crisis of representation, they often locate the dilemma in the gap between artifice and nature, where loss is performed and where re-membering is sometimes literally reenacted through the bodily gesture. While artists confront the impossibility of total recovery or transformation, so must the contributors explore the gulf between real corpses and their literary or performative reconstructions. Ultimately, the volume shows both artist and critic grappling with the dilemma of showing how the aesthetics of death as absence is made meaningful in and by language.
Death in August: Book One (Inspector Bordelli #1)
by Marco VichiFlorence, summer 1963. Inspector Bordelli is one of the few policemen left in the deserted city. He spends his days on routine work, and his nights tormented by the heat and mosquitoes. Suddenly one night, a telephone call gives him a new sense of purpose: the suspected death of a wealthy Signora. Bordelli rushes to her hilltop villa, and picks the locks. The old woman is lying on her bed - apparently killed by an asthma attack, though her medicine has been left untouched. With the help of his young protege, the victim's eccentric brother, and a semi-retired petty thief, the inspector begins a murder investigation. Each suspect has a solid alibi, but there is something that doesn't quite add up ...
Death in Avignon: The perfect summer murder mystery (Penelope Kite Ser. #2)
by Serena KentGlamour, intrigue, and a mystery to die for... After a tumultuous summer, Penelope Kite has settled into the rhythm of her new life in Provence. Lavender-scented evenings, long lunches with new friends - and an exclusive gallery opening to attend, on the arm of the gorgeous mayor of St Merlot... But beneath the veneer of glamour, scandal is brewing. Shockwaves ripple through the Avignon art world when a controversial painter, Roland Doncaster, chokes on an almond-stuffed olive. A tragic accident? Or a ruthless poisoning? Embroiled once more in a murder investigation, Penelope discovers that any number of jealous lovers and scheming rivals could be in the frame. And with dashing art dealers to charm, patisseries to resist, and her own friends under suspicion, Penelope will need all her sleuthing talents to unveil the truth... Return to the charm of Provence for another delightful Penelope Kite mystery! The perfect holiday read for fans of MC Beaton, Peter Mayle and Betty Rowlands***Readers are enchanted by the Serena Kent series:'This book is as good as a holiday''This story immerses the reader in Provence . . . an excellent read''If your idea of heaven after a hard day is winding down with a glass of chilled rosé, or even a plum brandy, then this is for you''Entirely captivating and evocative . . . A truly diverting adventure in the Luberon hills''The perfect summer tale, transporting the reader to atmospheric Provence. . . I look forward to find out what mysteries the intriguing Penelope will unravel next''Such an entertaining and refreshing read . . . a cast of colourful characters who made me laugh out loud with their quirks'
Death in Babylon: Alexander the Great and Iberian Empire in the Muslim Orient
by Vincent BarlettaThough Alexander the Great lived more than seventeen centuries before the onset of Iberian expansion into Muslim Africa and Asia, he loomed large in the literature of late medieval and early modern Portugal and Spain. Exploring little-studied chronicles, chivalric romances, novels, travelogues, and crypto-Muslim texts, Vincent Barletta shows that the story of Alexander not only sowed the seeds of Iberian empire but foreshadowed the decline of Portuguese and Spanish influence in the centuries to come. Death in Babylon depicts Alexander as a complex symbol of Western domination, immortality, dissolution, heroism, villainy, and death. But Barletta also shows that texts ostensibly celebrating the conqueror were haunted by failure. Examining literary and historical works in Aljamiado, Castilian, Catalan, Greek, Latin, and Portuguese, Death in Babylon develops a view of empire and modernity informed by the ethical metaphysics of French phenomenologist Emmanuel Levinas. A novel contribution to the literature of empire building, Death in Babylon provides a frame for the deep mortal anxiety that has infused and given shape to the spread of imperial Europe from its very beginning.
Death in Babylon: Alexander the Great and Iberian Empire in the Muslim Orient
by Vincent BarlettaThough Alexander the Great lived more than seventeen centuries before the onset of Iberian expansion into Muslim Africa and Asia, he loomed large in the literature of late medieval and early modern Portugal and Spain. Exploring little-studied chronicles, chivalric romances, novels, travelogues, and crypto-Muslim texts, Vincent Barletta shows that the story of Alexander not only sowed the seeds of Iberian empire but foreshadowed the decline of Portuguese and Spanish influence in the centuries to come. Death in Babylon depicts Alexander as a complex symbol of Western domination, immortality, dissolution, heroism, villainy, and death. But Barletta also shows that texts ostensibly celebrating the conqueror were haunted by failure. Examining literary and historical works in Aljamiado, Castilian, Catalan, Greek, Latin, and Portuguese, Death in Babylon develops a view of empire and modernity informed by the ethical metaphysics of French phenomenologist Emmanuel Levinas. A novel contribution to the literature of empire building, Death in Babylon provides a frame for the deep mortal anxiety that has infused and given shape to the spread of imperial Europe from its very beginning.
Death in Bayswater: A Frances Doughty Mystery 6 (The\frances Doughty Mysteries Ser. #6)
by Linda StratmannLONDON 1881: Panic reigns in Bayswater as a ruthless murderer prowls the foggy streets of the nation’s capital. Residents live in fear, rumours and accusations abound, and vigilante groups patrol by night. It is not, of course, a suitable investigation for a lady detective, but when a friend falls victim to the killer’s knife, Frances Doughty is drawn into this sinister new case. Myth and reality collide in another thrilling mystery that will stretch Frances’ powers of deduction – and her courage – to the limit.
Death in Berlin: A Mystery (Death In... Ser. #2)
by M. M. KayeBy the bestselling author of The Far Pavilions, a superb, classic crime fiction novel from the author described as "outdoing Agatha Christie in palming the ace"Miranda Brand was uneasy even before the train left to take her to stay with her army cousin in divided Berlin. Then a story of a missing fortune in war-looted diamonds, told to pass the time on the journey, brings back nightmares of her past. And causes murder.This is dazzling entertainment from a master of suspense.
Death in Breslau: An Eberhard Mock Investigation
by Marek KrajewskiThe butchered bodies of a young woman and her maid are discovered in a train-carriage. The dreadful slashes to their stomachs are rendered even more awful by the bizarre presence of scorpions, writhing inside the wounds. Assigned to the case, Criminal Counsellor Eberhard Mock and his assistant Herbert Anwaldt must search for the truth within a society in the malevolent grip of the Gestapo, where corrupt ministers torture Jewish merchants for false confessions and Freemasons protect their secrets with blackmail and violence. In a city already drenched in fear, Mock and Anwaldt's hunt for the killer leads them to the time of the Crusades, an era when secret sects practised ritual murder.
Death in Byzantium - Box Set (Death in Byzantium)
by M.E. MayerDEATH IN BYZANTIUM: At the heart of what is left of the Roman Empire, lies a city simmering with intrigue & treachery. Amid this maelstrom stands John, ex-slave, now the right hand of Emperor Justinian. It is John's skills as an investigator that Justinian prizes the most. But the emperor is not a sentimental man. Nor is he a patient one. John knows his position is precarious. One misstep and his enemies may have him. And if they don't, the emperor himself almost certainly will.ONE FOR SORROW: When the body of a high-ranking treasury official is found in a filthy alley, John's investigation stirs the ghosts of his past and threatens his life. TWO FOR JOY: John must discover why three of Constantinople's holy stylites have burned to death atop their pillars. THREE FOR A LETTER: The murder of a child threatens Justinian's dreams of resurrecting the glory of Roman Empire. John will need all his wits to keep his job... and his head. FOUR FOR A BOY: In this series prequel, John the slave takes his first steps along the dangerous path that will lead him to become Justinian's Lord Chamberlain.
A Death In Calabria (Michele Ferrara #4)
by Michele GiuttariOne of the wildest and most beautiful regions in Italy, known for its rugged coastline and mountains, Calabria is also home to the deadly 'Ndrangheta. An organised Mafia crime operation more feared in Italy than the Cosa Nostra or the Camorra, it is shrouded in mystery.Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara of Italy's elite Anti-Mafia Investigation Department is tasked with investigating the deaths of several Calabria citizens - some in New York, some in the small, isolated villages that dot the Calabrian countryside.To get to the bottom of the case, Ferrara has to infiltrate the village of San Piero d'Aspromonte, deep in the Calabrian mountains. And there, he must put his life on the line to learn more about a family at the centre of an ancient, bloody feud...Originally published in Italian as La Donna Della 'Ndrangheta.
Death in Camera (Rosa Epton #6)
by Michael UnderwoodA prominent judge is murdered on the opening day of the new Runnymede Crown Court, and Rosa Epton become doubly involved, both as a witness to the murder and the solicitor in a drugs trial over which Judge Ambrose was to have presided.His replacement, Judge Holtby, seems unduly upset by the death of his colleague - and then two more deaths occur. But was Judge Ambrose the real target in the first place? And what involvement does Rosa's client in the drugs case have in the whole business?Eventually Rosa is able to deduce the likely sequence of events, but there is still a final secret to be revealed ...
A Death in Cornwall (Gabriel Allon #24)
by null Daniel SilvaA brutal murder, a missing masterpiece, a mystery only Gabriel Allon can solve… Acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva returns with the year’s most anticipated new thriller. Pre-order now! Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into London to attend a reception at the Courtauld Gallery celebrating the return of a stolen self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. But when an old friend from the Devon and Cornwall Police seeks his help with a baffling murder investigation, he finds himself pursuing a powerful and dangerous new adversary. The victim is Charlotte Blake, a celebrated professor of art history from Oxford who spends her weekends in the same seaside village where Gabriel once lived under an assumed identity. Her murder appears to be the work of a diabolical serial killer who has been terrorizing the Cornish countryside. But there are a number of telltale inconsistencies, including a missing mobile phone. And then there is the mysterious three-letter cypher she left behind on a notepad in her study. Gabriel soon discovers that Professor Blake was searching for a looted Picasso worth more than a $100 million, and he takes up the chase for the painting as only he can – with six Impressionist canvases forged by his own hand and an unlikely team of operatives that includes a world-famous violinist, a beautiful master thief, and a lethal contract killer turned British spy. The result is a stylish and wildly entertaining mystery that moves at lightning speed from the cliffs of Cornwall to the enchanted island of Corsica and, finally, to a breathtaking climax on the very doorstep of 10 Downing Street. Supremely elegant and suspenseful, A Death in Cornwall is Daniel Silva at his best – a dazzling tale of murder, power, and insatiable greed that will hold readers spellbound until they turn the final page. Readers love Daniel Silva: 'An author who is master of his craft' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Silva gets better with each book' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Superbly current, believable, and cutting to the bone' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Death in Cyprus: A Novel (Death In... Ser. #3)
by M. M. KayeUncle Oswin thinks that Amanda's plan to go to Cyprus is rash and unwomanly. But he does not foresee that she is running into deadly peril. Even before the boat docks at Limassol there is a dead body on board. Suicide or murder? And if it is murder, was Amanda the intended victim?
Death In Danzig
by Stefan ChwinA moving portrait of people in transition - between old and new, life and death. Germans flee the besieged city of Danzig in 1945. Poles driven out of eastern regions by the Russians move into the homes hastily abandoned by their previous inhabitants. In an area of the city graced with beech trees and a stately cathedral, the stories of old and new residents intertwine: Hanemann, a German and a former professor of anatomy, who chooses to stay in Danzig after the mysterious death of his lover; the Polish family of the narrator, driven out of Warsaw; and a young Carpathian woman who no longer has a country, her cheerful nature concealing deep wounds. Through his brilliantly defined characters, stunning evocation of place, and memorable description of remnants of a world that was German but survives in Polish households, Chwin has created a reality that is beyond destruction.
Death in Daylesford (Phryne Fisher #21)
by Kerry Greenwood'Greenwood's strength lies in her ability to create characters that are wholly satisfying: the bad guys are bad, and the good guys are great' VogueWhen a mysterious invitation arrives for the redoubtable Miss Phryne Fisher from an unknown retired Captain Herbert Spencer, Phryne's curiosity is excited. Spencer runs a retreat in Victoria's rural spa country for the many shell-shocked soldiers of the first world war. It's a cause after Phryne's own heart but what does Spencer want from her? Meanwhile, Cec, Bert and Tinker find a young woman floating face down in the harbour near the wharves. Could this be the missing friend of Ruth, Phryne's adopted daughter? With Detective-Inspector Jack Robinson seconded unwillingly to a special investigation, Mr and Mrs Butler with Detective-Sergeant Hugh Collins are left to shield Phryne's household from danger as Tinker, Jane and Ruth decide to solve what appears to be a heinous crime. Unaware of these happenings, Phryne and the faithful Dot view their rural sojourn as a short holiday but are quickly thrown into disturbing Highland gatherings, disappearing women, murder and the mystery of the Temperance Hotel. All test Phryne's resourcefulness in her search to save lives. Disappearances, murder, bombs, booby-traps and strange goings-on keep Miss Phryne Fisher right in the middle of her most exciting adventure.Praise for Kerry Greenwood:'Elegant, fabulously wealthy and sharp as a tack, Phryne sleuths with customary panache... [she is] irresistibly charming' The Age'Phryne Fisher is gutsy and adventurous, and endowed with plenty of grey matter' West Australian'In a word: delightful' Herald Sun'Miss Fisher has beauty, brains and oodles of style ... a well-constructed novel that enchants, excites, enthrals and entertains' Good Reading Magazine
Death in Devon: A County Guides Mystery (A\county Guides Mystery Ser. #2)
by Ian SansomCREAM TEAS! SCHOOL DINNERS! SATANIC SURFERS! Join our heroes as they follow up a Norfolk Mystery with a bad case of … DEATH IN DEVON.
Death in Disguise: A Midsomer Murders Mystery 3 (Midsomer Murders #Bk. 3)
by Caroline Graham'Simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie' The Sunday TimesDiscover the novels that inspired the hit ITV series Midsomer Murders, seen and loved by millions. Featuring Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and created by Caroline Graham, Death in Disguise is the third Midsomer Murders mystery, now featuring an exclusive foreword by John Nettles, ITV's DCI Tom Barnaby. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, James Runcie's The Grantchester Mysteries and Ann Granger.To the distaste of the Compton Dando villagers, the big house has been taken over by a group of New Age eccentrics. And when the first death is reported, no one is surprised . . . or disappointed. The Coroner rules it an accident.But only weeks later, there's another death. And this time, it is murder. Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby is called to the scene immediately, and there'll be no escape until he has sifted through the world of psychics, cult leaders and horrifying deaths to get to the cause of it all. Praise for Caroline Graham's novels: 'Swift, tense and highly alarming' TLS 'Tension builds, bitchery flares, resentment seethes . . . lots of atmosphere, colourful characters and fair clues' Mail on Sunday 'A mystery of which Agatha Christie would have been proud. . . A beautifully written crime novel' The Times 'Wickedly acidic, yet sympathetic' Publishers Weekly 'Everyone gets what they deserve in this high-class mystery' Sunday Telegraph 'Read her and you'll be astonished . . . very sexy, very hip and very funny' Scotsman
Death in Florence: Inspector Bordelli, Book 4 (Inspector Bordelli #4)
by Marco VichiFlorence, October 1966. The rain is never-ending. When a young boy vanishes on his way home from school the police fear the worst, and Inspector Bordelli begins an increasingly desperate investigation.Then the flood hits. During the night of 4th November the swollen River Arno, already lapping the arches of the Ponte Vecchio, breaks its banks and overwhelms the city. Streets become rushing torrents, the force of the water sweeping away cars and trees, doors, shutters and anything else in its wake.In the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy the mystery of the child's disappearance seems destined to go unsolved. But obstinate as ever, Bordelli is not prepared to give up.
Death in Focus: An Elena Standish Novel (Elena Standish Ser. #1)
by Anne PerryNew York Times bestselling author Anne Perry brings us an exciting new thriller of espionage and murder set across Europe in the 1930s. The world is on the brink of war and no one is to be trusted as young photographer Elena Standish becomes embroiled in a terrifying game of cat and mouse...It is 1933 and Europe is a place of increasing fear and violence. Young British photographer Elena Standish is on assignment in Amalfi when she meets Ian Newton, a charming Englishman with whom she falls in love. But what does she really know about him?Accompanying him on a train across Italy to Paris, she finds him critically stabbed and dying. He tells her he is a member of Britain's Secret Service, on his way to Berlin to warn MI6 so that they can foil a plot to assassinate one of Hitler's vilest henchmen and blame Britain for it, thus causing a devastating diplomatic crisis. Elena promises to deliver the message. But she is too late, and finds herself fleeing for her life.Meanwhile Lucas Standish, secret head of MI6 during the war, learns that his beloved granddaughter is being hunted in Berlin for murder. With Elena on the run, and at least one traitor in the British Embassy, it is impossible to know who to trust...Praise for Anne Perry's previous novels: 'A brilliant Victorian police procedural in which well-realized characters and settings are fascinating in themselves' Booklist'Engrossing... Perry has always excelled in courtroom scenes and arguments between barristers, and she outdoes herself in two dramatic trials'Washington Times Daily'Perry balances plot and character neatly before providing a resolution that few will anticipate'Publishers Weekly
Death in Henry James
by A. CuttingMoving beyond established ideas of haunted Henry James, this book argues that death is as important a concept for understanding James's fiction as gender, sexuality and modernity, which have come to dominate James studies. Combining formal analysis and close reading with theoretical and historical approaches and focusing on key novels and tales from across James's career, Andrew Cutting explores five instances of Jamesian death: sacrifice, the corpse, morbidity, afterlife and demography. This is the first full-length study of this subject.
Death in Her Hands: A Novel
by Ottessa MoshfeghA triumphant blend of horror, suspense and pitch-black comedy, from the Booker-shortlisted authorWhile on her daily walk with her dog in the nearby woods, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with stones. Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body. Shaky even on her best days, she is also alone, and new to this area, having moved here from her long-time home after the death of her husband, and now deeply alarmed. Her brooding about the note grows quickly into a full-blown obsession, as she explores multiple theories about who Magda was and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real world, and the fog of mystery starts to form into a concrete and menacing shape. But is there either a more innocent explanation for all this, or a much more sinister one – one that strikes closer to home?In this razor-sharp, chilling, and darkly hilarious novel, we must decide whether the stories we tell ourselves guide us closer to the truth or keep us further from it.**AN EVENING STANDARD BEST BOOK TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2020**
Death in Her Hands: A Novel
by Ottessa MoshfeghA triumphant blend of horror, suspense and pitch-black comedy, from the Booker-shortlisted authorWhile on her daily walk with her dog in the nearby woods, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with stones. Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body. Shaky even on her best days, she is also alone, and new to this area, having moved here from her long-time home after the death of her husband, and now deeply alarmed. Her brooding about the note grows quickly into a full-blown obsession, as she explores multiple theories about who Magda was and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real world, and the fog of mystery starts to form into a concrete and menacing shape. But is there either a more innocent explanation for all this, or a much more sinister one – one that strikes closer to home?In this razor-sharp, chilling, and darkly hilarious novel, we must decide whether the stories we tell ourselves guide us closer to the truth or keep us further from it.**AN EVENING STANDARD BEST BOOK TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2020**
Death in High Circles (The Falconer Files #10)
by Andrea FrazerThere is mischief afoot in the village of Fallow Fold. Persons unknown have been on a spree of vandalism, scratching cars, smashing colourful pots of flowers in full bloom, breaking greenhouse windows???and defiling a front door with a racist word, written in spray paint. The police are called, and given the unavailability of more junior personnel DI Harry Falconer and DS ?Davey? Carmichael arrive to investigate, but there are no obvious suspects.?Then a resident is attacked as he keeps a nocturnal vigil, hoping to catch whoever is responsible for the vandalism. Soon, there is a surfeit of uncharacteristic behaviour from those who live there, and Falconer begins to suspect that there is more to come.?When?the man who runs the local bridge circle disappears, there is a palpable whiff of evil in the air???which leads to a murderous attack on one of the police officers. This is a time when DI Falconer is forced to search his soul to discover what, and who, is really important in his life, and what really matters in it.Death in High Circles is the tenth full-length instalment in the Falconer Files, detective novels featuring dastardly deeds done in picture-postcard villages???and a delightful slice of humour.
Death in High Places
by Jo BannisterTwo friends stand at the foot of the glacier, looking up to Anarchy Ridge. They can't see the summit of the mountain, only its heaving shoulders, the snow whipping off of the thin blade of the ridge, making arabesques against the impossibly blue sky. As they stand in awe for a long time, gazing up at the seeming impossibility of their trek, the mountain awaits in silence. But one of the friends is destined never to return from the ridge alive. As for the survivor, Nicky Horn, that terrible day on the mountain plunges him into a life of deception. His climbing partner's father is seeking vengeance for the death of his son, and Horn must run for his life through a maze of intrigue and secrets. "guarantees an experience as hair-raising for readers as for the three leading (and practically only) characters" Kirkus Reviews