Showing results by author "George Duncan" in All Categories

One of the most significant books ever written by a head of state, the Meditations are a collection of philosophical thoughts by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 ce). Covering issues such as duty, forgiveness, brotherhood, strength in adversity and the best way to approach life and death, the Meditations have inspired thinkers, poets and politicians since their first publication more than 500 years ago. Today, the book stands as one of the great guides and companions - a cornerstone of Western thought.

What caused the financial mess we're in? And how do we get out of it? Two of the great economic thinkers of the 20th century had sharply contrasting views. John Maynard Keynes believed that government spending could create employment and longer-term growth. His contemporary and rival Friedrich Hayek believed that investments have to be based on real savings rather than increased public spending or artificially low interest rates. Keynes's biographer, Professor Lord Skidelsky, takes on modern-day followers of Hayek in a debate.

Sandro Vasiliadis, a nurse at the Whidbey Island General Hospital, has died of an apparent heroin overdose. When his grieving mother bends over to kiss her son's corpse at the viewing, she shrieks, "That's not Sandro!" Convinced that her son must still be alive, Maria Vasiliadis hires Kyra Rachel and Noel Franklin to solve the mystery. With questions of foul play continuing to swirl around the death, the detectives' inquiries lead them deeper into Sandro's life and eventually to a medical clinic that specializes in transgendering.

The second in the Islands Investigations International Mystery series, Always Kiss the Corpse takes Kyra and Noel's investigation from the rush of Seattle to the seeming peace of the San Juan Islands in this thrilling pause-resistor. It's only once the detectives come to understand Sandro in life that they unlock the secret to his death.

A CIA agent, ostensibly on vacation, is found dead on cold, barren land in Wyoming. Before dying, the agent texted a terrifying, if cryptic, message to John Drake. Drake, Evangeline Hardy and fellow agent Astrid Norstrom head for Wyoming to discover who killed their friend and what his message means. Step by step, they will uncover a decades-old secret stemming from the Cold War and a conspiracy that spans two continents. If they cannot prevent disaster, an apocalypse will occur and turn vast regions of the West into a death zone.

CIA agents John Drake and Evangeline Hardy uncover a trio of enemies - Muslim terrorists, a cyber genius, and the mysterious man Bocata, who has links to the occult. Their plot: to unleash a three-prong attack on the United States. With a cyber attack that renders the nation defenseless as all electrical systems shut down, a rogue nuclear submarine, and demonic forces unleashed against the nation, America's enemies have forged a perfect storm that threatens to drive the US to its knees.

The Islands Investigations International team is back! This time, Kyra Rachel and Noel Franklin are sleuthing around Quadra Island in the employ of Noel's old high school buddy, Jason Cooper. In a quiet wooded area of the island, Jason, his wife and two younger boys are worried for the oldest son in the family. Derek was discovered badly beaten in the woods by Campbell River and has remained in a deep coma for three weeks. Desperate to find out what happened to his son and why, Jason hires Noel and Kyra.