An alien being is found on an asteroid which gladly answers any question it is asked. But will it be for good or for bad for humanity to have every question readily answered?

For the first time in decades The Eternal City is paralysed by a blizzard. And a gruesome discovery is made in the Pantheon – one of Rome 's most ancient and revered architectural treasures. Covered by softly falling snow is the body of a young woman – her back horribly mutilated…But before Nic Costa and Gianni Peroni of the Questura can begin a formal investigation the US Embassy has brought in its own people, FBI Agents who want the case closed down as quickly and discreetly as possible. But Costa is determined to find out why the enquiry is so sensitive – and as the FBI grudgingly admits that this corpse is not the first, the mutilations of the woman's body point to Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man – and to a conspiracy so sinister and buried so deep, that only two people know its true, crazed meaning

Hegel and Manfried Grossbart may not consider themselves bad men – but death still stalks them through the dark woods of medieval Europe. The year is 1364, and the brothers Grossbart have embarked on a naïve quest for fortune. Descended from a long line of graverobbers, they are determined to follow their family's footsteps to the fabled crypts of Gyptland. To get there, they will have to brave dangerous and unknown lands and keep company with all manner of desperate travelers-merchants, priests, and scoundrels alike. For theirs is a world both familiar and distant; a world of living saints and livelier demons, of monsters and madmen. The Brothers Grossbart are about to discover that all legends have their truths, and worse fates than death await those who would take the red road of villainy

Published for the first time under his own name, a dark and haunting story from #1New York Timesbestselling author Michael Connelly Like his father before him, Brian Holloway is a safe man. That is, his specialty is opening safes. Every job is a little mystery, and he has yet to encounter a lock he can't break or a box he can't crack. But the day Holloway gets called in to open a rare, antique safe in a famous author's library, his skills open a door that should have remained closed. In this haunting and singular story, previously published anonymously, Michael Connelly proves once again that he is "superb at building suspense.... the reader can never be sure what sudden turns the plot may take" (Wall Street Journal)

Fans of John Scalzi's "Old Man" universe, prepare yourselves: there's a long new story in that universe, told from the point of view of one of the series' most intriguing characters. Subterranean Press is proud to publish The Sagan Diary, a long novelette that for the first time looks at the worlds of the Hugo-nominated Old Man's War and its sequel The Ghost Brigades from the point of view of Lieutenant Jane Sagan, who in a series of diary entries gives her views on some of the events included in the series... and sheds new light into some previously unexplored corners. If you thought you knew Jane Sagan before, prepare to be surprised

Following on from the success of ‘The Speckled People’, Hugo Hamilton's new memoir recounts the summer he spent working at a local harbour in Ireland, at a time of tremendous fear and mistrust. Young Hugo longs to be released from the confused identity he has inherited from his German mother and Irish father, but the backdrop of his mother’s shame at the hands of Allied soldiers in the aftermath of the Second World War, along with his German cousin’s mysterious disappearance somewhere on the Irish West Coast and the spiralling troubles in the north, seems determined to trap him in history. In an attempt to break free of his past, Hugo rebels against his father’s strict and crusading regime and turns to the exciting new world of rock and roll, still a taboo subject in the family home. His job at the local harbour, rather than offering a welcome respite from his speckled world, entangles him in a bitter feud between two fishermen — one Catholic, one Protestant. Hugo listens to the missing persons bulletins going out on the radio for his German cousin, and watches the unfolding harbour duel end in drowning before he can finally escape the ropes of history

 Forced to flee his city of Melnibone, Elric and his sorcerous blade Stormbringer journey through barren hills to the edge of a black sea. Elric finds a dark ship and begins a voyage that will bring him face-to-face with all the champions Time can summon--and more

A man with no identity. A spy with no allegiance. A thief with no scruples. Simon Templar, a/k/a The Saint, is all of these things — and his services can be bought for the right price. Hired by a Russian nationalist to swipe a top-secret formula from an American electrochemist, Templar figures it’s rubles in the bag. But the beautiful Dr. Emma Russell proves to be much more than his usual mark, and stealing her life’s work brings on a sudden, unprecedented attack of Saintly ethics. Now, with love in his heart, Scotland Yard on his trail, and power-mad Muscovites hot on his heels, the Saint must dodge assassins’ bullets, crack killer security codes, and don a multitude of disguises in a desperate bid to save Russia, his personal angel, and his own less-than-virtuous life

Two intriguing tales of criminal strategy that feature The Saint at his best. In The Pastor’s Problem, Father Bernardo, pastor of St. Jude’s church, has a dilemma: the church owns a three-hundred-year-old jewel-encrusted silver chalice, bequeathed under the condition that it never be sold. But St. Jude’s is a desperately poor parish, and the money from the sale of the chalice would greatly relieve the plight of the parishioners. When The Saint comes up with an ingenious plan to steal the chalice and send Father Bernardo a “donation” for its assessed value, the pastor’s problem appears solved — until someone steals the chalice from The Saint! In The Unsaintly Santa, our hero finds himself in Cambridge shortly before Christmas, when a string of murders involving St. Enoch’s College are committed by a homicidal maniac dressed in a Santa Claus suit. With Christmas Day fast approaching The Saint must prevent this Unsaintly Santa from delivering anymore deadly presents

The Art Collectors The task befalls the Saint to rescue a beautiful girl from the clutches of some unsavory “art lovers.” Fairly routine for Simon Templar; not-so-routine is the lady’s possession of five paintings worth over a million which is making her a target for considerable international foul play. And where did she get those paintings? The Persistent Patriots The Saint’s nose for adventure takes him to Nagawiland, where, true to form, he happens to be in the right place at the right time to save the local P.M. from assassination. And then the fun begins

Readers are sure to enjoy rediscovering how ably Simon Templar, a.k.a. the Saint, manages to add a little more tarnish to his notorious halo. In this caper, the murderous, seamy life of Paris's Left Bank follows the Saint back to London and silently stalks its prey

Amos Klein was the name of the ingenious thriller-writer and S.W.O.R.D. (Secret World Organization for Retribution and Destruction) was the ruthless institution Amos Klein had created in fiction. Who was this brilliantly imaginative writer? One man was determind to find out, and when he did, a simple kidnapping would set his destructive plan in motion. His gang had already created a real-life S.W.O.R.D. — all they needed now was its creator. Neat? Very. Successful? Almost. Because they made two small but fatal mistakes. The beautiful, brainy Amity Little wasn’t Amos Klein’s secretary, and the man who accompanied her wasn’t Amos Klein — it was Simon Templar

On the eve of World War II the redoubtable Simon Templar (better known as THE SAINT) finds himself in the imperial city of Vienna, his attentions divided between a very sensuous countess and some legendary diamonds — both of which he is trying to keep out of Nazi hands. Since the days of the Holy Roman Empire, the legendary Hapsburg Necklace has been guarded by members of the Austrian nobility. But never before has it had so beautiful a protector as one Francesca, the Countess Malffy (also known as Frankie). And never before has it been so in danger of being stolen. For its hiding place, the Malffy ancestral manor, has recently been occupied by a new tenant — the Gestapo. And as THE SAINT and Frankie plan a mission to retrieve the necklace, it becomes increasingly apparent that the Germans are not their only adversaries. Also vying for the crown jewels is a most unpredictable eccentric who is every bit a match for Simon Templar

They didn’t figure in the trade figures but somebody was importing goods into Britain —human goods When a waiter at an Indian restaurant is crucified in a Soho garage and when a patron of that restaurant is the famous Simon Templar, it spells trouble for the most nefarious export-import business ever. In particular it spelled trouble for: Shortwave —a man so tuned-in, he couldn’t turn off. Kalki —who takes an underwater plunge which lasts a whole lot longer than the regulation three minutes. Fowler —the Boss who plays very dirty indeed — and fouls once too often

Simon Templar is driving leisurely through the French countryside on his way from Avignon to the Riviera. He picks up to hitch-hikers, students who are going to work at Château Ingare, a small vineyard on the site of a former stronghold of the Knights Templar, a society of medieval adventurers who began by protecting pilgrims to the Holy Land and were later believed to have become corrupt and immensely wealthy in the process, although their reputed treasure has never been found. The coincidence of this association with his own name intrigues Simon enough for him to take his passengers all the way to the château. They arrive on the estate to find a fire in the barn, apparently the work of arsonists. Simon’s hand is slightly injured, and Mimette, the attractive young daughter of the owner, insist on taking him to the château to have it dressed. He learns that the burning of the barn is only the latest of many misfortunes that have afflicted the vineyard since a cryptic ancient tombstone was discovered on the property: These have revived all the old legends about the curse of the Templars and their treasure. When Simon attempts to leave, another apparent accident obliges Mimette and her father to invite him to stay a few days as their guest. It is not long before a real and indisputable murder proves that he has involved himself in something very sinister but certainly not supernatural

Bermuda, England, France, the Middle East, Malaya and Vancouver are stopping places for adventures to catch up with the Saint. They include a missing bridegroom, a lady and a gentleman Bluebeard, murder in a nudist colony, dowsing for oil for a Sheik, and putting a dent into dope smuggling. The trademarks of impudence and extravagant odds make this a lightfingered collection

The Saint and Hoppy Uniatz didn't go looking for trouble. But they didn't expect the barroom brawl, the gorgeous girl, or the murderous Reuben Graner and his gang. And they certainly didn't expect the two million dollar lottery ticket which read: "Pay to bearer"

In these three classic stories, the Saint investigates crimes that have left the police confounded. In The High Fence, he hunts down a villain who somehow manages to kill people just before they can reveal his identity; The Elusive Ellshaw sees him on the track of a man meant to have died a year before; and a letter calling for help sends him to a sleepy seaside pub disturbed by mysterious underground rumblings in The Case of the Frightened Innkeeper. One thing is sure: despite death threats, gunfire and kidnapping, the Saint will go on until his curiosity is satisfied

In these three stories set in the American west, the Saint finds ways to get into his usual trouble. He travels to Arizona in pursuit of a Nazi scientist who wants to take over a ranch to mine the mercury underneath, goes to Palm Springs and gets hired as the bodyguard to an alcoholic millionaire, and almost becomes a movie star in Hollywood

Simon Templar, the inimitable Saint, takes on three high adventures: The Spanish War puts him on the trail of a murder and forty thousand pounds, sterling; The Unlicensed Victuallers gives Simon a chance to play at his favorite American game — hijacking; and when a luscious movie star is threatened with blackmail in The Beauty Specialist it's the Saint to the rescue!

Three more stories of Saintly adventure show Simon Templar interpreting the law to his own advantage. In The Simon Templar Foundation, a poisonous legacy from his enemy Rayt Marius gives him the opportunity to make a great deal of money — if he can survive equally great danger. The Higher Finance puts him up against the police, a reclusive millionaire, and the wild beast that roams his mansion at night. And in The Art of Alibi, he faces the most impudent opponent of all: someone who is stealing his symbol, and committing crimes in his name

Simon Templar, alias the Saint, as he tours the gayest and deadliest spots in Europe and finds suspense and chilling action when he meets the man from Paris who lost his head, from the neck up; the Spanish Cow who wore a fortune in diamonds, a modern-day Rhine Maiden — and all the others who figure in this Grand Tour to Danger!

A mysterious summons and a hidden Nazi submarine scatter death from Miami's luxurious beach villas to the treacherous Everglades

How Simon Templar cleans up corruption in Manhattan and brings the mob along with its mysterious leader to justice all in the space of forty-eight hours. Another long weekend — for the Saint

The Saint is in Portugal on the trail of a young woman whose father was in the US Army and disappeared towards the end of the war. Her father worked as an investigator, tracing large sums of money. Soon the Saint and the Ungodly are on the trail of Nazi gold

Simon Templar, alias the Saint, has been called by some the law's best friend — by others, its worst enemy. As he himself puts it, "I'm a catalyst. Half the time I don't have to do anything except stand around. Somebody hears I'm the Saint, and I shoot a few arrows in the air, and the fireworks start." A man's man, a woman's dream, the Saint moves with equal ease through the highest and lowest strata of international society. In these seven fast-paced adventures the Saint heads for sunny climes, hitting the fabulous — and corrupt — pleasure resorts of two continents, among them Saint Tropez, Cannes, Nassau, and Florida

Two tales of political intrigue in which the Saint untangles international issues. In The Imprudent Professor the free world ignores a professors brilliant strategy for harnessing solar energy — because of its threat to major oil suppliers. The professor, who lives only for the day his discovery will be put into practice, is deceived into believing in a vision of near-Utopian existence in the Soviet Union. The results might have been disastrous had his beautiful daughter not secured the aid of the illustrious Simon Templar — the Saint. In The Red Sabbath, the Saint and Leila, his beautiful Israeli accomplice must track down the head of the Red Sabbath — a group of cold-blooded assassins whose targets are often the defenseless. Even the Saint is not above using the oldest trick in the book and when he discovers that Hakim had a girl in London, he baits his hook. Things proceed rather smoothly, though the beautiful Leila proves to be more difficult than the cold-hearted killer

In this collection of short stories, the Saint intervenes to teach a motley bag of criminals the error of their ways. Crooked financiers, bookies, fake inventors, dodgy bankers, dealers in pornography, unethical businessmen, murderers, thieves and liars — all will come to regret the day their actions caught the Saint's attention

Roger the Chapman Mystery #9 It is October 1477 and Roger the Chapman, newly married and still enjoying wedded bliss, is surprised to find his old, familiar feeling of restlessness returning. Within a month he is setting off, once again, on the ancient ridge road that dissects Dartmoor and heads for Plymouth, driven by some instinct that he is needed there. Roger accepts a lift from a carter who is going to visit his daughter, Joanna, in the oldest part of the city. Roger’s instinct is soon proven correct when Joanna tells the story of her neighbor, Master Capstick, who was brutally beaten to death. The chief suspect is Capstick’s great-nephew, Beric. Master Capstick’s housekeeper saw Beric leaving the house that morning, his tunic stained with blood, and many more people saw the young man’s wild ride for home on his great black horse. When the King’s men arrived at Beric’s manor house, though, the horse was already in the stables – and Beric had somehow managed to vanish completely. The local people, quick to fall back on the witchcraft of their ancestors, blame the Saint John’s fern, which if eaten can make a man invisible. Roger, already responsible for solving many difficult mysteries, suspects that there is a more obvious answer and begins his own inquiries. Roger notices that he is not the first to approach witnesses, and when an attempt is made on his life, Roger knows he must be close to a truth that is even more extraordinary than the superstition – if only he can live to tell it

In which Simon Templar joins Scotland Yard's Special Branch to the surprise and consternation of Chief Inspector Teal, and confronts beautiful Jill Trelawney, leader of the London underworld. Consciousness raising for the Saint

When a shipment of iridium is stolen the Saint hatches a scheme to recover the goods — but then one of his prime leads is murdered and he's framed for the crime. He escapes to Galveston in Texas in pursuit of a man who has been sabotaging weapons factories, only for him to turn up burnt to a crisp. The Saint has to contend with the local police, a trio of mysterious men and a beautiful Russian in his attempt to get to the bottom of what is going on

The Saint is a traditionalist — he knows what a good pirate story needs. Gold, hidden treasure, smugglers, dastardly villains and damsels in distress. From Bimini to Nassau, via Jamaica and Haiti, the Saint travels the Caribbean — interrupting his holidays to settle disputes, solve murders, overthrow governments, and hunt for treasure. Wherever he lands, you can be sure that the Ungodly will get what's coming to them

The saint, whose real name is Simon Templar, is back, in some very special adventures that will captivate his TV fans and fascinate all lovers of good mystery fiction. Violence and murder among students, hippies and members of the “youth culture” involve. The Saint this time. An arch-black-mailer, a psychological experiment that involves students in a “murder game” that turns into the real thing these are some of the far-out ingredients in this boiling cauldron of homicidal happenings

Murder and Mystery Ride the High Seas With The Saint and: A BEAUTIFUL BLONDE IN A BATHING SUIT who climbs on board his boat one night — under a hail of bullets! A MILLIONAIRE PIRATE whose fortune had been made looting sunken treasure ships — operating under the noses of the salvage companies. PLUS A strange invention which leads the Saint to a death-struggle at the bottom of the English Channel — with a fortune in gold bullion awaiting the winner!

When the Saint goes fishing, he catches an unusual specimen in the shape of a young lady claiming to be Adolf Hitler’s daughter. And when the Ungodly also arrive on the scene, it seems clear the fish will just have to wait

A new opium ring was flooding the country with all the misery, vice, and murder that go with the illicit traffic in drugs. How could Dr. Zellermann, the Park Avenue psychiatrist, be linked with the distribution of the dope? What did New York's bawdiest rendezvous for seamen, Cookie's Canteen, have to do with it? And where did 903 Bubbling Well Road, Shanghai enter the picture? It was the business of Simon Templar (The Saint) to find the answers to these questions. It was his job to track down and bring to justice the "top brass" of the criminal organization that made these connections profitable. But, the Saint was sick — love-sick. He had been so ever since he first laid eyes on lovely Avalon Dexter. She was utterly desirable; her laughter was like "bells at twilight"; and honesty seemed to look out of her eyes! The Saint "had it bad." Most important, Avalon was in a position to help him immeasurably with his mission. However, she might be one of the international gang he had vowed to smash! Templar had to be sure. His life was at stake!

With the outbreak of the Second World War, the Saint has almost turned respectable. Employed by a secret wing of the government to track down spies and take on cases the ordinary police can't touch, he is dining in Washington DC when a young woman asks for his help. Her father, a noted scientist, has invented a new form of synthetic rubber — and now he has disappeared, and she is under threat. Simon is sceptical — but he swiftly realises there's something to her story. Soon he finds himself on the hunt of a band of conspirators who will stop at nothing to ensure the invention never sees the light of day

Here, in his six intrigues, the Saint becomes involved with everything from haunted ladies, tycoon, and a Candy King in California to justice in Georgia and a Florida dragon whose scales were mathematical — and adventures that are “big enough” even for the swashbuckling Saint

Simon Templar is the Saint — daring, dazzling, and just a little disreputable. On the side of the law, but standing outside it, he dispenses his own brand of justice one criminal at a time In these three stories, the Saint finds himself embroiled in further plots and facing new enemies. The Inland Revenue sees him up against the most unyielding opponent ever — the taxman. In The Million Pound Scandal, a good deed leads Simon to uncover a plot to undermine the Italian economy, and in The Melancholy Journey of Mr Teal the Saint's retirement plans are scuppered when a couple of murderous diamond smugglers object to his scheme of taking their loot for his pension

The Saint was on the continent to get a little peace and quiet. But it was more to his liking to sample that lovely European intrigue that was so much in the air. It all began with a little man who had a pouch of diamonds chained to his wrist. Then there was the Munich chateau where the Baron displayed his fasinating medieval torture devices

Castagnetti (informally known as 'Casta') is a private detective who doesn't do things by the book. He's dogged and lonely, impatient with the world of appearances and deceit. So when a pompous notary commissions him to verify that a missing person is 'presumed dead' in order to dispose of a dead woman's estate to the other heirs, Casta smells a rat. Before long he's reopening wounds from years ago and exposing family secrets to those who have tried to suppress them. The relatives of Signora Salati just want their their inheritance, but Casta is going to make sure they get their just desserts as well. Because Casta isn't the sort to content himself with 'presumed dead'. He likes certainty, the kind of certainty that comes from seeing a skeleton. As the Salati case progresses, other corpses appear and Casta realizes he's at the center of an old-fashioned Italian whodunit. "The Salati Case" marks the appearance of a new and memorable detective: an orphan who has pulled himself up from the mean streets

On Friday, May 11, 2001, the world mourned the untimely passing of Douglas Adams, beloved creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, dead of a heart attack at age forty-nine. Thankfully, in addition to a magnificent literary legacy—which includes seven novels and three co-authored works of nonfiction—Douglas left us something more. The book you are about to enjoy was rescued from his four computers, culled from an archive of chapters from his long-awaited novel-in-progress, as well as his short stories, speeches, articles, interviews, and letters. In a way that none of his previous books could,The Salmon of Doubt provides the full, dazzling, laugh-out-loud experience of a journey through the galaxy as perceived by Douglas Adams. From a boy’s first love letter (to his favorite science fiction magazine) to the distinction of possessing a nose of heroic proportions; from climbing Kilimanjaro in a rhino costume to explaining why Americans can’t make a decent cup of tea; from lyrical tributes to the sublime pleasures found in music by Procol Harum, the Beatles, and Bach to the follies of his hopeless infatuation with technology; from fantastic, fictional forays into the private life of Genghis Khan to extended visits with Dirk Gently and Zaphod Beeblebrox: this is the vista from the elevated perch of one of the tallest, funniest, most brilliant, and most penetrating social critics and thinkers of our time. Welcome to the wonderful mind of Douglas Adams