The Riverman

Alistair Cleary is the kid who everyone trusts. Fiona Loomis is not the typical girl next door. Alistair hasn't really thought of her since they were little kids until she shows up at his doorstep with a proposition: she wants him to write her biography. What begins as an odd vanity project gradually turns into a frightening glimpse into the mind of a potentially troubled girl. Fiona says that in her basement, there's a portal that leads to a magical world where a creature called the Riverman is stealing the souls of children. And Fiona's soul could be next. If Fiona really believes what she's saying, Alistair fears she may be crazy. But if it's true, her life could be at risk. In this novel from Aaron Starmer, it's up to Alistair to separate fact from fiction, fantasy from reality.

After a search of over twenty years, one of America's most elusive serial killers was finally apprehended. Now, read the true story of one man's attempt to get inside se mind of the Green River Killer July 15, 1982: 3 woman's strangled body was filed, caught on the pilings of Washington state's Green River. Before long, the "Green River Killer" would be suspected in at least forty-nine more homicides, with no end in sight. Then the authorities received an unbelievable letter from the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy -- then on Florida's death row -- offering to help catch the Green River Killer. But he would only talk to one man: Robert Keppel, the former homicide detective who had helped track Bundy's cross-county killing spree. Now these conversations are revealed, in which Bundy speculates about the motive and methods of the Green River Killer -- and reveals his own twisted secrets as well. Now, as never before, we look into the face of evil...and into the heart of a killer.

‘Brilliant, clear, and humane’ Elizabeth Gilbert ‘Miraculous and hopeful’ Emma Straub Riverman: An American Odyssey uncovers the story of an extraordinary man and his puzzling disappearance, and paints a picture of the singular spirit of America’s riverbank towns.

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray's bestselling Scottish detective series*** ***Don't miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.*** Whether you've read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, THE RIVERMAN is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES: 'Warm-hearted, atmospheric' ANN CLEEVES 'Relentless and intriguing' PETER MAY 'Move over Rebus' DAILY MAIL 'Exciting, pacey, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS 'Superior writing' THE TIMES 'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH _______________ When the dead body of a man is fished out of Glasgow's River Clyde the morning after an office celebration, it looks like a case of accidental death. An anonymous telephone call and a forensic toxicology test, however, give DCI Lorimer reason to think otherwise. Probing deeper into the life and business of the deceased accountant, Duncan Forbes, a seemingly upright member of the community, Lorimer find only yet more unanswered questions. And when the firm's human resources manager is found dead in her riverside flat these questions become only more complex -- not to mention more disturbing. And Lorimer is having to cope not only with deceptions devised to hide the facts, but also with suspicions from those far closer to home . . .

Twelve-year-old Alistair continues his quest to find his missing friend, Fiona, in Aquavania, a world where wishes can nearly come true, but he learns that the Whisper, once a boy named Charlie from his own world, has plans for Alistair and has used Fiona to try to get to him.

The extraordinary conclusion to the critically acclaimed Riverman trilogy.

Super fans. Groupies. Stalkers.These people will give anything for the idols they worship, be they rock stars, actor, or authors. Or even serial killers.Lori's obsession is with Edmund Cox, who was convicted of butchering more than twenty women. She will do anything to get close to him, so when he gives her a task, she accepts.She has no idea of the horror that awaits her.Edmund says she must go to his cabin in the woods and retrieve a key to deliver to a mysterious figure known only as The River Man.She brings along her sister, and the trip becomes a surreal nightmare, one that digs up Lori's personal demons, the ones she feels bonds her to Edmund. Soon she will learn The River Man is not quite fact or folklore, and definitely not human . . . at least not anymore.

Blythe, California, is located along the Colorado River in the Palo Verde Valley, a part of the great Sonoran Desert. The town is, in modern times, 100 miles from nowhere, two hours of high-speed freeway travel to anywhere. Riverman Desertman describes the settlement and early work in the Valley, when getting there was a two-day trip north from the stage stop at Glamis, or south from Blythe Junction (now the town of Rice). There was no established road to the west, across nearly 100 miles of open desert to the Coachella Valley. Travelers to the east had to be ferried across the river, where they faced a trek of at least 60 miles to Wickenburg. All of this took place, in 1907, at the pace of a mule team or a fast horse. Blythe pioneer Camiel Dekens recollections graphically describe the difficulties early settlers faced in their efforts to transform a river-bottom valley to a productive farming community. At the same time, he paints vivid portraits of some of the individuals who shared his time and space, many of whom gave their names to streets and roads that crisscross the Palo Verde Valley. According to Riverside County Historical Commission Chairman Bill Jennings, in his Forward to the 1990 Edition: Riverman, Desertman fills a vital niche in the short shelf of Riverside County history books. In the late 1950's, a veteran newspaper writer, Tom Patter-son, met Camiel Dekens and their chemistry was responsible for creating a rich memoir that chronicles an important time in the desert's long history. Because it concerns a relatively obscure area and represents one man's impact, it might otherwise have been ignored in the sparse recorded history of the Colorado (Western Sonoran) Desert. Tom had no tape recorder, being a newsman of the old school. Instead, he took tons of handwritten notes and went over the data carefully with his source. As a result, Riverman, Desertman is a concise, competent accurate chapter in the rich history of Riverside County. Co-author Tom Patterson, in his Introduction, says: This book is primarily the story of Palo Verde Valley in its days of hard struggle, early hope and steady growth from 1907 until 1922. During most of that time Camiel Dekens struggled along with it. Interestingly, the period of his own personal difficulties came when despondency began to overcome the Valley and his sense of mission returned when the Valley could again see its way ahead. Dekens, who applied himself to a raw place and saw it become the home of commerce and family life felt himself distinctly a part of Palo Verde Valley. Dekens recollections of characteristics of the Palo Verde Valley in the early years of the twentieth century-- its remote location, desert surroundings and the impact of a mighty and untamed river make this work a unique contribution to the history of a unique and remote area.

"Call it coincidence, call it fate. This is the place you come. There's no one else. This is the entire world." These words welcome Martin Maple to the village of Xibalba. Like the other children who've journeyed there, he faces an awful truth. He was forgotten. When families and friends all disappeared one afternoon, these were the only ones left behind. There's Darla, who drives a monster truck, Felix, who uses string and wood to rebuild the Internet, Lane, who crafts elaborate contraptions, and nearly 40 others, each equally brilliant and peculiar. Inspired by the prophesies of a mysterious boy who talks to animals, Martin believes he can reunite them with their loved ones. But believing and knowing are two different things, as he soon discovers with the push of a button, flip of a switch, turn of a dial. . . .