Deputy Chief Constable Bob Skinner believes the past is behind him when he solves the riddle of his wife's death. Investigating another murder should be easy. However, when the victim is the widow of a government minister and her son has been kidnapped, he knows he will get personally involved.
The good people of Pickax are agog with anticipation: Not only is the new bookstore, The Pirate's Chest, about to open, but the Theatre Club is set to perform Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. The play does not continue past opening night, however, for a member of the cast is killed in a car accident . . . or was it an accident? Koko seems to suspect otherwise, and Qwill and his clever cats have their work cut out for them.
Ehlana, queen of Elenia, clings to life by a thread, preserved within a diamond-like block of crystal conjured by a sorceress with the aid of a dozen Pandion knights. For a year, their lives will save hers. However there is a lost jewel which will save her life, if it can be found.
The gathering might of revolutionary France prepares to engulf Europe in another bloody war. As in the past, Britain will stand or fall by the fighting power of her fleet. For Richard Bolitho, the renewal of hostilities means a fresh command and the chance of action after long months of inactivity. However, his mission to support Lord Hood in the monarchist-inspired occupation of Toulon has gone awry. Bolitho and the crew of the Hyperion are trapped by the French near a dry Mediterranean island.
This book introduces a subject that will be new to many: sonic arts. The application of sound to other media (such as film or video) is well known and the idea of sound as a medium in its own right (such as radio) is also widely accepted. However, the idea that sound could also be a distinct art form by itself is less well established and often misunderstood.
