Trouble in Spades


Book Description

Landscaping is Nina Quinn's business, but trouble seems to be her middle name. Saddled with a recently expelled, faithless local–cop husband, a teenaged terror of a stepson, and the yappiest, most unhousebreakable Chihuahua in captivity, Nina needs a respite –– and the backyard makeover she's undertaking for her sister Maria and Nate, Maria's fiance, may do the trick. But, of course, Nate vanishes mysteriously, and Nina's gardening magic inadvertently turns up a corpse. And with a thief on the prowl who's preying on the neighborhood elderly, a suspicious Pandora's Box of a package arriving on her doorstep, and yet another body inconveniently turning up, Nina's going to have to dig into her community's dirtiest little secrets to regain her peace and sanity –– if she can manage to stay alive long enough to enjoy it.




Master Spades


Book Description

Master Spades details technique and strategy for the popular card game of Spades. Written by the leading authority on the game, this book instructs the serious player on winning techniques.




Ace of Spades


Book Description

Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully. All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. —Aces When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too. Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures. As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly? With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.




How Not to Lose at Spades


Book Description

Instructional book on the card game Spades




A Hoe Lot of Trouble


Book Description

There's a serpent loose in Nina's garden ... Nina Colette Ceceri Quinn's business, Taken by Surprise -- a landscaping firm specializing in surprise garden makeovers -- is the only thing in her life that seems to be thriving. Her marriage to adulterous police detective Kevin Quinn has wilted. Her antisocial stepson Riley is spreading trouble around like pungent manure. Even her gardening tools are disappearing, including a rather valuable set of hoes. Worst of all, the delightful old man who first introduced her to the joys of horticulture is dead -- and not by natural causes. Something evil has taken root in Nina's Ohio small town, and the local police -- including dearly unbeloved Kev -- are baffled. But it's amazing what a resourceful gardener can dig up when she puts her mind to it -- though, by sticking her hands too deeply into this fetid, fertile soil, Nina might well end up planted beneath her own petunias.




Kill Game


Book Description

Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He's reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he's prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo. Dominic likes his life free of complications. That means no tangling with cops -- especially prickly, uptight detectives. But when he stumbles across one of the Seven of Spades's horrifying crime scenes, he can't let go, despite Levi's warnings to stay away. The Seven of Spades is ruthless and always two moves ahead. Worst of all, they've taken a dangerously personal interest in Levi and Dominic. Forced to trust each other, the two men race to discover the killer's identity, revealing hidden truths along the way and sparking a bond neither man expected. But that may not be enough to protect them. This killer likes to play games, and the deck is not stacked in Levi and Dominic's favor.




Digging Up Trouble


Book Description

Digging Her Own Grave Landscaper Nina Quinn makes her living from surprise garden makeovers. It's not her fault that someone duped her into digging up the wrong yard. And she certainly can't be blamed when her handiwork turns the unsuspecting real owner apoplectic and he drops dead from a heart attack . . . can she? Nina's got enough trouble already, with her divorce from faithless hubby Kevin nearing completion and her unruly stepson up to his teenage neck in possibly illegal mischief. Now she's in danger of losing her business! But there's something screwy about this rather convenient "accidental" death of a man whom apparently no one could stand -- not even the "grieving" widow who's threatening to sue Nina's overalls off. To save her livelihood -- and her skin -- Nina's going to have to dig deeper into the dirt than she ever has before . . . and see what sort of slimy secret things crawl out.




Queen of Spades


Book Description

Queen of Spades revamps the classic Pushkin fable of the same name, transplanted to a mysterious Seattle-area casino populated by a pit boss with six months to live, a dealer obsessing over the mysterious methods of an elderly customer known as the Countess, and a recovering gambler who finds herself trapped in a cultish twelve-step program. With a breathtaking climax that rivals the best Hong Kong gambling movies, Michael Shou-Yung Shum's debut novel delivers the thrilling highs and lows that come when we cede control of our futures to the roll of the dice and the turn of a card.




King of Spades


Book Description

I never expected to start my 18th birthday off with a bang. Literally. This town was run by violent gangs and I lived a quiet life as the criminal prosecutor's daughter. But the day of my 18th birthday, everything changed. Suddenly I was on the radar of both gangs. I should be scared. I should be fearful. But my desire for danger has taken over. I could be walking into a trap. But Reed, Colton and Grayson, the infamous Spades Trio are dragging me into the darkness... And down the rabbit's hole I go.... KING OF SPADES is a full length mature dark high school gang related adult romance with some enemies-to-lovers themes. This is a reverse harem novel, meaning the main female character has more than one love interest. KING OF SPADES is book one in the Black Spades Trilogy.




Rise and Fly


Book Description

“Proficiency in whist implies capacity for success in all these more important undertakings where mind struggles against mind.” —Edgar Allan Poe, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” “Ha, ha, fool, ya lost! Rise and fly, %@#*!” —Uncle Ralph after running a Boston, Jones family reunion, 2002 Here’s a rollicking celebration and guide to bid whist, the official game of family reunions, cookouts, backyard barbecues, and house parties. In Rise and Fly, veteran journalists Greg Morrison and Yanick Rice Lamb explore the deeper secrets of the game, including: • strategies for beating the stuffing out of your opponents • hints for successful trash-talking • the official rules and exotic variations to keep things interesting • tips for organizing tournaments • resources for taking your game to the next level • a whole slew of recipes for whist-worthy snacks Full of history, lore, and the personal recollections of celebrities and regular folks alike, this is the first all-in-one book of bid whist, a treasure for anyone who’s ever pulled up to the table and been dealt in.