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Burner / by Greaney, Mark,author.;
"In the latest thrilling novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series, Court Gentry is sent on a mission by a person he doesn't trust to snatch a target he can't stand from the clutches of Russian assassins he can't defeat ... and those are the upsides of the job. Alex Velesky is in a world of trouble. He has the key that can unlock the truth behind a web of illicit payments the Russians have spread around the globe. The money is used to subvert governments, pay off politicians and bankroll terrorist groups-among other things. Incredibly powerful forces will do anything to keep this particular secret from getting out. But the only man who can put the information together and get it out to the world is 4000 miles away in New York City. There's no way a Swiss banker like Velesky can hope to stay ahead of the killers on his trail that long. Lucky for him, he's got an ace up his sleeve. Zoya Zakharova, former Russian intelligence officer, former CIA agent and the Gray Man's current lover is determined to get the information and its courier safely to its destination. What she doesn't know is that there is one particularly dangerous force standing in her path-Court Gentry. In the past, he and Zoya have always worked together, but even two people who have spent their lives in the shadows can lose themselves in the dark"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Spy fiction.; Novels.; Assassins; Intelligence officers; Organized crime; Terrorism; Undercover operations;

The portrait : a novel / by Steel, Danielle,author.;
Devon Darcy's reputation precedes her. As a highly sought-after portrait artist, she seems to have the ability to peer into the souls of her subjects and then capture them on canvas. But the world doesn't know about the devastating losses she has endured, first as an orphan, then as a far-too-young widow. When entrepreneur Charles Mackenzie Taylor sees her at a New York gallery event, he is instantly haunted by her beauty and her talent. Having lost his mother when he was thirteen, and still living in the cold shadow of his late banker father's disapproval, Charlie has given up on love. He's resigned himself to a loveless marriage to avoid the inconvenience of divorce. But Devon awakens something in him across that crowded gallery, and she is in turn intrigued by Charlie. He approaches her to paint his portrait, and while her schedule is booked for many months before she can accommodate him, with the electricity between them palpable. When they encounter each other over the summer in the Hamptons, their connection deepens as they each release years of pent-up emotions and unfulfilled longing. But the ghosts of their pasts are not easily put to rest. Charlie wrestles with his fear of real intimacy for the first time in his life, while Devon struggles with her fear of abandonment. And after an accident endangers Devon's career, they must decide together what their future holds.
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Businessmen; Businesspeople; Man-woman relationships; Secrecy; Widows; Women artists;

Burner [text (large print)] / by Greaney, Mark,author.;
"In the latest thrilling novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series, Court Gentry is sent on a mission by a person he doesn't trust to snatch a target he can't stand from the clutches of Russian assassins he can't defeat ... and those are the upsides of the job. Alex Velesky is in a world of trouble. He has the key that can unlock the truth behind a web of illicit payments the Russians have spread around the globe. The money is used to subvert governments, pay off politicians and bankroll terrorist groups-among other things. Incredibly powerful forces will do anything to keep this particular secret from getting out. But the only man who can put the information together and get it out to the world is 4000 miles away in New York City. There's no way a Swiss banker like Velesky can hope to stay ahead of the killers on his trail that long. Lucky for him, he's got an ace up his sleeve. Zoya Zakharova, former Russian intelligence officer, former CIA agent and the Gray Man's current lover is determined to get the information and its courier safely to its destination. What she doesn't know is that there is one particularly dangerous force standing in her path-Court Gentry. In the past, he and Zoya have always worked together, but even two people who have spent their lives in the shadows can lose themselves in the dark"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Spy fiction.; Large type books.; Novels.; Assassins; Intelligence officers; Organized crime; Terrorism; Undercover operations;

The portrait [text (large print)] : a novel / by Steel, Danielle,author.;
Devon Darcy's reputation precedes her. As a highly sought-after portrait artist, she seems to have the ability to peer into the souls of her subjects and then capture them on canvas. But the world doesn't know about the devastating losses she has endured, first as an orphan, then as a far-too-young widow. When entrepreneur Charles Mackenzie Taylor sees her at a New York gallery event, he is instantly haunted by her beauty and her talent. Having lost his mother when he was thirteen, and still living in the cold shadow of his late banker father's disapproval, Charlie has given up on love. He's resigned himself to a loveless marriage to avoid the inconvenience of divorce. But Devon awakens something in him across that crowded gallery, and she is in turn intrigued by Charlie. He approaches her to paint his portrait, and while her schedule is booked for many months before she can accommodate him, with the electricity between them palpable. When they encounter each other over the summer in the Hamptons, their connection deepens as they each release years of pent-up emotions and unfulfilled longing. But the ghosts of their pasts are not easily put to rest. Charlie wrestles with his fear of real intimacy for the first time in his life, while Devon struggles with her fear of abandonment. And after an accident endangers Devon's career, they must decide together what their future holds.
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Large print books.; Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Businessmen; Businesspeople; Man-woman relationships; Secrecy; Widows; Women artists;

Somewhere : stories of migration by women from around the world / by Clark, Helen,1950-writer of foreword.; Harvey, Lorna Jane,1977-editor.;
Somewhere is an inspiring collection of stories about migration. Written from twenty women's perspectives, it brings a refreshing and uniting voice to this compelling and trending topic. More people are likely to be migrating now than at any other time in history, and this is set to increase as climate change and political unrest pushes even more people to relocate. The implications of migration, especially for women, are often unknown, unheard, unspoken. From the fleeing refugee to the political and economic migrant, a broad range of migration by people of many cultures, ethnicities, and beliefs is shared in this book. Identity, belonging, assimilation and alienation are some of the key topics in this sometimes sad but also joyful book. Treasures of wisdom and heartfelt honesty are found in the stories. The book will give the reader hope, encouragement, or insight into a globally relevant subject on a personal level rather than through distant, abstract news stories. Somewhere encourages open-mindedness and is filled with stories that will likely have a strong impact on the reader.
Subjects: Women immigrants; Emigration and immigration.;

Once a thief / by Reich, Christopher,1961-author.;
Simon Riske sits in sun-dappled Napa Valley, toasting the record hundred-million-dollar sale of a rare 1963 Ferrari which he restored himself. The buyer, a sophisticated French woman, Sylvie Bettencourt, has purchased the car for an unnamed client whose anonymity she will guard at all costs. Riske enjoys her company and the flowing champagne until Sylvie's formidable Russian bodyguard storms in, claiming the vehicle is a fake. Riske is given an ultimatum. Prove the car is the real thing ... or else. Meanwhile, in Lugano, Switzerland, Carl Bildt, banker to the rich and nefarious, is killed by a powerful car bomb, moments before he can deliver evidence to the authorities and disappear into witness protection. His beautiful and headstrong daughter, Anna, rushes to Switzerland to investigate her father's violent death. As Simon Riske strives to prove the Ferraris' authenticity and look deeper into Sylvie's past-and the identity of her client--he crosses paths with Anna Bildt and discovers they have an enemy in common. From the bustling streets of London to a secret outpost high in the French Alps, from the freeports of Corsica to the glittering beaches of the Costa Smeralda, the Emerald Coast, of Sardinia, Riske and Anna find themselves players in a deadly game, where billions of dollars change hands and knowledge is paid for with your life. Told with Reich's signature stylish prose, clever plotting, and pulse-pounding action sequences, Once a Thief, is sure to appeal to longtime fans of the series and newcomers alike. Riske may be a bit older, showing a little wear and tear, but his desire to get the job done at any cost is stronger than ever.
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Spy fiction.; Novels.; Money laundering; Murder; Spies;

The looting machine : warlords, oligarchs, corporations, smugglers, and the theft of Africa's wealth / by Burgis, Tom.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.A curse of riches -- Futungo, Inc. -- "It is forbidden to piss in the park" -- Incubators of poverty -- Guanxi -- when elephants fight, the grass gets trampled -- A bridge to Beijing -- Finance and cyanide -- God has nothing to do with it -- Black gold -- the new money kings -- Complicity.The trade in oil, gas, gems, metals and rare earth minerals wreaks havoc in Africa. During the years when Brazil, India, China and the other "emerging markets" have transformed their economies, Africa's resource states remained tethered to the bottom of the industrial supply chain. While Africa accounts for about 30 per cent of the world's reserves of hydrocarbons and minerals and 14 per cent of the world's population, its share of global manufacturing stood in 2011 exactly where it stood in 2000: at 1 percent. In his first book, The Looting Machine , Tom Burgis exposes the truth about the African development miracle: for the resource states, it's a mirage. The oil, copper, diamonds, gold and coltan deposits attract a global network of traders, bankers, corporate extractors and investors who combine with venal political cabals to loot the states' value. And the vagaries of resource-dependent economies could pitch Africa's new middle class back into destitution just as quickly as they climbed out of it. The ground beneath their feet is as precarious as a Congolese mine shaft; their prosperity could spill away like crude from a busted pipeline. This catastrophic social disintegration is not merely a continuation of Africa's past as a colonial victim. The looting now is accelerating as never before. As global demand for Africa's resources rises, a handful of Africans are becoming legitimately rich but the vast majority, like the continent as a whole, is being fleeced. Outsiders tend to think of Africa as a great drain of philanthropy. But look more closely at the resource industry and the relationship between Africa and the rest of the world looks rather different.LSC
Subjects: Mineral industries; Mines and mineral resources;

Survival of the richest : escape fantasies of the tech billionaires / by Rushkoff, Douglas,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."The tech elite have a plan to survive the apocalypse: they want to leave us all behind. Five mysterious billionaires summoned theorist Douglas Rushkoff to a desert resort for a private talk. The topic? How to survive the "Event": the societal catastrophe they know is coming. Rushkoff came to understand that these men were under the influence of The Mindset, a Silicon Valley-style certainty that they and their cohort can break the laws of physics, economics, and morality to escape a disaster of their own making-as long as they have enough money and the right technology. In Survival of the Richest, Rushkoff traces the origins of The Mindset in science and technology through its current expression in missions to Mars, island bunkers, AI futurism, and the metaverse. In a dozen urgent, electrifying chapters, he confronts tech utopianism, the datafication of all human interaction, and the exploitation of that data by corporations. Through fascinating characters-master programmers who want to remake the world from scratch as if redesigning a video game and bankers who return from Burning Man convinced that incentivized capitalism is the solution to environmental disasters-Rushkoff explains why those with the most power to change our current trajectory have no interest in doing so. And he shows how recent forms of anti-mainstream rebellion-QAnon, for example, or meme stocks-reinforce the same destructive order. This mind-blowing work of social analysis shows us how to transcend the landscape The Mindset created-a world alive with algorithms and intelligences actively rewarding our most selfish tendencies-and rediscover community, mutual aid, and human interdependency. In a thundering conclusion, Survival of the Richest argues that the only way to survive the coming catastrophe is to ensure it doesn't happen in the first place"--
Subjects: Billionaires; Survivalism; Technology and civilization;

The Portrait A Novel [electronic resource] : by Steel, Danielle.aut; CloudLibrary;
A gifted portrait artist and a high-powered subject confront past wounds to embrace new love in this poignant novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel. Devon Darcy’s reputation precedes her. As a highly sought-after portrait artist, she seems to have the ability to peer into the souls of her subjects and then capture them on canvas. But the world doesn’t know about the devastating losses she has endured, first as an orphan, then as a far-too-young widow. When entrepreneur Charles Mackenzie Taylor sees her at a New York gallery event, he is instantly haunted by her beauty and her talent. Having lost his mother when he was thirteen, and still living in the cold shadow of his late banker father’s disapproval, Charlie has given up on love. He’s resigned himself to a loveless marriage to avoid the inconvenience of divorce. But Devon awakens something in him across that crowded gallery, and she is in turn intrigued by Charlie. He approaches her to paint his portrait, and while her schedule is booked for many months before she can accommodate him, with the electricity between them palpable. When they encounter each other over the summer in the Hamptons, their connection deepens as they each release years of pent-up emotions and unfulfilled longing. But the ghosts of their pasts are not easily put to rest. Charlie wrestles with his fear of real intimacy for the first time in his life, while Devon struggles with her fear of abandonment. And after an accident endangers Devon’s career, they must decide together what their future holds. Danielle Steel’s sensitive portrait of two successful people who have built walls around themselves is a wise chronicle of the rocky path to true courage and connection.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Contemporary; Family Life; Contemporary Women;
© 2025., Random House Publishing Group,

Shadow state : murder, mayhem and Russia's remaking of the West / by Harding, Luke,1968-author.;
A thrilling account of how Russia is waging a hidden war against America and the West, using espionage, corruption, fake news, and KGB-style murder. March 2018. Two Russian assassins arrive in a provincial English city to kill a former officer from Russia's GRU intelligence agency. His crime? Passing secrets to British spies. The poison? A lethal nerve agent, novichok. The attempted execution was a reminder - as if one were needed - of Russia's contempt for international norms. The Soviet Union and its doctrine are long gone, but the playbook used by the Kremlin's spies during that long confrontation with the West is back. And the underlying goal remains the same: to undermine democracy and exploit divisions within American and European society and politics. Moscow's support for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election has grown into the biggest political scandal of modern times. Its American players are well-known. In Shadow State, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Luke Harding reveals the Russians behind the story: the spies, hackers and internet trolls. Harding charts how the Kremlin has updated Communist-era methods of influence and propaganda for the age of Facebook and Twitter, and considers the compelling question of our age: what exactly does Vladimir Putin have on President Trump? Similar to those of the Cold War, Putin's ambitions are truly global. His emissaries include oligarchs, bankers, lawyers, mercenaries, and agents of influence. They roam from Salisbury to Helsinki, Ukraine to Central Africa, London to Washington, D.C. Shadow State is the singular account of how the Kremlin seeks to reshape the world, to divide the US from its European friends, and to remake America in its own dark and kleptocratic image. This is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand how our politics came to be so chaotic and divided. Nothing less than the future of Western democracy is at stake.
Subjects: Espionage, Russian; Political corruption; Political campaigns;