The investigation into the disappearance of a wealthy California rancher brings to light the secrets of a whole community in this haunting masterpiece of suspense On a small family ranch outside Boca de Rio, a California city just across the Mexican border from Tijuana, time has stood still for the last year, since the day Robert Osborne, the 24-year-old ranch owner, went out for a walk with his dog and never came home. A large amount of two types of blood was found on the floor of the canteen used by the Mexican viseros, day-laborers hired to work the fields, but Robert's body was never recovered--if he was killed. The sheriff investigating the case pursued the case so tirelessly he couldn't cope with his failure to solve it and quit his job. In the year that has passed, the ranch has languished. Until Robert is declared dead, the ranch's executorship cannot be passed to someone else. His widow, Devon, yearns to move on with her life. But Robert's mother can't accept that her son is dead. Now, at last, the case to have Robert Osborne declared dead in absentia is being heard before the County of San Diego Court. It should be a cut-and-dry ruling--all evidence points to murder. But as witnesses come forward to testify before the judge, secrets of the ranch's past are exposed--secrets of a salacious love affair and a suspicious suicide, of anti-Mexican racism and illegal border-crossing, of alcoholism, indigence, adultery, unwanted pregnancy, even older rumors of murder. Will learning the truth about Robert Osborne allow these wounds to finally heal, or will it only rip open new ones?

Fiction. Like a gothic teleplay by Gertrude Stein, filmed by Andy Warhol, and transcribed into a stunning lyrical novel by the very voyeuristic monster at its center, lustful in equal measure for the scintilla of soap opera set pieces and the two women one master, one slave trapped in an ever-shifting atmosphere of vamp and apprehension. "Deep in this fabulous book someone says 'i watch to aid her loneliness.' The many meanings of that phrase suggest the glittering accomplishment, the rare morality of this book. I have never read a more gorgeous novel in which the beauty is all in the mystery, not in any solution." Bin Ramke "In gorgeous sentences, Roxanne Carter translates the uncanny paradoxes of intimacy through shadow, ocean, ash. To read BEYOND THIS POINT ARE MONSTERS is to wake in a dream, from a dream, and realize you are in a room illuminated by darkness. Its enchantments are both important and a pleasure." Selah Saterstrom"

Spotlighting news articles, historical accounts, and firstperson interviews, this chronicle of human interactions with monsters will convince even the most hardened skeptic of the existence of the bogeyman, bigfoot, werewolves, and swamp creatures. Offering an array of wild reports—from the police officer who begrudgingly responded to a call about a longhaired woman flying over a suburban neighborhood only to find himself calling for backup when she attacked his patrol car to the motorist whose headlights illuminated a sevenfoot tall, wolflike creature that stood on its hind legs—this historical record highlights scary and unbelievable narratives. From slightly demented humans to spinetingling paranormal encounters, each outlandish occurrence is detailed with thorough research and recounted with a storyteller's crafted voice.

Of course that monster hiding under your bed when you were little didn't really exist. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons—they're simply figments of our imagination, right? After all, their existence has never been scientifically proven. But there is one giant problem with such an easy dismissal of these creepy creatures: people keep encountering them. Join occult scholar John Michael Greer for a harrowing journey into the reality of the impossible. Combining folklore, Western magical philosophy, and actual field experience, Monsters: An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings is required reading for both active and armchair monster hunters. Between these covers you'll find a chilling collection of fiendish facts and folklore, including: Why true vampires are the least attractive—and most destructive—of all monsters The five different kinds of ghosts Magical origins of the werewolf legends How to survive a chimera encounter (Jersey Devil, chupacabra, Mothman) The hidden connections between faery lore and UFOs Where dragons are found today How to investigate a monster sighting Natural and ritual magic techniques for dealing with hostile monsters This 10th anniversary edition of the quintessential guide to magical beings features a new preface, new chapters on chimeras and zombies, and updates on werewolves, dragons, and the fae.

For Samantha, running means freedom. That is, until the day a morning run turns into a living nightmare. Samantha wakes up to find herself held hostage in a cabin. With a masked abductor repeatedly injecting her arm with an unknown substance, Samantha tries in vain to find out what he wants, but he refuses to speak. Until the day he breaks his silence and promises her one day she will fall in love with him but the best part will be that she won't know who he is... until it's too late.

Of all the members of the X-Men, none has been more popular than Wolverine -- yet the origins of this mutant hero had always been tightly shrouded in mystery. Aside from a few hazy tidbits, Wolverine's past has always been little more than a blank slate. In WEAPON X, acclaimed writer/illustrator Barry Windsor-Smith peels back this veil of secrecy to reveal how Wolverine's skeleton became laced with an indestructible adamantium metal. Kidnapped and drugged, Wolverine is subjected to a series of sadistic medical experiments designed to create the perfect soldier. As he battles back against this tortuous experience, Wolverine proves himself to be a true hero long before his days as an X-Man.--Amazon.com.

Evan can't stand babysitting his genius cousin, Kermit. Kermit refuses to play video games. He won't even play Frisbee! All likes to do is hang out in the basement performing strange experiments and playing mean practical jokes on Evan and his friend Andy.But now Andy's found something that will teach Kermit a lesson once and for all.It's green. It's slimy. And it comes in a can marked...Monster Blood!