In The Art of Alibi, Jonathan Grossman reconstructs the relation of the novel to nineteenth-century law courts. During the Romantic era, courthouses and trial scenes frequently found their way into the plots of English novels. As Grossman states, "by the Victorian period, these scenes represented a powerful intersection of narrative form with a complementary and competing structure for storytelling." He argues that the courts, newly fashioned as a site in which to orchestrate voices and reconstruct stories, arose as a cultural presence influencing the shape of the English novel. Weaving examinations of novels such as William Godwin's Caleb Williams, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist, along with a reading of the new Royal Courts of Justice, Grossman charts the exciting changes occurring within the novel, especially crime fiction, that preceded and led to the invention of the detective mystery in the 1840s.

How does science transform observations into scientific facts? What is the role of interpretation in the construction of knowledge? How could art re-signify a historical process? Such are some of the questions raised in A for Alibi, a book which explores the boundaries of scientific practice and art. In the last few decades, a new branch of historical studies, called "experimental history" has begun to investigate scientific processes from a particular perspective, derived from a "hands-on" methodology. Scientific instruments are utilized and combined to become a direct source that leads to an understanding not just of scientific history but also of scientific practice. Similar to contemporary art practice, the experimental historical approach implies a combination of theory, practice and process, sharing a wider understanding of practice in the construction of meanings. Along these lines, the Uqbar Foundation invited a group of artists to perform research and develop projects using the impressive collection of historical instruments and optical devices housed in the Utrecht University Museum. Fully illustrated, this book documents the artists' projects as well as the A for Alibi symposium where renowned scientists and art historians lectured on the origins of modern visual culture, for instance on the relation between vision and representation in history, or on the ways in which science builds up a common and social image of the world. The book also features illustrations of numerous scientific instruments from the Utrecht University Museum collection. A for Alibi accompanies the same-titled show at de Appel, Amsterdam, July 14-August 19, 2007. Texts by Charlotte Bigg, Erna Fiorentini, Mika Hannula, Raimundas Malasauskas, Katrin Solhdju Contributions by the participating artists Maria Barnas, James Beckett, Mariana Castillo Deball, Sebastian Diaz Morales, Suchan Kinoshita, Irene Kopelman, Tine Melzer, and Brian O'Connell Interview with Tiemen Cocquyt

READ THE SENSATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER THAT STARTED IT ALL! Take it from the top in #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton's knockout thriller that introduced detective Kinsey Millhone—and a hot new attitude—to crime fiction... A IS FOR AVENGER A tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she's got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes. A IS FOR ACCUSED That's why she draws desperate clients like Nikki Fife. Eight years ago, she was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she's out on parole and needs Kinsey's help to find the real killer. But after all this time, clearing Nikki's bad name won't be easy. A IS FOR ALIBI If there's one thing that makes Kinsey Millhone feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer—and sharper—than she imagined. "A" Is for Alibi "B" Is for Burglar "C" Is for Corpse "D" Is for Deadbeat "E" Is for Evidence "F" Is for Fugitive "G" Is for Gumshoe "H" Is for Homicide "I" Is for Innocent "J" Is for Judgment "K" Is for Killer "L" is for Lawless "M" Is for Malice "N" Is for Noose "O" Is for Outlaw "P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry "R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass "U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

This book is a direct window onto the workshop of Abū Manṣūr al-Thaʿālibī (350–429/961–1039), an anthologist from the second half of the fourth/tenth century, and focuses on the making of his magnum opus, Yatīmat al-dahr, and its sequel, Tatimmat al-Yatīma.

She was a vision. She was a siren. She was a nightmare. She was dead. Now he needed her to disappear. And he knew just how to make it happen. The Palm Beach elite go to great lengths to protect their own—and their own no longer includes Elena Estes. Once upon a time a child of wealth and privilege, Elena turned her back on that life. Betrayed and disillusioned by those closest to her, she chose the life of an undercover cop, the hunt for justice her own personal passion. Then a tragic, haunting mistake ended her career. Now Elena exists on the fringes of her old life, training horses for a living. But a shocking event is about to draw her back into the painful vortex she’s fought so hard to leave behind. First she finds the body—a young woman used, murdered, and dumped in a canal. Not just a victim, but a friend. As Elena delves into her dead friend’s secret life, she discovers ties not only to the Russian mob but also to a group of powerful and wealthy Palm Beach bad boys known for giving each other alibis to cover a multitude of sins. A group that includes a man Elena once knew very well—her former fiancé, Bennett Walker, a man she knows has already escaped justice at least once in his life. Finding her friend’s killer will put Elena at odds with her old life, with her new lover, and with herself. But she is determined to reveal the truth—a truth that will shock Palm Beach society to its core, and could very well get her killed.

Corcoran takes his critically acclaimed Key West mystery series to new heights in this fourth outing, in which Alex Rutledge must uncover the link between two high-profile murders and a 30-year-old land deal. Martin's Press.

A Boston Globe Best Nonfiction Book of 2011 Celebrated as one of the most poignant stylists of his generation, André Aciman has written a luminous series of linked essays about time, place, identity, and art that show him at his very finest. From beautiful and moving pieces about the memory evoked by the scent of lavender; to meditations on cities like Barcelona, Rome, Paris, and New York; to his sheer ability to unearth life secrets from an ordinary street corner, Alibis reminds the reader that Aciman is a master of the personal essay.