"A fast-paced noir thriller. The Ice Maiden deserves a spot at the top of your reading list." -Best Thrillers Get ready for a pulse-pounding thrill ride that will leave you gasping for breath! The Ice Maiden, the first book in the Doug Bateman Thrillers series, is a must-read for fans of gripping thrillers. Maine State Police detective, Doug Bateman, is struggling to keep his life together after the death of his son and the unraveling of his marriage. But when a mutilated corpse is discovered in the local lake, he sees a chance for redemption. Teaming up with a talented new deputy from the Sheriff's office, Bateman throws himself into the investigation, only to discover that the killer is playing a twisted game with them. As the body count rises and Bateman's relationship with his colleague heats up, he must race against time to catch the ruthless killer before he claims more innocent lives. With its authentic setting, unexpected romance, and spine-tingling thrills, The Ice Maiden will keep you guessing until the very end. If you love fast-paced police procedurals with complex characters and a heart-pumping plot, then you won't want to miss this crime thriller by B.D. Smith. Order your copy now and discover why critics are raving about The Ice Maiden!

This book takes armchair adventurers and archaeological enthusiasts not only to the excavation, but back through Peruvian history as it revisits the 1995 discovery of the mummy of a 14-year-old who died or was sacrificed some 530 years ago.

Every town has an old lady all the children just know is a witch. When Johanna and Casper must spend the afternoon at her house, there’s nothing to do, except listen to a story. While the siblings await their mother’s return from the hospital where she’s visiting their ailing father, Mrs. Kinder reads them a story of adventure, magic and music. Mrs. Kinder’s mysterious golden book tells an intertwined tale of two young men—the sensitive Sculptor who carves a beautiful woman from ice and the thieving Sorcerer searching for a spell that will bring the statue to life. The story twists and turns, from the Frozen Forest, to the land of the Lemon Trees, to the home of the Swamp Witch, as the Sculptor’s and Sorcerer’s adventures circle each other. Their inevitable confrontation reveals buried memories that force each of them to confront the true cost of love and redemption. The Ice Maiden's Tale the perfect story-within-a-story with magic, adventure and romance reminiscent of The Princess Bride for a new generation of readers. Excerpt: Mrs. Kinder settled herself in the chair across from the children and cracked open the book. She adjusted her spectacles, ever so slightly, then caressed the page with her wrinkled fingers. “In our world, when magic happens outside of a storybook, we call it a miracle. And miracles are considered so rare and special that lifetimes can go by without so much as a hint of one. But there are faraway places where our kind of miracles are as common as blades of grass in an open field. In the northern region of one of these worlds, in the top far east corner, past green forests, swamps, lakes, and even an ocean, there lived a young artist named Gabriel.” .... “This isn’t a very good story.” Casper complained. "Casper!” Johanna exclaimed in embarrassment. Mrs. Kinder laughed. “That’s because I’m not even at the story part yet, but it’s high time we get started. This story doesn’t begin, the way you think it might and the way most stories do. It doesn’t begin with a big adventure or a journey, or even pirate treasure. It starts with a tiny choice—one that seems unremarkable at the time, but that changes the course of destiny. One crisp morning, our Gabriel decided to search for firewood—and it’s with that simple decision that our tale begins.”

A first-person account of the 1995 discovery of the over 500-year-old Peruvian ice mummy on Mount Ampato and a description of the subsequent retrieval and scientific study.

To Thaw A Maiden's Heart When Scottish chieftain and sole shipwreck survivorGeorge Grant awoke on the ice-crusted shore of astrange land, he knew his mission: return home intime to wed the dainty bride his king had chosen. Butthat was before he met his captor, a giant, blue-eyedViking hellion whose price for freedom was atemporary marriage—to her!Rika was as cold and hard as the hammered metalcovering her wrists. Yet the blush of her cheeks beliedher frosty facade. She needed the seasoned warrior tosecure her bride price, for it would buy her brother'sprison release and free her from an abusive fiancé.How could she know that George's fiery passionwould melt her frozen heart?