New Releases by Brad Parks

He swears by his boundaries. But did he cross the line? At 8 o'' clock on a blustery, mid-January morning, Charles Bliss is summoned to the head of school'' s office at Carrington Academy. Charles, a teacher at the elite Connecticut boarding school, is surprised by the unusual request, but when he arrives, no time is wasted. Charles learns that he has been accused of engaging in a romantic relationship with a student. The student behind the accusation, Hayley Goodloe, is the daughter of a state senator, the granddaughter of an ex-governor, and an heiress to a massive fortune. But Charles has long prided himself on keeping proper boundaries with his students. He insists he would never cross the line . . . or would he? Hayley'' s diary makes it clear she had strong feelings for her teacher. Was it just an unrequited schoolgirl crush? Or was it something more? When Hayley disappears under suspicious circumstances, a daunting pile of evidence points to Charles as the chief suspect. Charles swears he'' s being framed. And it soon becomes apparent there'' s only one way he can clear his name. Find her. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Jodi Picoult

From international bestselling author Brad Parks comes a new thriller about an ordinary man who may be able to save the world as we know it--but to do so, he must make an impossible choice. Nate Lovejoy is a self-proclaimed nobody, a stay-at-home dad who doesn''t believe he''s important to anyone but his wife and their two daughters. So it''s a shock when members of a powerful secret society kidnap and spirit Nate away to a mansion at the behest of their leader, Vanslow DeGange, who claims to know the future. He''s foreseen that a billion people could die--unless Nate acts. It seems improbable, especially given what DeGange says will set this mass casualty incident in motion: a lawsuit against the biggest power company in Virginia, being brought by Nate''s wife, Jenny. Nate quickly smells a scam being perpetrated by the power company. But at every turn, it becomes apparent there''s more to DeGange''s gift than Nate wants to acknowledge. A billion people really could die, and Nate might be the only one who can save them. All he has to do is the unthinkable.

China is the world’s largest official creditor, but we lack basic facts about the terms and conditions of its lending. Very few contracts between Chinese lenders and their government borrowers have ever been published or studied. This paper is the first systematic analysis of the legal terms of China’s foreign lending. We collect and analyze 100 contracts between Chinese state-owned entities and government borrowers in 24 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Oceania, and compare them with those of other bilateral, multilateral, and commercial creditors. Three main insights emerge. First, the Chinese contracts contain unusual confidentiality clauses that bar borrowers from revealing the terms or even the existence of the debt. Second, Chinese lenders seek advantage over other creditors, using collateral arrangements such as lender-controlled revenue accounts and promises to keep the debt out of collective restructuring (“no Paris Club” clauses). Third, cancellation, acceleration, and stabilization clauses in Chinese contracts potentially allow the lenders to influence debtors’ domestic and foreign policies. Even if these terms were unenforceable in court, the mix of confidentiality, seniority, and policy influence could limit the sovereign debtor’s crisis management options and complicate debt renegotiation. Overall, the contracts use creative design to manage credit risks and overcome enforcement hurdles, presenting China as a muscular and commercially-savvy lender to the developing world.

From international bestselling author Brad Parks comes an emotional, heart-pounding thriller that explores the scientific unknown--and one woman''s efforts to save her husband from its consequences. Quantum physicist Matt Bronik is suffering from strange, violent seizures that medical science seems powerless to explain--much to the consternation of his wife, Brigid. Matt doesn''t think these fits could be related to his research, which he has always described as benign and esoteric. That, it turns out, is not quite true: Matt has been prodding the mysteries of the quantum universe, with terrible repercussions for his health. And perhaps even for humanity as a whole. Then, in the midst of another seizure, Matt disappears. When foul play is feared, there is no shortage of suspects. Matt''s research had gained the attention of Chinese competitors, an unscrupulous billionaire, and the Department of Defense, among others. With Matt''s life in clear danger, Brigid sets out to find him. Will Matt be killed before she reaches him, or could the physics that endangered him actually be used to save his life?

Er ist Schauspieler. Nur leider erfolglos. Doch dann erhält er ein unglaubliches Angebot. Der dritte Thriller von Bestseller-Autor Brad Parks Die Schauspielkarriere von Tommy Jump ist eigentlich längst zu Ende, besser wäre es, wenn er sich einen gut bezahlten Job suchte. Zumal seine Freundin ein Kind von ihm erwartet. Deshalb kann er auch nicht Nein sagen, als er ein Angebot für ein eher ungewöhnliches Engagement erhält. Das FBI will ihn ins Gefängnis einschleusen. Dort soll er Bekanntschaft schließen mit Mitchell Dupree, einem ehemaligen Banker, der Geld für ein mexikanisches Drogenkartell gewaschen haben soll. Irgendwo – so vermutet das FBI – gibt es da noch Unterlagen, mit denen man das gesamte Kartell und seinen Boss El Vio hochnehmen könnte. Unter falschem Namen und mit einer getürkten Vita geht Tommy ins Gefängnis und lernt Mitchell kennen. Aber sehr schnell muss er erkennen, dass seine Aufgabe schwerer ist als gedacht. Denn er ist nicht der Einzige, der diese Dokumente will. Wem kann er trauen? Ganz auf sich allein gestellt, muss Tommy seine Rolle jetzt perfekt spielen, sonst wird es seine letzte sein. "Meth, Mord und ein Mann in der Rolle seines Lebens – einer der spannendsten Thriller von Brad Parks." The New York Times

Award-winning author Brad Parks delivers a tense novel of thrills, twists, and deceit that grabs you and won’t let go until the final, satisfying page. Tommy Jump is an out-of-work stage actor approached by the FBI with the role of a lifetime: Go undercover at a federal prison, impersonate a convicted felon, and befriend a fellow inmate, a disgraced banker named Mitchell Dupree, who knows the location of documents that can be used to bring down a ruthless drug cartel . . . if only he’d tell the FBI where they are. The women in Tommy’s life, his fiancée and mother, tell him he’s crazy to even consider taking the part. The cartel has quickly risen to become the largest supplier of crystal meth in America. And it hasn’t done it by playing nice. Still, Tommy’s acting career has stalled, and the FBI is offering a minimum of $150,000 for a six-month gig—whether he gets the documents or not. Using a false name and backstory, Tommy enters the low-security prison and begins the process of befriending Dupree. But Tommy soon realizes he’s underestimated the enormity of his task and the terrifying reach of the cartel. The FBI aren''t the only ones looking for the documents, and if Tommy doesn’t play his role to perfection, it just may be his last act.

China’s lending volumes in developing countries far surpass those of other bilateral creditors and compare in scale only to World Bank lending practices. Where World Bank lending terms, volumes, and policies are publicly available, the state of knowledge on official Chinese financing terms remains limited due to a lack of official transparency. To better understand the nature of official Chinese lending and its relationship to the debt capacity of borrowing countries, researchers and policymakers need to look beyond the total volume of lending and pay more attention to concessionality, or the extent to which loans are offered at below-market rates. Financing offered on concessional terms (low interest rates, long maturities, and extended grace periods) reduces the likelihood of a debt crisis in borrower counties.

From international bestselling author Brad Parks comes a gripping story and prequel to his new thriller, The Last Act. After a career rising through the ranks, Mitchell Dupree has finally landed his dream job: compliance director for the Latin American division at Union South Bank. It''s a comfortable place to work, with a family-like atmosphere. Except this family has secrets. Mitch quickly notices a string of suspicious transactions that he worries may be coming from a notorious Mexican drug cartel, the brutal and fast-growing New Colima syndicate. As he probes deeper into the bank''s dealings, Mitch must play a dangerous and complicated game, figuring out who to trust . . . and how safe his job--and his life--really are. Includes an exclusive sneak preview of Brad Parks''s next novel, The Last Act

In the coming years, China will confront a series of decisions about how to engage with three different groups: (1) citizens in the countries where it is implementing BRI projects; (2) leaders of the same countries; and (3) donors and lenders outside of China. These decisions will shape the ultimate outcomes that are achieved via BRI. In this essay, I will introduce the big decisions that lie ahead and the considerations that ought to be weighed by those who set strategy and make policy in Beijing.

Melanie ist eine gute Mutter. Sie liebt ihr Kind und ihren Mann. Doch jetzt hat man ihr den Sohn genommen. Ihre Wohnung wurde durchsucht. Sie soll Kokain im Kinderzimmer versteckt und ihr Kind im Internet zum Verkauf angeboten haben. Haltlose Vorwürfe, aber wie kann sie sich davon befreien? Jemand will sie vernichten. Jemand, der die Macht dazu hat. Hat sie überhaupt eine Chance? Die Katastrophe lauert an diesem Montagabend vor dem Haus der Tagesmutter, als Melanie mit den Worten überfallen wird: "Ihr Sohn ist nicht hier. Er befindet sich in der Obhut des Sozialamtes." Für die junge Mutter bricht ihre heile Welt zusammen: Sie wird beschuldigt, ihren Sohn vernachlässigt zu haben, mit Kokain zu dealen, den Stoff im Kinderzimmer gelagert zu haben und darüber hinaus auch noch ihr Kind im Internet zum Verkauf angeboten zu haben. Haltlose Vorwürfe, aber wie kann sie ihre Unschuld beweisen? Und wichtiger noch: Wer will sie auf diese Weise vernichten? Wer will ihr so viel Böses, ihr Leben in Trümmern sehen? Als Melanie auf eigene Faust der Sache auf den Grund geht, steht sie vor einem schier übermächtigen Gegner, der alles tun wird, damit sie keine Chance hat. Ein intensiver und fesselnder Thriller des vielfach ausgezeichneten Erfolgs-Autor Brad Parks ("Nicht ein Wort")

Brad Parks delivers a riveting, emotionally powerful stand-alone domestic suspense thriller perfect for fans of The Couple Next Door and What She Knew. Disaster is always closer than you know. It was a lesson Melanie Barrick learned the hard way growing up in the constant upheaval of foster care. But now that she’s survived into adulthood—with a loving husband, a steady job, and a beautiful baby boy named Alex—she thought that turmoil was behind her. Until one Tuesday evening when she goes to pick up Alex from childcare only to discover he’s been removed by Social Services. And no one will say why. It’s a terrifying scenario for any parent, but doubly so for Melanie, who knows the unintended horrors of what everyone coldly calls “the system.” Her nightmare grows worse when she arrives home to learn her house has been raided by sheriff’s deputies, who have found enough cocaine to send Melanie to prison for years. The evidence against her is overwhelming, and if Melanie can’t prove her innocence, she’ll lose Alex forever. Meanwhile, assistant commonwealth’s attorney Amy Kaye—who has been assigned Melanie’s case—has her own troubles. She’s been dogged by a cold case no one wants her to pursue: a serial rapist who has avoided detection by wearing a mask and whispering his commands. Over the years, he has victimized dozens of women. Including Melanie. Yet now her attacker might be the key to her salvation... or her undoing.

Pactuar com o Mal pode significar perder-se para sempre. Um juiz vive um pesadelo e um terrível dilema moral quando os seus gémeos de seis anos são raptados. Para manter os filhos vivos, terá de obedecer cegamente às ordens dos raptores, que lhe exigem uma série de decisões controversas na sua sala de tribunal. Numa quarta-feira como qualquer outra, o juiz Scott Sampson prepara-se para ir buscar os filhos gémeos de seis anos para os levar à aula de natação. A sua mulher, Alison, envia-lhe uma mensagem: mudança de planos, ela tem de os levar ao médico. Assim sendo, Scott regressa a casa mais cedo. Mas quando, mais tarde, Alison chega, está sozinha - sem Sam, sem Emma - e nega ter conhecimento da mensagem... O telefone toca: uma voz anónima diz-lhes que o juiz deve fazer exactamente o que lhe é dito num caso de tráfico de droga que está prestes a ser julgado. Se recusar, as consequências para as crianças serão terríveis. Para Scott e Alison, a chamada do sequestrador é apenas o começo de uma tentativa tortuosa de chantagem, engano e terror. Não haverá nada que os detenha para recuperarem os filhos, não importa a que custo... Um romance intenso que explora o lado mais obscuro do Mal, pondo a nu as fragilidades da natureza humana perante a ameaça da perda mais dolorosa. Sobre Não digas nada: «Complicações e reviravoltas conduzem trepidantemente a trama para um perfeito e comovente clímax inesperado.» Library Journal «Prende o leitor desde a primeira página e não o larga até ao twist final.» Associated Press «Aspáginas finais são surpreendentes e profundamente emocionantes. Um novo nível no thriller.» The Washington Post « Não digas nada começa por chocar a mente e acaba por destruir o coração. O trabalho de um autor que continua a refinar o seu enorme talento. Os leitores vão adorar este thriller fascinante e perturbador.» Richmond Times - Dispatch «O excelente thriller de Parks, agraciado com o Prémio Shamus, retrata, de forma credível, uma família sob stress severo. Os leitores não conseguirão parar de ler até terem todas as revelações.» Publishers Weekly «Excelente - começa com um estrondo e vai ficando cada vez mais tenso. Não digas nada demonstra que Parks é um escritor de qualidade no seu melhor.» Lee Child «Alarmantemente plausível e consistentemente admirável.» The Sunday Times - T hriller do mês «Inteligente, com ritmo e uma série de reviravoltas à medida que a tensão aumenta até um clímax emocionalmente imprevisível.» The Times

Los hechos más horribles comienzan de la forma más sencilla... Un thriller judicial repleto de suspense, giros sorprendentes, tensión y drama para los fans de John Grisham. Por el único autor que ha recibido los premios Shamus, Nero y Lefty. Seleccionado como uno de los mejores thrillers de 2017 por Library Journal y Kirkus. El juez Sampson no presume de una vida perfecta, pero la realidad lo confirma: tiene un trabajo de prestigio y una familia a la que ama. No ha fallado una sola vez a la cita semanal con sus gemelos, el día de Piscina con Papá, hasta que cierto miércoles recibe un mensaje de su mujer, Alison, en el que le comunica que ella recogerá a los niños. Sin embargo, cuando Sampson llega a casa descubre que sus hijos no están con su madre y que no ha sido ella quien le ha enviado el mensaje. En ese momento el teléfono suena y comienza la pesadilla de cualquier padre: los han raptado. Si el juez no sigue ciertas instrucciones y no falla a favor en un caso que lleva, las consecuencias serán terribles. ** No digas nada ha sido seleccionado como uno de los mejores thrillers de 2017 por Library Journal y Kirkus. Críticas: «Inquietantemente verosímil y siempre sorprendente, la trama nos recuerda de forma irremediable a John Grisham en sus mejores momentos.» «Top Choice: Thriller of the Month», The Sunday Times «El thriller judicial de Brad Parks despega con una fuerza inusitada y nos sumerge de inmediato en la historia.» Booklist «Estamos ante una buena trama, y Parks consigue sacar lo mejor de ella. Las últimas páginas son emocionantes, sorprendentes y muy emotivas. ¿Cómo de emotivas? Me hizo llorar,y cuando leo algo así no me suele ocurrir. Brad Parks ha subido en el escalafón como autor.» The Washington Post «Escrita en clave de thriller judicial, esta novela contrarreloj es tanto un relato sobre las dinámicas familiares como sobre el comportamiento criminal y las salas de los juzgados. La vieja idea del libro adictivo ha quedado superada con esta historia, escrita con tanto poder y habilidad que no querrás dejarla ni durante las horas de oficina.» The Daily Mail «Parks distribuye con sabiduría los giros a lo largo de esta novela; te pondrá los pelos de punta hasta que no puedas más y, cuando llegue el desgarrador final, agradecerás que haya acabado.» Kirkus «Brad Parks,ganador del Premio Shamus, retrata en este fantástico thriller a una familia bajo un estrés intenso. Los lectores no podrán parar de leer hasta descubrir qué ha ocurrido.» Publishers Weekly «Parks hace un trabajo excelente, consigue trasladar a los padres sus peores temores y al mismo tiempo nos habla del conflicto matrimonial y la desconfianza que emerge en mitad de una crisis. Las complicaciones ylos giros convergen en un clímax inesperado pero perfecto. No te quedes callado, díselo a tus amigos.» Library Journal «Su perfecta construcción argumental, su narrativa fluida y su brillante elenco convierten No digas nada en un libro altamente recomendable.» Revista Kritica

Le juge Scott Sampson s’apprête à aller chercher ses enfants à l’école. Et à plonger en plein cauchemar. Il reçoit un message anodin de sa femme adorée, Alison : elle ira récupérer les jumeaux pour les emmener chez le médecin. Alison rentre à la maison. Seule. Elle n’a jamais envoyé ce texto. Le téléphone sonne. Les enfants ont été enlevés. Les ravisseurs n’exigent pas de rançon, mais des verdicts sur commande : si le juge n’obéit pas à leurs demandes, les petits le payeront très cher. Et évidemment : « Pas un mot ! » C’est le début d’un calvaire où chantage, mensonge et paranoïa feront vivre l’enfer à ces parents prêts à tout pour récupérer leurs enfants, quels que soient les dangers, les sacrifices et les compromissions.

Never before has killing someone benefitted such a good cause... In 2014, Crimespree Magazine held an internet-based flash fiction contest. The rules were simple: somewhere in the story you had to "Kill Dan Malmon." That was it. The story had to be brief, inventive, and somewhere, Malmon had to die. Now, thanks to Down & Out Books, those original stories, plus a few more, are being collected into one volume with all proceeds going to the MS Society. If you hate MS as much as we do, and if your feelings towards Dan Malmon are rather ambivalent anyway, then this is the volume for you. Featuring stories by Hector Acosta, Eric Beetner, Dana Cameron, Sarah M. Chen, Matthew Clemens, Angel Luis Colon, Hilary Davidson, Cory Funk, Danny Gardner, Paul J. Garth, Rob Hart, Ed Kurtz, S.W. Lauden, Russel D. McLean, Jeff Macfee, Erin Mitchell, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Brad Parks, Thomas Pluck, Bryon Quertermous, Todd Robinson, Alex Segura, Jeff Shelby, Nathan Singer, Josh Stallings, Jay Stringer, R.D. Sullivan, Bryan VanMeter, Holly West and Dave White. Praise for KILLING MALMON: "I''ve never quite understood why people keep killing off Malmon. But they make a good case. Several cases. Many, many cases-for a good cause! Killing Malmon for fun and non-profit!" -Lori Rader-Day, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of The Day I Died "You can''t spell marvelously grisly and a funky good time without K-I-L-L-I-N-G M-A-L-M-O-N. Do yourself a favor and dive in." -Shaun Harris, author of The Hemingway Thief "Look, I like Dan Malmon, so I feel kinda guilty enjoying the hell out of his many untimely demises. But this collection, which features some of the best crime writers on the planet, is a gonzo pulp confection that hits your system like a sugar high and leaves you smiling the whole way through." -Chris Holm, Anthony Award-winning author of The Killing Kind and Red Right Hand "Your mom is going to hate this." -Kristi Belcamino, author of the Gabriella Giovanni thriller series "Killing Malmon is an incredibly satisfying crime fiction sampler. Read it. I guarantee you''ll leave with at least three new writers to check out (plus an inexplicable desire to protect and nurture Dan Malmon)." -Jess Lourey, TEDx presenter and Anthony- and Lefty-nominated author of the Witch Hunt thrillers and the Murder by Month mysteries "Come for the death of Dan Malmon, stay for the super-group of authors letting it all hang out, dropping tasty cut after tasty cut of pure noir." -Matthew FitzSimmons, author of the Gibson Vaughn series "Killing Malmon is like Murder on the Orient Express except (spoilers!) it''s not by Agatha Christie, or on a train, or on its way to the Orient. Still, there''s something wonderful and sweet watching thirty talented mystery writers line up to shoot, strangle, poison, dismember, and otherwise spell the demise of the one of the genuinely nicest guys in the business. If you''re into that kind of thing like I am, read Killing Malmon." -Matthew Iden, author of the Marty Singer mystery series and The Winter Over "Life sure is hard for you." -Judy Malmon, Dan''s mom "I love these stories!" -Diane Hackbarth, Kate''s mom

La vita del giudice federale Scott Sampson non è più la stessa da quando, un maledetto pomeriggio, i suoi due figli Emma e Sam sono scomparsi nel nulla. Un messaggio da parte di sua moglie Alison lo aveva avvertito che sarebbe andata lei a prendere i ragazzi a scuola, ma la donna è tornata a casa da sola quella sera, e non era stata lei a inviare quel messaggio. L’incubo è diventato realtà quando il telefono ha cominciato a squillare. Dall’altro capo della linea la voce di un uomo che mette in atto il suo ricatto: se vuole riabbracciare i suoi figli, il giudice dovrà fare esattamente quanto gli verrà detto. Troppi gli interessi in gioco e troppo pericolose le conseguenze di una sentenza sfavorevole a coloro che sono implicati nel processo che Scott Sampson presiede su un caso di traffico di droga. È l’inizio di una spirale di minacce, ricatti e terrore, un vortice che rischia di mettere Scott e Alison l’uno contro l’altra, in una partita estrema e pericolosa in cui la vita dei loro figli non è l’unica posta in gioco. Un romanzo tagliente, che esplora il lato più torvo del male e mette a nudo le fragilità della natura umana di fronte alla minaccia della perdita più dolorosa.

“Outstanding—starts with a bang and gets tenser and tenser. Say Nothing shows Parks is a quality writer at the top of his form.”—Lee Child “Terrific book. Truly terrific. Tension throughout and tears at the end.”—Sue Grafton Judge Scott Sampson doesn’t brag about having a perfect life, but the evidence is clear: A prestigious job. A loving marriage. A pair of healthy children. Then a phone call begins every parent’s most chilling nightmare. Scott’s six-year-old twins, Sam and Emma, have been taken. The judge must rule exactly as instructed in a drug case he is about to hear. If he refuses, the consequences for the children will be dire. For Scott and his wife, Alison, the kidnapper’s call is only the beginning of a twisting, gut-churning ordeal of blackmail, deceit, and terror. Through it all, they will stop at nothing to get their children back, no matter the cost to themselves...or to each other. “Complications and twists build to an unexpected climax that is both perfect and gut-wrenching.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Grips the reader from the get-go and doesn’t let up until the final twist.”—Associated Press

In The Fraud, the most thrilling entry yet in Brad Parks''s award-winning series, investigative reporter Carter Ross must chose who gets to live: him or his unborn child. A rash of carjackings terrorizing Newark become newsworthy when one such theft ends in the murder of a wealthy banking executive. The affable, wisecracking Ross is assigned the story, but he''s weary of only writing about victims of crime who happen to be rich and white. To balance his reporting, he finds a Nigerian immigrant of more modest means who was also killed during a recent carjacking. When it turns out the two victims knew each other, sharing an unexplained round of golf at a tony country club shortly before their deaths, Carter is plunged onto the trail of a deadly band of car thieves that includes a sociopathic ex-convict. When his unborn child is put in harm''s way, it becomes more than just a story for Carter. And he''ll stop at nothing to rescue the baby-even if it costs him his own life. Parks, a rising star on the crime fiction scene known for his mix of wit and grit, delivers his most emotionally resonant book yet.

When he hears residents of a Newark neighborhood are getting sick—and even dying—from a strange disease, investigative reporter Carter Ross dives into the story—so deep he comes down with the illness himself. With even more motivation to track down the source of the disease, Carter soon hits upon a nearby construction site. But when the project''s developer is found dead, and his mob ties surface, Carter knows he''s looking at a story much bigger—and with even more dangerous consequences—than an environmental hazard. Back in the newsroom, Carter has his hands full with his current girlfriend and with the paper''s newest eager intern, not to mention his boss and former girlfriend Tina Thompson, who has some news for Carter that''s about to make tangling with the mob seem simple by comparison, in The Player by Brad Parks.

In the fourth title in Parks'' award-winning series, investigative journalist Carter Ross must uncover the truth behind a beloved cop''s alleged suicide.

A smart-mouthed Newark reporter’s tribute piece to a hit-and-run victim stirs up trouble in this humorous and suspenseful mystery by an award-winning author. Reading his own newspaper’s obituaries, veteran reporter Carter Ross comes across that of a woman named Nancy Marino, who was the victim of a hit-and-run while she was on the job delivering copies of that very paper, the Eagle-Examiner. Struck by the opportunity to write a heroic piece about an everyday woman killed too young, he heads to her wake to gather tributes and anecdotes. It’s the last place Ross expects to find controversy—which is exactly what happens when one of Nancy’s sisters convinces him that the accident might not have been accidental at all. It turns out that the kind and generous Nancy may have made a few enemies, starting with her boss at the diner where she was a part-time waitress, and even including the publisher of the Eagle-Examiner. Carter’s investigation of this seemingly simple story soon has him in big trouble with his full-time editor and sometime girlfriend, Tina Thompson, not to mention the rest of his bosses at the paper, but he can’t let it go—the story is just too good, and it keeps getting better. But will his nose for trouble finally take him too far? “With his third featuring brash, breezy, unflappable Carter . . . Parks propels himself to a niche shared by only a handful of others: writers who can manage the comedy-mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Shamus and Nero award-winning author Brad Parks takes readers back to the beginning of investigative reporter Carter Ross''s career with this intriguing prequel short story. Only 24 years old and still a wide-eyed reporter for a tiny backwater newspaper, Ross is getting his crack at the big leagues with an interview at New Jersey''s largest paper, The Eagle-Examiner. If—that is—he nails the interview and the on-the-spot writing test. Ross has never had a problem spinning a story, but provided with notes he didn''t take and quotes he didn''t hear it feels flat, and he''s not so sure about his chances. So when a car crashes into a building in a nearby town and Carter overhears the assignments editor complaining that there''s no one left in the building whom she can send out to cover the story, Carter jumps at the chance and quickly finds himself dangerously close to being in over his head in "The Nightgown," another stellar addition to Brad Parks''s acclaimed mystery series.

Carter Ross, the sometimes-dashing investigative reporter for the Newark Eagle-Examiner, is back, and reporting on the latest tragedy to befall Newark, New Jersey, a fast-moving house fire that kills two boys. With the help of the paper''s newest intern, a bubbly blonde known as "Sweet Thang," Carter finds the victims'' mother, Akilah Harris, who spins a tale of woe about a mortgage rate reset that forced her to work two jobs and leave her young boys without child care. Carter turns in a front-page feature, but soon discovers Akilah isn''t what she seems. And neither is the fire. When Newark councilman Windy Byers is reported missing, it launches Carter into the sordid world of urban house-flipping and Jersey-style political corruption. With his usual mix of humor, compassion, and street smarts, Carter is soon calling on some of his friends—gay Cuban sidekick Tommy Hernandez, T-shirt-selling buddy Tee Jamison, and on-and-off girlfriend Tina Thompson—for help in tracking down the shadowy figure behind it all. Brad Parks''s debut, Faces of the Gone, won the Shamus Award and Nero Award for Best American Mystery. Now Parks solidifies his place as one of the brightest new talents in crime fiction with this authentic, entertaining thriller, Eyes of the Innocent.

A rogue reporter investigates a grisly multiple murder in Newark, NJ, in this Shamus and Nero Award–winning mystery series debut. Four bodies, each with a single bullet wound in the back of the head, stacked like cordwood in a weed-choked vacant lot: That’s the front-page news facing Carter Ross, investigative reporter with the Newark Eagle-Examiner. Immediately dispatched to the scene, Carter learns that the four victims—an exotic dancer, a drug dealer, a hustler, and a mama’s boy—came from different parts of the city and didn’t seem to know one another. The police, eager to calm jittery residents, leak a theory that the murders are revenge for a bar stickup, and Carter’s paper, hungry for a scoop, hastily prints it. Carter doesn’t come from the streets, but he understands a thing or two about Newark’s neighborhoods. And he knows there are no quick answers when dealing with a crime like this. Determined to uncover the true story, he enlists the aide of Tina Thompson, the paper’s city editor, to run interference at the office; Tommy Hernandez, the paper’s intern, to help him with legwork on the streets; and Tynesha Dales, a local stripper, to take him to Newark’s underside. It turns out that the four victims have one connection after all, and this knowledge will put Carter on the path of one very ambitious killer.

A dual-station high frequency Wellen Radar (WERA), transmitting at 16.045 MHz, has been deployed along the Eastern Florida Shelf (EFS). From September 2004 to June 2005, a moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) acquired subsurface current measurements within the radar footprint along the shelf break at 86-m depth. The shallowest ADCP bin located at 14-m depth is used as a comparison for the WERA surface measurements. The RMS differences range from 0.1 to 0.3 m s super -1 between the surface and 14-m depth, with good agreement over most of the period. Regression analyses indicate slopes near unity in the north-south (v- ) component and approximately 0.5 for the east-west (u- ) component velocities. Following validation of the HF radar surface current measurements, an assessment of the variability and character of eddies in the region is conducted for 2006. Optimal interpolation is utilized to create a uniform 45 km by 45 km grid of surface current data consisting of 1980 points in the inshore portion of the WERA domain. The Okubo-Weiss parameter is used to identify eddies as closed regions with values greater than a threshold of 2*10 super -8 s super -1. This method reveals a total of twenty-two eddy-like features over the year 2006. Given the asymmetric shape of the eddy regions, equivalent radii are computed as an estimate of eddy size with an annual average of 2.6 km. Eddy intensity is measured by maximum relative vorticity in the eddy region with an annual average of approximately 5f, where f is the local Coriolis parameter. Translational velocities are computed from the displacement of peak Okubo-Weiss parameter. This method tends to overestimate eddy speed given the shape-changing nature of the eddy regions. Nonetheless, the average translational velocity is 0.9 m s super -1 with a standard deviation of 0.4 m s super -1. Eddy tracks indicate a unique pattern in which eddies propagate inshore during the period of July to September and offshore during October to December related to position of the FC axis. The periodicity and spatial distribution of eddy events suggest that submesoscale eddy features are "wave-like" and centered along the strong topographical gradients between 200 to 600 m. By applying this methodology to other years of HF radar data, this statement can be tested with statistical confidence. In general, this study has shown the effectiveness of the Okubo-Weiss parameter in identifying eddy regions from a background field with large, ambient vorticity.