Mysteries

Item #: UB9052
Price: $14.95
Mystery Mile pits the aristocratic young man against a vicious American gang terrorizing a judge. Read any of these stand-alone mystery classics originally published more than seventy-five years ago, and youre bound to be enamored with the peculiar and loquacious sleuth, so we suggest buying the whole set at a discount!

Item #: UF6292
Price: $15.95
Our Mysterious Messages Note Cards--featuring four delightfully droll and enigmatic illustrations by Edward Gorey (two of which were created for the PBS series Mystery!) --add amusing intrigue to your correspondence. What fun to send a darkly humorous, oddly perplexing, or just plain quirky note to friend or family member with Gorey setting the mood! You can lovingly sign the blank 4¾""x5¾" cards, or leave them ominously anonymous! The handsomely boxed set--a superlative present for the spooky mystery-lover on your list-- includes twenty cards (five each of four designs shown), plus envelopes.

Item #: UG1152
Price: $29.99
Insatiable mystery readers will devour this anthology like the latest Dennis Lehane thriller. More than 100 of the worlds best contemporary mystery authors--such as Tana French, Elmore Leonard, Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Thomas H. Cook, and Anne Perry-- contribute thoughtful essays on works they love, the only criterion being that they present the books with passionate advocacy. The resultant collection serves not only as a grade-A list of crime novel recommendations, but also as an insightful look at what inspires and influences some of the best writers in the business. Mystery fanatics will be familiar with more than a few of the titles on the list, and what a pleasure to read a favorite authors take on a novel you enjoyed! And even the most avid readers will find lesser-known gems destined to become new favorites.

Item #: UF4452
Price: $16.77
Homo Mysterious takes the reader on a thrilling stroll along the cutting edge of evolutionary biology. Professor of psychology and biology David Barash makes a warm, wise, and witty guide, exploring the most current hypotheses scientists have come up with to explain unknowns of human evolution like why women have orgasms, why we enjoy the arts, why consciousness exists, and much more. This beautifully written book is sure to excite bright and curious souls.

Item #: UF3682
Price: $24.97
Within the "cozy mystery" genre, there's nothing cozier than Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series. The charming novels feature American mother Lori Shepherd, who lives with her family in a little modern-day English village and stumbles quite dependably upon dark secrets, curious characters, and delightfully peculiar goings-on. Luckily, Lori can always count on the calm counsel of her confidante, the otherworldly Aunt Dimity, to see her through every puzzle-filled adventure. We're offering a set of three Aunt Dimity Mysteries--Aunt Dimity Down Under, Aunt Dimity Goes West, and Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree--for several hours' worth of snuggly fun reading.

Item #: UE9642
Price: $10.47
We may not be able to identify the exact species of these avian beauties, but we can tell you they are magnificent specimens. These playful note cards feature bright, whimsical bird illustrations by our Canadian friends at Urubbu--perfect for sending to all of your charmingly eccentric companions! Our set of six 4¼"x6" cards contains two each of the three designs shown, plus envelopes.

Item #: UE7922
Price: $11.25
These sparklingly witty and thoroughly engaging reference books offer all sorts of wisdom and encouragement for writers. Writing Tools presents fifty interesting strategies you can practice to make your writing more lucid, creative, and meaningful. The Glamour of Grammar shows you how to use a "toolbox" of good grammar to give your writing more clarity, power, and joy. And Help! for Writers offers a wealth of solutions to common problems writers confront--from generating ideas and finding the right words to overcoming writer's block and dealing with critical editing. Anyone interested in more effective self-expression will be impressed with and charmed by these extremely helpful guides.