New Releases by Ross Thomas

Als Lucifer Dye aus einem Hongkonger Gefängnis entlassen wird, erfährt er, dass seine Karriere als Agent der US-Spionageabteilung Sektion Zwei endgültig beendet ist. Gleich nach seiner Ankunft in San Francisco tritt der Troubleshooter Victor Orcutt mit einem Angebot an ihn heran: Dye soll die texanische Stadt Swankerton korrumpieren. An seiner Seite die ehemalige Prostituierte Carol Thackerty und der Ex-Polizeichef Homer Necessary. Während Orcutt die Regie führt, erschleicht sich Dye das Vertrauen des inoffiziellen, von der Mafia unterstützten Oberhaupts von Swankerton. Und bald fragen sich beide Parteien im Kampf um die Kontrolle der Stadt, auf welcher Seite der Ex-Spion eigentlich steht. Aus dem Amerikanischen von Gisbert und Julian Haefs Eine um mehr als die Hälfte gekürzte deutsche Ausgabe erschien 1972 unter dem Titel »Unsere Stadt muss sauber« werden.

A cop is car-bombed in Texas—and her brother comes from Capitol Hill to investigate—in this Edgar Award winner by "one of the best storytellers around" ( The New York Times Book Review). A long-distance call from his small Texas hometown on his birthday gives Benjamin Dill the news that his sister Felicity—born on the same day exactly ten years later—has died in a car bomb explosion. She was a homicide detective who had perhaps made one enemy too many over the course of her career. Unwilling to let local law enforcement handle the investigation, Dill, a consultant for a Senate subcommittee, arrives in town from DC that night to begin his dogged search for his sister''s killer. What he finds is no surprise to him as he begins to unravel town secrets, because Benjamin Dill is never surprised at what awful things people will do. "Taut . . . a superior piece of work." — The New York Times Book Review "Expert prose, penetrating social commentary and . . . a marvelous sense of humor. [Thomas] does what only the best writers can: he leaves you wanting more." — The Washington Post "A master of the crime thriller." — Publishers Weekly Includes an introduction by New York Times–bestselling author Lawrence Block

Noch bevor Philip St. Ives das Angebot von Ned und Norbert Nitry angenommen hat, das sagenhafte Schwert Ludwigs des Heiligen wiederzubeschaffen, findet sich der professionelle Mittelsmann in einem Londoner Gefängnis wieder. Und das ist nur der Anfang. Das kostbare Schwert ist den »diskret« mit Kunstwerken handelnden Brüdern Nitry gestohlen worden und die Diebe verlangen einhunderttausend Pfund Lösegeld. Als St. Ives den Auftrag annimmt, gerät er in einen Reigen bizarrer Figuren, die auch vor Mord nicht zurückschrecken.

Abner Procane, der beste Dieb der Welt, stellt fest, dass die minutiös genauen Aufzeichnungen aller Diebstähle, die er in 25 Jahren begangen hat, gestohlen worden sind. Einzig Philip St. Ives, professioneller Vermittler und Überbringer von Lösegeldern mit ausgezeichneten Kontakten zur Unterwelt, könnte sie ihm wiederbeschaffen. Dafür ist Procane bereit, hunderttausend Dollar lockerzumachen. Doch spätestens, als die Übergabe scheitert und St. Ives statt der Papiere einen Toten findet, weiß der Meisterdieb, dass der Erfolg seines letzten, millionenschweren Coups ernsthaft auf dem Spiel steht ...

Written to address the growing demand for Lean Six Sigma expertise, this text provides a step-by-step Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) process, that describes how to use the tools appropriate for each phase and provide data where tools can be practiced by students. Applying Lean Six Sigma in Health Care trains students on performance improvement techniques and current terminology so that they will be prepared to conduct Lean Six Sigma projects in large health care systems and support the physicians and nurses running these projects. With a focus on application, students learn and utilize the DMAIC process, by applying it to an improvement project that is carried through the text.

1981: Ein international gesuchter Terrorist wird von amerikanischen Agenten entführt. Kurz darauf lässt der Nachfolger Gaddafis den Bruder des amerikanischen Präsidenten kidnappen, um mit ihm den Freiheitskämpfer freizupressen, nicht ahnend, dass dieser schon tot ist. Der Einzige, der die Kohlen jetzt noch aus dem Feuer holen kann, ist Chubb Dunjee. Der ehemalige amerikanische Kongressabgeordnete war lange Mittelsmann in den unruhigen Gegenden dieser Welt; seine besondere Spezialität: Bestechung – "mordida".

Der zweite Fall für Philip St. Ives, den pokernden Dandy und professionellen Mittelsmann: Der amerikanische Botschafter in Belgrad will eine zukünftige Nonne heiraten und wird zur Strafe von seinem eigenen Geheimdienst gewaltsam entführt, der für seine Freilassung eine Million Dollar zahlt – an sich selbst! Ein Witz? Das denkt zunächst auch St. Ives – bis das erste Blut fließt und ihn vom tödlichen Ernst der Sache überzeugt.

At the height of the Cold War, two Americans are runnng a bar in the West German capital. One of the pair, Michael Padillo, isn''t around a lot. He keeps disappearing on ''business trips''. McCorkle, his partner, wisely doesn''t ask questions; he knows Padillo has a second job. Padillo is a (reluctant) US agent. However, McCorkle is ready to answer a call for help from Padillo, and he joins his friend in a journey with no inkling of what they will encounter at the turn of each dark and dangerous corner.

The Two-Minute Warning is a novel that takes a journey with John Starr, who is an evangelist and watchman in the end times, in his travels sounding the alarm of warning that God has appointed him to sound. It is a story of revival and of the end-time harvest. “This is a must-read for anyone who wants to expand their understanding of spiritual warfare and catch the enthusiasm of the author in taking up their cross to follow Jesus. Great story! I loved it!” —Melissa Geno, Kingdom Warriors “I find Bob Ross Thomas’s book, The Two Minute Warning, a timely warning to the Church in America to truly walk in repentance and humility. From his evangelistic travels to the prophetic dreams given to him by God, I truly believe he is a watchman and must blow the trumpet of warning.” —Gene Schmidt, exec vice president, Hand pf Help Ministries

Nachdem Padillo, McCorkles Geschäftspartner der gemeinsamen Bar, von seiner Geheimdienst-Vergangenheit eingeholt wird und kurz darauf ein ehemaliger Kollege Padillos in McCorkles Wohnung tot aufgefunden wird, bleibt dem Duo keine Wahl: Es gilt, den zukünftigen König des ölreichen arabischen Staates Llaquah zu beschützen. Auf dem Weg zum entscheidenden Treffen mit den Öl- Gesellschaften entwickelt sich dabei ein erbitter- ter Kampf um Leben und Tod.

Mac McCorkle and Mike Padillo team up to help twin bodyguards in a thrilling crime caper from "America''s best storyteller" ( The New York Times Book Review). The twins who walk into Mac McCorkle''s bar look identical, despite their differing genders. Their names are Wanda and Walter Gothar, and from the steel in their eyes it''s apparent that their business isn''t the friendly kind. They''ve come seeking help from Mac and his partner, Padilla, an ex-CIA agent who has skulked in the world''s darkest corners. Anxious for a big payday, the twins took an assignment out of their depth, working as bodyguards for a Saudi prince who came to Washington to sign an oil deal. The job fell apart, and now the twins are being pursued by the world''s two finest killers—who take out Walter without breaking a sweat. Now Mac and Padilla are faced with a choice: Save Wanda, or join her in the grave.

A union boss fights for his job—and his life. "What Elmore Leonard does for crime in the streets, Ross Thomas does for crime in the suites" ( The Village Voice). Born to a steelworker but harboring theatrical aspirations, Donald Cubbin grew up tempted by two careers. A Hollywood scout finally notices him, but Cubbin has already taken a job with the local union boss. He''s always regretted that decision—especially now. After decades climbing the ranks, Cubbin runs the show as the union''s president. An election looms, and his opponent proves to be a dangerously loose cannon. Cubbin made dozens of enemies over the years, and one has just engaged a hired killer. The fight for Cubbin''s job starts with muckraking but could end in murder.

An old CIA connection brings trouble for a Washington, DC, barman in this thriller from "America''s best storyteller" ( The New York Times Book Review). As the saying goes, you can''t pick your friends. If you could, Mac McCorkle would disown Padilla. They owned a bar together in Bonn, the West German capital, and stayed partners even after Padilla''s sideline as a CIA operative got the bar blown up. Padilla was thought to be dead and erased from the CIA''s files—but now he''s back on the agency''s turf. Mac moved to Washington, DC, after the trouble in Bonn to get married and open his bar anew. His new bride is beautiful, the bar is a success, and Padilla''s reappearance threatens everything. A group of African terrorists want Padilla to assassinate the prime minister of their small sub-Saharan republic—and they''ve kidnapped Mac''s wife to use as leverage.

From the Edgar Award–winning author: "[A] highly readable novel of political adventure . . . a cracking good story and the Africa mentality is fascinating" ( Kirkus Reviews). Clinton Shartelle doesn''t seem like a good choice to run a political campaign in Albertia. For one thing, he''s American, and Albertia is a small coastal republic in Africa, about to be cut loose from the English Crown. For another, Shartelle is Southern and fiercely proud of it, and his ideas about racial politics veer unpredictably from progressive to rigidly old-fashioned. But Shartelle is the best, and the political future of Albertia is too important to be left to anyone else. If history is any indication, this first fair election will probably be the country''s last. Rich natural resources make it attractive to businessmen on both sides of the Atlantic, opening Albertia up to political corruption. For his part, Shartelle is hired to make sure that a British industrialist''s favored candidate wins the presidency. But the opposition is backed by the CIA, for whom murder is just another political tool.

Only one man can save the president''s kidnapped brother in this propulsive thriller from the author "without peer in American suspense" ( Los Angeles Times). American agents abduct a high-profile terrorist in broad daylight on the streets of London, subduing him with a tranquilizer. He dies a few hours later on a flight back to Washington, DC, and the body is dropped into the ocean. Hours later, the President''s brother—a political powerhouse in his own right—boards a plane to Las Vegas that doesn''t land in Nevada. Libyan radicals are at the controls, and he is their prisoner. The only man who can save him is Chubb Dunjee. A former United Nations operative with skills in every aspect of political negotiation, Chubb became famous for solving problems with well-placed bribes. Saving the President''s brother should be no trouble for him. But the Libyans don''t want a bribe. They want blood.

An ex-political operative is a master of dirty tricks, but now he''s mixed up in something far worse: "Ross Thomas is without peer in American suspense" ( Los Angeles Times). There are few jobs that Harvey Longmire hasn''t had. He''s been a crime reporter, Louisiana state legislator, foreign correspondent, and—briefly—a decoy for the CIA. But he made his name as campaign trail fixer, an expert in the art of exploiting an enemy''s secrets. For nearly a decade, Harvey was the sharpest man in the Beltway, but he quit in 1972, trading political dirty work for a quiet life on a farm. Now two old friends want him back in the game. A millionaire named Vullo has started a foundation to investigate conspiracies, and Harvey happens to be the expert on the most prominent case: the infamous disappearance of a man named Arch Mix. The trail is not as cold as Harvey thought. Soon he''ll either find Mix—or suffer a disappearance of his own.

A tragic past traps a former Hollywood stuntman in a web of international intrigue—from "America''s best storyteller" ( The New York Times Book Review). Two pirates do battle on an old junk ship in Singapore Harbor. They leap nimbly from deck to rigging, crossing swords like fencing masters. And then one surprises the other, slicing a rope and sending the unfortunate pirate tumbling into the bay. This is how stuntman Angelo Sacchetti dies. Edward Cauthorne was his opponent, a fellow stuntman whose career died along with Sacchetti. He''s selling used cars when two thugs approach him. They''re emissaries from Sacchetti''s godfather, a Mafia don. Sacchetti is alive after all—alive enough to be blackmailing the don—and they firmly request that Cauthorne find him. The search takes Cauthorne back to Singapore, to risk his own life for the sake of the man he thought he''d killed.

Edd Partain, ein unehrenhaft aus der US-Army entlassener Exmajor, erhält einen Auftrag von Millicent Altford, einer einschlägig bekannten Geldwäscherin, der 1,2 Millionen Dollar auf rätselhafte Weise abhanden gekommen sind. Edd, wieder mal abgebrannt, macht sich auf die Suche, doch hat er kaum Zeit, sich um die Millionen zu kümmern, eine Reihe von Morden geschieht, und Edd Prtain trifft auf alte Bekannte aus finsteren Zeiten, die ihn schon damals gern aus den Weg geräumt hätten.

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel At the height of the Cold War, two Americans are runnng a bar in the West German capital, called Mac''s place. One of the pair, Michael Padillo, isn''t around a lot; he keeps disappearing on "business trips." McCorkle, his partner, wisely doesn''t ask questions; he knows Padillo has a second job -- he''s a (reluctant) US agent. But McCorkle is ready to answer a call for help from Padillo, and he joins his friend in a blind journey with no inkling of what they will encounter at the turn of each dark and dangerous corner.

"This report details the findings of the 2010 survey for seagrass habitat in and around the mouth of the Skardon River. The survey included assessment of approximately 30 sq. km of intertidal and shallow subtidal substrate. One seagrass species was identified that formed only a small community within the survey area. Other small seagrasss meadows are known from previous surveys to exist further upstream within the Skardon River system. These meadows are all likey to be regionally important and also highly variable beween both years and seasons. No significant algae of benthic macro-invertebrate communities were identified in the 2010 survy area. --p.1.

Ah, Treachery!, the last novel Thomas wrote before his death, tells the story of one Captain Edd "Twodees" Partain, drummed out of the Army and hounded by rumors of his involvement in a secret operation in El Salvador. Twodees gets hired on to help a fundraiser for the "Little Rock folks" recover funds that were stolen from an illicit stash used to smooth over problems and pay off hush money. Meanwhile, Partain is involved in a storefront operation called VOMIT (Victims of Military Intelligence Treachery) trying to defend former intelligence operatives such as Partain from those who are trying to cover up the past permanently.

Originally published: New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978.

The son of a dead CIA agent is offered $100,000 for the rights to his father''s memoirs sight unseen.

The Fourth Durango is not your ordinary Durango. It''s not in Spain, or Mexico, and it''s not a ski town in the Colorado Rockies, although Durangos do exist in all of those places. This Durango has an industry, albeit a rather odd one-it is a hideout business, a place where people pay to find sanctuary from former friends and associates who are either trying to kill them, or have them killed. Into this Durango comes a former chief justice of a state supreme court, followed by son-in-law Kelly Vines to act as his emissary to the beautiful and savvy mayor. Following them come a false priest, and a run of murders. It takes a Ross Thomas to stir these characters into a witty and ingenious mix readers will not be able to- -and certainly would not want to--resist.

"Hain''t we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain''t that a big enough majority in any town?" -- Mark Twain When Lucifer Dye is released from three months in a Hong Kong prison, debriefed, handed a false passport, a new wardrobe and a $20,000 check, his haughty control makes it clear that Dye''s career with his country has been permanently terminated. But a good agent is always in demand, and just a few hours later Dye is being interviewed for a highly ingenious position. Victor Orcutt, although a not very good imitation of a British pre-war gent, has creative talents of his own. He has his sights a small southern city, with the ordinary run-of-the-mill corruption one would expect in such a place. The canny Orcott knows there''s no profit in that. His creed is "To get better, it must be much worse." He and his two associates have looked up Dye''s history, and he now offers the ex-spy a mission: for two and a half times the government''s bounty, Dye is to thoroughly corrupt the town. And the sly Dye takes the offer.