The Cleaner

Surprising and compelling this powerfully written novel is a terrifyingly vivid rendering inside the mind of a serial killer. Meet Joe. He’s a nice guy out to catch a copycat killer. The one copying himself. Joe is in control of everything in his simple life, including both his day job at the police department and his 'night work'. He remembers to feed his fish twice a day and visit his mother at least once a week, although he occasionally peppers her coffee with rat poison. He is not bothered by the reports of The Christchurch Carver, who - they say - murdered seven women. Joe knows the carver has killed only six. He knows that for a fact. And Joe is going to find that copy-cat killer, punish him for the one murder and then frame him for the rest. It's a perfect plan because he already knows he can outwit the police. All he has to do now is take care of all the women who keep getting in his way – his domineering mother for one. Then there is Sally, the maintenance worker who sees him as a replacement for her dead brother, and the mysterious Melissa, the only woman to have ever understood him, but whose fantasies of blackmail and torture no longer have any place in Joe's investigation... The Carver Series: Book 1: The Cleaner Book 2: Joe Victim

The first in a high-octane thriller series that is perfect for fans of Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne.

“The Cleaner has it all: exotic locales, James Bondian derring-do, and ingenious plot twists that will keep you sweating all the way ’til the end.“—Tess Gerritsen Meet Jonathan Quinn: a freelance operative with a take-no-prisoners style and the heart of a loner. His job? Professional “cleaner.” Nothing too violent, just disposing of bodies, doing a little cleanup if necessary. But Quinn’s latest assignment is about to change everything, igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal, and revenge. The job seemed simple enough: investigating a suspicious case of arson. But when a dead body turns up where it doesn’t belong—and Quinn’s handlers turn strangely silent—he knows he’s in over his head. Quinn’s only hope may be Orlando, a woman from his past who could hold the key to solving the case. Suddenly the two are prying into old crimes, struggling to stay alive long enough to unbury the truth. But as the hunt intensifies, Quinn is stunned by what he uncovers: a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy—with an almost unimaginable goal. Praise for The Cleaner “Battles is a compelling new voice in the thriller genre. The Cleaner combines the best elements of Lee Child, John le Carré and Robert Ludlum. . . . A stellar debut.“—Sheldon Siegel “A brilliant and heart-pounding thriller.”—Jeffery Deaver “A tightly written page-turner.”—Booklist

A second-chance romantic suspense from million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin... Gunner James is good at death. An expert. His job is to clean up the messes no one else can. But behind that tough exterior, Gunner has a few secrets of his own. Eight years ago, Gunner left his hometown and vowed to never look back. When his past collides with his present in the form of a familiar face, Gunner must return home to take care of one final mess...the woman he left behind. Reagan Orrick knows heartbreak. Eight years ago, the love of her life disappeared without a trace or goodbye. In his absence, she has fought to build a life she can be proud of. When tragedy strikes, Reagan must go it alone or make a choice to trust the man who shattered her heart once again.

An award-winning trainer draws on experience with such top athletes as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Ken Griffey, Jr. to explain how to tap dark competitive reflexes in order to succeed regardless of circumstances, explaining the importance of finding internal resources and harnessing the power of personal fears and instincts.

“If you enjoy the work of Marilynne Robinson, Penelope Fitzgerald, James Salter…you should be reading Vickers.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World There is something very special about Agnès Morel. A quiet presence in the small French town of Chartres, she can usually be found cleaning the famed medieval cathedral or doing odd jobs for the townspeople. No one knows where she came from or why. Not diffident Abbé Paul, nor lonely Professor Jones, nor even Alain Fleury, whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes. She has transformed all their lives in her own subtle way, yet no one suspects the dark secret Agnès is hiding. Then an accidental encounter dredges up the specter of her past, and the nasty meddling of town gossips forces Agnès to confront her tragic history and the violent act that haunts it.

The Cleaner of Kastoria enters the past and present of Dina, a young village girl whose wild decision sets her on an unforgetable odyssey through the horrors and tragedy of the Greek civil war. Leading her Democratic Army unit of girls through icy rivers and bloody battles she is haunted by memories of her young husband. Dina still guards her dark secrets in the aftermath of the Colonels' dictatorship of 1974. As a housecleaner Dina faces her final challenge from Vassiliki the monarchist

At once radical, controversial and revered, Marina Abramovic is the progenitor of contemporary performance art At once radical, controversial and revered, Marina Abramovic is one of the most discussed artists today. Famous for her groundbreaking performance works, she continues to expand the boundaries of art. This publication, accompanying her first major retrospective in Europe, gives an extensive overview of her work from the earliest years until today: film, photography, paintings and objects, installations and archival material. Since the early 1970s Abramovic has explored the intersection between performing and visual art in her work and, though rarely overtly political, posed questions of power and hierarchy. In addressing fundamental issues of our existence and seeking the core of such notions as loss, memory, pain endurance and trust, she both provokes and moves.