The Curse Of The Black Cat

Exclusive Waverly Academy looks like a medieval castle, but the horrors there are up-to-date. With minor incidents and cruel pranks running rampant, and each incident accompanied by a curse note from the Black Cat, soon everyone is spooked—even the teachers. At the headmistress’s request, Nancy and George go undercover as teaching interns, and it isn’t long before Nancy herself gets one of the menacing notes. Who is the mysterious Black Cat? An unhappy student? Or is a more sinister force at work?

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" is a short story that explores themes of guilt and perversity. The narrator, haunted by cruelty to his black cat and acts of domestic violence, is consumed by paranoia and madness. His attempt to conceal a crime leads to his own disgrace.

The first installment in The Curse Workers series from New York Times bestselling author Holly Black: “Urban fantasy, con story—whatever you call it, read it” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Cassel comes from a family of con artists and grifters, all of them curse workers but him. On top of that, Cassel is plagued by guilt that he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago. When Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila, and what that means about his actions. In Cassel’s search for answers about Lila and himself, he realizes that his brothers have been conning him for years, and that the final piece in their quest for power is about to fall into place. Cassel has other ideas. He’s going to create an even more elaborate trap and, with Lila’s help, con a bunch of magic using conmen. This “beautifully realized dark fantasy...with prose that moves from stark simplicity to almost surreal intensity in a moment” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is rife with the unexpected. “Readers will be hooked” (Booklist) on White Cat.

As his eighteenth birthday draws near, prince Alrik-heir to the throne of Edan-must choose a wife. But when his first kiss with a beautiful princess leaves him feeling cold, he knows that although it is his duty, he cannot love a woman. In a fit of panic, he seeks out the aid of the witch Gwydion. The witch, however, has other plans.

"Cassel Sharpe comes from a family of curse workers, people who have the power to change emotions, memories, and luck with the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're also all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists, but not Cassel. He doesn't have magic, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family, except for the small detail that he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago. Cassel has carefully built up a facade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his facade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two older brothers, who are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he's an unwitting pawn in a huge con game, he must unravel his past, and his memories. To find the truth, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen."--

Alrik has two choices: Spend eternity eating mice, or learn to accept himself for who he is. As his eighteenth birthday draws near, prince Alrik-heir to the throne of Edan-must choose a wife. But when his first kiss with a beautiful princess leaves him feeling cold, he knows that although it is his duty, he cannot love a woman. In a fit of panic, he seeks the aid of the witch Gwydion. The witch, however, has other plans. After hundreds of years as a cat, Alrik must learn to accept himself and who he loves or face the rest of eternity as a cat. Luckily, New York City's dumpsters are ripe for the picking. With food from around the world to choose from, he finds himself drawn to one restaurant in particular. Crystal Tokyo-a restaurant specializing in Japanese food-is Yuuki's first big job as a chef, and he loves it. So, what happens when Yuuki decides to befriend the black cat hanging out in Crystal Tokyo's back alley? This story is perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow Series, Ashley Poston's The Princess and the Fangirl, and A.W. Jantha's Hocus Pocus.

Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie with a touch of Wodehouse and a dog of distinction. Who killed Sir Crispin Gibbons? A wedding invitation and news of mischief that could be murder, takes Lennox to The Earl of Bloxford's country pile. He soon finds himself in a world of purloined artworks, forgeries and a priceless Bloxford Beauty. But who are the Bloxford Beauties? And why are they the focal point around which swirls death?Lennox must confront life-long friends, unscrupulous artists and dealers to finally unravel a plot so complex that even his Scotland yard friend Jonathan Swift, is befuddled.

In book three of the Curse Workers series, “the perfect end to this gem of a trilogy” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), trust is a priceless commodity and the lines between right and wrong become dangerously blurred. Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the government is the right choice, even though he’s been raised to believe they are the enemy of all curse workers. But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and all new secrets coming to light, what’s right and what’s wrong become increasingly hard to tell apart. When the Feds ask him to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he starts to wonder if they really are the good guys, or if it’s all a con. And if it is, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—on love. Love is dangerous and trust is priceless in Holly Black’s “powerful, edgy, dark” fantasy series (Publishers Weekly).