Waiting To Happen

Josh Michaels doesn't know it, but he's worth more dead than alive. A firm has bought his life insurance policy and they want to collect on it--even if it means killing Josh.

Why are more women than men in South Africa HIV positive? What explains the exponential growth of AIDS in the country? How is HIV/AIDS understood in various cultural belief systems? What can be done about the epidemic? This powerful book -- incorporating evocative photographs and the voices of scholars, practitioners, and victims of the epidemic -- looks at the social, cultural, and historical aspects of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. -- Back cover.

Lara Brown attempts to protect her creative, free-spirited daughter Sarah from the worst consequences of Sarah's determination to live life on the brink of disaster.

This report finds the three bankers guilty of "catastrophic failures of management" in the run-up to the collapse of HBOS which resulted in its emergency takeover by Lloyds bank. "Toxic" misjudgments by the three led to the bank's downfall. Lloyds later needed a £20.5bn taxpayer bail-out at the height of the financial crisis as a direct result of its acquisition of HBOS. So far only one former HBOS director, Peter Cummings, has been penalised, after being fined £500,000 and banned for life from working in the City last September. The Commission said it was wrong that he should shoulder the blame alone. They claim "The primary responsibility for the downfall of HBOS should rest with Sir James Crosby, architect of the strategy that set the course for disaster, with Andy Hornby, who proved unable or unwilling to change course, and Lord Stevenson, who presided over the bank's board from its birth to its death.", and calls on the new City regulator to consider barring them from taking up any role in the financial sector. Senior executives of HBOS tried to blame the losses on the temporary closure of wholesale markets. During the financial crisis, banks stopped lending to each other, resulting in their short-term supplies of funding drying up. But members of the Commission said they were disappointed by such explanations, as it was the lending approach that was to blame. The FSA's failure to act exposes what a flawed regulatory framework was in place and politicians of all parties backed the propping up of the banks with frighteningly expensive bailouts

An Irish gumshoe gets in trouble again in this steamy short fiction that features gangs, pay-offs, immigration and a dose of greed. Private detective John Blaine is back treading Dublin's mean streets. With his marriage now on track, and a new baby to keep him closer to home, it seems life is good. That is, until he gets a call from the owner of nightclub in Dublin's raucous Temple Bar. A Romanian gang is threatening to burn the place down, but there are two sides to every story. Before he knows it, Blaine finds himself in the center of the blaze.

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER ALL THE GOOD ONES WERE TAKEN… Since high school, Caroline Masters' heart had belonged to just one man: Sloan Walters. But Sloan had already pledged his love to another, so Caroline left town, vowing never to reveal her secret feelings. Now, twelve years had passed. Sloan was raising his two rambunctious boys alone when fate brought him and Caroline together again. Time had changed a lot of things—including the way Sloan looked at her. Caroline could barely believe it. Could she turn the man of her dreams into the husband of a lifetime? Happily ever after…with kids!

For years, Tony Muggivan urged the Irish social system to offer appropriate treatment to the desperately sick Brendan O'Donnell. A Tragedy Waiting to Happen is the harrowing story of his doomed attempts and the awful consequences of that failure: a triple murder. Tony Muggivan is a farmer. One wet night in February 1989, Brendan O'Donnell entered his life and that of his family. He had absconded from Trinity Detention Centre in Dublin and had been missing for a week. He turned up at Tony Muggivan's door, dirty, dishevelled and starving. The Muggivans took him in. Tony had never seen Brendan before. The next day, Tony began a search for help. It was clear that Brendan should be in a psychiatric unit, not a detention centre. Doctors, social workers and the Gardaí all agreed that this was the best course of action. As there was no place for him in Co. Clare, Tony took Brendan to hospitals in Ballinasloe and Galway, where they refused to admit him. Frustrated and angry, they returned home. Over the next five years Brendan began living rough and embarked on a campaign of armed robbery and mayhem in the east Clare area. It was evident he was out of control. In 1994 Brendan murdered Imelda Riney, her three-year old son Liam and Fr. Joe Walsh. It was one of the most shocking crimes of modern times. Brendan was convicted in 1996 and died in prison in 1997 in circumstances that have never been fully explained by the authorities. Tony and J.J. Muggivan recount Brendan O'Donnell's tragic life, and highlight the failures of the system to help a deeply disturbed boy who later became a psychotic killer. Tony had known that something awful was going to happen: for five years, he had tried and failed to get the Irish social and medical system to offer appropriate treatment to a desperately sick young man. A Tragedy Waiting to Happen reveals the truth behind the headlines and the real Brendan O'Donnell.

“From the start, I loved how emotionally attached I became to the characters involved in this story. The ending had a shock factor that was well planned and psychologically satisfying. An excellent novel for readers who enjoy character-driven thrillers with a bit of romance. Four out of four stars.” – OnlineBookClub.org One mistake. That was all it took to change the lives of four strangers brought together by destiny and veering on a collision course of complicated interactions. As the air traffic controller blamed for a human error resulting in a disaster, Margaret Lido faces death threats and must find a way to start a new life. A lone survivor, must also begin a new life, anonymously. He hopes his future includes beautiful Viola Cordova, a new neighbor with secrets of her own. But a rival who is living a unique lifestyle will vie for Viola's attention, leading her into a dangerous situation. Lies, plot twists, and deceit will have you racing through this fast-paced story. Book Review 1: ”WOW! Homerun! This is a captivating story with a great plot twist! A must read!” -- Shannan, Verified Amazon Purchase Book Review 2: ”The Ending. I love a book that grabs me from the first page and this book did. I love short chapters. The ending totally floored me. I am still reeling.” -- Ellie, Verified Amazon Purchase Book Review 3: “Thrilling and sick! This book should be made into a NETFLIX mini-series. Fantastic twists and unexpected turns. The ending was just sick…Loved it!” -- Gloria, Verified Amazon Purchase Book Review 4: “Gripping, suspenseful, Hard to put down. Loved this book. Has you hanging on till the end.” -- Frances, Verified Amazon Purchase Book Review 5: “Highly recommend. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. There was never a lull in the suspense." -- Paula, Verified Amazon Purchase