Richard Piers Rayner Ordine dei libri (cronologico)

Die Rache einer gedemütigten Frau ist lebensgefährlich. Maurice Valentine ist ein ehrgeiziger Architekt, und Las Vegas ist sein El Dorado. Ein Hotel nach dem anderen zieht er in der Stadt des Glücksspiels und der leichten Liebe hoch, und dass sein Auftraggeber die Mafia ist, stört ihn nicht im geringsten. Man schreibt das Jahr 1956, und während draußen in der Wüste Atompilze aufsteigen und das Komitee für Unamerikanische Umtriebe in Hollywood nach Kommunisten sucht, winkt dem zynischen jungen Mann eine große Karriere. Man will ihn zum Senator machen. Da kreuzt eine kühle und zugleich leidenschaftliche Frau seinen Weg. Er hält sie für eine leichte Beute, aber erst als er mit einer Schussverletzung im Krankhaus liegt, wird ihm klar, dass er ein Spiel auf Leben und Tod spielt. Ein atmosphärisch dichter, romantischer Thriller aus der tiefschwarzen Serie: Der Held sitzt in der Falle, getrieben von Ehrgeiz und Angst, er ist unfähig, Schuld von Unschuld zu unterscheiden, echte und falsche Identität verschwimmen vor seinen Augen, das Böse ist bedrohlich und faszinierend zugleich. »Wer Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy und Elmore Leonard schätzt, wird Richard Rayner lieben.« Deggendorfer aktuell

"[W]hat led a poor boy from Liverpool to become a magus powerful enough to take on the Devil and emerge triumphant? A new window onto Constantine's unique and harrowing life is now open with rare cuts, collecting six never-before-reprinted issues of thisgroundbreaking Vertigo series and showcasing some of the pivotal episodes in the working-class wizard's bloody history." -- p. [4] of cover.

Ballonstrip in paperbackvorm.

In a tiny village in Finland, Esko Vaananen is at the brink of despair -- he loves a woman he can never have. Suddenly, in the magical light of the aurora borealis, he has a vision of an impossibly tall building rising gracefully from the frozen lake and disappearing into the clouds above him. This pilvenpiirtaja -- "cloud sketcher" or skyscraper -- sparks a lifelong quest for beauty in Esko. He will pursue and protect these two passions -- his vision and his love -- no matter how great the cost, for the rest of his life. It is a journey that leads him into the Bolshevik revolution and the Jazz Age nightclubs of New York City and to strike a Faustian bargain with a ruthless gangster -- all in the pursuit of artistic perfection and impossible, unattainable love.

Los Angeles serves as the backdrop for a gripping tale of ambition and despair. Billy McGrath, a complex character of mixed heritage, has traded his dreams of academia for a career as one of the city's top homicide detectives. He navigates a flawed justice system that often favors the wealthy while punishing the vulnerable. Struggling with personal demons, including a painful divorce and separation from his beloved daughter, McGrath's life takes a dramatic turn when he is called to a crime scene. There, he discovers a murdered woman whose son is a notorious crack dealer, offering a million-dollar bounty for the killer's identity. In a moment of moral ambiguity, McGrath makes a fateful choice that leads to his downfall. As he seeks redemption, he becomes entangled in a whirlwind of corruption and violence that reveals the darker sides of Los Angeles. Through McGrath's journey, the narrative explores themes of identity, morality, and the quest for justice. This dark, thrilling story captivates readers with its relentless pace and complex characters, making it an unputdownable read.

The story of Michael Sullivan (aka the Angel of Death), a hit man for an Irish American gang in Depression-era Chicago. His work crosses into his private life, leading to the death of his beloved wife and son, leading Sullivan and his surviving son to set out on a journey of revenge.

"The Elephant" is Bradford, a man in the death business and also his son, a fantasist and liar who is named after a cricket field. It is about versions of the truth, the mystery of names, sexual hysteria and a fear of not-feeling. By the author of "Los Angeles Without a Map".