Central Kansas Library System

"Crime fiction expert Susanna Lee tracks the evolution of the hard-boiled character type over time and media in the United States. She shows how crime fiction rose in popularity at times of national conflict. Readers and viewers crave the sort of grit and independence that the hard-boiled detective offers when reality may leave them feeling they lack control over their own lives. This is a study of literature and film and also a work of cultural studies"--...

Emboldened by the return of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. Hogwarts, once thought to be a safe haven, may no longer be safe. Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Harry will have to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort's defenses, a critical piece...

Wanting to lead an honest life, a notorious bank robber turns himself in, only to be double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents.

What starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone is a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.

After one fateful night, Sam wakes up with no future at all. Trapped reliving the same day over and over, she begins to question just how perfect her life really was. And as she begins to untangle the mystery of a life suddenly derailed, she must also unwind the secrets of the people closest to her, and discover the power of a single day to make a difference, before she runs out of time for good.

U.S. Attorney, Joe Dubbs, wants to bring down crim boss Domenic Leopold. A corrupt city utilities commissioner has promised Leopold the contract for a massive public works project in return for a huge kickback. The murder of a small time hoodlum leads to evidence that will expose the scheme to defraud the city.

For years, rumors of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So, in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to...

When he is slipped a dose of slow-acting poison, a man sets out to find his own murderer.

One by one guests are being murdered on a mysterious island and those remaining realize the killer is among them.

Army Corps engineer and astronaut Roy McBride is searching for answers in the depths of space. Twenty years ago, Roy's father went in search of proof of the existence of extraterrestrial life on Neptune during a one-way mission. The mission was designated officially as a failure. Roy searches the solar system for the truth about both his father's mission and a recent mystery that has unfolded that threatens Earth. What Roy doesn't know is that this...