Motel of the Mysteries

A future archeologist finds the remnants of a mysterious ancient people—us—in a wry satire that is “a marvel of imagination and . . . wonderfully illustrated” (The New York Times). It is the year 4022, and the entire ancient country of Usa has been buried under many feet of detritus from a catastrophe that occurred back in 1985. Howard Carson, an amateur archeologist, is crossing the perimeter of an abandoned excavation site when he feels the ground give way beneath him. Suddenly, he finds himself at the bottom of a shaft, which, judging from the DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging from an archaic doorknob, is clearly the entrance to a still-sealed burial chamber. Carson's incredible discoveries, including the remains of two bodies, one laid to rest on a ceremonial bed facing an altar that appeared to be a means of communicating with the Gods and the other lying in a porcelain sarcophagus in the Inner Chamber. These dramatic discoveries give Carson all the clues he needs to piece together the entire civilization—which he gets utterly wrong. The acclaimed author and illustrator of Castle and Pyramid, David Macaulay presents a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek satire of both historical presumption and American self-importance.

The Boxcar Children offer to help Aunt Jane's friend, Kay, fix up her run-down motel.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls. Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary. Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

It's just after Labour Day and the city is kicking back into gear. All eyes are on the hotly contested election for Toronto's next mayor and crime is the big issue. Greene is no stranger to the worst of what the city has to offer, but even he is unprepared for what happens next when he stumbles upon a horrific homicide.

Patrick Lahm is down on his luck. Late for his book signing, out of gas and stuck in a storm. He hitches a ride to the Kurtain Motel where he is forced to spend the night. The small motel seems harmless enough at first, but as the night drags on, Patrick and the other guests slowly begin to realize there is a lot more to their temporary lodging than meets the eye. Something evil is at work at the Kurtain Motel; something that creeps into the deepest, darkest corners of your mind and tugs at the chords of sanity until they finally break. On the longest night of his life, Patrick soon finds out that there is a reason why skeletons are kept in closets. He realizes that your sins always find a way to catch up with you, no matter how hard you try to run. Welcome to the Kurtain Motel, where all your nightmares come true.

Detective Mary Joe Court sleeps with a shotgun beside her bed and a lovable bullmastiff at her feet. For the past twelve years, she's hidden from a nightmarish past, but with every passing day, her scars fade and her heart grows lighter. Now, for the first time in her life, she looks forward to her future. She's happy. Then she finds the body. Someone shot the victim in her chest and left her to die in a cheap motel. Joe knew her well. She grew up with her. They were sisters, of a sort. Twelve years ago, the victim put a gangster in prison. Now that gangster's out and he's looking to settle scores--Joe included. Joe has fought to leave her past behind. Now she has to face it or lose everything she cares about. Because the killer hunting her will tear apart her carefully constructed life piece by piece until there's nothing left. Unless Joe gets him first...

Stella “Granny” Reid’s youth wasn’t the only thing changed by time in tiny, nondescript McGill, Georgia. Except even back in the 1980s, the Southern town still had a way of attracting downright dubious characters—some with a talent for murder. As quirky as McGill’s residents can be, they usually welcome society’s oddballs and outcasts into the community with open arms. But the three members of the Lone White Wolf Pack are a different story. Townsfolk aren’t feeling the least bit neighborly toward the ignorant gang widely believed to have orchestrated several hate crimes in the area . . . When the small group’s irredeemable leader, Billy Ray Sonner, is found dead in an abandoned motel, most assume it was the result of an accidental overdose. An unfortunate yet predictable end for a man who lived the way Billy did. Only Stella and the sheriff have witnessed the crime scene in person, and the smell of cyanide means something more disturbing happened in that ramshackle room. Something like homicide . . . While Stella wades through a flood of suspects, uncovered secrets link both Billy’s closest allies and respected locals to the incident. One thing is certain—this wasn’t an impulsive act of revenge. There’s a sophisticated killer on the loose, and Stella must expose deep-rooted fears and dark pasts if she wants to crack a carefully planned murder and stop McGill from descending into chaos.

When Kirby, Bitsy, and their parents inherit an unusual and very pink motel in Florida, they find it filled with eccentric characters, mystery, and adventure.

Shortlisted, Commonwealth Book Prize and the Queensland Literary Award 2012 When Simon and his parents arrive in the small town of Reception and check in to the Ottoman Motel, things between them are tense but normal. Then, while Simon is asleep, his mother and father disappear. Are they lost? Has something terrible happened to them? Have they simply driven away and left him? All Simon knows is that he is alone in a strange town. Madaline, the local police constable, is kind. Ned Gale and his kids give Simon a place to stay. In the bar down at the Ottoman, Jack Tarden and the other locals are sympathetic. But why does it seem as if no one is trying to find Simon's parents? More than just an intriguing mystery, The Ottoman Motel is a novel about fear and loss, and human fallibility. With this assured, emotionally sophisticated debut, Christopher Currie proves himself to be one of the brightest young novelists in Australia. ‘Disturbing and exhilarating...A bold, assured and exciting debut.’ Matthew Condon ‘Currie gets the blurring of the creepy-friendly small town just right: as if an eleven-year-old boy walked into his own Wake In Fright.’ Malcolm Knox ‘Christopher Currie’s novel creates a brilliant atmosphere, layering superficial small-town charm over dangerous paranoia and criminal depravity. If its tautness slackens slightly later on, it remains an engrossing and deeply creepy read.’ Cameron Woodhead, Age ‘There is a Hitchcock-like eerie calm to this novel, a difficult mood that Currie captures well...As small plot points emerge, drip by drip, from Currie’s wonderful writing, the story takes on a chilling edge.’ Sunday Mail ‘The Ottoman Motel is an assured debut.’ Canberra Times ‘Chris Currie has written an excellent first novel in The Ottoman Motel, part thriller, part crime story and part analysis of the meaning of loss, all told through the eyes of a small boy.’ Otago Daily Times

Mary Higgins Clark Award Winner! OLD RIVALRIES NEVER DIE. BUT SOME RIVALS DO. Juliet Townsend is used to losing. Back in high school, she lost every track team race to her best friend, Madeleine Bell. Ten years later, she’s still running behind, stuck in a dead-end job cleaning rooms at the Mid-Night Inn, a one-star motel that attracts only the cheap or the desperate. But what life won’t provide, Juliet takes. Then one night, Maddy checks in. Well-dressed, flashing a huge diamond ring, and as beautiful as ever, Maddy has it all. By the next morning, though, Juliet is no longer jealous of Maddy—she’s the chief suspect in her murder. To protect herself, Juliet investigates the circumstances of her friend’s death. But what she learns about Maddy’s life might cost Juliet everything she didn’t realize she had. From the Trade Paperback edition.

An NPR Best Book of the Year "Gripping, subtle, magnificently written." —The New York Times Book Review "A delectable page-turner . . . Vera Kelly introduces a fascinating new spy to literature’s mystery canon—one we hope sticks around long beyond this snappy, intimate debut." —Entertainment Weekly New York City, 1962. Vera Kelly is struggling to make rent and blend into the underground gay scene in Greenwich Village. She's working night shifts at a radio station when her quick wits, sharp tongue, and technical skills get her noticed by a recruiter for the CIA. Next thing she knows she's in Argentina, tasked with wiretapping a congressman and infiltrating a group of student activists in Buenos Aires. As Vera becomes more and more enmeshed with the young radicals, the fragile local government begins to split at the seams. When a betrayal leaves her stranded in the wake of a coup, Vera learns the Cold War makes for strange and unexpected bedfellows, and she's forced to take extreme measures to save herself. An exhilarating page-turner and perceptive coming-of-age story, Who Is Vera Kelly? introduces an original, wry, and whip-smart female spy for the twenty-first century.

Grandfather's new land in the Rockies comes complete with an abandoned town and old silver mine. There is even a ghost floating through the streets!

The Aldens are at Wildcat Crossing, a recreated frontier town full of cowboy fun! But when horses disappear and other pranks threaten to ruin the Wild West show, the Boxcar Children must find out who's the varmint causing all the trouble!

A derelict motel, haunting childhood memories, hidden rooms, two sisters and family secrets--a supernatural tale that will thrill and chill in equal measure. Once a thriving attraction on the well-traveled roads of rural Vermont, the Tower Motel now stands in disrepair, an eerie, abandoned place. Amy, her best friend, Piper, and Piper's younger sister, Margot, played there as kids, exploring everywhere, even the forbidden tower itself--where they uncovered a secret one summer that ended their friendship. Twenty years later, Piper has left all of that behind, until she gets a call from Margot telling her that Amy's been accused of a horrific crime. Piper and Margot will have to confront what truly happened that long-ago summer and all that led up to it--a hidden room, a family drowning in secrets, another pair of sisters each believing the other to be something truly monstrous--in order to understand, and survive, what is happening now.

Readers looking for an enchanting read, a story of overcoming the odds, or a tale of suspense will love this traditional Agatha Christie, who-dun-it mystery, matched and raised by a hint of magic.

A hot air balloon lands in the Aldens' yard!

The Kellys are not a typical all-American family. Oh, on the surface they might look like your next-door neighbors: Tom Kelly, professor in economics, his wife Dee, art gallery owner, teenagers Maya and Scott, baby boy Jacob, and of course the family's lovable Goldendoodle Ralph. All perfectly nice people. But for some reason the Kellys can't stop bumping into dead bodies and getting mixed up in all manner of murder and mayhem, and is it their fault they've got a knack for solving crime? After all, the family that sleuths together, stays together, right?The Kellys, on their way back from Thanksgiving Break, are caught in the snowstorm to end all snowstorms. This is the big one, and they're forced to stay the night at a roadside motel in the middle of nowhere. So when Ralph finds the body of a dead man buried under a foot of snow, they're not that keen to get involved. Especially when the man turns out to be the famous Hot Gangster: the gang member who became a celebrity and a model because of his mugshot.But with the motel on lockdown, and the police unable to get there because of the blizzard, it's up to the Kellys to find out who murdered Hot Gangster, knowing full well that the killer is locked in there with them, watching their every move!Murder Motel is the first book in the humorous mystery series The Kellys.

Text and detailed drawings follow the planning and construction of a magnificent Gothic cathedral in the imaginary French town of Chutreaux during the thirteenth century.

When a calico cat appears at Grandfather's, the children look for the founder of the town's animal shelter.

More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA