Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy by Steven Campbell

Hank is a thug. He knows he’s a thug. He has no problem with that realization. In his view the galaxy has given him a gift: a mutation that allows him to withstand great deals of physical trauma. He puts his abilities to the best use possible and that isn’t by being a scientist.

Besides, the space station Belvaille doesn’t need scientists. It is not, generally, a thinking person’s locale. It is the remotest habitation in the entire Colmarian Confederation. There is literally no reason to be there.

Unless you are a criminal.

Because of its location, Belvaille is populated with nothing but crooks. Every day is a series of power struggles between the crime bosses.

Hank is an intrinsic part of this community as a premier gang negotiator. Not because he is eloquent or brilliant or an expert combatant, but because if you shoot him in the face he keeps on talking.

Hank believes he has it pretty good until a beautiful and mysterious blue woman enters his life with a compelling job offer.

Hank and Belvaille, so long out of public scrutiny, suddenly find themselves at the epicenter of the galaxy with a lot of very unwelcome attention.

The Irish Pub Cookbook by Margaret M. Johnson

More than seventy amazing Irish pub recipes, from the classic favorites you love to the contemporary specialties sure to delight.

Talk about the luck of the Irish! One of the most beloved of Irish institutions (there are more than one thousand in Dublin alone), the traditional pub has served generations as the venue for local gossip, sporting news, a ceilidh or two, literary soirees, real estate deals, political debates, revolutionary plots, and, lest we forget, for knocking back a pint of Guinness or a “ball of malt.” The food’s not bad either—as The Irish Pub Cookbook so deliciously demonstrates. It’s a celebration of more than seventy pub classics: thick soups and stews; savory tarts and meaty pies; big bowls of salad (times change!); and desserts of the seconds-are-always-appropriate variety. There’s shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, seafood chowder, and whiskey bread pudding for those with a taste for the quintessential. Contemporary specialties such as Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Courgette Soup; Salmon Cakes with Dill and Wine Sauce; Braised Lambshanks with Red Currants; and White Chocolate Terrine spotlight modern Irish cooking’s richly deserved acclaim. Complete with pub photos, history, and lore, nobody leaves hungry when The Irish Pub Cookbook is in the kitchen.

Open Season (Joe Gunther Mysteries Book 1) by Archer Mayor

Lt. Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, Vermont police force has a serious problem: in a community where a decade could pass without a single murder, the body count is suddenly mounting. Innocent citizens are being killed—and others set-up—seemingly orchestrated by a mysterious ski-masked man. Signs suggest that a three year-old murder trial might lie at the heart of things, but it’s a case that many in the department would prefer remained closed. A man of quiet integrity, Lt. Gunther knows that he must pursue the case to its conclusion, wherever it leads.

Open Season is the first of Archer Mayor’s twenty-three Joe Gunther novels, a series of gripping police procedurals set in New England, where small-town charm, stoicism and civility sometimes conceal brutal truths.

Highland Skyby Elizabeth Rose

From admired warriors to outcasts in a blink of an eye, these rugged Highlanders are out to find redemption.

The Accused: Nash MacKeefe.
He’s been called boastful, and his pride has done him in.

The Crime: Having fun celebrating in the tavern, Nash accidentally sets the thatched ceiling on fire. He’s broken Old Callum MacKeefe’s rule number four: Never damage anything inside the Horn and Hoof Tavern.

The Punishment: Nash is sent to a needy clan in the Highlands to help thatch roofs that have been burned by their enemy in a raid. He’s a warrior, but this is work for laborers. He’d rather be out fighting, but needs to comply if he is going to be redeemed and welcomed back into his clan. While thatching roofs, he meets a woman who seems like she wants to kill him. The trouble is, all he wants to do is kiss her.

The Thatcher’s Niece: Devastated when they are raided and their crops and cottages burned by the enemy, Kellina focuses on bringing hope back to her weakened clan. She helps her distraught uncle repair the damage to the roofs, having learned the skill of thatching as a young girl.

When a Highlander shows up to assist them, the man’s boasting makes her want to stay far away at first. But it doesn’t take long before she realizes his sense of pride is just what her clan needs. It will help to bring back hope where there is only despair. It’s in her best interest to work with him instead of against him.

Love blooms in the most unlikely of places . . . atop a roof! Sometimes, the answer to a prayer comes in mysterious ways, closer to the heavens than one thinks.

Highland Outcasts
Highland Soul
Highland Flame
Highland Sky
Highland Silver