The Minotaur by Barbara Vine
Shaye Areheart, March 2006
ISBN 0-307-23760-5
Hardcover

The irrepressibly prolific and consistently impressive writer Barbara Vine (a.k.a. Ruth Rendell)—“the best mystery writer in the English-speaking world” (Time) and “a writer who is at the height of her powers” (Daily Mail)—has now given readers one of her most disturbing and provocative mysteries, The Minotaur.

First, let us consider the name that serves as the title of Barbara Vine’s mesmerizing novel: The Minotaur of ancient Greek mythology, as readers will recall, was an unpleasant creature with a bull’s head and man’s body.

The Conjurer’s Bird by Martin Davies
Shaye Areheart/Crown, January 2006
ISBN 1-4000-9733-9
Hardcover

Travel back in time to 1774 when Captain Cook and the crew of the Resolution explored the South Pacific. During the expedition’s visit to Ulieta, one of the Society Islands, the Resolution’s naturalist John Forster captured and preserved a remarkably unique thrush-like bird.