Elizabeth Ashtree

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10,1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds...Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Taking the reader step by step from Katmandu to the mountain's deadly pinnacle, Krakauer has his readers shaking on the edge of their seat. Beyond the terrors of this account, however, he also peers deeply into the myth of the world's tallest mountain. What is is about Everest that has compelled so many poeple--including himself--to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense? Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement.From the Paperback edition.

Trial attorney Simon Montgomery rarely loses a case. But when an eleven-year-old girl stands accused of murder, the courtroom superstar faces his toughest challenge. The child's social worker, Jayda Kavanagh, thinks it's open and shut: her client didn't do it. And Jayda will stop at nothing to prove her innocence.Jayda isn't the only one who's bonding with the young girl. While he fights to win her freedom, Simon moves ahead with plans to adopt her. It means dredging up his own painful past. Coming clean about his growing feelings for Jayda.But Jayda's harboring a secret of her own--a secret that could affect their future together. And the child's.

Warrant Officer Rachel Southwell has been an absentee mother for too many years. So she jumps at the chance to work for a general at the Pentagon and live fulltime with her eight-year-old son. But her new assignment has as many perils as a war zone. Because Captain Nathan Fordham, the general's aide, wants her to help him entrap the abusive older man -- a risky undertaking that could derail Nathan's and Rachel's careers if they fail. Nathan will be around to help Rachel out. But that quickly becomes as dangerous as the general's proximity -- and the mysterious stalker Rachel can't shake. Both Rachel and Nathan had sworn off love. Now they've tumbled into it...way deeper than either of them want.