Louis Auchincloss tells the story of a large Manhattan law firm—the kind of latter-day Olympus so rich and influential, so full of good grey heads, that it appears more a seat of government than a place of business. It is the belief that law is the very essence of America's eminence that sustains Timothy Colt and makes him the tirelessly dedicated young lawyer he is. And it is belief in Timothy that brings his wife, Ann, to tolerate his grinding...

First published in 1956, The Etruscan is a fiction novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari. Beginning around 480 B.C., the story takes us on the spiritual journey of a young man named Lars Turms as he adventures through Ancient Greece to Sicily, Rome and, finally, Tuscany, searching for the meaning of life. He gradually becomes aware of his immortality and his duties to the future. Although set in ancient civilization, the book poses many of life's existential...

Sailing to Havana, Mr. and Mrs. North find their vacation dogged by death Stepping out of her stateroom, Pamela North is rather disappointed to see a man with a sword. She had hoped this cruise would be a respite from murder, mayhem, and crime, and she finds pirates to be dreary. As it happens, she's wrong on all counts. The man with the sword is no pirate, and this trip will not offer an escape from death. As the ship embarks on an eight-day voyage...