"So long as ignorance and poverty exist on earth, books of the nature of Les Misérables cannot fail to be of use," says Victor Hugo in the preface of his famous novel. Certainly, Les Misérables is French history recounted through the personal stories of its main characters. The tale offers philosophical insight on the good deeds that can happen even amidst ignorance and poverty. This handsome leather-bound volume is a beautiful addition to any classic...

Bernard and Clarie Martin are on the case after two young women disappear after having assisted a Russian man throw a dead body into a canal in 1897 Paris

"It's Christmas Eve in Paris in the year 1800, eight years after the execution of King Louis XVI and a year since First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte seized power. Amid a backdrop of political turmoil, all of the city's elite, including Bonaparte himself, are expected to attend the premiere of the year's most anticipated musical event at the Opera. But as his carriage approaches the theater, a massive bomb detonates on Rue Saint-Nicaise, narrowly missing...

Jillian Cantor reimagines the pioneering, passionate life of Marie Curie using a parallel structure to create two alternative timelines, one that mirrors her real life, one that explores the consequences for Marie and for science if she'd made a different choice. ""In Poland in 1891, Marie Curie (then Marya Sklodowska) was engaged to a budding mathematician, Kazimierz Zorawski. But when his mother insisted she was too poor and not good enough, he...

"Paris, 1794. Revolutionary fervour has erupted into the Reign of Terror. A young man, Paul Courtney, hides in a crowd watching as the condemned are brought to the guillotine. Among them is Constance Courtney, Paul's mother. As he watches her brutal execution, he knows he must avoid the same fate and fulfil his promise to her - to survive, no matter what. He joins Napoleon's army and is taken to Egypt, but with the world at war and traitors in every...