Midnight Rambler: A Novel of Suspense (Jack Carpenter) Paperback - 2008
by Swain, James
- Used
- Paperback
In a straight-up, hard-boiled suspense thriller, the bestselling author of "Night Stalker" pits former cop Jack Carpenter against a sinister cabal of killers.
Description
Standard delivery: 2 to 8 days
Details
- Title Midnight Rambler: A Novel of Suspense (Jack Carpenter)
- Author Swain, James
- Binding Paperback
- Edition Reprint
- Condition Used - Good
- Pages 400
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Ballantine Books, Westminster, Maryland, U.S.A.
- Date 2008-08-26 Cover Creased. See ou
- Features Price on Product - Canadian
- Bookseller's Inventory # 199PS37G_4c634d86-0fb2-4
- ISBN 9780345475473 / 034547547X
- Weight 0.42 lbs (0.19 kg)
- Dimensions 6.9 x 4.14 x 1.1 in (17.53 x 10.52 x 2.79 cm)
-
Themes
- Cultural Region: British
- Library of Congress subjects Suspense fiction, Florida
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
About EstateBooks Texas, United States
Estate Books is pleased to offer the collection of the late Robert A. Warden, who collected over 18,000 books, many preserved in as new condition. Mr. Warden collected a variety of fiction and non-fiction works, but most often was found reading a good mystery.
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All books we offer have been cleaned and individually inspected for quality.
The following describes the types of wear often noticed on used books:
Cover Wear
Cover Chips/Abrasions - At fine level or below, may indicate 1-2 chips of about 2mm on the edge of the cover. At very good level, may indicate several chips/abrasions along the edge of the cover or 1-2 chips in the body of the cover. There may be also light indentations in the cover.
Cover Crease - At fine level or below, may indicate a dust jacket is not flush against the book, 1-2 barely perceptible crimps on the inside flap of the dust jacket, or small crimps following the curve of the spine. At very good level or below, may indicate 1-2 creases in the cover less than 1/2in from the edge of the book. At good level or below, may indicate larger or multiple creases or crimps on the cover.
Cover Tear - At good level, may indicate a tear or cut up to 1/2in from the edge of the cover. At acceptable level, may indicate a larger tear as long as the cover is substantially intact.
Cover Discoloration - At fine level, may indicate barely perceptible residual price label adhesive. At very good level or below, may indicate the cover is discolored due to sunlight/aging, mild staining, or residual label adhesive.
Cover Scratches - At fine level or below, indicates barely perceptible scratches in the dust jacket or cover. At very good level or below, may indicate a small number of visible scratches or more generally scratched appearance.
Cover Rubbing - At fine level or below, indicates rubbing of the dust jacket or cover resulting in a "dusty" or slightly discolored appearance, particularly near the back cover board seam.
Cover Peeling - At very good level or below, indicates the edge of the cover laminate is peeling, making the laminate visible with a tape-like appearance.
Edge/Spine Wear
Spine Wear - At very good level or below, indicates a crease on the spine suggesting the book has been read. At good level or below, this may indicate a curvature to the spine, suggesting the book has been left open for some time.
Page Wear
Page Crimping - At very good level or below, indicates a small number of pages may have been crimped and then flattened. At good level or below, an area up to 1/4in from the edge of some pages may be crimped, abraded, or dog-eared.
Page Discoloration - At very good level or below, indicates the edge of some pages may be discolored from sunlight/aging or small stains. At good level, the inside cover pages may have small stains. At acceptable level, content pages may have stains around the page edges.
Pages Cut - At good level or below, indicates an area up to 1/8in from the edge of some pages may be cut or torn, provided all of the text and content is still readable.
Pages Uncut - At very good level or below, indicates some pages may have not been cleanly cut by the publisher.
Used Markings
Remainder Marking - At condition level fine or below, there may be a black or red mark on the edge of the pages indicating it is used. At condition level very good or below, there may be a marking on the inside or rear cover barcode.
Store Marking - At condition level very good or below, this may indicate a hand-written price on the inside cover. At condition level good or below, this may indicate a stamp on the inside cover or edge of the pages indicating it was purchased form a used book store. There may be a price tag on the rear cover which is difficult to remove without damaging the cover.
Library Markings - At condition level good or below, this may indicate the book has stamps or stickers on the outside and/or inside cover and/or page edges, indicating the book was formerly property of a school or public library. The cover may be partially or fully laminated. There may be a card holder attached to record check-out records.
Owner Markings - At condition level good or below, indicates a prior owner may have written their name or brief note on the inside cover. In rare cases, the owner may have laminated the book.
Page Writing - At acceptable level, indicates writing or highlighting on the content pages.
Dust Jacket Notes
No Jacket - At condition level very good or below, indicates a hardcover book missing its dust jacket.
Dust Jacket Damage - At condition level very good or below, indicates a torn or otherwise damaged dust jacket, which would otherwise result in a reduced condition grade. The dust jacket is provided for completeness and may be discarded by the purchaser.
Irrespective of wear, we expect each book sold to be pleasant to read.
Autographed books have been personally signed by the author.
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We offer a 30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item is lost or arrives damaged or is not as described. If you wish to return an item for any other reason (such as a duplicate gift) we offer a refund of the purchase price less shipping and site fees for up to 7 days after delivery, provided the item is preserved in the same condition in which it was received.
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Items are sent via the USPS. Domestic standard shipping is Media Mail, Expedited is Priority Mail or First Class Mail (depending on weight), and Express is Priority Mail Express. International shipping is Priority Mail International. If you prefer a particular alternative shipping option please contact us and we will work with you to meet your preferences.
From the publisher
From the Hardcover edition.
Categories
Excerpt
My cell phone awoke me from a deep sleep. I didn’t get a lot of calls. Especially in the middle of the night. Opening my eyes, I stared into the darkness of my rented room. Hanging on the ceiling above my head were the smiling faces of my wife and daughter. They were like after-images of my former life, and they filled me with sadness. Lifting my arm, I tried to touch them, only to watch them melt away. My phone continued to ring. Grabbing it off the night table, I stared at its face. Caller ID showed a 305 area code, which was Miami/Dade County. The only people I knew in Dade were cops. I decided to answer. “Carpenter here.”
“Jack, this is Tommy Gonzalez. Sorry to wake you up.”
“What time is it?”
“Six in the morning. I’m in a jam, Jack. I wouldn’t have called you otherwise.”
Tommy ran the Missing Persons Division of the Miami/Dade Police Department and had gotten his training under me during a stint he did in Broward. Although he was only a few years my junior, I still considered him a kid.
“I’m listening,” I said.
“We lost a newborn at Mercy Hospital this morning,” Tommy said.
A knifelike pain stabbed my gut. “Abduction?”
“That’s what it looks like. I need help. Are you available?”
“I’m giving testimony at a homicide trial tomorrow. I’m supposed to be spending the day preparing for it.”
“Is this about the Midnight Rambler?” Tommy asked.
Another pain jabbed my gut, this one much deeper. The Midnight Rambler was my last case as a detective, and it had ruined both my career and my personal life. Each day I awoke wondering if I’d ever escape its dark shadow.
“No, this is another murder case,” I said. “I can come down and help you, but I can’t stay all day.”
“That’s fantastic,” Tommy said. “What’s your going rate these days?”
I was wide awake now, and I propped my back against the wall, which was cool against my bare flesh. My rent was due next week, and I was flat broke.
“Four hundred and fifty bucks,” I said.
“How’d you come up with that figure?”
“Need. Now tell me what happened.”
“Baby was born yesterday, name’s Isabella Marie Vasquez. Parents are a couple of well-known architects, built those fancy downtown skyscrapers that look like giant kid’s toys. Isabella got fed at four a.m. and was gone from her crib when a nurse checked fifteen minutes later. None of the other newborns in the maternity ward were touched. I sent my best investigator, and she combed the ward and interviewed the nursing staff, doctors, and cleaning people. No one saw anything, heard anything, or knows anything.”
“Think it’s an inside job?”
“I don’t know what to think,” Tommy said, sounding exasperated. “Mercy is one of the best hospitals in south Florida. I go there every year with a group from NCMEC, and we lecture the staff and administrators on how to lessen the likelihood of an abduction. When it comes to protecting babies, they know their stuff.”
“So they’ve hardened the target.”
“Absolutely.”
NCMEC, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, had done more to prevent child abductions than any other grassroots organization in the country. They lectured school and hospital staffs on how to make children safe, or what they called hardening the target. I didn’t like the sound of what Tommy had described, and climbed out of bed. My dog, sleeping beside me, got up as well.
“I’m leaving right now,” I said. “Depending on traffic, I should be there within the hour.”
“Park in the back and come through the emergency door,” Tommy said.
From the Hardcover edition.
Media reviews
“Midnight Rambler is a heavy hitter, fast and spare. Travis McGee meets Philip Marlow.”
–Randy Wayne White, author of Hunter’s Moon
“Moves like a bullet train on overdrive . . . I tore through this one without putting on the brakes. I guarantee you will, too!”
–Michael Connelly
“Midnight Rambler kept me up all night long, and Jack Carpenter is as appealing a hero as I’ve ever met. The only problem with Swain’s riveting thrillers is they end.”
–Tess Gerritsen, author of The Bone Garden
“Swain is one terrific writer.”
–The Wall Street Journal
From the Hardcover edition.
About the author
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Book Conditions Explained
Biblio’s Book Conditions
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As NewThe book is pristine and free of any defects, in the same condition as when it was first newly published.
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Fine (F)A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the crispness of an uncirculated, unopened volume.
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Near Fine (NrFine or NF)Almost perfect, but not quite fine. Any defect outside of shelf-wear should be noted.
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Very Good (VG)A used book that does show some small signs of wear - but no tears - on either binding or paper. Very good items should not have writing or highlighting.
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Good (G or Gd.)The average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. ‘Good’ items often include writing and highlighting and may be ex-library. Any defects should be noted. The oft-repeated aphorism in the book collecting world is “good isn’t very good.”
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FairIt is best to assume that a “fair” book is in rough shape but still readable.
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Poor (P)A book with significant wear and faults. A poor condition book can still make a good reading copy but is generally not collectible unless the item is very scarce. Any missing pages must be specifically noted.
