Performing al-Andalus explores three musical cultures that claim a connection to the music of medieval Iberia, the Islamic kingdom of al-Andalus, known for its complex mix of Arab, North African, Christian, and Jewish influences. Jonathan Holt Shannon shows that the idea of a shared Andalusian heritage animates performers and aficionados in modern-day Syria, Morocco, and Spain, but with varying and sometimes contradictory meanings in different social and political contexts. As he traces the movements of musicians, songs, histories, and memories circulating around the Mediterranean, he argues that attention to such flows offers new insights into the complexities of culture and the nuances of selfhood.

Performing al-Andalus explores three musical cultures that claim a connection to the music of medieval Iberia, the Islamic kingdom of al-Andalus, known for its complex mix of Arab, North African, Christian, and Jewish influences. Jonathan Holt Shannon shows that the idea of a shared Andalusian heritage animates performers and aficionados in modern-day Syria, Morocco, and Spain, but with varying and sometimes contradictory meanings in different social and political contexts. As he traces the movements of musicians, songs, histories, and memories circulating around the Mediterranean, he argues that attention to such flows offers new insights into the complexities of culture and the nuances of selfhood.

Ambitious and contemporary, this groundbreaking collection offers new short fiction by exciting, fresh talents and established authors from around the world. Covering a myriad of topics--love, sex, death, war, crime, and the environment--each tale boasts a unique perspective and voice, with settings that move from India to New York to Cyberspace. With vibrant characters--including drug smugglers, call-center workers, and tourists--each of the 26 stories tackles personal and social issues in funny, poignant, and often dark ways.

The Abduction is the heart-pounding, adrenaline-fuelled follow up to Jonathan Holt's highly acclaimed international thriller The Abomination--a modern tale of mystery, treachery, and intrigue that moves between the physical and virtual worlds of Venice, Italy, blurring the boundary between dark fantasy and terrifying reality.

An unlikely trio must form an alliance to save a kidnapped young girl and untangle a nefarious plot that reaches back decades.

Second Lieutenant Holly Boland is an intelligence analyst trained to look for clues ordinary investigators miss. When a U.S. army officer's daughter is kidnapped from an American base in Venice, Holly is sure that the mysterious abductors want more than a ransom.

Venetian police captain Kat Tapo has found a webcam feed embedded in the encrypted website Carnivia.com, a virtual Venice. It streams video of a terrified teenage girl, hooded and tied to a chair. A strand of text scrolls across the screen: "Sensory deprivation is not torture." Is the girl the missing daughter of the American military officer? Who is behind the cryptic message?

Daniele Barbo, the genius webmaster and creator of Carnivia, has never let the government access his servers, and finding the missing girl is not his problem. But then secrets from Italy's dark wartime past begin to surface--revelations that could put them all in danger. To save his own skin, Daniel must decide how far he's willing to let them in.

In a race against time, Holly, Kat, and Daniel must find the shocking truth . . . or watch as more than one innocent life is sacrificed.

A superb conspiracy thriller set in Venice, from a Sunday Times bestseller. ******** They found the woman's body on the steps of a church, washed up by Venice's winter tides. A tattoo on her wrist matched graffiti in an abandoned hospital, not used since the Second World War. It's Captain Kat Tapo's first murder case, and she'll do anything to get to the truth. But as the hunt for the killer intensifies, she discovers secrets from Italy's dark wartime past that will put her in great danger... This is the first novel in a trilogy of stylish and intelligent thrillers set in Venice from Jonathan Holt who, under the name J.P. Delaney, is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling psychological thrillers The Girl Before and The Perfect Wife. ******** Reviews for The Carnivia Trilogy: 'Genuinely thrilling ... An illuminating portrait of a particular world' Literary Review. 'Tense and mind-bending' Daily Telegraph. 'Breathtaking ... A truly haunting glimpse into a mysterious shadow world' New York Times. 'Impressive ... Venice is a magnificent backdrop for a story of secrets and lies' Daily Mail. 'A cracking, upmarket thriller ... A rare entertainment for the thinking deckchair reader' Saga Magazine. What readers are saying about The Carnivia Trilogy: 'Superb - an exciting tale involving people smuggling, the Catholic Church and US intelligence operatives ... A compelling story which will appeal to readers who enjoy a mix of conspiracy theory and cover-up' Amazon Reader. 'An unravelling of several interconnected plot strands with action and twists that never stop, but at a deeper level Holt also engages with human rights and gender issues ... This is a "can't put it down" novel' Amazon Reader. 'The detailed reconstruction of the setting in Venice is fabulous and is equalled both by characterisation and plot ... Gripping and thrilling ... and distressingly possible' Amazon Reader. 'Fabulously descriptive, intriguing, fast paced ... A must-read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller that is well researched and excellently written' Amazon Reader. 'Fast paced, good characters and interesting mix of plot strands. Each book in the trilogy can be read as a stand alone, but reading all of them rounds off the story strands nicely' Amazon Reader.

A propulsive tale of murder, corruption, and international intrigue at the crossroads of real and virtual Venice, where a female Italian police captain works to unravel a dark conspiracy linking the CIA and the Catholic Church

David, a Syrian-American living in Damascus, wakes one wintry morning to rare snowfall in the Syrian capital. The snow is a harbinger of things to come as David makes his way through the city streets, where chance encounters not only have the potential to change his life, but could also change the course of Syrian history. Set in Damascus on the eve of the revolutionary transformations that began in March 2011, A Wintry Day offers insights into everyday life in Syria, from music, art, literature, and cuisine, to the nuances of political resistance, state corruption and violence, the Palestinian problem, women's issues, and the complex mosaic of peoples and social classes that make up Syrian society today. A Wintry Day is also a love story revolving around the budding romance of David and Nidal, a Palestinian journalist. It is most of all a paean to the strength and beauty of the Syrian people based on the author's extensive experience in Syria.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger PublishingAcentsa -a centss Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for e

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone