Patrick Canning

Beatrix, an abused circus acrobat, joins the enigmatic Colonel on a harrowing hot air balloon journey around the globe. They seek a criminal looking for a precious figurine, The Blue Star Sphinx. Yet the Sphinx's immense value has also drawn the attention of the world's most deadly treasure hunters. What dangers await the Colonel and the acrobat?

The Colonel and the Bee

Jim, a young janitor working at an insane asylum in Idaho, is about to commit suicide when he's rudely interrupted by a strange resident who recruits him to play a game called Cryptofauna. The next thing Jim knows, he's being whisked off to an absurd competition of worldwide mischief and meddling, where he meets a handful of lifelong friends, and an absolute boatload of deadly enemies.The bizarre game of Cryptofauna might actually help the blue custodian discover a reason to live, assuming, of course, he survives long enough to figure it out..."If Alice and Wonderland and The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy had a love child, it'd be Cryptofauna. This fantasy novel creates an acid dream of lovable characters, tense twists, and a storyworld unlike any I've experienced. [...] it's a beautiful story, funny at times, ridiculous in the best possible way, intense and action packed." - Nico Bell Writes"...a very readable fast-paced adventure packed with fantastic and ridiculous invention." - Ingenious Cat"...one of the strangest, most intriguing things I've ever read." - Songs Wrote my Story"Cryptofauna is fantastically strange, it's so funny and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. But it's also deep and poignant and [the] attention to detail is superb." - Rae's Reading Lounge

Cryptofauna

Summer, 1989. Reeling from a catastrophic divorce, Francine Haddix flees San Francisco for a two week stay at her sister's house in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. The quaint neighborhood of shady trees and friendly neighbors seems like the perfect place for her to sort through her pain and move on with her life.But Francine quickly discovers the "idyllic" neighborhood is hiding a number of disturbing mysteries. Behind every door and window there's marital strife, simmering grudges, and a secret so terrible, someone will kill to keep it quiet.Seeking to reclaim a passion for sleuthing numbed by her divorce, Francine rewrites her prescription from relaxation to investigation. If she can remember how to trust herself, she might discover what's hidden in Hawthorn Woods. She might even be able to believe the future can be good again, assuming she stays alive long enough to be in it...

Patrick Canning

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