Best-selling author Louis Begley created a beguiling icon of middle age in About Schmidt. Recently widowed, pushed into retirement by his law firm, at odds with his family, Albert Schmidt captivated readers with his cautious courage. Now he is facing ever mounting challenges of life, love, and age. Schmidt is happy living with his affectionate young girlfriend, Carrie. His grumpy daughter, on the other hand, seems to want only money from him. What...

Flawed Hero Jolted by an arrested adolescence, Manfred Schmidt is a lonely teenager who craves for belonging and respect. His unconscious rage and forming identity are fused together at a time when a new leader is offering hope to a troubled, post-Watergate nation. He takes on Jimmy Carter as his hero, offering hope to his evolving self. Set in the suburbs of Washington DC, Ireland, Boston and New Hampshire, the story is about Manfred's foibles as...

Für die Stuttgarter Privatdetektivin Paula Schmidt könnte es besser laufen. Neben ihren Geldsorgen muss sie sich auch noch mit Gefühlen für den attraktiven Kriminalkommissar Brändle herumschlagen. Da kommt ihr die alte Hirschle aus dem dritten Stock überhaupt nicht gelegen. Seit Wochen hat die Seniorin von ihrem Nachbarn, dem Privatdozenten Martin Kirner, nichts gehört oder gesehen. Paula beginnt im Umfeld Kirners zu ermitteln und wird dabei...