Mystery Anthology

A collection of horror/thriller stories for readers who would enjoy a stroll through a graveyard after midnight. Hark! Don’t read this book if a deranged maniac has escaped from the local asylum. Otherwise, enjoy the horror.The creepers include: THE MASQUERADE CURSE: Five master criminals are abducted and brought to a decaying island hotel, where the vengeful son of a ruined tycoon tries to determine which one is responsible. THE IMPOSSIBLE KILLER: A detective discovers a series of brutal murders are the work of a supernatural entity that kills anyone whose name it hears. TWICE DOOMED: ...

This collection by crime fiction master Raymond Chandler features four long stories in which private eye Philip Marlowe is hired to protect a rich old guy from a gold digger, runs afoul of crooked politicos, gets a line on some stolen jewels with a reward attached, and stumbles across a murder victim who may have been an extortionist.

Blair Martin’s days rarely vary: she gets up, goes for a run, and then heads to work at a Manhattan literary agency where she nurtures authors through the publishing process. Her nights, spent alone in her too-large apartment, are similarly predictable. Then on an ordinary Wednesday, Blair enters her office building and spies a lost wallet. When Blair tracks down the owner, they arrange for a simple exchange. But the young woman, Maya, seems so vulnerable, much like Blair’s own daughter, Faith, who died tragically just last year, and Blair is unable to simply walk away.

In these stories, dear student, retribution visits a lothario lecturer; the sinister truth is revealed about a missing professor; a forsaken lover uses a séance for revenge; an obsession blooms about a possible illicit affair; two graduates exhume the secrets of a reclusive scholar; horrors are uncovered in an obscure academic department; five hopeful initiates must complete a murderous task and much more!

In a forgotten Cold War bunker, a cold-blooded arms dealer counts his cash and watches from a distance as cities collapse into violence. Pledged to stop him is a man without a past, guided by a teenage boy through the tunnels under the corrupted port city. With each stealthy move toward their target, the path ahead grows ever darker.

Five thrilling tales of mystery, mayhem, and murder from an exceptional quintet of Edgar, CWA Dagger, and National Book Award winners.

All I want for My Birthday is…? What do you get a brat who has everything she wants... Except you? All Madison wants for her eighteenth birthday is to have her step be her first. But so far, he has resisted everything she can do to seduce him… except one thing that she noticed when she was semi-asleep. When Mady falls asleep watching TV with her step, she discovers his weakness for her… and she schemes to use that to get him right where she wants him…Never has a brat had to work so hard on her own birthday to get the one thing she really wants: birthday sex! Mady comes up with a ...

Ten excited co-workers arrive at the beautiful Avondale Resort on a remote island in the middle of the Caribbean, having been told that they are being rewarded for their hard work and productivity. But their relaxing tropical getaway soon turns into a murderous nightmare.

Enter the Veil. The infamous Fae are most known for their sly ways. While tricking humans may be their specialty, they don't always show kindness toward their own kin either. The grander the scheme, the larger their boasting rights. From Sidhe, gnomes, brownies, and more, you'll always need to be on guard and vigilant. Featuring stories by Christopher Pate, Kevin A. Davis, Ben Howels, Toni Mobley, Ally Kelly, Michael A. Epanchin, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Robert Allen Lupton, Jasiah Witkofsky, J. Woolston Carr, Aaron Van Treeck, Gray Stanback, and Charles Wiegand.

LAPD Detective Harry Bosch tackles three tough cases that span a legendary career in this never-before-collected trio of stories. Utterly unputdownable, they are proof that "Connelly never stops doling out the suspense.... Once it grabs you in those first few pages, it won't let go of you" ( Boston Globe).

In 1982, Sue Grafton introduced us to Kinsey Millhone. Thirty years later, Kinsey is an established international icon and Sue, a number-one best-selling author. To mark this anniversary year, Sue has given us stories that reveal Kinsey’s origins and Sue’s past. Kinsey and Me has two parts: The nine Kinsey stories (1986-93), each a gem of detection; and the And Me stories, written in the decade after Grafton's mother died. Together, they show just how much of Kinsey is a distillation of her creator’s past.

Once he was called the Sphinx, a man so inscrutable that neither his adversaries nor fellow intelligence operatives could predict his next move. Now a contract agent with a secret mission, Jonathan Wyatt has gone rogue. For eight years he's been scheming to kill two Federal agents, whom he blames for the loss of his career. But as Wyatt prepares for a final confrontation, he makes a discovery that stretches back to the horrors of World War II, to Martin Bormann and Eva Braun and to a fortune in lost gold.

Retirement is bliss—or is it? Newly retired music teacher Susan Wiles puts her natural nosiness to work and discovers a talent for solving murders. In Murder is Collegiate, Susan and hubby Mike visit their old friends, Emily and Henry Fox. They no sooner hit the Vermont border when they are greeted with a dead body, stolen jewelry, and a barn full of secrets. In Murder is Chartered, Susan Wiles is driving home on a winding mountain road, late at night when she runs over the assistant principal at a school where she volunteers. About to admit guilt, Susan wonders if this was accident or a ...

Was it an Accident or Murder? Strange things are happening in Heaven Springs. A man who looks to be covered in blood is mumbling incoherently in the Town Square. At the same time a victim is found within the town's library. Are the two events connected? Jonathan is experiencing headaches...are they connected to the weird goings on around him? Mandy knows her grandmother is keeping secrets. Is it to protect her or is she harboring dark mysteries of her own? As Warrior Angels congregate within the town, will the true evil show it's face?

Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren confronts the strangest case of her career in this exclusive short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author. D. D. Warren was pretty sure she’d seen it all. Then a man walks into police headquarters, attempting desperately to convince the squad that he’s dead. Explaining to him that he’s very much alive, they finally send him on his way…and then hours later, he turns up actually dead. And it’s on D. D. Warren to figure out how and why the dead man died…twice.

Praise for: The Moscow Affair... “A dangerously elegant man and a beautiful young woman take on the evils of the international sex trade. Throw in a dynamite love story and you have Sizzling Romantic Suspense at its best.” J. John “From the Russian Mafia to high level political intrigue this book captures the reader with the power and immediacy of today’s riveting headlines. David Adams On a mission to find three kidnapped girls, the team of international security agents use one of their own as bait; A move as daring as it is dangerous.” Action Junkie *They call the fiery redhead ...

A murder trial takes a diabolical turn when the wife of the accused takes the stand.... A woman's sixth sense - and a loaded revolver - signal premonitions of doom.... A stranded motorist seeks refuge in a remote mansion and is greeted with a dire warning.... Detective Hercule Poirot faces his greatest challenge when his services are enlisted - by the victim - in a bizarre locked-room murder.

From the stunning title story (which inspired the classic film thriller) to the rarest gems in detective fiction, these eleven tales of baffling crime and brilliant deduction showcase Agatha Christie at her dazzling best.

I didn’t think they’d dismantle the paranormal military with a wave of their bureaucratic magic wand, but they did. Everything I’d spent the previous 15 years of my life doing and being was ripped away from me in an instant, out of my reach—and now that the paranormal military’s gone, I’ve got nothing left to fight for.

Dive into a world where danger lurks in every shadow and secrets are hidden in plain sight. In this gripping thriller anthology, you'll journey through the darkest corners of the human psyche, where the truth is a shifting enigma. Prepare to be on the edge of your seat as each story unfolds, pulling you deeper into a web of suspense, intrigue, and pulse-pounding action. From espionage in a post-apocalyptic world to a young man's desperate attempts to clear his name, these tales will keep your heart racing, your mind guessing, and your instincts sharpened. In this single-author anthology, ...

Reliquary is an anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories on the theme of relics. Authors were invited to interpret the term "relic" in whatever way made sense to them, resulting in an exciting and eclectic mix of stories. Some key definition included: Container for storing holy artifacts. Or unholy ones. A small box with hinged lid suitable for hiding demons from the past. Crate, trunk or case. Usually with baggage. The last place you'll ever look. This is the second anthology from the Hourlings, a writing group based in the Washington DC metropolitan area.