Book picks similar to
The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution and Other Fictions by Donald E. Westlake
fiction
westlake
mystery
short-stories
Tilt-a-Whirl
Chris Grabenstein - 2005
But any thoughts of enjoying some fun in the sun are put on hold when the body of a real estate tycoon is found on the Tilt-A-Whirl at a seedy local amusement park.
True Justice
Joshua Grisham - 2016
Sort of. When Brad Williams is offered a lot of money to take on a case for sly banker Jonas Baxter, he is in no position to refuse. Jonas has been charged with the attempted murder of local prostitute Tina Jade, but it quickly becomes evident that it is not the reason why the prosecution wants Jonas behind bars. So why are they still pressing ahead with the charges? What is Jonas guilty of? This thrilling legal short story will take you for a ride through the courtroom and leave you with twists and turns that you didn’t see coming.
Feelers
Brian M. Wiprud - 2009
Morty Martinez is known in the industry of estate liquidation as a "feeler." If you were to look him up in the Brooklyn yellow pages, he would be listed under "home content removal," but his real job is looking for stashes of cash crammed into tin cans that have been left out of wills, kept out of banks, and hidden away for decades by the frugal elderly suspicious of ATMs and the IRS. When Morty hits upon the biggest score of his life, over $800,000.00, he knows that news travels fast and he must operate quickly and carefully to safeguard his booty, his life and his destiny as patrician of a seaside Mexican village. But what he doesn't know is that there are others after the same buried treasure, including the recently paroled prison assassin Danny Kessel.
Tonight I Said Goodbye
Michael Koryta - 2004
Martin's Press/Private Eye Writers of America Prize for Best First Private Eye Novel.Michael Koryta's Tonight I Said Goodbye marks the emergence of a stunning new voice in crime fiction. With its edge-of-your-seat pacing, finely drawn characters, and rock-solid prose, Tonight I Said Goodbye would seem to be the work of a grizzled pro; the fact that the author is just twenty-one years old makes it all the more amazing.Investigator Wayne Weston is found dead of an apparent suicide in his home in an upscale Cleveland suburb, and his wife and six-year-old daughter are missing. Weston's father insists that private investigators Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard take the case to exonerate his son and find his granddaughter and daughter-in-law. As they begin to work they discover there is much more to the situation than has been described in the prevalent media reports. There are rumors of gambling debts and extortion, and a group of Russians with ties to organized crime who don't appreciate being investigated--a point they make clear with baseball bats.With some assistance from newspaper reporter Amy Ambrose, Perry and Pritchard believe they are making swift progress. But then they are warned off the investigation by a millionaire real estate tycoon and the FBI. Just when they feel they are closing in on a possible source of answers, another murder forces them to change direction in the case.Perry travels to a resort town in South Carolina and there he finds more than one game being played, and all of them are deadly. The stakes quickly become very personal for Perry, and it's clear that there will be no walking away from this case.In a debut that has already garnered praise from some of today's top writers, Michael Koryta immediately establishes himself as a standard bearer for the next generation of crime writers.Tonight I Said Goodbye is a 2005 Edgar Award Nominee for Best First Novel.
Murder around the Bend
John C. Dalglish - 2019
From the author of THE CITY MURDERS, THE DETECTIVE JASON STRONG MYSTERIES, and MISSING CHLOE, comes a new series.STONE COUNTY JUSTICE*************A body is reported lying on an isolated country road.The Stone County Sheriff's Department sends out its newest homicide investigator - Dan Cutter.Cutter discovers a baffling scene that leaves him with few clues and no obvious motive.Experienced at working murder cases, Cutter finds himself with a different problem - he's in unfamiliar territory.Stone County isn't the big city he came from, and finding the killer will test him in ways he never expected.Can he adapt and solve this complicated case of a MURDER AROUND THE BEND? ****************PRE-ORDER NOW AND SAVE MONEY PLUS GET A BONUS SHORT STORY.
Guilty as Charged
Scott TurowSusan Dunlap - 1996
This book also includes an introduction by Turow, as its team of top-notch authors take unique perspectives on our criminal justice system with crackling courtroom cases and whodunit suspense.Contents:Introduction by Scott TurowDogs and fleas by John LutzLou Monahan, County prosecutor by Andrew KlavanReal life by Sarah ShankmanKnives at midnight by Marcia MullerJustice by Stuart M. KaminskyCruel and unusual by Carolyn WheatGrip by Jay BrandonBeat routine by Stan WashburnLast licks by Valerie FrankelTurning the witness by Jeremiah HealyThat day at Eagle's Point by Ed GormanCelebrity and justice for all by John JakesFor the good of the firm by Maynard F. ThomsonDead drunk by Lia MateraCourt of celestial appeals by Susan DunlapBoobytrap by Bill Pronzini
The Assize of the Dying
Ellis Peters - 1958
And he delivers, too, a chilling invitation to the four men responsible for his conviction: ‘You four, I summon to meet me at the time appointed, at the Assize of the Dying.’The meaning of the sinister words becomes clear almost immediately with two unexpected deaths. And a young couple, convinced that an innocent man has been wrongly condemned, determine to unmask the real murderer—before he strikes again...Murder is committed, too, in ‘Aunt Helen’, a story of blind obsession and psychological suspense that starts with what looks suspiciously like the perfect crime...Two vintage tales of murder most foul from the bestselling pen of Ellis Peters.
The Slade House Affair: Clare Montgomery, Private Investigator
Daisy Thurbin - 2016
In this first book in a new series, Mrs Montgomery is retained by an archaic well heeled family when its patriarch fails to arrive home at the expected hour. As with all of her writing, Thurbin demonstrates that a book need not contain gratuitous violence, graphic sex or coarse language in order to keep the reader entertained. Set in London and the Home Counties, Thurbin's attention to detail and meticulous research, coupled with an interesting conundrum and a sprinking of quirky characters, are bound to please even the most discerning of readers.
Killing Kind
Gregg Dunnett - 2018
A detective has the chance to solve cases that have baffled her colleagues for decades. But only if she can work out who he is, before he gets to her. Because - in a story where not everything is what it seems - not even murder is black and white. Killing Kind is a tense novella with a twist that will stay with you. From UK and US bestselling author Gregg Dunnett.
Fireworks in France (A Reverend Annabelle Dixon Mystery Book 7)
Alison Golden - 2021
The Spotted Cat and Other Mysteries from Inspector Cockrill's Casebook
Christianna Brand - 2002
The wizened, bird-like Inspector Cockrill of the Kent police starred in Green for Danger, one of the greatest detective novels to emerge from World War II, but The Spotted Cat is the first collection of all of the short stories about him. Five of the stories have never previously appeared in a Brand volume, and one of them is published here for the first time. The book also includes a genuine find -- a previously unpublished three-act detective drama featuring Cockrill.
Blind Spot
Barbara A. Shapiro - 1998
Shapiro is the new queen of suspense."--Deborah Crombie, author of Dreaming of the BonesWith two college-bound teenagers and a pile of past-due bills, Suki Jacobs finally has the case that could make her career as a forensic psychologist: evaluating the sanity of Lindsey Kern, a convicted murderer claiming to be innocent'and clairvoyant. Awaiting a new trial, Suki's professional judgment could free Lindsey'who insists the real killer was a ghost'or find her criminally insane for life. This complex case soon takes an eerie similarity in Suki's own life when her 17-year-old daughter, Alexa, has a premonition that her ex-boyfriend is dead. The very next day the boy is murdered'and Alexa becomes the main suspect. Desperate to prove her daughter's innocence, Suki will turn everywhere for answers except to Lindsey, the one woman whose own haunted past and psychic insights might save Alexa. Can Suki go beyond the boundaries of her own reality to see the truth ... before it's too late? "Put Blind Spot at the top of your nighttime reading list, though I have a feeling you'll be keeping the bedroom light on long after you close the covers of this book."--Jeremiah Healy, author of The Only Good Lawyer and Invasion of Privacy
Christmas at The Mysterious Bookshop
Otto PenzlerJeremiah Healy - 2010
These stories were then produced as pamphlets, just 1,000 copies, and given to customers of the bookstore as a Christmas present. Now, all seventeen tales have been collected in one volume, showcasing the talents of: Charles Ardai Lisa Atkinson George Baxt Lawrence Block Mary Higgins Clark Thomas H. Cook Ron Goulart Jeremiah Healy Edward D. Hoch Rupert Holmes Andrew Klavan Michael Malone Ed McBain Anne Perry S. J. Rozan Jonathan Santlofer Donald E. WestlakeSome of these stories are humorous, others suspenseful, and still others are tales of pure detection, but all of them together make up a charming collection and a perfect Christmas gift for all ages.
Young Americans
Josh Stallings - 2015
A Firebird transports a crew of glitter kids away from the city. Forget the trunk full of cash and illegal firearms. Forget the disco heist and sea of felonies left in their wake. They are five friends happily rolling down thunder road with no horizon in sight. They are YOUNG AMERICANS.