It is our hope that in this anthology you will find a story to love. We come from as varied backgrounds as we do locations. Hawaii to New York, California to Texas, and Texas to Tennessee; we have come together to share our love of storytelling. The characters within these pages are a wondrous mix as well. A flamboyant Knoxville designer, a 1900s investigative reporter, a neurosurgeon, a coroner, a woman dripping of Russian opulence and Parisian elegance, a detective that has simply had enough, and a Tennessee Police Chief all fill the pages and the imagination in Death of Choice. Come along with us to a Children’s Cemetery, 1920’s London, a daisy fresh diner in L.A., a fog shrouded barn, a small town in Tennessee, a Honolulu beach, and meet a collection of short stories from writers that will give you chills, thrills, and a set of tales you will long remember. Our hope is through these intriguing introductions you will discover an author or two you will want to read more of, and get to know better. Each of the authors in this anthology have many more books for you to enjoy. So find that spot where you love to curl up and read, and enjoy this collection of murder, mayhem and mystery. Micheal Maxwell Editor and Compiler September 2015

    But what she doesn't know is that a "friend" is following her. Possibly . . . stalking. A fan who starts by using the same beauty salon eventually comes closer—much closer—in this chilling short story.

    Some of the stories are inspired by true events and some are inspired by ideas of my dear readers! Find out which ones inside this scary collection."BABYSITTER"Rachel was just a regular teenager living a normal life, when the new, rich family moved into town. They had 2 children and were looking for a babysitter. She thought it would be a nice way to get some money. What was in store for her, however, was a bloody and shocking night to remember."DARK SIDE"Selene and Damien seemed like a normal couple, but Damien started to act weirdly and spent a lot of time in his price room where he did his job. Damien was an artist and needed his private area. What was Damien actually doing in his private room was more terrifying than Selene could ever have imagined."THE CURSE OF HERNANDEZ"A newly married couple found the perfect home to call their own. While cleaning out the upstairs attic the husband discovers an old suitcase. Upon opening, they find the remains of documents and papers with their last name on them- Hernandez. Strange, but they decided to ignore it and throw the suitcase away. They should have never done this because that is when strange things started to happen.

    Tinsdale. Matilda, Mrs. Tinsdale's orphaned rescue cat, just might be the only eyewitness to the murder. But how do you convince a cat to reveal "whodunit"?

    Enjoy!Titles include:Mirto Magenta by Traci AndrighettiTo escape a hellish New Orleans summer, PI Franki Amato takes a dream case investigating a theft in Sardinia’s Gulf of Angels. Will she find the culprit and get her slice of beach heaven? Or will dark forces on the island send her to the bottom of a watery inferno?Jewel of the Aisle by Laura DurhamA destination wedding at a historic Bahamian hotel. A missing diamond ring. A wedding planner who’s vowed to unmask the thief.Death In The Dormitory by Nikki HaverstockArchery coach and occasional amateur sleuth Di is looking forward to a relaxing weekend chaperoning a tournament with her Great Dane, Moo. But when a rival's team coach is taken away in an ambulance, Di suspects foul play. How will she prove her suspicion when everyone thinks it’s an accident? Goats in the Machine by Lucy JacksonMysterious ghosts from the present evoke ghosts from Fancy's past when she joins a friend on a culinary Caribbean adventure.Darby O’Kill by Zara KeaneChaperoning a group of seniors around Ireland, I expected a weekend filled with ceilidh music and incontinence pants. Instead, I got whiskey-swilling hard rock devotees…and a corpse.The Larceny in the Luau by Shea MacLeodA priceless jewel is stolen during a luau. Can Viola find the culprit before the police arrest the wrong person?Death In Venice by Sara RosettWhen honeymooning location scouts Kate and Alex visit Venice, they find romance . . . and murder.Vangie Vale and the Full Metal Frangipane by R.L. SymeEven after crossing a border, somehow, trouble finds Vangie. The mountains of Western Canada aren’t safe from the full-metal frangipane...

    Here they present stories of ethereal circumstances, magical romance, and otherworldly suspense. Beginning with an all-new tale from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb--and featuring lieutenant-of-the-future Eve Dallas--this collection will take you on a breathtaking journey through the passion of the heart and its power to transcend the everyday...Including:Haunted In Death by J.D. RobbPoppy's Coin by Mary BlayneyThe Passenger by Ruth Rayn LanganMellow Lemon Yellow by Mary Kay McComas

    I didn’t have the short story consciously in mind when I wrote the book, which seemed to grow directly out of a fantasy of mine in which I took up burglary as as alternative to writing only to break into an apartment where a murder had recently taken place.It wasn’t until years later that I saw “A Bad Night for Burglars” as a precursor to the book and thus to the whole Bernie Rhodenbarr series. It seems obvious now, but I never really looked at the story once I’d finished it and sent it off to my agent. (He sent it to Fred Dannay, who took it as my first sale to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Fred specialized in changing titles, rarely for the better; he changed this one to “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” which wouldn’t have been an improvement under any circumstances, but which was especially unfortunate given that Laura Z. Hobson’s bestselling novel, about genteel covert antisemitism, bore that title and was still very much alive in national memory. Ah well. I was able to restore the original title when I included the story in Enough Rope.The titular burglar who’s having a distinctly bad night doesn’t have a name, nor does he own a secondhand bookstore and hang out with a poodle-grooming lesbian. But it’s not hard to see the shadow of Bernie here. On the other hand, were Mrs. Rhodenbarr’s son Bernard to find himself in this particular mess, I’m sure he’d find a better way to Work Things Out…

    BeatonKNOCK KNOCK, YOU'RE DEAD!A Hamish Macbeth Short StoryMrs. Morag McPhie hits upon the idea of selling some of her old furniture to raise money to visit her daughter in Australia. But when a dead body turns up, Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth wonders if the antique business is even more cutthroat than he thought...

    A timid spinster in her fifties who still sleeps with teddy bears, Marion does her best to shut out the shocking secret that John keeps in the cellar.Until, suddenly, John has a heart attack and Marion is forced to go down to the cellar herself and face the gruesome truth that her brother has kept hidden.As questions are asked and secrets unravel, maybe John isn't the only one with a dark side.

    He is a careless dresser with a sloppy lifestyle and he couldn't keep his marriage from falling apart. But he also epitomizes the best of the modern shamus. He has the kinds of friends a man in his profession needs-jailbirds, mob bosses, and a cop who can surreptitiously run license plate numbers for him. Jake has been down on his luck lately, barely making enough money to pay the bills and it looks like business might finally be picking up. A woman comes to his office begging him to find her missing husband who has been accused of murder. Jake remembers that his mentor Jimmy Pigeon always says "Whenever I'm asked to locate a missing spouse, the words 'no, but thanks for asking' always come to mind" and almost turns the case down, but then he learns that the murder victim was Jimmy Pigeon. Determined to discover the identity of Pigeon's killer, Diamond scrambles between Los Angeles and San Francisco following leads that range from weak to delusional. With the help of his trusty and sarcastic assistant, Darlene Roman, compulsive gambler Vinnie "String" Stradivarius, and Italian-American "businessman" Joey Russo, Jake slowly uncovers the motives behind Pigeon's murder. Jake's adventure has all the components of a great new private eye series-scares, suspense, lots of laughs, a few tears and a big surprise at the end.

    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.

    Claire dropped out of school and started her own crime scene cleaning business. Now, when a routine cleaning job leads her to a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong man is in jail. With the help of her new and attractively single neighbor, Riley Thomas, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right man is put behind bars.

    . .   ROCKETS’ DEAD GLARE   When the local volunteer fire chief is found buried in ashes, Jill will have to work quickly to nab a killer with a short fuse—or else everyone’s Fourth of July will end with a fizzle . . .   A DEADLY BREW   Jill and her friends gather for an overnight Halloween fright fest in an abandoned house. Sounds like fun until a ghost makes contact with Jill IRL.   SANTA PUPPY   Jill Gardner has volunteered to host a Christmas adopt-a-pet party at Coffee, Books, and More. But when a dog owner mysteriously dies, it’s up Jill to play Santa’s Little Crime Solver . . . Praise for The Tourist Trap Mysteries “I love the author’s style, which was warm and friendly . . . [A] wonderfully appealing series.”—Dru’s Book Musings                                                                                                   “Light, fun, and kept me thoroughly engaged.”—The Young Folks

    Eves, nestled in the south-west corner of England. While she loves the tranquility of St. Eves, where crime is almost unheard of, and nothing really exciting ever happens, her good friend, Chief Inspector Nathan Costello, is longing for a good, juicy felony to get his teeth into.When the arrival of newcomers to the community of St. Eves triggers a chain of events that end in tragedy, Nathan relishes the thrill of investigating his first murder, while Charlotte unwittingly turns amateur-sleuth to help solve the case and restore peace and harmony to the town as quickly as possible. Twists and turns abound in Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse, the first book in the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery series.

    She's determined to track down the driver, but when the trail turns deadly, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral.