It is DC Jane Dixon's first week on Kendal's CID team. Her new boss, DI Andy Hall, gives her an open file to review, and it's a far from straightforward case. A woman has died in suspicious circumstances in a Windermere caravan park, and although her husband is suspected there's not a shred of solid evidence against him. Can Jane move the case forward, or will a cold-blooded killer really get away with murder? The rest of the team is busy too, because a vulnerable teenager from a troubled family has gone missing from home. There's nothing to suggest that the boy has been abducted, so what could have caused him to run away from home? DS Ian Mann, a tough ex-military man, and DC Ray Dixon are both heavily involved in the investigation. This story introduces key members of the investigative team, as well as many of the themes that are developed in the full-length Lakeland Murders novels: including a strong sense of place, and an understanding that while justice usually prevails it is rarely complete, or completely fair. Reader reviews for the full-length novels in the Lakeland Murders series include: 'Well developed, realistic, relatable characters, great plot, believable detailed scenes, good action sequences. Recommend to those that appreciate British detective novels. Always devour Lakeland murder mysteries.' 'Love J J Salkeld's books, his understanding of police procedure, his ability to draw his characters out into real people is, I believe, up there with the best of them and it is good to find crime stories set in Cumbria for a change.' 'Salkeld is good. Not just as a writer of gripping detective stories; but even more for his feisty exposure of the lunacies of institutions, hierarchies, and power. A refreshing and enlightening anarchist - much needed in these jaded, compliant and consumptive times.'

     From the files and pen of world renowned true crime writer Alan Hynd (1903 - 1974) comes the final installment of deliciously dark true murder cases of the first half of the 20th Century. These stories, the third of these three short collections, are unified by a single theme: they all involve physicians. And not for the autopsy, but as perpetrators or accused perpetrators. You may never see your family care giver again in the same light. Told in the characteristic wry, anecdotal reportorial style that made Alan Hynd famous in his day (two wartime best sellers in 1943, contributions to The Reader's Digest, Colliers, Coronet, The Saturday Evening Post, True, Liberty, The American Mercury and almost every true detective magazine in print) these tales will have you cringing one minute, laughing the next, and gasping in shock a moment later. Truly, no one could make up classics like these. We meet here the notorious Dr. Cream, a twitchy-eyed psychotic with a yen for prostitutes, a Philadelphia chiropractor whose girlfriend lost her head, and Marcel Petiot, whose patients payed their own way out of this world. Then as a bonus, get to know (from a safe distance) "Lethal Louise," the black widow of California, and Adolf Luetgert of Chicago, whose sausage-making plant was put to extracurricular uses. This is not for the faint of heart. True crime is always farther out there than fiction.

    The moment Frank Limosin sees gorgeous eighteen-year-old Suki Flood sitting on the rear deck of the red Trans Am in the hot empty desert, he feels trouble in the air. The Trans Am has a flat tire. They're over ten miles from the nearest highway. And Suki, dressed in short shorts and a tiny halter top, doesn't know how to change a tire. Against Suki's will, Frank gives her a lesson in tire changing, then he thinks that's it, he'll never see her again. How wrong can one man be? Because Suki turns out to be fifty times more trouble than Frank ever dreamed possible. He saved her once. Now he has to save her again and again and again . . .

    It has lain in the cold and dark of the bog, waiting patiently for a host to set it free. Now, for John Cluer and his family, nothing will ever be the same again.A novelette of approximately 10,000 words.

     The Secret Letter Victoria Owens's life takes a sudden turn after she receives an unexpected chain letter about her upcoming high school reunion. She's quick to dismiss the letter and focus instead on her busy day, amidst a preoccupied husband and eleven year-old-daughter. But the letter is only the beginning of a series of anonymous gifts, each more bizarre than the next, which shed light on a past long forgotten. Suspicious of her newfound admirer, Victoria soon finds herself trapped in a dangerous game of vengeance and betrayal, where her survival hangs in the very balance with every move that she makes.

    Now, for the first time ever, the entire Henry Parker series is available in one box ebook set! Meet Henry Parker in THE MARK. Henry is a young, ambitious reporter with the world at his fingertips...until he’s accused of murder and forced to go on the run to clear his name and stay one step ahead of some dangerous folks who’d like to see him behind bars...or worse. In THE GUILTY, Henry investigates the murder of one of the most famous women alive, only to find that her killer has his sights set on more victims, and may just have a blood tie to one of the most infamous killers in history. In THE STOLEN, Henry meets Daniel Linwood, who was abducted from his home as a child, only to return five years later without a scratch...or memory of the encounter. In THE FURY, when a strange man accosts Henry on the street, Henry has no idea that this man is about to open the door to a past Henry had hoped to leave behind, but also might hold a clue to a rash of drug-related murders. In THE DARKNESS, Henry believes a long-dormant criminal kingpin has retuned to the city, and if he can’t figure out a way to end the reign of terror, everyone’s lives are at stake. As a BONUS, you’ll get the novella THE HUNTERS for FREE! This ebook exclusive serves as a “bridge” novella between THE FURY and THE DARKNESS, and offers a deeper look at characters you’ll grow to love...or love to hate. Discover the series readers have embraced around the world!

    YOU GET *FIVE* CRIME THRILLERS FULL OF TWISTS AND EDGE OF YOUR SEAT TENSION.What readers are saying about STEVE PARKER“A must read for all crime thriller fans.” Viv“A really good thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat.” Barbara“I was up until 2am as I couldn’t read it quick enough.” Carole“The differences between the two detectives works so well ... they are so much alike ... but yet are miles apart in others” Linda Strong“I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was hooked right from the start.” Sue“A fast-moving action-packed thriller which will keep you enthralled from page one.”“Another gripping, fast-paced and twisted caper for the most unorthodox police duo in UK fiction.” Donna“Loved the book, Clocks makes me laugh out loud.” AileenDO YOU LOVE EXPLOSIVE UNPUTDOWNABLE CRIME FICTION? THEN MEET DETECTIVES PATERSON AND CLOCKS. THIS DUO ARE IRREVERENT, IMPULSIVE, AND ALWAYS FULL OF SURPRISES.IN THIS FIVE-BOOK BOX SETBOOK 1: THEIR LAST WORDSA young woman is found dead on the streets of London. Her throat slashed, her body mutilated, and one word carved into her flesh: “DON’T.” Detective Superintendent Ray Paterson is assigned to the case. Young, handsome, and from a wealthy background, he’s tipped for the top. He joins a team based out of Bermondsey, South London. It’s meant to be a steppingstone to his next promotion, but this case will threaten to bring down his career and everything he thought he knew about policing.BOOK 2: DEADLY CRIMESAn elderly African man is found dead in the street, shot through the head. The killing has the hallmarks of a professional assassin. Dumped in a waste bin next to the dead man is the dismembered torso of a child. On his first day back at work, disgraced Detective Superintendent Ray Paterson finds himself teamed up again with newly promoted Detective Inspector Johnny Clocks.BOOK 3: THE BURNING MENA man is burnt at the stake in a London park. His smouldering corpse is a message of the most violent kind. The victim is Davey Caine. He is the heir to the criminal empire created by his father, William ‘Billy’ Caine. Billy is a notorious and violent gangster who controls South East London. But he’s not the man he used to be and the sharks smell blood in the water.BOOK 4: YOU CAN’T HIDEAlbert Tanner, vicious psychopath and burner of men, is in the USA with unfinished business. Only Detectives Ray Paterson and Johnny Clocks can stop him. Their task is straightforward: hunt Tanner down and bring him home. But a few explosions, an assassin and a dead child change everything.BOOK 5: THEIR DYING BREATHA severed head washes up on the banks of the Thames, a star carved into the forehead. The next day the airwaves are hacked. A live-stream shows a man imprisoned in a box. He also has a star cut into his head. Then the man is drowned. Two more men are murdered on live TV, two more will die within hours. Detectives Paterson and Clocks race against time to ensure their next breath isn’t their last. But this enemy is far more deadly than any they’ve encountered before.THE DETECTIVESDetective Superintendent Ray Paterson is a young and (thanks to family money) wealthy womaniser, separated from his model wife and tipped to be the youngest ever commissioner of police. Detective Inspector Johnny Clocks is a foul-mouthed, working-class officer. He grew up surrounded by rogues and villains but became a first-class thief taker.THE AUTHORSteve Parker is a retired police officer who served for 20 years in numerous high-profiles squads.Don’t miss out on this action-packed series! YOU GET ALL FIVE OF THE ABOVE BOOKS IN THIS EDITION

    This collection features new stories from all the Zelmer Pulp regulars as well as stunning noir photography from Mark Krajnak and an introduction by Brit Grit Godfather Paul D. Brazill.Zelmer Pulp arrives with both guns out in this Volume 1 noir collection.

    Her team of unexpected allies harbors its own destructive secrets, leading Nicole on a dangerous mission to the heart of the society. As time and options dwindle, can Nicole make one last stand to save herself and her friends?

    My best friend made me promise to have a little fun, and there's nothing like a one-night stand to heal the sting of a broken heart. I had no idea there would be so much more to the gorgeous mystery man I met in the lobby of the lodge where I was staying. When a storm hit, things between us got hot enough to melt snow... Snowed In is book two of the Quickies Series: short, sexy stories you can read in one sitting!

    Detective Sergeant Kate Linton is called on Glastonbury Tor where a young woman has been strangled. Twelve holes are found at the scene, surrounded by wax, evidence of garden flares - the only connection to two other unsolved cases. When another young woman and a TV celebrity go missing, Linton is in a race against time to find the serial killer before he strikes again. But, when her journalist ex-boyfriend is singled out as a chief suspect, Linton feels that events are heading a bit too close to home. A Means of Escape presents an intricate, gripping mystery plot, combined with a focus on the heroine's personal life as she juggles an unwelcome attraction for her good-looking and charismatic superior with her efforts to become closer to her estranged family. A Means of Escape is the first in a series of psychologically driven crime novels.

    When his on-again, off-again, love is kidnapped, Jesse risks his life to discover the startling truth behind her disappearance. Battling the chaos of guns and violence, Jesse finds new strength and purpose.

     Chuck and Mongo find themselves face to face with visitors of the third kind in a place that no one would ever suspect them. Serpent Con in Atlanta. The boys are there for a little fun and relaxation among the science fiction and fantasy world. Only trouble could come of this when these two are turned loose together. Enjoy this short tale ripped from the headlines of Comic cons everywhere.

    A vagabond fisherman extraordinaire, the self-indulgent Slacker has just two goals in life. The first is to spend every conscious hour doing only what he loves – hooking and battling big game fish on the ocean by day and hooking up with bar stool sirens at night. The second goal is to avoid any responsibilities that might get in the way of achieving the first. His persistent search for the ultimate angling experience takes him from one ocean paradise to another, where he inevitably becomes entangled in a mystery adventure. His story begins in Key West, Florida, where the 37-year-old Slacker believed he had finally found the ideal life and a lasting home. With his mounted trophies covering the walls of the famous Rusty Hook tavern, he was acclaimed as the best saltwater angler around and never had to pay for a beer. Because every Friday night at the tavern was celebrated with a complimentary banquet of his catch, he also was recognized as a benevolent hero. Through wandering eyes of vacationing ladies, he was typically viewed as "The Catch of the Night." Slacker’s dream lifestyle was attributable to the influence of his best friend and benefactor Jerry Porter, who had landed in Key West aboard his yacht five years earlier. Due to a unique talent for engaging people to talk about themselves while revealing nothing about himself, Jerry quickly bonded with everyone around him. Using those bonds as foundations, he tried to build what he viewed as better and more successful people ... and Slacker was his pet project. The transformation of the Rusty Hook from a local fishermen’s haunt to a Key West landmark was Jerry's crowning achievement. No one had inquired or even speculated much about Jerry Porter’s personal history prior to his arrival in Key West; all were content to revel in his presence. However, when Porter is the victim of a violent death, the traditionally peaceful community is shocked by revelations that there may be a killer in their midst and that perhaps not all of Porter's deeds were worthy of celebration. The charter fishing industry had been losing major clients and perhaps Jerry was the reason for it. A criminal investigation turns up information that damages dozens of families, fractures friendships, and leads to unwelcome national publicity for a town that relies on tourism to fuel the local economy. The police also single out Slacker as the prime suspect, destroying his treasured image among most Islanders, even his closest friends. Exactly who was the mysterious Jerry Porter? How and why did he meet such a violent end? Slacker Mills discovers the answers, and begins to discover himself, in Free Fish Friday.

    Audrey works in the canning factory by day but her nights soon become filled with suspense after she learns that the woods near her house are haunted and filled with secrets that she longs to uncover. Hold your breath as Audrey walks on the “wrong side of the fence” and share her wonder as she marvels at the mysterious, disappearing church. She may need your prayers as she brushes shoulders with the spirits of the dead but her biggest obstacle will still be ahead of her. Preacher Man, the reportedly deceased property owner of Shepard’s Woods, must be confronted before Audrey can make any headway. Will he allow her to uncover the mysterious secrets or will he refuse to let her on his property? Can she convince him that she is mature enough to help him conquer his demons? Come along for the journey and watch as Audrey discovers the secrets, excitement, and heart-felt warmth of small town living.