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

    He’s smart, talented, sometimes even charming. You’d think he could find a better gig than carrying on his grandfather’s legacy as a ‘Private Dick.’Cole is out of money, out of ideas, and out of his league. That’s why he’s stuck looking for a stolen Sinatra record… a record that may be just a figment of an old man’s imagination.Of course, if that were true, Moss wouldn’t have so many people busting down his door.A vivacious redhead, a foul-mouthed Irish rock star, and a whip-smart little girl only complicate the job, when all Cole wants is a good cup of coffee and some Hot Sinatra.If only he can stay alive—and in one piece—long enough to find it. Advance Praise for HOT SINATRA:“Axel Howerton is one of the best new crime fiction writers out there—hell, one of the best writers, period. Do yourself a favor and settle into Axel’s groove.” – Scott S. Phillips, Author of Squirrel Eyes and Tales of Misery & Imagination, and Writer/Director of Stink of Flesh and Gimme Skelter“Moss Cole sizzles hotter than bacon.” – Red Tash, Author of Troll, Or Derby and This Brilliant Darkness

    That’s why mystery fans and critics alike rank the historical thriller True Detective at the top of their lists —and why the book swept up a Shamus Award for best novel from the Private Eye Writers of America. Now, author Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition) reissues the contemporary classic that introduces the inscrutable, wise-cracking Nathan Heller in all his guts and glory. Mayor Cermak aims to scrub up Chicago’s rancid reputation for the World’s Fair, and that daunting task comes down to the youngest plainclothes cop in town, Nathan Heller of the pickpocket detail. When the Mayor’s “Hoodlum Squad” brings Heller along on a raid with no instructions but to keep his mouth shut and his gun handy, he finds himself an unwitting, unwilling part of an assassination attempt on Al Capone’s successor, Frank Nitti. Soon, he’s smack in the middle of a power struggle between the mob and the mayor, and it’s up to the young detective to upend a potentially nation-shaking political assassination in Miami Beach. In Collins’ eruptive and evocative large-landscape historical thriller, readers consort with the likes of “Dutch” Reagan, George Raft, and FDR himself, as the author weaves the intricate history of the Chicago’s Century of Progress with a classic noir mystery. Rich in riveting plot turns, including a beautiful female client and a heartbreaking romance, True Detective is one of the most highly entertaining and unlikely coming-of-age stories ever written.

    The acclaimed author of By Reason of Insanity, The Anvil Chorus, and Go Down Dead offers "a relentlessly chilling and stark novel" (The Kansas City Star) and "a fresh, vital look at organized criminals that is so authentic, it's scary" (The Boston Globe).

    He lurches from one crisis to another, stubbornly refusing help from his anxious brother, William. When his creditors become increasingly violent, Jamie's desperation reaches breaking point. How will he and his family survive? Based on real events, 'February 1809' is a prequel to Karen Charlton's novel, 'Catching the Eagle' and is a day in the life of the main characters of that book.

    It’s the long drop off the short pier and the wrong man and the wrong woman in perfect misalliance. It’s the nightmare of flawed souls with big dreams and the precise how and why of the all-time sure thing that goes bad.” Offering the best examples of literary sure things gone bad, this collection ensures that nowhere else can readers find a darker, more thorough distillation of American noir fiction.James Ellroy and Otto Penzler, series editor of the annual The Best American Mystery Stories, mined one hundred years of writing—1910–2010—to find this treasure trove of thirty-nine stories. From noir’s twenties-era infancy come gems like James M. Cain’s “Pastorale,” and its post-war heyday boasts giants like Mickey Spillane and Evan Hunter. Packing an undeniable punch, diverse contemporary incarnations include Elmore Leonard, Patricia Highsmith, Joyce Carol Oates, Dennis Lehane, and William Gay, with many page-turners appearing in the last decade.

    Meredith can keep the manuscript to herself, or publish it under her own name. Her decision results in a bestseller, but the novel contains a coded secret; one that will put her on trial for murder and in hiding from "the blood stalker," proving too late that making a deal with the devil comes at a heavy price.

    Once successful and wealthy, she's shunned by her old friends and desperate for work.But there's someone that's keeping her here . . . and something that she's got to do before she leaves for ever . . .PRAISE FOR PAULA DALY'S BOOKS'Fiendishly addictive ' Guardian'She writes with a singular voice and a fierce passion that roars off the page' Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail'The very definition of a page-turner' Elizabeth Haynes'Masterfully written and utterly unputdownable' Tess Gerritsen'Riveting!' Lisa Gardner'Assured and nail-biting' Cath Staincliffe'I didn't see the end coming until the moment it appeared' Julia Crouch

    The war is over, and the boys are coming home. But some cannot adjust to the nonviolent world of civilian life. "The Adjustment "follows Wayne Ogden careening like a pinball through a troubled postwar Midwest. Wayne, an ex-supply sergeant, black marketer, and pimp, is trying hard to make it as a husband, father and civilian in Wichita, Kansas. But old temptations keep crying out to him as he serves as bag-man and procurer for his elderly and increasingly debauched boss, Everett Collins, founder of Collins Aircraft Company, and Wayne's wandering eye makes it hard for him to stay true to his beautiful, trusting young wife Sally. A series of events further complicates matters: A boardroom conspiracy at Collins aimed at throwing him out on the street; his increasing certainty that he knows the identity of the Wichita Butcher, whose specialty is leaving severed body parts in public places; and finally, his failure to identify the author of a series of poisoned pen letters from someone who knows more about his recent past than he wants revealed. When these elements converge, it's all Wayne can do to keep his wits about him and orchestrate a bloody series of events that will determine whether he can stay in his hometown or go on the run. Wayne's problem is that he doesn't know which prospect sounds worse.

    His brother, Manav, is quiet and intuitive. He is also brilliant at solving cases. When Shravya Chandra, wife of Arun Chandra the film star, goes missing – Ashish and Manav have their own hunches. Ashish is out to prove Arun Chandra’s guilt. But Manav wants to know more about Shravya’s old friend, Anchal because he’s certain that she is hiding something big. They both can’t be right, of course.Ashish doesn’t want to be wrong; he’s never wrong. And Manav would give anything to snatch a victory from under his brother’s nose. Who’s right? And at what cost are they going to win? Since everyone’s looking only for what they want to see, will they ever actually find out what happened to Shravya Chandra?And so begins the battle of egos, the endless search for a killer and the unravelling of secrets…

    A freak accident. A violent pursuit. Now they must try to stay alive until daylight ... When Jack and Lucy hit a man in their car whilst driving through fog, they think it's just a random accident. But when cars pull up and an armed manhunt begins, they know that they're running for their lives. With a marriage that's on the rocks and a new baby who's driven a wedge between them, the couple are hanging on to their relationship by their fingertips. But thrown into the deadly world of industrial espionage, they must fight to keep each other alive and rescue their child, whose life is in peril. As Jack and Lucy hurtle towards the abyss they will find that the real enemy was among them all the time. Paul J. Teague has also written a trilogy of thrillers. Book 1 is Don't Tell Meg, Book 2 is The Murder Place and Book 3 is The Forgotten Children.

    The last thing Leo Solomon wants to do after returning to his hometown is arrest the woman he loves or her cousin, but all the evidence keeps pointing to it being an inside job. Why would anyone commit a crime and then phone 911? Why is everyone so interested in the missing black book last seen in the victim's possession? Rumors swirl as everyone in town decides to weigh in on who they think killed Elizabeth and why. Penelope refuses to sit by and let the people she loves or her family business be put through the mud to protect a killer. Can Penelope and Leo get to the bottom of the crime before anyone else gets hurt?

    Published for the first time in the United States, this gritty novel tells the story of a bar bouncer who needs to pony up $10,000 to buy into a horse racing syndicate and will stop at nothing to get it--not robbery, not even murder.

     We see what we want to see, nothing more. When detectives Coughlin and Holzer investigate the disappearance of a successful young businessman, they’re both impressed by his beautiful wife. Slender, curvy, delicate—Michelle Fanning is not the kind of woman a man would choose to leave. Soon, a gruesome discovery leads the detectives to believe they’re investigating a murder. Reeling from the collapse of his own marriage, Detective Coughlin sees Michelle Fanning as a suspect. Detective Holzer, fascinated by her gentle femininity, sees her as a victim. Which cop turns a blind eye to the truth? Inspired by a true crime that occurred in New Jersey, this **short story** originally appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. The story introduces the character of Detective Sean Coughlin, who goes on to play a role in the full-length novels, ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE and TREASURE OF DARKNESS, in the Palmyrton Estate Sale Mystery series. Please be aware that BLIND EYE is a short story, not a full-length novel. Chapter 1 of ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE is also included.

    It appears random...until US Marshal Jack Dillon recognizes one of the victims. An Ace of Spades in the victims mouth? Someone's seen too many movies. At least that's the thinking until the card appears in another victim, and another, and another one after that, and... Fortunately they have a suspect... But then there's another murder he couldn't have possibly done. Somethings awfully wrong and it's up to US Marshal Jack Dillon to find out what's happening, and fast!