Book picks similar to
Bier for a Chaser by Richard Foster


crime
crime-fiction-all
crime-fiction-pulp
noir

Madball


Fredric Brown - 1953
    . . It was only cheap glass, a fraud, a come-on for the suckers who paid Doc Magus to gaze into its depths and tell them tomorrow would be better. And Doc--a decent man, a smart man--pitied them. Yet tonight, even Doc had to believe the Madball. There was nothing left to lead him to the money--enough money to spring him free of the raucous, sordid world of the pitchmen and the pickled punks, the cotton candy and the kewpie dolls--and the belly dancers who needed him for all-night alibis.Doc was shrewd, but not quite shrewd enough. Someone else knew about the $42,000--a specialist in death, who was only yards away. . .MADBALL is a novel of one traveling show, and of the lives of its carneys, who live to close to the edge of frenzy.

Black Jack Justice: Dead Men Run


Gregg Taylor - 2015
    When it comes to deeply unqualified guardians of the moral high ground, it would be tough to find many that equaled Black Jack Justice and his erstwhile partner, Trixie Dixon, girl detective. But they will learn the hard way just how serious the sender was, and that in the end, only Dead Men Run.The his and hers private detectives of Decoder Ring Theatre’s long-running radio mysteries return to two-fisted prose adventure, delighting long-time fans and new readers alike with the classic, hard-boiled feel of their exploits.

Nightmare in the Sun - Their Dream of Buying a Home in Spain Ended in their Brutal Murder


Danny Collins - 2007
    Within a week of their arrival, the couple had vanished. Welsh detectives, alerted by large sums of cash withdrawn from the couple's UK bank accounts, launched their own missing persons inquiry. Daughter Nicola Welch, frantic with worry but with no idea of what really happened, made an appeal on 'Crimewatch' for her parents to get in touch. Six months after the couple's disappearance, following emailed ransom demands from a mysterious figure codenamed Phoenix, Spainish police recovered the bodies of the couple from under the cellar floor of a villa in Alcoy, 40 kilometres inland.. The full horrifying story was pieced toegther in a painstaking investigation. The O'Malleys had been tricked into viewing a property, held captive for five days and forced to hand over the money they'd saved for their deposit. When they were no longer of use, they were callously disposed of in the cellar of the very house they'd hoped would be their dream home. In April 2006, two men from Venezuela were found guilty by a Spanish court of kidnap, robbery, torture and murder. Jorge Real Sierra was jailed for 62 years and Jose Antonio Velazquez Gonzales for 54 years.Investigative journalist Danny Collins helped North Wales officers track down the killers in a tense search that saw his life threatened and took him into the rough and tumble of a Benidorm underworld never seen by tourists. This story is a cautionary tale for all who seek an escape to the Mediterranean sun.

The Iron Horse


James Reasoner - 2021
    Hired to find out who is stirring up the Sioux and sabotaging the Kansas Pacific line as it builds westward, Faraday sends tough young agent Daniel Britten to the railhead, where he finds himself embroiled with surveyors, track layers, buffalo hunters, and a pair of beautiful young women. But there’s a killer stalking the railhead as well, and not only the fate of the railroad but also Britten’s very life depends on him uncovering the truth.An epic Western adventure full of historical sweep and gun-blazing action.

Killing Suki Flood


Robert Leininger - 1991
    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 . . .

Maybe I Should Just Shoot You In The Face


Brian PanowichMark Krajnak - 2014
    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.

Button Bright


Michael Kurland - 1990
    But Button was only dimly aware of the sounds. Her consciousness had shrunk down to focus on the body that was blocking her hole— —and the warm, thick liquid that was dripping onto her hand.” Button is an 11 year old, bubbly and intelligent girl who is haunted in her dreams by a tapping sound… Living with her mother and father in Cottsborough, Vermont, Button had been trained to hide and not ever answer to her secret name, ‘Rachel’. One day, two men arrive at Button’s family home searching for her by this secret name. Refusing to give Button up, things turn violent and the men shoot her father dead. Through a narrow crack in the floor boards, Button bears witness to the murder. Eluding the two men who tried to catch her, Button uses her wits to navigate herself from Vermont to Boston and then to New York. Button has a plan to find her uncle Dromkin. When her search seems hopeless, Button is taken in by a resident of her uncle’s apartment building, Phil, who claims he can help. But when they find Dromkin sprawled on the floor with his throat cut, Button is convinced she is somehow the cause of these family murders... Will Phil be able to keep her identity hidden long enough for her to find out the truth? Praise for Michael Kurland: "A perfect tale of childhood terror." - Tom Kasey Michael Kurland grew up in New York City, attended Columbia University, spent four years in the Army, much of it in Europe, and now lives in California with his partner, novelist Linda Robertson, a dog, a cat, and an occasional visiting family of raccoons. He has been a teacher of obscure subjects to disinterested children, the editor of a magazine even more idiosyncratic than himself, a seeker of absent persons, a magical explainer, and guest lecturer at numerous unrelated events. Kurland has written a dozen or so science fiction novels, a brace of mysteries, and several books that fit into that tenuous genre known as “mainstream.” He has been nominated for an Edgar (twice) and for the American Book Award. His books have been translated into eleven other languages. His other novel with Venture Press is Psi Hunt.

Five Complete Travis McGee Novels: A Tan and Sandy Silence/The Dreadful Lemon Sky/The Empty Copper Sea/The Green Ripper/Free Fall in Crimson


John D. MacDonald - 1985
    There were no cell phones and no computers. Entertainment was found in other forms and activities and Travis McGee lived and roamed freely on the edges of that era and made us all wish we had more adventure in our lives. I bought this volume because the Travis McGee novels qualify to me as worth keeping around and re-reading on a rainy day, a snowy day, a home sick in bed with the flu day, or just any day when you need to escape to another place and another time and be entertained by one of the best loved characters, even if from another era and one that few under 30 have heard of. I did not have the pleasure to buy the leather bound Grand Masters copy of this book. My copy is one of the book store copies. Well worth getting and reading. But all of John D. McDonalds books are. /BEST VALUE ON THIS GIFT QUALITY BOOK /FAST SHIPPING/OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE/

Jack's Back: Murder returns to Whitechapel (Jack Tyler, #1)


Mark Romain - 2018
    This is only the start. Jack’s Back…’The chilling message, left by the killer on a wall near the body, and written in the victim’s own blood, catapults the detectives into a race against time as they strive to discover the New Ripper’s identity and stop him from striking again.With his every move being closely monitored by the media, and the top brass at the Yard breathing down his neck to get a quick result, Tyler begins to worry that if he doesn’t catch the elusive killer soon, the case will be taken away from him and his career will be left in tatters.The investigation isn’t helped by the interference of rookie reporter, Terri Miller. When fate throws her a lead, all she sees an opportunity to scoop the opposition and bag herself a major exclusive, but by following the tantalising clues that the sadistic killer has taken to leaving her, is she merely playing into his hands?Jack’s Back is a gritty, fast paced roller-coaster of a crime thriller with an explosive finale. Full of twists and turns, it will keep you eagerly turning the pages until the very end.What readers are saying: Only an ex-murder detective could have written with the kind of passion and detail that I found in these pages. I could not put it down! Amazon.co.uk reviewer. A fantastic read from beginning to end! Well written, gripping plot, brilliantly intriguing 5/5. Amazon.co.uk reviewer. Brilliant book, really good police procedural, probably the best I’ve read and I’ve read hundreds. Can’t wait till the next in the series. Amazon.co.uk reviewer. Fantastic read, what a thrill ride. Loved the depth of the characters. Amazon.com reviewer.Tyler’s adversary is a ruthless serial killer with a fascination for black magic; a cunning psychopath who is convinced the original Ripper murders were a series of sacrificial rituals designed to bring power and influence. Just like his namesake, the man the media soon dubs ‘The New Ripper’ plans to kill five women and then disappear. Can Tyler stop him, or will the other women who have been earmarked for death suffer the same gruesome fate as the first victim?Grab a copy of Jack’s Back and start enjoying Mark Romain’s page turning debut today. But be warned, this is not a book for the squeamish!

The Search


Vishal Anand - 2021
    ACP Rathore is investigating the homicide. As the events begin to unleash Rathore digs upon secrets too dark and dangerous. As he proceeds, the question becomes more and more haunting - Who Killed Roger? Michael Rodriques, the Deputy Chief Minister of Goa? Shirley Fernandes, Roger's wife? One or more of the other artists? Or, an individual for whom Roger refused to perform? The Search is the most astonishingly impudent, ingenious and altogether a fast-paced murder mystery ever written by an Indian author.Note: This is an expanded version of the short story Who Killed Roger.

Gang Lords of London


T.J. Jackson - 2015
    Now he is dead and his sons are about to blow that lid off - with explosive consequences.

The West Leigh Murder


S.R. Lobban - 2011
    An eight year girl is reported missing. Being the daughter of one of the estate's most notorious families, means there is little interest until the grisly discovery of a body. George Finney is called in to lead the investigation. He is not your usual detective. He is happily married, doesn't drink and collects fine china. But despite appearances, you wouldn't want to upset him. As his team of detectives go to work, they find themselves in the media spotlight. But will the 24 hour rolling News Channels help them with their search?This is the first of three DI Finney stories. The latest (Burden) is available through Amazon from March 24th 2018

The DI Bliss Series


Tony J. Forder - 2018
    DI James Bliss, together with DC Penny Chandler, investigate the case and discover that the young, female victim had been relocated from its original burial site.A witness is convinced that a young female was struck by a vehicle back in the summer of 1990, and that police attended the scene. However, no record exists of either the accident or the reported victim. As the case develops, two retired police officers are murdered. The two are linked with others who were on duty at the time a road accident was reported.As Bliss and Chandler delve deeper into the investigation, they start to question whether senior officers may have been involved in the murder of the young women who was buried in the woods.As each link in the chain is put under duress, so is Bliss who clashes with superiors and the media.When his team receives targeted warnings, Bliss will need to decide whether to drop the case or to pursue those responsible.Will Bliss walk away in order to keep his career intact or will he fight no matter what the cost? And is it possible the killer is much closer than they imagined? The Scent of Guilt: Twelve years after he left Peterborough under a cloud, DI Bliss returns to the city and the major crimes team. Having spent years policing organised crime, Bliss is plunged straight into the heart of a serial murder investigation.Meanwhile, Penny Chandler has been promoted to DS and has been working inLondon on the Met’s sexual crimes team. But when two rapes are reported on her old patch in Peterborough, Chandler volunteers to interview the victims.Chandler joins the hunt for the attacker and soon notices a possible link between the rapes and Bliss’s murder investigation. Could the same man be responsible?Just as both cases seem to stall, a call comes in from an ex-policeman who knows of unsolved cases in the USA with a similar MO. Bliss finds himself travelling to California to hunt for a killer whose reach may have stretched further than anyone could possibly imagine.But in order to catch the murderer, Bliss must discover the killer’s motive. A motive which should have remained buried in the past… If Fear Wins: When a torched body is found in a country lane, DI Bliss and Chandler are called in to investigate. The detectives are drawn towards recent missing person reports and believe their victim will prove to be one of them. Bliss thinks he knows which, and fears the outcome if he is proven right.Soon the body is identified, and Bliss and Chandler discover evidence suggesting this murder might be a terrorist attack.Meanwhile, someone from Bliss’s past needs his help, and soon he is juggling his personal life with the demanding case. To make matters more complicated, MI5 and the Counter-Terrorist Unit are called in to help solve the case. But are they on the right track?Bliss and Chandler soon find themselves in a race against time, and this might just be their most challenging case yet… Tony J. Forder is also the best-selling author of Degrees of Darkness and Scream Blue Murder.

His Hopeful Bride


Bella Brown - 2021
    

Unravelling: A Damaged Mind can be Dangerous (Anglesey Mysteries #3)


Conrad Jones - 2021
    Beautifully crafted into a warped and gripping story that I didn't want to end.★★★★★ Unravelling is a standalone novel that will shake you to the core.A gripping tale of betrayal and brutal revenge. Sergeant Ernie Metcalfe is a family man, changed by his experiences in Afghanistan. He has a wife, Naomi and three beautiful daughters, aged 7, 8 and 10. When he finds out his wife is having an affair with a fellow officer, his mind begins to unravel. His life begins to spiral out of his control and he can't allow that to happen. Detective Inspector Alan Williams and his team are already struggling to cope with a series of attacks on a group of men accused of historical abuse. The attacks appear to be connected to a recent case but all is not what it seems. Damaged minds are dangerous and revenge can be brutal.★★★★★ What an edition to the series! One of the best series you will read..If you like gripping and violent, the Anglesey books will enthrall you.★★★★★ One word for this. Outstanding!★★★★★ A powerful and gritty read, not for the faint hearted. This author will drag you into the story and rattle your very being until the last page.