This collection includes thirteen lean and mean stories from the fingertips of Garnett Elliott, Glenn Gray, John Hornor Jacobs, Patricia Abbott, Thomas Pluck, Brad Green, Ron Earl Phillips, Kent Gowran, Amy Grech, Benoit Lelievre, Kieran Shea, David Cranmer, and Wayne D. Dundee and a boiled down look at hardboiled fiction in an introduction by Ron Scheer. Edited by David Cranmer and Scott D. Parker.

    RozanLost and found by Thomas BentilLook what love is doing to me by Marlon JamesHome sweet home by Sandra KittA visit to St. Nick's by Robert J. HughesNumbers up by Miles Marshall LewisThe big five by Joseph WallaceErnie K.'s gelding by Ed DeeThe prince of Arthur Avenue by Patrick W. PicciarelliYou want I should whack Monkey Boy? by Thomas Adcock

    An engraving of a woman giving birth to rabbits, a plague ballad, theological pamphlets, and an articulated skeleton are ingeniously fleshed out into rollicking tales. Whether she's spinning the tale of a soldier tricked into marrying a dowdy spinster, or a Victorian surgeon's attempts to "improve" women, Donoghue fills us with the sights and smells of the period as she summons the ghosts of ordinary people, bringing them to unforgettable life in fiction.

    Here are the best stories and every major writer who ever appeared in celebrated Pulps like Black Mask, Dime Detective, Detective Fiction Weekly, and more. These are the classic tales that created the genre and gave birth to hard-hitting detectives who smoke criminals like packs of cigarettes; sultry dames whose looks are as lethal as a dagger to the chest; and gin-soaked hideouts where conversations are just preludes to murder. This is crime fiction at its gritty best.Including:• Three stories by Raymond Chandler, Cornell Woolrich, Erle Stanley Gardner, and Dashiell Hammett.• Complete novels from Carroll John Daly, the man who invented the hard-boiled detective, and Fredrick Nebel, one of the masters of the form.• A never before published Dashiell Hammett story.• Every other major pulp writer of the time, including Paul Cain, Steve Fisher, James M. Cain, Horace McCoy, and many, many more of whom you’ve probably never heard.• Three deadly sections–The Crimefighters, The Villains, and Dames–with three unstoppable introductions by Harlan Coben, Harlan Ellison, and Laura LippmanFeaturing:• Plenty of reasons for murder, all of them good.• A kid so smart–he’ll die of it.• A soft-hearted loan shark’s legman learning–the hard way–never to buy a strange blonde a hamburger.• The uncanny “Moon Man” and his mad-money victims.

    From Africa to the Middle East, and from London to Beijing, Archer takes us to places we've never seen and introduces us to people we'll never forget.Meet the philandering husband who thinks he's committed the perfect murder; the self-assured chess champion who plays a beautiful woman for stakes far higher than cash; and the finance minister who needs to crack the secrets of a Swiss bank. Jeffrey Archer's collection of twelve spellbinding stories will sweep you on a journey of thwarted ambition, undying passion, and unswerving honor that you'll never forget.

    SOLVING CRIMES IN THE OXFORD MOST PEOPLE NEVER SEE Sarah Johnson plunges to her death from the top of the multi-storey carpark, right in front of his prying camera. Was her death the result of a sick prank by an art student? Sarah turns out to have a history of mental ill-health, so to DI Susan Holden, it looks like a straightforward case of suicide. Then Jake Arnold, the last person Sarah phoned on her mobile, turns up dead in the River Isis, and Holden's preconceptions are thrown into disorder. Now she and her colleagues are plunged into a race against time to stop any more deaths. DISCOVER A CRIME THRILLER FULL OF TWISTS AND TURNS Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell. THE DETECTIVE DI Susan Holden is a police detective with anger management issues, a demanding mother and a searing determination to get to crack any case that comes her way in Oxford. She lives in an unprepossessing Victorian terrace, drinks too much Chardonnay and falls out with colleagues, witnesses and almost anyone who crosses her path. THE SETTING Her Oxford is a place where old ladies live in fear of lycra-clad cyclists, where you’re more likely to tread in a dog turd than nick a professor, and where mental health is a big an issue, but of less interest than Oxford United’s latest football game. It’s also a city where death comes with brutal finality – whether from the top of a grotty multi-storey car park, a careless care home and or on a dark wet night as Oxford’s adult learners wend their way home from their evening classes. PRAISE FOR PETER TICKLER “From a few chapters in, the engaging pace of the action meant that I couldn't put the book down until the end.” Daily Information "Peter's novel is a fantastic read. Its refreshing to read an Oxford book which tells a gripping story from the town point of view" - Maggie Hartford, Oxford Times “What a find!! - Could this take over the mantle from Morse? Quite possibly” Joseph “Thoroughly enjoyable and very clever; the best read I've had for a very long time.” D.G. ALSO BY PETER TICKLER DETECTIVE SUSAN HOLDEN Book 1: Blood on the Cowley Road Book 2: Blood in Grandpont Book 3: Blood on the Marsh DOUG MULLEN Dead in the Water White Lies, Deadly Lies The Girl Who Stole The Apple

    But then he slips--he meets a young "model" and begins an affair. One night he arrives at his girlfriend's apartment and finds more than he bargained for. Two masked men have caught his misdemeanors on camera and now they want a cool hundred grand. But they've picked the wrong man, because Harry Mitchell doesn't get mad--he gets even.

    Five Americans a bounty hunter, a murderer on the run, a vengeful college kid, a professional thug, and a bank clerk dying of cancerwill split $100,000 if they can sneak into Cuba and assassinate Fidel Castro.

    Reginald Harlan, M.A. Of course Archer generally didn't like people whose names started with a single syllable. Harlan hired Lew to find his sister. A respectable school mistress that has run off with a bohemian artist type. But he finds more than what he expected when he has a corpse literally dumped on him!

    Forced to resign in disgrace, he is still an addict when he learns that his high school girlfriend, Victoria, has been murdered in drought-scorched Denver, Colorado. Victoria's family begs Alex to investigate.Against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, bodies begin to pile up, and soon Alex is wanted both by Colorado cops and the British police. On the run and with the murderer closing in, Alex must fight not only to solve the terrifying case and seize his last chance at redemption...but also to stay alive.

    This collection of alpha males and strong heroines who tame the beast they’ll love forever is a box set you don’t want to miss. True Loves is available for a limited time. Bake This! – Tasha BlackSexy shifter Will Harkness has always enjoyed being a lone wolf. So when a voluptuous but accident-prone witch shows up for the holidays, Will is surprised to suddenly find that he wants more. If only she can stop breaking things long enough for them to get to know each other better...Protector Wolf - J.K. HarperJace Canagan has a last chance shot at being a Guardian for the Black Mesa Wolf Pack. Then sexy Caitlin Rendall strides into his life with her adorable twin cubs, challenging all his ideas of what it means to be a protector wolf.Black Velvet - Elianne AdamsWith her old pack dead and buried, wolf shifter Joy Sutherland leaves her beloved Akino lands to seek refuge with the Eryma pack of Timmins. When she discovers Warren, her new Alpha, is also a Dom with the skills to handle her, hope flares to life. But if she can't convince the rest of the pack to accept her, she--and her wolf--could lose their mate forever.Kiss Me Cowbear – Liv BrywoodWhen Jessica arrives at the Curvy Bear Ranch with her five-year-old son, she never expects to meet sexy bear shifter Clint Wilson. The ruggedly handsome cowboy is everything she ever wanted in a mate. But with a shattered marriage in her past, she's not sure she'll ever be ready to commit to someone again.Embraced – C.E. BlackLonely and more than a little depressed, Sean finds himself in a small town bar, drinking his sorrows away, knowing the woman he loves will be married the next day to her true mate. But when he meets Sarah, they're both surprised at the intense attraction they share. The night is filled with a passion neither can forget, leaving Sean wondering how he could fall for another woman he cannot have.Seduction – Elle ThorneAstra Evans is a curvy, delicious firebrand who thinks that the only good shifter is a dead shifter. With two exceptions. And Kane Ortiz is not one of those exceptions.Stormchild -Vivian ArendDoctor and shaman for the Pacific water-shifter clans, Matthew Jentry resolved to avoid the sensual temptations of his people. Until the mysterious Laurin Marshall crosses his path, and resistance ignites into a blazing night of sexual fireworks. One night is all they're willing to take, but fate has other plans...The Mighty Hunter – Michelle M. Pillow (previously released story)Caderyn is the sexiest--and perhaps craziest--man Bridget has ever laid eyes on. Sparks fly. Desires heat. But there's one small problem. He claims they're trapped in the lost city of Atlantes, living on a cursed island deep within the ocean.Pisces Phenomenon - Mandy M. Roth (previously released story, non-shifter)Detective Sirius Baron's world is full of magik, power, immortality and egos that tend to cloud better judgments. It's also full of honorable warriors who are sworn to protect the people of the Earth. Sirius is one of these warriors and will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves.Bear's Touch- Emma AlisynA Healer who can kill with a Touch. An Alpha Bear determined to save his son. Will they clash- or will they accept their bond? When Lea reluctantly travels to a strange Clan in order to heal a dangerously injured young Bear, Alpha Yurii promises he won't try and matebond her to him. But resolve flees when he sees the snarky, curvy female for the first time. Is a fated matebond worth risking freedom- or her life?Fated and Mated - Love at First Site - Harmony RainesCassie is helping Marjorie set up the new website for her shifter online dating agency, Fated and Mated. What she never expected, was to be the first success story. Will things run smoothly? Find out in this paranormal romance, contains smoking hot shifters and a happy ever after!Run Fur Love – Catherine ValeHarley Myers can smell a shifter a mile away. And she can smell trouble, just as easily. And now, both are wrapped up in the drifter at the end of her bar. The drifter with the killer smile is a man of many secrets. If Harley isn't careful she'll find her heart is on the line, along with her life.Cry Wolf – Michele BardsleyFierce Elle wants to escape nightmarish memories. Alpha Xavier wants to claim his destined mate. Together, they must face their fears--and their enemies--to save the future of their wolf pack.V. Vaughn – When Carly's dreams about a hot guy, a bear and a tattoo call her, she answers. With her best friend by her side, Carly goes on the adventure of a lifetime and finds more than the love of her life. She finds the warrior who is ready to come out.

    He achieved bestseller status and won numerous awards worldwide for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Now in Next of Kin, he steps into the drawing rooms and private clubs of the prewar English aristocracy to offer an unobstructed view of a social elite driven by the conflicting desires to uphold tradition and to acquire vast wealth. It is 1936, and London is abuzz with gossip about the affair between Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson. But the king is not the only member of the aristocracy with a hard decision to make. Owen Montignac, the handsome and charismatic scion of a wealthy family, is anxiously awaiting the reading of his late uncle’s will, for Owen has run up huge gambling debts and casino boss Nicholas Delfy has given him a choice: Find 50,000 pounds by Christmas or find yourself six feet under. So when Owen discovers that he has been cut out of the will in favor of his cousin Stella, he finds that even a royal crisis can provide the means for profit, and for murder. Next of Kin vividly captures the spirit of 1930s London, revealing the secrets of the upperclass, complete with gambling, murder, an art heist, and a conspiracy to unseat the new king that could change the future of the country.

    Among the cast is Clemency, an old acquaintance of Libby Sarjeant and Fran Wolfe. She is making her return to the professional stage, encouraged by her mother Dame Amanda Knight, whom Libby and Fran met on a previous adventure.But when one objectionable member of the cast is found dead, Dame Amanda and heavyweight of the English Stage, Sir Andrew McColl, call in Libby, Fran and their friends to prevent the wrong person being charged with murder and the Nethergate pantomime from turning into a disastrous melodrama.

    Somehow, her family never seems to notice that the laundry gets done, the house is picked up, dinner mysteriously appears on the table, and then cleans up after itself. Instead of being her children's idol and her husband's lover, she's become a funny little footnote in her own life. That is until she takes her children on vacation to Disneyworld in sunny Florida, where she just happens to end up in a hotel room right next to her college flame, Alan James. Old passions ignite and new excitement sparks as Laura and Alan bring new meaning to "The Most Magical Place on Earth." But when Laura and Alan's spouses unexpectedly show up in Florida, a comedy of errors ensues, and only one thing is for certain: Laura's life will never be the same again. Note: This book was formerly published under the title The Adulterer's Unofficial Guide to Family Vacations. What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's books: "Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense." - Chicago Tribune "Langtry gets the fun started from page one with a myriad of clever details." - Publishers' Weekly "Darkly funny and wildly over the top, this mystery answers the burning question, 'Do assassin skills and Girl Scout merit badges mix…' one truly original and wacky novel!" -RT BOOK Reviews "Another wicked blend of action, romance, mystery and dark humor, Guns Will Keep Us Together gives readers bullets, buff guys and bad boys…I hope the Bombay family continues on with their deadly misadventures. -News and Sentinel

    Ireland's most acclaimed satirist is back with a second collection of short stories to provoke, unsettle and illuminate.Roving through the centuries, from the barren fields of the Famine-struck West to the hyperreal adscape of our technocratic present, the second collection of short stories from Blindboy Boatclub is a wild and exhilarating hike along the knotted paths of the Irish subconscious.From the time-travelling effects of tweed suits, to a vengeful farmer who hypnotises old people into believing they're cows after his farm is turned into a nursing home, these stories are characteristically surreal, yet littered with moments of profound insight and quiet devastation.