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Masterpieces of Mystery In Four Volumes Detective Stories by Joseph Lewis French
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Bleeding Hooks
Harriet Rutland - 2015
When her corpse is discovered near a Welsh sporting lodge that is hosting a group of fly fishing enthusiasts, it seems one of them has taken an interest in her too - of the murderous kind. For impaled in the palm of her hand is a salmon fishing fly, so deep that the barb is completely covered. Her face is blue. It is thought at first she died of natural causes, but the detective Mr. Winkley, of Scotland Yard, almost immediately suspects otherwise. And what happened to the would-be magician’s monkey that disappeared so soon after Mrs. Mumsby’s death?Bleeding Hooks was the second of Harriet Rutland’s sparkling mystery novels to feature the detective Mr Winkley. First published in 1940, this new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.‘Once again a top-ranking yarn, in a story where the author introduces murder into a fishing paradise in Wales. Lots of rod and line marginalia add to incisive characterization and well hidden crime for a superior story.’ Kirkus Reviews'Murder method interesting, characters well drawn and likeable, sleuth unobtrusively slick and finish dramatic.' Saturday Review
Stranded
Val McDermid - 2004
As well as McDermid's popular series character, private eye Kate Brannigan, this diverse collection contains narrative voices, both female and male, from different continents and an eclectic range of backgrounds. McDermid has chosen the short-story form to probe not only the motivations of the criminal underworld but also the nature of crime itself, all the time playing with crime-writing and pushing it to its limits. There are even occasions where McDermid defies the genre altogether and the collection is framed by two stories that show a writer exploring fresh territory. Grit, sex, glamour, intrigue and unexpected turns: Stranded is a showcase of trademark McDermid that will strike a few surprising chords amongst even her most devoted readers.
Plain Murder
C.S. Forester - 1930
Morris do when he thinks someone might rat him out? He gets rid of them. Actually, it's surprisingly easy, he discovers. A talent he never knew he had. A skill he decides to pursue…
Thirteen Guests
J. Jefferson Farjeon - 1936
Among the guests are an actress, a journalist, an artist, and a mystery novelist. The unlucky thirteenth is John Foss, injured at the local train station and brought to the house to recuperate – but John is nursing a secret of his own.Soon events take a sinister turn when a painting is mutilated, a dog stabbed, and a man strangled. Death strikes more than one of the house guests, and the police are called. Detective Inspector Kendall’s skills are tested to the utmost as he tries to uncover the hidden past of everyone at Bragley Court.This country-house mystery is a forgotten classic of 1930s crime fiction by one of the most undeservedly neglected of golden age detective novelists.
The Sister Wife's Secret
Anya Mora - 2021
I’ve even started my own home business.Things are looking up … until I find my friend murdered.I know my ex-husband did this to get back at me. He’s been looking for me since I fled Garden Temple. He wants control — over me and our children.For the last year I’ve been acting the part of a suburban mom, hiding from my past. But it’s catching up to me.I have no choice.I was the sweet sister wife long enough. Now it’s time to be the woman who fights back.The Sister Wife’s Secret is the first book in a new suspense series.
Past Crimes: A Compendium of Historical Mysteries
Ashley Gardner - 2017
A Soupçon of Poison (Kat Holloway Victorian Mysteries) Kat Holloway, a young cook who is highly sought after by the wealthy of Victorian London, becomes embroiled in murder and must clear her name. Only the mysterious Daniel McAdam, who is much more than he seems, can come to her aid. Blood Debts (Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries) Leonidas, freedman, once the most popular gladiator in Rome and champion of the games, now must fight for his life outside the arena. A man who owed him money was murdered, and Leonidas is a prime suspect. With the assistance of Cassia, daughter of a Greek scribe who has been bestowed upon him as his slave, Leonidas fights for justice in the back lanes of Imperial Rome. The Necklace Affair (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries) Captain Lacey agrees to help a society matron discover what has become of her cherished diamond necklace and to clear her maid, who has been arrested for its theft. Lacey quickly becomes enmeshed in scandal and past secrets, and finds himself competing with the underworld criminal, James Denis, for the necklace's retrieval. This collection includes three novellas of about 25,000-30,000 words each.
Tutt and Mr. Tutt
Arthur Cheney Train - 1919
The rare lawyer happy to forego his fee, Tutt specializes in defending the downtrodden against the powerful and the corrupt. In Manhattan and his hometown of Pottsville, New York, he argues cases involving murder, forgery, and theft, always finding some arcane legal point to save the day—much to the chagrin of the prosecution. In this delightful collection, Tutt brings his sharp mind and genial wit to bear on the cases of the “Mock Hen and Mock Turtle,” the “Hepplewhite Tramp,” the “Lallapaloosa Limited,” and many others. Based on author Arthur Train’s experiences working in the offices of the New York District Attorney, Tutt and Mr. Tutt is a must-read for fans of legal mysteries. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Floating Admiral
The Detection ClubAnthony Berkeley - 1931
But when an old sailor lands a rowing boat containing a fresh corpse with a stab wound to the chest, the Inspector's investigation immediately comes up against several obstacles. The vicar, whose boat the body was found in, is clearly withholding information, and the victim's niece has disappeared. There is clearly more to this case than meets the eye - even the identity of the victim is called into doubt. Inspector Rudge begins to wonder just how many people have contributed to this extraordinary crime and whether he will ever unravel it. . .In 1931 Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and 10 other crime writers from the newly formed Detection Club collaborated in publishing a unique crime novel. In a literary game of consequences, each author would write one chapter, leaving G.K. Chesterton to write a typically paradoxical prologue and Anthony Berkeley to tie up all the loose ends. In addition, all of the authors provided their own solutions in sealed envelopes, all of which appeared at the end of the book, with Agatha Christie's ingenious conclusion acknowledged at the time to be 'enough to make the book worth buying on its own'. The authors of this novel are G.K. Chesterton, Canon Victor Whitechurch, G.D.H. Cole and Margaret Cole, Henry Wade, Agatha Christie, John Rhode, Milward Kennedy, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Edgar Jepson, Clemence Dane and Anthony Berkeley.©1931, 2011 The Detection Club (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
The King Tides
James Swain - 2018
And that of strangers, too. Wherever she goes, she’s being watched. Each stalker is different from the last, except for one thing—their alarming obsession with Nicki.Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Nicki’s father is turning to someone who can protect her: retired private detective and ex–Navy SEAL Jon Lancaster. Teaming up with FBI agent and former abduction victim Beth Daniels, Lancaster can help—his way. He’s spent most of his career dispatching creeps who get off on terrorizing the vulnerable. Unlicensed, and unrestricted, he plays dirty…But this case is unusual. Why so many men? Why this one girl? Does Nicki have something to hide? Or do her parents?Trawling the darkest depths of southern Florida, Lancaster faces a growing tide of secrets and deception. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes that finding the truth won’t be easy. Because there’s more to this case than meets the eye.
The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories
Otto PenzlerRaoul Whitfield - 2010
This masterpiece collection represents a high watermark of America’s underbelly. Crime writing gets no better than this.CONTENTSErle Stanley Gardner: Come and Get ItFredric Brown: Cry SilencePeter Collison: Arson PlusFredrick Nebel: Doors in the DarkLester Dent: LuckDashiell Hammett: The Maltese FalconStewart Sterling: Ten Carats of LeadWyatt Blassingame: Murder Is Bad LuckTalmadge Powell: Her Dagger Before MeCharles G. Booth: One ShotRichard Sale: The Dancing RatsKatherine Brocklebank: BraceletsThomas Walsh: Diamonds Mean DeathRoul Whitfield: Murder in the RingWalter C. Brown: The Parrot That Wouldn’t TalkMerle Constiner: Let the Dead AloneCarrol John Daly: Knights of the Open PalmWilliam Cole: Waiting for RustyRamon Decolta: Rainbow DiamondsWilliam Rollins Jr.: The Ring on the Hand of DeathTheodore A. Tinsley: Body SnatcherD wight V. Babcock: Murder on the GaywayCleve F. Adams: The KeyWilliam Campbell Gault: The Bloody BokharaBrett Halliday: A Taste for CognacDay Keene: Sauce for the GanderW.T. Ballard: A Little DifferentCharles M. Green: The Shrieking SkeletonHank Searls: Drop Dead TwiceDale Clark: The Sound of the ShotFrederick C. Davis: Flaming AngelDon M. Mankiewicz: Odds on DeathNorvell Page: Those CatriniHugh B. Cave: Smoke in Your EyesRobert Reeves: Blood, Sweat and BiersWhitman Chambers: The Black BottleMilton K. Ozaki: The Corpse The Didn’t KickRaymond Chandler: Try the GirlNorbert Davis: Don’t You Cry for MeRay Cummings: T. McGuirk Steals A DiamondSteve Fisher: Wait For MeFrank Gruber: Ask Me AnotherHorcase McCoy: Dirty WorkJulius Long: Merely MurderJohn D. MacDonald: Murder in One SyllableH.H. Stinson: Three Apes from the EastD.L. Champion Death Stops PaymentRichard Connell: The Color of HonorBruno Fischer: Middleman for MurderRichard Deming: The Man Who Choose the DevilC.M. Kornbluth: Beer-Bottle PolkaCornell Wollrich: Borrowed Crime
The Roman Hat Mystery
Ellery Queen - 1929
Inspector Richard Q, sneezing snuff; a thin, multi-faced, small "Old Man"; and the Inspector's large writer son Ellery, puffing cigarettes, investigate. They start with maps of theater, the victim's bedroom, and a list of names appended with flavorful commentary: the finder of the body is "cranially a brachycephalic", and Dolly "a lady of reputation". The flavor of 1929 costume and culture, with evening attire de rigeur, and hip flasks full of bootleg liquor.
Tales of Dark Fantasy & Paranormal Romance
W.J. May - 2015
May Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles Seventh Mark by W.J. May Kindred by Erica Stevens Awakened by Brenda K. Davies Tuesday’s Child by Dale Mayer Blur by Kristen Middleton The Core by Kate Thomas Enchanted Secrets by Kristen Middleton Captured by Erica Stevens Vampire in Denial by Dale Mayer Plus 3 BONUS books Ravenous by Erica Stevens The Zombie Chronicles by Chrissy Peebles Zombie Games (Origins) by Kristen Middleton As a courtesy, the authors inform you there are some stories with cliffhangers. These are the first books or prequels to individual series. Some stories have been previously published. 15 thrilling stories in one volume These works of fiction are from some of today's most exciting authors. A star-studded anthology of thrilling, action-packed and totally swoon-worthy first books by your favorite young adult authors. We hope you enjoy these tales of dark fantasy, gothic tales, horror, fantasy adventure, science fiction, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy.
Wrong Place
M.A. Comley - 2015
One thing that sets this killer apart from the others she's hunted before: his willingness to leave DNA at each of the crime scenes. It's up to Sally and her partner DS Jack Blackman to find out why before the body count rises to double figures.While Sally is engrossed in the investigation, her ex-husband, Darryl, pays a surprise visit to her new home. His actions not only threaten Sally's new-found confidence, but they also force the DCI to give Sally an ultimatum concerning the case.Can Sally overcome all the obstacles fate has placed in her path and arrest the brazen killer?
The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime: Forgotten Cops and Private Eyes from the Time of Sherlock Holmes
Michael Sims - 2010
She rides those new- fangled bicycles and doesn't like to be told what to do. And, in crime fiction, such female detectives as Loveday Brooke, Dorcas Dene, and Lady Molly of Scotland Yard are out there shadowing suspects, crawling through secret passages, fingerprinting corpses, and sometimes committing a lesser crime in order to solve a murder. In The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime, Michael Sims has brought together all of the era's great crime-fighting females- plus a few choice crooks, including Four Square Jane and the Sorceress of the Strand.
Missing or Murdered
Robin Forsythe - 1929
But the following morning he had seemingly vanished into thin air. Now Scotland Yard are struggling to find evidence of foul play in the absence of tangible clues. A national newspaper is offering a reward for information about the Minister’s disappearance - whether Bygrave be dead or alive. Anthony “Algernon” Vereker, Lord Bygrave’s friend and executor, joins Scotland Yard in their investigation of the mystery. So begins the first of five ingenious and effervescent detective novels featuring Vereker, an amiable and eccentric artist with a razor-sharp mind. Missing or Murdered (1929), is republished here for the first time in over 70 years. It includes a new introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.‘This is not only a detective story of considerable ingenuity, but it is also a well-written tale with good characterisation."Times Literary Supplement