Anthologies
Editors Carl Brookins, Ellen Hart and William Kent Krueger (known as the Minnesota Crime Wave) have solicited 13 riveting stories of murder, mystery and mayhem, in this follow-up to the best-selling short story anthology The Silence of the Loons.
In Once Upon a Crime, some of the best mystery and crime writers in the nation offer up tales of tragedy and revenge, suspicion and intrigue. Among the award-winning contributors are S.J. Rozan, Sujata Massey, C.J. Box, William Kent Krueger, Pete Hautman, David Housewright, Lois Greiman and Mary Logue. The collection includes a Christmas tale that is not full of good cheer and the misadventures of a car thief who has stolen the wrong car. One humorous story involves a Botswana police detective who finds an unusual way to track down a murder suspect; another offers a chilling tale of the Holocaust.
Celebrate Halloween with this collection of Halloween short stories by bestselling, award-winning authors and emerging new talent. Deadly Treats features witches, zombies, vampires, food critics, crazy writers, dumb criminals, interfering ghosts, ex-cops, suburban housewives, swamp monsters, and aliens. This delightful collection includes stories by Bill Cameron, David Housewright , Jason Evans, Heather Dearly, Julia Buckley, Kelly Lynn Parra, LK Rigel, Marilyn Victor, Mark Hull, Leandra Logan, Pat Dennis, Patricia Abbott, Paul D. Brazill, Michael Allan Mallory, Shirley Damsgaard , Stephen Blackmoore, Lance Zarimba, Paula L. Fleming, Daniel Hatadi, Theresa Weir, and Anne Frasier.
These short stories were written by authors asked only to use springtime as a setting and to make crime an important element of their stories. Some abandon reality a bit and delve into different genres. A few are nonfiction. Others are preview chapters from novels in progress. In short, there is something here for every taste!
Long time grifters Sam and Rachel love two things: each other and the grift. On the run from the mob, the two lovers move from one con to the next, winning some and losing others, but always finding a way to survive. Season Four begins with Episode 22, Dracula Wine by David Housewright. Business mogul Trey Osborne has money, power, and worst of all, a desire to beat all of his competitors at anything and everything. When an enterprising con artist offers him a way to show up John Frye, his chief business rival, Osborne leaps at the chance. She brings Sam and Rachel into the mix, and the pair suddenly find themselves in a battle of money and wits amidst the world of stolen artwork. Gabriel Valjan penned Episode 23, Diamond Dogs . When an unexpected Nor’easter crushes their holiday getaway and leaves Sam and Rachel stranded at the Newark airport, they befriend a mysterious, sophisticated stranger. They quickly recognize him as one of their own, a veteran grifter who poses no threat. When he extends them the hospitality of his hotel suite, they quickly decide it's a much better option than sleeping at the airport. But there’s a catch. Their new friend is a Diamond Dog and he wastes no time asking if they’ll run with him. Episode 24, Dusty and Bent by Trey R. Barker, finds Sam in a difficult place. His mentor Porter once tried to convince him that a grifter’s conscience was like an appendix—useless most of the time and painful, even deadly, when it flares up. Drawn back to Colorado on a personal matter, Sam and Rachel must confront a formative event from Sam’s past, facing a man he did wrong. And unlike the long trail of marks they’ve left in their wake, this one wears a badge. The prolific Vincent Zandri weighs in with Episode 25, Concrete and Cocaine . While visiting Albany, Sam overhears two big Russian twins spouting off about their cash cow concrete business along with their desire to make a pulp fiction flick just like the great Tarantino. He can't help but smell a grift. With Rachael by his side acting as co-producer, Sam transforms himself into Francis Strazzella, famed Italian-born movie producer who wants to make the twins’ movie. This ruse provides the perfect cover Sam and Rachael need for infiltrating the concrete plant and getting their hands on the stacks of cash that are no doubt to be found there.