Journalstone's DoubleDown Books

William (Billy) Burke and William Hare were two real-life, beer-swilling, fist-fighting lowlifes who managed to stumble their way into infamy in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 1820's. Step by step, they graduated from the unemployment line to petty thievery, to grave robbing, and then on to cold bloody murder - ultimately becoming Britain's first documented serial killers. What history doesn't know about, or consider is the possibility that Burke and Hare may not have been acting on their own; and the blame for those heinous crimes might not entirely be theirs. Two mysterious strangers have arrived in the city - an old sculptor and a stunningly beautiful actress - both of which use their money and influence to manipulate the young Irishmen into searching for an ancient artifact rumored to have the awesome power of Heaven and Hell combined. Seized by the vicious killings of Jack the Ripper, Victorian London's, East End is on the brink of ruin. Elizabeth Covington, desperate and failing to follow in her beloved father's footsteps, risks practicing medicine in the dangerous and neglected Whitechapel District to improve her studies. News of a second brutal murder spreads. Elizabeth crosses paths with a man she believes is the villain, triggering a personal downward spiral taking her to a depth of evil she never knew existed. Only she knows the truth that drives the madness of a murderer.

The DoubleDown series continues with two novellas that cast mid-twentieth-century America in a dark light. In Smog, tomboy Joey thinks she's got the perfect life: It's 1965 and she lives in an idyllic Southern California suburb where everyone works for the aerospace industry. But when something goes wrong with a rocket test, the smog thickens and the teenagers change into rampaging killers. Can Joey survive long enough to escape the neighborhood before she joins their ranks? Joey Third will gamble on anything, but the old suitcase he wins at a baggage auction turns out to be a bad bet. Inside is a record player, and the song it repeats lures the listener to surrender to its mysterious voice. Charlie Stewart senses the music's intent, but can he find a way to turn it off forever, or will the cursed song possess the souls of all who listen?

JournalStone's DoubleDown series hits book number 3. Dog Days: It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters. In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fifteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy. With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days. Deadly Passage: Just after the American Revolution, the slave ship Lombard sets off from Africa, beginning its brutal passage to the New World. But even this ship's hardened crew of thugs and drunkards is unprepared for the horrors ahead. When the Lombard's human cargo dies one by one, free black crewman George Bell suspects a stealthy and devious stowaway - not disease - is the cause. As the death toll mounts and the slaves threaten mutiny, he must choose between his humanity and duty to a callous captain. But Bell doesn't have much time to make his voyage of self-discovery. The deadly beast burrowing through the rotten guts of the Lombard grows more powerful with each life it takes.

The Double Down series continues with two novellas that explore very different post-apocalyptic worlds. Harry Shannon's Biters is classic noir set at the end of the world. Buck Ryan can't get enough of Sarah, but she's had more than enough of her husband. To win the girl for good, all Ryan has to do is kill the man, steal his money and survive the zombie apocalypse on the way back. Piece of cake. Marcus Ryder ended the Great War with one shot in Brett J. Talley's The Reborn. He comes home to a brave new world where reincarnation is scientific fact and a simple blood test can reveal exactly who a person will be even before they are born. But when he is chosen for an elite unit that punishes people for their crimes in a past life and stops crime before it starts, Ryder begins to question what he knows about morality and justice. And all the while, the mysterious figure that plunged the world into war may be on the rise again.

The Double Down series continues with two stories that explore the very different realities of Karen Richard's life. The common prologue springboards two talented authors into alternate realities - two stories, two authors, one book. In John R. Little's Secrets, Karen Richardson can occasionally stop time. She is free to move around while others are frozen in time. She finds the hidden truths of those around her, including her new friend, Bobby Jersey, who may not be all that he seems. At first it seemed fun, powerful, exhilarating, but in the end Karen's power may cost her everything she's ever cared about. In Mark Allan Gunnells' Outcast, Karen Richardson is a college freshman dealing with a non-existent social life, a difficult roommate...and the power of telekinesis. As her powers grow, Karen begins to lose control. Her new friend Bobby Jersey offers his assistance. But is he somebody that Karen can trust, or will her abilities destroy everything and everyone she knows and loves.

The Double Down series continues with two men, and some interesting issues they contend with - two stories, two authors, one book. There was a time when Pete felt like he had the world in the palm of his hands, but lately everything is falling apart. His wife is growing cold, his business is in trouble, and even his friends show him nothing but contempt. Then a neighbor introduces him to paleo - the old way of eating, exercising, and even communing with the ancient sprits of the Neanderthals. All it takes is a little work, a little discipline, and a little blood sacrifice, and mysterious powers are within his grasp, but there's a price Pete never expected. It's a dark tale of terror, revenge, and suburban fads. Eric can sell insurance, but he can't sell anyone on what he knows for a fact: this world is about to go down in flames. Eric is forced to prep in secret. His wife won't listen, neither will his clients. But Eric's worst enemy has been making careful plans, and now he's ready jump start the destruction. It's the end of the world as we know it, and all the worst people are the best prepared.

JournalStone's Double Down collection continues with number VII in the series of flip books. When Sean O'Donnell was six years old, he went to live with his grandparents in Sutter Creek, met a beautiful girl named Bell, and encountered a mysterious man who cast no shadow. Three interrelated events that would chart the course of Sean's life.... Julie is a bullied and lonely seven-year-old girl, until the moment she meets a special playmate, Yani. The inseparable outcasts spend the summer together, until one day, Yani disappears, and then another girl and another. Several girls go missing, but then suddenly the disappearances stop. Years pass and Julie moves back to Cressidia with her daughter, and with her return, the disappearances begin again. Is Yani really gone or is she the missing link to the mystery haunting Julie's past.