Anthologies
The Private Eye Writers of America present a new anthology of stories by Shamus Award-winning mystery writers, including works by Jeremiah Healy, Loren D. Estleman, Max Allan Collins, Gary Phillips, Les Roberts, S. J. Rozan, and many others. Original.
It’s not easy to collect, in a single volume, the finest mystery and suspense fiction the world has to offer, but The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: Second Annual Collection rises to that challenge, inviting you to discover what Kirkus Reviews dubs “ . . . the year’s anthology of choice.” In his Second Annual collection, Ed Gorman once again brings together the year’s most powerful fiction by such outstanding authors as Lawrence Block, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Ed McBain, Joyce Carol Oates, Ian Rankin, and Donald E. Westlake. The volume also abounds with fresh new stories by newer authors, from U. S. publications, and also from sources on other shores, including England, Germany, and the Netherlands. Ed Gorman set benchmark for great mystery and suspense fiction with the First Annual Collection . Overflowing with award-winning authors and terrific stories, The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: Second Annual Collection also promises to be a treasure for anyone who loves a mystery. More than 200,000 words of superlative mystery and suspense fiction from around the world, with stories by: Lawrence Block Jan Burke Dorothy Cannell Clark Howard Peter Lovesey Joyce Carol Oates Nancy Pickard Bill Pronzini Ian Rankin And many others A Banquet of Mystery and Crime Fiction For those who love outstanding mystery and crime reading, award-winning author and editor, Ed Gorman, has once again collected the best stories of the year from around the world. Immerse yourself in stories that baffle, tantalize, and delight, by the following authors: Miguel Agustí Doug Allyn Noreen Ayres Robert Barnard Lawrence Block Jan Burke Dorothy Cannell Stanley Cohen Mat Coward Peter Crowther Brendan DuBois Jurgen Ehlers Pete Hamill Joseph Hansen Edward D. Hoch Clark Howard Stuart M. Kaminsky Richard Laymon Gillian Linscott Peter Lovesey John Lutz Christine Matthews Ed McBain Bob Mendes Denise Mina Joyce Carol Oates Gary Phillips Nancy Pickard Bill Pronzini Robert J. Randisi Ian Rankin Les Roberts Peter Robinson S. J. Rozan Kristine Kathryn Rusch Donald E. Westlake
Offers a collection of thirteen football mysteries from top writers in addition to a novella about a college football star who delves into a forty-year old mystery surrounding the disappearance of a star player, in works by David Baldacci, Anne Perry, Brad Meltzer, Dennis Lehane, and Lawrence Block. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.
Short Story Anthology by Central Coast Mystery Writers: A dozen mysteries by a dozen well-known and new authors; Carolyn Wheat, Victoria Heckman, Martha Lawrence et al. Choice, mind-tickling tales that range from cozy crime to murder and mayhem, collected for your reading pleasure.
These all-new short stories of movies, music, murder, and mayhem by today's brightest talents will take you from vaudeville to Vegas, and make it chillingly clear that in the world of entertainment, if you want to make it, you may have to step on some people-or over their dead bodies... Includes first-run stories from  Carolyn Wheat  John Lutz  Elaine Viets  Parnell Hall  Stuart M. Kaminsky  Edward D. Hoch  Annette Meyers  Angela Zeman  David Bart  Bob Shayne  Mark Terry  Gary Phillips  Suzanne Shaphren  Libby Fischer Hellman  Charles Ardai  Gregg Andrew Hurwitz  Steve Hockensmith  Shelley Freydont  Robert Lopresti  Mat Coward
The best fiction anthology of cocaine-themed tales to blow through in years, featuring all-new stories from Susan Straight, Lee Child, Jerry Stahl, Ken Bruen, Laura Lippman, Bill Moody, Nina Revoyr, and many more. “The best stories in The Cocaine Chronicles . . . are equal to the best fiction being written today.” ― New York Journal of Books “The perfect stocking stuffer for your uncle in AA.” ― New York Observer A selection of the Akashic Drug Chronicles Series. Nothing to snort at, this ambitious anthology of jaw-grinding criminal behavior is masterfully curated by acclaimed authors Phillips and Tervalon. Cocaine, that most troubling and fascinating of substances is the subject, the subtext, the whys and whereofs in The Cocaine Chronicles , a collection of original short stories that are funny and harrowing, sad and scary, but at all times riveting. The Cocaine Chronicles contains tough tales by a cross-section of today’s most thought-provoking writers. Stories by Susan Straight, Lee Child, Ken Bruen, Laura Lippman, Nina Revoyr, Jerry Stahl, Bill Moody, Emory Holmes II, James Brown, Gary Phillips, Jervey Tervalon, Kerry E. West, Donnell Alexander, Deborah Vankin, Robert Ward, Manuel Ramos, and Detrice Jones.
Is there any greater thrill than staring down your opponent across the poker table, waiting for the card that will make or break your hand? Acclaimed YA novelist Pete Hautman would know—he’s been a poker fanatic for thirty years. And with poker now an international TV phenomenon, the time seems right for an anthology about this most exciting game. From a contest that pits a hapless teen against his girlfriend’s redneck family, to a midnight game with the Devil, to an Internet poker scheme gone horribly wrong, the stories here brilliantly reveal how poker can both irrevocably affect and eerily imitate teenage life.
From authors including National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, Deadly Ink 2007 winner Darrell James, and renowned social commentator turned short-story writer Mike Davis, Politics Noir is a chilling and subversive collection of new crime stories featuring greed, corruption, insatiable ambition—and murder in the very highest places.
Wildly fantastic superhero stories by a cross section of today's cutting-edge urban fantasy and crime writers. Expanding on the concept behind Byron Preiss's Weird Heroes from the 1970s, George R. R. Martin's Wild Card series, and Michael Chabon's McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales , The Darker Mask is a collection of original prose stories recalling the derring-do of the beings we call Superheroes and the worlds they fight to save. But unique to The Darker Mask stories is that these plots and characters color a literary universe outside of what has been predominantly white, idiosyncratic, and male in previous homages to pulp. This is the stuff of urban legends, new mythos, and extraordinary folks who might live in a soon-to-be-gentrified ghetto, the dreary rust-belt of the city, or in another dimension. The Darker Mask offers an eclectic mix of popular fiction writers exploring worlds gritty, visceral, and fantastic. Includes contributions from L. A. Banks, Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Christopher Chambers, Reed Farrel Coleman, Michael A. Gonzales, Gar Anthony Haywood, Naomi Hirahara, Mat Johnson, Victor LaValle, Walter Mosley, Ann Nocenti, Gary Phillips, Jerry A. Rodrigues, Alexandra Sokoloff, Peter Spiegelman, Wayne L. Wilson, and Doselle Young.
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.
Burn, Baby, Burn. An incendiary mixture of genres and voices, this collection of short stories compiles a unique set of work that revolves around riots, revolts, and revolution. From the turbulent days of unionism in the streets of New York City during the Great Depression to a group of old women who meet at their local café to plan a radical act that will change the world forever, these original and once out-of-print stories capture the various ways people rise up to challenge the status quo and change up the relationships of power. Ideal for any fan of noir, science fiction, and revolution and mayhem, this collection includes works from Sara Paretsky, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Cory Doctorow, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Summer Brenner.
One hundred percent of the royalties from this new collection of original stories will go directly to the 2011 JAPAN RELIEF FUND administered by the Japan America Society of Southern California. The 2011 Japan Relief Fund was created on March 11, 2011 to aid victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami waves. With the funds that have been raised so far, $750,000 has been committed to nonprofit organizations that are on the front lines of relief and recovery work in northeastern Japan. This collection was born out of the writers' concern for the people in the disaster zone. SHAKEN: STORIES FOR JAPAN is an attempt by writers to pool their talents to help people in need, as musicians and actors so often do. The book contains original stories by Brett Battles, Cara Black, Vicki Doudera, Dianne Emley, Dale Furutani, Timothy Hallinan, Stefan Hammond, Rosemary Harris, Naomi Hirahara, Wendy Hornsby, Ken Kuhlken, Debbi Mack, Adrian McKinty, I.J. Parker, Gary Phillips, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Jeffrey Siger, Kelli Stanley, C.J. West, and Jeri Westerson. As a group, these authors have won every mystery award there is and sold hundreds of thousand of copies. They're all working at the top of their games in this volume. SHAKEN; STORIES FROM JAPAN is art for heart's sake, and the purchase price will help those who are struggling to repair, or at least soothe, these terrible losses. Not all the stories are mysteries; the consensus was simply that all writers should submit something that touches on Japan. Linking the stories are haiku by the 17th-century master Basho, translated by Jane Reichhold, and Issa, translated by David Lanoue. Both translators donated their work, as did the cover designer, writer Gar Anthony Haywood, and the e-book producer, Kimberly Hitchens. PRAISE FOR THE AUTHORS “Kelli Stanley has her eye on greatness.” –George Pelecanos Wendy Hornsby's “stories are edgy, menacing, and masterful.” –Booklist Dianne Emley's books are “Intense and hard-edged… First-rate.” –Tess Gerritsen "[Naomi Hirahara] is truly one of a kind." –Chicago Sun-Times “[Brett] Battles is a master storyteller.” –Sheldon Siegel I. J. Parker's books are “terrifically imaginative work” –Wall Street Journal Ken Kuhlken's writing is "Elegant . . . haunting, and beautiful." –Don Winslow. Jeffrey Siger's work “Brilliantly explores a fascinating culture” –Leighton Gage “Hank Phillippi Ryan understands plotting and she writes beautifully.” –Robert B. Parker Adrian McKinty is “One of his generation's leading talents" –Publishers Weekly. Jeri Westerson's work is "creative and enthralling..." –John Lescroart “Gary Phillips writes tough and gritty parables.” –Michael Connelly Vicki “Doudera expertly weaves a tale of suspense.” –Tess Gerritsen Rosemary Harris is “Hilarious” (Kirkus Reviews), “A rising star” –Crimespree Magazine Timothy Hallinan's writing is “razor-sharp, convincing, and heartbreaking.” –Gregg Hurwitz C.J. West's work is "Powerful, thought provoking and massively entertaining.” –Crimesquad.com Cara Black's Aimee Leduc novels are an “irresistible series set in Paris.” –New York Times “Debbi Mack has carved her own niche in the mystery pantheon." –Scott Nicholson [Dale]”Furutani manages a fluid mix of cultural history and swashbuckling adventure.” –Publishers Weekly Stefan Hammond created the "Essential guide to Hong Kong's mind-bending films." –Entertainment Weekly
PULP INK is the bizarre, chaotic side of crime fiction. From an ass-kicking surfer on acid to an idiot savant hitboy, these tales are dark, funny, action-packed and told with all the gleeful insanity of a Tarantino flick. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll roll into the fetal position and beg for mercy. So sit back. Pour yourself a cup of joe, crack a beer, tie off – whatever you need to get comfortable – and get ready for a dose after dose of pulp action. With stories by: Allan Guthrie Reed Farrel Coleman Gary Phillips Hilary Davidson Matthew C. Funk Paul D. Brazill AJ Hayes Michael J. Solender Richard Godwin Naomi Johnson Jimmy Callaway Sandra Seamans Patti Abbott Jodi MacArthur David Cranmer Chris F. Holm Jason Duke Eric Beetner Ian Ayris Kate Horsley Matt Lavin Jim Harrington Nigel Bird Chris Rhatigan “Pulp Ink may explore familiar territory: revenge, lust, greed, murder, betrayal and downright stupidity, but it does so unflinchingly and in its own indomitable style… This is one of the best collections of short fiction you will ever see. Grab it now: Pulp Ink is ready to thrill, chill and entertain in ways you never thought possible.” -- Julie Morrigan, author of the short story collection GONE BAD and the novel CONVICTIONS "The writers of PULP INK were raised on Tarantino, but then went and rebelled on him like all good children do at some point. Here's the future of pulp fiction, a slice of the good stuff from those surviving the brutal sandbox of modern crime fiction and emerging, scraped and bruised, to turn around and spit in its eye." -- Anthony Neil Smith, author of HOGDOGGIN’ and YELLOW MEDICINE "Tongue-piercings. Foot-fetishists. Murderous cinephiles. This gritty, grimy, giddy collection is as pulpy as they come, transcending the Tarantino reference material and stepping into its own. All because of a stable of home-run crime writers who know just what the hell they're doing." -- Chuck Wendig, author of DOUBLE DEAD and BLACKBIRDS
When Robert B. Parker passed in early 2010, the world lost two great men: Parker himself, iconic American crime writer whose books have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and his best-known creation, Spenser. Parker's Spenser series not only influenced the work of countless of today's writers, but is also credited with reviving and forever changing the genre. In Pursuit of Spenser offers a look at Parker and to Spenser through the eyes of the writers he influenced. Editor Otto Penzler-- proprietor of one of the oldest and largest mystery specialist bookstores in the country, New York's The Mysterious Bookshop, and renowned mystery fiction editor whose credits include series editor for the Best American Crime Writing and Best American Mystery Stories, among many others (and about whom Parker himself once wrote, "Otto Penzler knows more about crime fiction than most people know about anything")-- collects some of today's bestselling mystery authors to discuss Parker, his characters, the series, and their impact on the world. From Hawk to Susan Silverman to Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, from the series' Boston milieu to Parker's own take on his character, In Pursuit of Spenser pays tribute to Spenser, and Parker, with affection, humor, and a deep appreciation for what both have left behind.
There was a time when paperback racks were full of men’s adventure series. Next to the Louis L’Amours, one could find the adventures of The Executioner, the Destroyer, the Death Merchant, and many more action heroes that were hell-bent on bringing America back from the brink. That time was the 1970s & ’80s. A bygone era filled with wide-eyed innocence and mustaches. Those stories are back! The new quarterly magazine Blood & Tacos is bringing back the action, the fun, and the adventure. Also, the mustaches. In each issue of Blood & Tacos, some of today’s hottest crime writers will choose an era and create a new pulp hero and deliver a brand-new adventure. Each issue will include 5-6 stories featuring action-packed mayhem written in the style of that bygone era. The stories might not always be politically correct, but whether satire or homage, they will deliver on every page. Fast and fun, action and adventure, Blood & Tacos. If the stories weren’t enough, Blood & Tacos will also feature fine pulpy art, reviews of some of the fine (and not so fine) novels from the same period, and maybe even a recipe or two. So enjoy this serving of Blood & Tacos. And remember, if it’s too cheesy, it’s a quesadilla. *** Blood & Tacos is the brainchild of Johnny Shaw, screenwriter and author of the novel Dove Season: A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco. When he’s not writing or teaching, he is usually in an undisclosed warzone working as the demolitions expert in the mercenary group, The Bushmasters. He also enjoys badminton. His website can be found at Johnnyshaw.net. Or follow him on Twitter at @BloodandTacos. Blood & Tacos is published by Creative Guy Publishing, the company that brought you such fine books as Amityville House of Pancakes (Vols 1-3), Stays Crunchy in Milk, Installing Linux on a Dead Badger, Brine, and many others with odd titles but excellent stories.
From Today's Best Authors and up and coming writers comes BLACK PULP from Pro Se Productions! BLACK PULP is a collection of stories featuring characters of African origin, or descent, in stories that run the gamut of genre fiction! A concept developed by noted crime novelist Gary Phillips, BLACK PULP brings bestselling authors Walter Mosley and Joe R. Lansdale, Gary Phillips, Charles R. Saunders, Derrick Ferguson, D. Alan Lewis, Christopher Chambers, Mel Odom, Kimberly Richardson, Ron Fortier, Michael A. Gonzales, Gar Anthony Haywood, and Tommy Hancock together to craft adventure tales, mysteries, and more, all with black characters at the forefront! "Literature for the masses kindled the imagination and used our reading skills so that we could regale ourselves in the cold chambers of alienation and poverty. We could become Doc Savage or The Shadow, Conan the Barbarian or the brooding King Kull and make a difference in a world definitely gone wrong."--Walter Mosley from his introduction. Between these covers are 12 tales of action, adventure, and thrills featuring heroes and heroines of darker hues that will appeal to audiences everywhere! BLACK PULP! From Pro Se Productions!
STORIES FROM THE FIRST FOUR ISSUES OF BLOOD & TACOS-COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME! Gird your loins, boys and girls, for a literary tour of force. Gird them! Once, paperback racks were full of men's adventure series. Next to the Louis L'Amours sat the Executioner, the Destroyer, the Death Merchant, and other action heroes hell-bent on bringing America back from the brink. That time was the 1970s and '80s-a bygone era filled with wide-eyed innocence and mustaches. Those stories are here again! Blood & Tacos has brought back the action, the fun, and the adventure. Also, the mustaches. We are proud to present the Silencer, Father Dukes, the Albino Wino, Studs Winslow, Battleground U.S.S.A., Tiger Team Bravo, L.A.N.D.B.O.A.T. (the Boat That Goes on Land), and many more-a veritable piranha tank full of heroic heroes. Blood & Tacos: The Beginning features stories "discovered" by Ray Banks, Matthew C. Funk, Rob Kroese, Stephen Mertz, Gary Phillips, Johnny Shaw, Josh Stallings, Todd Robinson, and a slew of other killer writers. Ride the tiger! And remember, if it's too cheesy, it's a quesadilla!
Gary Phillips’ Nate Hollis leaps from the comic page to his first complete prose collection. Authors Juliet Blackwell, Bobby Nash, Aaron Philip Clark, and Derrick Ferguson join Phillips to create six double barreled tales of mystery and action. The streets are mean, but they don’t hold a stick of dynamite to Hollis, P.I. From creator Gary Phillips and Pro Se Productions. “PI Nate Hollis originally sprang from the rich imagination of LA-based writer Gary Phillips, but he’s so real and tactile he could climb off the page and buy you a bourbon. Now, four other authors are getting a piece of Nate, too, and this latest collection of Nate stories is wonderful. This is contemporary noir at its best, offering all the familiar pleasures of the genre, but giving them a modern makeover. Yes, this is a violent world that Nate inhabits, but he steers a true and moral course through the layers of deception, skullduggery and sometimes worse that make these stories such high-density entertainment. Nate’s a great character and these stories do him justice and more. “ T. Jefferson Parker Author of “The Famous and the Dead”
Following in the tradition of the best selling Black Pulp, from Today's Best Authors and up and coming writers comes Asian Pulp from Pro Se Productions! A collection of stories featuring characters of Asian origin or descent in stories that run the gamut of genre fiction! Asian Pulp includes works from Don Lee, Naomi Hirahara, Kimberly Richardson, Percival Constantine, William F. Wu, Gary Phillips, Calvin McMillin, Mark Finn, Dale Furutani, Steph Cha, Henry Chang, Sean Taylor, Gigi Pandian, Louise Herring-Jones, Alan J. Porter, and David C. Smith. The anthology opens with an introduction from Leonard Chang, novelist and writer and co-producer of the TV crime drama Justified. Mysteries, westerns, stories of crime and noir, and more, all with Asian characters in the lead! Between these covers are 17 tales of action, adventure, and thrills featuring heroes and heroines of a different shade that will appeal to audiences everywhere! Asian Pulp! From Pro Se Productions!
TALES OF A WESTERN LEGEND He began his life as a slave. During the Civil War he escaped and lived among the Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes in the Oklahoma Territories. He learned to ride, shoot and track prey from his adopted people. When the war ended, he was recruited as one of the first black marshals in the history of the west. In a thirty year career, operating under the authority of Judge Parker out of Fort Smith, he captured over three thousand outlaws, was involved in fourteen major gun battles and never wounded once. At the ended of his career, he became a Deputy Sheriff in Tuskegee until his death at the age of 70. He is considered the greatest western lawman that ever lived. Writers Gary Phillips, Mel Odom, Andrew Salmon and Derrick Ferguson have whipped up four action packed adventures inspired by this legendary figure. Tales of a wild frontier where outlaws and renegades roamed freely until the coming of one amazing man who wore a badge and vowed to bring justice to one and all. He was Bass Reeves—Frontier Marshal.
CRIME + MUSIC: Nineteen Stories of Music-Themed Noir, collects twenty darkly intense, music-related noir stories by world-renowned mystery authors including David Corbett, Tyler Dilts, Bill Fitzhugh, Alison Gaylin, A.J. Hartley, Craig Johnson, David Liss, Val McDermid, Gary Phillips, Peter Robinson, and Zoë Sharp, and, from the music world, Galadrielle Allman, author of Please Be With Me: A Song for My Father, Duane Allman and award-winning songwriter-novelist Willy Vlautin. Edited by novelist and Wall Street Journal rock and pop music critic Jim Fusilli. The lively anthology’s chilling, sinister tales tap into the span of rock and pop history, ranging from Peter Blauner’s heart-wrenching “The Last Temptation of Frankie Lymon” to Fusilli’s “Boy Wonder,” set in the world of contemporary electronic dance music; from Naomi Rand’s “The Misfits,” a punk-rock revenge saga to Mark Haskell Smith’s menacingly comedic “1968 Pelham Blue SG Jr.”; from Reed Farrel Coleman’s study of a one-hit wonder, “Look at Me/Don’t Look at Me” to Erica Wright’s account of betrayal among minor talents in “A Place You’re Likely to Find”—and many more. CRIME + MUSIC exposes the nasty side of the world of popular music, revealing it to be the perfect setting for noir tales.
Crimespree Magazine #64 features an interview of Judy Clemens by Caroline Todd. Plus you get many more interviews. Jon Jordan speaks with both Andrew Gross and Devin Faraci. Kate and Dan Malmon talk with Todd Robinson, Jay Stringer, Chuck Wendig and Tom King & Mitch Gerads. Anthony Campbell sits down with Gary Phillips while Elise Cooper talks with Linda Castillo. Dennis Lawson delivers a short story called “Someone to Take the Fall” and Max Sheridan delivers “The Paul Lee Covey Experience.” Michael A. Kahn outlines the Laws of Zombies. Additionally, the usual suspects show up: Craig McDonald, Chris Holm, Kristi Belcamino, Dru Ann and Linda Brown. Book Reviews, DVD Reviews and Crimespree on Comics are served aplenty.
BASS REEVESLEGENDARY MANHUNTERIn the years after the Civil War, the greatest lawman to operate in the untamed wilderness frontiers was U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves. An ex-slave, Reeves took on the silver badge because he believed all men to be equal in the eyes of the law and so he would become an agent of that justice. In his actual career he captured over 3,000 felons and survived fourteen gun battles. A crack shot with both rifle and pistol, he was never wounded once.Here, in this second volume of an ongoing series, the Deputy Marshal finds himself teaming up with a spitfire of a she-devil known as Quickshot Katy, chasing down desperate train robbers, protecting an army gold shipment and defending a vicious killer against an entire town demanding blood. Writers Milton Davis, Mel Odom, Michael Black and Derrick Ferguson have saddled up to deliver four new action packed western yarns starring the one and only Bass Reeves – Frontier Lawman.
Winner, 2018 Anthony Award for Best Anthology and Winner, Bronze Medal, 2017 Indie Book Awards for Anthologies, Foreword Reviews. Noir meets diverse voices and transforms the genre into an over-the-top, transcendental psychedelic thriller ride of pulpy goodness in THE OBAMA INHERITANCE , a collection of fifteen stories of conspiracy noir curated by editor and award-winning African-American crime novelist Gary Phillips. In the tradition of satirical works of Swift and Twain, with nods to the likes of William Burroughs, Asimov and Philip K. Dick, these tales contain vigilante First Ladies, Supreme Court judges who can clone themselves, gear-popping robots of doom, and races of ancient lizard people revealing their true master plan … and these are just the tame ones mashed up in the blender of fake news bots, climate change is but a hoax by the Chinese and humans roamed with dinosaurs. In an era where the outlandish and fantastic has permeated our media 24/7, where mind-bending conspiracy theories shape our views, THE OBAMA INHERITANCE writers riff on the numerous fictions spun about the 44th president of the U.S. Although Obama himself does not appear in most of these stories, contributors spin deliberately outlandish and fantastic twists on many of the dozens of screwball, bizarro conspiracy theories floated about the president during his years in office and turn them on their heads. THE OBAMA INHERITANCE editor Gary Phillips is a critically acclaimed author of mystery and graphic novels ( Peepland , Violent Spring , and Warlord of Willow Ridge ). Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Phillips draws on his experiences from anti-police abuse community organizing and anti-apartheid activism. He was the chair of the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color committee, and is president of the Private Eye Writers of America. Contributors include famed crime-detective author and essayist Walter Mosley , professor and former Department of Justice attorney Christopher Chambers ( Sympathy for the Devil ), noir raconteur Andrew Nette , actor and novelist Danny Gardner ( A Negro and an Ofay ), former Maine assistant attorney general Kate Flora ( Death in Paradise ), award-winning playwright and novelist Désirée Zamorano , and the Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Robert Silverberg.
“[A] rich and varied anthology…” — Publishers Weekly , Starred Review Janet Hutchings, Chris Grabenstein, Gary Phillips, and Hilary Davidson headline a new world tour anthology of 22 stories from the heartland of America to Italy, Japan, Mexico, Cuba, England, and more. Passport to Murder is published in conjunction with Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, held in 2017 in Toronto, Ontario. As with the convention itself, the anthology spreads a broad canopy across a wide variety of crime writers from across the country and around the world—including both veteran writers and the brightest up-and-coming talents in the field. All of the stories include some kind of travel ranging from a cross-America ride-sharing trip to tourists in Italy and Japan to a woman on the run in Mexico to murder in Cuba. And even a haunted hotel in Toronto. All participants contributed their efforts to support our charity—Frontier College, winner of the UNESCO Literacy Prize in 1977—and by extension readers and writers everywhere. ALL PROFITS GO TO FRONTIER COLLEGE . Edited by John McFetridge. Stories by Eric Beckstrom, Michael Bracken, Craig Faustus Buck, Susan Calder, Hilary Davidson, Michael Dymmoch, John Floyd, Chris Grabenstein, Marie Hannan-Mandel, Janet Hutchings, Marilyn Kay, Su Kopil, Rosemary McCracken, Tanis Mallow, LD Masterson, Gary Phillips, Karen Pullen, KM Rockwood, Scott Loring Sanders, Shawn Reilly Simmons, John Stickney, and Victoria Weisfeld.
Take a trip through the imaginations of 18 visionary writers as they explore the future of trucking in this new science fiction anthology! There's something for every genre fiction fan in this follow-up to the hit "18 wheels of Horror - a Trailer Full of Trucking Terrors." From the back cover: An alien fuel additive shows just how fast a big rig can go... A disembodied driver wages war on self-driving trucks... A haul through time takes an unexpected turn... Reality shatters for a trucker using an experimental delivery device... Stargazing gives an overweight driver a new lease on life... A young girl risks her life to hitch a ride out of an apocalyptic wasteland... The highways of the universe will never be the same!
LAWMAN BASS REEVESIn all the annals of frontier history, there was no lawman as skilled or tireless in meting out justice then former runaway slave, Bass Reeves. Having lived with the Five Civilized Tribes during the Civil War years, Reeves was taught tracking and hunting by the natives of that rugged land. After marrying and starting a horse ranch, he soon realized raising a large family (he would have ten children) was expensive. Thus when offered to pin on the U.S. Deputy Marshal’s badge, Reeves accepted for two practical reasons; his own respect for the law and the fact that Marshals got to keep whatever bounty was posted on the outlaws they hunted.In this volume, writers R.A. Jones, Terry Alexander and Mel Odom put the legendary Marshal to the test in three brand new adventures. From facing an old deadly foe, hunting a killer in Indian country and going after a preacher who believes himself to be God’s own avenging angel. This is the Wild West at its wildest, challenging the one man who could not be beaten, Marshal Bass Reeves.
“Yes, this is a violent world that Nate inhabits, but he steers a true and moral course through the layers of deception, skullduggery and sometime worse that make these stories such high-density entertainment.”T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Room of White FireIn this rollicking collection private investigator Nate Hollis, a routine visit to the dentist sends him into an underground world of addictive vices; hunts a killer in the dead of winter in Chicago; uncovers secrets from the buried past; stalks the stalker of super hero street performers in the back alleys of Tinseltown; braves the unforgiving streets of New York City to stop a killer, and more in this electric-charged assortment of stories.New York Times bestseller Sara Paretsky, Edgar winner Naomi Hirahara, Deadly Ink nominee Sarah M. Chen, hardboiled adept Scott Adlerberg, and new pulpster Phillip Drayer Duncan along with Hollis’ creator and 2018 Anthony Award winner Gary Phillips (Black Pulp, Peepland) deliver tales of a P.I. who Kevin Burton Smith in Mystery Scene magazine said was “Slick as spit, big-shouldered Hollis walks the walk and talks the talk…” This edition also includes two previously published Hollis stories by Phillips, “King Cow” and “Hollywood Killer.”Praise for the previous Nate Hollis collection, Hollis P.I.“Each story entertained and what was a little bit surprising to me was the consistency of voice, from our author collective presenting our intrepid investigator Nate.”Goodreads review “…excellent stories that really filled the bill!”Amazon review
BLACK PULP returns with BLACK PULP II, a new volume of stories featuring characters of African origin, or descent, at the forefront. Developed by noted crime novelist Gary Phillips, BLACK PULP II brings together familiar authors and characters from the first anthology while introducing new creators and concepts crafting exciting new fiction with heroes of a darker hue. Between these covers are 12 new tales of action, adventures, and thrills presented by some of the most talented authors in New Pulp and Genre Fiction!
Ten original stories by award-winning & bestselling authors. One remarkable collection. With a foreword by Paul Bishop, this collection has something for every science fiction fan. Nearly 700 action-packed pages of entertainment! When you reach for the stars, you don’t always know what you’ll get! Grab your copy of Star Noir today. The Anti-Gravity Steal—Gary Phillips Escape From Tyrannosaur Valley—O’Neil Du Noux Time Stamp—Richard Prosch Tracks—Jean Rabe A Nice Century For Dying—Douglas Hirt Hybrid—Michael Black Blood Flurry—Tyler Dann Blue Ivory—Mike Baron Too Much Time—Tim Tresslar Nightclub At the End of the World—Eric Beetner
There’s a taco truck in Chicago known among a certain segment of the population for its daily specials. Late at night and during the wee hours of the morning, it isn’t the food selection that attracts customers, it’s the illegal weapons available with the special order. Each episode of Guns & Tacos features the story of one Chicagoland resident who visits the taco truck seeking a solution to life’s problems, a solution that always comes in a to-go bag. Episode 1: “Tacos de Cazuela con Smith & Wesson” by Gary Phillips. Episode 2: “Three Brisket Tacos and a Sig Sauer” by Michael Bracken. Episode 3: “A Gyro and a Glock” by Frank Zafiro. Episodes 4-6 of Season One are featured in Guns + Tacos Vol. 2 .
***Editor's Choice, NEW YORK TIMES *** A literary coup d'etat, that ponders "What would the White House be like if U.S. Presidents of the past were not restricted by the time-honored hallmarks and traditional behavior of the office, leaving them free to do whatever they wanted, anytime and anywhere?" THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT: Nineteen Stories of White House Noir pulls back the curtain on the “new norm” for America’s highest office, with a collection of bizarre new stories by a diverse group of renowned authors that take readers across the chasm of reality into an alternate universe—where Nixon takes a wacky psychedelic trip with Elvis Presley; where a time-traveling renegade targets members of the George Bush administration with disastrous results; where a spy seizes a sudden opportunity for power after Woodrow Wilson’s stroke. The stories are outlandish but—when it comes to the White House of today—no longer implausible. The line-up of award-winning authors includes Eric Beetner , Peter Carlaftes , Sarah M. Chen , Angel Luis Colón , S. A. Cosby , Nikki Dolson , Mary Anna Evans , Adam Lance Garcia , Danny Gardner , Alison Gaylin , Christopher Chambers , Kate Flora , Greg Herren , Gary Phillips , Alex Segura , Travis Richardson , S. J. Rozan , Abby Vandiver , and Erica Wright . In an era where the bar for what is acceptable has shifted beyond what the founding fathers ever imagined, THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT is a highly recommended unique creative act of resistance, and a must-have for fans of politics, noir, and speculative fiction.
Foreword by Scott Turow. Twenty-two authors contributed short crime fiction stories on the theme "Every stolen vote is a crime." All the money earned from sales is contributed to the Southern Poverty Law Center's programs to fight voter suppression and defend voting rights. In addition to the authors listed, the volume includes stories by Gabriel Valjan, Stephen Buehler, Jackie Ross Flaum, Stormy White, M. J. Holt, Frank Rankin, Bev Vincent, Puja Guha, James McCrone, Jim Doherty, Terry Sanville, Robert Lopresti, Madeline McEwen, and Ben Harshman.
HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER THE PANDEMIC? 40 authors from around the world set out to record their innermost feelings-- to offer inspiring, heartfelt, creative takes on the Covid-19 pandemic. Crime fiction, elegant and angry poetry, and gut-wrenching personal essays: all paint a picture of the year and help us make sense of the sacrifices we've made in 2020. Thank you for your generous support: all profits donated to charity. A brainchild of editor Lise McClendon, the anthology was shepherded by her with her co-editors— Taffy Cannon, Kate Flora, and Gary Phillips— to bear witness to the events taking place all around us, and especially within us, as we grapple with disease, isolation, death, and, yes, a healthy dose of chaos. Some writers chose to mine their own psyches and experiences, whether the challenges of life in lockdown or their struggles with productivity and focus. Others felt called to wry, dark fiction or poetry. Across the globe the reactions portray a similar anger, pain, and struggle from writers from the US, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Northern Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Romania. Our lives have been forever changed by these times. Whether a chance encounter with a mural on a utility box, to the lockdown in New York City and dystopian fiction, these writers never stopped imagining and exploring their worlds. Stuck at home, watching the news in horror, helping others: these writers' imaginations kept clicking right along (although their productivity sometimes took a hit.) As mystery writers the editors found many of their fellow crime writers willing to contribute, as was the well-known Romanian journalist and writer George Arion, true crime writer Caitlin Rother, German mystery writer Tatjana Kruse, thriller writer Robin Burcell, travel writer Tim Cahill, and many more. Poetry by 92nd St. Y Literature Director Wendy Salinger, Irish poet Paul Jeffcutt, haiku poet Z.J. Czupor, and crime writers Jim Nisbet, Gerald So, and Keith Snyder adds its own special punch between essays and stories. Illustrations are included. STOP THE WORLD Contributors: George Arion Meredith Blevins Eoghan Egan John Shepphird Gary Phillips Adriana Licio Mike Monson Merrilee Robson John Clark Piet Tiegeler Travis Richardson Richard Cass Tim Cahill Jody Jaffe Caitlin Rother Naomi Hirahara Kate Flora Donna Moore Lise McClendon Tatjana Kruse Dan Fesperman Tami Haaland Taffy Cannon Matt Coyle Marian Stanley John Rember J. Madison Davis Sarah M. Chen Wendy Hornsby Robin Burcell Sharan Newman Jacqui Brown Craig Lancaster Z.J. Czupor Gerald So Allen Morris Jones Wendy Salinger Jim Nisbet Paul Jeffcutt Keith Snyder
Whether their cover bands play Willie Dixon or Willie Nelson, juke joints and honky-tonks appeal to hard-working men and women looking for a good time. Offering hot music, cheap food, and generous amounts of liquor, jukes and tonks are often a community’s unofficial gathering spot, where Saturday nights are spent committing the sins church leaders rail against the following morning. The stories in Jukes & Tonks introduce you to many sinners and few saints, love begun and love gone wrong, and all manner of unsavory criminal endeavors. What the stories have in common is that they plop you down in worlds where the music pulsating from the compact stage—if there’s a stage at all—provides the backbeat for tales that are unsparing, heartbreaking, twisty, and a few are as dark as the night, and the blinking sign offering live music is an invitation to the unexpected. Contributors include Trey R. Barker, Michael Bracken, Jonathan Brown, S.A. Cosby, John M. Floyd, Debra H. Goldstein, Gar Anthony Haywood, Penny Mickelbury, Gary Phillips, William Dylan Powell, Kimberly B. Richardson, and Stacy Woodson. Praise for JUKES & TONKS: “The world needs more jukes, more tonks, and more fine crime fiction—and this fast-paced playlist from Michael Bracken and Gary Phillips offers all of the above and then some. It’s a #1 hit…with a bullet!” —Josh Pachter, editor of The Great Filling Station Holdup: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Jimmy Buffett “While twists abound and nothing is predictable, one thing is certain: Jukes & Tonks transports the reader to a world where the drinks are cheap, the dancing is close, and the music reigns supreme.” —Holly West, Anthony Award-nominated editor of Murder-a-Go-Go’s: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of The Go-Go’s
With blistering stories from Hector Acosta, Mark Bergin, Joe Clifford, Paul J. Garth, Carmen Jaramillo, Dana King, James L'Etoile, Gary Phillips, Matt Phillips, Tom Pitts, Travis Richardson, John Shepphird, Holly West and Frank Zafiro. It’s eviction day for the Hope Apartments. The residents have known about it for over a year. It’s too bad they ignored all the warning signs. More than a century ago, developer Elijah Hope constructed a state-of-the-art hotel. As the generations passed and tastes changed, The Hope spent two decades as an underutilized office building before conversion into a low-income housing project. Rundown by years of human occupation, the Hope has become a hollow shell of its once great self. It is home to drug addicts, petty criminals, and those hiding from others. The city has long turned a blind eye to The Hope as surrounding neighborhoods gentrified and pushed their disaffected in its direction. But now the Hope is preparing a return to its original glory. The current owners plan to convert it into a boutique hotel. The only thing standing in their way is the eviction of over one hundred units. Each resident knew this fateful day was coming, yet most chose to believe it would never arrive. They ignored the posted signs, the hand-delivered warnings, and even the actual notices. Many stayed until the bitter end. These are their stories. The Eviction of Hope is a collection of fourteen short stories from crime fiction’s freshest voices. Get your copy today and experience the 509 in a completely new way.
*An Anthony Award 2023 Finalist* The newest anthology from Mystery Writers of America explores the theme of home and the crimes that endanger it, with stories by Ellen Hart, Naomi Hirahara, Walter Mosley, Sara Paretsky and more. Everyone comes from someplace. Everyone has somewhere they feel safe. Some people have found their home and are content where they are. Others feel trapped and yearn to go somewhere else. Many are somewhere else and yearn to go back. But evenin these safest of places, sometimes…crime hits home. What happens then? In this volume, MWA brings together some of today’s biggest crime writers—and some of our most exciting new talents—to consider this question. Each writer has defined home as they see fit: a place, a group, a feeling. The crime can come from without or within. What happens when crime hits home? Featuring stories from: Naomi Hirahara David Bart Sara Paretsky Susan Breen Gary Phillips Neil S. Plakcy Renee James Connie Johnson Hambley Gabino Iglesias A.P. Jamison Walter Mosley Tori Eldridge Ellen Hart G. Miki Hayden Jonathan Santlofer Jonathan Stone Ovidia Yu Bonnie Hearn Hill Steve Liskow S.J. Rozan
How does witnessing a crime change a person? This powerful collection of stories by a star-studded roster of contributors examines this very question, with proceeds benefitting the Alliance for Safe Traffic Stops. Inspired by recent true events, the all-original stories in Witnesses for the Dead are set in motion by the act of witnessing. The characters who populate these pages are not themselves the perpetrators of the crimes they see, but as they grapple with what to do—take action or retreat into the shadows—their lives are indelibly changed. In “Envy” by Christopher Chambers, a sweet, shy wallflower looks on as something horrific happens in his neighborhood—revealing something horrific about himself. Agatha Award–winner Richie Narvaez’s “The Gardener of Roses” sees a Puertorriqueña college student on the run from the FBI for her accidental involvement in a “terrorist” plot. Anthony Award–winner Gary Phillips confronts police corruption in “Spiders and Fly.” And the protagonist of “A Family Matter” by IPPY Award–winner Sarah M. Chen investigates the murder of a stranger, leading her to question the political structure of Taiwan entirely. Other stories feature a brothel, the film industry, immigrant detention centers at the Mexico-US border, World War II–torn France, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The stories are incisive, unflinching, wry, dark, and, in some cases, terrifying. You’ll ask yourself: If I saw what they saw, what would I do? Edited by Anthony Award–winner Gary Phillips and Shamus Award–winner Gar Anthony Haywood, the collection includes contributions from NAACP Image Award–winner Pamela Samuels Young, New York Times bestsellers Cara Black and Tod Goldberg, Edgar Award–winner SJ Rozan, Agatha Award–winner Richie Narvaez, and more.
One of popular music’s most prolific and creative composers, Elvis Costello has written songs in every conceivable genre: pop, reggae, rock, country, funk, soul and jazz, but also for full orchestras and string quartets. What you may not have noticed is that a surprising number of these songs are crime stories—not mere nods toward unsavory events featuring questionable characters, but complete tales of murder and violence told in verse. Costello’s song titles alone confirm one of his preferred themes: “Accidents will Happen,” “American Gangster Time,” “Bullets for the Newborn King,” “Coal-Train Robberies,” “The Final Mrs. Curtain,” “Hetty O’Hara Confidential,” “Kinder Murder,” “My Thief,” “Shabby Doll,” “Shot with His Own Gun,” “That’s How You Got Killed Before” and “Watching the Detectives,” among them. His album titles include “Blood & Chocolate,” “Brutal Youth,” “National Ransom” and “When I Was Cruel.” You can just imagine the so-called pulp mysteries of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s bearing identical titles accompanied by lurid, evocative cover art. In Brutal & Strange , contemporary masters of crime fiction dig into Costello’s catalogue for inspiration. The marriage of Costello’s themes and these award-winning authors’ creativity will seem an inevitable match when you experience the results. Whether it’s Meg Gardiner and “Complicated Shadows,” Catriona McPherson and “Tramp the Dirt Down,” Alex Segura and “I Want You”, Mark Billingham and “Our Little Angels” or many other virtuoso interpretations, the stories match the composer’s high standards and suggest there’s even more stirring beneath the surface of his songs. In his “Everyday I Write the Book”—explored here by Gar Anthony Hayward—Costello portrays an author as sinister, controlling and vengeful. That’s not to say the authors who contributed to Brutal & Strange are anything of the kind. But you will find their questionable characters engaged in unsavory events. One imagines Costello himself would approve.