Anthologies
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.
Irish crime-fiction sensation Ken Bruen and cohorts shine a light on the dark streets of Dublin. “The stories paint a picture of Dublin as the Celtic Tiger, a beast crouched on its hind legs about to leap at you and roaring with its intensity . . . The cynicism and despair of classic noir is portrayed within each of these stories.” —Metro LA “Dublin Noir is perhaps the best short story anthology I’ve read.” —Reviewing the Evidence Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir . Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book. Brand-new stories by: Ken Bruen, Eoin Colfer, Jason Starr, Laura Lippman, Olen Steinhauer, Peter Spiegelman, Kevin Wignall, Jim Fusilli, John Rickards, Patrick J. Lambe, Charlie Stella, Ray Banks, James O. Born, Sarah Weinman, Pat Mullan, Reed Farrel Coleman, and others. From the introduction by Ken Bruen: “Tourists booking holidays in Ireland inevitably do Dublin first and seem to always end up in Temple Bar, our very own Times Square—replete with the squalor, the drugs, the homeless, and the wandering psychos . . . Pat Boran, the legendary director of the Dublin Arts Festival, once invited me to do a reading in Temple Bar. During my gig, a woman up and died . . . Temple Bar, naturally, features in many of the stories, and the authors certainly capture the noir element. Here, the city’s not exactly seen through rose-tinted glasses. Black Irish humor shines in all the stories, as if instinctively the writers knew: You want it Dublin, then you want it funny as sin, dark as the smile on Joyce’s face when he found he was on the index of banned books. To be Irish is to dance on the Titanic; laughter is indeed the best revenge, it’s our way of evening the score. You won’t find many leprechauns or bodhrans here—and not one top o’ the mornin’. “The Quiet Man” has gone dark, and with a vengeance. If nothing else, this collection will kill stone-dead the Irish caricature of shite talk and blarney. In the days of Brit occupation, to be outside Dublin was to be outside the pale. This collection is so far from that parameter, you can’t even see the boundary.”
“Some [of the stories] are hilarious; many are sad; all are the kind of stuff that makes Miss Marple look like a Girl Scout.”—Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune An original anthology. A collection of twenty-seven original “geezer noir” stories by some of today’s top crime writers, including John Harvey, Laura Lippman, Ken Bruen, Colin Cotterill, and more. Bill Crider’s “Cranked” was nominated for the Edgar and Anthony awards and won the Derringer Award. Megan Abbott’s “Policy” was nominated for the Anthony Award and became the basis for her novel Queenpin , which won the 2008 Edgar Award.
A collection of KILLER stories from some of today's hottest crime fiction writers, edited by grandmaster and #1 New York Times bestselling author LEE CHILD Killer Year is a group of thirteen authors whose first novels were published in the year 2007. Now, each member of this widely-praised organization has written a story with his or her own unique twist on the world of crime. Each entry in this one-of-a-kind collection is introduced by the author's Killer Year mentor, including bestselling authors James Rollins, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver . Other contributors―of original stories, essays, and commentary―include acclaimed veterans Ken Bruen, Allison Brennan, Duane Swierczynski , Laura Lippman, and M.J. Rose. This is a book that no fan of the genre can do without. This edition of the book is the deluxe, tall rack mass market paperback.
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.
New York Times bestselling author Lee Child and the International Thriller Writers, Inc. present a collection of remarkable stories in First Thrills . Showcasing many of the organization's bestselling authors as well as rising stars in the genre, here are twenty-five brand-new, never-before published, stories packed with murder, mystery, and mayhem. *A cunning criminal thinks he can use a child to take the rap for his crimes. *A hospital intern turned body-snatcher. *A priest who comes face to face with his wife's murderer on death row. *A confederate soldier comes home to his love, but changed by more than just the war….he comes back wrong. *The discovery of a flying saucer in the deep sea brings one man to the brink of a massive revelation. *A dying man's last request proves to his ex-wife that he's still rotten to the core. *A clandestine operative finds himself caught in a wicked game of confusion . . . but who is calling the shots? No matter what type of thriller you read, you'll find something here that will entertain you . . . and perhaps a new writer you'll cherish for years to come.
Irish Crime. Irish Myths. Requiems for the Departed contains seventeen short stories, inspired by Irish mythology, from some of the finest contemporary writers in the business. Watch the children of Conchobar return to their mischievous ways, meet ancient Celtic royalty, and follow druids and banshees as they are set loose in the new Irish underbelly, murder and mayhem on their minds. Featuring top shelf tales by Ken Bruen, Maxim Jakubowski, Stuart Neville, Brian McGilloway, Adrian McKinty, Sam Millar, John Grant, Garry Kilworth, T.A. Moore and many more.
New York Times bestselling author Lee Child and the International Thriller Writers, Inc. present a collection of remarkable stories in First Thrills . From small-town crime stories to sweeping global conspiracies, this is a cross section of today's hottest thriller-writing talent. This original collection is now split into four e-book volumes, packed with murder, mystery, and mayhem! First Thrills: Volume 2 contains stories six original stories by: Stephen Coonts Heather Graham Wendy Corsi Staub Kelli Stanley Grant McKenzie Ken Bruen At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The parameters of the dare were simple. No rules, no quarter. Make him a hero. Make him a perp. Make him a throwaway reference. Whatever fired the writer's imagination...all amalgamated into an anthology unequaled and inspired by the most vexing juggernaut of modern American politics — Dick Cheney. Tearing out of wilderness comes D*CKED, satirical Deathmobile – dark, sleek, and muscled-out. Get ready to laugh and run for cover. You’re about to get D*CKED. "Old hands and new voices give a no-holds-barred effort and don’t let up until the job is done. The stories will hit you hard, knock you down, make you laugh, make you think. From provocative to hilarious to dark to devious, D*CKED delivers a hell of a ride.” Sophie Littlefield, author of A Bad Day For Pretty and A Bad Day For Scandal “A demented, sardonic take on America’s only memorable Vice President. This is the magnificent bastard writ large: Dick Cheney as profane éminence grise, as curmudgeonly killer and murderous memorist … as laconic lothario and quippy Machiavelli. … I loved this sucker “BIG TIME,” as DC himself would say.” Craig McDonald, author of One True Sentence and El Gavilan “Until I read D*CKED, I had no reason to be glad that Dick Cheney was born.” Kyle Minor, author of In the Devil’s Territory The D*CKED website: http://dicked.wordpress.com/ Authors: Patricia Abbott Cameron Ashley Jedidiah Ayres Greg Bardsley Eric Beetner Tony Black Ken Bruen Jimmy Callaway Rachel Canon Hilary Davidson Jason Duke Bill Fitzhugh Matthew C. Funk Harry Hunsicker Kieran Shea Nancy Lee Philcox (designer) Scott Phillips Keith Rawson Mark Richardson Al Riske Marcus Sakey Owen Smith (artist) Steve Weddle
The Stoker Award-winning author of the acclaimed, eclectic anthology The New Dead returns with 21st Century Dead and an all-new lineup of authors from every corner of the fiction world, shining a dark light on our fascination with tales of death and resurrection -- and with zombies. The stellar stories in this volume include a tale set in the world of Daniel H. Wilson's Robopocalypse, the first published fiction by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, and a tale of love, family, and resurrection from thelegendary Orson Scott Card.
THE 'HITS' KEEP COMING: SUSPENSE FICTION WITH A DIFFERENCE Hired killers. Vigilantes. Executioners. Contract killers. Assassins working from a moral or political motivation. You’ll find them all in this thrilling suspense anthology. But these are not ordinary killers, not your run-of-the-mill hitmen. The emphasis is on the "uncommon" here—unusual characters, usual situations, and especially unusual means of killing. Here are tales by some of the best suspense/thriller writers today, including F. Paul Wilson, Ken Bruen, J. Carson Black, Billie Sue Mosiman, Laura DiSilverio, Joseph Badal, Matt Hilton, and 16 others. The stories range from historical fiction to science fiction to political thriller—there’s even an alternate history story in the mix. THE STORIES Nightshade — Stephen England The Pepper Tyrant — J. Gregory Smith Everybody Wins — Lisa Mannetti Fat Larry's Night With the Alligators — Ken Goldman Thyf's Tale — Christine Morgan Misconceptions — Matt Hilton Second Amendment Solution — Billie Sue Mosiman Killer — Ken Bruen For the Love of Boys — Rob M. Miller Bloodshed Fred — Monica J. O'Rourke Slasher — F. Paul Wilson Fire & Ice — Joseph Badal Madame — Doug Blakeslee The Man Who Shot Hitler — Elliott Capon Mercy Killing — Laura DiSilverio Scrub — Michael Bailey The Wellmaster's Daughter — James S. Dorr Wish I'd Never Met You -- Jonathan Templar The Bluelight Special — J. Carson Black Welcome to the Food Chain — Weldon Burge Inside Out — Al Boudreau Katakiuchi — Charles Colyott Taking Care of Business — Lynn Mann REVIEWS "Uncommon Assassins is a wonderful collection of short stories that will get your adrenaline flowing and will reaffirm your faith in the triumph of right over wrong, good over evil. Weldon Burge has done a masterful job of putting together this collection." — Fair Reviews "Our assassins run the gamut, from a depressed, middle-aged woman to a Viking story-teller, a time-traveling hitman to a blind sushi chef. Some are geniuses, some are fools. Sometimes you root for the killer, sometimes the mark. ... For fiction lovers and writers alike, Smart Rhino is one to watch." — Shannon Connor Winward, author of The Year of the Witch and Undoing Winter "It’s rare that every story in an anthology will knock my socks off and this one is no exception, but the vast majority of the stories are highly enjoyable. ... Uncommon Assassins is a nicely put-together anthology and there’s something to love for crime and mystery fans alike." -- Crime Fiction Lover "While I'm not normally a big fan of anthologies, this one was a blast to read! The editor did a great job picking 'uncommon' stories. There are a couple that stick out, that really show the range of talent here. They range from Viking assassins to an "all in the family" group of assassins and more! It was a fun read, all the way through. I'd certainly be interested in seeing other anthologies edited by Weldon Burge in the future!" -- Khinasi
TWENTY THRILLING WRITERS. ONE CHILLING MYSTERY. More than twenty New York Times bestselling authors team up to create a first-rate serial novel—a collaboration among some of the most popular mystery and thriller writers in the English-speaking world today, producing a “well-told mystery that stands on its own two (or 40) feet” ( Booklist ). Readers will enjoy an introduction by Lee Child, an afterword by Linda Fairstein, and chapters by bestselling authors Mary Higgins Clark, John Connolly, Charlaine Harris, CJ Box, Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block, Ken Bruen, Alafair Burke, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Max Allan Collins, James Grady, Heather Graham, Bryan Gruley, Val McDermid, SJ Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer, Dana Stabenow, Lisa Unger, and Sarah Weinman. What’s more, the editor, Jonathan Santlofer, has arranged to donate any royalties in excess of editor and contributor compensation to Safe Horizon, the leading victim assistance agency in the country—making it a worthy and winning triumph. Pericles “Perry” Christo is a PI with a past—a former cop, who lost his badge and his family when a corruption scandal left him broke and disgraced. When wealthy Upper East Side matron Julia Drusilla summons him one cold February night, he grabs what seems to be a straightforward (and lucrative) case. The socialite is looking for her beautiful, aimless daughter, Angelina, who is about to become a very wealthy young woman. But as Christo digs deeper, he discovers there’s much more to the lovely “Angel” than meets the eye. Her father, her best friend, her boyfriends all have agendas of their own. Angel, he soon realizes, may be in grave danger…and if Christo gets too close, he just might get caught in the crossfire. This classic noir tale twists and turns down New York’s mean streets and along Hamptons’ beaches and back roads during a bitterly cold and gray winter where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide.
Entire novels are often written about a single crime, detailing every gruesome, dark detail until the last drop of blood spatters across the page. Yet in this mystery anthology, renowned editor and author Otto Penzler weaves together to heart-stopping effect more than ninety tales of brutality, terror, and unexpected demise, with each story told in a swift one thousand words or less. These crimes may be fast in both form and fallout, but none lack the dark impulses that too often guide human hands to ill ends. Prepare to be transported into the diabolical schemes of criminal masterminds…into robberies and pranks gone horribly awry…into closets crammed with skeletons…into families bound not by love but wickedness. Authors include Peter Blauner, Ken Bruen, Rob W. Hart, K. A. Laity, Tasha Alexander, Patricia Abbott, Bruce DeSilva, Chuck Caruso, Gregory Gibson, Joe R. Lansdale, and many more.
NoirCon and Out of the Gutter bring you 23 thrilling, unrestrained stories and poems of 21st century desperation and destitution. These tales are sure to shake you out of your complacency, warp your mind and remind you that you, too, are doomed. No one is safe from the Noir Riot! Authors include Ken Bruen, James Campbell, Bill Crider, Thomas A. Crowell, Richard Godwin and many more! Sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying, Noir Riot is the companion to, and official publication of, Noir Con, the premier East Coast crime fiction conference.
Stories and essays by Ken Bruen, Jim Cornelius, Garnett Elliott, Bradley Mason Hamlin, Sam Hawken, Mike MacLean, Craig McDonald, Manuel Ramos, Steve Rogers, Tom Russell, James Sallis, Martín Solares, John Stickney, Dave Zeltserman. Edited by Craig McDonald Welcome to La Frontera: You’re headed way out west this time, intrepid reader, far past where you’ve dared go before. Your troubled guides along these dusty, bloody stretches of The Devil’s Highway are much-awarded crime novelists, journalists, and border-dwelling troubadours. They serve up stories and essays about lives threatened chasing the elusive, often deadly, dream of more money and better futures beckoning north and south of the border. Emiliano Zapata declared, “It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” In that spirit, these bards of the borderland are swinging for the barbed-wire fences: all swagger and dark visions, hell-bent on sweeping you along with them across the Rio Grande to a broken Promised Land. Like treacherous Coyotes, they may gut-shoot you or break your heart in the crossing, but however it goes down, know these hombres are determined to make you feel it.
Ah, the Christmas season. The scent of roasting chestnuts fills the air, turkeys cook in every oven, and mistletoe hangs quietly above the doors. But beneath this cheerful Yuletide veneer, a seedier reality lurks, as a criminal element continues to ply its dastardly trade in secret, disguised by the joyous songs of carolers young and old... At least, that's the case in the pages of this volume, in which some of crime fiction's biggest names offer a playful take on the holiday's most beloved melodies, including such soon-to-be classics as "Arrested Merry Gentleman," "How Come You're Not Faithful," and "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus." Contributors include: Donna Andrews, Rhys Bowen, Ken Bruen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Max Allan Collins, Thomas H. Cook, Jeffery Deaver, Harlan Ellison, Loren D. Estleman, Jane Haddam, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Andrew Klavan, Peter Lovesey, John Lutz, Katherine Hall Page, Ridley Pearson, Thomas Perry, Nancy Pickard, S.J. Rozan, Charles Todd, Joseph Wambaugh, and Donald E. Westlake, among many others.
FEATURING A BRAND-NEW JACK REACHER STORY! A collection of seventeen brand-new crime stories from bestselling authors Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Stella Duffy, and more. Includes three stories longlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards. KILLER SECRETS FEATURING A BRAND NEW JACK REACHER STORY Open the files on an anthology of seventeen new crime stories to probe the brutal and complex hearts of criminals, and unravel the strangest of mysteries. Watch as a secretive group of intelligence community officers trace Jack Reacher through Heathrow in Lee Child's "Smile". In Mary Hoffman's "Fallen Woman", a journalist on the trail of a secretive drug lord gets caught up in the violent suicide of a young woman in Siena. And in Jeffery Deaver's "Connecting the Dots", detectives follow the trail of clues in the brutal killing of a homeless man, wherever it may lead... Invisible Blood is a gripping collection exploring the compulsions of the criminal mind. SEVENTEEN STORIES FROM TODAY'S FINEST CRIME WRITERS Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Denise Mina, R.J. Ellory, Christopher Fowler, Stella Duffy, Ken Bruen, Lauren Henderson, James Grady, Jason Starr, Mary Hoffman, Cathi Unsworth, Bill Beverly, Lavie Tidhar, Johana Gustawsson, A K Benedict, John Harvey
An enthralling anthology of 20 CWA Dagger Award-shortlisted gripping and thrilling stories for the most hardened crime fan. Featuring bestselling authors such as Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler and Val McDermid. OVER TWENTY CWA DAGGER AWARD-WINNING SHORT STORIES FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST IN CRIME FICTION Legendary editor, Maxim Jakubowski, delivers another chilling anthology collecting stories of cold-blooded murder, revenge and crimes-gone-wrong from the best of the best in crime fiction. Spine-chilling and gripping, these tales will grip you with their devious narrators and crafty twists. Featuring classic stories from Neil Gaiman, Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler, Val McDermid, Lavie Tidhar, Chris Simms, Christine Poulson, James Sallis, Victoria Selman, Conrad Williams, Stuart Neville, George Pelecanos, Simon Brett, John Lawton, Ken Bruen, Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins, Peter Robinson, Martyn Waites and Kevin Wignall.