Bøger udgivet af Down & Out Books

An anthology of stories to celebrate the April 2024 eclipse in North America. These stories are located in various places and are even of various genres and themes. What they have in common, besides featuring eclipses, are that they are all written by brilliant authors and will all entertain you. Read them before the eclipse, to get into the mood, or after, to nostalgically remember it. During the darkness, all manner of things can happen. When people are distracted by this spectacular celestial event, criminals can operate unimpeded, they can also be caught. Trips to see the event can lead to disaster, or they can save the day. And the science of looking at the sun becomes important when a partner strays. The event can mean many different things to a disaster cult, to drug-dealing Russians, to an artist striving for his grand opus. It spreads across the country to, maybe, give confirmation to a program to analyze the universe, to give a gift to a mermaid in an abandoned water park, to show what the crazy guy at the fast food place is really like, to help a young girl find her way. As a not-so-clever crime goes awry, a hike to view the spectacle is interrupted. Contributors include Cari Dubiel, Katherine Tomlinson, Carol L. Wright, Joseph S. Walker, John Rogers Clark IV, M. K. Waller, Toni Goodyear, Laura Oles, Bridges DelPonte, Eric Beckstrom, Kaye George, Paula Gail Benson, John M. Floyd, Debra H. Goldstein, Michael Bracken, and James A. Hearn.

The Puget Sound region is beautiful, lush with green trees, sun-sparkled waters, wide-open spaces and white-capped mountains. It's also rich with darkness, gunmetal gray skies, rain-slicked streets, and deep shadows that give cover to its darkest secrets. Small wonder that this corner of America is a high-demand lifestyle destination - and, not so long ago, the serial killer and Sasquatch-conspiracy capital of the country. The Killing Rain captures that delicious dichotomy in all its deliciously dark glory, through short stories ranging from the cozy to the hardboiled, all charged with depicting Seattle as a real or imagined place. These crime tales have been collected in conjunction with "Seattle Shakedown" - the name we've given to the return of Left Coast Crime to the Pacific Northwest. It takes place from April 10-14 in Bellevue, Washington, just a hop and skip from Seattle across Lake Washington. And, with enticing forewords from LCC Guest of Honor Megan Abbott and top-rank thriller author Jennifer Hillier, The Killing Rain will be the perfect shivery companion for what's (almost) sure to be the Seattle area's shivery early-spring weather. Edited by Jim Thomsen, who grew up on an island near Seattle and went to boarding school in the shadows of the nearby Green River, at a time America's most prolific serial killer was just getting started. Coincidence? Good crime fiction doesn't allow for it!

Amongst this assemblage are stories that have never been seen before, many of which have appeared in literary journals, magazines, or anthologies, and others that found their way into some of Hess's novels. Crime stories, all, and most on the Noir side of the spectrum. The characters and their environs change, but the trouble never ends. They all bring it on themselves, but that doesn't stop any of them in moments like that. If you know, you know. Even if you don't, you'll be riveted by this stellar lineup of heroes and heroines and the damage they inflict. Critical Acclaim for Pascagoula Run "Miscreants and ne'er-do-wells abide front-and-center-Pascagoula Run and Other Stories is an intriguing collection of suspenseful short story gems, many of them weaved with Hess's deliciously dark sense of character-based humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this potent craft cocktail of nineteen Florida-centric stories blended to savory and spicy perfection." -John Shepphird, author of Bottom Feeders, The Shill Trilogy, and Deception Specialist "In this gritty, somewhat crazed collection of short stories Jeff Hess has fashioned a world both boisterous and despairing. These bold novelistic tales are constantly engaging and memorable. Better yet, they are cinematic and pure fun to read." -Fred Leebron, author of Six Figures, Out West, Welcome to Christiania, and The News Said It Was

A Special Operations "fixer" for Homeland Security, U.S. Marine General Ray Hauser, teams up with Air Force Special Agent Sunny Hicks to recover a stolen GAU-8, the Gatling-gun like nose cannon of the military's most destructive gunship, the A-10 Warthog. The weapon fires three thousand rounds a minute, each round's explosive power equal to a stick of dynamite. Attached to a flatbed trailer, parked near Los Angeles traffic at rush hour, three thousand people could die within police response time. Ray has another, more personal incentive to find those who stole the horrific weapon. His wife, Alissa, went missing years ago investigating a similar theft inside the same Arizona desert. If he can solve the GAU-8 case, there's a chance he can discover what happened to his presumably dead wife, even catch her killers. But that stolen Gatling-gun-like cannon also holds special attraction for Jessie Maris, unhappy wife of the weapon's chief thief, Nolan Maris, a career criminal who plans to sell the GAU-8 for half a million. Jessie has been abused all her life, especially by the judge in a Family Court case many years ago. When her husband Nolan keeps her in the dark about his plans, then physically beats her, Jessie goes on a rampage that leads her and the GAU-8 to an old abuser and a crowd of innocents. Can Hicks and Hauser stop her? U.S. Special Operations never dealt with a battered, over-the-edge woman like Jessie before.

Someone is trying to murder Japanese bar hostess Coco Ono. Tokyo's transphobic police won't investigate, so she turns to American private eye August Riordan. Riordan is a complete fish out of water in Japan-doesn't know the language, isn't on speaking terms with sushi, hasn't even traveled outside the US-but Coco has been told Riordan makes things happen. And happen they do: from the minute Riordan's size 12 Florsheims hit the ground in Tokyo, he is fending off attackers. Riordan and Coco are drawn into a conspiracy involving multiple yakuza clans, popular celebrities, and politicians at the very highest level of government. The bizarre crime they find at the center rattles the country's power structure and jeopardizes both their lives. A roiling chankonabe (sumo wrestler stew) of love hotels, cryptocurrency fraud, "soapland" brothels and the Japanese Adult Video industry, Geisha Confidential is an immersive exploration of a culture like no other and a must-read for fans of international crime fiction. Critical Acclaim for Geisha Confidential "Combine a beautiful trans bar hostess, a jet-lagged American PI, the yakuza, cryptocurrency trading, murder, Tokyo and stir. What you get is Coggins's masterful Geisha Confidential. A genius combination of a classic PI tale and the unique." -Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Sleepless City "Mark Coggins...outdoes himself with this tale of sexual shenanigans that range from the lowest soapland Tokyo brothels to the highest levels of Japanese government... [He] is a gifted artist whose award-winning photos of Tokyo settings enhance his witty, razor-sharp prose." -John Billheimer, Edgar Award-winning author of the Owen Allison and Lloyd Keaton series

The nightmare is over. Alexander "Rotten" Carter is dead. But when his body is dumped in Cleveland Homicide Detective Jesus De La Cruz's neighborhood, there are more questions than answers. Rotten was dressed up like the king of hearts, right down to the dagger in the suicide king's temple. The elaborate staging is perplexing at the same time seems to be sending a message. As Cruz investigates, he discovers Rotten Carter was more complex than the simple villain he had painted him to be. So is his murder, which is related deaths of his two lieutenants months prior. Both were strangled and found, with playing cards in their mouths. Jacks. As the body count climbs, connection tie back to a dead CI and an accident that made a cop a widower. A web becomes apparent with one man in the middle: Narcotics Detective Matt Yablonski. But is he the spider or another fly? Critical Acclaim for Books by TG Wolff: "A fun addition to Wolff's Diamond series. Fast-paced and chock-full of enough hard-boiled humor to make Raymond Chandler jealous. With a chapter title like 'Naked Man Surfing and Other Odd Hobbies' and a line like 'Being dead isn't as much fun as I thought it would be'-how can a reader go wrong?" -Michael Bruce Blackwell, author of Wildlife on the Serengeti, for Psycho Therapy "Salty, sarcastic, tough as they come, Diamond is a woman you want by your side, not in your rearview mirror. TG Wolff proves she is on top of her game with her latest Diamond Mystery." -Stephen Burdick, author of Yesterday Rising and The Gray Detective, for Psycho Therapy "TG Wolff's novel is for crime-fiction fans who like it action-packed and hard-edged. Written with feisty panache, it introduces Diamond, one of the most aggressive, ill-tempered, and wholly irresistible heroines to ever swagger across the page." -David Housewright, Edgar Award-winning author of Dead Man's Mistress, for Widow's Run "TG Wolff's Detective De La Cruz is caught in the crosshairs of solving heinous crimes, defending himself against a wrongful lawsuit, helping an abusive drug dealer's family, thwarting his mother's matchmaking, and falling in love. Pit against those who subvert justice and twist the law to suit their own ends, Cruz stands true while suffering his own demons-everything a hero should be. Wolff's unsentimental and precise writing draws readers. Add Exacting Justice to your 'to be read' pile." -E. B. Davis, mystery author "Working with an incarcerated population, I deal regularly with people who have made poor life decisions but who can be inherently funny, surprisingly talented, or overly concerned. I know that simple labels of 'good' and 'bad' don't work in the real world. In Exacting Justice, TG Wolff created characters just as messy, complicated, and dynamic as real life that keep you wanting to read page after page." -Vincent Giammarco, Director of Behavioral Health Care

Russell Reinhart, a well-known author of private eye novels, is released from the Illinois State Prison in Joliet after serving seven years for the involuntary manslaughter of his wife. He returns to Chicago, welcomed home by his top-flight attorney who tucked away all his millions so no one could get hold of them while he was incarcerated, and rented him an elegant apartment in the Near North neighborhood, half a block from Lake Michigan. Reinert was an only child, adopted when an infant, and now he has no one to whom he can turn. His release from prison is reported by the local papers, and he's contacted by a man he's never heard of named Cole Cabot. A few years earlier, Cabot had married Reinert's extra-curricular girlfriend, Aubrey, who has suddenly gone missing. Russ pleads he's no private eye but just writes fiction about them, but worries his ex-lover has disappeared, so agrees to take on the case. He learns Aubrey was also the mistress of one of the world's richest men in America, Gaylord Ogilvie, at the same time she was with him. Having investigative trouble, he is helped by the young son of a man who met while he was in prison, a huge, half-illiterate black man named Denver Tolliver, who saved his life behind bars several times. Denver was locked up for life after killing a police officer, but his college-student son is brilliant loyal, intelligent and wise. Butting heads with Ogilvie and his minions, Russ also falls heads-over-heels in love with Cassidy Hammond, who he met while taking a Michigan Avenue Beach run for the first time in seven years. His adjustment to new freedom makes life more difficult than he'd ever imagined. When he runs into danger that might turn permanent, he hadn't forgotten how Denver Tolliver had taught him to prison-fight, and he eventually learns he's not that much alone as he thought he was. The first words of this book are identical to the last words in the book, too: "I am an only child..."

"You could well be the worst typist in the Corps. Which is a shame because you could have been one of the best soldiers I ever trained." Sgt Hopkins looked at Pte Grant. "Being good at weapons drills and unarmed combat isn't everything. But what you've done today. That's a different matter." "What have I done today?" "The number one rule of any soldier, combat, clerk or engineer. What every soldier learns. Is that you don't fight for your government, your queen or your country. You fight for the man beside you. You help dig his trench. You watch his back. And you throw yourself on the grenade to save him." "I didn't throw myself on a grenade." "You ruined your career and your future for the man beside you at Waterloo Station. I hope he appreciates what you've done." 3BAPD, Bracht, Germany Before Snake Pass saw Jim Grant sent to America, and before Jamaica Plain saw Grant recruited by Boston PD, and even before the Black Hawk Down incident when he was in the British Army. Before all of that there was Operation Snow Queen. With only two years' service, Grant is posted to Germany after a runaway suitcase at Waterloo Station breaks a civilian passenger's leg. He replaces a Company Clerk who lost his head in an accident, and a smuggling ring that doesn't want him. Following an explosion at the Ammunition Depot, and a court martial in Dusseldorf, Grant is assigned to a training exercise in Bavaria. A place where landslides and falling off a mountain are the least of his worries. Critical Acclaim for Colin Campbell: "Very real. And very good." -Lee Child "No one writes better action sequences than Campbell." -Dana King "There's nothing soft about Campbell's writing. If you enjoy your crime fiction hard-boiled, the Jim Grant series is a must read." -Bruce Robert Coffin, author of the Detective Byron series "A cop with a sharp eye, keen mind, and a lion's heart." -Reed Farrel Coleman "Campbell writes smart, rollercoaster tales with unstoppable forward momentum and thrilling authenticity." -Nick Petrie "Grim and gritty and packed with action." -Kirkus Review "The pages fly like the bullets, fistfights and one-liners that make this one of my favorite books of the year. Top stuff!" -Matt Hilton "An excellent story well told. A mixture of The Choirboys meets Harry Bosch." -Michael Jecks "Sets up immediately and maintains a breakneck pace throughout. Its smart structure and unrelenting suspense will please Lee Child fans." -Library Journal Review "This is police procedural close-up and personal. A strong debut with enough gritty real-ism to make your eyes water, and a few savage laughs along the way." -Reginald Hill

Detective Jan Larkin's career with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is rife with success. But an elevated level of achievement comes at a high personal price. "Echoes of Janie" begins with Jan summoned by her partner, Detective Seeward Sinclair, to examine a body on the shore behind a condominium in Madeira Beach. Jan's exasperation at having her day off interrupted turns to dismay when the victim turns out to be Janie Ballantine, daughter of District Attorney David Ballantine. Hearing of his daughter's murder devastates Ballantine, disrupting his prosecution of crime boss Colby Rittenhouse. As Jan and Seeward delve further into their investigation, a suspect quickly emerges. Daniel Peck, Janie's boyfriend, can't seem to recall what happened between him and Janie the night she was murdered. Evidence uncovered later points directly to Peck. Although Seeward is certain Peck is the killer, Jan begins to question certain pieces of evidence. Days later, when one of Janie's neighbors reports having seen a stranger milling around the condominium shortly before Janie's murder, the detectives' interest shifts to a bodyguard of Colby Rittenhouse. "The Original Thirteen Murders" has Jan called upon to investigate the discovery of a winter visitor found dead on the beach. No leads or witnesses to the case doesn't help matters. The second murder, a young woman visiting her grandparents, provides Jan with a suspect. Time works against Jan, increasing her frustration, until she learns of similar details of other unsolved murders in the area. Playing a hunch, Jan proposes an unusual scenario that suggests a serial killer might be on the loose. Who the killer might be and where he might strike next is the problem facing her. "Shadow Of Deceit" finds Jan looking into the murder of a retired police lieutenant from Michigan. Digging further into his background, she finds his career has been tainted. An unproven association with organized crime makes her suspicious of his lavish lifestyle. Another search of his condominium uncovers a hidden information disc. The encrypted message on the disc reveals the names of the victim and four other men, their bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, and the amount of money in each account. The murders continue but the reason for the elimination of those named on the disc remains unknown until Jan receives a phone call from an unlikely source. Critical Acclaim for The Jan Larkin Mysteries: "The Jan Larkin Mysteries combines the depth of classic noir with the intrigue of contemporary police procedurals to deliver three gripping novellas right up to the jagged coast of the Florida Gulf. With this latest offering, Stephen Burdick is proving his voice among the ranks of Sunshine Noir authors." -Steph Post, author of Lightwood

Reporter Mark Freer learns that the body of an old girlfriend has been found, beaten to death, in the county where he now lives and works south of Atlanta. He left the girl, Amelia, years before due to her drug addiction but feels guilty because he played a part in beginning that addiction. Driven by that guilt, he begins to investigate Amelia's death. He learns from an old junkie associate who also recently showed up in town that Amelia's son, Kyle, is living with her parents and younger sister Dani in Atlanta's north suburbs. He also learns that Amelia was last seen with an unknown three men. Freer contacts Dani and after she learns about Amelia's death they both begin investigating. They track the three mystery men in a pimped up Cadillac through Atlanta's seedier side, strip clubs and dog fighting, until they discover that one of the men is Jeremy Pivot, Amelia's ex-boyfriend and father of Kyle. All this occurs at a time when Freer's life is crumbling. His wife has left him, taking their young daughter with her back to her hometown, El Paso, Texas. He is bitterly disappointed with his career and the evil he reports on a daily basis weighs on his soul. Not to mention the fact that he's been experiencing a massive toothache recently! All these factors push him to a point of desperate urgency to solve the mystery of Amelia's death. Drawn partially from the real life experiences of author Ed Brock, a former police reporter, Pale in Death is a tour of Atlanta's seedy side with characters that live and breathe. Acclaim for Pale in Death: "Publishing his first novel, crime reporter Brock offers us a tale featuring none other than an Atlanta crime reporter. Talk about writing what you know. But it's not just a crime novel, it's a dark noir tale of decay and despair." -Dave Wilde, Amazon reviewer "Ed Brock's Pale in Death is a solid debut crime novel." -Mej, Amazon reviewer "Brock delivers a nicely paced thriller that has an interesting cast of characters and is well plotted." -Dman4227, Amazon reviewer "A roller coaster ride down a path of drug destruction and death, the result of which has a profound effect on a remorseful reporter who finds his past mistakes rushing forward to present him with a real and present danger. I enjoyed every minute of this read." -Amazon reviewer "Fast paced and tightly plotted debut. It's short, which is good. The characters are well done." -Kathleen G., Amazon reviewer

A crime thriller, coming-of-age story and a family saga, The Price You Pay unravels in mid-1970s Jersey City, a crumbling town where violence and coercion reign. Young Mickey Wright is thrust into a world controlled by a powerful Teamster local associated with the Genovese crime syndicate. The man who puts him in jeopardy: his father, a free-wheeling policeman well-known to Jersey City's politicians and drug dealers. When a Black trucker is murdered, Mickey is forced to choose between loyalty to family and the Teamsters or to values he shares with Debbie Olsen, the love of his young life who is the daughter of a solidly middle-class family. Memorable appearances by Mickey's sister, who is broken by her father's foul will, and memories of their late mother haunt the story. The question of whether Mickey can stand tall, break free and live a worthy life of his choosing isn't answered until a final, shocking confrontation. The Price You Pay is rich with vivid details and the kind of propulsive yet compassion storytelling that defines Fusilli's career as one of today's most admired mystery writers. As in his novels Narrows Gate and The Mayor of Polk Street, he proves once again that he knows how danger can explode when the mob, police and politics are intertwined. As for Mickey and Debbie, there is a way out. Will they survive to take it? Critical Acclaim for The Price You Pay: "Jim Fusilli has done a lot of good writing in his time, but The Price You Pay is his best book. It's everything you want urban crime fiction to be: taut, seriously suspenseful, closely observed, wry, and very knowing about the way the real world works. I started off admiring the precision of the writing, and then found the pages flying. I was going to say George V. Higgins, the author of The Friends of Eddie Coyle, would have liked this novel. But then again, he might have just been pissed that he didn't write it himself." -Peter Blauner, author and screenwriter "With The Price You Pay, Jim Fusilli gives us a tough and heartfelt coming of age crime story-gritty, suspenseful, involving. The characters pop and ache and burn. Mickey Wright is memorable." -Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author Critical Acclaim for Jim Fusilli: "Superior. This courageous and original writer works against the grain of expectations, looking to make our experience not easy but illuminative and true." -Boston Globe "Fusilli writes with poetic intensity." -Kirkus Reviews "Fusilli's a master of his craft, each line brimming with his sense of urban life and nail-biting suspense... His prose is diamond-bright and conjures up a realm you cannot forget." -Providence Journal

She's missing, and her mother knows who to blame. But nobody's listening. When the case falls to DCI Bob Valentine, however, he has no choice but to listen. Haunted by the girl's cold gaze and her mother's hurt, the detective soon finds himself at the centre of the most harrowing investigation of his police career. Uncovering a ring of ritualistic abuse that leads to the highest echelons of a degraded and Satanic society, Valentine wonders how the world could contain such evils. And then the bodies start to mount. And the demons' defenders appear. Can the detective fight on so many fronts? Can he even hope to find the missing, never mind the guilty? Her Cold Eyes is a harrowing journey down the most twisting, turning rabbit hole, where the screams from below might just be preferable to the ones above. Critical Acclaim for Books by Tony Black "Black has created a sympathetic and fascinating character in Valentine...Strong characters and tight pacing elevate this police procedural." -Publishers Weekly "Tony Black is my favourite British crime writer" -Irvine Welsh "If you're a fan of the Ian Rankins, Denise Minas and Irvine Welshes of this world, this is most certainly one for you" -The Scotsman "Black is one of those excellent perpetrators of Scottish noir: a compelling and convincing portrayer of raw emotions in a vicious milieu." -The Times "This up-and-coming crime writer isn't portraying the Edinburgh in the Visit Scotland tourism brochures." -The Sun "Taut, with a heart-wrenchingly honest protagonist and impressive literary style, it is among the best of the new Tartan Noir" -The Daily Mail "Irvine Welsh adores him, Ken Bruen can't praise him highly enough-Tony Black is the new Scottish noir king you need on your bookshelf" -Shortlist Magazine "An accomplished and impressive piece of tartan noir" -The List "Black's visceral prose makes this a superior offering in a crowded market" -Big Issue

Detective Inspector Bob Valentine returns to duty, after a narrow escape with death, only to be confronted with the discovery of a corpse on a kitchen table with a horrific neck wound. A mystery also surrounds the victim's missing partner and her daughter. When the murder investigation reveals a tragic family drama, Valentine struggles with rapidly unfolding events and the terrifying visions that haunt him. As he uncovers the family's illicit secrets, can he keep a grip on the case and on his own sanity before the body count starts to rise? Praise for Books by Tony Black: "Tony Black is my favourite British crime writer." -Irvine Welsh "If you're a fan of the Ian Rankins, Denise Minas and Irvine Welshes of this world, this is most certainly one for you." -The Scotsman "Black is one of those excellent perpetrators of Scottish noir: a compelling and convincing portrayer of raw emotions in a vicious milieu." -The Times "This up-and-coming crime writer isn't portraying the Edinburgh in the Visit Scotland tourism brochures." -The Sun "Taut, with a heart-wrenchingly honest protagonist and impressive literary style, it is among the best of the new Tartan Noir." -The Daily Mail "Irvine Welsh adores him, Ken Bruen can't praise him highly enough-Tony Black is the new Scottish noir king you need on your bookshelf." -Shortlist Magazine "An accomplished and impressive piece of tartan noir." -The List "Black's visceral prose makes this a superior offering in a crowded market." -Big Issue

The discovery of a dead banker sends shockwaves through the sleepy coastal town of Ayr. And it's up to DI Bob Valentine, recently back on the force after his near-fatal stabbing, to find the killer. But leads are hard to find and the pressure is on from an anxious Chief Superintendent who is being hounded by the media and still has serious concerns about her DI's mental health. And as it becomes clear that there's a serial killer on the loose, Bob Valentine must battle the demons of his post-traumatic stress, an investigation team that's leaking like a sieve and frightening visions that might just be the key to unlocking the mystery. Valentine is close to breaking point, but can he crack the case before he cracks up? Praise for Books by Tony Black: "Tony Black is my favourite British crime writer." -Irvine Welsh "If you're a fan of the Ian Rankins, Denise Minas and Irvine Welshes of this world, this is most certainly one for you." -The Scotsman "Black is one of those excellent perpetrators of Scottish noir: a compelling and convincing portrayer of raw emotions in a vicious milieu." -The Times "This up-and-coming crime writer isn't portraying the Edinburgh in the Visit Scotland tourism brochures." -The Sun "Taut, with a heart-wrenchingly honest protagonist and impressive literary style, it is among the best of the new Tartan Noir." -The Daily Mail "Irvine Welsh adores him, Ken Bruen can't praise him highly enough-Tony Black is the new Scottish noir king you need on your bookshelf." -Shortlist Magazine "An accomplished and impressive piece of tartan noir." -The List "Black's visceral prose makes this a superior offering in a crowded market." -Big Issue

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Volume 4, the fourth entry of the hard-hitting anthology series, is another crime-fiction cocktail that will again knock readers into a literary stupor. Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn't often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century. Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you've finished reading every story, you'll know that you've been "slipped a Mickey." The nineteen contributors, including some of today's most respected short-story writers and new writers making their mark on the genre, include: Ann Aptaker, Trey R. Barker, Michael Bracken, John M. Floyd, Nils Gilbertson, David Hagerty, James A. Hearn, Hugh Lessig, Sean McCluskey, Adam Meyer, Gabe Morran, Alan Orloff, Josh Pachter, Stephen D. Rogers, Bev Vincent, Joseph S. Walker, Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Sam Wiebe, and Stacy Woodson.

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.

When Mushie, the popular street hustler of counterfeit watches, sneakers, and kitchen gadgets, comes into Duffy's bar bleeding from a gunshot wound to the stomach, Duffy and the gang are baffled. Everyone loved Mush who didn't have a mean bone in his body, Sure, he operated on the edges of what's considered proper society but, hey, so did a lot of Duffy's friends. For Duffy, it's different. Mush was Hymie's, Duff's father-like mentor, grandson, and Duff had promised to keep an eye out for him. Now, it meant righting Mushie's wrong after his death. Duffy's journey takes him inside the slimy world of counterfeit sales and into the dark place that funds terrorism. Could it be that Mush drifted into something bigger than he could handle and was trying to attack it himself or was his execution meant to send a message? International terror, anti-semitism, Christian extremism, and its workings, are all there for Duffy who just can't mind his own business. You see, he promised Hymie. Critical Acclaim for The Duffy Mysteries: "In The Comeback, Tom Schreck's good-guy Duffy Dombrowski continues his journey of helping those who can't help themselves. He even helps them after they're dead. Readers who are addicted to Lee Child's Jack Reacher protag will appreciate Duffy, who is tougher than the violent bad guys he faces down. A fun, muscular read." -G. Miki Hayden, author of Writing the Mystery and Dry Bones, out in spring 2024 "Duffy Dumbrowski, the hero of Tom Schreck's The Comeback, is the kind of guy you can count on if your car breaks down at 3am, you need a last-minute sparring partner at the gym, or you're a few dollars short for your next whiskey. I'm glad I got to hang out with him." -Tim O'Mara, author of the Raymond Donne series and creator of "Murder in Halifax" "The Vegas Knockout is a funny book, full of engaging characters that cover the spectrum of human likeability. What makes it more than a piece of fluff is how Schreck uses Duffy's love of boxing to stand in for any devotion truly held. Duffy's success is in his journey, just as the greatest fun in The Vegas Knockout is in the reading." -Dana King, author of the Penns River Crime Novels "Out Cold floored me with a quick one-two of the serious and seriously funny. Schreck's unique blending of the absurd and the sublime, along with his rather oddball cast of characters, makes Out Cold a great read." -Reed Farrel Coleman, two-time Shamus Award winning author of Empty Ever After "Fresh, intense and funny, Schreck's second mystery to feature unrepentant Elvis fan and dog lover Duffy Dombrowski packs a knockout punch." -Publishers Weekly, for TKO "Refreshingly iconoclastic." -Kirkus Reviews, for TKO "An Everyman with a big heart and a wicked jab, Duffy Dombrowski may well be the new Spenser. I can't wait for Round Two." -Marcus Sakey, author of The Blade Itself, for On the Ropes "On the Ropes is sly, funny, irreverent, and one hell of a good time. Read it or be sorry you didn't. It's just that simple."

Headcase Dick Moonlight PI finds himself in a world of hurt and deception when he agrees to take on a job for the Blaze Construction Company. It seems its portly, "midget" owner, Greg Blaze, believes his workers are stealing tools from him and he needs Moonlight to gather the proof. But the more Moonlight digs into the case, the more insidious things become, including a mysterious ancient, Egyptian falcon statuette made of pure obsidian believed to be priceless that the crooked construction owner has allegedly stolen. Shades of The Maltese Falcon? Maybe. But one thing is for sure: this pure hard-boiled thrilling madness from New York Times and USA Today bestselling Thriller and Shamus Awards-winning author Vincent Zandri. Critical Acclaim for Books by Vincent Zandri "Sensational...masterful...brilliant." -New York Post "(A) chilling tale of obsessive love from Thriller Award-winner Zandri...Riveting." -Publishers Weekly "...Oh, what a story it is...Riveting...A terrific old school thriller." -Booklist "Starred Review" "Zandri does a fantastic job with this story. Not only does he scare the reader, but the horror show he presents also scares the man who is the definition of the word "tough." -Suspense Magazine "(The Innocent) is a thriller that has depth and substance, wickedness and compassion." -The Times-Union (Albany) "The action never wanes." -Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel "Gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting." -Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author of Six Years "Tough, stylish, heartbreaking." -Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of Savages and Cartel "A tightly crafted, smart, disturbing, elegantly crafted complex thriller...I dare you to start it and not keep reading." -MJ Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Halo Effect and Closure "A classic slice of raw pulp noir..." -William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob

Mick Habergham enjoys working the nightshift; patrolling the midnight hours when the world is asleep and police work is simple. Sunday night should be quiet but, as his mind wrestles with divorcing Angela, it will prove to be anything but. From the mad knifeman of Hill Top Hostel to the most inept suicide attempt at the House of Pain, Mick will face all manner of obstacles to a peaceful night. If it isn't Marak Vargo or Booger Smith, it will be the tragic pensioners of Maple Court or the battle of The Alex Public House. Midnight ruins so many lives. Tonight, one will threaten Mick's own. If he wants a happy retirement he will first have to walk through fields of heartache and survive the ruins of midnight. Critical Acclaim for Colin Campbell: "Very real. And very good." -Lee Child "No one writes better action sequences than Campbell." -Dana King "There's nothing soft about Campbell's writing. If you enjoy your crime fiction hard-boiled, the Jim Grant series is a must read." -Bruce Robert Coffin, author of the Detective Byron series "A cop with a sharp eye, keen mind, and a lion's heart." -Reed Farrel Coleman "Campbell writes smart, rollercoaster tales with unstoppable forward momentum and thrilling authenticity." -Nick Petrie "Grim and gritty and packed with action." -Kirkus Review "The pages fly like the bullets, fistfights and one-liners that make this one of my favorite books of the year. Top stuff!" -Matt Hilton "An excellent story well told. A mixture of The Choirboys meets Harry Bosch." -Michael Jecks "Sets up immediately and maintains a breakneck pace throughout. Its smart structure and unrelenting suspense will please Lee Child fans." -Library Journal Review "This is police procedural close-up and personal. A strong debut with enough gritty real-ism to make your eyes water, and a few savage laughs along the way." -Reginald Hill

Don't trip. It could cost your life... They call it Roulette because there's no way of knowing what kind of ecstasy awaits. A rollercoaster ride through any one of seven heavens-or straight to hell. A new and dangerous substance has suddenly appeared at the rave scene of Gainesville, Florida. When former special agent Eric Bannon comes to investigate, the local sheriff doesn't know whether to be relieved someone is finally taking the rave issue seriously, or disturbed about who has answered the call. The inquiry must be kept quiet. But why are senior government officials turning a blind eye to such a dangerous drug? As the county hospital's senior ER nurse, Carol Steen has seen her share of small-town trouble. Her greatest concern is the snobbish new doctor. Stacie Swann is everything Carol detests: fresh out of med school, too many years her junior, drop-dead gorgeous-and with a bad attitude. Why did Stacie, an upcoming surgical star, leave her prestigious residency at the University of Florida medical center and take up station in their remote clinic? To Stacie, the nosey nurse is only a bitter reminder of what the medical establishment took from her, landing her in Middle of Nowhere, Florida. But when the night's emergencies are rushed in, the two ladies begin to bond over a common challenge. What appears to be a simple case of overdose turns into an ER nightmare. Patients seem to be suffering symptoms from multiple drugs. None are detectable. Eric arrives at the clinic in time to witness the victims' transformation from near-coma to bestial strength and ferocity. Eric and the ladies track the drug's origin to clandestine operations based within the university student body. These young people both finance the production and facilitate the human trials of the world's most exciting new high. Roulette makes you feel like your best self, times ten. Because it's no longer the old you. Carol and Stacie's patients belong to the 1% of consumers exposed to Roulette's true purpose, a purpose so heinous it will rewrite not just history, but the human genome. As opposition mounts from within his own government, Eric must face off with experimental science and the question: In the battle to control the future of humanity, do they really want to fight fire with fire? Critical Acclaim for ROULETTE: "Roulette sets a new bar for intrigue. I could not set this book down. Bottom line: Roulette is for you if you love conspiracy thrillers moving with the speed of an air boat and a mind-blowing, animalistic bite." -TG Wolff, author and co-creator of Mysteries to Die For Podcast "In their atmospheric new mystery-thriller Roulette, Locke and Guptara grab the reader's attention instantly with an appalling scenario in bucolic north Florida. The authors place their sympathetic crime-fighters in a deceptively benign rural atmosphere where, nonetheless, time is running out and death and destruction beckon." -Patrick H. Moore, author of 27 Days and Setting the Record Straight

Deputy Jackson Garrett is killed in a hit and run during a routine traffic stop. His death haunts Sheriff Eli Coe. But the investigation hits a dead end. At the same time, rumors swirl that radical elements have infiltrated the sheriff's office. Secrecy shrouds their numbers and intent. Not sure that even his own internal affairs detectives are untainted, Coe brings in an outside investigator. ATF Special Agent David Ward goes undercover. What he discovers will expose a cancer that lurks in American law enforcement and a plot that threatens democracy. Deep Blue Cover: The Pledged is book #5 in the Deep Cover series. Critical Acclaim for DEEP BLUE COVER: THE PLEDGED: "In this fifth installment of Barrows' thriller series, the timeliness of the story is a plus...the pacing is brisk, the writing is crisp, and the details are often amusing. Ward is a most likable protagonist and the other characters are realistic. Timely and tense; a worthy addition to a thriller series." -Kirkus Reviews "Joel Barrows gives us a frighteningly realistic glimpse of how democracy can be undermined and how otherwise honorable people can be sucked in by the lie. The tension never lets up until the end." -Jim Winter, author of the Holland Bay series "Deep, dark and authentic. Great characters. Great read." -Colin Campbell, author of the Jim Grant thrillers "Iowa district court judge Joel W. Barrows knows about constitutionality, and focuses on such boldly and authentically in this, his latest Deep Cover series novel. Here, ATF Special Agent David Ward has to mingle with local Florida law enforcement and try to stop a dangerous post-January 6th attack brewing in the local sheriff's department. Riveting, fun, and on the right side of the law." -G. Miki Hayden, author of Writing the Mystery: A Start to Finish Guide for Both Novice and Professional "In this fifth installment of the Deep Cover Series Barrows tackles the thorny side of law enforcement. Fast paced and tense, Deep Blue Cover strikes just the right chord." -Bruce Robert Coffin, award-winning author of the Detective Byron mysteries "Relentless, heart-pounding suspense starts on page one and never lets up." -Brian Lutterman, author of The Pen Wilkinson Series "Deep Blue Cover: The Pledged is a brilliant new police procedural. What sets this story apart from others in this genre is the manner in which author Barrows skillfully depicts SA Ward's subtle, chameleon-like nature as he systematically infiltrates the gang of dirty deputies in his attempt to root out this cancer that threatens our American way of life." -Patrick H. Moore, author of 27 Days and Setting the Record Straight

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE FUTURE F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, There are no second acts in American lives. Sadly, for most Americans occupying that thinnest strip of land between poverty and the grave, rarely does America afford so much as a first act or even prologue. Nobody's Coming Home introduces readers to several such doomed citizens from Lake County, Indiana. Their immutable characteristics differ. Their fates do not. Born under the heels of Uncle Sam's cruelest boots, they will struggle for a peek at daylight. Some might call these characters low lives. Some might call them losers. To dismiss them as beneath anyone else is to miss the beauty of the fight, the desire to sneak up and snatch the tiniest piece of the dying American Dream. Alec Cizak returns to the fictional towns of Haggard, Lublin, and Pawpaw Grove for brief, graphic exercises in contemporary noir. These stories do not offer safety. They offer the truth. They offer the last honest examination of how bad decisions aren't so much made as they are imposed. "Nobody's Coming Home is a valentine to the Raymonds: Chandler and Carver. Minimalist, unsentimental, unflinching, character rich, this book is a must for anyone who loves crime stories, or just good writing." -Chelsea CainNew York Times Bestseller "Cizak's prose is sharper than a blade held against your neck-he will give you the dreadful truth, and you will keep coming back for more." -Matt PhillipsAuthor of Countdown, Know Me from Smoke, and A Good Rush of Blood

Happiness Is a Warm Gun is the sixth of Josh Pachter's "inspired by" anthologies, following volumes of stories inspired by the songs of Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, and Paul Simon...and by the films of the Marx Brothers. For this collection, the lyrics of the Beatles' inspired the contributing authors to imagine a world in which murder, kidnapping, blackmail, and theft are as common as meter maids and yellow submarines. Each story was inspired by a song from one of the Fab Four's studio albums: seventeen albums, seventeen songs, seventeen stories-by a total of eighteen authors (since one was written collaboratively by Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski, two of crime fiction's leading bloggers). Many of the contributors, like the Beatles themselves, come from England-including award winners Martin Edwards, Paul Charles, Vaseem Khan, Christine Poulson, Marilyn Todd, Kate Ellis, and Tom Mead-while the American authors include such popular crime writers as John Copenhaver, Michael Bracken, John M. Floyd, David Dean, Joseph S. Walker, and Robert Lopresti. So roll up for the Magical Mystery Tour-step right this way! After all, when it comes to crime, all you need is...motive, means, and opportunity!

Twenty years after the appearance of his first published short story, One Hit Wonder, Shamus Award-winner J.L. Abramo has assembled a collection of his previously published short crime fiction along with never before published stories and writings about writing in this anthology. From the streets of Brooklyn and Denver; from Los Angeles to San Francisco; from private eyes and police detectives to con men and mob bosses; from mystery to thriller to noir; Abramo's short stories display a vivid sense of location and a masterful understanding of the triumphs and tragedies of characters on both sides of the law. Critical Acclaim for J.L. Abramo "Jake Diamond is back and it feels like the return of an old friend. One of my all-time favorite PI series." -Steve Hamilton, Edgar Award-winning author of The Lock Artist "Think it is impossible to find a new take on the wise-cracking San Fransisco PI? Meet Jake Diamond and think again." -S.J. Rozan, Edgar Award-winning author of Absent Friends "If grit, hard guys, and the rhythm of the mean streets is your thing, J.L. Abramo is your man." -Reed Farrel Coleman, Shamus Award-winning author of Where It Hurts "J.L. Abramo writes noir the way God and Dashiell Hammett intended- tough, terse and sharp." -Michael Koryta, award-winning author of Those Who Wish Me Dead

After his sister and mother are murdered by human traffickers, Bishop Rider, a former medic and police officer, spends the remainder of his life hunting not only the men who took his family from him, but every person like them. He is joined by many partners throughout his war. But when Jeramiah Abrum, the son of one of the men who murders Rider's mother and sister, seeks out Rider to make amends for what his father set into motion all those years ago, a new level of retribution is born. But one man can only stand for so long against such darkness, and though Bishop Rider's story unfolds within the pages of A Better Kind Of Hate, The Big Machine Eats, All Of Them To Burn, Brand New Dark, and Old Man Rider, all stories end, and Bishop Rider, he's no exception, succumbing to the cancer within him. Which brings us to The Abrum Files and the question of what happens to those we leave behind. Jeramiah, now on his own, finds himself facing two choices; retreat from the life of murder and retribution he's been a part of for years or pick up where he and Rider left off and using methods he'd kept in check while Rider was alive, attempt to end what he and Rider together could not. He will finish the work. Critical Acclaim for THE ABRUM FILES: "The Abrum Files is more than just a collection. It's a statement. The mission continues. The guilty must face their fate. Love and Blood are both spilled across the pages." -S.A. Cosby, bestselling author of All The Sinners Bleed and Razorblade Tears "If Andrew Vachss threw out his keyboard and somehow learned how to write on a chainsaw, then you get an idea of how Beau Johnson tells a tale. I don't know if Grindhouse Noir is even a thing, but if it is, Johnson is the king." -Todd Robinson, author of The Hard Bounce and Rough Trade "Dark, bloody, and full of Hell, The Abrum Files is line after line of pure, uncut, chainsaw noir. I loved it!" -Paul J. Garth, author of The Low White Plain "Beau Johnson's newest novel, The Abrum Files, is chock-full of Old Testament-style justice and picks up right where his Bishop Rider series left off. Jeramiah Abrum is one bad good dude!" -Eli Cranor, author of the Edgar Award-winning Don't Know Tough and Ozark Dogs "With every book, Beau Johnson continues to deliver the hardest-core noir out there. Call it Chainsaw Noir: funny, dark and bloody, but with a moral heart beating beneath it all." -Nick Kolakowski, author of Love & Bullets and Payback Is Forever "With The Abrum Files: A Bishop Rider Book, Johnson makes you feel dirty, deranged and evokes a visceral reaction with each and every story. It runs the gamut of emotions-sorrow, remorse and elation-all the while knowing that you're in the steady hands of Johnson's pristine prose. This will make fans of Bishop Rider very happy." -Steve Stred, author of Mastodon, Father of Lies, and

The 18th Amendment created prohibition-a "noble experiment" that banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors-and gave rise to criminal activity associated with bootlegging, gang violence, and more. During the 1920s and early 1930s, the police had their hands full, and private investigators were there working both sides of the law. Prohibition Peepers stories are set during and immediately after the end of Prohibition, with private eyes serving clients of all social statuses. These hardboiled and fast-paced tales written by some of today's hottest crime fiction short story writers will have you reaching for your own mason jar of moonshine or highball glass of bathtub gin. Edited by Michael Bracken with stories by Michael Bracken, Susanna Calkins, David Dean, Jim Doherty, John M. Floyd, Nils Gilbertson, Richard Helms, Hugh Lessig, Steve Liskow, Leigh Lundin, Adam Meyer, Penny Mickelbury, Joseph S. Walker, and Stacy Woodson.

Emily Conlin, missing for twenty years in rural West Virginia, has recently been found alive in the forest, bloody and bedraggled. Now, with the "help" of a down and out novelist, she is finally ready to tell the story...but whose story is it? The Duplication House is a twisted tale of the constructed self, identity in confined spaces, and all the dark things deep down. Just to let you know, should you decide to stay, there will be screaming. Critical Acclaim for Nathan Singer: "Nathan Singer's The Duplication House is at once a gleefully transgressive psychosexual phantasmagoria of Grand Guignol grotesqueries and a gimlet-eyed postmodern rumination on the creative process. Take a peek inside-I double-dare you." -Chris Holm, Anthony Award winning author of The Killing Kind and Child Zero "The hip new grand master of America's literate underbelly." -Mike Magnuson, author of The Right Man for the Job "The master of the literary pulp thriller. Singer's work has beauty and brutality in a balance no other writer can match." -Steve Weddle, author of Country Hardball "Nathan Singer is an urban wordsmith that blisters the pages with language only he can scribe." -Frank Bill, author of The Savage "He's the kind of writer who'll just destroy you, in all the right ways." -Benjamin Whitmer, author of Cry Father "[H]e is the heir apparent to Hubert Selby, Jr. Singer's electric prose is impossible to walk away from, and will stay with you long after you've finished the last page." -Tasha Alexander, author of A Fatal Waltz "Singer's prose is as stark and brutal as the world he describes, but it is also riveting. It carries the kind of redemptive power that reminds us why we read novels in the first place." -In Denver Times "Nathan Singer is what a writer is meant to be: daring, unique, original, and insightful." -Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wins "Nathan Singer...the top of the list of America's best young novelists." -John Connolly, author of The Book of Lost Things "Singer's percussive prose [works] its magic." -Booklist "This is a writer with balls bigger than my entire head." -J.D. Rhoades, author of The Devil's Right Hand

This classic story of bad decisions leading to worse consequences takes place in a small Illinois Rust Belt city circa 1979. Al Heidorn is a working stiff, a Korean War vet and recently divorced father of three whose life is unraveling from decades of drinking and neglect. Now Al is determined to start over and put things right. But that's easier said than done. Rather than get his life on track Al makes a tragic decision that seems likely to haunt him for the rest of his days. Will he find redemption or will he squander the only thing that he has yet to lose-his young daughter's love and life? Critical Acclaim for So Many Things To Bury: "There's not anything good about Al Heidorns's life. Falling apart at the seams, Al's just not boy scout material. Heidorn has no where to go but six feet under. Chris Orlet's story is filled with top-notch witty prose and humor until the reality of Heidorn's choices leaves no one laughing. High fives for Orlet, a worthy author, who makes it clear some people continually make bad decisions." -Wil A. Emerson, bestselling short story author

When Rink's father is murdered, Joe Hunter vows to help his friend avenge his brutal death. Rink's mother Yukiko isn't talking, her silence governed by the Bushido tradition of giri, or moral obligation. But other people known to Yukiko are also dying, all due to a shameful secret from their past that Hunter must uncover if he hopes to end the murders. To do that rules must be broken, and Hunter doesn't care what he must break to stop the killer. "The action scenes are immaculately described...and even the shades of grey are murkier than ever. An excellent starting point to the dark and dangerous world of Joe Hunter." -crimereview.co.uk "A rip-snorting novel which is fast paced, exciting and yet self-aware enough to address its own belief system." -Graham Smith, author of Snatched From Home ..".Hilton drives pace faster than The Stig..." -crimesquad.com ..".grows at a steady pace and to be honest even though there's more than enough action and killing to satisfy the most ardent action reader throughout the course of the book it plays second fiddle to the reason for the deaths, something I enjoyed more than any of Matt's previous books...this for me is a more thoughtful adventure in avengement and plot building, the combination of both helps deliver a more mature action thriller." -milorambles.com "Sharp and hard hitting...Matt doesn't allow himself to get complacent, but continually delves deeper into the psyche of Joe...Fast-paced, action-filled and completely addictive, Matt shows his continuing maturity as a writer with an exhilarating ride that still maintains humour and wit." -www.shotsmag.co.uk

The new Joe Hunter thriller from the best-selling author of DEAD MEN'S DUST. Who does Andrew Clayton turn to for help when his wife has been murdered, his child is in danger, and the police think he is responsible? Despite his mistrust of Clayton, Joe Hunter accepts the job of protecting young Cole. But who is he protecting the boy from? And why? It's clear Clayton knows more about his wife's killer, but he isn't saying. And when his silence places Cole in the killer's sights there's ... No Safe Place. Praise for NO SAFE PLACE and the Joe Hunter thriller series "I cannot recommend this book strongly enough and I'm already counting the days until I can get my next fix of Joe Hunter as No Safe Place is a marvelously tense and dramatic novel which challenges both reader and character." - Crimesquad.com 5-star review "Matt Hilton delivers a thrill a minute. Awesome!" - Chris Ryan, best-selling author of Strike Back "Hard-hitting and fast-paced, I was hooked from start to finish." - Simon Kernick, author of the Tina Boyd thrillers