This is a collection of stories by many authors including: Lawrence Block, Edna Buchanan, Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, Nelson DeMille, Lauren DeMille, Janet Evanovich, Linda Fairstein, Walter Mosley, Nacy Pickard, Ann Rule, and Donald E. Westlake

Blotto and Twinks are off on another adventure - and this time they're bound for the alpine village of Luzvimmen in Switzerland, where Blotto participates in racing the prestigious and very fast Croissant Run. Twinks, on the other hand, is on a mission to rescue her' friend's...  more

Blotto and Twinks are off on another adventure - and this time they're bound for the alpine village of Luzvimmen in Switzerland, where Blotto participates in racing the prestigious and very fast Croissant Run. Twinks, on the other hand, is on a mission to rescue her' friend's sister from the sinister finishing school she is trapped in - the Convent of the Sacred Icicle. Once inside, Twinks is threatened by an elderly num who shows her a secret glacier in which the Phantom Skiers are entombed, awaing resurrection to they can wreak vengeance on people who are too curious, like Blotto and Twinks. Meanwhile, up on Schloss Luzvimmen, the crazed Count von Strapp is set on global domination via a deadly arsenal of Swiss cheese hardware he's planning to unleash on the world... Yes, everything's much as usual in the world of Blotto and Twinks.

Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn't need to like her clients to help them sort their homes out.  Aging TV personality and curmudgeon Humphrey Carter might have a chip on his shoulder the size of England about the decline of his career, but a job's a job. But when Ellen...  more

Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn't need to like her clients to help them sort their homes out.  Aging TV personality and curmudgeon Humphrey Carter might have a chip on his shoulder the size of England about the decline of his career, but a job's a job. But when Ellen arrives the morning after Humph's eightieth birthday party, primed and ready to tackle his study...she gets the shock of her life. Humph's dead...and all signs point to him having taken his own life...Can she track down a killer...if there even is one

On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joinged by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish - Lehman Brothers - spectacularly collapses into...  more

On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joinged by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish - Lehman Brothers - spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history. Weaving together nearly two centures of family history, this epic theatrical event charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastatin failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees. The Lehman Trilogy is the quintessential story of western capitalism, rendered through the lens of a single immigrant family.

Novelist Danny Pastor liked what he found in lazily beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Luz Maria, a woman he was crazy about; cantinas that played his kind of music; and la dolce vita, the sweet life. That was the problem. Danny needed to write, and he was up against a blank wall, not turning...  more

Novelist Danny Pastor liked what he found in lazily beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Luz Maria, a woman he was crazy about; cantinas that played his kind of music; and la dolce vita, the sweet life. That was the problem. Danny needed to write, and he was up against a blank wall, not turning out a word while his money ran low and his nerves went wild. Then he was in the right place, or the wrong one, to be the sole witness when a shooter gunned down an American naval officer. At a cafe table with Luz, Danny Pastor saw it all, and saw the possibility of a story, a surefire, prizewinning account that could restore his pride and make him famous. And when the killer approached him, the only other Anglo around, and asked for a ride across the border, Danny, bold with tequila, said yes. Now in a Ford Bronco named Vito, two men and one woman begin a hair-raising run for the border. Their journey will take them to places they didn't anticipate, to things they never thought would happen, to feelings that reach deep and change everything--in a story that will kindle a spirit of adventure in everyone. Puerto Vallarta Squeeze bristles with wry humor, hard action, and an explosive conclusion--a fast-paced, emotionally complex novel that will hold you spellbound from the first to the last page.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet / The words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men!   In 1860, the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family celebrated Christmas at Craigie House, their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The...  more

I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet / The words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men!   In 1860, the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family celebrated Christmas at Craigie House, their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The publication of Longfellow’s classic Revolutionary War poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” was less than a month hence, and the country’s grave political unrest weighed heavily on his mind. Yet with his beloved wife, Fanny, and their five adored children at his side, the delights of the season prevailed. In present-day Boston, a dedicated teacher in the Watertown public school system is stunned by somber holiday tidings. Sophia’s music program has been sacrificed to budget cuts, and she worries not only about her impending unemployment but also about the consequences to her underprivileged students. At the church where she volunteers as music director, Sophia tries to forget her cares as she leads the children’s choir in rehearsal for a Christmas Eve concert. Inspired to honor a local artist, Sophia has chosen a carol set to a poem by Longfellow, moved by the glorious words he penned one Christmas Day long ago, even as he suffered great loss. Christmas Bells chronicles the events of 1863, when the peace and contentment of Longfellow’s family circle was suddenly, tragically broken, cutting even deeper than the privations of wartime. Through the pain of profound loss and hardship, Longfellow’s patriotism never failed, nor did the power of his language. “Christmas Bells,” the poem he wrote that holiday, lives on, spoken as verse and sung as a hymn. 

A near-future thriller that pits young FBI agents against a brilliant homegrown terrorist It's the second decade of the twenty-first century, and terrorism has escalated almost beyond control. New weapons are being spawned in remote basement labs, and no one feels safe. In North...  more

A near-future thriller that pits young FBI agents against a brilliant homegrown terrorist It's the second decade of the twenty-first century, and terrorism has escalated almost beyond control. New weapons are being spawned in remote basement labs, and no one feels safe. In North America, the FBI uses cutting-edge technology to thwart domestic terrorists. The War on Terror has reached a deadly stalemate. The FBI has been dispatched to deal with a new menace. Like the Anthrax threat of 2001, a plague targeted to ethnic groups has the potential to wipe out entire populations. But the FBI itself is under political assault. There's a good chance that agents William Griffin, Fouad Al-Husam, and Jane Rowland will be part of the last class at Quantico. As the young agents hunt a brilliant homegrown terrorist, they join forces with veteran bio-terror expert Rebecca Rose. But the plot they uncover -- and the man they chase -- prove far more complex than anyone expects. Quantico is a selection of: Book-of-the-Month Club, Science Fiction Book Club, Military Book Club, Mystery Guild, American Compass Book Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club.

On a hot August night, Lt. Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, speed through the streets of Manhattan to the Down and Dirty club, where a joyful, boisterous pre-wedding girls’ night out has turned into a murder scene. One of the brides lies in a pool of blood, garroted in a private room...  more

On a hot August night, Lt. Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, speed through the streets of Manhattan to the Down and Dirty club, where a joyful, boisterous pre-wedding girls’ night out has turned into a murder scene. One of the brides lies in a pool of blood, garroted in a private room where she was preparing a surprise for her fiancée -- two scrimped and saved-for tickets to Hawaii. Despite the dozens of people present, useful witnesses are hard to come by. It all brings back some bad memories for Eve who once suffered an assault in the very same room -- but she’d been able to fight back and survive. She’d gotten justice. And now she needs to provide some for poor young Erin. Eve knows that the level of violence and the apparent premeditation involved suggest a volatile mix of hidden, heated passion and ice-cold calculation. This is a crime that can be countered only by hard detective work and relentless dedication -- and Eve will not stop until she finds the killer who destroyed this couple’s dreams before the honeymoon even began…

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is relieved to be headed back to Paterson, New Jersey, after a week-long family vacation in the Adirondacks. He's ready to put the holly jolly season way behind him and settle in at home with his three dogs. But when they finally arrive, there is an extra dog...  more

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is relieved to be headed back to Paterson, New Jersey, after a week-long family vacation in the Adirondacks. He's ready to put the holly jolly season way behind him and settle in at home with his three dogs. But when they finally arrive, there is an extra dog eagerly awaiting them, as well as one anxious dog sitter. When the dog showed up on the doorstep a few days ago, the sitter knew Andy would know what to do. Indeed, Andy recognizes Murphy, who the Carpenters fostered before the dog went home with BJ Bremer and his mother. BJ wanted to learn all he could about caring for Murphy, which made Andy like him immediately. When Andy goes to take Murphy back to the Bremers, though, instead of the happy reunion he expects, he finds BJ's mother in tears. It turns out Murphy ran off…after BJ was arrested for murder. Andy had hoped for a quiet Christmas vacation, but he likes Murphy’s family and his golden retriever, Tara, likes Murphy, so he can't resist getting involved. The case isn’t as simple as Andy thought it would be, though, with BJ suspected of murdering one of his professors. With nothing to go on but Andy's own conviction in BJ's dog-loving character, proving his innocence would be a Christmas miracle.  With equal doses of doggy humor and courtroom drama, as well as Andy Carpenter's traditional humbug Christmas spirit, David Rosenfelt delivers another winner.

An enthralling anthology of 20 CWA Dagger Award-shortlisted gripping and thrilling stories for the most hardened crime fan. Featuring bestselling authors such as Neil Gaiman, Ann Cleeves, Christopher Fowler and Val McDermid. OVER TWENTY CWA DAGGER AWARD-WINNING SHORT STORIES FROM THE...  more

An enthralling anthology of 20 CWA Dagger Award-shortlisted gripping and thrilling stories for the most hardened crime fan. Featuring bestselling authors such as Neil Gaiman, 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.

Yumi has spent her entire life in strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society -- but she longs for even a single day as a normal person. Painter patrols the dark streets dreaming of being a hero -- a goal that has led to nothing but...  more

Yumi has spent her entire life in strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society -- but she longs for even a single day as a normal person. Painter patrols the dark streets dreaming of being a hero -- a goal that has led to nothing but heartache and isolation, leaving him always on the outside looking in. In their own ways, both of them face the world alone. Suddenly flung together, Yumi and Painter must strive to right the wrongs in both their lives, reconciling their past and present while maintaining the precarious balance of each of their worlds. If they cannot unravel the mystery of what brought them together before it’s too late, they risk forever losing not only the bond growing between them, but the very worlds they’ve always struggled to protect.

Quite possibly the greatest science fiction collection of all time—past, present, and future!  What if life was neverending? What if you could change your body to adapt to an alien ecology? What if the pope were a robot? Spanning galaxies and millennia, this must-have anthology...  more

Quite possibly the greatest science fiction collection of all time—past, present, and future!  What if life was neverending? What if you could change your body to adapt to an alien ecology? What if the pope were a robot? Spanning galaxies and millennia, this must-have anthology showcases classic contributions from H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Octavia E. Butler, and Kurt Vonnegut, alongside a century of the eccentrics, rebels, and visionaries who have inspired generations of readers. Within its pages, you’ll find beloved worlds of space opera, hard SF, cyberpunk, the New Wave, and more. Learn about the secret history of science fiction, from titans of literature who also wrote SF to less well-known authors from more than twenty-five countries, some never before translated into English. In The Big Book of Science Fiction, literary power couple Ann and Jeff VanderMeer transport readers from Mars to Mechanopolis, planet Earth to parts unknown. Immerse yourself in the genre that predicted electric cars, space tourism, and smartphones. Sit back, buckle up, and dial in the coordinates, as this stellar anthology has got worlds within worlds. Including:· Legendary tales from Isaac Asimov and Ursula K. Le Guin; * An unearthed sci-fi story from W. E. B. Du Bois; * The first publication of the work of cybernetic visionary David R. Bunch in twenty years; * A rare and brilliant novella by Chinese international sensation Cixin Liu.  Plus: * Aliens!; * Space battles!; * Robots!;* Technology gone wrong!; * Technology gone right! .

The New York Times-bestselling author of A Fierce Radiance and City of Light returns with a new powerful and passionate novel -- inspired by historical events -- about two women, one European and one American, and the mysterious choral masterpiece by Johann Sebastian...  more

The New York Times-bestselling author of A Fierce Radiance and City of Light returns with a new powerful and passionate novel -- inspired by historical events -- about two women, one European and one American, and the mysterious choral masterpiece by Johann Sebastian Bach that changes both their lives. In the ruins of Germany in 1945, at the end of World War II, American soldier Henry Sachs takes a souvenir, an old music manuscript, from a seemingly deserted mansion and mistakenly kills the girl who tries to stop him. In America in 2010, Henry’s niece, Susanna Kessler, struggles to rebuild her life after she experiences a devastating act of violence on the streets of New York City. When Henry dies soon after, she uncovers the long-hidden music manuscript. She becomes determined to discover what it is and to return it to its rightful owner, a journey that will challenge her preconceptions about herself and her family’s history -- and also offer her an opportunity to finally make peace with the past. In Berlin, Germany, in 1783, amid the city’s glittering salons where aristocrats and commoners, Christians and Jews, mingle freely despite simmering anti-Semitism, Sara Itzig Levy, a renowned musician, conceals the manuscript of an anti-Jewish cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, an unsettling gift to her from Bach’s son, her teacher. This work and its disturbing message will haunt Sara and her family for generations to come. Interweaving the stories of Susanna and Sara, and their families, And After the Fire traverses over two hundred years of history, from the eighteenth century through the Holocaust and into today, seamlessly melding past and present, real and imagined. Lauren Belfer’s deeply researched, evocative, and compelling narrative resonates with emotion and immediacy.

In an America driven to near bankruptcy with crushing foreign debt, the Talos Corporation stands out as a major success story-training soldiers and security forces from around the world and providing logistics and troops for nearly all branches of the United States government. But Talos has...  more

In an America driven to near bankruptcy with crushing foreign debt, the Talos Corporation stands out as a major success story-training soldiers and security forces from around the world and providing logistics and troops for nearly all branches of the United States government. But Talos has another plan in mind-the destruction of the federal system and constitutional law. Three FBI agents are all that stands between Talos's CEO Axel Price and the subversion of our nation. Fouad Al-Husam is working undercover in Lion City, Texas, on the Talos Campus-but he may have just overplayed his hand. Agent William Griffin will engage in a desperate diversion to try to rescue Al-Husam, and the top-secret information he literally carries in his blood. Rebecca Rose is called into action to partner with an unlikely hero: Nathan Trace, one of a team of four who created and programmed the thinking machines that are about to help Axel Price in his plans for domination. Trace and his colleagues were caught up in a violent incident in the Middle East several years ago, and experienced Post-Traumatic Stress disorder. All of them were forcibly enrolled in a treatment program sponsored by Talos Corporation, code-named Mariposa-which supposedly cured their PTSD. But now they are beginning to notice unexpected side effects. The Mariposa subjects are being liberated from nearly all human emotions and concerns-and all mental limits-to become brilliant sociopaths. They are out of control and they must die.

Leading Science Fiction Writers Present Their Funniest Stories Ever This collection of 29 short stories from masters of science fiction - each tale chosen by the authors as the funniest they have ever written - presents wildly hilarious stories accompanied by prefaces written by the authors...  more

Leading Science Fiction Writers Present Their Funniest Stories Ever This collection of 29 short stories from masters of science fiction - each tale chosen by the authors as the funniest they have ever written - presents wildly hilarious stories accompanied by prefaces written by the authors providing valuable insight into their selection and themselves. Contents: Introduction by Mike Resnick; * Space Rats of the C.C.C. / Harry Harrison, 1974; * The Lemon-Green Spaghetti-Loud Dynamite-Dribble Day [“Did Your Coffee Taste Funny This Morning?”] / William Tenn, 1967; * Dick W. and His Pussy; or, Tess and Her Adequate Dick / Jane Yolen, 1997; * Night of the Cooters / Howard Waldrop, 1987; * A Delightful Comedic Premise / Barry N. Malzberg, 1974; * The Capo of Darkness / Laura Resnick, 2002; * Franz Kafka, Superhero! / David Gerrold, 1993; * Too Hot to Hoot / Spider Robinson, 1996; * Amanda and the Alien / Robert Silverberg, 1983; * Faith / James Patrick Kelly, 1989; * The Growling / Jody Lynn Nye, 1995; * Alien Radio / Nick DiChario, 1995; * Primordial Chili / Tom Gerencer, 1999; * The Dog Said Bow-Wow / Michael Swanwick, 2001; * Sweet, Savage Sorcerer / Esther Friesner, 1990; * The Hanging Curve / Gardner Dozois, 2002; * Deus Tex / Jack McDevitt, 1996; * The Flim-Flam Alien / Ralph Roberts, 1982; * Present / Kristine Kathryn Rusch, 2002; * You’ll Catch Your Death of Colds / Bill Fawcett, 1996; * The Usurper Memos / Josepha Sherman, 2001; * Patent Infringement / Nancy Kress, 2002; * Ickies in Mirrorshades / David Brin, 2004; * Ligdan and the Young Pretender / Walter Jon Williams, 1987; * A Tangled Web / Joe Haldeman, 1981; * Revolt of the Sugar Plum Fairies / Mike Resnick, 1992; * Myth Manners’ Guide to Greek Missology #1: Andromeda and Perseus / Harry Turtledove, 1999; * The Soul Selects Her Own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson’s Poems: A Wellsian Perspective / Connie Willis, 1996; * Cordle to Onion to Carrot / Robert Sheckley, 1969; Contributors Cover art by Ralph Voltz.