Legendary author of the 87th Precinct series Ed McBain presents six hardboiled detective stories starring Curt Cannon, one of the toughest sleuths ever created. Private detective Curt Cannon has lost his wife, his license, and his will to live, and now all he wants is to crawl into the bottom of a bottle and wait to die. He’s in the middle of a bender when Peter D’Allessio finds him and begs him to help get his addict son off the needle. Unwilling to be distracted from his own self-loathing, Curt tells Peter off. Dejected, the little old man is stepping out the doorway when two bullets tear through the air, leaving him dead on the floor of a fetid dive. Curt wants nothing to do with this rotten case, but the mystery has him by the throat and won’t let go. To bring the dead man justice, he’ll have to climb out of the gutter and remember what it means to be a detective. The story that introduced Curt Cannon, “Die Hard” is as gritty as mysteries come. Along with the five other stories in this remarkable collection, it’s a testament to the limitless talent of Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Ed McBain.
What does it mean to be tough? Kim finds out in this moving mother-daughter story about family hardship, vulnerability and love, perfect for fans of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. Kim's mum is tough. Everyone says so. She can deal with unruly customers at the Red Rooster with a snap of her fingers. Kim is tough, too. She doesn't need to wear a hat to keep her ears warm. And she can make soup all by herself, even without the stove. Kim and her mum are tough. But Kim is learning that sometimes toughness doesn't look like what you'd expect. In this tender exploration of a mother-daughter relationship, Kim and her mother learn that in order to support and truly take care of each other, they need to be tough -- and that sometimes being tough means showing vulnerability and asking for help.
Immaculate, charming, fearless wanderer, Jim Maitland, has a peculiar code of morals and an unforgettable character. Our enthusiastic narrator, Leyton, meets the legendary Maitland on the Island of Tampico – a flawless jewel in a sapphire sea, with more vice than the slums of a city.
Mystery novels are published in a number of subgenres to satisfy the tastes of every reader. Not only do we have the traditional mystery—also known as the cozy—there are historicals, suspense and thriller novels, crime, police procedurals, private eyes and senior sleuths (also known as “geezer lit”). Then there are medical thrillers, romantic suspense as well as science fiction mysteries and the niche novels that cover endless subjects. The mystery writers interviewed here have written articles about various aspects of publishing, including writing techniques, marketing, promotional advice and their opinions on the current state of the publishing industry. Carolyn Hart, bestselling author of the Henrie O and Death on Demand series, talks about her new protagonist, Bailey Ruth Raeburn, who returns to earth as a ghost to anonymously solve mysteries. Jeffrey Deaver’s varied careers prepared him to write insightful as well as thrilling novels, John Gilstrap explains why some bestselling novelists hold down fulltime jobs, and Rick Mofina provides sixteen great tips for writing thriller novels. A number of Canadian and UK authors share their publishing views as well as comparing books from their own countries with those of the U.S. suspense novelist Paul Johnston writes from his native Scotland as well as his home in Greece while Tim Hallinan divides his time between Thailand, Cambodia, and southern California, writing much of his work in Bangkok cafés. Gillian Phillip writes YA mystery novels from Barbados and her native Scottish highlands, and international airline pilot Mark W. Danielson composes his suspense novels during layovers in various parts of the world, while S. J. Bolton thrills us with snakes and other creepy creatures in and from the British Isles. English native Carola Dunn writes historical mysteries about her countrymen as does Rhys Bowen, who writes about historical English royals. Other historical novelists include Larry Karp, who provides us with the history of Ragtime music and the people who made the genre popular during its heyday and Beverle Graves Myers delves into operatic mysteries set in 18th century Venice. The work of several writing teams inhabits this book, including Eric Mayer and Mary Reed, who pen historical mysteries. Mark and Charlotte Phillips write suspense novels, and Morgan St. James and her sister Phyllice Bradner collaborate on humorous mysteries. Jeff Cohen, Tim Maleeny, and Carl Brookins also add humor to their mysterious plots, so prepare to laugh when you open their books. There are police procedurals, medical thrillers and romantic suspense novelists represented here as well as niche mysteries designed for readers who love dogs, scrapbooking, zoos, the Arizona desert, space shuttles, weight-loss clinics, actors, designer gift baskets and other specialty subjects. Nonfiction books about the mystery genre round out this eclectic collection with Edgar winner E.J. Wagner, Agatha winner Chris Roerden, Lee Lofland, Jeffrey Marks, and small press publishers Vivian Zabel and Tony Burton. The advice offered here is invaluable to fledgling writers, so pull up a comfortable chair and begin the mysterious tour of nearly every subgenre.
When Dave Fenner is hired to solve the Blandish kidnapping, he knows the odds on finding the girl are against him - the cops are still looking for her three months after the ransom was paid. And the kidnappers, Riley and his gang, have disappeared into thin air. But what none of them knows is that Riley himself has been wiped out by a rival gang - and the heiress is now in the hands of Ma Grisson and her son Slim, a vicious killer who can't stay away from women, especially his beautiful new captive. By the time Fenner begins to close in on them, some terrible things have happened to Miss Blandish ...
One of the most prolific crime writers of the last century, Evan Hunter published more than 120 novels from 1952 to 2005 under a variety of pseudonymns. He also wrote several teleplays and screenplays, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, and the 1954 novel The Blackboard Jungle. When the Mystery Writers of America named Hunter a Grand Master, he gave the designation to his alter ego, Ed McBain, best known for his long-running police procedural series about the detectives of the 87th Precinct. This comprehensive companion provides detailed information about all of Evan Hunter's/Ed McBain's works, characters, and recurring themes. From police detective and crime stories to dramatic novels and films, this reference celebrates the vast body of literature of this versatile writer.
A day trip to France revives wartime memories in this tale made into the classic film A Day to Remember starring Stanley Holloway. When the members of the Hand and Flower Darts Club set out on a day trip across the Channel to take in the sights of Boulogne-sur-Mer, they can’t begin to imagine how the day will end. Some haven’t returned to France since the war, others had never made a trip to the mainland. All six split up in different directions and it isn’t long before secret desires start landing these Englishmen in hot water . . . For Jim Carver, it’s been a lifetime since he set foot in Boulogne. He was Sgt. Jim Carver of the 25th Lancers then, thick as thieves with his mate George Holden and always up to his elbows repairing tanks. But George is long gone, buried in the local cemetery. The only other memory Jim has of his time in the French town are of a young girl called Marie-Josephe. To his astonishment, Jim encounters the quite grown up, and engaged, Marie-Josephe at the cemetery as he visits George’s grave, and finds himself drawn into his past with such intensity, he starts to question the direction of his future. The six men make the crossing from England to France and have very different experiences, but only four of them will make the return voyage . . . “A warm, low pressure English novel.” —The New York Times “Mr. Tickell has a light touch and a delicate feeling for emotional relationships.” —The Times Literary Supplement
Three crime classics in one volume starring the defense lawyer who inspired the HBO series. From the Edgar Award–winning author, these novels from the long-running, multimillion-selling mystery series that inspired the HBO hit starring Matthew Rhys include: The Case of the Lazy Lover Perry Mason is surprised to receive two checks from a stranger named Lola Allred. When he speaks with Lola’s husband, he discovers the woman has run off with her daughter’s boyfriend—who happens to be an important witness in a lawsuit. Soon Mason is caught up in a case involving forgery and murder . . . “The only dull pages in this book are the blank ones.” —The New York Times The Case of the Lonely Heiress Marilyn Marlow has inherited a good deal of money from her mother. But the money originated with another will—that of her mother’s wealthy employer. Now his relatives are contesting the will and the key witness to its signing has just been murdered. It’s up to the sleuthing lawyer to clear the cloud of suspicion over Miss Marlow’s head . . . “No one has ever matched Gardner for swift, sure exposition.” —Kirkus Reviews The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom Edward Garvin is a very successful businessman with a very unhappy ex-wife—who wants his money. Garvin calls on Perry Mason to protect his company from her schemes, and ensure the divorce they’d gotten in Mexico is actually finalized. But when Garvin’s former spouse is struck down by a killer, Mason’s client becomes the chief suspect . . . “A stellar ending.” —Kirkus Reviews
Every Marine has a story about someone he couldn’t save, a face that would haunt him forever. When Command Sergeant Hal Tarra, one of Decker’s oldest friends, vanishes on the Commonwealth frontier shortly after taking early retirement from the Corps, Zack knows what memories are driving the former Pathfinder, because he sees the same face in his worst nightmares. Naval intelligence isn’t interested in resurrecting ancient history, especially the tale of a failed rescue after it had been consigned to the memory hole. So Decker does the only thing he can, out of friendship and loyalty, and the hope that he might finally redeem the one they’d thought lost long ago: he orders himself on an unsanctioned mission, beyond Fleet support, risking everything for a friend. His intelligence colleagues never could understand the Marine promise, “No One Left Behind” but as he keeps reminding them, he's still one of the Few… Keyword Tags: Zack Decker, Decker’s War, sci-fi, science fiction, military science fiction, war, space marine, space infantry, pathfinder, space opera, science fiction action adventure, alien invasion, space fleet, sci-fi adventure, military sci-fi, Eric Thomson, science fiction series, interstellar war, galactic war, space pirates, mercenary, espionage, thriller, naval intelligence, undercover operations, black ops
