This eBook edition of "The Red House Mystery (Thriller Classic)" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Mark Ablett is entertaining a house party at his English country house. The guest list includes a widow and her marriageable daughter, a retired major, a willful actress, and Bill Beverley, a young man about town. When Mark's long-lost brother Robert, the black sheep of the family, arrives from Australia, things do not go as per plans and shortly thereafter Robert is found shot dead. Now it is up to Tony Gillingham and his friend Bill to figure out the locked room mystery and catch the murderer.
In her critically acclaimed, ingenious memoir, Sarah Messer explores America’s fascination with history, family, and Great Houses. Her Massachusetts childhood home had sheltered the Hatch family for 325 years when her parents bought it in 1965. The will of the house’s original owner, Walter Hatch—which stipulated Red House was to be passed down, "never to be sold or mortgaged from my children and grandchildren forever"—still hung in the living room. In Red House, Messer explores the strange and enriching consequences of growing up with another family’s birthright. Answering the riddle of when shelter becomes first a home and then an identity, Messer has created a classic exploration of heritage, community, and the role architecture plays in our national identity.
New York Times bestseller “Swanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next… A true tour de force.” —Lisa Gardner “[A] multilayered mystery that brims with duplicity, betrayal and revenge.” —USA Today From the hugely talented author of The Kind Worth Killing comes a chilling tale of psychological suspense and an homage to the thriller genre tailor-made for fans: the story of a bookseller who finds himself at the center of an FBI investigation because a very clever killer has started using his list of fiction’s most ingenious murders. Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack—which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders”—chosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, A. A. Milne's The Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Cox's Malice Aforethought, James M. Cain's Double Indemnity, John D. MacDonald's The Drowner, and Donna Tartt's The Secret History. But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. The killer is out there, watching his every move—a diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mal’s personal history, especially the secrets he’s never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife. To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects . . . and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead—and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape.
A scheming American capitalist is found dead in the garden of his country house. Why is the dead man not wearing his false teeth and why is his young widow seemingly relieved at his death? 'The Lady in Black', has a disarming effect on the refreshingly fallible and imaginative Trent, in this classic detective story that twists and turns.
The steadfast and sturdy Continental Op has been summoned to the town of Personville—known as Poisonville—a dusty mining community splintered by competing factions of gangsters and petty criminals. The Op has been hired by Donald Willsson, publisher of the local newspaper, who gave little indication about the reason for the visit. No sooner does the Op arrive, than the body count begins to climb . . . starting with his client. With this last honest citizen of Poisonville murdered, the Op decides to stay on and force a reckoning—even if that means taking on an entire town. Red Harvest is more than a superb crime novel: it is a classic exploration of corruption and violence in the American grain.
The 'HALLOWEEN Boxed Set' presents an unparalleled aggregation of stories that span across centuries, cultures, and continents, weaving together the talents of an illustrious cadre of authors. This anthology exemplifies the rich tapestry of Gothic, supernatural, and horror literature, showcasing a variety of literary styles from the macabre to the spectral. It navigates the delicate boundary between the known and the unknown, fear and fascination, bringing to the forefront standout pieces that have profoundly influenced or deviated from established conventions of the horror genre. Each work has been carefully selected to complement the collections overarching themes of dread, the uncanny, and the supernatural, promising a comprehensive exploration of the genres evolution and thematic diversity. The contributing authors and editors, from Wilhelm Hauff to H. P. Lovecraft, represent a pantheon of literary giants whose works have collectively shaped the contours of horror and speculative fiction. These authors, many of whom were pivotal figures in various literary movements such as Romanticism, Realism, and the supernatural fiction revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bring a rich background of cultural, historical, and literary knowledge that breathes life into the anthologys overarching themes. Their collective narratives offer insights into the societal anxieties, cultural fears, and individual phobias of their times, thus creating a dialogic and multifaceted portrait of the human condition as filtered through the lens of horror and suspense. 'Dive into the HALLOWEEN Boxed Set' for an enriching journey through the shadowy corridors of human imagination and fear. This anthology provides a unique opportunity to engage with the collective wisdom of writers who have masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with timeless themes of fear, mystery, and the supernatural. It is an essential volume for readers seeking to understand the complexities of horror literature and its capacity to probe the depths of human experience. Through its educational value and breadth of insights, this collection not only entertains but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the intricate dialogue between different authors' works and the cultural contexts from which they emerge.
One Book, One Minnesota Selection for Summer 2021 Introducing Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman whose visions and grit help solve a brutal murder in this award-winning debut. 1970s, Red River Valley between North Dakota and Minnesota: Renee “Cash” Blackbear is 19 years old and tough as nails. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where she drives truck for local farmers, drinks beer, plays pool, and helps solve criminal investigations through the power of her visions. She has one friend, Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, who helped her out of the broken foster care system. One Saturday morning, Sheriff Wheaton is called to investigate a pile of rags in a field and finds the body of an Indian man. When Cash dreams about the dead man’s weathered house on the Red Lake Reservation, she knows that’s the place to start looking for answers. Together, Cash and Wheaton work to solve a murder that stretches across cultures in a rural community traumatized by racism, genocide, and oppression.
Mark Ablett is entertaining a house party at his English country house. The guest list includes a widow and her marriageable daughter, a retired major, a willful actress, and Bill Beverley, a young man about town. When Mark's long-lost brother Robert, the black sheep of the family, arrives from Australia, things do not go as per plans and shortly thereafter Robert is found shot dead. Now it is up to Tony Gillingham and his friend Bill to figure out the locked room mystery and catch the murderer.
A nature trek turns dangerous when the wilderness gives up its bones... New Zealand's remote Milford Track seems the perfect place for forensic investigator Alexa Glock to reconnect with her brother Charlie, with whom she hasn't spent much time since they were kids. Their backpacking trip seems ill-fated from the start, though, when she must stop on the way to examine nine skeletons—most likely Māori tribespeople—whose graves have been unearthed by highway construction. Before she opens the first casket, a Māori elder gives her a dire warning: "The viewing of bones can unleash misfortune to the living. Or worse." Though Alexa dismisses his words as superstitious, they soon come back to haunt her as the idyllic hike takes a sinister turn. First, Charlie is aloof and resentful of the time Alexa has spent at work. Then a rock avalanche nearly carries her away as it reveals the skeletal remains of someone who has clearly been stabbed to death. When a fellow hiker goes missing and is later found dead, Alexa has all she can do to focus on the science as she investigates two murders, while trying not to become the third victim.
A philandering doctor resolves to poison his domineering wife in this classic of psychological suspense. No. 16 in the Crime Writers' Association's Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time.
