Scanned, converted, re-formatted, proofed and eBook creation by Jerry.Unlike volume one, Dark Crimes 2 is a contemporary version of noir. Even John D. MacDonald’s beautifully told tale from the forties, Miranda, has a decidedly contemporary feel.Like most forms of popular fiction, noir has evolved and changed over the past decade and a half.No longer does Bogie stand at his lonely window, staring out at a world he frequently despises. Nor does the conventional private eye take us through his conventional private eye routines; and the conventional femme fatale . . . well, she doesn’t invite us upstairs any more, either.The new noir is as likely to be set in a trailer park as a gambling casino; in a small Texas town more often than New York; and feature not a slick mobster but a child molester as villain.The "gem" of this collection is the stand-out, Triangle , the stunning 1982 short novel by Teri White. This Edgar winner traces the trajectory of a trio of lowlifes: a pair of Vietnam war vets who have become a highly successful underworld assassination squad, and an obsessed cop whose partner they have killed. White displays a brilliant sense of character, an accurate ear for colloquial speech and a sure control of tone in this early work.Several of the featured detectives (and their authors) are familiar--such as Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone, here investigating an apparent suicide, and Loren Estleman's Amos Walker, faced with the murder of clients who wanted to renovate an old saloon. There is a cunning John Lutz tale about an ill-fated Mexican cliff-diver and a wry Lawrence Block inversion of It's a Wonderful Life , in which a man who survives a murder attempt realizes that he has to be nicer.ContentsAcknowledgmentsDedicationIntroduction - Ed GormanThe Dripping - David MorrellAnd Miles to Go Before I Sleep - Lawrence BlockMiranda - John D. MacdonaldDeceptions - Marcia MullerThe Long Silence After - Ed GormanThe Dead Past - Nancy PickardAll the Same - Bill PronziniThe View - Brian GarfieldHector Gomez Provides - John LutzThe Steel Valentine - Joe R. LansdaleThe Triangle - Teri WhiteThe Luckiest Man in the World - Rex MillerThe Party - William F. NolanPredators - Edward BryantIn the Fast Lane - Thomas F. MonteleoneThe Perfect Crime - Max Allan CollinsPaint the Town Green - Robert ColbyJody and Annie on TV - John ShirleySnow Angels - Loren D. EstlemanThe Memorial Hour - Wade MillerPretty Boy - Billie Sue MosimanSecrets - Gary Lovisi Views: 56
Saratoga Springs is a winter wonderland for the Caprice Family during the holidays. But this year, a letter from Grandma and Grandpa Caprice draws the younger generation home early to deal with a mysterious faerie infestation. Along the way, they have some Christmas fun with laughter, love, and steamy stolen moments. Views: 56
Keeley Carpenter has found her center. After returning to Befrey, the traditional English village she called home ten years ago, she's opened her dream yoga café, which doubles as both a yoga studio and a delicious vegetarian café. Even better, Keeley is dating handsome Detective Ben Taylor, and things are beginning to look serious.Too bad things never seem to run smoothly for long. Eager to get involved with the local community, Keeley sets up a booth at the annual Belfrey Arts Festival, along with her nemesis, fellow small business owner Raquel. Preparing herself to play nice, she's shocked when Raquel's boyfriend, Town Mayor Gerald, is found dead after a public spat. Despite Ben's strict warnings to stay out of it, Keeley isn't going to let an innocent woman take the blame for the murder—even if it is glamorous, spoiled Raquel.Now Keeley must balance a precarious murder investigation with the demands of her growing business and now-strained relationship.... Views: 56
A Novella, Romance and Adventure along the Nile. A love story, a mystery, an impossible dream, and a daring plan to capture one man's heart. A tale of lovers that have traveled through time itself to find each other. Views: 56
In this series of tales, a prince must capture and bring back to his country a zombie who is endowed with magical powers—but in order to succeed he must keep himself from speaking even one word to the zombie. The zombie is wily, and during the long journey he recounts fascinating tales to the prince, who is carrying him in a sack on his back. Spellbound by the stories, the prince is drawn into making some comment on them. But the very moment he opens his mouth, the zombie escapes, and the prince has to go back to India to catch the zombie all over again. This same scenario occurs over and over, tale after tale, journey after journey—until the prince truly learns his lesson.These zombie stories, known as the Vetalapancavimsati in Sanskrit, are engrossing teaching tales that originated in ancient India but have become popular in the Buddhist culture of Tibet, as well as in other Asian cultures. This Tibetan version of the stories conveys the values of... Views: 56
The war for Icefire has only just begun... Views: 56
Revelations of Doom is the first book of The Light Warden series. On a path of vengeance Lucian strikes out to find a murderer, unknowing that the world around him is at the brink of war. He pushes on through pain, treachery, despair and even death, only to receive a Revelation that shows him what could very well become the future of his world, and it terrifies him. Views: 56
The Gentileschi Sisters are daughters of a king, princesses who come to the U.S. to pursue their careers and fall in love with seemingly unsuitable men.Seriously? Alexandra Marcello Gentileschi thinks when she's contacted by one of the biggest publishers in New York City. The man actually wants to buy the children's book she wrote. She's innocent and naïve in the ways of publishing and in the ways of the world, but she's determined to make it on her own and not because of the Gentileschi name. She chooses instead her mother's surname.Ryder Reynolds is using Alexandra Marcello to get what he wants out of life. Ten years older than she, and technically her boss, he regretfully finds himself enticed by the Italian beauty. But after he falls in love with her, he's is forced to make an impossible choice that could alienate her forever.Backdropped by the splendor of an Italian island and the glamor of New York City, Ryder and Alexandra's struggle will tug at your... Views: 56
