BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Tess Gerritsen's The Silent Girl.
Evil exists. Evil walks the streets. And evil has spawned a diabolical new disciple in this white-knuckle thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
PECCAVI
The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell–Jane’s professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.
On top of Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan himself exists among us.
With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it’s clear that someone–or something–is indeed prowling the city. The members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own–or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness?
Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning. Views: 847
Want to know what is haunting the attic in Abasteron House by the sea, at low tide … in a dead calm?Readers' comments: "Great tale. If you like ghost stories, worth reading this short but chilly tale. Love the little scare tucked neatly into the final line, and an effective one at that.”“An electric atmosphere from the opening lines.”Short story originally published by Every Day Fiction.Come to the Abasteron House by the sea … at low tide … in a dead calm … Is there something haunting the attic?Readers' comments: “I loved this–the writing, the pace, the detail, the word choices. A haunting tale with an underlying thread that stays with you.”"Haunting is certainly true of this piece.""Great tale. If you like ghost stories, worth reading this short but chilly tale. Love the little scare tucked neatly into the final line, and an effective one at that.”“Very good indeed, creating an electric atmosphere from the opening lines.” "An engaging read."“Brilliantly depicted.” This short story (flash fiction) was originally published at Every Day Fiction. Paula Cappa is the recipient of an Eric Hoffer Book Award, Readers' Favorite International Bronze Medal for supernatural suspense, and a Gothic Readers Book Club Award Winner. Views: 846
Oberon the Irish wolfhound is off to Portland to smell all the things with canine companions wolfhound Orlaith and Boston terrier Starbuck, and, of course, his human, ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan. The first complication is an unmistakable sign of sinister agendas afoot: a squirrel atop the train. But an even more ominous situation is in store when the trio plus Atticus stumble across a murder upon arrival at the station. They recognize Detective Gabriela Ibarra, who’s there to investigate. But they also recognize the body—or rather that the body is a doppelganger for Atticus himself. The police, hampered by human senses of smell and a decided lack of canine intuition, obviously can’t handle this alone. Not with Atticus likely in danger. Oberon knows it’s time to investigate once more—for justice! For gravy! And possibly greasy tacos!
Alongside his faithful Druid, Oberon and the other loyal hounds navigate by nose through Portland to find a bear-shifter friend with intel, delicious clues at the victim’s home, and more squirrels. Always more squirrels!
But will our hungry band of heroes be able to identify the culprit before someone else is murdered? Will there be mystery meat in gravy as a reward or tragedy in store for the world’s (or at least the Pacific Northwest’s) greatest dog detective?
Like its predecessor The Purloined Poodle, the latest of Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries, The Squirrel on the Train, is not to be missed by fans of Kevin Hearne’s New York Times best-selling Iron Druid series. Views: 844
Detective Thomas Millcrowe must choose what's more important -- his love of the law, or the greater good?THE PSYCHIC PROTECTOR RETURNS WITH A BRAND NEW TALE!Established as the city's favorite member of the Detroit Police Department, Thomas Millcrowe takes great pride in his work. Even X - his superhero alter ego - has just as much renown under his belt, making Detroit known for being the home for two of the greatest heroes the city has ever known, despite not knowing they are indeed one in the same.So when a dark figure from both Thomas and X's past suddenly returns, all the more trouble begins to brew.With the return of such an individual that has impacted both his professional and super-heroic life, his new partner Alyssa Zeno steadily growing suspicious of his secret, and a scheme that could mean the end of the very city, Thomas Millcrowe is forced to make a conscious-conflicting decision. Will he protect and serve by the law he has sworn to uphold as a police officer, or give in to the freedom his alter ego provides in order to preserve the greater good? Views: 843
Ex-special forces, Jacob King, is a man who keeps to himself, having learned the hard way that letting people close to you, trusting them, might just get you killed. A lesson he learned when members of his Special Ops team turned dirty, while others, men he considered friends, died. He made them pay. He made them hurt. He put them in jail. And so he doesn't trust anyone anymore. He keeps his women hot and fast, his friends few to none, and his clients through the elite Walker Security at a professional distance, but safe.
It works for him. Until it doesn't.
His newest job should be simple and cut and dry. Jewel Carpenter, the daughter of the CEO of Carpenter Enterprises, is receiving death threats. He's to protect her and find out who is issuing the threats.
Simple. Cut and Dry.
Until it's not.
Until the chemistry between he and Jewel is all about love, hate, and sex. But even as he fights the attraction to Jewel and discovers there is more to her than meets the eye, the real threat comes not from the threats she's receiving, but the connection she has to him. Because his past has come full circle, and those men he's made pay for their sins now want him to pay. And what better way than the woman in his bed? Views: 843
When Kirsty is attacked on her doorstep after returning from a party, she is left to wonder who is responsible, and why. A short story of approximately 8,000 words.Herein are selected poems by J. Berchman Bernard Stewart. These poems were created over ten years in relative isolation; hence, this is the first public exhibition of Mr. Stewart's poetry.Most of the works took 1,000-6,000 hours, yet a few fell like ink drops from the pen and appear here almost unaltered from their original drafts.They range from "closed form", metered, to looser internal rhyme. They are in all styles, from imagist to jazz. Some are romantic, some solemn, some a bit silly, and one a touch scary.These works are concise and speak clearly.Above all else, the goal of this poet is to move the reader with "a thing of beauty," which "is joy forever." Views: 843
Welcome to the fabled Gold Coast, that stretch on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America. Here two men are destined for an explosive collision: John Sutter, Wall Street lawyer, holding fast to a fading aristocratic legacy; and Frank Bellarosa, the Mafia don who seizes his piece of the staid and unprepared Gold Coast like a latter-day barbarian chief and draws Sutter and his regally beautiful wife, Susan, into his violent world.
Told from Sutter's sardonic and often hilarious point of view, and laced with sexual passion and suspense, The Gold Coast is Nelson DeMille's captivating story of friendship and seduction, love and betrayal. Views: 841
Length: 1hr 58 mins
In this compact and delightful murder mystery, New York Times bestselling suspense novelist Nelson DeMille returns to one of his most beloved characters—the hard-boiled NYPD Detective John Corey. New York City bookstore owner Otis Parker is dead, killed by a falling bookcase. A tragic accident? Corey isn’t so sure. With deadpan humor and skeptical eye, the determined detective is on the case, and everyone who has the misfortune to be connected to Parker is a suspect—the failing mystery writer in town to sign books; the beautiful young wife, and the bookstore employee who appears to be more nervous than aggrieved. In his debut Kindle Single, DeMille deftly maneuvers through the twists and turns of this fast-moving story, delivering his legion of fans yet another gripping read. Views: 841
**Fiendish suspense. Shocking twists.
Twelve diabolical tales.**
*New York Times* bestselling author and highly acclaimed storyteller Jeffery Deaver-the undisputed "grand master of the plot twist" (*Booklist*)-returns with a dazzling new collection of short stories. In these twelve electrifying tales (including six written just for this anthology) Deaver proves once again his genius for the unexpected-in his world, appearances are always deceiving.
A devoted housekeeper embarks on a quest to find the truth behind her employer's murder. A washed-up Hollywood actor gets one last, high-stakes chance to revive his career. A man makes an impulsive visit to his hometown, and learns more about his past than he bargained for. Two Olympic track hopefuls receive terrorist threats. And Deaver's beloved series characters Lincoln Rhyme, Kathryn Dance, and John Pellam return in stories now in print for the first time. Views: 841
A practical joke goes chillingly, murderously wrong in Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie’s classic detective story, The Seven Dials Mystery.
Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper, so the other houseguests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6:30 a.m. But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank then backfired, with tragic consequences.
For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words "Seven Dials" were to take on a new and chilling significance. . . . Views: 840
A short - (barely 2000 words so don't look for Gone with the Wind!) Johnny is a young man burning with ambition to perform on stage. He's sure the Regent Theatre is the place where his dreams will be realised, so he auditions for the lead in Romeo and Juliet and receives help from an unexpected source.When a teenager is found dead by the roadside under strange circumstances Chief Jim Hawk has to find the killer. A man fulfills his dream about finding a lost city deep in the jungle, but what he finds will not only change him forever, but will also bring death to a small town. If you have read about "The highway of Tears", this novella might be for you. Views: 839
Hot Vampire Seduction is the second book in a hot, erotic vampire series, but stands alone as its own story. Reading out of order will not hurt the enjoyment of the story.
Explicit -- hot! Ménage included – you have been warned.
About the series:
The Wardens series begins with the three Brooks brothers, Evan (34), Aiden (32) and Taylor (28). They were early settlers of the town of Braunfels, Texas. When the town was haunted by a series of brutal animal attacks, that left a half-dozen townsmen murdered, the Brooks brothers took things into their own hands. Armed and ready for action, they set out into the wilderness, determined to find this animal and kill it. What they found was a female vampire who decided the brothers were scrumptious morsels, worth keeping around for a lifetime. She attacked the brothers and turned them to vampires.
No sooner did she turn them, though, than another vampire appeared and killed her. This vampire declared himself a “Warden” of the Vampire Council. Wardens uphold the rules of the Vampire race and report to the Council. Killing a human is punishable by death and their ‘Maker’ had broken that rule. The brothers were then taken to the Council, where they were taught how to survive without killing, how to mingle with humans as if one of them, and when to move on from a location so that they would not be suspected as vampires. Most importantly, they learned who their enemies were and how to defeat them.
In the end, the brothers were granted a financial dowry that had belonged to their Maker and given the choice of freedom, under Council rule, or an alternative—to become Wardens.
Now, the brothers travel together as Wardens, tracking outlaw vampires, killing them and protecting innocent humans. It is their eternal duty.
About HOT VAMPIRE SEDUCTION:
The underground vampire population of Austin, Texas has taken to hosting orgies with human women who've been forced to indulge in a new aphrodisiac. The drug, Blood Red, is a mixture of a rare type of werewolf blood and that of a vampire. Blood Red creates an insatiable desire for sex in the user to the point of pain in the absence of pleasure. Sometimes that pain leads to death.
Vampire Warden, Aiden Brooks, has spent more than a hundred years enforcing the laws of his race, and life has taught him that anyone that he allows into his world ends up dead. Despite knowing this all too well, having painfully loved and lost in his past, when his search for the creator of Blood Red places coroner Kelly Riggs directly in both his path, and that of a dangerous clan of vampires, his desire for her goes well beyond offering her protection. He's drawn to her bravery, seduced by her feisty spirit and beauty, but he is determined to resist her, fearing he will put her in harms way.
But Kelly is already on the radar of the enemy, and when she gets too close to the evil vampire clan's secrets, she is given Blood Red. Now Aiden's hunger for her might be the only thing that can keep her alive but who will save her from him? Views: 837
Soon after relocating to Charleston, S.C., to launch a private forensics lab, Scarpetta is asked to consult on the murder of U.S. tennis star Drew Martin, whose mutilated body was found in Rome. Contradictory evidence leaves Scarpetta, the Italian carabinieri and Scarpetta's lover, forensic psychologist Benton Wesley, stumped.
But when she discovers unsettling connections between Martin's murder, the body of an unidentified South Carolina boy and her old nemesis, the maniacal psychiatrist Dr. Marilyn Self, Scarpetta encounters a killer as deadly as any she's ever faced. Views: 837
The “Lust of the Eyes” is one of the three areas of temptation spoken of in I John 2:16 that has gotten man into trouble from the beginning of time. Sierra Lloyd is a young Christian girl who is exceedingly blessed! A promising career, an affluent lifestyle and pure independence are some of the blessings for which she is most grateful....until Taj Brooks comes knocking on her door.The “Lust of the Eyes” is one of the three areas of temptation spoken of in I John 2:16 that has gotten man into trouble from the beginning of time. Sierra Lloyd is a young Christian girl who is exceedingly blessed! A promising career, an affluent lifestyle and pure independence are some of the blessings for which she is most grateful. Sierra is actually very content with her life until temptation in the form of her best friend’s hot fiancé, Taj Brooks, comes knocking on her door. The man is full of ego with a devilish personality and amazingly good looks. It’s not long before Sierra is completely taken by Taj, but her Christian morals won’t let her betray her best friend. Taj, on the other hand, has no qualms about making it hard for Sierra to resist him and he thoroughly enjoys the chase! Sierra soon finds herself involved in confusion, lies and most of all...a love triangle she never anticipated! Feeling hopeless, she is soon being consoled by her boss’ son, Reuben Bradshaw, who has secretly desired her for years. As secrets about Taj’s character come to light and Sierra’s guilt eats at her from the inside out, she’s torn between trying to walk away from the passion she feels for Taj and walking into the safe and welcoming arms of her Christian faith. “Lust of the Eyes” by H. H. Fowler is the first novella in a drama-drenched, three-part series. Views: 837
Recovering from amnesia, Dr. Arthur Calgary discovers that he alone could have provided an alibi in a scandalous murder trial. It ended in the conviction of Jacko Argyle. The victim was Jacko's own mother, and to make matters worse, he died in prison. But the young man's innocence means that someone else killed the Argyle matriarch, and would certainly kill again to remain in the shadows. Shaded in the moral ambiguity of murder, the provocative psychological puzzler of guilt, vengeance, and blood secrets is among Agatha Christie's personal favorites. Views: 837
