Dark Crime Fiction

From Jay Bonansinga, author of The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury and The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, comes a collection of short stories and novellas that span a number of genres.

Acclaimed crime fiction writer Jim Nisbet sets forth a noir gem that lays bare the foibles of modern-day America with tremendous force. Banerjhee Rolf, a bright, levelheaded Indian American scientist, is content to spend his days with his wife, tending his garden and studying his beloved astronomy. When Rolf ’s relationship with Toby Pride, his seedy, drug-dealing neighbor, and Pride’s stoner girlfriend takes a weird turn, Rolf’s placid world is shattered, and he becomes a fugitive from justice.

COVID-19 is spreading across the country. Peaceful demonstrations for Black Lives Matter after the murder by cop of George Floyd have turned violent. President Trump’s handling of the pandemic seems incompetent and chaotic. Infections and deaths continue to rise. When Attorney General Barr orders riot police and troops to clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square for Trump’s photo-op with a Bible, something snaps in Jack Blair. After a psychotic episode he is thrown into prison, and his life is threatened by white nationalist boogaloo bois.

The sequel to Bocas, Bronte follows George to Australia. PJ left a little surprise back home. And her name is Charlotte.

Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation officer dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line. Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he’s published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero - and a poster boy for Men’s Rights activists. Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice.

You might as well know this going in: Lawrence Block's new novel is not for everyone. It's recounted in journal form by its protagonist, and begins when he walks into a roadhouse outside of Bakersfield, California, and walks out with a woman. And rapes and murders her. But, um, not in that order. Right. But it's what he does with the rest of his life that's really interesting....

Nine long years have passed since the killer last struck - nine years since eight helpless young women were brutally slaughtered by an icepick-wielding maniac. The trail grew cold and the book was unofficially closed on a serial killer who stopped killing. But now "The Icepick Prowler" has confessed - but only to seven of the killings. Not only does he deny the eighth, he has an airtight alibi. Barbara Ettinger's family had almost come to accept that the young woman was the victim of a random killing.

Jenny Aaron was a government assassin, part of an elite unit tracking Germany's most dangerous criminals. She was one of the best, until a disastrous mission ended with her abandoning a wounded colleague and losing her sight forever. Now, five years later, she has learnt to navigate a darkened world but is haunted by her betrayal. When she is called back to the force to trace a ruthless serial killer, she seizes the opportunity to solve the case and restore her honour.

Avenging Serpents tells how two far-from-innocent men, who met by a freak coincidence, were inspired by an old myth to seek revenge on the perpetrators of ongoing abuses.

Chef est un tueur froid et narcissique, travaillant autant par nécessité pécuniaire que par goût du spectacle. Occire la vermine ne lui fait pas peur, tant que la récompense à la clé est suffisante. Les années passées à exercer son métier de chasseur de primes lui ont valu une solide réputation, ainsi qu'un sens du panache effilé. Chef est devenu plus qu'un simple assassin rémunéré : il est L'Artisan Meurtrier. Accompagné par Basile, son assistant, il rencontrera des manipulateurs retors, des crapules aux ambitions démesurées et des créatures cauchemardesques....

Jerry has a traumatic past that leaves him subject to psychotic hallucinations and depressive episodes. When he stands accused of stealing a priceless Van Gogh painting, he goes underground, where he develops an unwilling relationship with a woman who believes that the voices she hears are from God.

The dog was standing by the tree, four paws firmly planted, his hackles up. His owner, who had run after him through the woods, stopped and gasped aloud in shock. In front of them, hanging from the ancient yew tree, was a body. Blood dripped down the victim’s pale skin, where strange symbols had been crudely carved. The eyes stared straight ahead. Empty. Unseeing.

Hipopotamia es una colección de desvelos y un manual de contradicciones. Sexo, violencia y sangre fluyendo a través de las alcantarillas de la psique colectiva, esa que carece de puentes con la lógica o el sentido común. En estos diez relatos, el lector podrá encontrar lugares sórdidos, amores raros, atmósferas inquietantes y un buen puñado de alucinaciones. Puede, incluso, que en estos diez relatos el lector corra el riesgo de encontrarse a sí mismo.

Der Richter, dein Henker. Als junger Student träumte Siggi Buckmann davon, die Welt ein Stück gerechter zu machen. Als alter Hase im Richteramt schiebt er nur noch Dienst nach Vorschrift. In den Behörden regiert die Bürokratie, und sämtliche Urteile, die Siggi fällt, werden in Berufungsverfahren wieder aufgehoben. Wozu sich also Mühe machen? Doch als ein Obdachloser ums Leben kommt, ohne dass die Verantwortlichen zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden, beginnt Siggi, die Dinge anders zu betrachten. Vielleicht ist die Arbeit im Justizapparat ja doch zu etwas gut.

Nino and Elena dream of sharing a normal life together. They are desperate to escape the shadow of Nino’s domineering and dangerous family, the Bartells.

Detective CJ O’Hara is finally getting a grip on life. Recently promoted and in a promising relationship, her instincts scream foul play when she responds to a reported heart attack at a bed and breakfast. Smelling a hint of vanilla in the air and noticing scratches on the victim’s back, she suspects she’s looking for a murderess.

Detective CJ O’Hara is drowning in guilt over the death of her family and her killing of a suspect in the line of duty. So, when she’s unfairly denied a well-deserved promotion after 10 years of devoted service in Boston, she answers the Charleston Police Department’s desperate call for help. Her first assignment: Stop the serial killer known as The Lowcountry Killer.

In this raw and intense sequel, Raven's tenacious children don't just step up; they plunge headfirst into the brutal battleground, ready to fight tooth and nail for the survival and solidarity of their family. In the relentless pursuit of justice, Zayn finds himself ensnared in a web of shadows that refuses to release its grip. As he delves deeper into the intricate criminal case of Raven and Damon, a chilling revelation unfolds—their family remains shackled to the mob, long after the war with Lazarus Landucci has concluded.

Charly Highsmith is a survivor. Abandoned by her parents, she spent her teens looking after her autistic brother on the bitter streets of Denver, Colorado, with nothing but a jacket and a backpack. But things are better now. Charly and Jacob live in a two-bedroom apartment near a mall, and with the passing of their long-lost father, they've inherited a cabin high in the Rocky Mountains. Charly's eager to go there. Relive the good times she had as a child, running through the forest with Jacob and her cousins.

FBI super-profiler Agent Meredeth Connelly begins her hunt for The .40 Caliber Killer. She collects evidence. He collects families. Her headaches become more unbearable with each crime scene, with each dead child. With two decades of experience, she knows serial killers. As the body count rises, it’s clear that this serial killer knows her. She doesn't remember him. He'll never forget her. As the investigation progresses, something awakens within her that hints at an answer.