New Mystery Suspense

When a rookie monster hunter disappears while investigating a series of suspicious murders, druid enforcer Colin McCool is called in to find his young friend and stop the killings. But when his new allies betray him, he'll be forced use every skill at his disposal to evade capture and locate the young hunter...before time runs out for them both!

Previously uncollected and unpublished: new short stories from a master of psychological suspense. New and uncollected tales of murder, mischief, magic and madness. Ruth Rendell was an acknowledged master of psychological suspense: these are 10 (and a quarter) of her most chillingly compelling short stories, collected here together for the first time.

Chloe Galen, the family wild-child, has been expelled from college for the third time and returns to New Orleans with her tail between her legs. That's one time too many for her society matriach mother. When Mama cuts the purse strings, Chloe sets out to prove she can finish college on her own. Using her passion for art and creative ability to stay alive, she takes a job in a gallery and lands in the middle of international art fraud, unaware her fellow students and co-workers aren't as honest as they appear.

When I came back from Underhill, I was certain that my dealings with the fae were done. Sure, I knew they’d be after me - I mean, I had cut off their unlimited supply of magic, after all. I just didn’t think I’d have to help them anymore. But when fae started dropping like flies, and the Red Cap Syndicate came begging for my help, I felt kind of obliged to lend a hand. Thing is, nobody would have attacked the fae in such a brazen manner before I betrayed their queen. So, I guess it’s my fault all the fae are being assassinated.

Cassidy Livingston's new identity has begun to feel as comfortable as her favorite sweater. She's been tucked away on Lantern Beach for weeks, waiting to testify against a deadly gang, and is settling in to a new life she wants to last forever. When she thinks she spots someone malevolent from her past, panic swells inside her. If an enemy has found her, Cassidy won't be the only one who's a target. Everyone she's come to love will also be at risk.

Excitement and anxiety envelop Winifred and Leo as they prepare for their first trip together—New Year's Eve in New York City. For Fred, figuring out what clothes to pack is a challenge, but nothing compared to the emotional knot and turmoil of leaving her cherished corgi sidekick, Watson. It is more than Fred's nerves, however, or Watson's grumpy mood, that threaten the trip. When Fred receives a text from Leo about a meeting at Madame Delilah's Old Tyme Photography, a quick errand leads to an unexpected mystery. And soon more than travel plans are in danger.

Necropolis follows Sajan Dayal, a detective in pursuit of a serial (though nonlethal) collector of fingers. He encounters would-be vampires and werewolves, and a woman named Razia who may or may not be centuries old.

Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend, Dr John Watson, have been hired by actor George Reynolds. George wants them to find out why the audience who comes to see him perform every night are the same people, only wearing disguises. Is something sinister going on and, if so, what? Meanwhile, Holmes’ archenemy, Professor James Moriarty, is having problems of his own. Implicated in the murder of a gang leader, Moriarty and his second, Moran, must go on the run from the police in order to find out who is behind the set-up.

New Zealand, 1970. Born into the gang, Alicia longs to escape the misery of her childhood. Her dream of freedom falls apart when she’s pledged in blood to her cousin Mickey. Happiness seems further away than ever once Mickey grows into a ruthless gangster - until a chance meeting with a hotshot business executive promises Alicia a new life. Immediate reprisals plunge Alicia into a deadly war. Shot down at her wedding ceremony and fighting for life, she despairs that Mickey will ever let go. Can Alicia break free from her brutal past, or is she destined for a legacy of bloodshed?

Corpses are vanishing from New Orleans morgues, there’s talk of a sea monster in Lake Pontchartrain, and Hiram Nádasdy is turning the French Quarter upside down in search of a witch with the power to bring the dead back to life. When the director assigns Rue the case, she suspects he’s sending her hunting all right. For her father, not the creature. Too bad she’s got her hands full with dueling covens, drunk revelers, and a whole lot of pool noodles. Oh. And it’s Mardi Gras. Of course it is. But as the locals say, laissez les bons temps rouler.

Sin City. An artificial oasis of pleasure, spectacle, and entertainment, the gambling capital of America has reinvented itself so many times that it's doubtful that anyone knows for sure what's real and what isn't in the miles of neon and scorching heat. Las Vegas is considered the ultimate player's destination, no matter what your game. Las Vegas is the true city that never sleeps, where fortunes are made and lost every day, and where snake-eyes aren't found just on a pair of dice.

Her family's cottage on the New Jersey shore was a place of freedom and innocence for Julie Bauer - until her 17-year-old sister, Isabel, was murdered. It's been more than 40 years since that August night, but Julie's memories of her sister's death still shape her world. Now someone from her past is raising questions about what really happened that night. About Julie's own complicity. About a devastating secret her mother kept from them all.

Sweet, shy Tabitha Crum, the neglected only child of two parents straight out of a Roald Dahl book, doesn't have a friend in the world - except for her pet mouse, Pemberley, whom she loves dearly. But on the day she receives one of six invitations to the country estate of wealthy Countess Camilla DeMoss, her life changes forever.

When businessman Thomas Peterson is killed outside a football ground in the Highlands, there are several witnesses. Yet the hunt for the killer is proving as futile as the search for a motive. Possible connections to Russian money and an eerie retirement home are soon thrown into the mix. To further complicate things, DI Westphall's MI6 past is coming back to haunt him. Guilt stalks his dreams, but could there be a message in these nightmares? Westphall is in danger of losing his head just when he needs it the most. He must find answers, and fast, before the murderer strikes again.

As the leader of the Serious Crime Unit, DCI ‘Mac' McNeill is no stranger to the city's darkest secrets. But when a body marked with Celtic symbols is discovered in a run-down tower block, the case challenges even his seasoned instincts. With the victim's ties to the treacherous drug scene and a notorious crime lord complicating matters, Mac seeks the help of Dr. Clio Wray, an expert in ancient symbology. But when a second body emerges, an unsettling connection is made to Mac himself.

Logan Willis and his family are hiding safely in Haven, an underwater colony designed by billionaire Akron Massey to be his private shelter. But Logan's son, Alex, didn't make it. Logan is desperate to get out and find him. Meanwhile, OneZero, a friendly Screecher locked in Haven's brig, also wants to get out, and so does Akron Massey, who plans to build another rocket from the Mars mission prototype and use it to join his family on the red planet. Together these three must find a way to leave Haven and accomplish their goals, but the world they left is not the one they are returning to.

Most people wouldn't consider East Tennessee University the big city. But when you come from a small town like Snow Tip Falls, it’s more than you can handle. And when you've lived your life with secrets and the football universe shines that big ol' light on you, it's enough to push you over the edge. At least, it did me. It's a good thing Kendall was there to catch me. He doesn't remember the day we met, but I do. It was the moment I confirmed what I always thought: I like guys.

On a class trip to New Orleans, Catalina Cat Duran and her friends find themselves in the middle of a voodoo mystery.

As Milwaukee counts down to New Year's Eve, bar owner Mackenzie "Mack" Dalton has but one resolution - unmask the dangerous mastermind who has been taunting her and killed bouncer Gary Gunderson. Mack and her fellow barflies have fleshed out a suspect and arranged an invite-only party to put a cork in the murderer's game for good. But when the clock strikes midnight and their suspect is found cold and stiff on the basement stairs, it seems the celebration may have come too soon.

Archie Goodwin is chipper as he strolls home from his weekly poker game, money in his pocket and a smile on his lips. He has just reached Nero Wolfe’s stately brownstone on West 35th Street when a sedan whips around the corner and two gunshots ring out, nearly hitting Goodwin. It is a warning, and the message is clear: The next bullet will not miss. Rotund investigator Nero Wolfe has made more than his fair share of enemies over the years, and it seems one of them has decided to strike, targeting Wolfe’s indefatigable assistant.