Short Mystery Collection

Mister Tidwell is a scholarly Oxford professor snatched out of his bookish world and pressed into service aboard Lord Nelson’s legendary British fleet - in the position of schoolmaster. Such is the life of the land-loving, seafaring Mister Tidwell, Gunner. Thrust into service at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, Tidwell soon finds himself directly in the line of fire and way out of his depth. Fate has cast him into a terrible and terrifying spot - alone on deck to face the fearsome approach of a French man-o’-war.

Three Compelling Sherlock Holmes Mysteries In One Book. Narrated by the celebrity actor P.J. Ochlan who has also won numerous voice audio awards. Story One: The Hex of a Gypsy Woman. He raised his disheveled head from his hands. The face was that of my friend, but the expression it bore was unrecognizable. He was indeed out of countenance. "All that I have seen and all that I know, dear fellow, for it to come to this. The great Sherlock Holmes undone by a gypsy woman."

Three compelling Sherlock Holmes Mysteries in one book narrated by Mark Deakins. Set in the late 19th century, no fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes.

Story One: Bumbling Caper on the Swiss Alps. "Watson! Watson!" I shouted in dismay, thinking I was close to the surface. Alas, I could not find my way out of the snow, packed thick and heavy all around me. My legs were pinned in place, and I could scarcely breathe with each passing moment.

Stop the presses! One hundred thousand dollar reward offered for the return of George Harley Rockham! That’s more than enough to turn Shanghai newspaperman Jimmy Vance’s head. Throw in the gorgeous dame who’s offering the reward - Rockham’s daughter Virginia - and he might lose his head altogether. Fast-talking Vance jumps at the chance...the money...and the girl. But as Jimmy quickly discovers, there are several billion reasons to watch his back. Because that’s how much Rockham is worth.

"The case of the missing Mayan Codices". "I do not suppose that you have brought your revolver with you Watson?" I shook my head to indicate that my response was in the negative to his question. He turned his head forward again and led us through the kitchen, past several side pantries. As we cautiously inched forward, Holmes observed that the blood trail consisted of droplets of varying size. "Whomever it came from, they must have been applying intermittent pressure on the wound as they walked."

Here are five more tales of crime and mystery, telling of those who walk crooked paths and pay the price for it. Here are crooks and cops, killers and victims, and those who walk the line between good and evil. Take a few short trips down the darker side of life, where crime can be a casual or planned event. This set of stories shows people on the run and police and ordinary citizens solving crimes. Sometimes the perpetrator gets away, but so often people pay for their deeds.

Matt Cooper is hired to tail a political candidate to see if he's conducting himself and his campaign in an ethical manner. Meanwhile, someone is killing citizens around Hollywood and the police don't have a clue where to start looking for suspects. Matt's kid sister, Olivia is preparing for her high school graduation. Does Elliott have to worry about Matt taking on this job alone?

Times are tough as Elliott and Gloria discuss the possibility of taking in a boarder to help make ends meet. Meanwhile Elliott and matt are hot on the case of the missing brother, having been hired by his older sister to find him. Also running through the story is a side bet between Elliott and Matt as to who can drum up the first client of the day. The loser of this contest is surely going to be embarrassed.

Matt and Gloria are hired to tail a recently released convict, hoping he'll lead them to the two million dollars he stole from an armored car before he went to prison. Along with the latest in surveillance and tracking equipment, this mother and son team will get results if it kills them. Let's hope not.

Neighborhood businesses are being plastered with graffiti - some of it artful and some of it garbage. The police want to hire Elliott to find these spray can artists and offer them a deal of working with the merchants. Elliott is on another case, so Gloria steps up and handles this one with surprising results. The two brothers who are leaving their marks all over the city have been tagged The Marks Brothers by the merchants.

Matt also has some big news for Elliott and Gloria. Meanwhile Gloria joins Elliott on her last case before she retires to make room for Matt. They're checking the background of a potential investor when that client turns up dead - hanging in his own living room. Suicide? Elliott doesn't think so.

Elliott and Matt are hire by the police to handle the leg work for them on a kidnap case that has brought in the FBI. The two private eyes have to check area body shops, machine shops, fabrication shops and any other place capable of manufacturing a fake U.S. Mail box, used in the ransom drop.

Elliott Cooper's off to Las Vegas for a week-long P.I. convention and he's driving there in his new car. He stops for gas in Barstow and two thugs carjack him and his car. They slug him, dump him in the desert and leave him for dead. This could have been the end for Elliott Cooper had Jane not come along when she did. She takes Elliott back to her house in the middle of nowhere. Elliott had been hit so hard on the head that now he can't remember who he is, what he is and where he belongs.

Is it possible to scare someone to death? Absolutely. And that's just what this pair of killers is doing so as not to leave any traces of trauma on the victims. Each death appears to be caused by a heart attack. Why does Elliott NOT want to get involved in this case, now that his business is called Cooper and Son again? The answers are all right here in this 122nd installment of the four generations of Coopers in the private eye business.

It's business as usual for Matt Cooper's son, Clay and his grandson, Elliott...well almost. Something has got Clay distracted. He's found himself a girlfriend and Elliott's dying to know who the lucky woman is. Clay's not about to kiss and tell, and besides, they have a triple homicide to look into and they don't need the distraction of a woman slowing their reaction times. The things these two private eyes are into could prove deadly for one of them, but it isn't what you might expect.

Elliott and his son Matt are hired to babysit an important witness and make sure he makes it to court to testify Monday morning. Elliott takes him to a rented cabin in the mountains and quickly realizes that someone else knows he's there...and they're after the witness.

Elliott finds a briefcase on the elevator and upon opening it in his office, finds $50,000.00, a .45 automatic and a list of five names. Could this case belong to a hit man? You'd be surprised.

The Doll Maker is taking women off the street and turning them into dolls before killing them. Will he be caught?

Good and evil battle in this unusual tale of supernatural conflict. First in the AngelStories short story collection from award-winning author Michael Lynes.