Thriller Collection

In these psychologically daring, chillingly suspenseful pieces, the author of We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde writes about women facing threats past and present, once again cementing her reputation for "great intelligence and dead-on imaginative powers" (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

Ghost stories date back centuries, but those written in the Victorian era have a unique atmosphere and dark beauty. Michael Sims, whose previous Victorian collections Dracula’s Guest (vampires) and The Dead Witness (detectives) have been widely praised, has gathered twelve of the best stories about humanity’s oldest supernatural obsession. The Phantom Coach includes tales by a surprising and often legendary cast, including Charles Dickens, Margaret Oliphant, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, and Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as lost gems by forgotten masters such as Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and W. F. Harvey. Amelia B. Edwards’s chilling story gives the collection its title, while Ambrose Bierce ("The Moonlit Road"), Elizabeth Gaskell ("The Old Nurse’s Story"), and W. W. Jacobs ("The Monkey’s Paw") will turn you white as a sheet. With a skillful introduction to the genre and notes on each story by Sims, The Phantom Coach is a spectacular collection of ghostly Victorian thrills.

Hotels are a place that some people frequent. Business trips, conferences, getaways, and vacations. But these people have stories to share from their experiences at hotels that weren't quite what they expected.... As one patron has advised after a terrifying experience, if you are going to an unfamiliar area, ask about the history of the place before you stay there. You'll hear about a business trip with an unexpected ghostly twist and many others. Some hotel employees as well as patrons recount numerous terrifying paranormal experiences in haunted hotels.

Mystery Writers of America is proud to present Deadly Anniversaries, a collection of crime and mystery stories from some of the best contemporary authors, all of whom have been invited to put their own unique spin on what it means to recognize a certain day or event every year. An anniversary can take many forms, and by the time this group of best sellers and award winners is through, none of us will ever look at anniversaries the same way again. Edited by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini, this collection features original stories from 20 industry giants.

Villains have all the fun - everyone knows that - and this anthology takes you on a wild ride through the dark side! The top villains from 16 urban fantasy series get their own stories - including the baddies of New York Times best-selling authors Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Kelley Armstrong, Seanan McGuire, and Jonathan Maberry. For every hero trying to save the world, there's a villain trying to tear it all down.

Includes Dying to Cruise, A Christmas Cruise, and Murderous Cruise Habit.

Clea McAllister returns to the Newport haven of her childhood, a gilded mansion by the sea once owned by her beloved grandmother. Now she is a paying guest at her own ancestral home, and Clea’s vacation hides a darker intention: to confront the estate lawyer who stole her rightful inheritance. But wicked games are still being played at Belle Mer, and Clea uncovers more than she ever intended.

"The Castle Orphans": "How often does he visit you?" added Watson, producing his pipe from his pocket. He searched the same pocket for a match then lit the device. "He visits every week and every few nights. He likes to sneak in the window and take things back to his castle!" The small girl played with the little tiger upon her knee.

Alek Fitz is a reaper, a collection agent who works for the supernatural elements of the world, tracking down debtors and solving problems for clients as diverse as the Lords of Hell, vampires, Haitian loa, and goblins. He’s even worked for the Tooth Fairy on occasion. Based out of Cleveland, Ohio, Alek is the best in the game. As a literal slave to his job, he doesn’t have a choice.

Diana’s work on the Southside Restoration has progressed to the point that only the vagrant situation is holding things back–and suddenly, they start disappearing from the streets. The unusually mild winter has resulted in an equally unusual number of homeless deaths. Jimmy’s curiosity discovers more oddities than coincidence could explain, and suspicions that Diana might be involved.

There's always more to the story, more details to paint the picture. Are you addicted to Slaughter? Vacation turns into a fight for survival, and you'll never guess what's in the back of that truck. That follows with a tale of how a diner dishwasher infiltrates a drug cartel. Next, a notorious assassin gets a firsthand glimpse of the myth behind the man. Finally, a first day on the job ends in chaos and carnage.

Frankie is a caregiver facing a meager and thankless future. Until her elderly charge dies—but not before revealing his secret. It’s buried in Death Valley. Enough money to change Frankie’s life forever. All she has to do is follow his instructions and stay on the path, and her prayers will be answered. It’s everything Frankie hopes for. But nothing like she expects.

Mind the blood, hide any weapons, and get an alibi. Murder is not for the faint of heart, nor is this collection of stories set in Eastern Washington. Join an array of characters as they struggle through the worst moments of their lives. A husband hides his wife’s terrible crime. Two contract killers deliver a final punishment to a mob informant. A remorseful man is forced to share his prison cell with a homicidal maniac. A serial killer vacations through the Pacific Northwest.

These are 20 new crime mysteries together in one large collection, taken from a string of short stories set in the late 19th century. No fictional characters are more renowned for their powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion, Dr. John Watson.

As Kate Hamilton and her new husband, DI Tom Mallory, honeymoon in Devon, a local history museum asks them to trace the provenance of a bloodstained dress said to belong to a Victorian lacemaker accused of murder. If genuine, the dress and its puzzling connections to a nineteenth-century Romani family who camped on Dartmoor will be the centerpiece of a new historic-crimes exhibit—exactly Kate’s kind of mystery. But matters turn deadly when a shot is fired during a fundraising gala, injuring the man who donated the dress.

After a long run as a respected journalist, Edward “Fitz” Fitzhugh is on his way out when he stumbles across the story of a lifetime. The Gravedigger is a serial kidnapper who taunts the police with riddles. The other puzzle is his motive, which Fitz is determined to piece together. When an eyewitness to the latest abduction leads Fitz closer to the facts, he realizes that the last great story of his career is not at all what it appears to be.

Josephine Ying longs to overthrow Big Uncle as the best host, and after his roast duck incident, she’s finally getting her chance this Chinese New Year. Even better, her son is bringing a surprise. Unfortunately, the surprise turns out to be a gold-digging fiancée—who dies at the dinner table. Her problems just got a lot bigger than hosting the perfect meal. Certain there’s a killer at the table, Josephine sharpens her questions to find them out.

The unifying factor of this collection is that, without exception, every author included here was in some way or another involved with or interested in the occult. In some cases, they were members of an occult organization, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society, or similar such groups. Others simply had a strong personal interest in the subject matter or practiced some form of the esoteric sciences in private.

An FBI agent is investigating an elusive kidnapper. What she doesn't count on is becoming his next victim. From USA Today best-selling author A. R. Shaw.

Lauren and Kelsey: married, a baby on the way, and now the new owners of the Hudson Valley house they’ve always admired. The timing couldn’t be better, and the leafy, secluded area couldn’t be more beautiful. Everything’s perfect—except for the older gentleman across the street, who seems to be keeping a very close watch on them. Welcome to the neighborhood.