HE’S GOT A TARGET ON HIS BACK...PITY THE WANNABE HIT MAN.Some dimwit in New York’s put out a contract on Lou Fleener, private detective and street fighter extraordinaire. A completely boneheaded move—these Big Apple goons have no idea who they’re dealing with.And a totally unjust one too—all Lou did was accidentally start a gang war in Chicago. Hardly worth mentioning.A few toughs try their luck at taking him out (and wish they hadn’t), but when an innocent citizen’s killed in a drive-by intended for Lou, he decides enough is enough. He figures he’ll just find out who’s footing the bill and ask them to cancel the contract.So Lou and Cassidy, his beautiful, fierce, and fiercely loyal sharp-shooter wife, head for New York, bringing Lou's unique brand of one-man gang warfare. He'd have been happy to talk it out. He asked nice, but they wanted a war. So they got Lou, who’s always way more trouble than anybody's ever expecting.Even with a bum ankle, Lou’s still the best street fighter in Chicago. And in New York, he’s also got a secret weapon—a smooth New York P.I. who knows his way around the local crime empires.As always, a good part of the fun is watching everyone underestimate a short, pudgy underdog, and the satisfaction of witnessing their thoroughgoing annihilation.New location and crime-fighting partner; same funny, quirky brand of noir, plus fast-moving action for hard-boiled fans and the latest episode in a one-of-a-kind, against-all-odds love story.Duane Lindsay’s genius for creating vibrant characters and brilliant plots is in top form here. He’s created a terrifying adversary who’ll keep readers on tenterhooks right up to the final stunning plot twist. Perfect for fans of the late Donald E. Westlake and Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series.

Once a rising star in the FBI, with the best case closure rate of any investigator, Ella Porter is now exiled to a small gold mining town bordering the wilderness of Alaska. The reason for her new assignment? She allowed a prolific serial killer to escape custody.But what no one knows is that she did it on purpose.The day she shows up in Nome, bags still unpacked, the wife of the richest gold miner in town goes missing. This is the second woman to vanish in as many days. And it's up to Ella to find out what happened.Assigning Ella to Nome is no accident, either. Though she swore she'd never return, Ella grew up in the small, gold mining town, treated like royalty as a child due to her own family's wealth. But like all gold tycoons, the Porter family secrets are as dark as Ella's own.Read Girl Under the Ice and eight more edge-of-your-seat psyche thrillers in this bargain boxed set.

A cosy romp of cream teas, double-barrelled names and murder.' THE SUNThe new book in the Val and Arbie mysteries from the multi-million-copy selling author Faith Martin.One of these guests has a date with death…Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift arrives at Dashwood House, a glamorously modern hotel in the up-and-coming resort of Galton-next-the-Sea, but all plans for a relaxing stay are scuppered when one of the guests is found dead.The body is found in the writing room, the victim part of a set visiting the seaside town for an engagement party, which happens to include Arbie’s old friend, Val.Familiar with Val and Arbie’s previous experience in solving puzzling crimes, the bride asks the pair to investigate. They quickly discover that the victim had no shortage of enemies, and many of the guests are up to no good. But who is simply hiding a secret, and who is hiding murder?Readers have fallen in love with The Last Word is Death'Absolutely gorgeous storytelling with characters and setting perfect for the time frame’ ?????'This one is perfect for readers who love Agatha Christie-style stories and cosy murder mysteries. A great second book!'?????'It has the hallmarks of an Agatha Christie mystery’ ?????

Forty-one of the best mystery and suspense stories from around the world together in "a standout among mystery anthologies" (Booklist)."This collection, the second in an annual series, has heft and authority. . . . Capers, cozies, character puzzles, mysteries that hinge on wordplay, excursions into noir, and comic jaunts are all represented." —BooklistA Banquete of Mystery and Crime FictionHere, for the delectation of readers who hunger for outstanding mystery reading, are gathered the greatest mystery and crime stories of 2000. Award-winning author and editor Ed Gorman has once again collected the best stories of the year from around the world, to baffle, tantalize, and delight mystery readers. Included are tales of crime, mystery, and suspense from such authors as:· Lawrence Block· Jan Burke· Dorothy Cannell· Clark Howard· Peter Lovesey· Joyce Carol Oates· Nancy Pickard· Bill Pronzini· Ian Rankin· And a host of others"The stories range in quality from above average to superb; indeed the biggest mystery is how a single year could have produced a bumper crop of so many outstanding tales." —Kirkus Reviews

USA Today best-selling authorAn ex-con traces a victim’s clues to set a cold case ablaze Between fending off a lecherous parole officer and trying to get by in 1978 San Francisco, private investigator Colleen Hayes struggles to put her life back together so she can reconnect with her runaway teenage daughter. Then her life changes dramatically. She accepts a case from wealthy, retired industrialist Edward Copeland. The old man is desperate to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, a murder that took place in Golden Gate Park eleven years earlier—during the Summer of Love. The case has since gone cold, her murderer never found. Now, in his final days, Copeland hires Colleen to find his daughter’s killer in hopes he might die in peace.Colleen understands what it means to take a life—she spent a decade in prison for killing her ex. Battling her own demons, she immerses herself in San Francisco’s underbelly, where police corruption is rampant. Her investigation turns deadly as she pries for information, yet there is little to go on. However, a song on the radio makes her wonder—did the murdered girl leave any clues that others may have missed? Perfect for fans of Elmore Leonard and Gillian Flynn

Acclaimed crime writer Kent Anderson's "fiercely authentic and deeply disturbing" police novel, following a Vietnam veteran turned cop on the meanest streets of 1970s Portland, Oregon (Los Angeles Times).Two kinds of cops find their way to Portland's North Precinct: those who are sent there for punishment, and those who come for the action. Officer Hanson is the second kind, a veteran who survived the war in Vietnam only to decide he wanted to keep fighting at home. Hanson knows war, and in this battle for the Portland streets, he fights not for the law but for his own code of justice.Yet Hanson can't outrun his memories of another, warmer battleground. A past he thought he'd left behind, that now threatens to overshadow his future. An enemy, this time close to home, is prying into his war record. Pulling down the shields that protect the darkest moments of that fevered time. Until another piece of his past surfaces, and Hanson risks his career, his sanity--even his life--for honor.