Hardboiled Horror

There’s something out there in the dark. There’s always something watching. There’s always something reaching for you. Always. And sometimes there’s someone you can call. Someone you can hire. Someone who knows these dark streets and back alleys. Someone who knows how things work in this part of town. Private eyes who are often as dark as the things they hunt. Investigators who know how to look in the shadows for the things that go bump. Good guys but not always nice guys. Hardboiled Horror collects fifteen original tales of noir mystery shot through with elements of horror and the supernatural. Occult detectives, paranormal investigators, seedy P.I.s, amateur sleuths and ghost hunters tackle the cases no one else can handle. The killer lineup includes Heather Graham, Kevin J. Anderson, Rachel Caine, Scott Sigler, Seanan McGuire Alethea Kontis, Jonathan Maberry, Chris Ryall, Dana Fredsti, Jim Beard, Jacopo della Quercia, John Gilstrap, Jon McGoran, Josh Malerman, Max Allan Collins & Matthew V. Clemens, Lois H. Gresh and Nancy Holder. Edited by New York Times bestseller and five-time Bram Stoker Award winner Jonathan Maberry.

There's something out there in the dark. There's always something watching. There's always something reaching for you. Always. And sometimes there's someone you can call. Someone you can hire. Someone who knows these dark streets and back alleys. Someone who knows how things work in this part of town. Private eyes who are often as dark as the things they hunt. Investigators who know how to look in the shadows for the things that go bump. Good guys but not always nice guys. Hardboiled Horror collects fifteen original tales of noir mystery shot through with elements of horror and the supernatural. Occult detectives, paranormal investigators, seedy P.I.s, amateur sleuths and ghost hunters tackle the cases no one else can handle. The killer lineup includes Heather Graham, Kevin J. Anderson, Rachel Caine, Scott Sigler, Seanan McGuire Alethea Kontis, Jonathan Maberry, Chris Ryall, Dana Fredsti, Jim Beard, Jacopo della Quercia, John Gilstrap, Jon McGoran, Josh Malerman, Max Allan Collins & Matthew V. Clemens, Lois H. Gresh and Nancy Holder. Edited by New York Times bestseller and five-time Bram Stoker Award winner Jonathan Maberry.

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FAMISHED A gruesome crime. A vicious predator. And a detective on the verge of losing everything. “Creepy and haunting...a fully immersive thriller.” ~NY Times bestselling author Andra Watkins “Riveting, horrifying, and devastating, Hidden is a book you will not soon forget.” ~Kristen Mae, bestselling author of Red Water HE’S BACK. Detective Edward Petrosky has always felt the pain of the world like a razor blade in his gut, even more so when he considers the killers who have escaped conviction. But he can’t let that stop him, not after a grandmother is found murdered on her front lawn, the victim of some machete-wielding psycho. The case is strange from the outset: no one heard a thing despite the public nature of the crime. An unknown child’s footprints cover the property without a trace of the kid. And a grisly discovery in the basement has the entire police force stunned. Nothing makes sense. Whatever secrets their victim had, she’d taken them, quietly, to her grave. But when another woman’s corpse turns up with a familiar brand on her ribcage, Petrosky realizes the horrible truth: a killer he’d thought was long gone from Ash Park has remained, lurking in their midst. And who knows how many victims this butcher has collected? For those he’s kidnapped, any day might be their last, imprisoned, unseen, with only their screams and a deranged lunatic for company. Now Petrosky must risk everything he holds sacred to track the most sadistic killer Ash Park has ever seen, a man whose thirst for carnage extends far beyond mere bloodletting. But saving innocent lives will require an unbearable sacrifice. One from which he may never recover. Hidden is the emotional fourth book in the hair-raising Ash Park series. If you like Blake Crouch, Dean Koontz, or Paula Hawkins, you’ll love Ash Park.

“A riveting and original serial-killer saga that will keep you frantically turning pages to the hair-raising conclusion.” ~Bestselling Author Emerald O’Brien Detective Petrosky never wanted to be a killer. But he is. Fresh off leave after a justified shooting, Edward Petrosky is battling his own brain as much as he is the world around him. His ex-wife has finally stopped calling, and he’s even pulled away from his neighbors. The chief of police might be the only person helping to keep Petrosky sober. When a woman is found dead near a local running trail, the city goes on high alert. Not only was the victim posed, but her body had been altered as if a crazy plastic surgeon had taken a scalpel to her. This killer is meticulous, careful—in Petrosky’s experience, the most dangerous kind of psycho. But then a second victim turns up, and she hasn’t been mutilated in quite the same way. Strange for a perfectionist suspect. Had the perp been interrupted, or is there a more sinister explanation? Perhaps they’re dealing with a copycat, or a pair of killers—the citizens of Ash Park might be in more peril than Petrosky had anticipated. But when the chief of police is abducted, the case shifts into unchartered territory. The killer they’re after doesn’t just want to play with his victims—he wants notoriety. And the only way he’ll get it is if Petrosky opens up about the case, a move that could put the chief’s life in more danger. And that’s a risk Petrosky cannot take. Petrosky’s only shot is to find their perp before the maniac slices into his boss—the only friend he hasn’t managed to push away. Can he catch the killer and muzzle his demons? Or will this case awaken the devil he’s been trying to silence? Composed is a dark, twisted, thrill ride from bestselling author Meghan O’Flynn. Like all books in the Ash Park world, this ninth installment of the Ash Park series can be read as a standalone. If you like J.D. Robb, Gilly Macmillan, or Claire Mackintosh, you’ll love this addictive mystery! *** KEYWORDS: Vigilante justice, dark crime, serial killer, kidnapping, revenge, vengeance, hardboiled, mystery suspense thriller series, hard-boiled mysteries, female protagonist, pulp, murder, female lawyer protagonist, noir, noir thriller, crime noir, hard-boiled mystery, police procedural, mystery series, crime, noir, gritty detective novels, psychological thrillers, serial killers, crime thrillers, crime fiction, hard boiled detective, hardboiled detective fiction, hard boiled noir, hard boiled crime, gritty mysteries, mystery series books, dark and suspenseful, psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, psychological thriller books, noir, pulp, nail biter mysteries, wise cracking detective, detective partners, crime fiction, urban murder mystery, serial killer thriller, female protagonist, whodunit, whodunnit, nail-biter, intense mystery, suspense fiction, psychological domestic suspense, family drama, detective fiction partners

Wise-cracking detectives pursue a justice-driven killer with a vendetta in this shocking and suspenseful murder mystery. "A captivating thriller about the power of the things we wish we could forget." ~Bestselling Author Mary Widdicks Where is the line between killer and hero? Things are finally looking up for Detective Petrosky. Sure, his daughter’s still dead, his granddaughter’s in another state, and they keep putting lemon in his freaking water, but he’s sober, his ex-wife no longer hates him—as much—and his new partner is as good at police work as she is at matching his snarky comebacks. But criminals don’t take a break; those bastards never sleep. When a councilman’s son is brutally murdered, the city explodes into controversy. Though the teen appears to have been ambushed in a random attack, there’s no forensic evidence at the scene, and the boy’s neck was snapped as quickly and efficiently as if it were a professional hit. Was the murder politically motivated? Or was the victim involved in something else—something bigger? Perhaps the slaying is linked to the old crime scene photos the victim had been collecting, some from cases Petrosky himself worked. And whoever murdered their victim killed at least two others. Ash Park may be dealing with a serial killer five years in the making. But the victims from these older cases are far from innocent—each appears to have been killed during an attempted rape. Is their suspect a cold-blooded murderer, or a hero vigilante? And what does any of it have to do with the councilman’s son? All Petrosky knows is that until now, their perp has been protecting the most vulnerable citizens of Ash Park from the very worst of humanity—from the criminals Petrosky himself has spent his entire career trying to put away. And Petrosky isn’t sure he wants him to stop. Riveting, and as dark as it is mysterious, Recall pushes the boundaries of right and wrong and turns the notion of justice on its head. Recall is the seventh book in the Ash Park series, though all novels in the Ash Park world can be read as standalones. Fans of Harlan Corben, Lee Child, and Karin Slaughter will love the Ash Park series. *** KEYWORDS: Vigilante justice, dark crime, serial killer, revenge, vengeance, hardboiled, mystery suspense thriller series, hard-boiled mysteries, female protagonist, pulp, murder, female lawyer protagonist, noir, noir thriller, crime noir, hard-boiled mystery, military killer, police procedural, mystery series, crime, noir, gritty detective novels, psychological thrillers, serial killers, crime thrillers, crime fiction, hard boiled detective, hardboiled detective fiction, hard boiled noir, hard boiled crime, gritty mysteries, mystery series books, psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, dark and suspenseful, psychological thriller books, noir, pulp, nail biter mysteries, wise cracking detective, detective partners, crime fiction, urban murder mystery, serial killer thriller, female protagonist, whodunit, whodunnit, nail biter, intense mystery, suspense fiction, psychological domestic suspense

In this hyperkinetic and relentlessly inventive novel, Japan’s most popular (and controversial) fiction writer hurtles into the consciousness of the West. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World draws readers into a narrative particle accelerator in which a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is simultaneously cooler than zero and unaffectedly affecting, a hilariously funny and deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind. From the Trade Paperback edition.

A hit man who kills with coincidence... A detective caught in a war between two worlds... A man whose terrible appetites hide an even darker secret . . . Dark Horse once again teams up with Hugo and Bram Stoker award-winning editor Ellen Datlow (Lovecraft Unbound) to bring you this masterful marriage of the darkness without and the darkness within. Supernatural Noir is an anthology of original tales of the dark fantastic from twenty modern masters of suspense, including Brian Evenson, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Nick Mamatas, Gregory Frost, Jeffrey Ford, and many more.

“Sharp and engrossing, Witness is pure suspense…an exploration of dark family secrets that reminds us that no lie is without consequence.” ~Bestselling Author Kristen Mae A missing victim. A deceitful family. And a detective too close to come out unscathed. Detective Edward Petrosky has seen his share of horrors—abused children, terrified assault victims, and of course, the vicious predators who don’t stop killing until someone like Petrosky puts them away. It’s no wonder he needs a little whiskey to take the edge off. So he’s relieved when he gets a call on a burglary—he’ll take stolen laptops over dead bodies any day. But he quickly learns this is no ordinary housebreak. There’s a considerable amount of blood at the scene, though the owner doesn’t appear injured. And Petrosky recognizes him as a man accused of sexual assault years prior; his psycho relatives are more cult than family. When the neighbors identify their burglary suspect, the case goes sideways—it’s not possible. How could a woman who burned to death along with her husband nearly a decade before, a relative of the homeowner, be the one fleeing the crime? If the witnesses are correct, and the woman faked her death…that means she murdered her own husband. What possible reason could she have to return? It doesn’t help that Shannon, Petrosky’s surrogate daughter and wife of his murdered partner, appears to be at the center of the conspiracy. Years of deception have masked a far more intricate web of lies, filled with secrets that implicate the people Petrosky loves most. And with these criminals tying up loose ends, Shannon’s life is at stake. Petrosky must decide how deep he’s willing to go, knowing that exposing the truth could rip apart a terrified woman’s family…and his own. Addictive, fast-paced, and unforgettable, Witness is an electrifying ride through a maze of family secrets, desperation, and perseverance. For fans of Criminal Minds and The Blacklist, this thriller will keep you guessing until the last page. Witness is the tenth novel in the Ash Park series, though all novels in the Ash Park world can be read as standalones. *** KEYWORDS: Vigilante justice, dark crime, serial killer, kidnapping, revenge, vengeance, hardboiled, mystery suspense thriller series, hard-boiled mysteries, female protagonist, pulp, murder, female lawyer protagonist, noir, noir thriller, crime noir, hard-boiled mystery, police procedural, mystery series, crime, noir, gritty detective novels, psychological thrillers, serial killers, crime thrillers, crime fiction, hard boiled detective, hardboiled detective fiction, dark and suspenseful, hard boiled noir, hard boiled crime, gritty mysteries, mystery series books, psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, psychological thriller books, noir, pulp, nail biter mysteries, wise cracking detective, detective partners, crime fiction, urban murder mystery, serial killer thriller, female protagonist, whodunit, whodunnit, nail-biter, intense mystery, suspense fiction, psychological domestic suspense, family drama

Fiendishly clever, unique, and replete with twists and turns that keep readers glued to the pages, Imposter is a fast-paced crime thriller in the vein of Blake Pierce, Tana French, and Carolyn Arnold. Imposter is the eighth book in the Ash Park series, though all novels in the Ash Park world can be read as standalones. A kidnapped child. A detective on the edge. And a suicide that’s anything but. “Little Greggie” Boyle was the amazing reappearing child—a boy kidnapped and returned to his parents after five years in captivity. So what would make him take his own life? That’s the question hanging over Detective Petrosky’s head. It seems straightforward: the teenager was found suspended from the rafters in the foyer of his parents’ home, a rope around his neck. No signs of struggle. No note, though that isn’t uncommon despite what Hollywood says—those movie nitwits don’t know real crime from their left elbows. But something is wrong. The victim’s parents are stonewalling the police, and Gregory’s brother is cagey—even a little creepy. None of them seem interested in finding out what drove Gregory to kill himself. Or maybe they know something Petrosky doesn’t. Then forensic evidence turns the case on its head: the boy was drugged. The death wasn’t a suicide at all. Perhaps the kidnappers came back to make sure he stayed quiet…permanently. As the investigation continues, a darker pattern of abductions begins to emerge. Gregory wasn’t the only child taken, and it appears the kidnapper is cleaning house—are any of the other victims still alive? One thing seems clear: Petrosky and his partner aren’t just hunting a killer; they’re looking for more bodies. If they don’t hurry, the man who murdered Gregory Boyle will rip other children from their families—kids who will never again come home. And more dead children, especially on the anniversary of his daughter’s grisly murder, is more than Detective Petrosky can handle. He needs to catch the killer and ensure no more children fall prey to this maniac before he loses his own tenuous grasp on sanity. ​​​​​​​"A chilling and intricate web…spectacularly entertaining.” ~Bestselling Author Kristen Mae "Dark and twisty... a masterful procedural that explores identity and family secrets, Imposter is as surprising as it is addictive. A must-read!" ~Bestselling Author Wendy Heard  *** KEYWORDS: Vigilante justice, dark crime, serial killer, kidnapping, revenge, vengeance, hardboiled, mystery suspense thriller series, hard-boiled mysteries, female protagonist, pulp, murder, female lawyer protagonist, noir, noir thriller, crime noir, hard-boiled mystery, police procedural, mystery series, crime, noir, gritty detective novels, psychological thrillers, serial killers, crime thrillers, crime fiction, hard boiled detective, dark and suspenseful, hardboiled detective fiction, hard boiled noir, hard boiled crime, gritty mysteries, mystery series books, psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, psychological thriller books, noir, pulp, nail biter mysteries, wise cracking detective, detective partners, crime fiction, urban murder mystery, serial killer thriller, female protagonist, whodunit, whodunnit, nail-biter, intense mystery, suspense fiction, psychological domestic suspense, family drama

A second edition hardcover of the Eisner Award winner! Carl Seltz is a suburban insurance investigator, a loving husband, and devoted father. Nixon is a berserk, homicidal tax collector racking up mind-boggling body counts in a diseased urban slaughterhouse. Unit Four is the ultimate robot killing machine and the last hope of the future's enslaved mechanical servants. And they're all the same psychotic entity.