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Floored | by Twist Phelan Apr. 07, 2010 | Free! | 4780 words | Read a sample |
| “Floored” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine) is set in the natural gas pit of the New York Mercantile Exchange, and follows a female broker's introduction to the realities of the male-dominated trading floor, where morality and economics collide. The story looks at the choice faced by every trader: Where to draw the line? | |||||
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VL-45 | by Max M Power Jun. 09, 2010 | Free! | 23599 words | Read a sample |
| A gang comes to Houston, Texas, but when innocent kids are killed Detective Wyatt Earp wants the killers brought to justice. When a vigilante starts killing the same gang members who are killing kids the FBI is brought in to take over the case. Wyatt does not want to stop this vigilante because he is doing what the police can not. Will justice prevail or will the vigilante be caught? | |||||
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The Baying Witness | by Anna Drake Oct. 22, 2009 | Free! | 1779 words | Read a sample |
| A missing man, a distraught sister, and a baying hound combine to send Sheriff Delton Ross on a hunt for a killer. | |||||
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Gloria | by David Sartof Feb. 07, 2010 | Free! | 5319 words | Read a sample |
| I’m dying, well that’s what I’ve been told. How has my life come to this: death, betrayal, friendship, love? Yes, love. I know it’s there somewhere, but I’m struggling to make sense of things. How can I, Oliver Beaton-Court, be here in this cabin, looking at my dead wife and holding an axe… Maybe Tom can give me the answers I need, or maybe there are no answers… | |||||
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Murderous Relations | by Anna Drake Nov. 16, 2009 | Free! | 62373 words | Read a sample |
| A lost love and a murdered aunt push a shy teacher out of her shell. | |||||
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Strange Bedfellows | by Twist Phelan Mar. 22, 2010 | Free! | 4226 words | Read a sample |
| “Strange Bedfellows” (POLITICS NOIR anthology) is an ironic/darkly funny tale in which every character’s actions circle back so s/he gets what s/he deserves. “A wise and funny story.” – Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune | |||||
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Hijos de la Siega | by Bill Jimenez Nov. 27, 2009 | Free! | 67266 words | Read a sample |
| Héctor DeSoto despierta en un hospital tras sufrir un aparatoso accidente de tráfico. Aunque ileso, sufre amnesia y no consigue recordar nada de lo ocurrido en los últimos días. Cuando la policía le refresca la memoria y se convierte en testigo de un homicidio múltiple, Héctor se debatirá entre dejarse llevar por las manipulaciones de la Ley o reiniciar el caso allí donde lo olvidó. | |||||
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The Trials of a Businessman, Culminating in His Second Coming of Age (Oh! Our Sweet, Sweet Land...) | by Joe Simpson Aug. 05, 2010 | Free! | 131133 words | Read a sample |
| When the president of a furtive club falls terminally ill, the fight for the vacated position begins. These desperate events precede and continue over into the plot, itself a typical example of how this club implements its power, with the greatest strain being endured by one Edinburgh lawyer, our protagonist. Has the end come for the aristocratic club's antiquated approach to the world's land? | |||||
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Sky People | by A. J. Balkin Jan. 07, 2010 | Free! | 4194 words | Read a sample |
| A staggering journey through the events of one man, whose life subverts time and is penetrated by symbol. Without cause, a chain of events starts to unravel a life not chosen but destined, a figure who remains hidden until the final chapter, and a revelation of syncronicities that will equate perfectly. | |||||
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La última jugada | by Fernando Trujillo Jul. 18, 2010 | Free! | 26788 words | Read a sample |
| Solo Ella podía convocarles a la cita más importante de sus vidas, y, ahora, tres hombres y una mujer, cuyos destinos han quedado entrelazados, tendrán que superar la mayor de las pruebas. Y lo único que importa es vencer. | |||||
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Recycled | by Cecilia Peartree Jun. 17, 2010 | Free! | 3425 words | Read a sample |
| What was Amaryllis doing at the rubbish tip in the middle of the night? And would she get away with it once her friend Christopher was on the case? This short tale of revenge, retribution and garden gnomes takes place in a small town in Scotland and is an introduction to a series of cosy mysteries by the same author. | |||||
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Eye of the Witch | by Dana Donovan Nov. 11, 2009 | Free! | 71472 words | Read a sample |
| Pride, paranoia and paranormal forces all conspire to derail Detective Marcella’s investigation into a series of suspicious suicides in New Castle, Massachusetts. In this sequel to The Witch’s Ladder, Marcella learns that because of the ties that bind their pasts, every potential victim is also a possible suspect. | |||||
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For Sale in Palm Springs: The Henry Wright Mystery Series | by Albert Simon Jan. 25, 2010 | Free! | 60279 words | Read a sample |
| A murdered real estate agent. Unsatisfied home buyers. A possible celebrity scam. A secret society! Join retired police chief Henry Wright in figuring out who killed Palm Springs real estate mogul Rex Thornbird in this page turning thriller that will keep you guessing. This first book in the Henry Wright Mystery Series takes our detective from Palm Springs to the Silicon Valley to find the killer! | |||||
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Broken Dreams - Free six chapter sample eBook | by Nick Quantrill Jul. 25, 2010 | Free! | 18814 words | Read a sample |
| Joe Geraghty, Private Investigator, is used to struggling from one case to the next, barely making the rent on his small office in the Old Town of Hull. Invited by a local businessman to investigate a member of his staff's absenteeism, it's the kind of surveillance work that Geraghty and his small team have performed countless times... | |||||
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The Hero | by Kenneth Crowe Jun. 02, 2010 | Free! | 70161 words | Read a sample |
| Ryan Garrity, winner of two Silver Stars, lost an eye and his dream of an Army career on a battlefield in Korea while leading a selected band of cowards in an experimental unit into combat. The soldier who saved his life also carried three other seriously wounded comrades to safety, but strangely his nomination for a Medal of Honor was squelched. In delving into the reason why, Ryan discovers th | |||||
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Book of Business - a Novel | by Will Nathan Feb. 22, 2010 | You set the price! | 73286 words | Sample 50% |
| It's the summer of 1994, and Gus Bondoc is going under. One of the best lawyers in San Francisco, he's survived by sheer cunning and strict control. But when everything goes wrong at once, Bondoc falls back on his worst instincts and the wrong people. With his business and his life at risk, with plenty of enemies and few friends, he begins the grim process of preserving himself at all costs. | |||||
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Crime Wave | by Twist Phelan Apr. 07, 2010 | Free! | 1502 words | Read a sample |
| “Crime Wave” (CrimeSpree Magazine) takes an ironic look at the idea of crime being in the eye of the beholder. | |||||
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El secreto del tío Óscar | by Fernando Trujillo Jun. 11, 2010 | Free! | 42993 words | Read a sample |
| Nadie de la familia entendió que el tío Óscar le cediera a su sobrino Lucas, con quien apenas cruzó dos palabras en vida, su joya preferida en el testamento: el Escarabajo del ochenta y uno. Un legado que es mucho más que un coche, como descubrirán Lucas y sus amigos cuando el Escarabajo les conduzca hacia un misterio que deberán desvelar a toda costa. | |||||
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Squatter with a Lexus | by Tom Lichtenberg Nov. 15, 2009 | Free! | 21449 words | Read a sample |
| Pearson Holmes disappeared a long time ago, leaving behind a potentially valuable safety deposit box. Freddy the Freegan is the first to stumble across the mystery, but soon a whole cast of characters are out to find the key and claim the treasure before time runs out and the contents are forfeit to the state. Who will solve the riddle of the Squatter with a Lexus? | |||||
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East Coast | by John McFetridge May. 07, 2010 | Free! | 8721 words | Read a sample |
| EAST COAST is THE WIRE in a rural setting as RCMP Sgt. Jerry Northup works to keep his narcotics squad motivated in the seemingly unwinnable war on drugs while raising three kids with his wife, Isobel. | |||||
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Sweet Dream, Silver Screen | by Moxie Mezcal Sep. 09, 2009 | Free! | 16474 words | Read a sample |
| A young woman searches for her missing twin sister in a foreign country called America. On the road, she encounters a series of strangers who help her navigate its topography, including a cowboy in a pink Cadillac, a sadistic law enforcement agent, a pulp fiction novelist, the regulars at a nuclear bomb-themed dive bar, and a man who befriends mannequins. | |||||
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Natale Calibro Dodici | by P.A. Gardinali Dec. 26, 2009 | Free! | 8250 words | Read a sample |
| Un omaggio al mio scrittore noir preferito. Un incubo natalizio in una realtà parallela appena più bizzarra della nostra. (Traduzione dall'inglese di Alessandra Buccheri) | |||||
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Vanilla Heart Publishing's Mystery/Thriller Sampler Fall 2009 | by Vanilla Heart Publishing Aug. 25, 2009 | Free! | 40329 words | Read a sample |
| These sample chapters are works of fiction. This sampler is intended to introduce you to our authors and and their available works. Enjoy! | |||||
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Don't Blink | by Jasmine Giacomo Apr. 22, 2010 | Free! | 5527 words | Read a sample |
| Sara sees things that others don't always appreciate her noticing. When she visits the traveling circus one night, will she be able to solve a murder that occurs in plain sight? | |||||
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Baiting & Fishing | by Meredith Rae Morgan Apr. 25, 2010 | Free! | 96263 words | Read a sample |
| A newspaper reporter investigates the circumstances of a corporate scandal, and finds the woman of his dreams. Is she his perfect match or a murderess? Is he a heel or a hero? | |||||
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The Defective Detective : Murder on the Links | by Adam Maxwell Mar. 08, 2010 | You set the price! | 6403 words | Sample 50% |
| Murder. Intrigue. Alcohol. Detectives. Clues. Golf. Laxatives. What else do you need? When a body is discovered on the golf course the identity of the killer seems obvious. The question is can Clint get to the bottom of the mystery before the stag party catches him? | |||||
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Ransom X | by I.B. Holder Oct. 30, 2009 | Free! | 148398 words | Read a sample |
| Martin Legacy was a top field interrogator before his life was shattered by a random crime. He withdrew to a basement post in the FBI, developing a mythic reputation as a brilliant malcontent. An agent brings him an active case. An abduction ring is preying on women, using them in adult films, ransomed for the price of pornography. They just took the daughter of an old friend, the head of the FBI. | |||||
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Historia de un Crimen Perfecto | by Mikel Santiago Mar. 30, 2010 | Free! | 18471 words | Read a sample |
| Me llamo Eric Rot y escribo estas últimas líneas de mi vida para confesarme: Soy un asesino. Yo lo hice. La maté. Linda Fitzwilliams está muerta. Ni huida con su amante, ni jugando a esconderse para irritar a su familia, como apuntaron en su momento las revistas del mundo rosa... | |||||
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Easy Come, Easy Go | by Lauren A. Johnson Jan. 25, 2010 | You set the price! | 4436 words | |
| Rosa is an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse), who learns the circumstances under which her superior, Paul an RN (Registered Nurse) has quit. Soon after he quits, a resident dies under mysterious circumstances. The same resident who recently put Paul into her will. Rosa stumbles into a situation she didn't look to be a part of. Will she make the right decisions? | |||||
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Murder at Summerset | by Edward St Amant Oct. 19, 2009 | Free! | 102022 words | Read a sample |
| “In spite of technological advances that allow life to survive on other planets, human being’s quest for power hasn’t changed over a century’s time.” | |||||
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The Peahen | by Twist Phelan Apr. 07, 2010 | Free! | 2720 words | Read a sample |
| “The Peahen” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine) is a homage to Pete Dexter. Written in Dexter’s understated, linear style—much happens that isn’t on the page—the story looks at the tension that arises from the influx of things foreign on formerly all-American endeavors. | |||||
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What a wonderful world | by Becky Miller Apr. 20, 2009 | Free! | 2664 words | Read a sample |
| The foreign student Rebecca meets a mysterious man during her stay in Hull. Thoughts race through her head and her mind tells her not to go with him. Will she listen to her head or her heart? | |||||
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The Fallen Tree | by David Hoogterp Dec. 14, 2009 | Free! | 2822 words | Read a sample |
| It began with a gesture of kindness but soon I was at odds with my creepy new neighbor. When I began to suspect him of something more sinister things got ugly. | |||||
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Bronx Style(브롱크스 스타일) | by Red Angel May. 31, 2010 | Free! | 2785 words | Read a sample |
| 911테러에 관한 픽션입니다. | |||||
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Lavoro di Natale (un racconto di Sandrone Dazieri) | by P.A. Gardinali Dec. 26, 2009 | Free! | 5879 words | Read a sample |
| Lavoro di Natale l'ho scritto diversi anni fa, subito dopo aver terminato il primo romanzo del Gorilla, o forse in contemporanea. Il racconto rimase nel cassetto, lo pubblicai con qualche variante quattro anni dopo in un'antologia dalla circolazione limitatissima.E mi fa piacere ridarlo a voi, miei lettori e amici, mettendolo idealmente sotto il vostro albero di Natale. | |||||
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Marilyn Celeste Morris Fall 2009 Sampler | by Vanilla Heart Publishing Oct. 23, 2009 | Free! | 9597 words | Read a sample |
| Enjoy a good taste of Marilyn Celeste Morris' novels, The Women of Camp Sobingo, Forces of Nature, My Ashes of Dead Lovers Garage Sale, Sabbath's Gift, and her most recent release, Sabbath's House. | |||||
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Making Dylan Maxwell | by Moxie Mezcal Sep. 26, 2009 | Free! | 12754 words | Read a sample |
| Meet Dylan Maxwell, billionaire dot-com CEO and world class deviant. Tired of the same old thrills, he dreams up a new game for the rich & powerful, convincing them to put everything on the line – their fortunes, their reputations, even their lives. | |||||
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Times of Trouble | by Victoria Rollison Jun. 01, 2010 | Free! | 103717 words | Read a sample |
| Ellen’s sister is in trouble. She knows something she shouldn’t and people want her dead. Ellen wants to help her. But how do you find someone who doesn't want to be found? Ellen's determination to find her sister leads to dead ends and near misses, lucky breaks, personal danger and devastating betrayal. | |||||
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Concrete Underground | by Moxie Mezcal Mar. 13, 2010 | Free! | 92208 words | Read a sample |
| An idealistic journalist sets out to expose corruption among the city's elite and soon finds himself immersed in a conspiracy of murder, blackmail, espionage, and human trafficking. Pitted against the enigmatic CEO of one of the world's largest tech companies, he must play a deadly game threatens to unearth its players' darkest secrets. | |||||
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EAST VILLAGE NOIR | by Russell Atwood Dec. 20, 2009 | Free! | 6770 words | Read a sample |
| "Finding a runaway teenager in New York City is easy. The hard part is finding the one your looking for." Private eye Payton Sherwood is hired by the parents of a runaway girl, and while searching for her through the shadowy sidestreets of the East Village, he comes across a connection to a murdered autograph expert. Short story originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July 1997. | |||||
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Death's Memory (A Short Story) | by Matt Williams Jul. 11, 2010 | Free! | 3024 words | Read a sample |
| Panic strikes as a man wakes to find a dead body - and no answers. Has he been framed? A knock at the door triggers a series of events threatening to expose the truth...and the identity of the murderer. | |||||
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Time Will Tell | by Twist Phelan Apr. 07, 2010 | Free! | 5098 words | Read a sample |
| “Time Will Tell” (MWA PRESENTS THE PROSECUTION RESTS anthology) explores a certain kind of relationship. Publishers Weekly, starred review; BY HOOK OR BY CROOK AND 29 MORE OF THE BEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES selection; Finalist, Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story (Crime Writers of Canada). | |||||
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Let Sleeping Gods | by Aaron Ross Powell Nov. 29, 2009 | Free! | 863 words | Read a sample |
| A detective races to prevent catastrophe in this short story. Part horror, part science fiction, "Let Sleeping Gods" is powerful and tough fiction with a heart of deepest mystery. | |||||
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Free to Die | by Bob McElwain Dec. 06, 2009 | Free! | 63932 words | Read a sample |
| Brad Ashton fled three years ago to avoid a conviction for murder. Now he's back. And his hope for freedom appears to be within reach. Unfortunately there are those who have no interest in his legal status; they only want him dead or on the run once more... | |||||
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Talk To Me | by Twist Phelan Apr. 07, 2010 | Free! | 4560 words | Read a sample |
| “Talk to Me” (ACWL AMERICA PAST, AMERICA PRESENT anthology) tells the tale of an antiques dealer who wakes up with a bump on the head, a serious case of amnesia, and a gallery full of furniture that talks to him—about murder. | |||||
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Not A Fire Exit | by Christopher Finlan Dec. 03, 2009 | You set the price! | 62943 words | Sample 50% |
| Written to help raise money to fight Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Not A Fire Exit is a comedic love story wrapped in a mystery as Jim and Sarah Knox deal with marriage, Nolan's Knockouts, Texas, Felines for Frederick's and the mysterious Dr. Schad. A portion of the profits will be donated to the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. | |||||
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Barbotte | by John McFetridge May. 20, 2010 | Free! | 4322 words | Read a sample |
| Montreal 1946. Jackie Robinson is playing for the Royals, the jazz clubs are hopping and the backrooms are full of people losing money at the barbotte tables. Nat Lawson is home from the war working for the phone company and moonlighting running 'silent' lines for bookies when Leah Aidelbaum asks him to play private eye. | |||||
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For the Good of the Game | by Twist Phelan Mar. 01, 2010 | Free! | 1679 words | Read a sample |
| Red Herring Mystery Magazine; The Mystery Review. An athlete takes team loyalty to the extreme. | |||||
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The Hunt for Sunan | by Brian Davis Mar. 07, 2010 | You set the price! | 63513 words | Sample 75% |
| Yanus's fascination with UFO's amused his engineering colleagues, until he vanishes on a business trip to Louisiana. Colleagues, Daniel and Nadine, dig for answers in a strange town to search for Yanus. Was there more to his UFO obsession than just curiosity? Was he leaving clues for Daniel and Nadine? An immigrant, did Yanus bring more with him than the desire for freedom and prosperity? | |||||
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The Witch's Ladder | by Dana Donovan Nov. 10, 2009 | Free! | 99918 words | Read a sample |
| A group of individuals proficient in the psychic academia of clairvoyance, mental telepathy and bilocation work together to understand life’s most unusual secrets. But in a world where secrets among psychics are hard to keep, they soon realize that even their abilities of mind over matter cannot save them from the blade of the surgeon stalker. Book one in a series of Detective Marcella mysteries | |||||