Joan Avery

Strange, haunting, bizarre, brilliant, and transcendent are some of the words that describe Visions in Light and Shadow, a collection of short stories from three-time Hugo nominee John L. Flynn.

When Inspector Kate Dawson, a homicide detective from the San Francisco Police Department, is called in the wee hours of the morning, little did she know what would be waiting for her on the tarmac of San Francisco International Airport. Air Force One has landed with a corpse in the lavatory; the victim is a beautiful Fox News reporter, known as the "fair and balanced" girl. Apparently, she enjoyed kinky foreplay, like having her oxygen supply limited, a gasper, but it just went too far...or did someone else take advantage and finish her off?

When a BART subway car arrives at its destination, with 24 passengers all dead, Inspector Kate Dawson, a homicide detective with the San Francisco police department, must find out what killed them and who is responsible for their deaths. Her investigation takes her from the treacherous back streets of Chinatown to a luxurious chateau nestled in the Northern California hills, and from a lavish horse race track to a perilous underground lair.

Life on the planet Jupiter? Former Senator Mitchell Ryan had always been told the violent, storm-tossed world was devoid of life. He had dismissed rumors of a strange life form living in the energy rich atmosphere as mere fantasy. Confronted with several mysterious deaths, sabotage, and similar acts of terrorism - possibly perpetrated by wealthy politicians who profit from the current crisis of fear - Ryan faces a dilemma that will change his life and determine the fate of the solar system forever.

Inspector Kate Dawson is called to investigate a mass murder, a call that will change her life, and possibly the whole world - forever. Certain parents have been directed to put their children to death. They believe they are the Chosen Ones, destined by God to inherit the Earth. The charismatic leader of End Times Ministries, whose grand plan includes stoking the fires of Armageddon, has ordered parishioners to close ranks and prepare for a holy war. Kate Dawson knows this is not God’s will, but that of a dangerous, diabolical cult leader who controls the lives of his people.

Someone has a fetish for murder. Detective Kate Dawson is willing to go undercover to catch a serial killer. But this time, undercover may be exactly what the killer wants. Two very rich and powerful men in San Francisco have been murdered by a mysterious woman, nicknamed “The Angel of Death” by the press. Stephen Collins is targeted as the third victim. Naked, Collins welcomes a red-headed woman, dressed as a dominatrix, into his Pacific Heights home, and together they engage in sadomasochistic play.