American Mysteries

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to. Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop.

These shivery tales were collected from the oral tradition, from people all over the Southwest, and represent the rich cultural diversity of the region, from the Ozarks to the Rio Grande, California to the Big Thicket.

Three individuals are at the pivotal point in their lives – Ashley, Gethambe, and Lana. And somehow, their lives will soon intertwine, but not all parties will get their happy ending. Ashley’s world came crumbling down around her on July 17th. That was the day that she would face her husband for the last time. He had filed for divorce and had moved on to share his life with another woman. Around that same time, Gethambe, a half breed human and wolf, found that he needed to prove himself to his pack and take an epic journey from death to life. During this journey, he must fight seven ...

Romaine Wilder, big-city medical examiner with a small-town past, has been downsized and evicted. With few other options, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Roble in East Texas, leaving behind the man she’s dating and the life she’s worked hard to build. Suzanne Babet Derbinay, Romaine’s Auntie Zanne and proprietor of the Ball Funeral Home, has long since traded her French Creole upbringing for Big Texas attitude. She’s a member in a number of ladies’ auxiliaries and clubs, including being in charge of the Tri-County Annual Crawfish Boil and Music Festival. Hanging on to ...

In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.

From New York Times best-selling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a novel that is equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on identity politics and the American-Indian experience. Fans of Jordan Peele and Tommy Orange will love this story as it follows the lives of four American-Indian men and their families, all haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a vengeful way.

While attending the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question - if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.

If she could rename herself, Tashay would go by the sex goddess. For her, nothing beat the thrill of seduction and the money that followed. Super thick! Sexy! With a pretty face and a waist that turned heads. Every time! The attention fueled her confidence, and she loved every moment of it. It was such a blessing to be a bad bitch! Raised in Brooklyn among the d-boys, she naturally became entwined in their world, eventually forming a reluctant relationship with a demanding sidepiece known as Slow. Yeah, he took care of her well. Financially. Dicked her down. Stupendously! But he was a nag, ...

**Previously Published as The Protector's Promise** No matter how strong love is, every love story has its challenges. The same rings very true for Karmen and Desmond. Their love has been a rollercoaster from the beginning, but when Desmond’s past resurfaces, it makes their ride even bumpier. Desmond moved back home, trying to outrun his demons. Soon he realizes there’s only so much running he can do before they catch up with him. When they do, they threaten the life of Karmen and his own. Karmen’s past relationship caused her to keep guys at arm’s length. She’s lived by the motto...

A MAN SHOULD NOT DROWN IN A DESERT! BUT ONE HAS. TWICE! Teenage outsiders from the desert town of Smoke Tree find a body floating in a cistern beneath a desert moon, but an autopsy shows the man drowned elsewhere. Why move a drowned man and stage a false drowning? As Deputy Johnny Quentin, investigates, he discovers that the man's wife is also missing. Johnny must find her before the killer claims another victim. Find her in a section of open desert larger than some states. The new deputy, haunted his his tours as a Ranger in Vietnam and the death of his best friend there, must put his ...

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home. These shiver-inducing tales introduce listeners to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge.

Im Dezember 1988 kommen beim Lockerbie-Bombenanschlag alle 259 Passagiere einer Boeing 747 ums Leben, darunter auch Maureen, die Verlobte des US-Collegestudenten Mitch Rapp. Ein Jahr nach ihrem Tod wird Mitch von der CIA rekrutiert und schließt sich dem geheimen Orion-Team an, das gegen den weltweiten Terror in den Kampf zieht. An Krisenherden in Europa, im Nahen Osten und Asien bewältigt er den Verlust seiner großen Liebe und sucht nach einem neuen Sinn für sein Leben.

Nate Noble has it all--a thriving business, a loving fiancée, and a bright future. But his world takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Marvin Waters, the childhood best friend he hasn't seen in thirty years. Marvin is a man beaten down by life, haunted by a troubled past and barely scraping by. Driven by guilt and a desire to do the right thing, Nate extends a helping hand, offering Marvin a job and a fresh start.

Spanning from a mediocre spa in Florida, to New York’s gritty East Village, to death row in Alabama, this collection reveals boundless suspense in small, quiet moments, offering startling twists in the least likely of places. From a powerful response to hateful bullying, to a fight for health care, to a gripping desperation to vote, these stories are equal parts shocking, devastating, and enthralling, revealing the tension pulsing through our everyday lives and affirming that mystery and suspense writing is better than ever before.

Meddy Chan has been to countless weddings, but she never imagined how her own would turn out. Now the day has arrived, and she can't wait to marry her college sweetheart, Nathan. They find the perfect wedding vendors: a Chinese Indonesian family-run company just like theirs. Meddy is hesitant at first, but she hits it off right away with the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who reminds Meddy of herself, down to the unfortunately misspelled name. But Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target.

A gunslinger, a ranch owner, and a jaded deacon turned outlaw. What could possibly go wrong as three very different lives collide in small town Praytell, Texas? Jacob Roy spends his life catching bad guys for a living, yet the public can’t seem to get around his reputation as a killer. Though he prefers to bring in his bounties standing on two feet, many are ignorant enough to test his prowess and end up six feet under. All it takes is an innocent telegram to send him on a quest to test his mettle, right a wrong, and protect something he loves beyond life itself. Jessie North, a tough, ...

Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom and working full time as an ICU nurse, when a patient named Caitlin arrives in her ward with a traumatic brain injury. They say she jumped from a bridge and plunged over twenty feet to the train tracks below.

When newly appointed Sheriff Shea Callahan and her college friends plan a girls' weekend in a secluded cabin on Misty Mountain, they expect laughter, wine, and memories of their last carefree days together. But the weekend takes a dark turn when a group of strangers notices their matching "Girls' Weekend" T-shirts at a small-town gas station. What begins as innocent curiosity quickly spirals into a harrowing game of cat and mouse as the women find themselves stalked and terrorized by men who seem to know every move they make. With the clock ticking and their lives on the line, Shea must ...

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who's fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpere and Oncle Rafe and Tabitha's sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia's building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar.

Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, quiet Charon has had only two murders. But after years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface. Then a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student and the student is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes.