Short Mystery Collection

#1 New York Times best-selling, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Anthony Doerr brings his“stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) to selecting The Best American Short Stories 2019. Doerr and the series editor, Heidi Pitlor, winnow down twenty stories out of thousands that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year.

Liz Kelsey promised herself she’d never again spy on her feckless husband, Phil. But then she discovers a string of suggestive texts on his secret burner phone. Even worse, he’s flirting with the woman who shook their unstable marriage once before. But knowledge is power. What’s more dangerous - what Liz knows or what Phil doesn’t know?

Get ready for seven electrifying short stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. In "Family Meeting," a college student calls her parents in a desperate bid for help—only it’s a matter of life and death. "New Year, New Me... Now What?" follows a woman willing to go to any lengths to reinvent herself for the man she’s obsessed with, but at what cost? "If You're Reading This Letter" tells the heart-wrenching story of a young man who must convince a stranger—and himself—that he deserves to die before he can take his own life.

When Marisa Henley fulfills her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian, it's not exactly everything that she imagined. The small town of Ridley Hall is the polar opposite of the city where she grew up and rarely does anything of interest happen…that is until the scandal of Hannah Ridley. Hannah Ridley lives at Ridley Hall with her husband, Charles, who recently uncovered Hannah’s affair with their farmhand, Travis. But when the Ridley Farm barn goes up in flames, Marisa finds herself putting on her sleuth hat as she tries to figure out whodunnit. Was it the scorned husband? The ...

This anthology of rare stories of crime and suspense brings together a selection of rare tales by masters of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction for the first time in book form, including a newly discovered Agatha Christie crime story that has not been seen since 1922. At a time when crime and thriller writing has once again overtaken the sales of general and literary fiction, Bodies from the Library unearths lost stories from the Golden Age, that period between the World Wars when detective fiction captured the public’s imagination.

Iris and Poppy Thorne are used to friendly competition in Bloomwood’s floral community, but when the town’s prestigious flower competition takes a deadly turn, the stakes become more than just ribbons and pride. A rival florist is found dead, and the discovery of one of the sisters’ prized dahlias at the crime scene puts Blossom & Thorne at the center of a chilling murder investigation. Determined to clear their name and protect their beloved shop, Iris and Poppy dig into the tight-knit—and fiercely competitive—world of local florists. As they unravel hidden rivalries, jealous ...

Royce and Sawyer are back and better than ever in Matrimony and Mayhem! The bestselling trilogy is now available in a collection.

The handpicked stories in this collection introduce us to the most determined of gumshoe gals, from debutant detectives like Anna Katharine Green's Violet Strange to spinster sleuths like Mary Roberts Rinehart's Hilda Adams, from groundbreaking female cops like Baroness Orczy's Lady Molly to contemporary crime-fighting PIs like Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, and include indelible tales from Agatha Christie, Carolyn Wells, Edgar Wallace, L. T. Meade and Robert Eustace, Sara Paretsky, Nevada Barr, Laura Lippman, and many more.

Siobhán O'Sullivan's hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now, instead of hunting down holiday gifts, she's pursuing a heartless killer. Seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics - or worse - that led to his death by chocolate?

These new, recent, and reformulated stories by Joyce Carol Oates showcase a wide range of crime fiction and psychological suspense. A young, insecure woman finds her relationship changing as she grows more and more dependent on a man who likes to take her on long walks beside a dangerously roaring creek. Another woman, nervous around men, not quite knowing how to act when paid a compliment, becomes flustered when a doctor suggests they go out for coffee, or possibly a drink.

Lust. Revenge. Greed. Hunger. Desire doesn’t care if you’re at the bottom of the ladder or the top of your game. Six masters of psychological suspense craft tales about people crossing moral lines in pursuit of their deepest desires. In these short stories, even the most mild-mannered characters can spin out of control when passion is at play. Hold on tight—there’s no turning back.

Some witches heal. Some witches curse. Some never die. Step into the shadowed corners of magic with Whispers of the Coven, a haunting collection of witch stories where the line between power and peril is razor-thin. Inside, you’ll discover: 🕯️ A hidden village where every woman is born with a secret spell—one that can only be used once. 🌙 A forgotten grimoire that writes new spells in human blood. 🔥 A witch trial where the accused is more dangerous than the executioners. 📖 A bookshop that appears only to those with unfinished business with the dead. 💀 A curse that keeps...

Margaret Faith Ellenwood, Maggie to her friends, never wanted to run her parent’s candy shop in Marblehead, Massachusetts. But when her parents are suddenly killed in a car accident, she finds herself hanging on to the one thing she has left of theirs – the Candy Castle. The small family business has been a fixed feature in the small town for years and Maggie arrives just in time for the Christmas rush. Only, she soon finds out that the shop is far from thriving and the only rush she faces is the annual candy cane order from the Marblehead Girl Scouts troop. For the last seven years, ...

When Ama’s straitlaced boyfriend, Nathan, invites her to his secluded upstate New York cabin for the weekend, she can’t say no. It’s a chance for them to escape the city’s distractions, share intimate secrets, and take their relationship to a deeper level. By day, it feels like the perfect love story. But when Ama is awakened by strange events, she starts to wonder if she really wants to know everything about Nathan.

Psychiatrist Olivia Cole is a shell of herself after only two years with her tyrannical husband, the outwardly perfect Sebastian. On their two-year anniversary, she’s subjected to one power move too many when Sebastian whisks her away on a surprise trip—first to the charming capital of Sweden, then to an unexpected final destination. Miles from home and help, the only way for Olivia to wrest back control of her life is to give Sebastian an even bigger, shocking surprise.

When Ella boards a sumptuous charter off the coast of Australia, she feels…dread. Her husband, Mac, the social butterfly who makes these wellness retreats so much easier to navigate, is stuck at work, leaving her exposed to the other passengers. Luckily, she forms an instant bond with the charismatic Chloe, a newly single woman salving a broken heart. But as the friendship grows, Ella discovers they share more than the need for an escape, and their devastating connection has the power to forever alter their lives.

True Stories: Mysteries of Crime and Punishment Every story in this book is true - except one. Some tell of crimes that have gone unpunished by the law. Some are crimes against laws that are unwritten. And some are crimes that exist only in the mind. This collection of short stories covers a multitude of sins. Getting away with murder is easy if you know how - even easier if you’re a high-flying City trader like Terry Hills and have the help of someone who has been Yakuza trained. Most of us have wanted Peace and quiet at some time in our lives. Simon and Petra found the perfect spot in ...

Louis L'Amour's world is built on those dramatic moments when men and women cast their fears, doubts, and pasts behind them and plunge into the unknown. Nowhere is that more evident than in this latest collection of stories set on the American frontier. These selections include "The Nester and the Piute"; "Big Man"; "Waltz Him Around Again"; "Shadow"; "Barney Takes a Hand"; "When a Texan Takes Over"; and "No Trouble for the Cactus Kid".

Cold case expert Evangeline Reed and forensics legend Harry Steinbeck are on their way from Minneapolis to Costa Rica. They’ve been ordered to keep close watch on a protective mother and her daughter, both of whom have troubling connections to a Minnesota serial killer. Are they on holiday? In hiding? Or on the run? It’s time for Van and Harry to close in on the truth. And there’s more at risk than anyone can imagine.

A Thorne Sisters Cozy Mystery – Book Two Bouquets, Betrayal, and Burial Read FREE on Kindle Unlimited! In the charming town of Bloomwood, sisters Iris and Poppy Thorne run Blossom and Thorne, a beloved flower shop known for stunning arrangements and vintage vases. But when an antique vase leads to an unexpected discovery—and the sudden death of a wealthy recluse—their quiet lives take a dark turn. What begins as a simple delivery blooms into something far more dangerous. A cryptic map, a suspicious memorial order, and a long-buried family scandal pull the sisters into a mystery ...