Showing results by publisher "Phoenix Books" in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

When Robin Nevins, the son of Hawk's boyhood mentor, is denied at an exclusive university, Hawk asks Spenser to investigate. It seems the denial is tied to the suicide of a young gay activist, and as Spenser digs deeper he is nearly drowned in a multicultural swamp of politics: black, gay, academic, and feminist. At the same time, Spenser's inamorata, Susan, asks him to come to the aid of an old college friend, K.C. Roth, the victim of a stalker. Spenser solves the problem a bit too effectively when K.C. turns the tables and begins to stalk him.

After five years of legal wrangling, Jim Qwilleran has officially inherited his fortune. He looks to seek isolation in the Potato Mountains to contemplate his future, and instead, ends up in the middle of a nasty dispute between roughneck mountain folk and greedy developers. What's worse, one mountain man, Forest Beechum, has been convicted of the murder of millionaire developer J.J. Hawkinfield. Foregoing solitude, Qwill does some investigating of his own. It turns out that Forest may not have done the dirty deed...but who did?

What would it take to lure a serious young newswoman from a respectable New England paper to the most notorious supermarket tabloid in America? The call of journalistic adventure? How about a promise of a salary that's triple what she's making? En route to her new job at the Weekly Galaxy, Sara Joslyn stumbles across a bloody corpse in a Buick Riviera. A big story? Not at this paper. The problem is compounded when the dead man vanishes, Buick and all.

Three years ago, Lew Fonseca quit his job as a process server with the State's Attorney's office in Cook County, Illinois, and headed for Key West. Sidetracked by fate when his car broke down in Sarasota, Florida, he decided to stick around, making ends meet by doing some investigative work for local attorneys. Asked to locate the missing wife of a well-known local entrepreneur, Lew learns that finding Melanie Sebastian is anything but simple.

More of the Greatest Mysteries of All Time is the second in a series featuring the finest short story mystery fiction by the most acclaimed writers, past and present. From Thomas Hardy, O. Henry, Jack London, Vincent Starrett and everyone in between, this unique collection, edited by multi-award winning mystery connoisseur Otto Penzler, is a delightful mixture of mystery and suspense.

Stephen Pearse and Peter Maryk are doctors who once worked together to research a horrifying virus outbreak in the Congo. Now Pearse heads the Bureau of Disease Control, and Maryk runs the clandestine special pathogens section of the disease detectives—making the two scientists bitter enemies. But when the disease from the Congo re-emerges in America, they must set aside their differences in order to stop a potential worldwide epidemic. Using the blood of one woman who is immune to the disease, they create a serum that might work—if the disturbingly cunning virus doesn't have plans of its own.

Matthew Scudder is finally leading a comfortable life, one of stability and respectability — even the New York streets don't look so mean anymore. He's married to a woman he loves, and wonder of wonders, he's actually gotten around to becoming an officially licensed private investigator. Then all hell breaks loose. Matthew' s best friend from Hell's Kitchen asks for his help, and Scudder' s world is suddenly turned upside down once again.

Somewhere in the vast and merciless ocean, an obsessed, vengeful madman holds Michael Stone's wife and daughter captive. With the aid of no more than a canoe and the stars, Michael must find and rescue his kidnapped family. He must conquer deadly winter gales and turbulent tides in order to reach the teeming cities of the Far East. Once there, cold-blooded assassins are awaiting - who are they? and how did they know he was coming?

An entertaining collection by seven renowned American mystery writers— including Mary Higgins Clark and Whitley Strieber— this anthology offers a delightful mix of mystery, suspense, and murder.

This collection of the finest short story mystery fiction by the most acclaimed writers, past and present features Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Burke, Harry Kemelman, and everyone in between. Edited by multi-award-winning mystery connoisseur Otto Penzler, it offers a delightful mixture of mystery and suspense.

The hardworking single mother of young daughter, Joanna Brady still feels the acute pain of loneliness and loss, the hole that was left in her heart when her policeman husband was murdered. But Sheriff Brady is the law in Cochise County, and murder has shattered the small town's fragile peace. A local gun dealer has died violently, and his stock of high-powered weapons has been cleared out. When two more slayings follow soon after, suspicion falls upon rancher Alton Hosfield.

Julia Lang is a winner—she' s beautiful, vivacious, and the publicity director of London's top hotel. Robert Brand is charismatic and handsome—with his vast fortune he can work magic. Julia and Robert make a golden couple, but when Robert tragically dies, Julia's world suddenly shatters. When his Swiss bank denies the existence of her inheritance, Julia realizes that her perfect life with Robert may have been built on a lie.

Alison Young seems to have it all: a brilliant career, a beautiful San Francisco townhouse, a loving husband, and a talented teenage daughter. But for 18 years, Alison has kept a terrible secret: She was the victim of a violent rape, and her daughter is the result of it. Unable to bring her attacker to trial or get a legal abortion, Alison left her hometown, reinvented her past, and built a new life for herself. Now, however, someone threatens to destroy all that Alison has achieved.

Aboard the majestic ocean liner Queen Elizabeth II, the world's most powerful leaders meet to launch a new era of peace and global cooperation. For Chinese terrorists who believe that the summit will make their Asian homeland a pawn of Western imperialist power, this summit represents a betrayal. They infiltrate the ship— and in a terrifying instant, a small, deadly group of fanatics take control and hold the world and its leaders hostage. With the survival of the world's greatest leaders at stake, any misstep will mean the end of the delicate balance that passes for peace.

In the expert hands of two of the mystery world's top storytellers, being a housewife takes on a whole new meaning. These original stories explore the dark side of the housewife psyche and are guaranteed to delight. But be cautioned: These stories—"GDMFSOB" by Nevada Barr (author of the Anna Pigeon series) and "Acid Test" by Sara Paretsky (author of the V.I. Warshawski novels)—are meant to be listened to alone while sipping a glass of wine.

Beaufort, South Carolina is home to the Smallwoods, a family closely knit but fiercely at odds. Georgie, the youngest, is tormented by worry for her son, who vanished two years earlier, and by her anger at her father. An unforgiving patriarch and ex-Marine, Georgie's father neglects her mother, belittles her brother Ashby, and denies her sister Claire the financial support she needs after a trying divorce.

Back in Pickax, Jim Qwilleran expects to resume a quiet life, but the people and animals of Pickax have other ideas. A noisy cardinal wakes him every morning, nosy neighbors drop by uninvited, and the Siamese cats—Koko and Yum Yum—misbehave, even sneezing on guests. As if they weren't bad enough, Qwill's long-time companion, Polly Duncan, acts as though she is in love—with another man. Worst of all, Qwill finds a body in his apple orchard. When his friend, Dennis Hough, becomes the chief suspect, Qwill embarks on a crusade to clear Hough's name and win back Polly's heart.

Author David Morrell is a consummate storyteller, investing his tales with passion, sympathy, and narrative drive. From this master of literate, high-adrenaline novels of action comes three suspenseful short stories that will keep listeners guessing.

In Tokyo, a squad of fanatic Japanese nationalists force their way into the Imperial Palace and behead the emperor. It is a grisly first move in a sinister conspiracy to take advantage of a weakened Russia and invade oil-rich Siberia. The goal? World domination. The price? A third world war. Bound by a secret protocol to come to Russia's aid in the event of a war, but eager to avoid armed conflict, Washington sends Air Force Colonel Bob Cassidy and a squadron of fighter pilots on a secret mission to thwart the Japanese terrorists.

When a mysterious benefactor offers three single, attractive career women the use of his Beverly Hills mansion, pool, and card for a year. At the exclusive polo grounds, spas, and parties of the very rich, all three women meet the desirable, wealthy men they dreamed of. But as the champagne bubbles fade, each one discovers that the dream has a dark side.