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

Boston hoodlum Julius Ventura wants to find his daughter's missing husband. At least that's how he puts it to Spenser and Hawk, even though it's clear that Julius isn't telling the whole truth—or maybe not any part of the truth. Something about the case appeals to Spenser's passion for justice, though, and he launches an odyssey that leads him and Hawk into the netherworld of organized crime.

Ed McBain, author of the best-selling 87th Precinct series, takes us Downtown in this harrowing tale of a lone out-of-towner running for his life in New York CIty. Meet Michael Barnes, a Florida orange grower who finds himself in a Wall Street bar with a couple of hours to kill. It's a couple of hours that almost kill him, as he's swindled, robbed, framed for murder, and hunted down by an assassin in one of the wildest, scariest, funniest, fastest 24 hours ever packed into one novel.

A long shadow looms above the wife of filmmaker Carlton Markham. Then a hand clamps over her mouth, and a blade sinks into her back. Blood splatters on the film reel case beside her, and a young life is cut short. Lawyer Matthew Hope gets a call from Markham, who's been arrested for his wife's murder, but he says he didn't do it. Witnesses fly forward to proclaim his guilt, but Markham's not giving up on his innocence that easily. And when Hope digs deeper into the victim's business—he finds she may not have been the perfect lady that she seemed.

A brutal serial killer known as "Dead Eyes" is lurking in the backyard of the famed Virginia FBI Profiling Unit. Despite the gifted profiling skills of Special Agent Karen Vail, the psychopath is always one step ahead with uncanny knowledge of the FBI's detailed strategy of pursuit. Threatening to derail the investigation and her career is Vail's contentious divorce from an abusive husband and an ugly custody battle. As Vail fights to find the killer before he murders more young women, she must battle forces determined to bring her down.

In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, an inevitable conflagration could set the whole world aflame. A desperate gamble by the President of the United States could postpone the outbreak of World War. Or could it hasten its arrival?

From raging ex-cons on the streets of L.A. to cold-blooded crime sprees in Chicago, nail-biting suspense make this classic collection of murder, crime, and horror stories a thrilling audio experience not soon forgotten.

A young man resurfaces from Spenser's past to seek out the likeable P.I.'s guidance and help to solve the mysterious and sudden disappearance of the boy's mother. The most personal and revealing Spenser thriller of all, the hardboiled yet caring detective faces danger and a reckoning with his own past. Pastime is Robert B. Parker's electrifying masterpiece of crime fiction, both personal and revealing.

In Deadly Housewives, critically acclaimed mystery writer Christine Matthews has gathered 13 of the biggest names in women's mystery and suspense for an intriguing short story collection. These previously unpublished stories illuminate a different dark corner of the housewife-psyche, including sex, marriage, abandoned careers, jealousy, kids, and female friendship.

Robert Littell creates a multigenerational, wickedly nostalgic saga of the ClA - "The Company" to insiders. The fictional and historical characters of Robert Littell's novel reveal much of the nearly 50 years of this complex and powerful organization. At the heart is a mole hunt involving the CIA, M16, KGB, and Mossad, a stunningly conceived trip down the rabbit hole to the labyrinthine Alice-in-Wonderland world of espionage, a "world where things have no names".

A banker with a smile that conceals a devilish impulse, a literary agent who is quick to anger, a mechanic with a desperate need to be liked, and a psychologist who keeps all their secrets—as well as his own—meet every week in the dingy back room of a New York City bar. These men have one thing in common: They all suffer the sting of a broken heart. Soon, anger turns to hate, and the Broken Hearts Club spins violently out of control, exploding into murderous acts of vengeance. Detective Conrad Voort is assigned the case, determined to catch an elusive killer who is always one death ahead.

Rear Admiral Jake Grafton, the hero of Flight of the Intruder, returns as the United States and Cuba engage in a terrifying game of brinkmanship, a gamble that could break the last military taboo and destroy both countries. In Cuba, an ailing Fidel Castro lies dying. Across the Straits of Florida, an anxious U.S. awaits the inevitable power struggle, determined to have a say in who controls this strategically invaluable island.

Leonard Land, a computer genius and a multi-personality maniac, is systematically murdering women. Wired to the cyberpunk subculture of Death Metal and Satan worship, he shifts personalities from The Rat - smart and cunning - to The Wind Minstrel - God and the Devil. Renegade U.S. Customs Service agent John Lockwood teams up with Chicano master hacker Malavida Chacone and stunning forensic criminologist Karen "Awesome" Dawson to track the deranged genius.

Lieutenant Sheila Worthy has been viciously slain, and it's up to Major Kara Guidry, the top lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's office, to track down her killer. But Guidry finds she must tread lightly. Rumors have linked the dead lieutenant to General William Beckwith, who was Kara's instructor at West Point and is now on the short list to become the Army's next Chief of Staff. Guidry must also contend with Beckwith's rivals, who would like nothing more than to see the general discredited.

If he had been just another married man, and she a beautiful woman—it would have been just a passionate affair. But he was the president. Will this dangerous liaison change the course of history? Matthew Underwood—former anchorman and now U.S. President—is dangerously indifferent to his job until he meets the female head of the tiny country of Lampang. After they fall in love, Underwood becomes mired in Lampang's internal politics—and a nosy reporter, not to mention the jealous First Lady, threaten everything.

Veteran radio repertory company ZPPR Productions is guaranteed to give you goose bumps! Ranging from comic to horrific, these bite-sized thrillers include suspenseful contemporary dramas, satiric murder mysteries, and tongue-in-cheek parodies.

Kelly Douglas has overcome her unhappy childhood in rural Napa Valley to become the host of a new prime-time magazine show. She left behind her abusive, alcoholic father and transformed herself from the "four-eyed and fat" Lizzie Dougherty into a chic, successful television personality. Assigned to do a feature story on Napa Valley, Kelly becomes entangled in the lives of Katherine Rutledge, the matriarch of the famous Rutledge Estate Winery, and her grandson, Sam.

It is 1792, during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. An English aristocrat regarded as an ineffectual fop is actually a master of disguises who—with a small band of dedicated friends—undertakes dangerous missions to save members of the French nobility from the guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to hunt him down and uncover his identity.

Softhearted, emotionally fragile Patricia Dennison—orphaned heiress to the Stoneham fortune—divides her life between trips to a Swiss sanatorium, where she is ensconced in the suicide ward, and the farm where she pensions off broken-down horses, cultivates a lush rose garden, and moons after a handsome, seemingly heroic doctor. Enter arrogant Miguel Cardiga, a Portuguese bullfighter whose career is sidelined by a rogue bull's deadly horns. Son of a famed equestrian, Miguel schools Patricia in dressage and love.

It's not every day a federal judge comes knocking at one's door, especially with a curious request—to review the final appeal of a murderer on Death Row. California lawyer Greg Monarch has every intention of saying no to the request—until he discovers the prisoner is his former lover. Six months from execution, Sarah Trant has turned to the one man she hopes can save her. Greg failed once before trying to rescue Sarah from her private demons. This time, however, the demons may not be just in her head.

Ah, the pleasures of Christmas: the hanging of lights, the traditional feasts, the gathering of families, and...a bit of murder, conspiracy, and theft. The holiday season seems to inspire the imagination of the best mystery writers, and their talents shine here in these delightful tales of Yuletide crime. In this busiest of seasons, seize a few hours to enjoy a sleigh—or slay—full of mysterious treasures, served with the finest of flair.