Short Reads Thriller

The second volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading is chock-full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, and compiled by certified guy Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Thriller is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page.

John has been labelled an overnight success after one of his novels was adapted into a box-office movie. But lately, John has been struggling with writer’s block and is finding it difficult to write something that will satisfy his fans. He’s been dealing with unsettling messages from an obsessed fan, and his ungrateful wife is constantly trying to find ways to spend his money. But John’s life is about to get much, much harder when a menacing stranger starts banging on the door late at night.

Be ready for some action, humor, and mystery in this anthology with short stories. You’ll listen about gangsters, witches, magic potions, interrogations, werewolves, and murder. Several stories have a murder victim, while others are all about theft or robberies. But in many cases, they spark the imagination and make up for a great way to sit back, relax, and read or listen to stories from a completely different world.

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Christmas Scorpion by Lee Child. Jack Reacher likes to head south for the winter, to stay warm, so just before Christmas he arrives in a small town in Southern California. But the weather there is not warm and dry, as it’s supposed to be: he arrives in a freak blizzard. Reacher finds refuge in a snowed-in roadhouse with four other strangers stranded by the storm.

Agatha Christie's shocking courtroom drama, read on audio by her grandson, Mathew Prichard. When wealthy spinster Emily French is found murdered, suspicion falls to Leonard Vole, the man to whom she hastily bequeathed her riches before she died. Leonard assures the investigators that his wife, Romaine Heilger, can provide them with an alibi. However, when questioned, Romaine informs the police that Vole returned home late that night covered in blood.

When secretary Annie Parkes is snatched from the street outside of her workplace, David Kane is tasked with finding her. Strong, highly skilled, and secretive, he’s a loner and an outsider; the only man the military trust to find Annie before her kidnappers make good on their promise to kill her. But as Kane pulls Annie from a derelict building, gunshots ringing through the deserted streets around them, he realizes rescuing her is just the beginning. He needs to keep her close to find out who is behind her capture, and to keep her safe.

It looks like just another gray March morning in the tough urban district nicknamed Nowhere when seven lives converge. Any one of them could have a dark motive. Any one of them could be walking into a trap. When the fog lifts, it will all be much clearer - that a single, shattering act of violence has marked each of them forever.

After years of open-water diving, Aaron and Margot have upped the ante. Not content to simply swim with pretty fish, the couple have taken up cave diving - climbing into the Earth in search of flooded caverns filled with adventure. Surrounded by icy waters and claustrophobic rock, where most people would only fear drowning, the newly engaged lovers find thrilling fun.

Summer 1977. The police have barely got their heads around an arson attack when a second occurs. Where’s the evidence? A detective is following up a hunch when the arsonist strikes again. This time, the attack on an Orphanage leads to the loss of life of children and adults. An arrest is made. The suspect ticks some of the boxes, but detective "Chunky" Mason isn’t sure they’ve got their man. As the investigation steps up a gear Mason begins to unearth an unpalatable truth.

Detective Inspector Ken "Chunky" Mason finds himself trapped between a rock and a hard place when history and current events conspire against him. A dead body, blackmail, conflicts of interest. He’s almost at the end of his tether, when events take an unexpected twist.

DCI Morgan confronts a personal crisis when retirement looms. Meanwhile, crime doesn’t stop. The discovery of a body, found with a fish in his mouth, sparks a murder hunt. In this, the fourth of J. J. Kennard’s short murder mysteries, Morgan feels he should be on the case, but his chief has other ideas.

A sleepy Norfolk coastal resort hits the headlines when an anonymous tip-off reveals 13 corpses in a basement. Why are they arranged in a circle, and what’s the connection between them? In this short-listen murder mystery, follow newly promoted Detective Constable Jerry Jackson’s adventures as he becomes entangled in a case where the killer is closer than he realises, and has yet to complete his death toll.

This is a set of several audiobooks in the fantasy, contemporary, horror, mystery, and romance genre, just for some variety.

A gold-digging spouse who is also a serial killer.... The beautiful owner of a women’s dress shop brutally murdered on the floor.... A sexy dame who shows up unannounced at Dick Moonlight PI’s office claiming she’s about to be murdered.... Two numbskulls who decide to rob a home for the aged during bingo night.... These are just a few of the sexy, hard-boiled, and noir tales you’ll find in this first-ever volume of collected short stories by Thriller and PWA Shamus Award-winner Vincent Zandri. 

If you like gripping mysteries, thrilling action, and suspense, you’ll love this pulse-pounding collection from acclaimed author P.T. Reade. Includes the books Night Runner, Marked for Death, Private Lie, and Taken Below. Discover murder, mystery, danger, and betrayal across Los Angeles, New Orleans, and deep below New York City in this exciting series of short thrillers that readers are calling "captivating" and a "must read".

In the 1990s, middle school was a treacherous time for young Susan, where her lifelong friendship with Maddie is put to the test. Determined to win back her friend from the clutches of the school bully, she is willing to do anything. When she stumbles upon a chilling discovery in the woods—the enigmatic "Book of Fear," she is torn by the sinister promise of one wish granted if she is willing to face one night of all her fears.

Enjoy a brief excursion into the warped mind of author, Will Patching, "hosted" by award-winning narrator, Gary Furlong.

Seven of Charles Dickens' best ghost and thriller stories, which have been widely read and beloved worldwide. This collection celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth. These stories provide a wonderful introduction Dickens before embarking upon his long novels; after these stories, listening to his longer novels becomes even more of a pleasure. Perfect for students and teachers seeking an understanding and appreciation of Dickens, without the time to engage with his long novels.

From the Big Island to Kauai, the far side of Maui to the bustling streets of Honolulu, experience paradise in all its glory...and darkness. This collection of 10 stories brings out the beauty of the islands, the passion of the tropics, and, yes, murder. Join 10 writers who love the islands and want you to savor the tropics while benefiting literacy in Hawaii.

Tim Diamond - the world’s worst private detective - takes on his most dangerous case yet, and it’s going to be up to his brother to keep him out of trouble. A short story from Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka.