"Vachss is a contemporary master." – Atlanta Journal Constitution

"His writing has the power of a rogue elephant." – Cleveland Plain-Dealer

"A confection from Hell- a poison pill laced with acid and wrapped in razor-edged concertina wire." – Courier-Post (Philadelphia)

"Jolting…eerily seductive." – Washington Times

"Each [Burke book] is as savage as Celine. And there it is, a three sentence throwaway paragraph, as pure as Euclid. I'm a sucker for such Elegance." – Newsday

"It's wonderful. The words do leap off the page. The principal character is an original. The style is as clean as a haiku." – Washington Post

"Andrew Vachss is unique among modern writers; no one else comes close to the raw power and intellectual ambiguity that he manifests so elegantly, so coldly." – Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MI)

***

Now a paid assassin, Burke is on a collision course with a man named Train, who runs a "safehouse" for kids. But when Burke learns that his suspicions about Train are right (the safehouse keeps kids in harm's way), he becomes his own gun-for-hire.

This crackling, authentically drawn courtroom drama finds San Francisco's assistant D.A. Dismas Hardy immersed in not one but two murder trials when he discovers the severed hand of a billionaire inside the belly of a dying shark later represents the murder suspect.

Jackie Malone has been murdered. Her body lies in a pool of blood in the north London flat where she worked as a prostitute. Deep knife wounds have been gouged into her corpse and her hands and feet are tied with coat hanger wire. For Detective Inspector Jack Delaney this is no ordinary case. He was a friend of Jackie's and she left desperate messages on his answer phone just hours before she was killed. Despite no immediate leads and no obvious suspects, the fear in her voice tells him that this was not a random act of violence.Just as Delaney begins his investigation, a young girl is reported missing, feared abducted, and he is immediately tasked with finding her. Delaney knows he must act quickly if there is any chance of finding her alive, but he is also determined to track down Jackie's killer before the trail goes cold. However, his tough and uncompromising attitude has made him some powerful enemies on the force, and Delaney soon finds that this case may provide the perfect opportunity for them to dispose of him, once and for all.

On a cold afternoon on the North Shore of Massachusetts, the body of Ellen Shepard is found hanging by the neck in the attic of her home. She leaves no family. She leaves no note. And she leaves vacant her position as the general manager of the notoriously brutal Majestic Airlines operation at Boston’s Logan Airport. The police rule her death a suicide. The company calls it a “tragic loss to the Majestic family.” But the people who worked for her call it what it is-one more victim lost to the devastating secret buried in Logan’s past, and meant to stay there.

Alex Shanahan loves the airline business. At 34 years old, she has no husband, no children, no long-term relationships-not even a dog. She has her job, which over her career has taken her from airport to airport and city to city. She lives among boxes she no longer bothers to unpack and pursues the assignments no one else will take, the ones she considers to be the best opportunities. Taking charge of the Boston operation after Ellen Shepard’s suicide is the perfect challenge for Alex.

From the moment she sets foot at Logan, Alex is pulled into the intrigue of her predecessor’s death. She is welcomed by an obscene depiction of Ellen’s dead body twisting at the end of a rope. It’s a greeting from some of her new employees, a warning that secrets can kill, and a threat that once she knows them it will already be too late.

But Alex wants to know the truth. She follows a trail of corruption and betrayal from the ramp at Logan to the airline’s executive suites. What she uncovers could bring down the airline and destroy the lives and careers of everyone involved. It could also cost Alex her life.

From Publishers Weekly

Rune, the shrewd and spunky heroine of Manhattan Is My Beat, returns with a new job as a camerawoman for a local TV news station, but she still believes in magic and lives by her own rules. Rune thinks that Randy Boggs, convicted killer of network news head Lance Hopper, is innocent, and she persuades network dragon lady Piper Sutton, the country's top news anchor, to let her investigate and produce a segment on the murder. Endearing, with lots of moxie but no experience, Rune learns the hard way as she blunders through the world of big-time investigative reporting, making mistakes and trusting the wrong people. She also has to act as a mother to her flaky friend Claire's three-year-old, Ophelia, when Claire runs off to Boston in search of a better life. Deaver's background as a journalist helps him to vivify the competitive, even back-stabbing caste system of network news and to successfully depict the tedium as well as the excitement a reporter experiences when breaking a major story. He writes with clarity, compassion and intelligence, and with a decidedly human and contemporary slant.

***

This is the final installment in Jeffery Deaver's "Rune" trilogy. Rune seems to have finally made the first step towards her dreams. She has secured a job working for a major news department. However, she becomes fascinated with the brutal murder of the network boss and then trouble starts.

‘I insist on only a few questions. Is the target a man? I don't work against women or children. Have you retained anyone else to solve this problem? Is the target a principal? I am no longer samurai, either… I am a realist now’ John Rain, jazz fan, single malt connoisseur and honorable assassin, is dragged out of retirement first by blackmail and then by revenge. Featuring many of the characters so vividly brought to life in Rain Fall, Barry Eisler takes us on another journey into a world of spooks, double-crosses and elaborately executed ‘terminations’. Stylish, page-turning and authentic, Barry Eisler is in the front rank of thriller writing

Derek Strange is a rookie cop, the job he’s dreamed of since he was a boy. His brother, Dennis, has not been as fortunate; home from the service with a disability pension and zero prospects, he is man with good intentions but bad habits. Derek has always looked out for Dennis, but no amount of brotherly love can save him from the dangerous world of Alvin Jones, a local bottom-feeder, hustler, and stone killer who draws him into his web of violence.

While the rookie cop navigates the rocky terrain of a city in turmoil, a family in crisis, and his love for a woman he has driven away, Frank Vaughn, a cop at the opposite end of his career, investigates the vicious hit and run of a young black man. Vaughn’s personal life is a shambles, but he’s good police; he pursues the killers with sharklike intent. Meanwhile, in Memphis, a prophet is murdered, igniting a volcanic chain of events that will leave the nation’s capital burned, divided, and decimated, forever changing the lives of its working-class inhabitants.

Two cops struggling to do their jobs against the backdrop of a violent uprising: Their paths collide in the middle of a full-fury revolution, in an electrifying climax to the most powerful book yet from George Pelecanos, “the poet laureate of the D.C. crime world” (Esquire), who “writes with intelligence and complexity, as well as with a sober recognition of the evil at large in the world” (Washington Post).

TELL THE TRUTH AND SHAME THE DEVIL

Two children who mysteriously disappeared twenty-one years ago are the last thing on Lorna Temple's mind when she returns to her Pennsylvania hometown to sell the old family property in the wake of her parents' passing. But instead of memories, the fields where Lorna grew up yield something utterly chilling.

All those years ago, when nine-year-old Melinda Eagan vanished on her birthday, her foulmouthed older brother, Jason, quickly became the lone suspect. Yet when he went missing, too, the case turned cold. But Jason, it seems, never got far: His bones have been moldering on the Temples ' land for two decades. As far as the local police are concerned, the book is closed on Melinda's murder-and Jason's death is justice served. But Lorna refuses to let the dead rest uneasily. She turns to private eye T. J. Dawson to dig up the dirt of the past and see what lies beneath. Only there's someone out there who hasn't forgotten-and who won't be the least bit forgiving about being exposed as a killer.

In matters of crime, there are many versions of the truth.

New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman has been hailed as one of the best crime fiction writers in America today, winning virtually every major award in the genre. The author of the enormously popular series featuring Baltimore P.I. Tess Monaghan as well as three critically lauded stand-alone novels, Lippman now turns her attention to short stories – and reveals another level of mastery.

Lippman sets many of the stories in this sterling anthology, Hardly Knew Her, in familiar territory: her beloved Baltimore, from downtown to its affluent suburbs, where successful businessmen go to shocking lengths to protect what they have or ruthlessly expand their holdings, while dissatisfied wives find murderous ways to escape their lives. But Lippman is also unafraid to travel – to New Orleans, to an unnamed southwestern city, and even to Dublin, the backdrop for the lethal clash of two not-so-innocents abroad. Tess Monaghan is here, in two stories and a profile, aligning herself with various underdogs. And in her extraordinary, never-before-published novella, Scratch a Woman, Lippman takes us deep into the private world of a high-priced call girl/madam and devoted soccer mom, exploring the mystery of what may, in fact, be written in the blood.

Each of these ingenious tales is a gem – sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, always filled with delightfully unanticipated twists and reversals. For people who have yet to read Lippman, get ready to experience the spellbinding power of "one of today's most pleasing storytellers, hailed for her keen psychological insights and her compelling characterizations," (San Diego Union-Tribune), who has "invigorated the crime fiction arena with smart, innovative, and exciting work" (George Pelecanos). As for longtime devotees of her multiple award-winning novels, you'll discover that you hardly know her.

FBI Agent Ren Bryce finds herself entangled in two seemingly unrelated mysteries. But the past has a way of echoing down the years and finding its way into the present. When Special Agent Ren Bryce discovers the body of a young woman in an abandoned car, solving the case becomes personal. But the more she uncovers about the victim's last movements, the more questions are raised. Why was Laura Flynn driving towards a ranch for troubled teens in the middle of Colorado when her employers thought she was hundreds of miles away? And what did she know about a case from fifty years ago, which her death dramatically reopens? As Ren and cold case investigator Janine Hooks slowly weave the threads together, a picture emerges of a privileged family determined to hide some very dark secrets — whatever the cost.

Elgin Collier, AKA Gillian Shelby, is the world's most popular women's erotica author. She has wealth, success and now apparently a stalker who may already have committed murder. Sheila Forbes, Elgin 's publisher and best friend hires Campbell Harm, head of Harm's Way Security to protect her and find the stalker. It's hate at first sight for these strong-willed, independent people. He thinks she's a "pornographer" and she thinks he's a "knuckle-dragging Neanderthal." Sparks fly from their first meeting.

Second Lieutenant Tommy Hart's B-25 is shot out of the sky in 1942. Burdened with guilt as the only surviving crew-member, he is held captive at Stalag XIII in Bavaria. Routine comes to a halt with the arrival of a black American airman; when he is accused of murder, Hart is expected to defend him.

ianca thought of Katy Enigmawould Katy go with this man? He had soft brown eyes and, despite his strange nose, his face looked kind. He smiled. Bianca placed her hand in his and felt him shiver. She didn't know why, it wasn't cold at all. --- When the body of 11-year-old Bianca Webster is found dumped, it is soon clear to Detective Sergeant Stevie Hooper that the murder is connected to a pedophile internet site called the Dream Team. Another murder leads her to suspect that she might have a vigilante on her hands. Cyber technology spins at the heart of this thriller, with its many unexpected plot twists. Katy Enigma, Lolita, Harum Scarum just who or what lies beneath these internet nicknames? Stevie finds herself racing against time to discover the identities before another child is taken.

For Dr. Abby DiMatteo, the road to Boston's Bayside Hospital began with a tragic accident — and the desperate, awful weeks that followed as she watched her little brother, Pete, lose his battle to live. Despite her small-town roots and lack of money, Abby pushed through college and medical school, each achievement strengthening her ambition to reach higher. Now, immersed in the grinding fatigue of her second year as a surgical resident, she's elated when the hospital' elite cardiac transplant team taps her as a potential recruit. But Abby soon makes an anguished, crucial decision that jeopardizes her entire career. A car crash victim's healthy heart is ready to be harvested; it is immediately cross-matched to a wealthy private patient, forty-six-year-old Nina Voss. Abby and chief resident Vivian Chao hatch a bold plan to make sure that the transplant goes instead to a dying seventeen-year-old boy who is also a perfect match. The repercussions are powerful and swift; Dr. Chao resigns, bowing under the combined fury of the hospital's top staff and Nina Voss's outraged husband. Abby is shaken but unrepentant — until she meets the frail, tormented Nina. Then a new heart for Nina Voss suddenly appears, her transplant is completed, and Abby makes a terrible discovery. The donor records have been falsified — Nina's heart has not come through the proper channels. Defying Bayside Hospital's demands for silence, Abby, with Vivian Chao's help, plunges into an investigation that reveals an intricate, and murderous, chain of deceptions.

Bestselling author William Bernhardt is an unsurpassed master at blending psychological suspense with gripping, surprise-filled legal action. Now, Bernhardt and his crusading attorney Ben Kincaid return in a thrilling story of love, hate, and the power of a courtroom to separate deception from the truth.

In Tulsa, Ben Kincaid has built a national reputation as a stalwart defense attorney who will fight tirelessly for his clients. In Evanston, Illinois, Johnny Christensen has built a national reputation as a sadistic bigot who beat and stabbed a gay man and left him to die. When Johnny's mother comes to Ben and begs him to defend her son, he has one secret reason for saying no.

But while Ben turns down the case, his younger, beautiful partner, Christina McCall, does not. Traveling to Chicago and facing an explosion of controversy and deadly violence surrounding the trial, Christina steps into a case that is already nearly lost. Her client's only defense is his claim that he left his victim bludgeoned but alive. To prove that someone else committed the actual murder, Christina needs a little bit of evidence – and a good motive to go with it.

When unforeseen circumstances force Ben Kincaid to enter the trial, the defense attorney sees only one way to prove Johnny's innocence. But Ben's plan means luring a killer out of the woodwork – even though he may kill again…

A novel of gut-wrenching twists and surprises, this thriller brilliantly explores the passions between lovers – and the passions behind society's most heinous crimes. Once again, the remarkable William Bernhardt makes us challenge every assumption, second-guess every judgment, and feel the terror of the truth.

Der junge Michael Sundquist und seine Mutter Katharine, eine Anthropologin, übersiedeln für einige Monate nach Hawaii, wo Katharine durch Vermittlung ihres ehemaligen Studienkollegen Rob einen interessanten Auftrag erhalten hat: Auf der Insel wurde das Skelett eines Frühmenschen gefunden, was allen bisherigen wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen über die Besiedelung widerspricht. Katharines Auftraggeber ist ein japanischer Industrieller, der ein unerklärliches Interesse an diesen Forschungen hat. Während Katharine via Internet versucht, weitere Informationen zu diesem Rätsel zu bekommen und dabei auf ein unerklärliches Video stößt, das den ehemaligen Besitzer des Skeletts, eine Art Affenmenschen, ganz lebendig zeigt, macht Michael einen Tauchkurs und findet Freunde im Leichtathletikteam seiner neuen Schule. Eines Nachts leihen sich die Jungen heimlich Tauchgeräte aus und unternehmen einen Tauchgang, der fast dramatisch endet, weil ihnen die Luft ausgeht. Die Jungen können sich retten, doch kurz darauf stirbt einer von ihnen an Atemschwäche. Offenbar sind alle Teilnehmer, unter ihnen auch Michael, von einer rätselhaften Krankheit befallen, an der bereits mehrere junge Sportler starben: sie können nur noch in einer Atmosphäre überleben, die für normale Menschen tödlich wäre. Ist die Ursache die geheimnisvolle Kristalldruse, die Taucher aus dem Lavaboden am Meeresgrund geborgen haben? Oder sind Yoshikawas Experimente mit den >Affenmenschen

From Publishers Weekly

Smart-mouthed Eve Levine, a witch with a reputation for breaking the rules, may be dead, but as she proves in this overstuffed paranormal romance (a follow-up to Industrial Magic), she can still raise hell in the hereafter-which, in this case, is a curiously ordinary dimension in which ghosts like Eve and her also deceased former lover, a sorcerer named Kris, can bicker, have sex and use their paranormal powers. The Fates, three elusive sisters, are the rulers of this otherworldly dimension, and they have a job for Eve. If she can defeat a demonic Nix who's wreaking havoc in the human realm by inducing people to kill, she'll earn her wings-literally. The catch: she can't capture the Nix without the powers that angelhood affords. Eve surmounts this hurdle by teaming up with a hunky and humanlike angel named Trsiel, but her quest, which is fraught with obstacles as well as unnecessary distractions, is lengthy and meandering. In addition, Eve's kick-butt-ask-questions-later attitude, while amusing, can be wearying, and the rules of Armstrong's alternate world seem conveniently changeable. Still, those who appreciate heroines with a good measure of spunk, sass and strong-arm savvy will find this a fun if fitful read.

Review

“Armstrong has created a persuasive, finely detailed other-worldly cosmology – featuring sorcery, astral projection, spells, telepathy and teleportation.” – Toronto Star

Haunted by mystery. Haunted by music. Haunted by murder….

A grisly discovery is made deep in an Irish peat bog—the perfectly preserved severed head of a red-haired young woman. Has she been buried for decades, centuries, or longer? Who is she and why was she killed? American pathologist Nora Gavin and archaeologist Cormac Maguire are called in to investigate, only to find that the girl’s violent death may have shocking ties to the present—including the disappearance of a local landowner’s wife and son. Aided by a homicide detective who refuses to let the missing be forgotten, Nora and Cormac slowly uncover a dark history of secrets, betrayal, and death in which the shocking revelations of the past may lead to murder in the future….