Nancy and her friends, George and Bess, are returning from a country carnival when they witness the explosion and burning of a beautiful country mansion.

"Theo Benton decides to move to the United States to finally finish her novel, and she is soon drawn into a literary labyrinth where identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of sales and readership. When her mentor and lover is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. But when the prime suspect turns out to be her older brother, Gus, Theo does what is necessary to protect him--to save him....

"Behind the stage lights and word-perfect soliloquies, sinister secrets are lurking in the wings. The mysteries in this collection reveal the dark side to theatre and performing arts: a world of backstage dealings, where unscrupulous actors risk everything to land a starring role, costumed figures lead to mistaken identities, and on-stage deaths begin to look a little too convincing. . . This expertly curated thespian anthology features fourteen stories...

A collection of the year's best mystery and suspense short fiction selected by Lisa Unger and series editor Steph Cha.

Ten-year-old Cam, possessor of a photographic memory, and her friend Eric investigate what seems to be a brief appearance of U.F.O.s.

"A high-risk pregnancy. A dangerous secret. When her case turns deadly, can this investigator avoid racking up a fatal debt? Despite her injuries, PI Kelly Pruett is eager to get back to work. So when a mommy-to-be hires her to locate her estranged dad, Kelly is thankful for the straightforward missing-persons case. But as she rummages through his trash in search of clues, she uncovers gambling debts to gansters... and a blood-soaked severed finger....

A surprise birthday cruise for Mitch Cannon's seventy-year-old mother sets the week in motion. Mitch had been nominated by his sisters to escort their mom, Mary, on the trip. Feeling railroaded into the task, Mitch is angry, especially since a new case has come up involving a criminal Mitch had a history with, someone who's just shot three people. Reluctantly, Mitch goes on the trip, and an uncomfortable rift exists between him and his mother. She...

"It's 1971. Trash piles up on the streets, crime is at an all-time high, the city is careening towards bankruptcy, and a shooting war has broken out between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army. Amidst this collective nervous breakdown furniture store owner and ex-fence Ray Carney tries to keep his head down and his business thriving. His days moving stolen goods around the city are over. It's strictly the straight-and-narrow for him -- until he...

The Underdogs have a bone to pick with whoever took a one-of-a-kind guitar.