Dark Crime Fiction

1984, New York City. Through a series of bad life decisions, a former big time mobster has been reduced to a low-level hood, and he has to find a way to repay the family $100,000 in a week, or else face the consequences. This sets off a chain reaction of ever-increasingly absurd and comic events that culminate in one of the largest heists in mob history.

Der Richter, dein Henker. Als junger Student träumte Siggi Buckmann davon, die Welt ein Stück gerechter zu machen. Als alter Hase im Richteramt schiebt er nur noch Dienst nach Vorschrift. In den Behörden regiert die Bürokratie, und sämtliche Urteile, die Siggi fällt, werden in Berufungsverfahren wieder aufgehoben. Wozu sich also Mühe machen? Doch als ein Obdachloser ums Leben kommt, ohne dass die Verantwortlichen zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden, beginnt Siggi, die Dinge anders zu betrachten. Vielleicht ist die Arbeit im Justizapparat ja doch zu etwas gut.

Detective CJ O’Hara has barely had time to catch her breath after closing the Lowcountry Killer case. With a serial rapist terrorizing the city, CJ is already stretched to her limit when a young woman is butchered in her sleep—and the killer takes a gruesome souvenir. Pulling apart bizarre clues, CJ believes the evidence may point to hoodoo rituals connected to the full moon. But finding the truth may require the help of a Gullah woman with the gift of sight. A gift she is reluctant to share.

Zayn, the relentless investigator, plunges into the depths of darkness to unravel the twisted saga of Lazarus Landucci—a notorious mafia boss, drug lord, and gun trafficker. The case takes a personal turn as Zayn discovers Lazarus's horrifying involvement in the human trafficking trade, a malevolent scheme that tore apart Zayn's life by selling off the love of his life, Lily, to the sinister Vladimir Potter.

From Emmy Award-winning author David Quantick, All My Colors is a darkly comic novel about a man who remembers a book that may not exist, with dire consequences. A bizarre, mind-bending story at the intersection of Richard Bachman, Charlie Kaufman, and Franz Kafka.

Nobody is more surprised than Billy when he finds himself bleeding out onto his new linoleum floor, a kitchen knife in his chest. Rose, his wife, and Born2Rock, her lover, are leaving for a night on the town. They're sure he'll be dead in no time. So is he. With the help of Consuela, the house keeper, Billy makes it to the hospital. After a short stint in the ICU, he returns to the scene of the crime, home, where he takes up residence in the attic. From this vantage point, Billy watches and waits and plots his revenge.

In a former life, Nick Lutz, sold cars in the Golden State. He had a wife and a young son, and they struggled along until Nick was shot in the head when a potential customer hijacked the car he was demonstrating. The incident sets off a bad-luck domino fall, and he loses an eye, his job, his family, and, eventually, his self-respect. With nothing left, Nick heads for Mexico, where he sheds his former self among an eclectic group of expats and locals, who fondly name him “Pirata” on account of his eye patch.

In modern-day America, Dez is a former lawyer and teacher - an ephebophile with a proclivity for teenage girls hiding out in a trailer park with his latest conquest, Chloe.

Having been in and out of courtrooms (and therapists' offices) for a number of years, Dez is adrift, at odds with a society that persecutes him over his desires. From his couch one afternoon, Dez watches an interview with Jasper Ulrickson, a doting father and loving husband whose heartrending memoir, Lessons from My Daughter, has become a national best seller.

There are only a few weeks left before an asteroid destroys the planet. It’s the countdown, and all of humanity is just waiting for the end. In Phoenix, AZ, the sheriff’s department and National Guard are battling for supremacy, gas is as good as cash, and elementary school kids are out for blood. Most people in town have become the worst versions of themselves. Except for Dutch Kovaks, private detective. Dutch wants to right some wrongs, help a few people in need, and use the days he’s got left for good. Most of all, he wants to track down a bottle of gin.

You are offered the getaway of a lifetime on a remote island with a group of strangers. Things have been difficult recently, so you jump at the chance to swim under the summer sun, explore the peaceful woodlands and return to an elegant hotel for a glorious dinner. As the boat pulls into the harbour, you’re surrounded by crystal-clear water and soon you are alone. Just the peace and quiet you were promised. No phone signal, no internet…no way to call for help. But nothing will go wrong in paradise, right?

Shot down during a bombing raid on Germany, Flying Officer Robbie Ticknall soon finds himself an unwilling guest of the Third Reich. He comes face to face with victims of the attack and begins to question the morality of his actions. He finds himself seemingly haunted by the apparitions of two children. Has he killed them? And if so, do they want revenge? If not, why are they appearing to him? The apparitions follow him into captivity, a constant reminder of the consequences of carrying out his duty.

In a quiet village surrounded by ancient woods and the imposing Italian Alps, a man is found naked with his eyes gouged out. It is the first in a string of gruesome murders. Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a detective with a background in criminal profiling, is called to investigate. Battaglia is in her mid-60s, her rank and expertise hard-won from decades of battling for respect in the male-dominated Italian police force. Soon she finds that buried deep in these mountains are whispers of a dark and dangerous history, possibly tied to a group of eight-year-old children.

From Jay Bonansinga, author of The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury and The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, comes a collection of short stories and novellas that span a number of genres.

Acclaimed crime fiction writer Jim Nisbet sets forth a noir gem that lays bare the foibles of modern-day America with tremendous force. Banerjhee Rolf, a bright, levelheaded Indian American scientist, is content to spend his days with his wife, tending his garden and studying his beloved astronomy. When Rolf ’s relationship with Toby Pride, his seedy, drug-dealing neighbor, and Pride’s stoner girlfriend takes a weird turn, Rolf’s placid world is shattered, and he becomes a fugitive from justice.

Eine junge Frau ist mit ihrem Auto auf einer Bergstraße in den Schottischen Highlands unterwegs, als plötzlich ein kleines Mädchen wie aus dem Nichts vor ihr auftaucht. Sie weicht aus und kommt von der Straße ab. Als sie wieder zu sich kommt, befindet sie sich in einem dunklen, feuchten Raum … Dann verschwindet ein Tourist spurlos. Auch er hat kurz vor seinem Verschwinden ein kleines Mädchen gesehen.

Purgatory is the lawless moon colony of billionaire Fletcher Brass: a mecca for war criminals, murderers, sex fiends, and adventurous tourists. You can't find better drugs, cheaper plastic surgery, or a more ominous travel advisory anywhere. But trouble is brewing in Brass' black-market heaven. When an exiled cop arrives in this wild frontier, he immediately finds himself investigating a string of ruthless assassinations in which Brass himself and his equally ambitious daughter are the chief suspects.

COVID-19 is spreading across the country. Peaceful demonstrations for Black Lives Matter after the murder by cop of George Floyd have turned violent. President Trump’s handling of the pandemic seems incompetent and chaotic. Infections and deaths continue to rise. When Attorney General Barr orders riot police and troops to clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square for Trump’s photo-op with a Bible, something snaps in Jack Blair. After a psychotic episode he is thrown into prison, and his life is threatened by white nationalist boogaloo bois.

The sequel to Bocas, Bronte follows George to Australia. PJ left a little surprise back home. And her name is Charlotte.

You might as well know this going in: Lawrence Block's new novel is not for everyone. It's recounted in journal form by its protagonist, and begins when he walks into a roadhouse outside of Bakersfield, California, and walks out with a woman. And rapes and murders her. But, um, not in that order. Right. But it's what he does with the rest of his life that's really interesting....

Jenny Aaron was a government assassin, part of an elite unit tracking Germany's most dangerous criminals. She was one of the best, until a disastrous mission ended with her abandoning a wounded colleague and losing her sight forever. Now, five years later, she has learnt to navigate a darkened world but is haunted by her betrayal. When she is called back to the force to trace a ruthless serial killer, she seizes the opportunity to solve the case and restore her honour.