Short Fiction Collection

In 1995, the physical and social landscape of Japan was transformed by two events: the Kobe earthquake, in January, which destroyed thousands of lives, and the poison-gas attacks in the Tokyo subways in March, during the morning rush hour. Following these twin disasters, Haruki Murakami...

The best mysteries have one thing in common: a memorable perpetrator. For every Sherlock Holmes or Sam Spade in noble pursuit, there's a Count Dracula, a Lester Leith, or a Jimmy Valentine. These are the rogues and villains who haunt our imaginations - and who often have more in common with their heroic counterparts than we might expect. Now, for the first time ever, Otto Penzler gathers the iconic traitors, thieves, con men, sociopaths, and killers who have crept through the mystery canon over the past 150 years, captivating and horrifying readers in equal measure.

Suvie has three marriage proposals - but none from the man she truly loves. No matter how lonely widower Aaron Beachy is, he seems determined to stay that way. Now, Suvie will do whatever it takes to change that.

Adventure, science fiction, aesop’s fables, classic fairy tales, and Christmas story books for children.

In these psychologically daring, chillingly suspenseful pieces, the author of We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde writes about women facing threats past and present, once again cementing her reputation for "great intelligence and dead-on imaginative powers" (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

A world traveler and adventurer, L. Ron Hubbard was a keen observer and astute researcher and imbued his fiction with authentic characters, local color and real-life adventure. Whether sailing the high seas with Lord Nelson’s fleet, digging in a scorching desert for Alexander’s treasure, or ducking bullets across war-torn China, these stories will carry you on adventure to other times and places.

From quiet countryside cottages to city lofts and sultry beach apartments, this collection of sapphic erotic short stories celebrates secure, loving relationships, and the raw, explosive passion that simmers beneath them. Featuring 10 of your favourite age-gap couples, these stories follow women who know exactly what they want. Whether it’s a jealousy-fuelled fight that ends in a desperate, heated surrender or a long-awaited night alone with no interruptions, each story explores trust, intensity, and unapologetic pleasure between women who are deeply in love.

Distant Realms collects 13 works of speculative fiction by Chris Lester, creator of the award-winning Metamor City story universe. These stories cross worlds as diverse and broad as imagination itself, from the far future to ancient woods where forbidden gods still hold sway. Here are tales of science fiction, fantasy, and cosmic horror, of heroism and rebellion, of loves lost and found…but above all, tales of humanity and hope.

This beautifully crafted collection of stories is a treasure trove of magical adventures, serene landscapes, and gentle creatures, all designed to guide children into a world of peaceful slumber and dream-filled nights. Perfect for parents seeking to nurture their children's imagination while instilling a sense of calm and relaxation at bedtime, this book is a passport to a realm where dreams are just a story away.

Before I Wake is a thriller fan's dream, a rich, resonant collection that reminds us, once again, of its author's enduring and unmistakable importance. This is popular fiction as it should be written. It doesn't get better than this.

This is an excellent Halloween audiobook for kids who love to be spooked. Be prepared for some eerie ghost stories and spooky Halloween tales! These campfire tales are excellent for listening aloud with friends and family.

The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers series is a romantic comedy saga packed with the perfect mix of angst, tears, and laughs. If you like strong heroines and alpha males, steamy romances, and witty love stories, this series is for you!

From Amber Collins, author of more than 200 size-related erotica stories, comes the latest in the collection that celebrates tiny women - or women getting tiny!

Sherlock Holmes was created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science, and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard. Holmes first appeared in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with "A Scandal in Bohemia" in 1891.

Villains have all the fun - everyone knows that - and this anthology takes you on a wild ride through the dark side! The top villains from 16 urban fantasy series get their own stories - including the baddies of New York Times best-selling authors Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Kelley Armstrong, Seanan McGuire, and Jonathan Maberry. For every hero trying to save the world, there's a villain trying to tear it all down.

"Dragos Takes a Holiday": When the Cuelebre family heads to Bermuda for some much needed R&R, it’s no ordinary weekend in the sun. Between Pirates, treasure hunting, and a baby dragon…what could possibly go wrong? "Pia Saves the Day": The Cuelebres have moved to upstate New York where they finally have the space to indulge their Wyr side, and Liam can grow in safety. Their idyllic situation is shattered when Dragos is injured and stripped of his memory.

In this long-awaited collection, Hopkinson continues to expand the boundaries of culture and imagination. Whether she is retelling The Tempest as a new Caribbean myth, filling a shopping mall with unfulfilled ghosts, or herding chickens that occasionally breathe fire, Hopkinson continues to create bold fiction that transcends boundaries and borders.

Mental illness though can still carry a stigma. A case of ‘you’re not trying hard enough’, ‘or knuckling down and getting on with it’. But in more recent decades mental issues have come to be recognised as an illness, a disease rather than an affliction. We all remember horror stories of lobotomy’s and electric shock being used to ‘cure’ what society viewed as anti-social behaviour but illness, mental or physical is very real. Depression, schizophrenia, breakdown, psychosis are alarming events to have or to witness.

A genealogy test sparks a woman’s reflection on the two accounts of her life--the real one and the one she’s always told the world--in this poignant short story by Cheryl Strayed, the bestselling author of Wild. In 1964, teenage Geraldine Waters was sent away by her parents to an unwed mothers’ home, where she gave up her newborn for adoption. Ever since, she’s lived an alternative narrative. Decades later, it’s time for Geraldine to reconcile the telling of her life, to finally grieve, and to discover what happened to that part of her past that slipped away.

In this haunting short story of loyalty and betrayal, a young woman in early 1900s Massachusetts discovers that in navigating her treacherous coming-of-age, she must find her voice first. For fatefully observant Adeline, growing up carries an ominous warning from her adulterous mother: don’t say a word. Adeline vows to never speak again. But that’s not her only secret. After her mother takes a housekeeping job at a lighthouse off the tip of Cape Ann, a local woman vanishes. The key to the mystery lies with Adeline, the silent witness.