Short Stories

Arranged marriages are so three centuries ago. But that doesn't stop Afton Lennox from being bound by one. All her life she's been pledged to wed Connor MacKean. It's the only way to save both their families' estates, and they're friends after all so it won't be that bad. Right? Hamish Colquhoun has spent his entire adult life trying to find a way to liberate his best friend from a marriage he doesn't want. If it also spares the woman he's secretly loved for years, it's of no mind to him. He's already got a wife and family of his own. Freeing them both is just the right thing to do.

In one small town in Montana, the stories you were told when you were a child might be more real than you think. The five Cooper brothers never knew their lives were so connected to the magic within until one fateful, fiery night. Together in one place for the first time, the first three novels will pull you in and never let you.

From critically acclaimed author Troy Onyango comes a dark, suspenseful tale of spirits bearing witness to a crime that rocks an island community, based on the Luo legend of the water people.

Mack Holland might as well have the word “former” tattooed across his chest. He’s a former Green Beret. A former CIA Ground Branch Team Leader. A former husband. A former father. At least his dog, Blue, still appreciates him. But when a black SUV with government plates crunches down the gravel driveway of his remote backwoods home, Mack’s quiet, post-operator life is shattered. The G-man who steps out brings news Mack never expected to hear: his daughter Lindsey, officially dead and buried for five years, is alive. And she’s being held hostage in Syria.

Five Carly Classics from the bestselling Simply Series in one hot bundle! This set includes Simply Sinful, Simply Scandalous, Simply Sensual, Body Heat, and Simply Sexy.

Whether weaving family life and history into dark fiction or writing speculative Afrofuturism, American Book Award winner and Essence best-selling author Tananarive Due’s work is both riveting and enlightening. In her debut collection of short fiction, Due takes us to Gracetown, a small Florida town that has both literal and figurative ghost; into future scenarios that seem all too real; and provides empathetic portraits of those whose lives are touched by otherness. Featuring an award-winning novella and 15 stories, Ghost Summer: Stories is sure to haunt and delight.

If you like scary stories, you've come to the right place. Over 80 tales of terror told in a true story style that will curdle your blood and send shivers down your spine!

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite. . .

"The Lottery," one of the most terrifying stories of the twentieth century, created a sensation when it was first published in the New Yorker. "Powerful and haunting," and "nights of unrest" were typical reader responses. This collection, the only one to appear during Jackson's lifetime, unites "The Lottery" with 24 equally unusual stories. Together they demonstrate her remarkable range - from the hilarious to the truly horrible - and power as a storyteller.

The Pyramid is the long-awaited addition to Henning Mankell's critically celebrated and internationally best-selling Kurt Wallander mystery series: the book of five short mysteries that takes us back to the beginning. Here are the stories that trace, chronologically, Wallander's growth from a rookie cop into a young father and then a middle-aged divorcé, illuminating how Wallander became a first-rate detective and highlighting new facets of a now canonical character.

Sandstorm: Publisher's Pack contains books one and two of the Sandstorm series. Sandstorm, book one: Something is hunting the inhabitants of Ravar. For three generations, the colonists on Ravar have been stranded on a harsh planet, forced to survive in a desert environment where only the scrappiest animals and the heartiest plants survive. Most live without the foolish hope that Earth's supply ships will ever grace the skies again. Trapped in a sandstorm, Neena Xylance struggles to make her way back to her colony.

In this tale inspired by Cinderella (and for fans of The Last Airbender), Ellie is a firemage in a kingdom of water and windmages. Her worried stepmother warns her against showing off her powers, but when everyone at the king’s ball is in danger from a dragon, Ellie can no longer keep them secret. She works together with another firemage to save the entire kingdom.

Zacharias is his maternal grandfather’s namesake, though he has never met said grandfather or any other extended family members. He represses questions he has as a way of trying to protect himself and his mother, Dorothée, who is prone to bouts of depression. But he cannot ignore his reality forever and in adolescence, Zacharias begins to commit small acts of rebellion leading to a final act that goes horribly wrong and leads him to exile and a new life where he promises himself never to look back.

“Short stories can act like little tuning forks, helping us to clarify our own values,” writes guest editor Celeste Ng. “In a time when our values are being tested daily, it’s hard to think of anything more important.” The Best American Short Stories 2025 resonates precisely at this...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap…and what happens is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester’s treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive.

An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young adult and adult intermediate learners of Spanish. Short Stories in Spanish for Intermediate Learners has been written specifically for students from a low-intermediate to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement and, most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to B1-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you and give you a feeling of progress when reading.

The Montgomerys are heading north to Boulder, Colorado. These Montgomerys hold their secrets close and their family closer…at least that’s what they’ve told themselves over the years. When their world shifts on its axis, however, each sibling will have to fight for a way to find their equilibrium, as well as who they thought they were before everything changed. Breaking down their own barriers won’t be easy, but they’re Montgomerys and never back down from a challenge—even when the challenges happen to be the ones they never saw coming.

A collection of stories from the most famous Western author of all time! Desert Death-Song is a compilation of some of Louis L’Amour’s greatest stories, many of which might otherwise be difficult to find. Whether he was writing under his early pen name, Jim Mayo, or his own, L’Amour’s stories are unforgettable, touching on rough and rugged American ideals, and set in the untamable frontier of the Western United States.

It’s Shanaya’s birthday, and there has been a gala party in the office - good food, some drinks and a whole lot of fun. Slightly tipsy and looking forward to a nice evening with her friends, she finds a surprise gift on her desk. It’s beautiful and quite mysterious. No names, no wishes...just a small, seductive note with a couple of unusually sensuous gifts. Who could it be from? A secret admirer who promises a great time, or a prank by her colleagues? She is soon to find out the delicious truth behind The Surprise Birthday Gift.

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.