Showing results by publisher "Phoenix Books" in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

When Faron Sears—a rich, brilliant, messianic, Black ex-con—enters the presidential race and refuses to play by the old rules, he electrifies the electorate. But someone Faron trusts is a traitor, and someone else plots to become his assassin. The FBI agent assigned to save Faron's life is also ordered to protect the secret of a cover-up that threatens the Washington establishment. From the White House to the mountains of Idaho, the hunt for the traitor and assassin illuminates mysterious forces at work in politics, the media, and ordinary life.

When the network decides to revive its old show The Murder Game, Steve Allen's wife Jayne Meadows is willing to try her hand at solving imaginary homicides on prime-time television. The game turns deadly, however, as one by one the stars are actually killed. With each new victim, the program's ratings soar, so Steve and Jayne take it upon themselves to find out who the killer is—before their bodies increase the viewership even more!

Veteran radio repertory company ZPPR Productions is guaranteed to give you goose bumps! Ranging from comic to horrific, these bite-sized thrillers include suspenseful contemporary dramas, satiric murder mysteries, and tongue-in-cheek parodies.

Kelly Douglas has overcome her unhappy childhood in rural Napa Valley to become the host of a new prime-time magazine show. She left behind her abusive, alcoholic father and transformed herself from the "four-eyed and fat" Lizzie Dougherty into a chic, successful television personality. Assigned to do a feature story on Napa Valley, Kelly becomes entangled in the lives of Katherine Rutledge, the matriarch of the famous Rutledge Estate Winery, and her grandson, Sam.

Attorney Matthew Hope had hired Otto Samalson to conduct a simple marital investigation—so how does Samalson end up dead on a deserted highway? Hope's search for an answer takes him into Florida's drug underworld on the trail of a hooker—one who has the style and looks necessary to transform herself into a high-class cocaine-stealing Cinderella. What Hope uncovers is a complicated web of circumstances and a terrifying twist on a hooker's fairy tale.

Raymond Starbuck ruined star jockey Coley Killebrew's reputation—so why is Coley cutting a deal with him? When Killebrew was barred from the track after a race-fixing scandal, he also lost his irresistible girlfriend, Francie Dorn. Starbuck says that if Coley can keep some unsavory cronies from muscling in on the old Magnolia Park track, he'll give Coley $10,000—and Francie's address. Is this the opportunity he's been waiting for, or will Coley blow his chance with the arrival of Starbuck's leggy, blonde daughter Lea—a woman who's as skilled at seducing men as she is at blowing them away?

A long shadow looms above the wife of filmmaker Carlton Markham. Then a hand clamps over her mouth, and a blade sinks into her back. Blood splatters on the film reel case beside her, and a young life is cut short. Lawyer Matthew Hope gets a call from Markham, who's been arrested for his wife's murder, but he says he didn't do it. Witnesses fly forward to proclaim his guilt, but Markham's not giving up on his innocence that easily. And when Hope digs deeper into the victim's business—he finds she may not have been the perfect lady that she seemed.

Successful TV political commentator Arthur Vandameer—host of WNIN's Speaking Truth to Power—is rich, famous...and miserable. He has risen to the top of the city's glittering media heap only to find nothing. His teenage daughter—privileged, glamorous Allison—is blonde, beautiful, and wants nothing more than to go to film school. Her boyfriend, Joselito Diaz (aka Goonie), is special to her only because she knows her father cannot stand him. When Allison disappears, a madcap cast of characters gets into the act, stirring a citywide web of intrigue, insanity, political values and personal agendas.

For $2 million, scientist Alex McAuliff is hired by Dunstone, Ltd. to survey the geology of Jamaica's dark, mysterious interior. There is a catch: no one can know Dunstone is involved. When British Intelligence learns of Alex's mission, they let him in on a little secret: the last survey team never made it home. McAuliff's reception to the island is far from warm, and now Alex is a marked man. Someone wants him dead—but who? The only one clue to his survival is a single mysterious word: Halidon.

James Bond and his stunning partner—the former Swiss intelligence agent Flicka von Grusse—investigate the disappearance of Sir Maxwell, a self-made billionaire whose aims rival that of Hitler. Their pursuit takes them on a dangerous course through London and Spain then across the Middle East and on to a floating laboratory off the coast of Puerto Rico. The pair get caught up in both deadly international arms trade and an ecological disaster that threatens the entire globe.

After Jessica Leeds—wife of a prestigious, wealthy Florida landowner—is brutally raped, three Vietnamese immigrants are charged with the crime. After the trial results in their acquittal, Jessica's husband Stephen vows vengeance. Then, the three immigrants are found savagely murdered. When all of the evidence ties Stephen Leeds to the grisly killings, Jessica turns to Florida lawyer Matthew Hope. He takes the case—and discovers a situation far more complex and explosive than he, or his client, imagined.

A banker with a smile that conceals a devilish impulse, a literary agent who is quick to anger, a mechanic with a desperate need to be liked, and a psychologist who keeps all their secrets—as well as his own—meet every week in the dingy back room of a New York City bar. These men have one thing in common: They all suffer the sting of a broken heart. Soon, anger turns to hate, and the Broken Hearts Club spins violently out of control, exploding into murderous acts of vengeance. Detective Conrad Voort is assigned the case, determined to catch an elusive killer who is always one death ahead.

Raised in a world of flimflams, come-ons, and con-jobs, Beano Bates has done so well he's earned a spot on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. But his lucky streak vanishes after a card game in which he scams a cool eighty grand from a notorious Mafia don—who retaliates by having Beano nearly beaten to death. For the first time in his legendary career, Beano wants more than a big score—he wants justice.

It's not every day a federal judge comes knocking at one's door, especially with a curious request—to review the final appeal of a murderer on Death Row. California lawyer Greg Monarch has every intention of saying no to the request—until he discovers the prisoner is his former lover. Six months from execution, Sarah Trant has turned to the one man she hopes can save her. Greg failed once before trying to rescue Sarah from her private demons. This time, however, the demons may not be just in her head.

Ah, the pleasures of Christmas: the hanging of lights, the traditional feasts, the gathering of families, and...a bit of murder, conspiracy, and theft. The holiday season seems to inspire the imagination of the best mystery writers, and their talents shine here in these delightful tales of Yuletide crime. In this busiest of seasons, seize a few hours to enjoy a sleigh—or slay--full of mysterious treasures, served with the finest of flair.

During Desert Storm, Major Darren Mace made a fateful decision to go against orders—to abort a secret mission that was, in his judgment, ill-advised. His actions landed him in military exile. Now Mace has moved on to the Air Force Reserves. There's a new US president, a new era, and a new war is escalating along the Ukraine border. And this time Mace has a partner—Rebecca Furness, the military's first woman combat flyer—while the chains of command tighten around him.