Short Reads Thriller

Be ready for some action, humor, and mystery in this anthology with short stories. You’ll listen about gangsters, witches, magic potions, interrogations, werewolves, and murder. Several stories have a murder victim, while others are all about theft or robberies. But in many cases, they spark the imagination and make up for a great way to sit back, relax, and read or listen to stories from a completely different world.

C. J. Box, #1 New York Times best-selling author of the hugely popular Joe Pickett series, selects the best short mystery and crime fiction of the year in this annual “treat for crime-fiction fans” (Library Journal).

It looks like just another gray March morning in the tough urban district nicknamed Nowhere when seven lives converge. Any one of them could have a dark motive. Any one of them could be walking into a trap. When the fog lifts, it will all be much clearer - that a single, shattering act of violence has marked each of them forever.

When secretary Annie Parkes is snatched from the street outside of her workplace, David Kane is tasked with finding her. Strong, highly skilled, and secretive, he’s a loner and an outsider; the only man the military trust to find Annie before her kidnappers make good on their promise to kill her. But as Kane pulls Annie from a derelict building, gunshots ringing through the deserted streets around them, he realizes rescuing her is just the beginning. He needs to keep her close to find out who is behind her capture, and to keep her safe.

The recently rediscovered short story 'The Lost One', perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier, Santa Montefiore and Anya Seton. First published in Woman's Journal in 1960, and set against the backdrop of unfenced country and dark winding valleys at night, the aptly named 'The Lost One' features The Wind off the Small Isles heroine Perdita West, who brings her characteristic pluck and courage to this classic Mary Stewart tale of suspense and intrigue....

The second volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading is chock-full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, and compiled by certified guy Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Thriller is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page.

After years of open-water diving, Aaron and Margot have upped the ante. Not content to simply swim with pretty fish, the couple have taken up cave diving - climbing into the Earth in search of flooded caverns filled with adventure. Surrounded by icy waters and claustrophobic rock, where most people would only fear drowning, the newly engaged lovers find thrilling fun.

Summer 1977. The police have barely got their heads around an arson attack when a second occurs. Where’s the evidence? A detective is following up a hunch when the arsonist strikes again. This time, the attack on an Orphanage leads to the loss of life of children and adults. An arrest is made. The suspect ticks some of the boxes, but detective "Chunky" Mason isn’t sure they’ve got their man. As the investigation steps up a gear Mason begins to unearth an unpalatable truth.

Detective Inspector Ken "Chunky" Mason finds himself trapped between a rock and a hard place when history and current events conspire against him. A dead body, blackmail, conflicts of interest. He’s almost at the end of his tether, when events take an unexpected twist.

DCI Morgan confronts a personal crisis when retirement looms. Meanwhile, crime doesn’t stop. The discovery of a body, found with a fish in his mouth, sparks a murder hunt. In this, the fourth of J. J. Kennard’s short murder mysteries, Morgan feels he should be on the case, but his chief has other ideas.

A sleepy Norfolk coastal resort hits the headlines when an anonymous tip-off reveals 13 corpses in a basement. Why are they arranged in a circle, and what’s the connection between them? In this short-listen murder mystery, follow newly promoted Detective Constable Jerry Jackson’s adventures as he becomes entangled in a case where the killer is closer than he realises, and has yet to complete his death toll.

This is a set of several audiobooks in the fantasy, contemporary, horror, mystery, and romance genre, just for some variety.

A gold-digging spouse who is also a serial killer.... The beautiful owner of a women’s dress shop brutally murdered on the floor.... A sexy dame who shows up unannounced at Dick Moonlight PI’s office claiming she’s about to be murdered.... Two numbskulls who decide to rob a home for the aged during bingo night.... These are just a few of the sexy, hard-boiled, and noir tales you’ll find in this first-ever volume of collected short stories by Thriller and PWA Shamus Award-winner Vincent Zandri. 

John has been labelled an overnight success after one of his novels was adapted into a box-office movie. But lately, John has been struggling with writer’s block and is finding it difficult to write something that will satisfy his fans. He’s been dealing with unsettling messages from an obsessed fan, and his ungrateful wife is constantly trying to find ways to spend his money. But John’s life is about to get much, much harder when a menacing stranger starts banging on the door late at night.

If you like gripping mysteries, thrilling action, and suspense, you’ll love this pulse-pounding collection from acclaimed author P.T. Reade. Includes the books Night Runner, Marked for Death, Private Lie, and Taken Below. Discover murder, mystery, danger, and betrayal across Los Angeles, New Orleans, and deep below New York City in this exciting series of short thrillers that readers are calling "captivating" and a "must read".

An ancient South American cathedral extracts a heavy price from a visiting photojournalist. Ghost hunters stumble across a cursed field from which there is no escape. And a friendly neighbor discovers the new girl in town is more than she appears. Peer into the depths of Scare Street’s latest collection, a fun house mirror full of terror and nightmares.

In the 1990s, middle school was a treacherous time for young Susan, where her lifelong friendship with Maddie is put to the test. Determined to win back her friend from the clutches of the school bully, she is willing to do anything. When she stumbles upon a chilling discovery in the woods—the enigmatic "Book of Fear," she is torn by the sinister promise of one wish granted if she is willing to face one night of all her fears.

Enjoy a brief excursion into the warped mind of author, Will Patching, "hosted" by award-winning narrator, Gary Furlong.

Seven of Charles Dickens' best ghost and thriller stories, which have been widely read and beloved worldwide. This collection celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth. These stories provide a wonderful introduction Dickens before embarking upon his long novels; after these stories, listening to his longer novels becomes even more of a pleasure. Perfect for students and teachers seeking an understanding and appreciation of Dickens, without the time to engage with his long novels.

A young couple's fabulously orderly life is disrupted when the husband begins having prophetic dreams. The good news is that acting on these dreams averts disaster. The bad news? It soon involves a mysterious stranger in a cardigan, skeptical colleagues, and the FBI.