Reading a Cat Who . . . novel by Lilian Jackson Braun is "like dropping in on old and very dear friends" ( The Tampa Tribune-Times). This delightful omnibus edition offers a rare chance for an extended visit with reporter Jim Qwilleran and his extraordinary Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. The most unusual team in detective fiction follows trails of clues as elusive as a cat burglar in these stories, taking crime-solving to a new level.

At the novel's center is Durtal, a writer obsessed with the life of one of the blackest figures in history, Gilles de Rais – child murderer, sadist, necrophile and practitioner of all the black arts. The book's authentic, extraordinarily detailed descriptions of the Black Mass have never been surpassed.

All Malachi Slattery wants to do is take care of Nila and her son. But she doesn’t like wolves, and he can’t figure out a way to get her to see that he’s nothing like her ex. He’ll have to use every trick in the book to prove he’s a male she can count on. When her ex does the unthinkable in a ploy to get her back into his arms, Malachi will show him why no one messes with a Protector's mate.

Erotica/Suspense/Thriller. 45058 words long.

Featuring brand-new stories by: Kathleen Kent, Ben Fountain, James Hime, Harry Hunsicker, Matt Bondurant, Merritt Tierce, Daniel J. Hale, Emma Rathbone, Jonathan Woods, Oscar C. Peña, Clay Reynolds, Lauren Davis, Fran Hillyer, Catherine Cuellar, David Haynes, and J. Suzanne Frank.From the introduction by David Hale Smith:My favorite line in my favorite song about Dallas goes like this: Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes / A steel and concrete soul in a warm heart and love disguise . . . The narrator of Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s perfect tune “Dallas” is coming to town as a broke dreamer with the bright lights of the big city on his mind. He’s just seen the Dallas cityscape through the window of his seat on a DC-9 at night. Is he just beginning his quest? Or is he on his way home, flying out of Love Field, reminiscing after seeing the woman who stepped on him when he was down?In a country with so many interesting cities, Dallas is often overlooked—except on November 22 every year. The heartbreaking anniversary keeps coming back around in a nightmare loop, for all of us. On that day in 1963, Dallas became American noir. A permanent black scar on its history that will never be erased, no matter how many happy business stories and hit television shows arise from here. In a stark ongoing counterweight to the JFK tragedy are those two iterations of the TV show. Dallas is not a TV show. It’s a real city . . . For the past forty years, my capacity to be surprised by it has not diminished one bit. I hope the stories in this collection will surprise you too.

In a steamy city, murder has never before been so icy. And as the toll of unsuspecting victims continues to climb, the search is on for the cold-blooded killer. Jack Eichord, serial-murder detective, is out to melt the man with the murder machine, but Jake's following an elusive trail of victims assaulted in the most horrific way.and time's running out for him.

In Detroit, 1945, eleven-year-old Betty's house doesn't quite feel like home. She believes her mother loves her, but she can't shake the feeling that her mother doesn't want her. Church helps those worries fade, if only for a little while. The singing, the preaching, the speeches from guest activists like Paul Robeson and Thurgood Marshall stir African Americans in her community to stand up for their rights. Betty quickly finds confidence and purpose in volunteering for the Housewives League, an organization that supports black-owned businesses. Soon, the American civil rights icon we now know as Dr. Betty Shabazz is born.Inspired by Betty's real life—but expanded upon and fictionalized through collaboration with novelist Renée Watson—Ilyasah Shabazz illuminates four poignant years in her mother's childhood with this book, painting an inspiring portrait of a girl overcoming the challenges of self-acceptance and belonging that will resonate with young...

The thrilling finale to the Vintener trilogy from the master of historical adventure. France, 1356: Ten years have passed since the battle of Crecy, and the English fighters are still abroad, laying siege to cities, towns and even small villages. Meanwhile the Prince of Wales raids across France to draw King John into a battle for sovereignty. Berenger Fripper, having lost everything to the plague, is now captain of a company of mercenaries, but treachery and deceit dog him when his travels with the company lead him to Uzerche. And then his path crosses that of Prince Edward and his men as they embark on their latest chevauchée to bring death and disaster to the King of France's subjects. Enlisted as Vintener under Sir John de Sully, Berenger finds himself drawn into a new struggle. Can the English defeat the much larger French army, or will they find themselves finally overcome when their weary feet bring them at last to the field of battle near...

SUMMARY: The US of A is in the final throes of the twentieth century. Climactic catastrophe has ravaged the land. The economy, civilization, and even laws of nature are falling apart. Contrast the fortress city-states of the corporate-owned Policed Zones with the decaying wilderness prowled by the tribalistic gangcults of the new millennium. GenTech – one of the most powerful mega-corps on the planet – has lost a computer disk. Not just any disk. This disk belonged to Doc Zarathustra, eccentric genius and head od the corporation's BioDiv. And now everyone wants it – at any price. Kid Zero – one-time member of the Low Numbers – owes fealty to no one. His only companion is Lady venom – a six foot, female rattlesnake. And he has the disk. Pursued half-way round the world and back by the most ruthless killers GenTech and its competitors can send after him, the odds are not on his side. But the Kid is cunning. He may be a lone wolf, but he's not without friends. And the Kid doesn't want money of power; the Kid wants revenge...