John Gilstrap

On a beautiful sunny day in the Coronado National Monument, an elderly couple's car goes off the side of a mountain and into oblivion. The terrain is so rocky that a helicopter must be flown in to retrieve the bodies, and to make matters worse, a thunder-storm is looming on the horizon. Hours later and miles away, the subsiding rain reveals gruesome evidence: two trash bags containing human remains. It's just another day in the life of Cochise County sheriff Joanna Brady. Back at home, Joanna has a newborn baby, a teenage daughter, a writer husband, and a difficult mother to deal with. But in the field, it turns out that she has much more on her hands. The remains are those of a handicapped woman who had wandered away from a care facility with a suspicious track record. Another resident, with whom the woman may have been involved, has also been reported missing. Meanwhile, a note is found in the glove compartment of the car lying twisted down the mountainside, stating that its occupants intended to take their own lives. Yet a contradictory autopsy report surfaces, and when the deceased's two daughters show up to feud over their inheritance, Joanna knows there is more to this case than just a suicide pact.And she will go all out to find the truth—no matter where it leads.

Jake and Carolyn Donovan head the FBI's list of the "Ten Most Wanted" for a crime they didn't commit. For 14 years they have lived under assumed names, moving to new towns when necessary. Jake gets caught in an FBI drug bust and is released but not before his fingerprints have been taken. By the time the FBI makes the connection, Jake, Carolyn, and their son have activated their escape plan. This time they mean to prove their innocence. To do that they return to the scene of the crime, only one small step ahead of the FBI agent now on the case. Why was the investigation dropped? Who had the power to set them up? What part does the ubiquitous Mr. Wiggins play?

Inspired by the debut album from legendary rock star Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell is a stellar collection of mysteries from some of the best writers in the genre. The fourth installment in the Music and Murder Mystery series, edited by Don Bruns, Bat Out of Hell is a nonstop thrill ride of engrossing mysteries from some of the best authors in the business. An anthology unlike any other, this collection includes a brand-new Jack Reacher story from Andrew Child, a never-before-seen Pignon Scorbion prequel from Rick Bleiweiss, as well as exciting new mysteries from Heather Graham, John Gilstrap, Dave Bruns, C. J. Kudlacz, and Charles Todd. Whether you are familiar with the series or encountering it for the first time, Bat Out of Hell has something for everyone.

For Jonathan Grave and Gail Bonneville, the Crystal Sands Resort is the perfect getaway--until gunshots shatter the night. Wealthy guests are yanked out of their sleep, herded like animals, forced to submit to their captors' demands. But Jonathan and Gail are no ordinary vacationers. The assassins who invade their bungalow receive a deadly surprise. And two determined, skilled operatives escape into the jungle. Jonathan and Gail are not the only free agents on the island. Cut off from his usual tactical team, with a pair of unlikely allies he can't fully trust, Grave's only hope of reliable back-up is his partner Boxers, who's hundreds of miles--and hours--away. It won't be long before the invaders turn this tropical paradise into the powderkeg that will set off global chaos.

A dangerous drifter, a hired gun, a grisly corpse--you never know who you'll run into at the Hotel California. Eight deliciously talented mystery authors have lent their skills of crafting murder and suspense to this collection of gripping short stories. Each of these eight provocative tales is designed to entertain and mystify--and maybe even chill you to your core. Get lost in the wild imaginations of such New York Times bestselling writers as Andrew Child, Heather Graham, Reed Farrel Coleman, and John Gilstrap, plus authors Rick Bleiweiss, Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Amanda Flower, and Don Bruns. From the titular tale "Hotel California" to a new, original Jack Reacher adventure, these stories have a little something for every mystery lover. Go ahead. Check in, enjoy some room service, and stay until the very last tantalizing page. Just don't forget to search the closet or behind the curtains.

338 pages ; 23 cm

To save a mother and her young son, rescue specialist Jonathan Grave and his team must delve into a nationwide conspiracy that goes beyond the deadly ambitions of a madman and reaches all the way to the highest levels of the government.

When Len Lasher's daughter disappears, Scotti, a transgendered detective, joins forces with his [sic] ex-wife, an insurance agent. They are in the Hamptons investigating a horse-owner who has his valuable racehorses killed in order to collect the insurance when they can't compete anymore.