Mystery Writers of America

After the crime is over, the real drama begins. That's what this riveting collection proves as it carries us from the Salem witch trials to Depression-era Chicago to today's highest-stakes legal dramas. These are thrilling stories of lawyers under pressure, of criminals facing the needle, and of the heartbroken families who hope for justice and who sometimes take it into their own hands.In James Grippando's "Death, Cheated," a lawyer defends his ex-girlfriend against the investors who bet $1.5 million on her death. In Barbara Parker's "A Clerk's Life," a disillusioned clerk at a corporate law firm suspects the worst of his colleagues when one of the firm's employees is murdered. In Phyllis Cohen's "Designer Justice," an accused murderer thinks he's lucked out when he lands a high-priced lawyer, only to learn that there are worse fates than being found guilty.A page-turning collection--filled with shocking twists, double-crosses, and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

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Features new stories in which characters take the law into their own hands in search of vengeance, with contributions by Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, and Karin Slaughter as well as up-and-coming new writers in the field.

Sue Grafton weaves the experience of today's top mystery authors into a comprehensive "how-to." Writing mystery fiction can be a special kind of puzzle. In this new, revised edition of the Mystery Writers of America classic, Sue Grafton weaves the experience of today's top mystery authors into a comprehensive mystery writing "how-to." Writers will learn how to piece a perfect mystery together and create realistic stories that are taut, immediate and fraught with tension.The book's contributors include a "who's who" of the mystery writing elite: Faye and Jonathan Kellerman on conducting accurate research; Michael Connelly on mastering characterization; Tony Hillerman on writing without an outline; Lawrence Block on overcoming writer's block; Sara Paretsky on creating successful series characters; Tess Gerritson on writing the medical thriller; Ann Rule on the art of writing true crime. And many more!

MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA presents The Rich and the Dead The rich are very different from you and me. Blessed by great wealth, they can get what they want, even what they shouldn't have. Cursed by great wealth, they become the targets of others who will risk everything to become affluent. In The Rich and the Dead, bestselling author Nelson DeMille introduces twenty original tales by today's most elite mystery writers who explore the life (and death) styles of the rich and infamous. In Ted Bell's The Pirate of Palm Beach, an arrogant society columnist feels the unsociable [and deadly] backlash from his poison pen. In Lee Child's Addicted to Sweetness, a swaggering drug lord plots a nasty payback against a thieving underling. In David Morrell's The Controller, a seasoned protection specialist may need to be protected from the mercurial finance titan who purchases his services... and tests his loyalties. From multinational boardrooms to palatial mansions to exotic playlands, these suspenseful, gold-standard tales reveal in scary, funny, and riveting ways just how much trouble money can buy. Featuring stories by • Nelson DeMille • Ted Bell • Peter Blauner • Karen Catalona • Tim Chapman • Lee Child • Michael Connelly • Frank Cook • David DeLee • Joseph Goodrich • Daniel J. Hale • Roberta Isleib • Harley Jane Kozak • David Morrell • Carolyn Mullen • Twist Phelan • S.J. Rozan • Jonathan Santlofer • Elaine Togneri • Angela Zeman

From the Civil War–era south to 1950s New York to the present day's gritty cities and seemingly innocuous suburbs, the eighteen stories in this anthology edited by the award-winning mystery writer Harlan Coben chart the complications-always surprising, sometimes deadly-that arise between lovers, dear friends, and even complete strangers coming together for a single, shocking encounter. In Lee Child's "Safe Enough," a blue-collar city boy takes up with a wealthy suburban wife, with dire consequences. In Harlan Coben's "Entrapped," a woman's husband disappears and is replaced by a handsome impostor. In Laura Lippman's "One True Love," a high-end prostitute seeks a radical solution to a public relations problem. And in P. J. Parrish's "One Shot," a man returns to his childhood home to learn the truth about a long-ago tragedy. Other contributors of original stories include Ridley Pearson, R. L. Stine, Jim Fusilli, Jeff Abbott, Charles Todd, and Tom Savage.