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The Shadow House: A Novel
by Anna DownesExtraordinarily tense and deliciously mysterious, Anna Downes's The Shadow House follows one woman's desperate journey to protect her children at any cost, in a remote place where not everything is as it seems.A HOUSE WITH DEADLY SECRETS.A MOTHER WHO'LL RISK EVERYTHING TO BRING THEM TO LIGHT.Alex, a single mother-of-two, is determined to make a fresh start for her and her children. In an effort to escape her troubled past, she seeks refuge in a rural community. Pine Ridge is idyllic; the surrounding forests are beautiful and the locals welcoming. Mostly.But Alex finds that she may have disturbed barely hidden secrets in her new home. As a chain of bizarre events is set off, events eerily familiar to those who have lived there for years, Alex realizes that she and her family might be in greater danger than ever before. And that the only way to protect them all is to confront the shadows lurking in Pine Ridge.
The Silent Unseen: A Novel of World War II
by Amanda McCrinaA mesmerizing historical novel of suspense and intrigue about a teenage girl who risks everything to save her missing brother.Poland, July 1944. Sixteen-year-old Maria is making her way home after years of forced labor in Nazi Germany, only to find her village destroyed and her parents killed in a war between the Polish Resistance and Ukrainian nationalists. To Maria’s shock, the local Resistance unit is commanded by her older brother, Tomek—who she thought was dead. He is now a “Silent Unseen,” a special-operations agent with an audacious plan to resist a new and even more dangerous enemy sweeping in from the East. When Tomek disappears, Maria is determined to find him, but the only person who might be able to help is a young Ukrainian prisoner and the last person Maria trusts—even as she feels a growing connection to him that she can’t resist.Tightly woven, relentlessly intense, The Silent Unseen depicts an explosive entanglement of loyalty, lies, and love during wartime, from Amanda McCrina, the acclaimed author of Traitor, a debut hailed by Elizabeth Wein as “Alive with detail and vivid with insight . . . a piercing and bittersweet story.”
Little Secrets: A Novel
by Jennifer HillierNational Bestseller!"Unflinching and unforgettable. Little Secrets has everything you want in a thriller" —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every DoorOverwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier's Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense. All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret...Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.Permanently.
Firekeeper's Daughter
by Angeline BoulleyA PRINTZ MEDAL WINNER!A MORRIS AWARD WINNER!AN AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD YA HONOR BOOK!A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICKAn Instant #1 New York Times BestsellerSoon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground. “One of this year's most buzzed about young adult novels.” —Good Morning America A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time SelectionAmazon's Best YA Book of 2021 So Far (June 2021)A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List SelectionAn Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Books of 2021 SelectionA PopSugar Best March 2021 YA Book SelectionWith four starred reviews, Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.
Rock Paper Scissors: A Novel
by Alice FeeneyINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Feeney lives up to her reputation as the “queen of the twist”…This page-turner will keep you guessing.” —Real SimpleThink you know the person you married? Think again…Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife. Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts--paper, cotton, pottery, tin--and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.
Muffin But the Truth: A Bakeshop Mystery (A Bakeshop Mystery #16)
by Ellie AlexanderIn Muffin But the Truth, Torte's pastry chef and amateur sleuth Juliet Capshaw finds herself in deep water... in another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series from author Ellie Alexander, set in Ashland, Oregon!Ashland is known for its Elizabethan charm and touches of Shakespeare around every corner, but the surrounding Rogue Valley draws adventure enthusiasts to its outdoor wonderland of high alpine lakes, mountain ranges, and pristine rivers. Jules Capshaw and the team at Torte have been hired to cater a weekend getaway on the mighty Rogue River. Jules is going to have to put her culinary skills to the test while baking gooey chocolate chip skillet cookies over an open flame and preparing extravagant feasts under a canopy of stars. The executive team at a big city firm will be rafting the Rogue’s rapids and gathering around the campfire for spooky stories, but their dysfunction quickly begins to show. Between constant bickering and heavy drinking, Jules wonders how the team can accomplish anything. She’s happy for a brief reprieve when they zip up their lifejackets and head out in their boats, but the serenity of the scene quickly vanishes when Jules discovers one of the execs floating face down in the water. She’s going to have to uncover the truth before she gets pulled under.
When I'm Dead: A Black Harbor Novel (Black Harbor Novels #3)
by Hannah MorrisseyOne girl murdered...another one missing...and a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in When I'm Dead, the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace. A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart. Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.
Jar of Hearts
by Jennifer HillierNationally Bestselling Author!* Winner - Best Novel, 2019 ITW Thriller Award * Authors on the Air Network - Thriller of the Year 2018 * Finalist - Anthony Award for Best Novel * Finalist - Macavity Award for Best Novel * MysteryTribune Ten Women Mystery and Thriller Writers You Should be Reading * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Best of 2018 * Bustle’s Best Thriller 11 Authors Read This Year * CrimeReads’ 20 Best of 2018 * Writer Types Podcast Favorite Books * LitReactor Best Books of 2018 * CrimeReads Favorite Crime Books of the Year * BOLO Books Top Reads of 2018 * SouthFlorida.com Best Mystery Novels of 2018 * Suspense Magazine Best of 2018 - Mystery/Thriller category "Jar of Hearts grabs you by the throat! The perfect blend of riveting characters, chilling details, and gasping twists in this standout thriller will keep you frantically reading until the explosive end.” – Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of Right Behind YouThis is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women. To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed. For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it? Find out in Jennifer Hillier's Jar of Hearts.
The Block Party: A Novel
by Jamie DayRaves for the hottest thriller of 2023!"This is wicked fun." --Publishers Weekly“Absolutely amazing. Readers are going to flip!” —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of ONE STEP TOO FAR"Like a firecracker on a hot summer night . . . If you like my novels, you’ll love THE BLOCK PARTY.” ―Elin Hilderbrand, #1 Bestselling author of THE HOTEL NANTUCKETThis summer, meet your neighbors.The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.
The Widowmaker: A Black Harbor Novel (Black Harbor Novels #2)
by Hannah MorrisseyA wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; and a woman with a dark past collide in Hannah Morrissey's stunning new Black Harbor mystery, The Widowmaker.Ever since business mogul Clive Reynolds disappeared twenty years ago, the name "Reynolds" has become synonymous with "murder" and "mystery." And now, lured by a cryptic note, down-on-her-luck photographer Morgan Mori returns home to Black Harbor and into the web of their family secrets and double lives. The same night she photographs the Reynolds holiday get-together, Morgan becomes witness to a homicide of a cop that triggers the discovery of a long-buried clue. This could finally be the thing to crack open the chilling cold case, and Investigator Ryan Hudson has a chance to prove himself as lead detective. If only he could stop letting his need to solve his partner's recent murder distract him. But as Morgan exposes her own dark demons, could her sordid history be the key to unlocking more than one mystery?
A Crane Among Wolves
by June HurAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death. Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen:Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant. Also by June Hur:The Silence of BonesThe Forest of Stolen GirlsThe Red Palace
Even Though I Knew the End
by C. L. PolkWinner of the Nebula Award!Finalist for the Hugo Award!Finalist for the World Fantasy Award! A New York Times Best Romance of 2022!C. L. Polk turns their considerable powers to a fantastical noir with Even Though I Knew the End.“Eerie, sharp, and fiercely bittersweet.” —The New York TimesA magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist—the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves. To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Ace of Spades
by Faridah Àbíké-ÍyímídéGossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully. All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. —Aces When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.
The Last Drop of Hemlock: A Mystery (The Nightingale Mysteries #2)
by Katharine SchellmanIn The Last Drop of Hemlock, the dazzling follow up to Last Call at the Nightingale, even a dance can come with a price...The rumor went through the Nightingale like a flood, quietly rising, whispers hovering on lips in pockets of silence.Life as a working-class girl in Prohibition-era New York isn’t safe or easy. But Vivian Kelly has a new job at the Nightingale, an underground speakeasy where the jazz is hot and the employees look out for each other in a world that doesn’t care about them. Things are finally looking up for her and her sister Florence... until the night Vivian learns that her friend Bea's uncle, a bouncer at the Nightingale, has died.His death is ruled a suicide, but Bea isn’t so convinced. She knew her uncle was keeping a secret: a payoff from a mob boss that was going to take him out of the tenements and into a better life. Now, the money is missing.Though her better judgment tells her to stay out of it, Vivian agrees to help Bea find the truth about her uncle's death. But they uncover more than they expected when rumors surface of a mysterious letter writer, blackmailing Vivian's poorest neighbors for their most valuable possessions, threatening poison if they don't comply.Death is always a heartbeat away in Jazz Age New York, where mob bosses rule the back alleys and cops take bootleggers’ hush money. But whoever is targeting Vivian’s poor and unprotected neighbors is playing a different game. With the Nightingale's dangerously lovely owner, Honor, worried for her employees' safety and Bea determined to discover who is responsible for her uncle's death, Vivian once again finds herself digging through a dead man's past in hopes of stopping a killer.
We Begin at the End
by Chris WhitakerWinner of the Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel from the Crime Writers’ Association (UK)Winner for Best International Crime Fiction from Australian Crime Writers AssociationAn Instant New York Times Bestseller“A vibrant, engrossing, unputdownable thriller that packs a serious emotional punch. One of those rare books that surprise you along the way and then linger in your mind long after you have finished it.”—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four WindsRight. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
Gone but Not Furgotten: A Cat Cafe Mystery (Cat Cafe Mystery Series #6)
by Cate ConteIn Gone but Not Furgotten, the sixth in Cate Conte's Cat Café beloved cozy mystery series, Daybreak Island has a killer on the loose…and this villain isn’t afraid to use their claws. Maddie James has big plans for the summer season at JJ's House of Purrs. But when her friend, master meditator and Tai Chi teacher Cass Hendricks, brings a potential animal hoarding situation to her attention, Maddie has to refocus her attention on the furry felines who may need a helping paw. Cass has brought his Zen teachings to Fisherman's Cove—a tiny, working class town on Daybreak Island—and one of his students, Laurel, has been on the receiving end more than one hissy fit from her neighbors, mostly because of her cats. When Maddie and Cass go to Laurel's to check out the situation, not only do they find a plethora of cats in need, but also a dead body. Laurel appears to have had an unfortunate accident falling down her stairs, but Maddie gets a sneaking suspicion that something more sinister might be behind her death. When she voices her concerns, she's horrified that it's Cass who falls under suspicion. With Grandpa Leo's help, Maddie has to dig into the secrets this small community is keeping close to find out why Laurel really died before Cass is put behind bars . . . or the killer strikes again.
Hello, Transcriber: A Novel (Black Harbor Novels #1)
by Hannah MorrisseyHannah Morrissey's Hello, Transcriber is a captivating mystery suspense debut featuring a female police transcriber who goes beyond the limits to solve a harrowing case.Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor's gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.The suspicious death is linked to Candy Man, a notorious drug dealer. Now Hazel has a first row seat to the investigation and becomes captivated by the lead detective, Nikolai Kole. Intrigued by the prospects of gathering eyewitness intel for her book, Hazel joins Kole in exploring Black Harbor's darkest side. As the investigation unfolds, Hazel will learn just how far she'll go for a good story—even if it means destroying her marriage and luring the killer to her as she plunges deeper into the city she's desperate to claw her way out of.
The Mountains Wild: A Mystery (Maggie D'arcy Mysteries #1)
by Sarah Stewart Taylor"With its evocative Dublin setting, lyrical prose, tough but sympathetic heroine, and a killer twist in the plot, Sarah Stewart Taylor's The Mountains Wild should top everyone's must-read lists this year!" — New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie In a series debut for fans of Tana French and Kate Atkinson, set in Dublin and New York, homicide detective Maggie D'arcy finally tackles the case that changed the course of her life.Twenty-three years ago, Maggie D'arcy's family received a call from the Dublin police. Her cousin Erin has been missing for several days. Maggie herself spent weeks in Ireland, trying to track Erin's movements, working beside the police. But it was to no avail: no trace of her was ever found.The experience inspired Maggie to become a cop. Now, back on Long Island, more than 20 years have passed. Maggie is a detective and a divorced mother of a teenager. When the Gardaí call to say that Erin's scarf has been found and another young woman has gone missing, Maggie returns to Ireland, awakening all the complicated feelings from the first trip. The despair and frustration of not knowing what happened to Erin. Her attraction to Erin's coworker, now a professor, who never fully explained their relationship. And her determination to solve the case, once and for all. A lyrical, deeply drawn portrait of a woman - and a country - over two decades - The Mountains Wild introduces a compelling new mystery series from a mesmerizing author.
There Should Have Been Eight
by Nalini SinghIn this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh, a remote estate in New Zealand&’s Southern Alps hosts a reunion no one will ever forget. Seven friends. One last weekend. A mansion half in ruins. No room for lies. Someone is going to confess. Because there should have been eight. . . . They met when they were teenagers. Now they&’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago. They&’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea&’s family&’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof. But when the weather turns and they&’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there&’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history. As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there&’s the nagging feeling that Bea&’s shocking death wasn&’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost. . . .
Theory of Shadows: A Novel
by Paulo MaurensigThe strange circumstances surrounding the death of the world chess champion and alleged Nazi collaborator Alexander Alekhine, as investigated by a literary grand masterOn the morning of March 24, 1946, the world chess champion Alexander Alekhine—“sadist of the chess world,” renowned for his eccentric behavior as well as the ruthlessness of his playing style—was found dead in his hotel room in Estoril, Portugal. He was fully dressed and wearing an overcoat, slumped back in a chair, in front of a meal, a chessboard just out of reach. The doctor overseeing the autopsy certified that Alekhine died of asphyxiation due to a piece of meat stuck in his larynx and assured the world that there was absolutely no evidence of suicide or foul play. Some, of course, have commented that the photos of the corpse look suspiciously theatrical, as though staged. Others have wondered why Alekhine would have sat down to his dinner in a hot room while wearing a heavy overcoat. And what about all these rumors concerning Alekhine’s activities during World War II? Did he really pen a series of articles on the inherent inferiority of Jewish chess players? Can he really be seen in photographs with high-ranking Nazi officials? And as for his own homeland, is it true that the Russians considered him a traitor, as well as a possible threat to the new generation of supposedly superior Soviet chess masters?With the atmosphere of a thriller, the insight of a poem, and a profound knowledge of the world of chess (“the most violent sport there is,” according to the Russian world champion Garry Kasparov), Paolo Maurensig’s Theory of Shadows leads us through the life and death of Alekhine: not so much trying to figure out whodunit as using the story of one infuriating and unapologetic genius to tease out “that which the novel alone can discover.”
Game Of Death: गेम ऑफ डेथ
by Santosh Pathakआठ दोस्त जो एक दूसरे को पापी कहकर बुलाते थे, अचानक ही बस सात रह गये, क्योंकि राहुल हांडा को कोई चुड़ैल उठा ले गयी। बात यकीन के काबिल नहीं थी, पुलिस तो हरगिज भी नहीं करने वाली थी, मगर दो महीने बाद फिर से एक वैसी ही घटना घटित हुई और बाकी बचे दोस्तों में से मधु कोठारी को कोई पिशाच अपने साथ लेकर चला गया। हद तो तब हो गयी जब दोनों ही मामलों में पुलिस को साफ-साफ किन्हीं पैरानार्मल एक्टीविटीज का दखल दिखाई देने लगा। हर तरफ भूत प्रेतों के चर्चे, ना समझ में आने वाली बातें और हैरान कर देने वाला घटनाक्रम। ऐसे में विराट राणा के लिए सच्चाई की तह तक पहुंच पाना आसान नहीं था।
Highway Mafia: हाईवे माफिया
by Vivek Agrawal Rakesh Daniदेश भर में हजारों किलोमीटर में पसरे हाईवे और सड़कों पर हर साल सैकड़ों हत्याएं होती है। हजारों करोड़ का माल लूटा जाता है। हाईवे पर सक्रिय माफिया की इन खूनी और दरिंदगी से भरी हरकतों पर कभी हंगामा नहीं होता। कारण बहुत डरावना है। हाईवे अपराधों में दरअसल किसी अमीर की हत्या नहीं होती, न उससे हफ्तावसूली होती है। ये तो ट्रक ड्राइवर और क्लीनर हैं, जिन्हें हाईवे माफिया मार गिराते हैं। ट्रकों-कंटेनरों से लूटे करोड़ों रुपए का माल काला बाजार में चंद सिक्कों में बेच कर पौ-बारह करते हैं। अमीर कारोबारी और कारपोरेट माल के बीमा की रकम लेकर चुप बैठ जाते हैं। मजलूम ड्राइवरों और क्लीनरों की मौत का मातम मनाने का वक्त किसी के पास नहीं होता। पेट्रोल, डीजल, घासलेट, नेप्था चोरी, तस्करी से मिलावट तक, दवा-रसायनों-डाई की चोरी से मिलावट तक, लोहे के सरियों से कॉपर ड्रमों की चोरी तक, मोबाइल फोन, सिगरेट, तंबाकू, कपड़ों, प्लास्टिक दानों से भरे ट्रकों - कंटेनरों की लूटपाट तक, न जाने क्या-क्या हरकत नहीं करता सड़कों पर सक्रिय हाईवे माफिया। देश के हाईवे पर दुर्दांत माफिया सक्रिय है। खोजी पत्रकार विवेक अग्रवाल और साथी राकेश दानी ने इस किताब में इसकी परत दर परत हर पोल खोली है।
Sherlock Holmes Bhag-8: शेरलॉक होम्स भाग-८
by Vrishali Joshiकाही कलाकृती अजरामर असतात. कितीही काळ लोटला तरी त्या तशाच ताज्या, टवटवीत आणि आकर्षक राहतात. शेरलॉक होम्स ही अशीच आर्थर कॉनन डॉयलची अजरामर कलाकृती. अशा या रहस्यकथेतील हिरो हा सगळ्या गुप्तहेरांचा हिरो ठरला. ब्रिटीश लेखक सर आर्थर कॉनन डॉयल, यांच्या सिद्धहस्त लेखणीने निर्माण केलेले, शेरलॉक होम्स हे खासगी गुप्तहेराचे कपोलकल्पित पात्र आहे. निरीक्षणातील अचूकता, गुन्हेगारी शास्त्रातील जाणकारी व तर्कशास्त्रावरील हुकमत, ही त्याची गुन्हा अन्वेषणातील बलस्थाने आहेत. शेरलॉक होम्स हा, सतत तेवीस वर्षे गुप्तहेराचे काम करतो आहे. सतरा वर्षे त्याचा मदतनीस, डॉक्टर जॉन वॉटसन हा त्याच्या बरोबर काम करत असून, वॉटसनच्या लग्नापूर्वी व बायको वारल्यावर, तो आणि शेरलॉक हे दोघेही, २२१, ब, बेकर रस्ता येथे, मिसेस हडसन या मालकीणबाईंकडील सदनिकेत रहात असल्याचे दाखवले आहे. बहुतेक सगळ्या गोष्टी वॉटसनच्या तोंडून कथन केल्या गेल्या आहेत.
Dragonfly: ड्रैगनफ़्लाई
by Anadi Shubhanandअपनी एक्स गर्लफ्रेंड के शहर से अचानक ही गायब हो जाने की वजह जानने की उत्सुकता सीक्रेट सर्विस ऑफिसर अमर वर्मा के लिये धीरे-धीरे एक जुनून में परिवर्तित हो जाती है। आखिरकार जब वह उसके नये एड्रेस पर पहुँचता है तो उसे उसके नाम पर कोई और ही लड़की रहती हुई मिलती है। जब इस पूरे सिलसिले के तार भारत में मौजूद चीनी जासूसों के साथ जुड़ने लगते हैं तब इंडियन सीक्रेट सर्विस के सामने एक मौका आता है कि वह अपने दुश्मन देश के जासूसों और देश के गद्दारों को सबक सिखा सकें पर कोई तो था जो रहस्य की कई परतों में छिपा उनके प्लान को फेल करने के लिये घात लगा कर बैठा था। उस अनोखी शख्सियत का कोड नेम था ‘ड्रैगनफ़्लाई’।
Game: गेम
by Anil Mohanगेम। वो ही गेम, जो हम अक्सर अक्सर खेलते हैं। लेकिन खेलते-खेलते हम “गेम” के इतने अभ्यस्त हो जाते हैं कि हमें पता ही नहीं चलता कि हम जो कुछ भी कर रहे हैं, वो भी किसी गेम की ही महत्वपूर्ण चाल है। आज के दौर के बेहद लोकप्रिय उपन्यासकार “अनिल मोहन” की कलम से निकला “देवराज चौहान सीरीज़” का एक शानदार उपन्यास। दिमाग की कसरत करा देने वाला उपन्यास। झटके पर झटका। लगभग 400 पन्नों में सिमटी विशाल महागाथा।