"For Ella and all the innocents slain by soulless men."It's the dedication of the book on the Salvadoran civil war retired reporter Carlton Marsh was writing before he committed suicide.A shocking death. Marsh had asked Declan Shaw to come to Old Mapleton, Connecticut to help him with research. He looked forward to Declan's visit: "See you at cocktail time, a fine whiskey's waiting." They talked on the phone a few hours before the man blew his head off.Now Declan st...

Blood ties. The family we've been given, the friends we make, the loves we keep, and those we lost. The twenty-six stories in Family and Other Ailments teeter on the brink, hover at the periphery or even the possibility of crime. Under a soft light and at an angle, they're all love stories.The collection opens with "Spy Head," a tale of friendship after a crushing trauma. In "Texas Two-Step," brotherhood leads to a wicked double-cross. "Razorbills" shows a young woman seeking freed...

What connects these twenty-four stories is an exploration of place. It can be a location nearby like in Boardwalk Oracle where a clanging candy dispensing machine plays matchmaker in a story that flirts with magical realism. Or the depth of a glacier on a faraway planet in Icebound, where science fiction turns into crime fiction. Or a tourist destination with dark ancient roots in Where the Gods Live.The collection opens with A Book to Live By, a...

We have three original stories this issue—mysteries by Charlie Kondek (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and M. E. Proctor, plus a science fiction tale by Glenn Dungan.Other mysteries include a great modern tale by Michael Mallory (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman) and our mystery novel is a classic by Isabel Ostrander. Of course, there’s also a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. On the science fiction front, we have another supernatural tale by John S. Gl...

A HIDDEN SIDE OF THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONIn an age lit by fire, only the most curious and driven souls turned a flame to the unknown. From university professors to women forced to remain in shadow to heretic monks to mad wanderers, all explored realms beyond the senses. All challenged authority. The most fortunate found acclaim in the New Science, their names recorded in immortal stone. The least fortunate peered beyond the veil, discovering the dark nerve fibers that underpin thi...

Our 85th issue is quite the treat—three original tales by three top authors, a time-travel story, a fantasy bar story, two novels, and more! I leave it to you to explore this issue and find out what’s what, which is whose, and whodunit. (Or did they?) It’s a fun issue and one of our best.Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman is still on leave (she’ll be back in May), so again Michael Bracken is filling in for her. And we hope to have a new selection from Acquiring Editor Cynthia Ward short...

NOVELSHunter at Large, by Thomas B. DeweyDetective Mickey Phillips seeks revenge after a deadly attack leaves his world in ruins. A classic noir crime novel.That Worlds May Live, by Nelson S. BondScientists race to save Earth from mysterious cosmic rays. An interplanetary adventure filled with bold heroes, alien civilizations, and stunning revelations.SERIAL ...

NOVELSHunter at Large, by Thomas B. DeweyDetective Mickey Phillips seeks revenge after a deadly attack leaves his world in ruins. A classic noir crime novel. That Worlds May Live, by Nelson S. BondScientists race to save Earth from mysterious cosmic rays. An interplanetary adventure filled with bold heroes, alien civilizations, and stunning revelations.SERIAL NOVEL

When Allen C. Mason launched his Point Defiance line in the early 1890s, the Proctor area became one of Tacoma�s first streetcar suburbs. Before this time, Tacoma�s North End was a remote, unsettled region populated only by those visiting the city�s horseracing track. After Mason established a streetcar stop at the intersection of North Twenty-sixth and Proctor Streets�near the racetrack�businesses began to line the thoroughfare. By 1900, houses had been constructed within walking distance...

È sarcastico, ma da quando Jameson è diventato il famiglio di Isabella, le ha sempre coperto le spalle.Ora è il momento per lei di ricambiare il favore.Ha promesso di salvare sua sorella da una roccaforte della confraternita. L'unico problema è che avrà bisogno dell'aiuto della sua sorellanza.Esatto, le donne che la odiano.In un disperato tentativo di far collaborare le streghe, Hope ha chiesto a una strega molto stimata, Inanna, di addestrare Isabella e il ...

Quand un ami a besoin d'aide... on laisse tout tomber pour lui.L'immeuble d'Isabella a souffert à cause de sa présence. En un an, son propriétaire a installé des barreaux en fer aux fenêtres, revu entièrement le système de sécurité et rénové tout l'intérieur parce que quelqu'un a essayé de la faire partir en mettant le feu à l'immeuble.Lorsqu'il a eu besoin d'elle pour prouver l'innocence de son fils, elle a accepté sans même avoir besoin de connaître les détails.Un...

Underemployed and burdened with guilt, Joth Proctor is dragged into a shady divorce case with criminal undertones when he is hired to help a prominent member of the community avoid a blackmail sting. As Heather Burke fights to stave off personal and professional disaster, Joth teams up with recently reinstated private detective DP Tran, but finds that only gambler and career criminal Jimmie Flambeau has the tools Joth needs to solve the problem. Once again, the price of justice is high.