The Year's Best Crime & Mystery Stories contains the best crime and mystery stories that were originally published in 2015 in either print or electronic format as selected by editors Kristine Kathryn Rusch and John Helfers.Reading through thousands of titles and carefully narrowing their favorite reads down to the ultimate list that is presented in this volume, the editors chose their top picks of notable works from hundreds of anthologie...

Mary Roberts Rinehart’s The Door (1930) is a masterful blend of suspense, psychological drama, and family intrigue, showcasing her skill in creating tension and complex characters. The story revolves around a mysterious and imposing door within a stately home, behind which secrets, deceit, and danger are concealed. The novel follows the experiences of a young woman, drawn into a web of intrigue surrounding her family and acquaintances. As she uncovers hidden motives, suppressed rivalries, ...

In this "tour de force" of a mystery, the British detectives investigate a disappearance in a deceptively idyllic Yorkshire village ( San Diego Union-Tribune).Reginald Hill "raised the classical British mystery to new heights" when he introduced pugnacious Yorkshire Det. Inspector Andrew Dalziel and his partner, the callow Sgt. Peter Pascoe ( The New York Times Book Review). Their chafing differences in education, manners, technique, and temperame...

In Death in the Fearful Night, George Bellairs spins an eerie and suspenseful tale of murder set against the backdrop of a quiet English town that hides a dark past. Inspector Littlejohn is called to investigate the chilling and untimely death of a local woman, whose sudden demise leaves her family and neighbors reeling in shock. As he delves into the case, Littlejohn discovers that her death is only the latest event in a series of unexplained tragedies that have haunted the town. Each lea...

A PI goes undercover with her pit bull partner as a dog therapist in a crime novel from a Shamus Award–winning author "canine fans will relish" ( Publishers Weekly).When Lady, the beloved therapy dog of the Harbor View residential home goes missing, private investigator Rachel Alexander and her dog Dash slip in easily as the new service dog and trainer, though figuring out who murdered Harbor View's owner is not so simple. Dash brings order and calm to Har...

In this chilling classic British mystery thriller, a Scotland Yard inspector and his sister search for her missing fiancé in a city of vanishing people.Petty con man Alfred Routh thinks a place like Milton Manor outside Oxford will have something nice to steal. When he learns what is inside, however, he is desperate to steal away with his life . . .Meanwhile, Sir John Appleby from Scotland Yard is headed to Oxford to help his sister Jane. Her fiancé, a war he...

An odd couple of detectives descends on New Orleans to search for a missing heiress in this hard-boiled mystery by the creator of Perry Mason.Bertha Cool is a bulldog of a woman with an attitude to match. Donald Lam is a handsome ex-lawyer who makes up for in brains what he lacks in brawn. Together, they're an unlikely pair of private detectives on a mission to find Roberta Fenn, a missing model and heiress in New Orleans. It's a seemingly simple case of lost and f...

When a local estate becomes the killing ground for two victims, the ladies of the Connection Investigation Agency take on the case in this cosy mystery.Early one morning, in the grounds of Chatsworth, a body is discovered by one of the estate groundsmen. DI Marsden and DS Granger battle through snow-covered roads to begin their investigation.Meanwhile, at the Connection Investigation Agency, Doris, Kat and Mouse are busy juggling their caseloads, while trying...

Stella Wright loves creating candles at her Nantucket store—and she also has a burning passion for justice. Now, after visiting a perfume conference, she must solve a vial crime . . .Stella and her globe-trotting mom, Millie, have come home from a perfume industry conference in Paris, where their trip was marred by witnessing the stabbing death of a young man. It’s a relief for Stella to be back on her picturesque island, with the comforting company of her cat, Tinker. But...

A troupe of travelers in London may harbor a killer in this novel from an Agatha Award–winning author praised for her "wit and whimsy" ( Kirkus Reviews).A group of tourists has arrived in London—shaken by the mysterious death of one of their fellow travelers back in Zurich. Larkin's Luxury Tours is represented by the public relations firm of Perkins & Tate—so it's up to Douglas Perkins, with a little assistance from his cat, Pandora, to soothe their fears,...

Val’s crime-solving club digs into a piping hot new case!A poetry slam at a bakery? Why not! Even though Pie Town proprietor Val Harris would rather be spending time with her newfound half-brother, she knows her employee Abril is beyond excited to be hosting the event. Especially since it stars the apple pie of Abril’s eye, poet and professor Michael Starke. But the evening ends on a sour note when Professor Starke is found murdered mere moments after bein...