- Table View
- List View
Shot in the Dark (A Coffeehouse Mystery)
by Cleo CoyleFrom Cleo Coyle, the New York Times bestselling author of Dead Cold Brew, comes a delicious new entry in the "fun and gripping" (The Huffington Post) Coffeehouse Mystery series.A smartphone dating game turns the Village Blend into a hookup hotspot--until a gunshot turns the landmark coffeehouse into a crime scene. As Village Blend manager Clare Cosi fixes a date for her wedding, her ex-husband is making dates through smartphone swipes. Clare has mixed feelings about these match-ups happening in her coffeehouse. Even her octogenarian employer is selecting suitors by screenshot! But business is booming, and Clare works hard to keep the espresso shots flowing. Then one night, another kind of shot leaves a dead body for her to find. The corpse is an entrepreneur who used dating apps with reckless abandon--breaking hearts along the way. The NYPD quickly arrests one of the heartbreaker's recent conquests. But the suspect's sister tearfully swears her sibling was framed. Clare not only finds reason to believe it, she fears the real killer will strike again. Now Clare is "swiping" through suspects in her own shop--with the help of her globetrotting ex-husband, a man who's spent his life hunting for coffee and women. Together they're determined to find justice before another shot rings out.
Shot in the Dark (Covert Cowboy Soldiers #4)
by Nicole HelmA desperate mother. A runaway daughter. And a very reluctant hero… Henry Thompson is a former marine—not a babysitter. But when Jessie Peterson begs for his help locating her rebellious preteen, his military-rescue instincts kick into overdrive. The desperate single mom has stumbled onto family treasure, buried secrets, deadly doppelgängers…and imminent danger. With gunfire dogging their every move, Henry will do anything to keep them safe. But will he lose his guarded heart in the bargain?From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.Discover more action-packed stories in the Covert Cowboy Soldiers series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order: Book 1: The Lost Hart TripletBook 2: Small Town VanishingBook 3: One Night StandoffBook 4: Shot in the DarkBook 5: Casing the CopycatBook 6: Clandestine Baby
Shot on Location
by Helen NielsenThe filming of an American movie set on location in Greece becomes the stage for a far more sinister production in this unputdownable political suspense. Rich and famous movie directors like Harry Avery don't ordinarily disappear--especially when on a routine flight in a private plane seeking location shots for another film. Yet why was Avery flying so close to the Albanian border? Why had his hitherto reliable plane crashed so unpredictably? And why--once the rescue party reached the spot in the Greek mountains--wasn't his body found among the wreckage?Brad Smith, back in Los Angeles after active duty in Vietnam, is determined to find Avery. Brad has his own scores to settle with the millionaire director, for not only has Avery stolen some of his original TV scripts, written just before he left for the service, he has also stolen his girlfriend, the now famous actress, Rhona Avery.Upon arrival in Greece, Brad soon realizes that Avery's ominous disappearance has far greater implication than he anticipated. Soon he is caught up in a dangerous web of plot and counterplot as eh discovers he is not alone in the manhunt: the beautiful actress he once loved seems to have more on her mind than wifely devotion in her frantic search; the CIA as well as the undercover agents of another world power are equally determined to find the missing director. And each, for different reasons, is desperate to track him down first.No one knows better than Helen Nielsen how to keep a complex plot going at a faster-than-the-eye-can-see pace. Danger, intrigue and the guessable conclusion--hallmarks of Miss Nielsen's suspenses--are evidenced yet again.
Shot on Location
by Helen NielsenThe filming of an American movie set on location in Greece becomes the stage for a far more sinister production in this unputdownable political suspense. Rich and famous movie directors like Harry Avery don't ordinarily disappear--especially when on a routine flight in a private plane seeking location shots for another film. Yet why was Avery flying so close to the Albanian border? Why had his hitherto reliable plane crashed so unpredictably? And why--once the rescue party reached the spot in the Greek mountains--wasn't his body found among the wreckage?Brad Smith, back in Los Angeles after active duty in Vietnam, is determined to find Avery. Brad has his own scores to settle with the millionaire director, for not only has Avery stolen some of his original TV scripts, written just before he left for the service, he has also stolen his girlfriend, the now famous actress, Rhona Avery.Upon arrival in Greece, Brad soon realizes that Avery's ominous disappearance has far greater implication than he anticipated. Soon he is caught up in a dangerous web of plot and counterplot as eh discovers he is not alone in the manhunt: the beautiful actress he once loved seems to have more on her mind than wifely devotion in her frantic search; the CIA as well as the undercover agents of another world power are equally determined to find the missing director. And each, for different reasons, is desperate to track him down first.No one knows better than Helen Nielsen how to keep a complex plot going at a faster-than-the-eye-can-see pace. Danger, intrigue and the guessable conclusion--hallmarks of Miss Nielsen's suspenses--are evidenced yet again.
Shot on Location
by Helen NielsenThe filming of an American movie set on location in Greece becomes the stage for a far more sinister production in this unputdownable political suspense. Rich and famous movie directors like Harry Avery don’t ordinarily disappear—especially when on a routine flight in a private plane seeking location shots for another film. Yet why was Avery flying so close to the Albanian border? Why had his hitherto reliable plane crashed so unpredictably? And why—once the rescue party reached the spot in the Greek mountains—wasn’t his body found among the wreckage?Brad Smith, back in Los Angeles after active duty in Vietnam, is determined to find Avery. Brad has his own scores to settle with the millionaire director, for not only has Avery stolen some of his original TV scripts, written just before he left for the service, he has also stolen his girlfriend, the now famous actress, Rhona Avery.Upon arrival in Greece, Brad soon realizes that Avery’s ominous disappearance has far greater implication than he anticipated. Soon he is caught up in a dangerous web of plot and counterplot as eh discovers he is not alone in the manhunt: the beautiful actress he once loved seems to have more on her mind than wifely devotion in her frantic search; the CIA as well as the undercover agents of another world power are equally determined to find the missing director. And each, for different reasons, is desperate to track him down first.No one knows better than Helen Nielsen how to keep a complex plot going at a faster-than-the-eye-can-see pace. Danger, intrigue and the guessable conclusion—hallmarks of Miss Nielsen’s suspenses—are evidenced yet again.
Shot, Down
by Vivek RaoA software mogul gears up to launch a revolutionary surveillance system. A terrorist mastermind prepares to wage war against the Indian state. A young man is found dead under suspicious circumstances. One morning, the body of a young man is found by the railway tracks, battered and bruised. He is soon identified as software engineer Vishal Deshmukh, aka Shot, by his estranged elder brother, Ajay. But the circumstances surrounding Shot?s death are murky, and Ajay is confounded when the autopsy of reveals traces of hard liquor and cocaine in his blood. When he notices strange injuries on Shot?s hands, he is convinced that his brother was tortured and killed. With the police and hospital authorities dismissing his plea for help, Ajay decides to dig deeper on his own, little suspecting that he is about to unravel a terrifying plot with deadly implications for an entire nation. Caught in a race against time, he must piece together Shot?s final days and find the killers?before they find him.
Shotgun (Coda #9)
by Marie SextonPart of the Coda SeriesAs a young man, Dominic Jacobsen already suspects he's gay, and he gets all the confirmation he needs when a rich boy from out of town climbs into the back seat of Dominic's GTO. One night with Lamar Franklin is all it takes to convince Dominic he's found the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, that one night is all he'll get before Lamar returns to Tucson. Fifteen years later Lamar returns to Coda, Colorado, after ending the latest in a string of bad relationships. He's alone, depressed, and plagued by late-night phone calls from an unidentified caller. Lamar's ready to give up when he comes face-to-face with his past. Since he was seventeen, Dominic has dreamed of a reunion with Lamar, but that doesn't mean he's ready for it now. Facing small-town rumors and big-family drama is bad enough, but Dominic won't risk losing custody of his teenage daughter, Naomi. The only solution is to make sure he and Lamar remain friends and nothing more. Clothes stay on, no matter what. It seems simple enough. But for better or worse, Lamar has other ideas.
Shotgun Alley (The Weiss and Bishop Mysteries)
by Andrew KlavanFrom the Edgar Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author of True Crime and Don't Say a Word, both major films, comes Shotgun Alley, the exciting sequel to Dynamite Road Honey—a vivacious, wealthy, seventeen-year-old daughter of a politician—has a penchant for drug dealers, mad-dog bikers, booze, sex, crank, and guns. She's run off with Cobra, the leader of a band of motorcycle-gang outcasts who have dubbed themselves the Outriders since they are too hotheaded and reckless for other rival gangs. But her father, who is running for the U.S. Senate, wants her back before she takes his career down in flames along with her hell-bent soul.Enter Scott Weiss and Jim Bishop, Andrew Klavan's star private eyes from Dynamite Road. Weiss is a former cop who is an accomplished detective with a lot of connections. Bishop is a savvy, strong-willed tough guy and ladies' man who does the legwork for Weiss's agency. Bishop's assignment: infiltrate the Outriders and seduce and steal Honey away from Cobra. But has Bishop finally met his match? Cobra is brilliant as well as bad—an oddly intellectual biker who is one step ahead of everyone on his trail. And Honey is not only rich and beautiful, she is hotter than the hinges of hell, irresistibly alluring, a black widow who draws the hardest, toughest, sharpest hustlers into her lethal web—where she consumes them whole.Bishop, falling for a woman like never before, is drawn into Honey's web, and even with the diabolically clever Weiss in his corner—working with the cops, scheming with the politicians, pulling the strings, and calling the shots—Bishop may be going down.Has Bishop finally met his match? Is Honey too hot to handle?At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Shotgun Baby (Marriage of Inconvenience #2)
by Tara Taylor QuinnMarriage of InconvenienceHe's fathered a baby-now he needs to find a wife!FBI agent Con Randolph's six-month-old son has been abandoned. The state has arranged an adoption-they just need Con's signature.Con knows they've made a mistake. He's never fathered a baby. But it turns out he's wrong.Horrified and guilty, he tries to claim his son. Yet, as far as the state is concerned, Con doesn't have much to offer a child. He has a risk-filled job; even his marital status is against him.Con doesn't know a single woman who would marry him-or whom he wants to marry. But he does have a best friend-Robyn Blair-who could benefit from a temporary marriage of convenience.Marriage of Inconvenience.
Shotgun Bride: The Montanan Shotgun Bride (Whitehorse, Montana: The Corbetts #1)
by B.J. DanielsA law officer must protect a beautiful stranger from a stalker in this romantic suspense from a New York Times–bestselling author.Handsome as sin and wild as the Western wind.That’s the Corbett brothers for you, and Shane’s no exception. No way is he settling down just because of some ridiculous marriage pact—especially not with a cowgirl from small-town Whitehorse who seems so young and naive. At least that’s what this hardened lawman keeps insisting.But when Maddie Cavanaugh’s kidnapped and drawn into a world of violent greed and despair, Shane jumps into action. While he has no trouble subduing her captors, resisting the force of Maddie’s charm is harder than he could’ve imagined, and it seems as if stubborn Shane may be the first of the Corbett boys to surrender his bachelorhood.
Shotgun Daddy
by Harper AllenA FATHER'S DUTYFormer hostage negotiator Gabe Riggs wanted nothing to do with spoiled socialite Caro Moore, the ice princess who'd left him high and dry after one night of fiery passion. But a year later, she came begging for the rugged Navajo specialist's help-to protect her and her baby girl from a madman bent on revenge.Telling Gabe the truth about his daughter would only put him in danger, and Caro couldn't handle anyone else suffering because of her. But living under Gabe's close guard at the Double B Ranch was threatening to expose the heart-stopping truth-that he was a daddy...and the only man she ever loved.
Shotgun Justice: An Anthology (Texas Rangers: Elite Troop #2)
by Angi MorganA Texas Ranger questions duty, desire, and where to draw the line in this action-packed romance from the bestselling author of Bulletproof Badge.As a Texas Ranger, it’s Jesse Ryder’s duty to protect her. As a man, it’s all he can do to avoid the temptation of Avery Travis. The Snake Eyes Killer is on Avery’s trail, but the independent deputy doesn’t want Jesse’s help. And he can’t blame her; he had walked away from her the night she’d offered him everything.Avery knows Jesse will always think of her as his best friend’s little sister. However, she is fully capable of taking care of herself . . . and knowing what and who she wants. Their lives might be in jeopardy, but the true tragedy would be to never have one more chance with the sexy Ranger.Includes a bonus short story by USA Today–bestselling author Delores Fossen
Shotgun Lullaby (The Conway Sax Mysteries #3)
by Steve UlfelderFrom critically acclaimed, Edgar-nominated author Steve Ulfelder-Conway Sax is back in a thrilling and heart-wrenching story of how far a father will go to save his sonConway Sax is a man seeking redemption. A man with a deeply checkered past currently paying for his sins by helping Gus Biletnikov stay sober. Wise-ass Gus, son of a wealthy investment banker, drives Conway nuts. But he also reminds him of his own estranged son, and so Conway finds himself deeply invested in his wellbeing.When a brutal triple-murder takes place in Gus's halfway house, Conway suspects Gus was the intended victim, and resolves to find the killer in his usual full-tilt, no-holds-barred fashion. The list of suspects soon includes the longtime organized-crime warlord of Springfield, Massachusetts; Gus's own father, who's a bundle of insecurity despite his fortune; the father's second wife, a stunning beauty webbed in ugly motives; and a Houston con man who'll swipe your gold fillings but crack you up while he does so. But the case is no laughing matter to Conway when somebody close to him is murdered. To find the killer and prevent yet more senseless death, he needs help from both an ambitious Brazilian-American state cop, and an unlikely criminal source. Along the way, Conway's personal responsibilities clash with his vow to help fellow alcoholics, forcing him to make his toughest decision yet in this unforgettable page-turner reminiscent of Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane.
Shotgun Opera: A Novel
by Victor GischlerMike Foley can never forget the night he tagged along with his brother on a job for the mob that ended in a hail of bullets. Now his brother is dead, Mike’s making wine in Oklahoma, and life is almost as good as it gets when you’ve been hiding out for forty years. Until his past comes calling. Mike’s nephew Andrew needs to disappear, and he needs to do it yesterday. Hanging with the wrong kind of friends, he’s seen something he shouldn’t have, and now he’s running for his life with an assassin on his trail. The consummate professional hit woman, Nikki Enders is the most lethal of a deadly sisterhood. And Andrew Foley is next on her extermination list. Unless Uncle Mike can stop her. As kill teams descend on Foley’s farm, one pissed-off ex—tough guy is about to take a final, all-or-nothing stand with shotguns blazing. . . . From the Paperback edition.
Shotgun Sheriff
by Delores FossenComanche Creek's not big enough for two to investigate a murder. That's the feeling Texas Ranger Livvy Hutton gets when she's sent there as a forensic expert. Yes, she's horning in on Sheriff Reed Hardin's territory and can't ignore a distinct chill in the air between them. But according to evidence Livvy uncovers, she senses the cowboy cop's acting ornery to protect his good ol' boys from arrest for the murder. And backing off is not in her nature.Then, just days into the investigation, Livvy detects bigger trouble: a mutual attraction she and Reed have no business acting on. A torrid affair could compromise the case…or spark some much needed—and very satisfying—cooperation!
Shotgun Surrender
by B. J. DanielsRevisit MCCALLS’ MONTANA in the fan-favorite series of thrilling Western romance from New York Times bestselling author B.J. Daniels! Nothing could have prepared rancher Ty Coltrane for tomboy Dusty McCall trading her cowboy boots for high heels. And he’s not the only one who’s noticed her transformation from rough-and-tumble cowgirl to fresh-faced beauty. But when questions are raised about a competing suitor’s sinister and suspicious activities, Ty knows he has to win Dusty’s affections before things turn deadly. No matter the cost, Ty will do anything to protect the woman who has him head-over-heels. Originally published in 2005.
Shots Fired: Stories from Joe Pickett Country (A Joe Pickett Novel)
by C. J. BoxFrom C. J. Box, the New York Times-bestselling author of the Joe Pickett novels, comes a thrilling book of suspense stories about the Wyoming he knows so well--and the dark deeds and impulses that can be found there. Over the course of eighteen books, C. J. Box has been consistently hailed for his brilliant storytelling and extraordinary skills at creating character, suspense, and a deep sense of place. All of those strengths are in the ten riveting stories--three of them never before published--that make up Shots Fired.In "One-Car Bridge," one of four Joe Pickett stories, Pickett goes up against a "just plain mean" landowner, with disastrous results, and in "Shots Fired," his investigation into the radio call referred to in the title nearly ends up being the last thing he ever does. In "Pirates of Yellowstone," two Eastern European tough guys find out what it means to be strangers in a strange land, and in "Le Sauvage Noble," the stranger is a Lakota in Paris who enjoys playing the "noble savage" for the French women--until he meets Sophie. Then he discovers what "savage" really means.Shots Fired is proof once again why "Box is a force to be reckoned with" (The Providence Journal-Bulletin).
Shots at Sea (Houdini & Nate Mysteries)
by Tom LalickiYoung Nate Fuller is ready for adventure as he boards the Lusitania, the biggest, grandest ocean liner ever to sail the seas. Nate is hoping to sharpen his detective skills with some help from his mentor, Harry Houdini, and to rub elbows with Teddy Roosevelt, as both legendary men are also making the voyage. Everything seems set for a smooth journey to England. Then shots ring out! A cunning would-be killer tries to assassinate the former president. As the waters become choppier, Nate and Houdini must race to find and foil their suspect before he makes a second attempt.With the fast pacing and clever historical detailing that made Danger in the Dark such a "thoroughly enjoyable" read (Kirkus Reviews), Tom Lalicki has created another first-class setting and suspense-filled story line, including revealing details of one of Houdini's famous tricks. Shots at Sea is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Shots in the Dark (Mack’s Bar Mysteries #4)
by Allyson K. AbbottFor Mack and her barfly allies, solving homicides calls for equal parts instinct and wit. To strain out a crafty criminal, the mixture has got to be absolutely perfect . . . It's a week before Christmas, but Milwaukee bar owner Mackenzie "Mack" Dalton is hardly in good spirits. Chilled to the core by the murder of bouncer Gary Gunderson, Mack is determined to use her extra perceptive senses to identify the gunman responsible. Did Gary's patchy past brew up some fatal trouble, or could his death be linked to a series of cryptic letters concocted by Mack's anonymous adversary? With a second case to crack, innocent lives at stake, and a media frenzy in their midst, Mack and her barstool detectives have little time to mull over the grim details--especially when clues lead dangerously close to home . . . Includes drink recipes "The first book in the Mack's Bar Mystery series is a hit!" --RT Book Reviews on Murder on the Rocks"Murder with a Twist has a lot of sleuthing pleasure packed into its pages." --Fresh Fiction
Should I Fall
by Scott ShepherdA retired Scotland Yard Inspector races to prove the innocence of a falsely accused fugitive—his daughter’s fiancee—in this whodunnit from “a marvellous storyteller” (Michael Koryta). When John Frankel’s ex-wife is discovered dead on the floor of his Manhattan studio apartment, the NYPD Detective instantly becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Then more information surfaces, linking his gun to the fatal bullet, a motive is discovered, and Frankel flees the city, all of which further convinces his colleagues of his guilt. In spite of the mounting evidence, Frankel’s bride-to-be, Rachel Grant, and her father, Austin Grant, formerly of Scotland Yard, are certain of his innocence. But with the police under orders to use whatever force necessary to stop what they view as a dangerous criminal, the duo will have to act fast, before the manhunt goes violently wrong. The investigation and relentless chase after Frankel takes them across the country, from the tropical shores of Hawaii to a deadly midnight rendezvous in a cemetery in northern Maine. And as that game of cat-and-mouse unfurls, so too does a complex murder plot with multiple victims—the ultimate solution of which will keep readers baffled and breathless until the very end. The second mystery from Scott Shepherd, the showrunner and screenwriter whose credits include The Equalizer, The Dead Zone and Miami Vice, Should I Fall is a fast-paced and expertly-crafted whodunnit that is as puzzling as it is entertaining.
Shoulder Bags and Shootings (A Haley Randolph Mystery #3)
by Dorothy HowellLife is almost perfect for fashionista and amateur sleuth Haley Randolph. She just vacationed in Europe with her boyfriend Ty Cameron, owner of Holt's Department Store. And now Ty's grandmother is letting Haley drive her Mercedes. If only Haley could get her hands on the new Sinful handbag. It's totally out of stock, and Haley would rather die than buy a knockoff. But when she finds the body of her designer purse party rival, Tiffany Markham, in the trunk of the Mercedes, she's not so sure she wants to trade places after all. . .Topping the list of suspects, Haley doesn't deny seeing red when Tiffany stole her purse party idea--and made more money. But she wasn't jealous enough to commit murder. Now she'll have to solve this mystery quickly--and find that Sinful bag--before she becomes a killer's next fashion fatality. . ."A clever, fast-moving plot." --Publishers Weekly"For fans of lightweight, humorous mysteries." --Booklist
Shoulder the Sky: A Novel (World War One #2)
by Anne PerryIn the firmament of great historical novelists, Anne Perry is a star of the greatest magnitude. First there were her acclaimed Victorian mysteries, sparkling with passion and suspense. Now readers have embraced this bestselling new series of World War I novels–which juxtapose the tranquil life of the English countryside with the horrors of war.<P> By April of 1915, as chaplain Joseph Reavley tends to the soldiers in his care, the nightmare of trench warfare is impartially cutting down England’s youth. On one of his rescue forays into no-man’s-land, Joseph finds the body of an arrogant war correspondent, Eldon Prentice. A nephew of the respected General Owen Cullingford, Prentice was despised for his prying attempts to elicit facts that would turn public opinion against the war. Most troublesome to Joseph, Prentice has been killed not by German fire but, apparently, by one of his own compatriots. What Englishman hated Prentice enough to kill him? Joseph is afraid he may know, and his sister, Judith, who is General Cullingford’s driver and translator, harbors her own fearful suspicions.<P> Meanwhile, Joseph and Judith’s brother, Matthew, an intelligence officer in London, continues his quiet search for the sinister figure they call the Peacemaker, who, like Eldon Prentice, is trying to undermine the public support for the struggle–and, as the Reavley family has good reason to believe, is in fact at the heart of a fantastic plot to reshape the entire world. An intimate of kings, the Peacemaker kills with impunity, and his dark shadow stretches from the peaceful country lanes of Cambridgeshire to the twin hells of Ypres and Gallipoli.<P> In this mesmerizing series, Anne Perry has found a subject worthy of her gifts. Illuminating the murderous conflict whose violence still resounds in our consciousness–as well as the souls of men and women who lived it–Shoulder the Sky is a taut, inspiring masterpiece.
Shoulder the Sky: A moving novel of life during the dark days of war (World War 1 Series #2)
by Anne PerryIt is the spring of 1915, but deep in the trenches, there is no summer in sight... Shoulder the Sky is the second novel in Anne Perry's insightful and harrowing quintet charting the English experience of the First World War. Perfect for fans of Pat Barker and Sebastian Barry.'The plot of this book is riveting throughout; the elegance of the prose and depth of characterisation combine to create a powerful and poignant journey into the past that long stays with you after the final page' - The Lady By April of 1915, as chaplain Joseph Reavley tends to the soldiers in his care, the nightmare of trench warfare is impartially cutting down England's youth. On one of his rescue forays into no-man's-land, Joseph finds the body of an arrogant war correspondent, Eldon Prentice. A nephew of the respected General Owen Cullingford, Prentice was despised for his prying attempts to elicit facts that would turn public opinion against the war. Most troublesome to Joseph, Prentice has been killed not by German fire but, apparently, by one of his own compatriots. What Englishman hated Prentice enough to kill him? Joseph is afraid he may know, and his sister, Judith, who is General Cullingford's driver and translator, harbours her own fearful suspicions. Meanwhile, Joseph and Judith's brother, Matthew, an intelligence officer in London, continues his quiet search for the sinister figure they call the Peacemaker, who, like Eldon Prentice, is trying to undermine the public support for the struggle-and, as the Reavley family has good reason to believe, is in fact at the heart of a fantastic plot to reshape the entire world. An intimate of kings, the Peacemaker kills with impunity, and his dark shadow stretches from the peaceful country lanes of Cambridgeshire to the twin hells of Ypres and Gallipoli. What readers are saying about Shoulder the Sky: 'She makes the horror and futility nightmarishly real but not a cliché''I feel immersed in the world she is creating''A real page-turner with strong literary merit'
Shovel Ready
by Adam SternberghThe futuristic hardboiled noir that Lauren Beukes calls "sharp as a paper-cut" about a garbage man turned kill-for-hire. Spademan used to be a garbage man. That was before the dirty bomb hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, and before the city became a blown-out shell of its former self.Now he's a hitman.In a near-future New York City split between those who are wealthy enough to "tap in" to a sophisticated virtual reality, and those who are left to fend for themselves in the ravaged streets, Spademan chose the streets. His new job is not that different from his old one: waste disposal is waste disposal. He doesn't ask questions, he works quickly, and he's handy with a box cutter. But when his latest client hires him to kill the daughter of a powerful evangelist, his unadorned life is upended: his mark has a shocking secret and his client has a sordid agenda far beyond a simple kill. Spademan must navigate between these two worlds--the wasteland reality and the slick fantasy--to finish his job, clear his conscience, and make sure he's not the one who winds up in the ground. Adam Sternbergh has written a dynamite debut: gritty, violent, funny, riveting, tender, and brilliant. From the Hardcover edition.
Shovel Ready: A Spademan Novel
by Adam Sternbergh'I don't want to know your reasons. I don't care. Think of me as a bullet. Just point.'Spademan used to be a garbage man. That was before the dirty bomb hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, before New York became a burnt-out shell. Now the wealthy spend their days tapped into virtual reality; the rest have to fend for themselves in the streets. Now there's nothing but garbage.So he became a hit man. He doesn't ask questions, he works quickly, and he's handy with a box-cutter. When he's hired to kill the daughter of a high-profile evangelist, Spademan's life is upended. He will have to navigate two worlds - both the slick fantasy and the wasteland reality - to finish the job, clear his conscience, and make sure he's not the one who winds up in the ground.