Many talented people's writings and movies address the deep, dark mysteries of our world — across both Fiction (Horror, Crime, Sci-Fi, Action-Adventure, Romance, LGBT) and Non-Fiction (Crime, History, Science, Paranormal) stories.
Please step into the “House of Mystery” 5 nights a week and join us as we go deep into the creative process behind our esteemed guests' works.
Past Guests in Non-Fiction have included Marcia Clark (of the O.J. Simpson trial), Robert Kennedy, Jr., Jesse Ventura, Burl Barer, Nancy Grace, Aphrodite Jones, Mark Olshaker, Anne Bremner (on Amanda Knox), F. Lee Bailey, Tom Mesereau (on Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson), Roger Stone (on the JFK Assassination), Dan Abrams, Juan Martinez (on Jodi Arias), Michael Hawley (on Jack the Ripper), and Michael Butterfield (on the Zodiac Killer).
Past Guests in Fiction have included Eric Shapiro, George Weir, John Copenhaver, Lee Goldberg, Gregory Ashe, J.D. Horn, Rick Poldark, Greg F. Gifune, Michael Bland, Geoff Symon, Gabriel Rottello, James Polchin, Lev Raphael, and Robert Fieseler.
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Many talented people's writings and movies address the deep, dark mysteries of our world — across both Fiction (Horror, Crime, Sci-Fi, Action-Adventure, Romance, LGBT) and Non-Fiction (Crime, History, Science, Paranormal) stories.
Please step into the “House of Mystery” 5 nights a week and join us as we go deep into the creative process behind our esteemed guests' works.
Past Guests in Non-Fiction have included Marcia Clark (of the O.J. Simpson trial), Robert Kennedy, Jr., Jesse Ventura, Burl Barer, Nancy Grace, Aphrodite Jones, Mark Olshaker, Anne Bremner (on Amanda Knox), F. Lee Bailey, Tom Mesereau (on Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson), Roger Stone (on the JFK Assassination), Dan Abrams, Juan Martinez (on Jodi Arias), Michael Hawley (on Jack the Ripper), and Michael Butterfield (on the Zodiac Killer).
Past Guests in Fiction have included Eric Shapiro, George Weir, John Copenhaver, Lee Goldberg, Gregory Ashe, J.D. Horn, Rick Poldark, Greg F. Gifune, Michael Bland, Geoff Symon, Gabriel Rottello, James Polchin, Lev Raphael, and Robert Fieseler.
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When ex-navy SEAL Salam “Fade” al-Fayed steps in front of a sniper’s bullet, he assumes that he’s reached the end of the road—his death wish has finally been answered.
Instead, he wakes in a hospital. As one of the deadliest operatives in U.S. history, he’s now incapable of even standing without assistance. Alone and wanted by authorities, he’s destined to spend the rest of his life lying in a prison infirmary.
So when a shadowy organization offers him a new identity and next-generation medical care, he has no choice but to agree. Nothing’s free, though. After a grueling rehabilitation, he’s drafted into an elite paramilitary unit. But who’s in charge?
When a dire threat—a highly contagious pathogen—explodes out of China, his question is quickly answered: A select group of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people has decided that governments are no longer capable of controlling the chaos erupting around the globe. It’s a power grab by billionaires who’ve decided that it’s their time to rule.
With panic rising, the leaders of both democracies and dictatorships prove equally willing to destroy anything and anyone to save themselves. Forced into action before he’s fully ready, Fade finds himself at the sharp end of a mission to stop a menace unlike any he's faced before. If he fails, the consequences will be unimaginable. But what if he succeeds?
No one elected the people he’s working for. And God sure as hell didn’t ordain them. Has he signed on to save the human race . . . or to help quietly enslave it?
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The trillionaires were powerful enough to reshape the world, but it wasn’t enough. Now they want more . . .
In a world where trillionaires assisted by powerful AIs call themselves gods, a world where miracles are engineered and secret technology is wired into the very air, James Kessler and Maree Shell stumble upon a conspiracy that defies possibility: the new gods’ plan to encode their consciousness into the world and seize control of reality itself, to literally become the gods they have so far only pretended to be.
From the world’s gleaming new AI-crafted cities to the crumbling ruins of the old ones, the two unlikely allies, one a childhood survivor of the Bad Times and the other a privileged daughter of wealth, must run a gauntlet of hostile AIs, vengeful modern-day gods, and mysterious ancient deities, desperately trying to disrupt the plans of the most powerful people who have ever lived. Nothing less than the fate of free will itself hangs in the balance.
A mind-bending cyberpunk thriller of rebellion and redemption, Gods of a New World is a visceral dive into the soul of a world on the brink.
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In a world where the dead hunger for the living, these classified tales reveal humanity's darkest hours and unexpected heroes. From remote wilderness to secret labs, follow the warriors who faced the walker threat before the world knew its name. Some stories should remain buried—but truth, like the dead, always rises.
The Walker Chronicles expands the universe of The Dying of the Light trilogy, uncovering the untold history of humanity's fight against the walking dead. While David Blake's journey in END, INTERVAL, and BEGINNING shows the apocalypse and its aftermath, these essential stories reveal the covert battles that raged for decades before Z-Day changed everything. Each tale deepens the conspiracy, heightens the horror, and illuminates the sacrifices made to keep humanity alive.
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The Serial Killer Travel Guide Across America isn’t your typical road trip companion. This darkly fascinating guide is quirky and unconventional and takes readers on a darkly humorous journey through the United States, exploring notorious locations linked to infamous serial killers. From the shadowy forests of the Pacific Northwest to the sun-bleached basements of suburbia, each stop offers true crime devotees an unsettling glimpse into the macabre.
Designed like a 1960s-style travel guide, this campy book offers a coast-to-coast tour, showcasing select spots and delving into the twisted histories of the perpetrators. Blending history, psychology, and a hint of gallows humor, this book is part travel guide, part true crime encyclopedia, and fully addictive.
Whether you’re planning a dark tourism pilgrimage or just indulging your morbid curiosity from the safety of your couch, The Serial Killer Travel Guide Across America will take you closer to the truth—and the horror—than you ever thought possible.
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In January 1959, Art Copleston was escorted out of his college accounting class by three police officers. In a motel room, blinds drawn, he sat in front of a state senator and the legal counsel for the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, nicknamed the “Johns Committee.” His crime? Being a suspected homosexual. And the government of Florida would use any tactic at their disposal—legal or not—to get Copleston to admit it.
Using a secret trove of primary source documents that have been decoded and de-censored for the first time in history, journalist Robert Fieseler unravels the mystery of what actually happened behind the closed doors of an inquisition that held ordinary citizens ransom to its extraordinary powers.
The state of Florida would prefer that this history remain buried. But for nearly a decade, the Florida Legislature founded, funded, and supported the Johns Committee—an organization using the cover of communism to viciously attack members of the NAACP and queer professors and students. Spearheaded by Charley Johns, a multi-term politician in a gerrymandered legislature, the Committee was determined to eliminate any threats to the state's white, conservative regime.
Fieseler describes the heartbreaking ramifications for citizens of Florida whose lives were imperiled, profiling marginalized residents with compassion and a determination to bring their devasting experiences to light at last. A propulsive, human-centered drama, with fascinating insight into Florida politics, American Scare is a page-turning reckoning of our racist and homophobic past—and its chilling parallels to today.
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J. D. Horn is the author of the standalone dark fantasy Shivaree and the bestselling Witching Savannah series (The Line, The Source, The Void, and Jilo). The Witching Savannah series has been/is being translated into Russian, Polish, German, Spanish, Italian, French, and Romanian. He and his spouse, Rich, split their time between San Francisco and Palm Springs. During this episode, J.D. discusses his recent change into writing in the Crime Fiction genre.
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What do you want to do when you grow up?
One day my best friend
Said to me
Who in the world
Do you wanna be?
I thought and thought
And thought and said
Maybe a fireman
Cuz their trucks are red?
That’s not a great reason—but there are dozens of other possibilities in this lyrical, illustrated story. It’s an affirming book written for diverse kids aged 4-8 and their parents, but it just might appeal to anyone who isn’t sure what they want to do for work. (And, really, who is?)
With large color illustrations on just about every page and rhymes throughout, it's a great gift for any young kid. We're contributing ten percent of the book’s revenue to The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
This color, fixed-layout Kindle edition is best viewed on color tablets, laptops and desktop computers—
and even cellphones.
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Set against the very real refugee crisis on the beautiful, sun-drenched Greek islands, Fire on the Island paints a nuanced and loving portrait of a community in crisis while shedding light on the challenges of life in contemporary Greece.
After a string of mysterious fires breaks out on a small Greek island, undercover FBI agent Nick Damigos arrives to investigate, showing up just in time to save a beloved truffle-sniffing dog from the most recent inferno. But as Nick searches for the arsonist responsible, he finds himself navigating a community rife with conflicts, some of which go back generations. As the threat of the next fire looms, Nick begins to uncover the villagers’ countless buried secrets. But Nick has secrets too, and as he falls for a young bartender who becomes his prime suspect, he becomes entrenched in the very mystery he’s trying to solve. With time running out to prevent catastrophe, will Nick expose the truth and save the village, or will the island be engulfed in a blaze of vengeance and heartbreak?
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The first exciting installment in the Realities series!
Things aren't as they appear to be at Bainbridge Psychiatric Hospital. Decorated war hero and politician Captain Oliver Haskell has voluntarily committed himself following the murder of his wife, scientist Hannah Haskell, in the parking lot of her workplace, Wellglad Pharmaceuticals. His case is assigned to Dr. Ella Kramer, a young psychiatrist just out of her residency with a troubled past of her own. After interviewing the captain, Ella starts to listen to her other patients at Bainbridge, who seem to be operating in another reality altogether. But it is when their reality bleeds into Captain Haskell's that Ella is forced to choose between the two worlds and learns to trust her gut about what really happened to Hannah Haskell that night. Detective Paul Moran who is investigating the murder smells a rat-or, perhaps, in this case, a rabbit-as he attempts to unravel what has taken place and its strange connection to the hospital's patients.
The Light Runner, the first installment in the Realities series from debut author Ally Walker, is an edge-of-your-seat metaphysical thriller that will mesmerize and haunt you from the first page to its shocking end.
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In a world powered by steam and ruled by corporations, one young woman’s discovery will ignite a revolution.
Alice is a gifted but underappreciated tinkerer working the rail lines of Terra. During an unexpected train malfunction, she uncovers a long-lost ancient artifact buried in a forgotten cave—a fire cog capable of creating heat and light—seemingly from nothing.
Could it be tied to one of the seven primordial Cogs of Legend?
Worse, once the Steele Company learns of the cog's abilities, they stop at nothing to take it from Alice.
Forced to flee, Alice teams up with her rough-edged mentor Rueger and quick-witted best friend Henry as they race to unravel the mystery of the fire cog. Along the way, Alice must master deadly new lore, survive on a mysterious island, and face truths about her long-lost family and the shadowy history of Terra itself.
But with a host of steam-powered walkers closing in, time is running out. Can Alice unlock the cog’s power before it falls into the wrong hands?
Awakening Fire is Book One in the Cogs of Legend series: a steampunk science-fantasy epic packed with immersive settings, sharp characters, slow-burn romance, and high-stakes adventure.
Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth, Mistborn, and Mortal Engines.
The gears are turning. The spark has been lit. The legend begins.
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Allegra Tarot has an uncanny knack for becoming anyone she wants.
Depending on the job, she can transform the carriage of her body or the cadence of her speech. With the pop of a collar or the tousle of her hair, she can dupe your perceptions.
As a former T.V. actress, she’s got chameleon abilities, no doubt, and they come in handy now that she straps a Diamondback 9mm and prowls the gritty backstreets of working-class Hollywood, running the grind as a skip tracer.
If you want to follow along on her investigations, you better lock in. It’s bound to get your blood thumping, your adrenaline spiking.
Partial in Blood is a propulsive, character-driven crime thriller rife with twisty turns and piquant humor. Tag along with Allegra as she leverages her performance chops to investigate the disappearance of a troubled young woman, in the process uncovering a brutal shadow world of corruption and deception.
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Desire or desperation, revenge or retribution—how far would you go to realize a dream? The twenty-two authors in this collection explore the possibilities, with predictably unpredictable results.
Featuring stories by Pam Barnsley, Linda Bennett, Clark Boyd, C.W. Blackwell, Amanda Capper, Susan Daly, James Patrick Focarile, Rand Gaynor, Gina X. Grant, Julie Hastrup, Beth Irish, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi, Bethany Maines, Jim McDonald, donalee Moulton, Michael Penncavage, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Debra Bliss Saenger, and Joseph S. Walker.
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The vast majority of Hondurans would have never dared to set foot in Nueva Suyapa, a mountainside barrio that was under the thumb of a gang whose bravado and cruelty were the stuff of legend. But that is precisely where Kurt Ver Beek, an American sociologist, and Carlos Hernández, a Honduran schoolteacher, chose to raise their families. Kurt and Carlos were best friends who had committed their lives to helping the poor, and when they accepted that nobody else—not the police, not the prosecutors, not the NGOs—was ever going to protect their neighbors from the incessant violence they suffered, they decided to take matters into their own hands.
In magnetic prose, journalist Ross Halperin chronicles how these two do-gooders became quasi-vigilantes and charged into a series of life-and-death battles, not just with this one gang, but also with forces far more dangerous, including a notorious tycoon who commanded about a thousand armed men and a police force whose wickedness defied credulity. Kurt and Carlos would eventually get catapulted from obscurity to being famous power players who had access to the backrooms where legislators, ambassadors, and presidents pulled strings. Their efforts made some of the most violent neighborhoods on earth safer and arguably improved a profoundly corrupt government. But they were forced to compromise their principles in order to make all that happen, and furthermore, they acquired a large number of outraged critics and precipitated some heartbreaking collateral damage.
A remarkable and dangerous feat of reportage, Bear Witness shows what happens when altruism, faith, and an obsession with justice are pushed to the extreme.
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"Expertly plotted and exquisitely twisted… Julie Clark masterfully weaves together a daughter's long-held suspicions and her father's deadly secrets with the tragic events from the past. The Ghostwriter kept me turning pages in this suspenseful search for the truth." — Ashley Elston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins
From the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell comes a dazzling new thriller.
June, 1975.
The Taylor family shatters in a single night when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets.
Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she's offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book. What she doesn't know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it's not another horror novel he wants her to write.
After fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975.
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout comes a simmering, atmospheric novel of friendship and betrayal, following a women-led pyramid scheme in suburban Detroit.
"Abbott is a superstar of the suspense genre." —NPR
All I want is to be innocent again. But that's not how it works. Especially not after the Wheel.
The three Bishop sisters grew up in privilege in the moneyed suburbs of Detroit. But as the auto industry declined, so did their fortunes. Harper, the youngest, is barely making ends meet when her beloved, charismatic sister Pam—currently in the middle of a contentious battle with her ex-husband—and her eldest sister, Debra, approach her about joining an exciting new club.
The Wheel offers women like themselves—middle-aged and of declining means—a way to make their own money, independent of husbands or families. Quickly, however, the Wheel’s success, and their own addiction to it, leads to greater and greater risks—and a crime so shocking it threatens to bring everything down with it.
Megan Abbott turns her keen eye toward women and money in El Dorado Drive, a riveting story about power, vulnerability, and how desperation draws out our most destructive impulses.
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Step into the glow of lavender twilight with Alfred P. Doblin’s unforgettable collection, Tales of the Lavender Twilight. In this debut, Doblin opens doors to the rich, poignant, and often hilarious lives of late-middle-aged gay men—and one very sophisticated Cocker Spaniel—as they seek love, redefine family, and gracefully navigate the complexities of life’s next chapters.
From a bittersweet gathering in a West Village gay dive bar to the quirks of a Catskill town brimming with out-of-work actors, Doblin’s eleven tales journey coast-to-coast, capturing moments of humor, heartbreak, and unexpected resilience. Follow a hopeful dog in search of a new home, a sharp-tongued theater critic who stirs up old wounds, LGBTQ youths rediscovering a legacy, and an unforgettable Thanksgiving celebration where gratitude and community collide.
With warmth, wit, and compassion, Tales of the Lavender Twilight celebrates lives lived boldly, refusing to be defined by a world too focused on youth. These stories are a vibrant tribute to the endurance of spirit, love, and identity.
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Detective Mike O'Shea is spiraling—consumed by painkiller addiction, alcohol, and the crushing weight of unresolved grief. As his personal demons threaten to take control, he’s pulled into a chilling case: a woman is found dead, her son rotting beside her, discovered only when neighbors are alerted by the unbearable stench of decay.
Meanwhile, O'Shea’s obsession with the killer of his former partner, Sal, continues to haunt him. The elusive murderer has evaded justice for years, but O'Shea has always suspected something more—an untold truth buried beneath the surface. As he digs further, he uncovers a terrifying reality: the killer’s freedom isn’t just a coincidence—it’s the result of high-level corruption that runs far deeper than he ever imagined.
As the conspiracy begins to unravel, the threat intensifies, drawing in those closest to O'Shea. Detective Sergeant Amanda Black, one of the few who knows the whole story, becomes the target of an assassination attempt. With her pending promotion and O'Shea’s growing addiction-fueled paranoia, he starts to wonder if he can still trust her—especially if she’s crossing over.
Haunted by years of policing that have left him physically and emotionally scarred, O'Shea is worn down by the weight of it all. Torn between his duty and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, he struggles to hold on as the stakes rise and the lines between right and wrong blur. He must decide whether to keep fighting—or walk away, knowing the cop killer who took Sal’s life still roams free.
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A hall of mirrors with no exits, The Poet's Game is a sophisticated portrait of a spy working to uncover layers of deceit behind a Russian plot on the American president.
Alex Matthews thought he had left it all behind: his CIA career, the viper's den of bureaucracy at headquarters, the deceits of the cat-and-mouse game of double agents, and the sudden trips to Russia, which poisoned his marriage and made him an absentee husband and father, with tragic results.
But then the Director came asking for a favor. Something that only Alex could do because it involved the asset Byron—a Russian agent whom Alex had recruited. Byron had something of great interest to the CIA; the Director said it was a matter of grave national security that implicated the White House, and that Byron would hand over the kompromat once he was extricated from Russia.
But Alex is a different man than when he had run Moscow station: he has pieced his life back together after a tragic accident killed his wife and daughter—but the scars remain. He left the agency; started a financial firm that made him wealthy; and met a new woman, Anna, who works as an interpreter in the CIA. Anna is beautiful and supportive and helps him find love again after years of drowning in grief alongside his son. Throughout the last years, Alex has remained, in his mind, a patriot, and so he begrudgingly accepts the Director's request.
Something, though, doesn’t feel right about the whole operation from the start. The Russians seem one step ahead and the CIA suspects there is a traitor in the agency, passing along secrets to the Russians. Alex realizes that, by getting back into the game, he has risked everything he has worked for: his marriage, his family’s safety, and the trust of his closest colleagues—one of whom is betraying him. As the noose tightens around Alex, and the FSB closes in on Byron, the operation becomes a hall of mirrors with no exits. To find redemption, Alex must uncover Byron’s secrets or risk losing everything.
The Poet’s Game is a remarkably sophisticated and emotionally resonant portrait of a spy from a renowned master of the genre.
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Two cousins. Two paths. One unforgettable era. This award-winning historical fiction novel follows the transformative journey of Cate and Albie. Cousins and best friends, they are raised in 1960s New Jersey under the watchful eyes of their family and strict Catholic school nuns. Their bond seems unbreakable. Then the Vietnam War erupts, tearing them apart.
Tragedy strikes, and her world unravels. With the support of her family and an eclectic group of friends—artists, activists, and veterans—Cate embarks on a journey of resilience and personal transformation. Travel back to a pivotal era when men marched off to war and women burned their bras. Demonstrators protested for peace as the silent majority rallied around the flag and the American president’s call-to-arms. This compelling novel explores the:
All the Broken Angels is a profound exploration of love, loss, and the indomitable spirit of a generation that resonates far beyond the final page.
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In the tumultuous world of high school, Emma grapples with a devastating breakup, a damning social media scandal that threatens her reputation, and an overwhelming sense of isolation. Her parents are distant, she has no true friends, and her despair deepens with each passing day.
One fateful night during a sudden snowstorm, Emma forges a connection with Sarah, a girl who navigates the treacherous high school terrain of 2001. In this improbable friendship, they bond through the digital ether, supporting each other's struggles at the same school, in the same town, while separated by two decades.
The friendship becomes a lifeline for both girls. Their lives bear striking similarities, yet the differences are equally profound. While Sarah is spared from the perils of social media, she gains self-assurance and begins to discover herself. In contrast, Emma’s struggles intensify as she faces dire consequences for her actions online and misguided romantic entanglements.
Sarah watches helplessly as Emma's life unravels, yearning to help but bound by the constraints of time. Emma’s perilous descent accelerates, and the danger of not receiving the help she desperately needs looms large. Sarah, trapped twenty years in the past, must find a way to intervene before it’s too late.
This gripping tale of bridging the gap between eras explores the enduring power of human connection, the complexities of teenage life, and the lengths to which a stranger will go to save a life.
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