Hardboiled Stories

In 1950s Los Angeles, prolific "people-finder", RICK YOUNGE must find an embezzling mob accountant, a missing dead husband (who might not be so dead after all), a mystery by-mail 'secret admirerer', and his own kidnapped dog, all while trying to keep the lights on for another month and stay sober long enough to ponder what life's all about in this debut adventure for L.A.'s most 'by-the-seat-of-his-wrinkled-pants' private detective.

In 1915 an unsuspecting passenger ship sails through treacherous waters toward a doom that was ordered from the highest authorities. For Jacob Blankfield, a thirteen-year-old boy dependent on leg braces and crutches, coming of age will come early, aboard a ship on its final voyage across the Atlantic, amidst explosions and torpedoes, battling forces unleashed by Great Powers in a Great War. After witnessing a murder, Jacob is thrust into the center of a conspiracy that threatens his own life and that of two thousand passengers. Forming alliances with friends and enemies, he digs to uncover the expansive details of a plot and the coconspirators before it is too late, standing in the way of secret plans and nefarious men, ultimately pushed to overcome his fear and handicaps to take matters into his own hands. As the ship approaches its destiny, Jacob closes in on a final duel of arms against an experienced and sinister opponent, learning that even his friends can be enemies. An introduction to arms, action and courage that promise to change his life forever and permanently forge his character, for better or for worse.

THIRTEEN YEARS OF DUST is the intriguing, introductory novel for the Duke Bradley, Private Eye series. Duke is an egotistical, sarcastic, and obsessive ex-FBI special detective who got canned from the bureau for botching a decade-long investigation because he was blind drunk. It's a secret he has vowed to take to the grave, and only his ex-partner knows what really happened that night in Bay Springs, Mississippi. Now after a stint in rehab and losing everything, he is sober and will do what it takes to stay that way. Down on his luck, highly in debt to his ex-wife, and with a landlord just itching to evict him, Duke has devised a way to get some quick cash doing what he does best, solving murders. In a city full of addiction, he sets forth, determined to stay clean and not let anyone get away with murder I present for your consideration.

A call follows his breakup. Mara Reddington has suffered a kidnapping. The Thin Man, her stalker, had threatened to steal her baby from her. Threatened to make her thin. Now she was alone. A call follows his breakup and he clings to it. With thoughts of another fighting in his mind, he goes to her. He goes to hear the wild tale of anguish that the police rejected. To investigate the stolen baby that may already be dead. To feel something other than the pain of lost love. He goes to find the Thin Man.

Sadie Lambert was a prodigy, a girl who saw the world in ferociously drawn lines. Now, she's just another body in a Brooklyn walk-up. Detective Liam Carter is used to the iron scent of death, but he isn't used to seeing his own nightmares mirrored in a victim's artwork. Hidden in a mural of the New York skyline is a secret Sadie died to protect-and a symbol that links her murder to a decade-old cold case. As the rain washes the streets clean, Liam is pulled into a conspiracy where every shadow has a name, and every death is just a preliminary sketch.

In a 1930s anytown, USA called Arrant City, a hardboiled detective with a heart of gold - Lenny Zollins - AKA Zollie or LZ - fights crime of the ... unusual variety.

Vincitore del concorso "Racconti Noir", un esercizio di scrittura con personaggi scelti in precedenza e alcuni elementi obbligatori.

"Love shouldn't be spoiled"

Simon Van Hadley investigates and attempts to stop an ancient and powerful secret of Charleston. But finds he has bitten off more than he can chew.

Little snips of Olma Tiig's life. Basically an attempt to get feedback and get me moving by using my daily writing.

Chiara, una ragazza normalissima, con una vita noiosa e monotona viene assassinata. Ma perché? Riuscirà il Detective Ferrara a capire cosa è successo prima che altre vite vengano coinvolte? L'assassino pagherà per il crimine commesso, o riuscirà a fuggire come tutti gli assassini di questo mondo delinquente? Se non risolverà il caso non riuscirà mai a vivere una vita tranquilla. questo è poco ma sicuro.

This public domain work by mastermind Dashiell Hammett was first published in 1930. After the death of his partner, private investigator, Sam Spade, gets mixed up with a crowd chasing a statue of a golden bird encrusted with jewels, an artifact that is practically priceless, but the only thing Spade wants to know is, who killed his partner."

Two opposing detectives (a dead-beat alcoholic and a Christian war-veteran) are teamed up as they are committed to solving a mysterious serial murder case. Year started: 2020 Year finished: TBD

Moon Potato and Yancey face a most unexpected situation as The Server succumbs to a breakout of zombies.

A mystery and thriller novel with a touch of adolescent love. A mercenary group on a mission to eradicate a business tycoon. A new transfer student in school. A stage and gamble between love and war, vengeance and romance. Truth and falsehood. Blood against blood, will fire eat out the fire? War to decide what the last seven seconds of your life will recollect.

They say crime doesn't pay. Well, I say you've made a bad deal, and need to renegotiate. It's the middle of the night and I'm currently lying in a puddle of blood, rethinking my decisions. Broken bones, stab wounds and stiffs are just another part of the equation. Question is, how much is all this trouble really worth? Double Digits is a fast paced, hard boiled noir story narrated from the perspective of an estranged criminal, following his downward spiral in life.

After being dumped by her boyfriend at a Christmas dance in Chicago, a girl takes an Uber ride home that turns into a night of terror and a horror for the holidays

The dame who walked into P.I. Amelia Archer's office that day wasn't pretty, but she had a dog of a tale to tell. Beggars can't be choosers, though, and soon Archer is off down the Shufelt Tunnel in search of lizard men, a diamond bracelet, and maybe even a bit of fun with an old flame.

Several years ago, a brilliant but short-lived webzine titled Flashing in the Gutters featured crime fiction in the form of short-short stories—also known as “flash fiction.” This was the first story I published with them. (“Mind Your Own Business” copyright 2006, originally appeared on the blog Flashing in the Gutters.)

First-time private investigator Eddie Greene is having a bad weekend. It’s about to get worse … When he finds the slab-cold body of his first client, he knows something’s up – he only spoke to her fifteen minutes earlier. Free-wheeling, swash-buckling, trash-talking Eddie is not just out of place in a humdrum northern town. He’s out of his depth on his first case, out of funds from a now deceased client and out of favour with Weighton’s big society. As Friday night slides into Saturday morning, each twist in the case turns a bad situation worse; the police want him for murder, the local crime boss wants him dead, the mayor wants him out of town and his girlfriend wants him out of her life. Increasingly desperate, Eddie takes on all-comers in a barnstorming bid to crack the case and clear his name. And somewhere between all the froth and fury, his affections are reclaimed by the girl who got away – but will she abide ‘til Monday? “Great fun with some cracking jokes – ‘this femme is fatale’ being my favourite – it reminded me of the Lynne Truss serial on Radio 4.” Sue Fletcher, Deputy MD, Hodder & Stoughton “Faultless – engaging, controlled, visual and fast-paced. Lots of action and a strong sense of tongue-in-cheek.” Caroline Smailes, Harper Collins author, ‘In Search of Adam’ “It’s like ‘Film Noir’ meets ‘Phoenix Nights’!” Mark Roman, author of 'Ultimate Inferior Beings' on Cogwheel Press.