Hardboiled Stories

"I'm not a detective, just an alligator in a vest." --Tim L. Gator *** Tim the alligator has to find his former boss, Amelia Watson, after she retired with many unanswered questions. Using a time-traveling clock she left behind, Tim jumps across the timelines, checking clues and anomalies, meeting absurdly powerful entities who may help him out--or not. Failure means no more Ame; even in memories. *** All Hololive references (characters, settings, famous scenes) belong to COVER Corp. This is just a homage (with my own twists) for all holomems, especially Amelia Watson. Thanks for the memories, Ame.

Now complete! ~~~ Ella Lewis is dead. Someone must pay. “I loved Ella. Now she’s a corpse, cooling off in the morgue with a noose-shaped bruise around her neck. The cops say it’s suicide. It wasn’t suicide. I don’t know who killed her, and I don’t know why. But I’m going to find out, no matter what it takes. And when I’m face-to-face with the man who broke my world, I’m going to break him.” In this tough-as-nails noir crime novel set in Auckland’s dark underbelly, 17-year-old Jack “Spade” Miller must traverse a web of violence, love, and illicit sex in his search for justice. Only one thing is guaranteed: no one is walking away unscathed. ~~~ This book is available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords. Find out more at www.harrystjohn.com. Thanks for reading!

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.

Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. A fugitive cop framed for murder, and now hunted by cops and the mob. Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Prepare for pain... Check out my debut YA novel here: http://www.blackrosewriting.com/childrens-booksya/thegraveyardgirlandtheboneyardboy Follow me on Facebook @MartinMatthewsWrites

Chase Dagger is a private detective with no past, a sometime fiancée, a scarlet macaw with a brain and an attitude, and a beautiful assistant named Sara. Sara witnesses the murder of a woman whose identity she doesn't know until she sees a picture of Rachel Tyler at the Tyler mansion. Rachel couldn't be dead again, or could she? Dagger seems to inherit the most unusual cases. To tackle these cases requires unusual assistants. Einstein is a macaw with a photographic memory. Sara is a shapeshifter with extraordinary abilities. Together they are either the driving force behind Dagger Investigations or they are going to drive Dagger crazy.

Lenny Parker is a roadie, bass player in a metal band AND a private investigator. He's not that good at the whole PI thing but he's got a lot of heart and some good friends to help him out. In this story he is hired to find out where a young girl gets her money from. He might not like the answer though...

In the dystopian year 2075, down-and-out private investigator Adam Twist ekes out a living inside the walled city of Wichita. Tornadoes stalk the ravaged landscape and lost children haunt his nightmares. When the rebellious daughter of the most powerful man in the city runs away, Twist must follow into the hell outside the Wall to find her.

Five years ago, the whole country knew Howl as the face of a national public safety initiative that encouraged kids to say no to drugs, keep away from firearms, and not talk to strangers. He had just made a dramatic exit from the corrupt pit of the Hot Type City Police Department and kicked off his own private investigative agency. He was geared up to start helping people for real. Then some punk put Howl's nephew in the dirt, and everything came to a screeching halt. Now, after a long downward spiral, Howl is one half-empty bottle of scotch away from complete destitution. His shot at redemption comes just in time when a former model struts off the page of a golden-age girlie mag and into his office. Her missing son's disappearance knocks Howl back into a world full of the drugs, guns, and predators he wasted his youth fighting. This time it will be different. He's got nothing to lose but something to prove. This time, he will win.

Ranking High #goodgirlsarebadgirls, #psychologicalthrillers, #femalevigilante. When her nearest and dearest are gunned down in cold blood, Athena vows justice. Until now she's blocked out the disturbing memories of her past, but it's time to face the truth, however painful it could be. The transition from a rich gal to a reckless vigilante is swift but thwart with her recurring depression and alcoholic tendencies. While she walks a thin line between right and wrong to get justice at any price the stress mounts and another vice appears - sex - anywhere, anytime. Her search for the murderer twists and turns and then finally a clue... there is a Careless Whisperer. An innocent conversation has been overheard. Suddenly her life is in free-fall, she has to face the possibility that SHE may be The Careless Whisperer. The murders, her tortured soul and trashy new life may be all HER fault!

While battling drug addiction and post-traumatic demons, can a female veteran overcome the forces trying to frame her for murder? When Marine veteran and aspiring private eye Erica Jensen gets a frantic call for help from a client-the female half of a social media influencer couple-she springs into action. Unfortunately, she arrives at their house only to find their bodies, butchered, in the basement. Despite her cooperation with police, the homicide detectives on the case consider Erica a possible "person of interest." As Erica struggles to exonerate herself, she draws unwanted attention from a mysterious stranger. Meanwhile, witnesses who could clear her wind up dead. Can Erica fight forces powerful enough to frame her for murder without getting herself or more civilians killed?

[HIGHEST RANKING : #18] "Sometimes the past makes the present BETTER" Everyone is aware of their past and that everyone includes Harrison Blake who is a retired MI-5 agent. What will happen if someone is unaware of his past? What will happen if someone gets to know his past and tends to relive it again because of one single reason- his family? These are the highlighted yet briefed points of the agents life. He suffered a serious family loss because of some reason he doesn't know yet. The journey finding the truth gives invitation to several negative points such as heartbreak, frustration and depression. Harrison knows it all still has the guts to face it but will he succeed? - THAT REMAINS A MYSTERY

Daniela Moreno wakes up one morning with her eyes gouged out. No blood, just two empty sockets left behind. I may not have any memories of the incident, but I will find out what happened. * * * Ranking: #3 in mysterycontest

In 1940's Brooklyn, Samantha Deveraux, daughter of wealthy mob tycoon Big Louie seeks the aid of Sid Spadesworth when her twin sister Pam goes missing, who is the suspect in her disappearance; could it be Johnny Roxbourough, Samantha Deveraux's obsessive ex-fiancé, or her uncle Shanks-a-lot Tony? Find out if they'll find Samantha's sister Six Feet...Underwater

Private Eye Ramone Ramone is approached one night by a mysterious woman offering him $10,000 to find a rare book. It seems her son has joined a cult and offered its guru a family heirloom: an original edition of The Corsican Dove. After accepting the case, Ramone discovers that the book is worth less than a carton of cigarettes. With the murders of five interested parties and death threats received by Ramone and his drug-dealing partner, he learns that there are some heavy hitters out there including his own clients who have no intention of letting Ramone get his hands on The Corsican Dove. How can a $7.00 book be work dying for?

It is broken. Everything is broken; The only way is up. Through broken heart. And senseless violence. Comes truth; Comes all the things that you ever needed...

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

A week at the beach could kill you. Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae's stay in Ocean City for the annual Maryland bar association convention becomes a busman's holiday when her best friend Jamila is arrested for murder. All signs point to a frame, but Jamila's local counsel advises her to plea bargain. This would permanently stain the ambitious attorney's spotless record, unless Sam and a private investigator can find evidence to clear her. Sam has her work cut out for her, since the victim is the stepson of a local wealthy entrepreneur and poultry producer and no one will talk to her, including the lawyer's investigator. Even Jamila seems to be withholding information. Meanwhile, Sam's running from mysterious pursuers and comes under police scrutiny when another murder takes place. With the clock ticking down to the convention and preliminary hearing, Sam must uncover secrets, lies, and fraud to find the real killer. At what cost will that knowledge come for Sam?

This anthology will collect noir and hard-boiled style stories from some of Wattpad's brightest authors, as well as some up-and-comers that I think we'll be seeing a lot of in the future. This dark group will spread their stories across several different genres, showcasing the variety and power of noir. We'll take a look at how noir has influenced modern media over the years, and see which of your favorite books and movies have been made possible through noir style. Then, check out the contest that could put your story right beside some great Wattpad writers! Word limit for contest entries: 2-10k words Blurb/paragraph entry deadline: March 15th Full story deadline: April 1st

Mistress Kou hires the Kuudere detectives to investigate a suspicious new business.

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.