The Leaves Never Lie

Mystery writer Esther Luttrell introduces 6 original short thrillers by 5 superb fiction authors. Scottish novelist Ian Hall won First Prize in the Cheap Detective Stories writing contest with his brilliant Case of the Howling Husky. In it, Scotland Yard detective Colin Robertson and his wife Babs win a lottery ticket to attend an international performance of The Nutcracker Suite at an Arctic Ice Station where murder takes the curtain call. Dennis Smirl's Murder at the Liberty Ballroom brings a reluctant psychic to the ancient and deserted showplace where he is challenged to solve a decades old homicide. With only ghosts to guide him, the surprise ending will bring readers back to earth with a jolt. In Mike Graves' Leaves Never Lie, a caller identifies herself to a detective as a murder victim. Can the killer be stopped before it's too late? The clock is ticking, time is running out. Vicki Julian's Double Deception pits a beautiful, but terrified young woman against a mysterious stranger with a story of his own. Marcus Hernandez's new Braxton Carter adventure, The Weapon and the Wound, finds the ex-lawman running from his past only to find himself facing even more danger in his immediate future. He must make a choice: to walk away from dirty cops and a Mexican trafficking racket, or face them down and possibly be killed for his effort. A beautiful deputy sheriff tips the scale, but the stakes are incredibly high, and the odds are heavily against them. These suspenseful tales, plus Mike Graves' second contribution, Nighty Night -- a unique narrative by a hired assassin -- will keep you riveted to every page.