EVERY STEP... Paul Davis forgets things — he gets confused, he has sudden panic attacks. But he wasn’t always like this. TAKES YOU CLOSER... Eight months ago, Paul found two dead bodies in the back of a co-worker’s car. He was attacked, left for dead, and has been slowly recovering ever since. His wife tries her best but fears the worst... TO THE TRUTH... Therapy helps during the days, but at night he hears things — impossible things — that no one else can. That nobody else believes. Either he’s losing his mind — or someone wants him to think he is. Just because he’s paranoid doesn’t mean it’s not happening

When Cal Weaver stops at red light on a rainy night while driving home, he ignores the bedraggled-looking teenaged girl trying to hitch a lift. Even when she starts tapping on his window. But when she says, “hey, aren’t you Scott’s dad?” and he realizes she’s one of his son’s classmates, he can’t really ignore her. OK, so giving a ride to a teenage girl might not be the smartest move, but how much harm could it do? Over the next 24 hours Cal is about to find out. When the girl, Claire, asks to stop at a restroom on the way home, he’s happy to oblige. But the girl who gets back in the car seems strangely nervous, and it’s only when they get nearer their destination that Cal realizes she no longer has the nasty cut that he noticed on Claire’s hand. After he’s finally let her out of the car he remains puzzled and intrigued. But it’s only the next morning that he starts to really worry. That’s when the police cruiser turns up at his door and asks him if he gave a lift to a girl the previous night. A girl who has now been found brutally murdered. If Cal is going to clear his name he’s going to figure out what Claire was really up to and what part he played in her curious deception. But doing so will involve him in some of the small town of Griffon’s most carefully kept secrets — and a conspiracy as bizarre as it is deadly

Zack Walker is back and on the job as a features writer for the city paper. While researching his first assignment Zack stumbles upon a homicide that may be linked to a gang that's been terrorizing the city’s high-end shopping district. Suddenly, he finds himself at the center of a violent crime wave and destined for a confrontation with Barbie Bullock — a ruthless criminal with a disturbing obsession. As worlds begin to collide and boundaries between family and foes blur, Zack must be ever vigilant to outwit the evil at large, whether in the suburbs, the city, or in his own imagination. Heaven help the bad guys when this resourceful father comes to make good on a deal gone bad

After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent. Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions. A year after a devastating miscarriage, David’s cousin Marla has continued to struggle. But when David’s mother asks him to check on her, he’s horrified to discover that she’s been secretly raising a child who is not her own — a baby she claims was a gift from an “angel” left on her porch. When the baby’s real mother is found murdered, David can’t help wanting to piece together what happened — even if it means proving his own cousin’s guilt. But as he uncovers each piece of evidence, David realizes that Marla’s mysterious child is just the tip of the iceberg. Other strange things are happening. Animals are found ritually slaughtered. An ominous abandoned Ferris wheel seems to stand as a warning that something dark has infected Promise Falls. And someone has decided that the entire town must pay for the sins of its past... in blood

Chipper is fleeing from a sinister organization that is determined to bury the truth about what he really is. Miles away, twelve-year-old orphan Jeff is working at his aunt’s lakeside cabin business and missing the life he used to have. When Chipper’s and Jeff’s paths collide, they find themselves tangled up in the most dangerous game of chase imaginable. Can Chipper keep them both alive? After all, he’s only a dog

It all begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each presses a button for their floor, but the elevator proceeds, non-stop, to the top. Once there, it stops for a few seconds, and then plummets. Right to the bottom of the shaft. It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again, in a different Manhattan skyscraper. And when Wednesday brings yet another high-rise catastrophe, one of the most vertical cities in the world — and the nation’s capital of media, finance, and entertainment — is plunged into chaos. Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it’s working. Fearing for their lives, thousands of men and women working in offices across the city refuse leave their homes. Commerce has slowed to a trickle. Emergency calls to the top floors of apartment buildings go unanswered. Who is behind this? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers

Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci and including stories by Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, and more, this one-of-a-kind anthology pulls together the most beloved characters from the best and most popular thriller series today. Worlds collide! In an unprecedented collaboration, twenty-three of the world’s bestselling and critically acclaimed thriller writers have paired their series characters — such as Harry Bosch, Jack Reacher, and Lincoln Rhyme — in an eleven-story anthology curated by the International Thriller Writers (ITW). All of the contributors to FaceOff are ITW members and the stories feature these dynamic duos: • Patrick Kenzie vs. Harry Bosch in “Red Eye,” by Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly • John Rebus vs. Roy Grace in “In the Nick of Time,” by Ian Rankin and Peter James • Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy vs. Aloysius Pendergast in “Gaslighted,” by R.L. Stine, Douglas Preston, and Lincoln Child • Malachai Samuels vs. D.D. Warren in “The Laughing Buddha,” by M.J. Rose and Lisa Gardner • Paul Madriani vs. Alexandra Cooper in “Surfing the Panther,” by Steve Martini and Linda Fairstein • Lincoln Rhyme vs. Lucas Davenport in “Rhymes With Prey,” by Jeffery Deaver and John Sandford • Michael Quinn vs. Repairman Jack in “Infernal Night,” by Heather Graham and F. Paul Wilson • Sean Reilly vs. Glen Garber in “Pit Stop,” by Raymond Khoury and Linwood Barclay • Wyatt Hunt vs. Joe Trona in “Silent Hunt,” by John Lescroart and T. Jefferson Parker • Cotton Malone vs. Gray Pierce in “The Devil’s Bones,” by Steve Berry and James Rollins • Jack Reacher vs. Nick Heller in “Good and Valuable Consideration,” by Lee Child and Joseph Finder So sit back and prepare for a rollicking ride as your favorite characters go head-to-head with some worthy opponents in *FaceOff*—it’s a thrill-a-minute read

After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theater collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father’s house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it’s clear that salacious activities have taken place — as well as evidence of missing DVDs. But his investigation soon becomes more complicated when he realizes it may not be discs the thief was actually interested in... Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to solve two murders — one of which is three years old — he believes are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound. As the lies begin to unravel, Cal is headed straight into the heart of a dark secret as his search uncovers more startling truths about Promise Falls. And when yet another murder happens, Cal and Barry are both driven to pursue their investigations, no matter where they lead. Evil deeds long thought buried are about to haunt the residents of this town — as the sins of the past and present collide with terrifying results

That's what Tim Blake finds himself asking when his daughter Sydney vanishes into thin air. At the hotel where she was supposedly working, no one has ever heard of her. Even her closest friends can't tell him what Sydney was really doing in the weeks before her disappearance. Now as the days pass without a word, Tim is forced to face not only the fact that Sydney is missing but that the daughter he's loved and nurtured, the daughter he thought he knew as well as anyone, is a virtual stranger. As he retraces Sydney 's steps, searching for clues to her secret life, Tim discovers that the suburban Connecticut town he always thought of as perfectly ordinary has a darker side. But what he doesn't know is just how dark. Because while he's out searching for his daughter, questioning everyone who might have known her, someone is watching him. For Tim isn't the only one who'll do anything to find Syd. Whatever trouble she's in, there's a lot more on the way.and it's following in Tim's footsteps. The closer Tim comes to the truth, the closer he comes to every parent's worst nightmare.and the kind of evil only a parent's love has a chance in hell of stopping

For ex-cop turned private investigator Cal Weaver, this was not exactly the biggest case of his career; in fact, he only took it on because Greta Carlson was a friend of a friend. Greta’s sixteen-year-old son Chandler was in trouble at school because of a short story he’d written. Admittedly the story featured a boy bludgeoning his best friend to death with a baseball bat because of an argument over a girl. But still, a story? Mrs Carlson wanted Cal to dig up some dirt on the high school principal she could use as leverage to get Chandler reinstated, and Cal told her in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t going to go down that road. But that wasn’t quite the end of the story. Chandler’s best friend Mike seems to be missing, and at the same time Cal can’t shake the feeling that Chandler may have had some help in completing his writing assignment. Life, it seems, may have imitated art after all, but figuring out who’s the author and who are just characters in the drama will take all of Cal’s critical skills to determine

One will change your life. One will end it. Who will... FIND YOU FIRST? With just months to live, a billionaire businessman decides to track down his long-lost children. But a deadly killer is one step ahead of him. Tech billionaire Miles has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of — except time. Now facing a terminal illness, Miles knows he must seize every minute to put his life in order. And that means taking a long hard look at his past. Somewhere out there, Miles has children. And they might be about to inherit both the good and bad from him — possibly his fortune, or possibly something more deadly. So Miles decides to track down his missing children. But a vicious killer is one step ahead of him. One by one, people are vanishing. Not just disappearing, every trace of them is wiped. It’s a deadly race against time

WHEN IT’S LIFE OR DEATH, WHO CAN YOU TRUST? Teacher Richard Boyle certainly never thought he would find himself talking down a former student intent on harming others, but when Mark LeDrew shows up at school with a bomb strapped to his chest, Richard immediately jumps into action. Thanks to his quick thinking, Richard averts a major tragedy and is hailed as a hero. But Richard’s brief moment in the spotlight puts him in the sights of a deranged blackmailer with a score to settle. Events rapidly spirals out of control, drawing Richard into a tangled web of salacious accusations and deadly secrets. As he tries to uncover the truth Richard discovers that there’s something dangerously wrong in the town. Everyone in his life seems to be hiding something, and trusting the wrong person could cost him everything he loves

Sam seems like an ordinary guy. While he is filling up his car with gas in Stamford, Connecticut, a car whips into the station lot, stops alongside, and asks him for directions to LaGuardia Airport. Gian claims that he is from Milano, but Sam can spot an imitation in a second. The accent is all wrong, and while Gian tries to sell him counterfeit luxury coats that he can’t take back on the plane to Italy, they bump hips, and Sam feels what he thinks is a gun tucked into Gian’s belt. “Jacket Man” is a story of how to escape with your life, and some counterfeit pleather coats while you’re at it

Newspaper writer, family man, and reluctant hero Zack Walker has stumbled onto some dicey stories before, but nothing like what he’s about to uncover when a mutilated corpse is found at his father’s lakeside fishing camp. As always, Zack fears the worst. And this time, his paranoid worldview is dead-on. While the locals attribute the death to a bear attack, Zack suspects something far more ominous — a predator whose weapons include arson, assault, and enough wacko beliefs to fuel a dozen hate groups. Then another body is discovered and a large supply of fertilizer goes missing, evoking memories of the Oklahoma City bombing. But it’s when he learns that his neighbor is a classic Lone Wolf — FBI parlance for a solo fanatic hell-bent on using high body counts to make political statements — that Zack realizes the idyllic town of his childhood is under siege. The fuse is lit to a catastrophe of unimaginable terror. And with time running out, Zack must face off with a madman

Linwood Barclay is back with more unexpected twists and superb characters in a spine-tingling, mesmerizing thriller about a husband whose wife disappears, along with everything he thought he knew about their life together. David Harwood, a reporter in Promise Falls, New York, is stressed out. The newspaper he works for is outsourcing jobs to India, he can't get a solid lead on the corrupt for-profit prison moving to town, and his wife, Jan, is struggling with a bout of depression. As a much-needed break, David and Jan decide to take their four-year-old son, Ethan, to a local amusement park for a day of ice cream, rollercoasters, and carefree fun. But revelry is quickly replaced by panic when, within an hour of arriving at the park, Ethan goes missing. Though he is soon found, panic escalates to full-blown terror when Jan suddenly disappears. Confused and worried, David finds himself desperately searching for any clue that could lead him to his wife – even if it means unraveling a tangle of lies and deception that become more complicated at every turn

Seven years ago, Terry Archer and his family, who first appeared in No Time for Goodbye, experienced a horrific ordeal that nearly cost them their lives. Today, the echoes of that fateful night are still audible. Terry’s wife, Cynthia, is living separate from her husband and daughter after her own personal demons threatened to ruin her relationship with them permanently. Their daughter, Grace, is rebelling against her parents’ seemingly needless overprotection. Terry is just trying to keep his family together. And the entire town is reeling from the senseless murder of two elderly locals. But when Grace foolishly follows her delinquent boyfriend into a strange house, the Archers must do more than stay together. They must stay alive. Because now they have all been unwillingly drawn into the shadowy depths of their seemingly idyllic hometown. For there, they will be reconnected with the man who saved their lives seven years ago, but who still remains a ruthless, unrepentant criminal. They will encounter killers for hire working all sides. And they will learn that there are some things people value much more than money, and will do anything to get it. Caught in a labyrinth between family loyalty and ultimate betrayal, Terry must find a way to extricate his family from a lethal situation he still doesn’t fully comprehend. All he knows is that to live, he may have to do the unthinkable

On the morning she will never forget, suburban teenager Cynthia Archer awakes with a nasty hangover and a feeling she is going to have an even nastier confrontation with her mom and dad. She isn’t. Instead, the house is empty, with no sign of her parents or younger brother Todd. At first she just thinks it’s weird, then more and more scary, until finally the terrfiying reality hits her: in the blink of an eye, without any explanation, her family has simply disappeared. Twenty-five years later the mystery is no nearer to being solved and Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? If so, why was she spared? And if they’re alive, why did they abandon her in such a cruel way? Now married with a daughter of her own, Cynthia knows that without answers – however shocking they might prove to be – she will never be emotionally or psychologically whole, living in daily fear that her new family will be taken from her just as her first one was. And so she agrees to take part in a TV documentary revisiting the case, in the hope that somebody somewhere will remember something – or even that her father, mother or brother might finally reach out to her… First nothing. Then just a few crackpots and scam artists coming out of the woodwork. And then the letter, a letter which makes no sense and yet chills Cynthia to the core. And soon she begins to realize that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made

The sun sets. The moon takes its place, illuminating the most evil corners of the planet. What twisted fear dwells in that blackness? What legends attach to those of sound mind and make them go crazy in the bright light of day? Only Suspense Magazine knows... Teaming up with New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver, Suspense Magazine offers up a nail-biting anthology titled: “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight.” This thrilling collection consists of thirteen original short stories representing the genres of suspense/thriller, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, and more. Take their hands... walk into their worlds... but be prepared to leave the light on when you’re through. After all, this incredible gathering of authors, who will delight fans of all genres, not only utilized their award-winning imaginations to answer that age-old question of why “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight” — they also made sure to pen stories that will leave you... speechless

When a young girl from Promise Falls is killed by a drunk driver, the community wants answers. It doesn’t matter that the accused is a kid himself: all they see is that he took a life and got an easy sentence. As pack mentality kicks in and social media outrage builds, vicious threats are made against the boy and his family. When Cal Weaver is called in to investigate, he finds himself caught up in a cold-blooded revenge plot. Someone in the town is threatening to put right some wrongs... And in Cal’s experience, it’s only ever a matter of time before threats turn into action

It’s always the husband, isn’t it? One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most people assumed Andy had got away with murder, but the police couldn’t build a strong case against him. For a while, Andy hit rock bottom — he drank too much, was abandoned by his friends, nearly lost his business and became a pariah in the place he had once called home. Now, six years later, Andy has put his life back together. He’s sold the house he shared with Brie and moved away for a fresh start. When he hears his old house has been bulldozed and a new house built in its place, he’s not bothered. He’s settled with a new partner, Jayne, and life is good. But Andy’s peaceful world is about to shatter. One day, a woman shows up at his old address, screaming, ‘Where’s my house? What’s happened to my house?’ And then, just as suddenly as she appeared, the woman — who bears a striking resemblance to Brie — is gone. The police are notified and old questions — and dark suspicions — resurface. Could Brie really be alive after all these years? If so, where has she been? It soon becomes clear that Andy’s future, and the lives of those closest to him, depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick will be whether he can stay alive long enough to unearth the answers

Everything has been leading to this. It's the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd, and the small town of Promise Falls, New York, has found itself in the midst of a full-blown catastrophe. Hundreds of people are going to the hospital with similar flu-like symptoms – and dozens have died. Investigators quickly zero in on the water supply. But the question for many, including private investigator Cal Weaver, remains: Who would benefit from a mass poisoning of this town? Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is faced with another problem. A college student has been murdered, and he's seen the killer's handiwork before – in the unsolved homicides of two other women in town. Suddenly, all the strange things that have happened in the last month start to add up. Bloody mannequins found in car "23" of an abandoned Ferris wheel, a fiery, out-of-control bus with "23" on the back, that same number on the hoodie of a man accused of assault. The motive for harming the people of Promise Falls points to the number 23 – and working out why will bring Duckworth closer to death than he's ever been before

Что делать, если ваша любимая дочь не вернулась вечером с работы? Тим Блейк пытается расспросить коллег своей дочери Сидни — и с изумлением обнаруживает: в отеле, где девушка якобы работала, о ней никто не слышал. Проходит неделя за неделей, а полиция по-прежнему не может найти даже следа Сидни. Тим понимает: ему придется рассчитывать только на себя. Он начинает собственное расследование и вскоре узнает: помимо него и полицейских, Сидни разыскивает и еще кое-кто. Опасные люди. Влиятельные люди. Но… зачем им обычная вчерашняя школьница? Или Сидни была не такой уж обычной? Истина где-то рядом — но она может стоить жизни и самому Тиму, и его дочери…

Майже яку Стівена Кінга… Чотирнадцятирічна дівчинка у гніві бажає родині згинути, і та справді щезає. Двадцять п’ять років по тому, коли у Синтії вже є власна сім’я, їй вдається вийти на слід батьків і брата. Але над кожним, хто якимось чином причетний до цієї загадкової справи, нависає чорна тінь смерті… Роман Лінвуда Барклея стане справжнім відкриттям для шанувальників психологічних трилерів. Переклад Віктора Шовкуна

Сначала всё это казалось просто злым хулиганством – тушки белок, развешанные на изгородях, измазанные красной краской манекены в кабинке колеса обозрения, угон и поджог автобуса… А потом – вместо краски и крови животных в городке Промис-Фоллс начала проливаться уже кровь человеческая. Взрыв в кинотеатре под открытым небом… Тело студентки местного колледжа со следами насильственной смерти… И наконец – сотни горожан, пострадавших от непонятного отравления. Чего хочет таинственный преступник? Кто он? Как его поймать? Полицейский Барри Дакворт и частный детектив Кэл Уивер начинают совместную охоту на убийцу. Но пока единственная связь между его преступлениями и единственная их зацепка – загадочная цифра «23», которой маньяк скрупулезно помечает каждое свое действие…

Однажды утром четырнадцатилетняя Синтия проснулась — и поняла, что находится в пустом доме одна. Ее родители и брат просто исчезли — так, словно их никогда и не было. Куда они пропали? И почему бросили дочь? Живы ли они? Прошло много лет, но полиция до сих пор не дала ответов на эти вопросы. Пытаясь разгадать тайну, Синтия решает рассказать свою историю на телевидении. Решает, даже не подозревая, что этим невинным поступком подвергает себя смертельной опасности и превращает свою жизнь в непрерывный кошмар… Перевод с английского Тамары Матц

Дэвид Харвуд, вернувшись в родной провинциальный городок Промис-Фоллз, узнал, что его кузина Марла тайно воспитывает ребенка, которого однажды утром принесла ей загадочная женщина в белом. Но вскоре выяснилось, что этот малыш – сын убитой в своем же доме Розмари Гейнор. А Марлу, в чью историю про женщину в белом никто не поверил, полиция обвинила в убийстве… Пытаясь спасти кузину, Дэвид начинает собственное расследование и вскоре понимает, что смерть Розмари и появление загадочной женщины в белом – звенья целой цепи зловещих событий. Все больше доказательств того, что кто-то решил заставить жителей городка заплатить за грехи и тайны прошлого… кровью

Теплый летний день. Парк развлечений «Пять вершин». Но отдых вместе с семьей оборачивается для журналиста Дэвида Харвуда настоящим кошмаром. Исчезает маленький сын, а пока его ищут, пропадает жена Джан. И найти ее не удается ни Дэвиду, ни полиции. Ее похитили? Она сбежала от семьи? Ее убили? Полиция не может найти ответ ни на один из этих вопросов. Дэвид, не раз проводивший журналистские расследования, начинает искать ответы в прошлом своей жены и вдруг понимает, что никогда по-настоящему не знал ее…

Една сутрин четиринайсетгодишната Синтия се събужда и открива, че семейството й е изчезнало безследно… Двайсет и пет години по-късно съдбата на близките й остава загадка, а Синтия все още е преследвана от въпроси, останали без отговор. Твърдо решена да открие истината, тя се съгласява на отчаяна стъпка с надеждата, че това може да я отведе до липсващите й близки. И съвсем скоро започват да се случват странни неща — непозната кола, обикаляща квартала, мистериозни телефонни обаждания, влизане с взлом, писмо, в което няма логика… Синтия осъзнава, че ровенето в миналото ще се окаже най-голямата грешка в живота й. Защото някой се е върнал, за да довърши започнатото преди двайсет и пет години. И ако Синтия и съпругът й не го спрат, може дори да нямат време да си кажат сбогом…

Семья учителя из маленького городка Терри Арчера переживала не лучшие времена: четырнадцатилетняя Грэйс отчаянно бунтовала, а сам Терри и его жена Синтия все больше отдалялись друг от друга… В общем, обычные горести обычных людей. А потом случилась беда – и эти обычные горести отступили на второй план. В результате нелепой подростковой выходки Грэйс стала свидетельницей жестокого преступления… И теперь не только она, но и ее родители оказались втянуты в запутанную историю ограблений и кровавых убийств. Обратиться в полицию они не могут, и выживать придется, рассчитывая только на себя

Томас Килбрайт болен и редко покидает дом. Его единственная страсть — виртуальные путешествия по городам мира. Во время одной из таких компьютерных прогулок по Нью-Йорку он случайно видит записанную камерой сцену жестокого убийства. Томас сообщает об этом старшему брату Рэю, но тот поднимает его на смех. Однако, уступив просьбам Томаса, все-таки пытается выяснить, что на самом деле увидел брат. Вскоре Рэй приходит к выводу: действительно было совершено убийство, причем за ним стоят очень влиятельные люди города. Отныне Томасу и Рэю грозит смертельная опасность…

Кто похитил местного жителя Брайана Гаффни и сделал ему на спине странную татуировку, содержащую признание в убийстве, которого парень не совершал? Кто изуродовал и искалечил насильника, которому удалось в суде избежать наказания? И наконец, кто преследует молодого человека, которого влиятельная родня и ловкий адвокат сумели «отмазать» от автокатастрофы, жертвой которой стала его приятельница? Полицейский Барри Дакуорт и частный детектив Кэл Уивер понимают: в городке действует опасный фанатик, руководствующийся лишь своими представлениями о добре и зле…

От трагедии в семье не застрахован никто… Однажды жена Глена Гарбера, Шейла, не вернулась домой. А потом ему позвонили и сообщили: она погибла в автокатастрофе, которая унесла жизнь еще двоих человек. Полиция уверена: в случившемся виновата именно Шейла. Однако Глен слишком хорошо знал жену, чтобы поверить в это. Он намерен установить истину. Но тихий провинциальный городок ревниво хранит свои тайны, порой очень и очень опасные. И скоро жизнь Глена превращается в ад. Соседи, которых он еще недавно считал друзьями, шантажируют его. На него совершаются покушения. Под угрозой оказывается жизнь не только самого Глена, но и его ребенка…

Любознательный человек часто задается вопросами, ответов на которые не существует. Просто потому, что проверить, «что будет, если…», невозможно. Кто победил бы в битве — Александр Македонский или Чингисхан? Кто быстрее и изящнее разобрался бы в тайне преступления — Шерлок Холмс или Эркюль Пуаро?.. Но на сей раз звезды современного мирового детектива и триллера воплотили в жизнь уникальную задумку — свели под одной обложкой главных персонажей своих романов. Впервые фантазии авторов сталкивают лицом к лицу Джека Ричера и Ника Хеллера, Грея Пирса и Коттона Малоуна, Линкольна Райма и Лукаса Дэвенпорта — кумиров миллионов читателей по всему миру. Противостояние героев — и их создателей… Кто победит?

Исчезла Клэр Сэндерс – восемнадцатилетняя дочь мэра провинциального городка, а вскоре ее лучшую подругу нашли убитой. Может, Клэр похитили? Или она сбежала к своему приятелю, который недавно пропал при подозрительных обстоятельствах? Поиски полиции не дают результатов. И тогда к расследованию подключается частный детектив Уивер – последний, кто видел живой Клэр в дождливую, ненастную ночь ее исчезновения. Уивер убежден: он должен сделать все, чтобы найти девушку, иначе она станет следующей жертвой таинственного убийцы…

Вот что случилось в городке Промис-Фоллс за последнее время: 1. Сначала кто-то взорвал экран открытого кинотеатра, и под обломками погибли четверо зрителей. 2. Потом неизвестный безжалостно расправился с двумя молодыми женщинами. 3. И наконец, произошла серия загадочных нападений на студенток местного колледжа… Детектив Барри Дакуорт и пришедший ему на помощь частный сыщик Кэл Уивер уже сбились с ног, пытаясь одновременно расследовать сразу несколько дел. А может, все эти происшествия связаны между собой? И за ними стоит один человек, мстительный и беспощадный…

Что делать, если вашего сына задержали по подозрению в убийстве соседа и всей его семьи? Джим Каттер быстро понял — полиция уверена: его сын виновен. Помощи ждать не от кого… кроме «крутого парня» Дрю Локуса, никогда не дружившего с законом. Джим и Дрю начинают собственное расследование. Поначалу Каттер считает, что полностью может доверять партнеру. Однако постепенно у него возникают подозрения, что и Локус ведет свою собственную игру…