Zuzana Pernicová Books

With its roots in the American private-detective fiction of the 1920s but traceable back as far as Sherlock Holmes, the private-eye story remains as popular as ever. Here are thirty of the finest short novels and stories from the hardboiled world of the private eye. The characters in this collection range from the tough, cynical, hard-drinking Philip Marlowe type to hard-hitting female sleuths and the one-armed intellectual Dan Fortune. This collection features old favorites and new contributions from masters of the genre, past and present, including Ross Macdonald, Raymond Chandler, Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, Michael Collins, Ed McBain, William Campbell Gault, and many more.

Prim and pampered, Lucina Snow knew little of men and nothing of danger, until the fog-shrouded night she found herself abducted--and at the mercy of the legendary Captain Doom. Ruthless and mocking, tender and virile, the notorious pirate awakened all Lucy's passionate longings, then abandoned her with nothing but a kiss... Now safely at home, the alluring waif is tormented by treacherous memories--and by the presence of Gerard Claremont, her mysterious new bodyguard. Everything about him, from his forbidding size to his impertinent manner, sparks her defiance. And even when Gerard's smile turns seductive, no one can make her forget Doom. Yet only when Lucy's path crosses the captain's once more, will she learn who is on a voyage of retribution, and who is out to steal her heart...

Sue Jackson has the perfect family but when her teenage daughter Charlotte deliberately steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma she is forced to face a very dark reality. Retracing her daughter's steps she finds a horrifying entry in Charlotte's diary and is forced to head deep into Charlotte's private world. In her hunt for evidence, Sue begins to mistrust everyone close to her daughter and she's forced to look further, into the depths of her own past. There is a lot that Sue doesn't know about Charlotte's life. But then there's a lot that Charlotte doesn't know about Sue's.

Innocent people are dying. Who will be next? Find out in the second Detective Mark `Heck' Heckenburg from #1 ebook bestseller Paul Finch.

Get hooked on Heck: the maverick detective who knows no boundaries. A grisly whodunit you won't be able to put down, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and TV series `Luther'.

Keep your friends close ... Haunting, compelling, this psychological thriller will have you hooked. Perfect for fans of Before I go to Sleep and Daughter.

Get hooked on Heck: the maverick detective who knows no boundaries. The perfect read for fans of Stuart Macbride and Luther.

'Claustrophobic and compelling' KARIN SLAUGHTER 'A rollercoaster with multiple twists' DAILY MAIL 'A million dollar new story from a million selling author' SARAH PINBOROUGH

A much-loved woman's dead body is found in her apartment, victim of horrendous overkill even as her dining room table is perfectly set for a romantic dinner. Turns out her devoted boyfriend has an alibi and, with few clues leading to a suspect, LAPD's Lieutenant Milo Sturgis calls in psychologist Alex Delaware for help. Then another woman's shot execution style; three bullets in the back of her head leave her husband with a profitable business. He's got an alibi too. As the body count builds, Alex and Milo make the horrible realization that they're dealing with a diabolically manipulative killer intent on playing the most twisted and bloodiest kind of game with the cops -- and with Milo, specifically.

Cotton Malone is back and the stakes were never higher: a deadly virus that could wipe out civilisation as we know it - and a cure that lies buried in the past.

Cotton Malone's teenage son has been kidnapped, and an anonymous e-mail from those responsible proves they will stop at nothing to get their hands on a coveted prize: the legendary lost Library of Alexandria, which vanished 1,500 years ago.

All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty… To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare. Each of the guests have a secret but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna. Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie. Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up…

Get #HookedonHeck with the first book in the #1 bestselling DS Mark Heckenburg series.

The Sunday Times bestseller and No.1 Kindle bestseller returns... Praise for C. L. Taylor: 'The Missing has a delicious sense of foreboding from the first page, luring us into the heart of a family with terrible secrets and making us wait, with pounding hearts for the final, agonizing twist. Loved it' Fiona Barton, Author of THE WIDOW "Look after your daughter's things. And your daughter..." When a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn't. The stranger knows Jo's name, she knows her husband Max and she's got a glove belonging to Jo's two year old daughter Elise. What begins with a subtle threat swiftly turns into a nightmare as the police, social services and even Jo's own husband turn against her. No one believes that Elise is in danger. But Jo knows there's only one way to keep her child safe - RUN.

When her ex-boyfriend writes an insulting column about her, Cannie Shapiro - the smart, sharp, plus-sized reporter - who never thought that loving her was an act of courage, is plunged into misery, and the most amazing year of her life.

The third thriller in the Location Scout trilogy takes John Pellam to New York City.

Fascinujúce príbehy z pera majstrov napínavého čítania, ktorí dali dokopy celý hárem nebezpečných žien každého druhu. Publishers Weekly Ani Hitchcock by nezostavil lepší výber. Times Literary Supplement Najnebezpečnejšie ženy sú tie neodolateľné. Niekedy si žena svoju moc jasne uvedomuje, inokedy nemá o nej ani tušenia. Jedna ju použije ako nabrúsenú zbraň, druhá ako záchranný pás. Nebezpečné ženy s nami boli od úsvitu čias. Muži kvôli nim zabíjajú, zrádzajú vlasť, vzdávajú sa trónu a berú si život. No niekedy za to tieto ženy stoja. Mnohí detektívi vedia o nebezpečných ženách svoje. Ale ani Sherlock Holmes, ani Nero Wolfe nikdy nestretli nebezpečné ženy, aké sa vyskytujú na stránkach tejto knihy. Boli by z nich zhrození, ale dozaista aj fascinovaní. Autori zastúpení v tejto zbierke príbehov dokázali, že aj oni vedia ponúknuť širokú škálu typov femme fatale.

Rune seems to have finally made the first real step towards her dreams - she has secured a job working for a major network news department. From there, her career as a budding documentary maker can really take off. However, nothing in Rune's life is ever that simple. She quickly becomes fascinated by the brutal murder of the network boss, and just as swiftly comes to the conclusion that the guy in the frame for the crime must be innocent. This, despite the mountain of evidence against him. But, trying to prove his innocence starts to become hazardous to her own health when a hitman comes to town with her name on a contract... Full of twists and turns, and with a incredibly engaging central character, this is classic Deaver...

Slick, snappy and totally surprising, this is the first Rune thriller and the book that launched Deaver's career.