Short Stories. Get comfortable for a wild ride with some of the rising stars in the crime, suspense, and mystery genres as they reveal their talents in this thrilling anthology of short stories. The 16 entries include three by veterans (Ken Bruen, Allison Brennan, and Duane Swierczynski) and 13 by new authors like Brett Battles (The Cleaner) and Derek Nikitas (Pyres). This compilation has received high praise; pick it up to read the compelling stories as well as to see who your new favorite authors might be.

Police Thriller. Detective Jonathan Stride is back in Duluth, Minnesota, after a trip to Las Vegas (in 2006's Stripped), and he's got his hands full. His partner and best friend Maggie is the number one suspect in her husband's murder, and while he knows she must be innocent, there's definitely something she's not telling him. He's also trying to track a serial killer, and his lover, P.I. Serena Dial, is dealing with a disturbing blackmailer who seems to know everybody's dirty secrets. Publishers Weekly says that the story is "crammed with twists and studded with sex and violence"--and that Stalked is one of author Brian Freeman's best.

Crime Thriller. Suzanne Jones is a middle school history teacher, but by night she uses a mask and a derringer to rob and plunder with glee (she gives part of her haul to charity, as she believes she's descended from a 19th-century Mexican version of Robin Hood). The public loves it, but things go sour when she witnesses the bloody slaying of ten gangsters, takes off with their (stolen) diamonds, and is stopped by a cop. The head gangster wants his diamonds back, the assassin knows he had a witness, and the cop? Well, that's complicated. This fast-paced, jam-packed tale "may well be Parker's best book" (Publishers Weekly).

Thriller. Iraq War veteran Jason Palmer is shattered when his brother, an anti-gang activist and local bar-owner, is murdered--and Jason's young nephew seems to be in danger of becoming the next victim. Surrounding himself with people he can trust, Jason uses his training as a soldier to protect his nephew and to get to the bottom of his brother's highly suspicious murder. Author Marcus Sakey portrays the gritty side of Chicago beautifully--especially as an analogy to Jason's experiences in Baghdad--and "provides enough narrow escapes, traps and obstacles to satisfy a Die Hard fan" (Publishers Weekly).

Legal Thriller. If you're looking for another likable character devoted to fighting crimes against women, try one of Perri O'Shaughnessy's Nina Riley thrillers. Move to Strike is the 6th in the series, and it finds the Lake Tahoe attorney defending her son's 16-year-old friend Nicole, who has been accused of killing her uncle with a samurai sword. Toss in excellent legal scenes, heart-racing action, and beautifully described settings, and you have a great option for fans of Linda Fairstein's Alex Cooper books.

Forensic Thriller. Though Dr. Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist rather than a lawyer, there are several similarities between this series and the Alex Cooper books. Both feature serious crime-solving details, a vivid sense of place, and strong, appealing women who must juggle their personal lives with their careers. In Death du Jour, the 2nd in the series, Tempe draws on all of her forensic skills to investigate a Quebec arson and a bizarre North Carolina cult. This series is also the inspiration for the Fox television show Bones.

Legal Thriller. Lisa Scottoline is known for her series featuring the lawyers of Bennie Rosato's all-female legal firm. In Moment of Truth, newbie lawyer Mary DiNunzio is hired specifically because of her inexperience--her client has decided to frame himself for the murder of his wife (he assumes it was his daughter). Like the Alex Cooper series, Scottoline's books feature strong women whom readers get to know through their personal as well as professional lives, a quick pace, and urban crime scenes. Set in Philadelphia, this 7th in the series is a "tense, often mischievous page-turner" (Publishers Weekly).

Legal Thriller. Take prickly crusader Alexandra Cooper out of urban New York and stick her in rural Oregon, and you've got lawyer Barbara Holloway. In No Defense, the 5th in the series, a seven-month marriage ends suspiciously when the older, richer husband, Vinny, is killed, leaving newly widowed Lara suspected of murder. With the principled Barbara as the focus of the story, along with a strong sense of place, a complex plot, and impressive legal and investigative details, No Defense is an excellent choice for readers waiting for Linda Fairstein's Killer Heat. If you like Kate Wilhelm's style, you might also try her psychological suspense novels and mysteries.

Historical Thriller. In this 2004 Steel Dagger Award-winning thriller, the year is 1936. Professional hitman Paul Schumann has just been arrested by the U.S. government and given a choice: either he can go to prison, or he can assassinate the man in charge of Hitler's rearmament, Colonel Ernst. On his trip to Germany, however, things start to go wrong, and eventually Paul is being hunted by the Berlin police as well as by the Nazis. It's an exciting, twisting tale, and as Publishers Weekly says, it's "prime Deaver, which means prime entertainment."

Spy Fiction. Former detective Vlado Petric has fled war-torn Bosnia for Berlin, where he now works construction. Until, that is, he is summoned by International War Crimes Tribunal representative Calvin Pine. Pine wants Petric to capture a Croatian mobster who committed crimes in the recent Balkan conflict as well as in WWII. But why Petric? As he soon discovers, it's because his own father may have had a strong connection to the mobster, who is currently hiding in the Balkans. The L.A. Times claims that this 2003 Steel Dagger Award winner sets "a new standard for war-based thrillers."

Psychological Suspense. After eight years away, reporter Camille Preaker has returned to her hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls. Haunted by memories of her long-dead sister, she must also deal with a Lolita-like half sister and their mother, who may have caused Camille's childhood illnesses. As Camille investigates, she uncovers horrible family secrets and relives the childhood that led her to self-mutilation. Kirkus Reviews calls this debut by Entertainment Weekly TV critic Gillian Flynn "piercingly effective and genuinely terrifying." Sharp Objects won both the Steel Dagger and the New Blood Dagger awards in 2007.

Cold War Thriller. It's 1989 and the Communist government in East Germany is near collapse. Dr. Rudi Rosenharte, an ex-Stasi agent, is forced into a dangerous game of intrigue when the increasingly desperate secret police arrest his brother Konrad and hold Konrad's family hostage. The Stasi wants Rudi to seek out an old lover whom they think has secret information--but Rudi knows that the woman is dead. To save his loved ones he must carefully balance not only the Stasi but the KGB, CIA, and SIS as well. This absorbing thriller was the 2005 Steel Dagger Award winner.