So small a carnival

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V.L. McDermid

'There are stories here which will make you shudder, and which will linger long in the mind' Ian Rankin Passion. Obsession. Revenge. A stunning collection of chilling short stories from the queen of the psychological thriller. White nights of passion and revenge in St. Petersburg. A bingo-hall tyrant trapped by masked intruders. The sleazy flipside of the international publishing scene. Nineteen nail-biting, intense and intricately plotted crime stories from one of the UK's greatest psychological thriller writers, this diverse collection demonstrates the scope of Val McDermid's imagination and her immense powers as a storyteller.

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[story, Robert Kirkman

Conrad Paulson lives a secret double life as master thief, Redmond. There is nothing he can't steal, nothing he can't have...except for the life he left behind. Now with a grown son he hardly knows and an ex-wife he never stopped loving, Conrad must try to piece together what's left of his life before the FBI finally catches up to him...but it appears they are the least of his worries. Collects **Thief of Thieves** issues #8-13

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Donna Ball

Michelle White may have committed suicide. For days, her body has lain in a cabin along with her terrified dog. So they call in Raine Stockton. Raine hardly has time for the poor dog she's named Hero. But as she falls for him, questions surface about his late owner-and Raine realizes that Hero may be the only witness to a murder.

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Susan Wittig Albert

China Bayles is in a pickle. The daughter of her best friend, Ruby, has turned up on her doorstep, pregnant and in need of a place to live. And her otherwise sensible husband has announced that he's bored with teaching and ready for a career change." "Say "hello" to P.I. Mike McQuaid and Associates. There aren't actually any "associates" - unless you count Ruby and China, of course. But the title does have a nice, official ring to it. His first client is Phoebe the Pickle Queen, owner of the biggest little pickle business in Texas. According to Phoebe, her plant manager is embezzling, and she wants McQuaid to follow the money." Meanwhile, Pecan Springs is hosting the annual Picklefest - and this year, China and Ruby are on the planning committee, along with Phoebe. But just days before the festival starts, the Pickle Queen disappears. Some say she sold her business and split; others think the answer may lie with her missing boyfriend. It's up to McQuaid and China to search for the Pickle Queen - and for clues in a case that promises to leave a very sour taste.