Bøker utgitt av Open Road Media Mystery & Thri

From an Edgar Award-winning author: Someone is trying to force Britain to declare war--but with what motive?British armaments are being systematically destroyed, and the list of suspects stretches worldwide. Working alongside the British government, secret service agency Department Z is struggling to find the motive for this alarming sabotage when they discover a similar series of disasters are occurring, inexplicably, in America. Tensions between the two countries increase to a dangerous pitch.In a desperate race against time, will Department Z manage to avert impending catastrophe and save Britain's relationship with America? Secret service agent Gordon Craigie faces a powerful madman with a devastating scheme for global murder, in this gripping novel that blends international intrigue and criminal detection.

Another in the classic series filled with mystery, murder, and British espionage from the Edgar Award-winning author.Some parts of the secret service are more secret than others, and Department Z is among them. Now, its founder, Gordon Craigie; top agent Loftus; and their compatriots must face a mysterious international organization that has suddenly gained power and infiltrated the governments of several key global powers. It already has branches operating in at least seven countries and is believed to be responsible for past catastrophic events, including an assassination and a civil war--and is planting the seeds of anarchy once again.Working together with some foreign allies, they intend to unearth the mystery of "The Ring"--but their cooperation may not be enough to prevent calamity . . .

A tale of murder and international intrigue from the multimillion-selling, award-winning author.Looking forward to a relaxing afternoon away from the trials of Department Z, Bob Kerr eagerly awaits the arrival of fellow agent Lois Dacre. He is temporarily amused by the sight of a passerby oddly dressed in an enormous fur coat on an exceptionally warm day. Then, interrupted by a call from Agent Craigie, Kerr is alerted to new developments in the principality of Vallena. Kerr cuts the call short to answer a knock at his door. And the visitor is the man in the fur coat--who has arrived from Vallena . . .The information the man relays to Kerr is life threatening. There is a hit out on his own life--and Kerr is next on the list. As the assassinations in Vallena mount, British officials are put in the line of fire. Agent Kerr and Department Z must work swiftly and tirelessly in order to topple a criminal organization before another life is lost . . .

Three men meet on the outskirts of London to hatch a plan to steal the wealth of a nation in this thriller by an Edgar Award-winning author.They are three ordinary-seeming men--one fat, one tall, one thin. But their goal is anything but ordinary, and they have no regard for the chaos and horror that will be unleashed in the process. Once their plan is put into action, the death toll will rise and rise . . .It is up to Department Z's Gordon Craigie to put a stop to these powerful and ruthless men. His only clue is a mysterious diamond-shaped card. It is on this small lead that the fate of Department Z--the ace detectives within British intelligence--hinges. But with the life of Craigie's top agent Toby Arran now on the line, this one clue may not be enough.

A Portland activist ventures into rural militia country to face a threat from his past in this crime thriller by the author of the Kaspar Brothers series. Greg Simmons is an idealist. From his home in Portland, he's a major proponent of the Cascadia independence movement. All of which makes him an unlikely informant for the FBI. But when the Bureau calls on Greg to investigate a dangerous militia group in rural Oregon, he knows exactly why: his old friend Donny Wilkie is likely involved. Greg and Donny have been estranged for years. But if Donny's involved in something dangerous, Greg intends to pursue the threat on his own--because he needs to make sure Donny never unearths the dark secrets they buried years ago. In the remote town of Pineburg, Greg is a fish out of water. As he grapples with dangers both old and new, he and Donny must come to a new understanding . . . or face the deadly truth of their shared past.

Brothers divided by WWII reunite on a mission of justice in the chaos of early Cold War Europe in this historical espionage thriller. Occupied Munich, 1946: Irina, a Cossack refugee, confesses to murdering a GI, but American captain Harry Kaspar doesn't buy it. As Harry scours the devastated city for the truth, it leads him to his long-lost German brother, Max, who returned to Hitler's Germany before the war. Max has a questionable past, and he needs Harry for the cause that could redeem him: rescuing Irina's stranded clan of Cossacks. Disowned by the Allies, they are now being hunted by Soviet death squads--the cold-blooded upshot of a callous postwar policy. As a harsh winter brews and the Cold War looms, Harry and Max embark on a desperate rescue mission along the German-Czech border. As a mysterious figure shadows them, everyone is suspect--even those who have pledged to help. But before the Kaspar brothers can save the innocent victims of peace, grave secrets threaten to damn them all.

A German actor conscripted into WWII will play the role of his life as he makes a daring escape in this espionage thriller inspired by true events. When the SS orders banned entertainer Max Kaspar to impersonate a US officer during the Battle of the Bulge, Max devises his own secret mission to escape the war and flee to America. With his career in Germany over, this plan is his big break--and his last chance. But Max's mission is doomed from the start. Trapped between the lines in the freezing Ardennes Forest, he must summon all of his acting talents and newfound courage to evade perilous traps laid by both sides. Inspired by a real-life 1944 operation, this gripping wartime thriller is the first book in the Kaspar Brothers series.

An American captain in post-WWII Germany must stop a criminal conspiracy by his fellow officers in this historical thriller by the author of The Losing Role. Germany, May, 1945. With the war just over, Capt. Harry Kaspar is about to take a new posting in the US occupation--running a Bavarian town named Heimgau. When Harry loses the command to a rival, he'll do almost anything to win the job back. Then Harry discovers a horrific scene: three German men tortured and murdered. Solving the crime could teach the locals about American justice--and help him reclaim his posting. But as Harry's quest for the killer leads him back to American officers, he uncovers a criminal network plundering the war-torn land for all its worth. Now, for justice to mean anything at all, Harry must fight back.

The murder of a San Francisco sex worker puts a female detective on the trail of a geopolitical conspiracy against America in this international thriller.What begins as the simple murder of a sex worker becomes so much more as Insp. Kate Dawson follows the clues to a human trafficking ring which specifically targets Asian women. But as the G-20 Summit in San Francisco draws closer, Kate realizes that the stakes are much higher than she could have imagined. The disappearance of five Asian women appears to be connected to the schemes of a mad North Korean general. With a nuclear submarine deployed into American waters, he’s planning to bring about economic chaos across the West. As world leaders and economists converge on the annual summit, Kate must prevent terror from breaking out at the G-20.

A San Francisco detective must stop a deadly conspiracy from terrorizing the city through the subway system.When a BART car arrives at its destination with twenty-four dead passengers, detective Kate Dawson must find out who is responsible. Her investigation takes her from the treacherous back streets of Chinatown to a luxurious chateau nestled in the Northern California hills. But nothing in this case is what it first appears.Pitted against a young rival in the department who covets her job, Kate must face a brother and sister duo of illegal arms dealers and a deadly underground organization known as Task Force Red. And when a runaway train loaded with deadly toxin speeds toward game one of the World Series, it’s up to Kate to protect the crowds gathered at the stadium . . . where the President of the United States is scheduled to throw the first pitch.

When a woman dies under mysterious circumstances aboard Air Force One, a San Francisco detective uncovers presidential conspiracies and cover-ups.When Insp. Kate Dawson is called in the wee hours of the morning, she had no idea what would be waiting for her on the tarmac of San Francisco International Airport. Air Force One landed with a corpse in the lavatory, and everyone on board is a suspect—including Madame President, the First Man, and a slew of reporters and other presidential personnel.The female victim was engaging in kinky foreplay at the time of her death. Did her penchant for limited oxygen simply go too far? Or did someone take advantage of her compromised position and finish her off? Kate’s highly sensitive investigation is about to uncover international politics, conspiracies, affairs, and cover-ups—all involving the First Family.

A San Francisco detective puts her life on the line to stop a doomsday cult from stoking the fires of Armageddon in this tense thriller.When Det. Kate Dawson is called to investigate a mass murder, she has no idea how grim and disturbing the situation truly is. The charismatic leader of End Times Ministries has ordered his followers to put their own children to death. Many of the followers willingly complied, believing it to be part of God’s plan. As the Chosen Ones, they are destined to inherit the Earth. And the time has come for them to prepare for a holy war.With murderous fanatics hell-bent on starting Armageddon, Kate knows she must find the diabolical mastermind behind their horrifying crusade. But as San Francisco descends into violent chaos, and the Doomsday clock ticks closer to midnight, it may be too late to stop an apocalyptic plot already in motion.

In this small-town mystery, a retired teacher moves to the Ozark mountains, where her eager manner ruffles some feathers--and unearths dark secrets. Retired schoolteacher Caroline Hudson has moved to Hickory Bend, Missouri, to embrace small-town life. But her eagerness to join the community only rouses the suspicions of longtime residents. Luckily, her friend Terry needs help fixing up the old Hunter's Mill. Caroline is thrilled to learn about her new home through this historic building--especially when she discovers some fascinating documents hidden in the attic. These documents reveal family secrets of prejudice, pride, murder, and mayhem--just the kind of story that piques Caroline's curiosity! But some residents would prefer to keep the unpleasantness buried in the past. When someone launches a cover-up as shocking and foolhardy as the original crime, it could bring a permanent end to Caroline's new career in sleuthing . . .

The debut novel in a "riveting" Prohibition-era crime series "for readers who follow Kelli Stanley's Miranda Corbie series or Reed Farrel Coleman's Moe Prager books" (Library Journal). On the streets of Prohibition-era New York, Jersey Leo is one of a kind. A biracial albino known as "Snowball," he makes his living as a bartender at a mob-run speakeasy. Abandoned by his White mother and frowned upon by his Black father, a former boxing champ, Jersey's about to discover why he was always warned against working at a dive bar owned by one of New York's most notorious gangsters. Duped into purchasing counterfeit moonshine, or "sugar pop moon," with his boss's money, Jersey must go undercover to track down the bootlegger who took him in--before his boss does him in. The clues lead him to Philadelphia, where his attempt to lure out the cheat nearly gets him killed. With a price on his head, Jersey seeks help from the only man he can trust, his father. But as Jersey and his dad delve into the origins of the mysterious sugar pop moon, stunning secrets about Jersey's past come to light--truths that could pave the way to a very different future for Jersey. . . . "Funny, poignant, and thrilling. A terrific read!" --Kevin Baker, bestselling author of Dreamland, Paradise Alley, and Strivers Row "Harsh as a slug of 190-proof moonshine." --Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times-bestselling author of A City of Broken Glass "Authentic period, savvy style, and memorable characters." --Kelli Stanley, award-winning author of City of Dragonsand City of Secrets "Sure to appeal to fans of Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler, and . . . Robert Fate's edgy Baby Shark series." --Booklist

The latest sequel in the Prohibition-Era crime series is "hard-boiled enough to remind readers of Hammett and Chandler," featuring the biracial bartender up against a corrupt cop (Kirkus Reviews). Jersey Leo knows what it means to be the underdog. After all, he's the guy known on the streets as "Snowball," a biracial albino working the bar at Philadelphia's Ink Well, a Prohibition joint serving up moonshine to a mostly Black clientele. So when death row inmate Aaron Garvey calls to ask for one last favor, Jersey can't say no. Aaron may be a convicted cop-killer, but he's also the childhood friend who stood up to Jersey's bullies. As a Black kid with the kind of colorless features only the mother who abandoned him could love, Jersey had a lot of enemies. And the numbers keep growing, though this time it's crooked cops looking to break Jersey's legs--or worse--after Aaron springs himself from prison just moments after he and Jersey share his last meal. But that doesn't stop Jersey from hiding the escaped convict while he uncovers the real story about what happened that night Aaron pulled the trigger. Even Jersey's father, a former boxing champ, is on his side this time, along with Jersey's childhood crush, Myra Banks. With his dad in his corner and a good-looking dame on his arm, will Jersey uncover the truth before it's too late? "Compelling. . . . Florio has an unerring feel for the era and people, and we believe in these characters. Readers will cheer for Leo, a tough guy with a heart of hurt." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Hits a comfortable niche between hard-boiled and breezy." --The Philadelphia Inquirer

A Union Army captain is tasked with finding a turncoat before more blood is spilled—both on and off the battlefield—in this vivid historical mystery.   Tennessee, Autumn 1863: The Confederate Army, after being defeated at Vicksburg, has rallied to a victory at Chickamauga. General Grant is on his way to aid the besieged Northern forces—but a highly placed spy is getting in the way of that mission.   One officer has already been murdered to protect the traitor’s identity, and if the spy isn’t rooted out soon it may be the end for the Army of the Ohio. Grant recruits Cpt. Alphonso Clay for the job, but Clay’s work is complicated by a woman with her own nefarious agenda—and a little-known secret society . . .   “I can’t wait to read the next Alphonso Clay book.” —RP Dahlke, author of the Dead Red Mysteries

As Sherman moves toward Atlanta, an agent searches for traitors among the troops in this compelling Civil War thriller . . . When Sherman’s army hits a wall of resistance at Kennesaw Mountain in the summer of 1864—despite what seemed to be highly reliable intelligence—he’s convinced by one of the Union nurses to call in Maj. Alphonso Clay to hunt for a saboteur. With his scout Ambrose Bierce badly wounded and a general murdered in the midst of battle, he summons Clay, who soon joins him on his march through Georgia.  But as Clay investigates the situation—and tries to prevent any further unwelcome surprises from the Confederates—it becomes apparent that there may be more than one person betraying the Union . . . “I can’t wait to read the next Alphonso Clay book.” —RP Dahlke, author of the Dead Red Mysteries

A man investigating treason is assassinated, and the case must be solved by a “brilliant and haunted Southerner” working for the Union Army (RP Dahlke, author of the Dead Red Mysteries).  Cpt. Alphonso Clay had been summoned to meet John Brown—not that John Brown, but a former Boston detective recruited by Abe Lincoln to put his skills to work in the war effort. Brown has now ferreted out treachery among powerful military figures . . . but he’s killed before he can meet with Clay.   Now Clay’s only hope is to decipher Brown’s cryptic notes and follow his deductive instincts to solve the murder, unmask the traitors, and ensure the Union’s victory at Vicksburg . . .

Amid the tensions of Reconstruction, a Civil War veteran and presidential agent hunts down violent threats and secretive hidden enemies . . .   The Civil War ended four years ago—but that doesn’t mean that peace rules the land. Confederate veterans have formed a secret organization, the Ku Klux Klan, to fight what they perceive as unjust oppression, violently attacking former slaves and attempting to sabotage the government’s authority in the South. To address the danger they pose, President Ulysses S. Grant turns to his most trusted agent: Maj. Alphonso Brutus Clay.   The goal is to end the mayhem without sparking a renewal of hostilities and plunging the nation into bloodshed again. With the help of a friend, Ambrose Bierce, and the fierce Teresa Duval, Clay must confront a corrupt cabal intent on controlling this still-fragile Union—a threat to not only the United States but the world.   “I can’t wait to read the next Alphonso Clay book.” —RP Dahlke, author of the Dead Red Mysteries

The Civil War has ended—but the killing isn’t over—in this intriguing historical murder mystery: “I can’t wait to read the next Alphonso Clay book.” —RP Dahlke, author of the Dead Red Mysteries   April 1865: The Civil War is all but over after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, but there are those who don’t want the killing to end. Abraham Lincoln’s assassin is still in hiding—but more violence is planned in a conspiracy to destroy the country once and for all.   With the nation and countless civilian lives at stake, Col. Alphonso Clay, a master of intrigue and detection who has served General Grant with honor, is assigned to the case by the secretary of state. With the help of a beautiful agent, he is about to travel into the destructive heart of a secretive cult older than the United States itself . . .

The Civil War comes to an end as the South--and the hopes of freedpeople--buckle under Reconstruction in this "powerful saga of ongoing strife" (Midwest Book Review). A 2021 American Fiction Awards Finalist With the Civil War finally over, Durksen Hurst sets off for Turkle, Mississippi, hoping to reclaim his deserted plantation DarkHorse. With his fiancée Antoinette, the two surviving freedmen who fought beside him, and a Rebel orphan at his side, he slowly makes his way through a decimated South. What they find in Turkle isn't a warm welcome . . . The chains of slavery have been replaced by the chains of law. Black Codes are being strictly enforced. Any former slave is considered a vagrant unless they are under an annual labor contract. And Turkle has fallen under the harsh rule of plantation owner Colonel Rutherford, who wields gun clubs as weapons to terrorize Black folks. As Durk and Antoinette struggle to protect themselves and their loved ones, Devereau French makes a daring escape from prison after two years of incarceration by the Union army. Still driven by the ghost of a strict, unloving mother, French sets out for Turkle, an all-consuming lust for vengeance against Durk and Antoinette far from slaked. Surviving the war was hard enough, now Durk only hopes he can survive the peace . . . "This is a character-driven novel, and their interactions are exceptional. In this entertaining read, the reader can feel the pain and share the grief of the characters. Tension builds until the final page." --Historical Novel Society

First in an epic trilogy that begins in the antebellum South, where a swindler and a group of runaway slaves fight against an evil plantation owner's legacy. 1859. When his latest business venture goes bust, Durksen Hurst finds himself on the run from a mob--and in the last place he ever wanted to be: Turkle, Mississippi. In the thirty years since Hurst had been there, a lot has changed. The only plantation that has survived is the one owned by the French family. Missus Marie Brussard French runs her dominion with a strong hand and an iron will, never giving her son, Devereau, the authority and independence he so desperately craves. And now their power faces its greatest threat . . . Hurst has pitched a new scheme to a group of runaway slaves he encountered. He'll make them freedmen and partners on the plantation he's dreamed of building. All Hurst has to do is pull two deadly swindles: get a Chickasaw chief to sign over the land, and convince a government agent to transform the document into a deed. But the Frenches have their own secrets to hide--and don't need a rival landowner threatening their hold on the town. The appearance of a beautiful and mysterious woman only adds fuel to the fire. And as rumors of a civil war swirl throughout the South, the fight between Hurst and the Frenches turns into a battle neither can afford to lose . . . "The action and drama are compelling from the first page to the exciting conclusion." --Historical Novel Society

As the Civil War rages, a man and his regiment of former slaves risk their lives for freedom in the second novel from the author of The Lies That Bind. 2017 Missouri Writers Guild Historical Fiction Award Winner After fleeing Mississippi and the destruction of DarkHorse plantation, Durksen Hurst, his fiancée, Antoinette, and a band of freed slaves have reached the North, where they are plunged into a gale-force storm of violence and retribution. On the Missouri-Kansas border, neighbor has turned against neighbor as bushwhackers wreak havoc across the land. Desperately wanting to fight to free their people, Durk's Black comrades urge him to try to form a cavalry regiment. Never one to back down from a challenge--and always one to skirt the law--Durk succeeds. Following their every move is Devereau French, thirsting for revenge after what happened in Mississippi. Meeting up with Confederate guerilla leader William Quantrill, French convinces him to raid Lawrence, Kansas, where Durk and his men are training. The plan works better than expected: After the bloody massacre, Durk and Antoinette are arrested as suspected spies. To save themselves from the hangman's noose, Durk must pull every trick he can think of--and some he could never have imagined . . . "A pulse-pounding journey of desperate men and women caught up in the merciless forces of hatred and fear that tear worlds apart, and the healing power of friendship to bring them together." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A simply riveting read . . . will leave enthralled readers looking eagerly toward the concluding volume Something in Madness." --Midwest Book Review

"Filled with religious fanaticism, deception, manipulation, blackmail, coercion . . . equal in intensity and depth to any Dan Brown novel." --The Book Review Crew David Greenberg may own an antiquities gallery in St. Louis, but he's no stranger to the sketchier side of the tracks filled with scam artists and gamblers. His sophisticated worldview comes in handy when he hears from an old love for the first time in twenty years. Miriam Solomon had run off to Israel with Greenberg's best friend, but now she needs the antiquities dealer's help. Said best friend, her husband, committed suicide, but beforehand, instructed her to recover an artifact: the last surviving nail from Jesus's cross. The quest piques Greenberg's curiosity as rumors of Jesus's return to Earth have started to spread. With nothing much to lose, Greenberg agrees to help--and is immediately thrust into a world of kidnapping, assassination, and smarmy televangelists. With a burly bodyguard known as God's Left Tackle at his side, Greenberg heads to Israel and uncovers an international conspiracy--a toxic cocktail of cutting-edge science, human achievement, and greed. The Second Coming just may be Greenberg's last hurrah. "History, science and mystery-lovers alike will devour Ed Protzel's The Antiquities Dealer. It's a globetrotting thrill ride with a unique cast of characters who navigate intense action sequences, confounding puzzles and supremely high stakes." --Rob Samborn, author of The Prisoner of Paradise "[A] deep story of religion, evolution, and sci-fi. There is no gentle lead-in, we dive straight into the story at the start and we're off and running on a journey to find what seems to be impossible." --Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers' Favorite (5 Stars)

A saga following three generations of CIA officers from an author who has "considerable skill with espionage fiction" (Publishers Weekly). John Dancer, idealistic founding father of the CIA, was the inside man for the Allies during the Russian Revolution. His more cynical son, Allen, carried on the tradition during World War II, eavesdropping on the Kremlin. And his grandson, Jessie, did the company's work in Vietnam--until he chose to challenge his harrowing heritage . . . Praise for Dan Sherman's thrillers "Carefully simmered and intriguingly populated." --Kirkus Reviews on Swann "An artfully constructed and most satisfying read." --Publishers Weekly on The Traitor "A fast-moving espionage story. . . . Sherman keeps the action taut." --The New York Times Book Review

In this gripping novel, a man in despair stumbles upon the secrets of his Japanese father's World War II experiences, and the past that shaped his family. Robert Takahashi sits in the empty attic of his mother's old home in Hawaii, a home he has to sell to cover financial losses from her nursing home care--and his own massive gambling debts. Once his affairs are in order, he can proceed to the next step: suicide. His wife is done with him anyway. His daughters--well, he's nothing but an embarrassment to them. Robert barely remembers his father and knows little about his parents' past. But a manuscript he's just found--left under an eave and contained in a dusty box along with ten medals from the US military--will enlighten him about many things. As he reads his father's words, he discovers a story of a Japanese boy born in Hawaii, a life uprooted by internment, and a young Nisei's harrowing quest to prove his patriotism by serving with the renowned 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He also learns about a long-ago forbidden love--and how prejudice can derail a life--in this sweeping tale of family, war, and two generations of men battling powerful forces both externally and within themselves.

A haunted, heroin-addicted Vietnam vet's new PI gig might turn his life around--or end it: "[Hurst] is crazy as a loon, funny as hell, and deadly serious." --Sterling Watson, author of Night Letter Jackson Hurst is not in a good place. The only thing that eases the pain is the heroin he's been addicted to since his time in Vietnam--and it's already cost him his job and his girlfriend. The downward spiral is only going to continue unless something changes. Then he's given an opportunity by his aunt Camille, a Vermont millionaire who wants to hire Jackson to rescue her twenty-year-old daughter from kidnappers. Camille will spare no expense to get Cheryl back--she also wants the kidnappers dead. And Jackson desperately needs the money. The question is whether he can stay clean long enough to do the job--and more importantly, whether he can bring himself to kill again . . . From the award-winning author of Nisei and other novels, this is both a gritty detective story and a portrait of one down-and-out man's quest for redemption in 1970s America.

A suburban housewife’s world blows up when her husband is accused of espionage in this thriller by the author of the Sam Lagarde mysteries.In Washington, DC, FBI agent Clay Turnbull’s peaceful lunch in the park ends with a storm of agents. The news reports say he is arrested for spying for the Russians, while Turnbull believes it is connected to his investigation of an international drug cartel. Unfortunately, his life is cut short before he can share the truth . . .The assassins who take out Turnbull are a powerful bunch, with a reach that extends all the way to the White House and its senior personnel. Turnbull’s discovered their enterprise may be in danger, and now they must do whatever it takes to protect the highest levels of their democracy. With the CIA, FBI, and NSA technology at their fingertips, no one will be safe. Especially not Turnbull’s wife and teenage daughter. They should run . . .“No End of Bad is another page-turner that kept me up late and made me get up early until I read the last word. Fite is a pro at weaving an intricate plot that makes you gasp time and again.” —Jeanie Loiacono, literary agent