81 short stories of criminal adventures by as many authors.

More than 160 short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors. This volume will introduce you to horror, mystery, fantasy and thrills, from the dark worlds of Lovecraft to the cutting-edge suspense of the mean streets of the cities of the world. This monster collection speaks in the voices of some of today's leading masters of the short story, with something certain to appeal to every reader. Find a new creative voice to follow. Find a new world to love. An amazing wealth of fiction and imagination. Included in Corruption at the Crossroad: 12+1: Twelve Short Thrillers And A Play — Raymond Benson The Devil Made Me Do It Again And Again — Paul Dale Anderson Seeing Red — David J. Schow Bedbugs — Rick Hautala Destinations Unknown — Gary Braunbeck The Call Of Distant Shores — David Niall Wilson Falling Idols — Brian Hodge In The End, Only Darkness — Monica J O'Rourke 13: A Collection Of Horror And Weird Fiction — Michael Boatman Vapors: The Essential G. Wayne Miller Fiction, Vol. 2 — G. Wayne Miller Scars And Other Distinguishing Marks — Richard Christian Matheson

A collection of extraordinary riveting and thought provoking stories from Edgar and Anthony award nominee Patricia Abbott that explore the dark side of human behavior. A daughter finds a way to save a mother who no longer knows her name. A father eases his grief through an act of kindness that few will judge kindly. A savvy realtor closes her deal in an unexpected way. Asociety of women fares little better than their forbearers. An uxorious husband finds the limits of his love. These and more stories will bring you into the deepest, darkest corridors of the heart, leaving you breathless with suspense and in awe of the incredible storytelling ability of Patricia Abbott.

Tender-hearted, tough-minded (and occasionally foul-mouthed) girls take center stage in suspenseful tales that are also touching, haunting, and darkly funny. From modern cities and the middle of nowhere--even a place that never existed--come stories about female entrepreneurs, housewives, mothers, daughters, addicts, strivers, wanderers, conquerors, runaways, and women in collision. Whatever you think upon hearing the phrase Girl Trouble, this spectacularly varied e-collection of short crime fiction from Criminal Element delivers. The Malfeasance Occasional: Girl Trouble contains 14 crime stories: "Follow Us on Facebook and Twitter" by Eric Cline, "Mad Women" by Patricia Abbott, "The Wentworth Letter" by Jeff Soloway, "The Barnacle" by Hilary Davidson, "My Brother's Keeper" by Charles Drees, "The Third Echo" by Sam Wiebe, "Magda" by Cathi Stoler, "Crow's Lesson" by Robert Lopresti, "Her Haunted House" by Brendan DuBois, "Girl of Great Price" by Milo JamesFowler, "Benign" by Caroline J. Orvis, "Them Old Blues" by Ken Leonard, "Incident on the 405" by Travis Richardson, and "Birds of Paradise" by Chuck Wendig.

From a host of bestselling and award-winning authors come the stories from the darkest corners of their imaginations featuring one of the most abhorrent acts of mankind; cannibalism! Throughout history, human beings have feasted on human flesh. Whether it was to survive starvation or to horrify their enemies or to satisfy their own deranged urges, people have eaten other people for centuries. Skin & Bones features stories by Patricia Abbott, Charles Ardai, Lawrence Block, Joe Clifford, Angel Luis Colón, Bill Crider, Glenn Gray, Tim Hall, Rob Hart, Tess Makovesky, Terrence McCauley, Marietta Miles, Richie Narvaez, Stuart Neville, Thomas Pluck, Ryan Sayles, S.A. Solomon, Jason Starr, Liam Sweeny, Dave Zeltserman, and Dana C. Kabel.

Thirteen beautifully wrought tales of crime, passion, and people on the brink of disaster Marybeth met Jamie at the Horn & Whistle, a neighborhood pub warm enough to keep out the chill on a bleak January day. Over a pint of stout, he won her heart with bad jokes and cynical Irish charm. Two years later, she loves him more than ever, but she can see that he’s bracing for a fall. When everything collapses, when Jamie’s job disappears and the house is foreclosed on and Marybeth feels death creeping into her bones, it’s up to her to save them both—even if it means doing something that will tear them apart forever. “Stray,” along with the twelve additional short stories in this exquisite collection, showcases author David Corbett’s unparalleled ability to build a life in just a few pages, and then shatter it in a single sentence. From the first confession to the thirteenth, these stories cut deep—and show no mercy.