In this “utterly enchanting” Edgar and Anthony Award–winning novella, a book lover uncovers a secret world of literary wonders (Irish Times). A voracious reader, Mr. Berger leads a solitary but satisfying life. Preferring the company of books to that of people, he’s looking forward to an early retirement in the English countryside, where he can spend his remaining years nestled comfortably between the pages of classic literature. But his serene life is disrupted when he witnesses a woman with a distinctive red traveling bag fling herself before a train. If Mr. Berger isn’t mistaken, he’s just seen the climax of Anna Karenina reenacted on the Exeter-to-Plymouth railway. Though there is no body on the tracks, and the destiny of the tragic victim was written nearly a century before, Mr. Berger still longs to rescue her. The investigation leads him to the Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository, where the living breathing characters of literary invention are under the guardianship of a curious caretaker—and where, for Mr. Berger, the line between fiction and reality will blur beyond comprehension.

"Mr. Berger has spent 34 years keeping his life as empty as possible. His job title as a "Closed Accounts Registrar" doesn't spark much interest, and his cautious flirtation with a woman at his company was cut short upon her engagement to another man. This doesn't bother him, however, as he much prefers the company of books to that of people. When a series of fortunate events leads to an early retirement in the English countryside, Mr. Berger is content to spend the remainder of his years nestled comfortably between the pages of a book. But fate has other plans. His serene life is rendered strange when he witnesses a tragedy chillingly reminiscent of Anna Karenina as a woman flings herself before a train. When he rushes to the scene, she has vanished, leaving no body on the tracks. Berger's investigation into this event leads him The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository, where the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred beyond comprehension"--Front flap of dust jacket.

"Mr. Berger has spent 34 years keeping his life as empty as possible. His job title as a "Closed Accounts Registrar" doesn't spark much interest, and his cautious flirtation with a woman at his company was cut short upon her engagement to another man. This doesn't bother him, however, as he much prefers the company of books to that of people. When a series of fortunate events leads to an early retirement in the English countryside, Mr. Berger is content to spend the remainder of his years nestled comfortably between the pages of a book. But fate has other plans. His serene life is rendered strange when he witnesses a tragedy chillingly reminiscent of Anna Karenina as a woman flings herself before a train. When he rushes to the scene, she has vanished, leaving no body on the tracks. Berger's investigation into this event leads him The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository, where the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred beyond comprehension"--Front flap of dust jacket.

New York Times bestselling author John Connolly, “one of the best thriller writers we have” (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author), returns with a shivery collection of supernatural tales. Filled with eerie surprises and dark delights, Night and Day takes us from the dusty shelves of an uncanny library filled with fictional characters to a bunker deep beneath the earth where scientists seek revenge on old Nazis; from an English marsh haunted by a mother and her son to a country house where a grieving widower finds comfort from a most unlikely source. Concluding with the author’s account of how an obscure horror film brought him closer to his lost father, and how nostalgia can help to keep us sane, this is a collection that will move, entertain, and keep you reading late into the night.

In a stunning follow-up to the acclaimed In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger present a brand-new anthology of stories inspired by the Arthur Conan Doyle canon. Echoes of Sherlock Holmes puts forth the question: What happens when great writers/creators who are not known as Sherlock Holmes devotees admit to being inspired by Conan Doyle stories? While some of these talented authors are highly-regarded mystery writers, others are best known for their work in the fields of fantasy or science fiction. All of them, however, share a great admiration for Arthur Conan Doyle and his greatest creations, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Some stories tell of Holmes himself (in Victorian Baker Street or modern New York, in various guises or a different gender), while others explore various Conan Doyle characters. Although not a formal collection of new Holmes stories (though some do fit that mold), these tales are inspired by the Conan Doyle canon. The results are breathtaking—for long-time fans of Holmes and Watson, for readers new to Doyle’s writing, and for all readers who love exceptional storytelling. Featuring stories by Tasha Alexander, Cory Doctorow, Hallie Ephron, Meg Gardiner, William Kent Krueger, Jonathan Maberry, Catriona McPherson, David Morrell, Anne Perry, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and more.

From the bestselling author of the Charlie Parker mysteries—"the finest crime series currently in existence" (The Independent)—comes a new anthology of chilling short fiction. A decade after Nocturnes first terrified and delighted readers, John Connolly, bestselling author of thirteen acclaimed thrillers featuring private investigator Charlie Parker, gives us a second volume of tales of the supernatural. From stories of the monstrous for dark winter nights to fables of fantastic libraries and haunted books, from a tender account of love after death to a frank, personal, and revealing account of the author's affection for myths of ghosts and demons, this is a collection that will surprise, delight—and terrify. Night Music: Nocturnes 2 also contains two novellas: the multi-award-winning The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository and The Fractured Atlas. Night Music: Nocturnes 2 is a masterly collection to be read with the lights on—menace has never been so seductive.

Mr. Berger has spent thirty-four years keeping his life as empty as possible. His job title as a 'Closed Accounts Registrar' doesn't spark much interest, and his cautious flirtation with a woman at his company was cut short upon her engagement to another man. This doesn't bother him, however, as he much prefers the company of books to that of people. When a series of fortunate events leads to an early retirement in the English countryside, Mr. Berger is content to spend the remainder of his years nestled comfortably between the pages of a book. But fate has other plans. His serene life is rendered strange when he witnesses a tragedy chillingly reminiscent of Anna Karenina as a woman flings herself before a train. When he rushes to the scene, she has vanished, leaving no body on the tracks. Berger's investigation into this event leads him to The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository, where the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred beyond comprehension. The DEATH SENTENCE series includes: 1. THE BOOK OF VIRTUE – Ken Bruen. 2. THE BOOK OF GHOSTS – Reed Farrel Coleman. 3. THE SCROLL – Anne Perry. 4. PRONGHORNS OF THE THIRD REICH – C.J. Box. 5. DEATH LEAVES A BOOKMARK – William Link. 6. AN ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE – Jeffery Deaver. 7. BOOK CLUB – Loren D. Estleman. 8. THE BOOK THING – Laura Lippman. 9. THE LONG SONATA OF THE DEAD – Andrew Taylor. 10. THE FINAL TESTAMENT – Peter Blauner. 11. RIDES A STRANGER – David Bell. 12. WHAT'S IN A NAME – Thomas H. Cook. 13. IT'S IN THE BOOK – Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins. 14. REMAINDERED – Peter Lovesey. 15. MYSTERY, INC. – Joyce Carol Oates. 16. THE COMPENDIUM OF SREM – F. Paul Wilson. 17. THE GOSPEL OF SHEBA – Lyndsay Faye. 18. THE SEQUEL – R. L. Stine. 19. FROM THE QUEEN – Carolyn Hart. 20. THE BOOK OF THE LION – Thomas Perry. 21. THE LITTLE MEN – Megan Abbott. 22. THE NATURE OF MY INHERITANCE – Bradford Morrow. 23. CITADEL – Stephen Hunter. 24. EVERY SEVEN YEARS – Denise Mina. 26. THE TRAVELLING COMPANION – Ian Rankin. 27. CONDOR IN THE STACKS – James Grady. 28. THE HAZE – James W. Hall. 29. THE PRETTY LITTLE BOX – Charles Todd. 30. SEVEN YEARS – Peter Robinson. 31. RECONCILIATION DAY – Christopher Fowler. 32. DEAD DAMES DON'T SING – John Harvey. 33. HOODOO HARRY – Joe R. Lansdale. 34. THE LAST HONEST HORSE THIEF – Michael Koryta. 35. THE HEMINGWAY VALISE – Robert Olen Butler. 36. THE CAXTON PRIVATE LENDING LIBRARY & BOOK DEPOSITORY – John Connolly.