From New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke comes his definitive, must-read first title in his famous Dectective David Robicheaux series. New Orleans Detective Dave Robicheaux has fought too many battles: in Vietnam, with police brass, with killers and hustlers, and the bottle. Lost without his wife's love, Robicheaux haunts the intense and heady French Quarter—the place he calls home, and the place that nearly destroys him when he beomes involved in the case of a young prostitute whose body is found in a bayou. Thrust into the seedy world of drug lords and arms smugglers, Robicheaux must face down the criminal underworld and come to terms with his own bruised heart and demons to survive.

Mysteries and detective stories are among the most popular of books but the writers of such genre fiction suffer from a perception that their work is to be taken less seriously than so-called literary fiction. The novels of James Lee Burke, one of the most distinguished writers of crime novels, challenge that notion, as do the 12 essays in this collection. This work examines Burke as a writer who has expanded the mystery-detective genre with an astonishing diversity of themes, imaginative language and descriptions, and unforgettable characters. He seems unbounded by limitations of genre. An interview with Burke is included.

100 American Crime Writers features discussion and analysis of the lives of crime writers and their key works, examining the developments in American crime writing from the Golden Age to hardboiled detective fiction. This study is essential to scholars and an ideal introduction to crime fiction for anyone who enjoys this fascinating genre.

The detective figure in contemporary American crime fiction increasingly relies on revenge to bring about justice in a society where there has been a sharp decline in moral values. This study demonstrates how the notion of the detective as a moral exemplar or heroic ideal breaks down in the works of writers such as James Ellroy and Sara Paretsky.

The enormous explosion of crime fiction over the last decade means that more people are looking for a good mystery than ever before. This dictionary of fictional detectives helps readers learn about the series in which their favorite detectives are featured. Included are alphabetically arranged entries on roughly 150 fictional detectives, which provide information about the works in which the detective appears, the locales in which the detective operates, the detective's investigative methods, and other important information. Helpful bibliographical citations direct the reader to other interesting works. The volume closes with a selected, general bibliography; various appendices; and an extensive index. The enormous explosion of crime fiction over the last decade means that more people are looking for a good mystery than ever before. Many of the most popular mystery books appear in series, and these series feature carefully developed detectives.

The creative writing courses at Adelaide University have been in place for six years, and this is the third anthology to emerge from the Masters Degree course. Each year the students, many of them established writers, select a theme around which to write poetry and stories. These writers have wrapped up the very essence of Christmas with words.

In a world untouched by light lives a surviving race known as humanity. With a perpetual night blanketing their home and deadly monsters lurking in the darkness, many are losing hope for a better future. Between starving, being raided by rival clans, eaten alive by nocturnal predators, or fading into the nothingness that surrounds them at every turn, this is a world most unforgiving. But not all have given up the fight to survive and move forward despite the odds. Follow the journey of Riven Stellrock, a young scavenger of the Blacklight Clan with a penchant for making light of any situation, even those that have no light shining on them at all, and enjoying the simple things in life whenever possible. With food becoming scarce and hope swiftly dwindling, he'll have to embark on a dangerous mission to explore the darkest, deepest corners of this endless world of night to save his people. However many things could quickly bring his noble quest to a violent end. Deadly bandits, ferocious monsters, or a high-tension love triangle between him, his childhood friend, and a silent vixen that has him placed in the crossfire. Being the hero isn't always easy.