Mystery Writers of America Presents Vengeance Read online

  Michael Connelly’s latest novels are The Fifth Witness, featuring Mickey Haller, and The Drop, with LAPD detective Harry Bosch. His books have been translated into thirty-five languages and have won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38-Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), Premio Bancarella Award (Italy), and the Pepe Carvalho Award (Spain). Michael was the president of the Mystery Writers of America organization in 2003 and 2004 and edited both the MWA anthology The Blue Religion and the Edgar Allan Poe anthology In the Shadow of the Master. He lives with his family in Florida.

  Mike Cooper is the pen name of a former financial executive. Under a different name, his short stories have received wide recognition, including a Shamus Award and inclusion in The Best American Mystery Stories. His new novel, Clawback, has just been published by Viking. Mike lives outside Boston with his family. Visit his website at www.mikecooperbooks.com.

  Brendan DuBois of New Hampshire is the award-winning author of twelve novels and more than a hundred short stories. His latest novel, Deadly Cove, was published in July 2011 by St. Martin’s Press. His short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Playboy, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century, edited by Tony Hillerman and Otto Penzler. His short stories have twice won him the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America and have also earned him three Edgar Allan Poe Award nominations from the Mystery Writers of America. Visit his website at www.BrendanDuBois.com.

  Jim Fusilli is the author of six novels; his latest, Narrows Gate, is a gangster epic set in the first half of the twentieth century in the Italian-American community of a gritty waterfront city in the shadow of Manhattan. A resident of New York City, Jim is also the rock and pop critic of the Wall Street Journal. His book Pet Sounds, described as “an experiment in music journalism,” is his tribute to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys’ classic album.

  Michelle Gagnon is the author of The Tunnels, Boneyard, The Gatekeeper, and Kidnap & Ransom. Her bestselling thrillers have been published in North America, France, Spain, Argentina, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Australia. In 2012, she will release two young-adult novels: Don’t Turn Around, under the HarperCollins Teen imprint, and Strangelets, with Soho Crime. She lives in San Francisco, California.

  Darrell James is a fiction writer with residences in both Pasadena and Tucson. His short stories have appeared in numerous mystery magazines and book anthologies and have garnered a number of awards and honors, including finalist for the 2009 Derringer Awards. His first novel, Nazareth Child, was published in September 2011 by Midnight Ink/Llewellyn Worldwide Publishing. His personal odyssey to publication appears in the Writer’s Digest book How I Got Published, along with essays by J. A. Jance, David Morrell, Clive Cussler, and many other notable authors.

  Janice Law is a novelist who frequently commits short mystery stories. Her first novel, “The Big Payoff,” was nominated for an Edgar, and her stories have been reprinted in The Best American Mystery Stories, The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories, Alfred Hitchcock’s Fifty Years of Crime and Suspense, Riptide, Still Waters, and the fabulist anthology ParaSpheres.

  C. E. Lawrence is the byline of a New York-based suspense writer, performer, composer, poet, and prize-winning playwright whose previous books have been praised as “lively” (Publishers Weekly); “constantly absorbing” (starred Kirkus Review); and “superbly crafted prose” (Boston Herald). Silent Screams, Silent Victim, and Silent Kills are the first three books in her Lee Campbell thriller series. Her other work is published under the name of Carole Bugge. Her first Sherlock Holmes novel, The Star of India, has recently been released in England by Titan Publishing. Visit her website at celawrence.com.

  Dennis Lehane grew up in the Dorchester section of Boston. Since his first novel, A Drink Before the War, won the Shamus Award, he has published, with William Morrow, eight more novels that have been translated into more than thirty languages and become international bestsellers: Darkness, Take My Hand; Sacred; Gone Baby Gone; Prayers for Rain; Mystic River; Shutter Island; The Given Day; and Moonlight Mile. Mystic River, Shutter Island, and Gone Baby Gone have been made into award-winning films. Dennis Lehane and his wife divide their time between St. Petersburg, Florida, and Boston. Visit his website at www.dennislehanebooks.com.

  Steve Liskow is a member of both Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and serves on panels for both groups. His stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and several anthologies, and his novels include Who Wrote the Book of Death?, The Whammer Jammers, and the newly released Cherry Bomb. A former English teacher, he often conducts writing workshops throughout central Connecticut, where he lives with his wife, Barbara, and two rescued cats. Visit his website at www.steveliskow.com.

  Rick McMahan is a special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The year 2012 marks his twentieth in law enforcement. Rick’s work takes him to counties across central and southeastern Kentucky, including Bell County, the area featured in “Moonshiner’s Lament.” His mystery stories have appeared in various publications, including the Mystery Writers of America anthology Death Do Us Part. He also has a story in the International Association of Crime Writers’ forthcoming collection of crime fiction from around the world.

  Adam Meyer is the author of the suspense novel The Last Domino. His short fiction has appeared in The Year’s Best Horror Stories, 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, and other anthologies. He also wrote and directed the independent feature film Two Fireflies and has written television series for Fox, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel. A native New Yorker, he now lives in Washington, DC. Visit his website at www.adsasylum.com.

  Dreda Say Mitchell is a novelist, broadcaster, journalist, and freelance education consultant who describes herself as a “complete busybody.” She is the author of five novels. Her debut novel, Running Hot, was awarded Britain’s 2005 CWA’s John Creasey Dagger for best first crime novel. She has appeared on BBC television’s Newsnight and The Review Show and has presented BBC Radio 4’s Open Book. She was the 2011 chair of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. Her commitment and passion for raising the life chances of working-class children through education has been called inspirational and life-changing. Visit her website at www.dredasaymitchell.com.

  Michael Niemann has traveled widely through Europe and southern Africa. He has published the short story “Kosi Bay” in Mysterical-E and a number of nonfiction items on global and African affairs. A native German, he now lives in southern Oregon and is busy finishing up a novel featuring Valentin Vermeulen. Visit www.michael-niemann.com.

  A Stanford graduate and former (vengeful) plaintiff’s trial lawyer, Twist Phelan writes the critically acclaimed legal-themed Pinnacle Peak mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press. Her short stories appear in anthologies and mystery magazines and have won or been nominated for the Thriller, Ellis, and Derringer awards. Twist’s current project is a suspense novel set in Santa Fe featuring a corporate spy. Visit her website at www.twistphelan.com.

  Zoë Sharp opted out of mainstream education at the age of twelve. She created her highly acclaimed ex–Special Forces–turned–bodyguard series heroine Charlie Fox after receiving death-threat letters in the course of her work as a freelance photojournalist. Sharp lives on the edge of the English Lake District, where she and her husband, a nonfiction writer, built their own house. She blogs regularly on her website, www.zoesharp.com, and on the award-nominated www.murderati.com.

  Karin Slaughter has written eleven books that have sold twenty-five million copies in thirty languages. A New York Times bestselling author, Karin’s books have debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. She li
ves in Atlanta, where she is working on her next novel.

  Orest Stelmach is the author of the thriller The Boy from Reactor 4, the first in the Tesla trilogy, and the historical mystery Lady in the Dunes, the first in a series set in 1950 Provincetown featuring Father Sean Kale. A Connecticut native, he went to kindergarten speaking only Ukrainian. He still tries to use as few words as possible. Orest and his wife divide their time between Connecticut and Cape Cod. Visit him at www.oreststelmach.com.

  Anne Swardson is an editor-at-large with Bloomberg News in Paris and a former European economic correspondent for the Washington Post. “River Secret” is her first published work of fiction. She is also the author of a mystery novel. Like “River Secret,” it is set in Paris, where Anne has lived with her husband and two children for fifteen years.

  ABOUT THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA

  The Mystery Writers of America, the premier organization for established and aspiring mystery writers, is dedicated to promoting higher regard for crime writing and recognition and respect for those who write within the genre.

  COPYRIGHTS

  “The Fourteenth Juror,” © 2012 by Alpha Blonde, LLC

  “The Mother,” © 2012 by Alafair Burke

  “The Hollywood I Remember,” © 2012 by Lee Child

  “A Fine Mist of Blood,” © 2012 by Michael Connelly

  “Leverage,” © 2012 by Mike Cooper

  “The Final Ballot,” © 2012 by Brendan DuBois

  “Blind Justice,” © 2012 by Jim Fusilli

  “It Ain’t Right,” © 2012 by Michelle Gagnon

  “Even a Blind Man,” © 2012 by Darrell James

  “The General,” © 2012 by Janice Law

  “Silent Justice” © 2012 by C. E. Lawrence

  “The Consumers,” © 2012 by Dennis Lehane

  “Hot Sugar Blues,” © 2012 by Steve Liskow

  “Moonshiner’s Lament,” © 2012 by Rick McMahan

  “Blood and Sunshine,” © 2012 by Adam Meyer

  “The Hotline,” © 2012 by Dreda Say Mitchell

  “Africa Always Needs Guns,” © 2012 by Michael Niemann

  “Lost and Found,” © 2012 by Zoë Sharp

  “The Unremarkable Heart,” © 2010 by Karin Slaughter First published in Holland as an e-book original in 2010 as “Ongezien.” Also published in the United Kingdom as an e-book in 2011. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “In Persona Christi,” © 2012 by Orest Stelmach

  “River Secret,” © 2012 by Anne Swardson

  ALSO BY LEE CHILD

  Killing Floor

  Die Trying

  Tripwire

  Running Blind

  Echo Burning

  Without Fail

  Persuader

  The Enemy

  One Shot

  The Hard Way

  Bad Luck and Trouble

  Nothing to Lose

  Gone Tomorrow

  61 Hours

  Worth Dying For

  The Affair

  ALSO FROM THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA

  The Blue Religion

  (edited by Michael Connelly)

  Death Do Us Part

  (edited by Harlan Coben)

  The Prosecution Rests

  (edited by Linda Fairstein)

  Praise for

  MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA

  Presents

  VENGEANCE

  “Stunning, shocking, and unforgettable…. Each contributor has brought his or her ‘A’ game to the proceedings, and the results will keep you reading one after the other. There is much to love here…. As always with a collection of this caliber, the question arises: Which story is best? And, as often occurs with an MWA collection of original stories, it’s tough to pick a winner…. Vengeance is a collection you will want to read, keep, and reread.”

  —Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter.com

  “A pretty impressive showing.”

  —Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

  “This is one of those rare original anthologies where the authors highlighted on the cover are the obvious attraction, but where the works of the ‘ten others’ linger in your memory as strongly as those of their famous counterparts. Whether you read the contents of Vengeance front to back, or skip back and forth, all are well worth your time. Bottom line: This is one of the strongest and most impressive original collections to appear in a long time. Add it to the list of ‘must-have’ anthologies you read this year.”

  —Alan Cranis, Bookgasm.com

  “Jam-packed with dark and violent stories by twenty-one different authors…. There aren’t any light and fluffy tales or whodunits; instead there are many encounters with nasty characters. While most of the action is set in the United States, foreign locales are deftly used. The variety of authors is excellent—a brief biographical section offers insights into other talented efforts of the individual writers…. It’s easy to make this collection of short stories last about three weeks—just limit yourself to one a day.”

  —Lansing State Journal

  “These are great reads dealing with the consequences faced by taking ‘vengeance.’ ”

  —Dave Biemann, MysteryOne.com

  “High-quality anthology…. The writing is top-notch, especially in Lehane’s ‘The Consumers’…. Brendan DuBois’s especially satisfying ‘The Final Ballot’ features an unsophisticated woman’s quest for justice when a powerful politician with national ambitions victimizes her daughter…. But Meyer delivers the biggest jaw-dropper in ‘Blood and Sunshine,’ about an evil five-year-old boy.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  Thank you for buying this e-book, published by Hachette Digital.

  To receive special offers, bonus content, and news about our latest e-books and apps, sign up for our newsletter.

  Sign Up

  Or visit us at hachettebookgroup.com/newsletters

  CONTENTS

  WELCOME

  INTRODUCTION

  THE FOURTEENTH JUROR

  LOST AND FOUND

  THE MOTHER

  BLIND JUSTICE

  THE CONSUMERS

  MOONSHINER’S LAMENT

  RIVER SECRET

  HOT SUGAR BLUES

  THE FINAL BALLOT

  AFRICA ALWAYS NEEDS GUNS

  THE UNREMARKABLE HEART

  IT AIN’T RIGHT

  SILENT JUSTICE

  EVEN A BLIND MAN

  THE GENERAL

  A FINE MIST OF BLOOD

  LEVERAGE

  THE HOTLINE

  BLOOD AND SUNSHINE

  IN PERSONA CHRISTI

  THE HOLLYWOOD I REMEMBER

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  ABOUT THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA

  ALSO BY LEE CHILD

  PRAISE FOR MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS VENGEANCE

  NEWSLETTERS

  COPYRIGHT

  Copyright

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Compilation copyright © 2012 by Mystery Writers of America, Inc.

  Introduction copyright © 2012 by Lee Child

  Cover design by Kapo Ng; cover photograph by John Foxx/Getty Images

  Cover copyright © 2013 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Mulholland Books/Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

  mulhollandbooks.com

  facebook.com/mulhollandbooks

 
; twitter.com/mulhollandbooks

  First e-book edition: April 2012

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events. To find out more, go to www.hachettespeakersbureau.com or call (866) 376-6591.

  Copyright notices for individual stories appear here.

  ISBN 978-0-316-20187-2