Brad Parks

A judge's children are abducted to influence his ruling in a drug case to be tried in his court.

Say Nothing

From international bestselling author Brad Parks comes an emotional, heart-pounding thriller that explores the scientific unknown--and one woman's efforts to save her husband from its consequences. Quantum physicist Matt Bronik is suffering from strange, violent seizures that medical science seems powerless to explain--much to the consternation of his wife, Brigid. Matt doesn't think these fits could be related to his research, which he has always described as benign and esoteric. That, it turns out, is not quite true: Matt has been prodding the mysteries of the quantum universe, with terrible repercussions for his health. And perhaps even for humanity as a whole. Then, in the midst of another seizure, Matt disappears. When foul play is feared, there is no shortage of suspects. Matt's research had gained the attention of Chinese competitors, an unscrupulous billionaire, and the Department of Defense, among others. With Matt's life in clear danger, Brigid sets out to find him. Will Matt be killed before she reaches him, or could the physics that endangered him actually be used to save his life?

Interference

Brad Parks delivers a riveting, emotionally powerful stand-alone domestic suspense thriller perfect for fans of The Couple Next Door and What She Knew. Disaster is always closer than you know. It was a lesson Melanie Barrick learned the hard way growing up in the constant upheaval of foster care. But now that she's survived into adulthood--with a loving husband, a steady job, and a beautiful baby boy named Alex--she thought that turmoil was behind her. Until one Tuesday evening when she goes to pick up Alex from childcare only to discover he's been removed by Social Services. And no one will say why. It's a terrifying scenario for any parent, but doubly so for Melanie, who knows the unintended horrors of what everyone coldly calls "the system." Her nightmare grows worse when she arrives home to learn her house has been raided by sheriff's deputies, who have found enough cocaine to send Melanie to prison for years. The evidence against her is overwhelming, and if Melanie can't prove her innocence, she'll lose Alex forever. Meanwhile, assistant commonwealth's attorney Amy Kaye--who has been assigned Melanie's case--has her own troubles. She's been dogged by a cold case no one wants her to pursue: a serial rapist who has avoided detection by wearing a mask and whispering his commands. Over the years, he has victimized dozens of women. Including Melanie. Yet now her attacker might be the key to her salvation... or her undoing.

Closer Than You Know

From international bestselling author Brad Parks comes a new thriller about an ordinary man who may be able to save the world as we know it--but to do so, he must make an impossible choice. Nate Lovejoy is a self-proclaimed nobody, a stay-at-home dad who doesn't believe he's important to anyone but his wife and their two daughters. So it's a shock when members of a powerful secret society kidnap and spirit Nate away to a mansion at the behest of their leader, Vanslow DeGange, who claims to know the future. He's foreseen that a billion people could die--unless Nate acts. It seems improbable, especially given what DeGange says will set this mass casualty incident in motion: a lawsuit against the biggest power company in Virginia, being brought by Nate's wife, Jenny. Nate quickly smells a scam being perpetrated by the power company. But at every turn, it becomes apparent there's more to DeGange's gift than Nate wants to acknowledge. A billion people really could die, and Nate might be the only one who can save them. All he has to do is the unthinkable.

Unthinkable

Award-winning author Brad Parks delivers "a perfect piece of entertainment" (Steve Berry), a deliciously tense novel of thrills, twists, and deceit that will keep readers riveted. Struggling stage actor Tommy Jump knows he has to stop chasing applause and start chasing greenbacks. But then he's offered the role of a lifetime: $150,000 for a six-month acting gig. With a newly pregnant fiancée depending on him, it's an opportunity he can't refuse, even though the offer comes from the strangest employer imaginable: the FBI. The feds won a small victory when they arrested Mitchell Dupree, a banker who has spent the past four years laundering money for New Colima, one of the deadliest cartels in Mexico and a major supplier of crystal meth in the US. But Dupree has documents that could lead to arrests of high-ranking members of New Colima, including their fearsome leader, El Vio . . . if only he'd tell the FBI where they are. Using a false name and backstory, Tommy will enter Dupree's low-security prison as a felon and get close to the banker in the hopes that he'll reveal the documents' whereabouts. But when Tommy arrives, he quickly realizes that he's underestimated the enormity of his task and the terrifying reach of the cartel. Because the FBI isn't the only one looking for the documents, and if Tommy doesn't play his role to perfection, it just may be his last act.

The Last Act

Four bodies, each with a single bullet wound in the back of the head, stacked like cordwood in a weed-choked vacant lot: That’s the front-page news facing Carter Ross, investigative reporter with the Newark Eagle-Examiner. Immediately dispatched to the scene, Carter learns that the four victims—an exotic dancer, a drug dealer, a hustler, and a mama’s boy—came from different parts of the city and didn’t seem to know one another. The police, eager to calm jittery residents, leak a theory that the murders are revenge for a bar stickup, and Carter’s paper, hungry for a scoop, hastily prints it. Carter doesn’t come from the streets, but he understands a thing or two about Newark’s neighborhoods. And he knows there are no quick answers when dealing with a crime like this. Determined to uncover the true story, he enlists the aide of Tina Thompson, the paper’s smoking-hot city editor, to run interference at the office; Tommy Hernandez, the paper’s gay Cuban intern, to help him with legwork on the streets; and Tynesha Dales, a local stripper, to take him to Newark’s underside. It turns out that the four victims have one connection after all, and this knowledge will put Carter on the path of one very ambitious killer. Faces of the Gone won the Shamus Award for Best First Novel and the Nero Award for Best American Mystery--it is the first book to receive both awards. The book was named to lists of the year's best mystery debuts by the Chicago Sun-Times and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

A Mystery

Faces of the Gone

a mystery

The girl next door

Eyes of the Innocent

“Outstanding—starts with a bang and gets tenser and tenser. Say Nothing shows Parks is a quality writer at the top of his form.”—Lee Child “Terrific book. Truly terrific. Tension throughout and tears at the end.”—Sue Grafton Judge Scott Sampson doesn’t brag about having a perfect life, but the evidence is clear: A prestigious job. A loving marriage. A pair of healthy children. Then a phone call begins every parent’s most chilling nightmare. Scott’s six-year-old twins, Sam and Emma, have been taken. The judge must rule exactly as instructed in a drug case he is about to hear. If he refuses, the consequences for the children will be dire. For Scott and his wife, Alison, the kidnapper’s call is only the beginning of a twisting, gut-churning ordeal of blackmail, deceit, and terror. Through it all, they will stop at nothing to get their children back, no matter the cost to themselves...or to each other. “Complications and twists build to an unexpected climax that is both perfect and gut-wrenching.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Grips the reader from the get-go and doesn’t let up until the final twist.”—Associated Press

A Novel

Investigating an outbreak of a bizarre and occasionally fatal disease in a Newark neighborhood, investigative reporter Carter Ross contracts the illness himself before discovering mob ties to a local construction project. By the Shamus Award-winning author of The Good Cop. 30,000 first printing.

The Player

"A rash of carjackings terrorizing Newark become newsworthy when one such theft ends in the murder of a wealthy banking executive. The affable, wisecracking Ross is assigned the story, but he's weary of only writing about victims of crime who happen to be rich and white. To balance his reporting, he finds a Nigerian immigrant of more modest means who was also killed during a recent carjacking. When it turns out the two victims knew each other, sharing an unexplained round of golf at a tony country club shortly before their deaths, Carter is plunged onto the trail of a deadly band of car thieves that includes a sociopathic ex-convict"--

A Carter Ross Mystery

The Fraud

Nicht ein Wort

Shamus and Nero award-winning author Brad Parks takes readers back to the beginning of investigative reporter Carter Ross's career with this intriguing prequel short story. Only 24 years old and still a wide-eyed reporter for a tiny backwater newspaper, Ross is getting his crack at the big leagues with an interview at New Jersey's largest paper, The Eagle-Examiner. If—that is—he nails the interview and the on-the-spot writing test. Ross has never had a problem spinning a story, but provided with notes he didn't take and quotes he didn't hear it feels flat, and he's not so sure about his chances. So when a car crashes into a building in a nearby town and Carter overhears the assignments editor complaining that there's no one left in the building whom she can send out to cover the story, Carter jumps at the chance and quickly finds himself dangerously close to being in over his head in "The Nightgown," another stellar addition to Brad Parks's acclaimed mystery series.

A Carter Ross Story

The Nightgown

Never before has killing someone benefitted such a good cause... In 2014, Crimespree Magazine held an internet-based flash fiction contest. The rules were simple: somewhere in the story you had to "Kill Dan Malmon." That was it. The story had to be brief, inventive, and somewhere, Malmon had to die. Now, thanks to Down & Out Books, those original stories, plus a few more, are being collected into one volume with all proceeds going to the MS Society. If you hate MS as much as we do, and if your feelings towards Dan Malmon are rather ambivalent anyway, then this is the volume for you. Featuring stories by Hector Acosta, Eric Beetner, Dana Cameron, Sarah M. Chen, Matthew Clemens, Angel Luis Colon, Hilary Davidson, Cory Funk, Danny Gardner, Paul J. Garth, Rob Hart, Ed Kurtz, S.W. Lauden, Russel D. McLean, Jeff Macfee, Erin Mitchell, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Brad Parks, Thomas Pluck, Bryon Quertermous, Todd Robinson, Alex Segura, Jeff Shelby, Nathan Singer, Josh Stallings, Jay Stringer, R.D. Sullivan, Bryan VanMeter, Holly West and Dave White. Praise for KILLING MALMON: "I've never quite understood why people keep killing off Malmon. But they make a good case. Several cases. Many, many cases-for a good cause! Killing Malmon for fun and non-profit!" -Lori Rader-Day, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of The Day I Died "You can't spell marvelously grisly and a funky good time without K-I-L-L-I-N-G M-A-L-M-O-N. Do yourself a favor and dive in." -Shaun Harris, author of The Hemingway Thief "Look, I like Dan Malmon, so I feel kinda guilty enjoying the hell out of his many untimely demises. But this collection, which features some of the best crime writers on the planet, is a gonzo pulp confection that hits your system like a sugar high and leaves you smiling the whole way through." -Chris Holm, Anthony Award-winning author of The Killing Kind and Red Right Hand "Your mom is going to hate this." -Kristi Belcamino, author of the Gabriella Giovanni thriller series "Killing Malmon is an incredibly satisfying crime fiction sampler. Read it. I guarantee you'll leave with at least three new writers to check out (plus an inexplicable desire to protect and nurture Dan Malmon)." -Jess Lourey, TEDx presenter and Anthony- and Lefty-nominated author of the Witch Hunt thrillers and the Murder by Month mysteries "Come for the death of Dan Malmon, stay for the super-group of authors letting it all hang out, dropping tasty cut after tasty cut of pure noir." -Matthew FitzSimmons, author of the Gibson Vaughn series "Killing Malmon is like Murder on the Orient Express except (spoilers!) it's not by Agatha Christie, or on a train, or on its way to the Orient. Still, there's something wonderful and sweet watching thirty talented mystery writers line up to shoot, strangle, poison, dismember, and otherwise spell the demise of the one of the genuinely nicest guys in the business. If you're into that kind of thing like I am, read Killing Malmon." -Matthew Iden, author of the Marty Singer mystery series and The Winter Over "Life sure is hard for you." -Judy Malmon, Dan's mom "I love these stories!" -Diane Hackbarth, Kate's mom

Killing Malmon

In the coming years, China will confront a series of decisions about how to engage with three different groups: (1) citizens in the countries where it is implementing BRI projects; (2) leaders of the same countries; and (3) donors and lenders outside of China. These decisions will shape the ultimate outcomes that are achieved via BRI. In this essay, I will introduce the big decisions that lie ahead and the considerations that ought to be weighed by those who set strategy and make policy in Beijing.

What Key Decisions Lie Ahead

Chinese Leadership and the Future of BRI

Andrew Grant

Marcus Sakey

Megan Abbott

Greg Rucka

Gary Phillips

Hilary Davidson

Kat Richardson

Reed Farrel Coleman

Tom Schreck

Jeri Westerson

Chris F. Holm

Dana Cameron

Zoë Sharp

Sean Doolittle

J.M. Edwards

Ted Hertel, Jr.

Nathan Banks

Bryan VanMeter

Since 2005, Murder & Mayhem in Muskego has welcomed and hosted over 150 authors a thousands of fans of crime fiction to the Milwaukee area. Just in time for the 8th annual benefit, a short story anthology featuring bestselling, Edgar and Shamus award-winning writers who have attended the day-long convention has been created. The collection is edited by Jon and Ruth Jordan. Contributors include: Megan Abbott, Dana Cameron, Reed Farrel Coleman, Hilary Davidson, Sean Doolittle, J.M. Edwards, Andrew Grant, Ted Hertel, Jr., Chris F. Holm, Brad Parks, Gary Phillips, Kat Richardson, Greg Rucka, Marcus Sakey, Tom Schreck and Nathan Banks, Zoë Sharp, Bryan VanMeter and Jeri Westerson. All profits from sales of this anthology will benefit the Murder & Mayhem in Milwaukee crime festival.

Murder and Mayhem in Muskego

Los hechos más horribles comienzan de la forma más sencilla... Un thriller judicial repleto de suspense, giros sorprendentes, tensión y drama para los fans de John Grisham. Por el único autor que ha recibido los premios Shamus, Nero y Lefty. Seleccionado como uno de los mejores thrillers de 2017 por Library Journal y Kirkus. El juez Sampson no presume de una vida perfecta, pero la realidad lo confirma: tiene un trabajo de prestigio y una familia a la que ama. No ha fallado una sola vez a la cita semanal con sus gemelos, el día de Piscina con Papá, hasta que cierto miércoles recibe un mensaje de su mujer, Alison, en el que le comunica que ella recogerá a los niños. Sin embargo, cuando Sampson llega a casa descubre que sus hijos no están con su madre y que no ha sido ella quien le ha enviado el mensaje. En ese momento el teléfono suena y comienza la pesadilla de cualquier padre: los han raptado. Si el juez no sigue ciertas instrucciones y no falla a favor en un caso que lleva, las consecuencias serán terribles. ** No digas nada ha sido seleccionado como uno de los mejores thrillers de 2017 por Library Journal y Kirkus. Críticas: «Inquietantemente verosímil y siempre sorprendente, la trama nos recuerda de forma irremediable a John Grisham en sus mejores momentos.» «Top Choice: Thriller of the Month», The Sunday Times «El thriller judicial de Brad Parks despega con una fuerza inusitada y nos sumerge de inmediato en la historia.» Booklist «Estamos ante una buena trama, y Parks consigue sacar lo mejor de ella. Las últimas páginas son emocionantes, sorprendentes y muy emotivas. ¿Cómo de emotivas? Me hizo llorar, y cuando leo algo así no me suele ocurrir. Brad Parks ha subido enel escalafón como autor.» The Washington Post «Escrita en clave de thriller judicial, esta novela contrarreloj es tanto un relato sobre las dinámicas familiares como sobre el comportamiento criminal y las salas de los juzgados. La vieja idea del libro adictivo ha quedado superada con esta historia, escrita con tanto poder y habilidad que no querrás dejarla ni durante las horas de oficina.» The Daily Mail «Parks distribuye con sabiduría los giros a lo largo de esta novela; te pondrá los pelos de punta hasta que no puedas más y, cuando llegue el desgarrador final, agradecerás que haya acabado.» Kirkus «Brad Parks, ganador del Premio Shamus, retrata en este fantástico thriller a una familia bajo un estrés intenso. Los lectores no podrán parar de leer hasta descubrir qué ha ocurrido.» Publishers Weekly «Parks hace un trabajo excelente, consigue trasladar a los padres sus peores temores y al mismo tiempo nos habla del conflicto matrimonial y la desconfianza que emerge en mitad de una crisis. Las complicaciones y los giros convergen en un clímax inesperado pero perfecto. No te quedes callado, díselo a tus amigos.» Library Journal «Su perfecta construcción argumental, su narrativa fluida y su brillante elenco convierten No digas nada en un libro altamente recomendable.» Revista Kritica En los blogs... «Un thriller de los que dejan huella, con un final emocionante y ante el que vas a quedarte sin palabras.» Blog Me gustan los libros «Una historia espectacular donde el tema judicial está conseguido y atrae al lector por el misterio que destila, y consigue su propósito: entretenernos y quedarnos absortos.» Blog El templo de la lectura «Sus personajes, su evolución y los giros inesperados hacen de esta novela una obra de culto.» Blog La petita librería

No digas nada

Reading his own newspaper's obituaries, veteran reporter Carter Ross comes across that of a woman named Nancy Marino, who was the victim of a hit-and-run while she was on the job delivering copies of that very paper, the Eagle-Examiner. Struck by the opportunity to write a heroic piece about an everyday woman killed too young, he heads to her wake to gather tributes and anecdotes. It's the last place Ross expects to find controversy--which is exactly what happens when one of Nancy's sisters convinces him that the accident might not have been accidental at all. It turns out that the kind and generous Nancy may have made a few enemies, starting with her boss at the diner where she was a part-time waitress, and even including the publisher of the Eagle-Examiner. Carter's investigation of this seemingly simple story soon has him in big trouble with his full-time editor and sometime girlfriend, Tina Thompson, not to mention the rest of his bosses at the paper, but he can't let it go--the story is just too good, and it keeps getting better. But will his nose for trouble finally take him too far? Brad Parks's smart-mouthed, quick-witted reporter returns in The Girl Next Door--another action-packed entry in his award-winning series, written with an unforgettable mix of humor and suspense.

Albert E. Hall

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