Nick Kolakowski

Beach Bodies

Tom Deady

Glenn Rolfe

We're All a Little Different

Monsters

Until the End

Bill is a conman with a taste for high-end cars, beautiful suits, and top-shelf liquor. But he's getting tired of the cons he needs to maintain that lifestyle-and he's sick of the violence that's sometimes part of the job. Bill's girlfriend Fiona doesn't have a problem with violence, though. She'll crush anyone who stands in her way-and some days, it seems like the whole world wants a piece of her. She loves Bill, but she's tired of cleaning up after him. When Bill decides to "borrow" a couple million from one of New York City's most vicious gangs and flee for the tropics, it puts their relationship to the test-and while they're working out their issues, they'll also need to fend off crooked cops, dimwitted bouncers, and an irate assassin in the midst of the world's weirdest midlife crisis. "Love & Bullets" is the story of a 21st century Bonnie & Clyde, a wisecracking duo who'll blast their way from Brooklyn to Cuba and back in order to stay alive. It's a wild ride. Praise for Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition "Nick Kolakowski takes us on another incredibly visceral and vivacious ride among the lowlife and the lovers that populate his unique imagination. Love and Bullets is vintage Nick . Funny, fast paced and just tinged with just enough darkness to make you afraid for his characters. Not to be missed!" -S.A. Cosby NYT's best selling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland "This one's for die-hard Kolakowski fans" -Publishers Weekly "Dark, bleak and in-your-face, take-no-prisoners prose, everything you want in crime fiction." -Frank Bill, author of Donnybrook and Crimes in Southern Indiana

Megabomb Edition

Love & Bullets

Somebody's Trying to Kill Me, and Other Stories

Steve Weddle

A mysterious virus sweeps across the country, mutating rapidly as it jumps from person to person. Cities are locked down. The skies are clear as all planes are grounded. Some people panic, while some go to heroic lengths to save those they love--and others use the chaos as an opportunity to engage in purest evil. In "Lockdown," 19 of today's finest suspense, horror, and crime writers explore how humanity reacts to the ultimate pandemic. From New York City to the Mexican border, from the Deep South to the misty shores of Seattle, their characters are fighting for survival against incredible odds. An anthology for our time, showing how the worst crises can lead to the best of us. Proceeds from LOCKDOWN will go to support BINC, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, as it seeks to help booksellers recover from the devastating COVID-19 crisis. Contributors to LOCKDOWN include: Hector Acosta Scott Adlerberg Ann Dávila Cardinal V. Castro Angel Luis Colon Jen Conley Terri Lynn Coop S.A. Cosby Alex DiFrancesco Michelle Garza/Melissa Lason Rob Hart Gabino Iglesias Nick Kolakowski Richie Narvaez Cina Pelayo Renee Asher Pickup Eryk Pruitt Johnny Shaw Steve Weddle

Lockdown

Bill is a hustler's hustler with a taste for the high life. He pulls off big scores for one of New York City's more vicious gangs...until he suddenly grows a conscience. However, living the clean life takes a whole lot of money, and so Bill decides to steal a fortune from his employer before skipping town. With a bag of cash in the trunk of his car, Bill heads west, ready for a new life. But all that money makes him a tempting target for some bad people he meets on the road-and if that wasn't dangerous enough, some old friends are close behind him, and they intend to make a trophy of his head. Pursued by crooked cops, dimwitted bouncers, and a wisecracking assassin in the midst of a midlife crisis, Bill will need to be a quick study in the way of the gun if he wants to survive his own getaway. Who knew that an honest attempt at redemption could rack up a body count like this? A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps is a gonzo noir journey into obsession, violence, and the power of love.

A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps

Main Bad Guy by Nick Kolakowski caps a series described as "a Tarantino movie in prose" (Sons of Spade) and "deliciously deranged" (Raven Crime Reads).

Main Bad Guy

Joshua Viola

Michael Bailey

David Niall Wilson

Chad Lutzke

Ben Monroe

Brennan LaFaro

Villimey Mist

Amanda J. Spedding

Taylor Rae

Sean Eads

P. L. McMillan

Antonia Rachel Ward

Damascus Mincemeyer

Jonathan Kemmerer-Scovner

Craig E. Sawyer

Lana Elizabeth Gabris

Joel McKay

E. J. Sidle

Wen Wen Yang

Blood in the Soil, Terror on the Wind is an anthology of splatter-western stories, written by some of the hottest new voices in the indie horror scene. Edited by Kenneth Cain, and introduced by Ronald Kelly, these tales are sure to thrill [and terrify] the reader. And that's no lie, pardner!

Blood in the Soil, Terror on the Wind

Bill Fitzhugh

Kat Richardson

Jonathan Brown

Sarah M. Chen

Frank Zafiro

Colin Conway

Sam Wiebe

Brian Thornton

Scott Kikkawa

Debbie Mack

Jim Winter

A 509 Crime Anthology

A Bag of Dick's

Aaron Sigmond

For some, nothing is as pleasurable as the smell and taste of a great cigar. For them, Playboy The Book of Cigars will be the next best thing to lighting up. Whether you want to learn the ?ner points of cutters, cutting, or humidors, or want to understand more about how ?ne tobacco is grown and ?ne cigars rolled, it’s all here for you. Learn why Cuban cigars are so sought-after, what ?ne cigars from the Dominican Republic and Honduras have to offer, and whether cigars from Cameroon and the Canary Islands are worth your time. With a foreword by artist and bon vivant LeRoy Neiman and an afterword by award-winning actor Joe Mantegna, there is more than a touch of the good life here. Sprinkled with photographs from around the world, enlivened by sexy Playboy beauties, and featuring illustrated images of celebrities by Risko, there has never been a cigar book offering more of the good life than Playboy The Book of Cigars. It’s the perfect book to keep next to your humidor.

Playboy The Book of Cigars

Bill and Fiona, the lovable anti-heroes of the “Love & Bullets” trilogy, find themselves in the toughest of tough spots: badly wounded, hunted by assorted cops and goons, and desperately in need of a drink (or five). After a round-the-world tour of spectacular criminality, Bill and Fiona find themselves back in New York. But it’s not exactly home-sweet-home: Locked in a panic room on the top floor of a skyscraper, surrounded by pretty much everyone in three zip codes who wants to kill them, they’ll need to figure out how to stay upright and breathing… and maybe deal out a little payback in the process. Can they survive? Even better, can they make a profit off all this? Main Bad Guy caps a series described as “a Tarantino movie in prose” (Sons of Spade) and “deliciously deranged” (Raven Crime Reads). Praise for MAIN BAD GUY: “It’s no surprise that Nick Kolakowski brought the heat with his latest novel Main Bad Guy. The surprise is that you won’t know which landed harder: His stripped-down, hard-boiled prose, the explosive dialogue, or the wickedly insane and diabolical humor. Grab hold of this one with both hands and hold on tight.” —Eryk Pruitt, author of Townies and What We Reckon

Jay Stringer

Steve Cavanagh

Lori Rader-Day

Laura McHugh

Alex Segura

John Rector

Michael Kardos

Lili Wright

Andrew Case

Jon McGoran

Dana King

James R. Tuck

David James Keaton

Chris Holm

Josh Stallings

James W. Ziskin

Terry Shames

Bill Crider

E.A. Aymar

Kris Calvin

Scott Loring Sanders

Dave White

The Anthony-nominated collection of crime stories without guns—the collection we didn't want to be necessary—is back for Volume 2. Two dozen more crime writers have come together to raise their voices and take pen in hand to call for a sensible and reasoned debate about guns in America. As the mass shootings continue, the avoidable accidents, the suicides, the gun violence that consumes our country rolls on unabated and unaddressed by our leadership other than to say, “Now is not the time to discuss it,” these crime writers have chosen to start the dialogue. In stories of crime, mystery and suspense these authors have left the guns out to show for a short while that we can do without them and the plot doesn’t fall apart. Maybe, in a small way, we can show that the American way of life doesn’t cease to be, either. Not anti-gun, Unloaded Vol. 2 is pro-reason. These authors comprise gun owners and non-owners, voters on both sides of the political aisle. The cause that unites us all is the desire to see the senseless killing stop and to be able to have the discussion without the divisive language, vitriol and name calling that too often accompanies this debate. The top priority in these stories is to entertain with thrilling action and suspense that readers know and love about a crime story. To do so without guns leads to some creative leaps from writers who spin tales of simians on the loose, androids with buried secrets, punk rock shows and tattoo shops. Bestselling authors like Chris Holm, Lori Rader-Day, Bill Crider, Laura McHugh, James Ziskin and John Rector along with many more join together to call for an end to the needless violence and a start to a reasoned debate. With a forward by legendary Sara Paretsky, Unloaded Vol. 2 is a book we wish wasn’t needed. But staying silent is no longer an option. Proceeds go to the non-profit States United To Prevent Gun Violence. Praise for UNLOADED VOLUME 2: “[A collection of] entertaining and often thought-provoking stories.” —Publishers Weekly

More Crime Writers Writing Without Guns

Unloaded Volume 2

The United States has collapsed. Bandits stalk the highways, preying on the weak and unaware. In order to transport goods between heavily fortified cities, companies hire convoy escorts. Maxine is the best of these new road warriors: tough, smart, and unbelievably fast. But she also has a secret: She’s the niece of New York’s most notorious outlaw, a man hunted by what’s left of the nation’s law enforcement. Maxine wants to live a normal, upstanding life. But a bad incident on the road leaves her mauled, penniless…and fired. If she wants to survive, she’s going to need to embrace her outlaw roots—and carry off the biggest heist that the post-apocalypse has ever seen. It’s a journey that will take her through obstacle after obstacle to the edge of death itself—and beyond. Maxine Unleashes Doomsday smashes the gritty frenzy of Mad Max: Fury Road with the top-notch suspense of a crime saga like Heat. It’s a brutal thriller that offers a terrifying glimpse of our future. Praise for MAXINE UNLEASHES DOOMSDAY: “Take one of Richard Stark’s Parker novels and throw it in the blender with DVDs of Mad Max and The Warriors. Guess what? You just broke your blender. Find solace in this book, which is what you should have done in the first place.” —Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse and New Yorked “Maxine Unleashes Doomsday rolls in with bang-up premise and keeps on punching. This is a trip into the far future and then the near future, where the oceans have swallowed up the coasts, the United States has fractured, and people like Maxine are left in the dust. But Maxine is tough and she's got no patience for any crap and she will survive...one way or another. Filled with a terrific carnival cast of characters, cracker-jack scenes, and Kolakowski's witty prose, Maxine Unleashes Doomsday is a fantastic read and definitely well worth your time.” —Jen Conley, author of Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry and Cannibals: Stories from the Edge of the Pine Barrens “Loaded with savvy world-building, memorable characters and precise, sharp plotting, I devoured Nick Kolakowski’s latest. The post-apocalyptic and wonderfully bonkers Maxine Unleashes Doomsday will keep you turning pages at a breakneck pace.” —Alex Segura, author of Blackout and Dangerous Ends “I don’t know which is more terrifying: how wildly inventive this book is, or how close this fractured world is to ours. In Maxine, Kolakowski gives us the hero we need for the apocalypse we deserve.” —Nik Korpon, author of Wear Your Home Like a Scar and Old Ghosts

Maxine Unleashes Doomsday

A mysterious virus sweeps across the country, mutating rapidly as it jumps from person to person. Cities are locked down. The skies are clear as all planes are grounded. Some people panic, while some go to heroic lengths to save those they love—and others use the chaos as an opportunity to engage in purest evil. In “Lockdown,” 19 of today’s finest suspense, horror, and crime writers explore how humanity reacts to the ultimate pandemic. From New York City to the Mexican border, from the Deep South to the misty shores of Seattle, their characters are fighting for survival against incredible odds. An anthology for our time, showing how the worst crises can lead to the best of us. Proceeds from LOCKDOWN will go to support BINC, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, as it seeks to help booksellers recover from the devastating COVID-19 crisis. Hector Acosta Scott Adlerberg Ann Dávila Cardinal V. Castro Angel Luis Colon Jen Conley Terri Lynn Coop S.A. Cosby Alex DiFrancesco Michelle Garza/Melissa Lason Rob Hart Gabino Iglesias Nick Kolakowski Richie Narvaez Cina Pelayo Renee Asher Pickup Eryk Pruitt Johnny Shaw Steve Weddle

Stories of Crime, Terror, and Hope During a Pandemic

Bill is a hustler’s hustler with a taste for the high life. He pulls off big scores for one of New York City’s more vicious gangs…until he suddenly grows a conscience. However, living the clean life takes a whole lot of money, and so Bill decides to steal a fortune from his employer before skipping town. With a bag of cash in the trunk of his car, Bill heads west, ready for a new life. But all that money makes him a tempting target for some bad people he meets on the road—and if that wasn’t dangerous enough, some old friends are close behind him, and they intend to make a trophy of his head. Pursued by crooked cops, dimwitted bouncers, and a wisecracking assassin in the midst of a midlife crisis, Bill will need to be a quick study in the way of the gun if he wants to survive his own getaway. Who knew that an honest attempt at redemption could rack up a body count like this? A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps is a gonzo noir journey into obsession, violence, and the power of love. Praise for A BRUTAL BUNCH OF HEARTBROKEN SAPS: “Dark, bleak and in-your-face, take-no-prisoners prose, everything you want in crime fiction.” —Frank Bill, author of Donnybrook and Crimes in Southern Indiana. “Kolakowski’s got a gift of scratching his readers’ itch for pulpy, gut-wrenching narrative that moves a mile a minute and never lets you go. A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps is a hell of a yarn that sets the stage for what should be an essential series for fans of the genre.” —Angel Luis Colón, author of No Happy Endings and The Fury of Blacky Jaguar. “Ruthless, off-the-wall and surprisingly heartfelt, A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps is much more than a heist book, and showcases the skills of an emerging writer in Nick Kolakowski. Featuring memorable characters, a down-on-his-luck protagonist and a story that’s equal parts insane and sincere, Saps is the kind of book you read fast and revisit immediately to savor the experience again.” —Alex Segura, acclaimed author of Dangerous Ends and Down the Dark Street. “A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps is a hell of a ride. Put on the Elvis tunes, or your best glittery suit, and enjoy Bill's escape from the boys in New York. He's trying to ditch his life of crime but it's pretty hard to do when you have a bunch of stolen money in your trunk and a band of people on your tail. Maybe a woman could save Bill's body and soul, and all that money? Whatever the outcome, Kolakowski's fabulous writing shines and the twists and turns will keep you reading to the very last page. A wonderful, entertaining read.” —Jen Conley, author of Cannibals: Stories from the Edge of the Pine Barrens.

When you want someone found, you call bounty hunter Jake Halligan. He’s smart, tough, and best of all, careful on the job. But none of those skills seem to help him when a shadowy group starts taking his life apart piece by piece. First Jake comes home to find a dead body in his gun safe. He thinks it’s a warning—and when you drag people back to jail for a living, the list of people who want to send that kind of message is very long indeed. With backup from his sister Frankie, an arms dealer and dapper criminal, Jake plunges into the Idaho underworld, confronting everyone from brutal Aryan assassins to cops who want his whole family in jail. But as Jake soon discovers, those threats are small-time compared to the group that’s really after him. And nothing—not bounty hunting, not even all his years in Iraq—can prepare him for what’s coming next. Jake’s about to become a player in the most dangerous game ever invented… Boise Longpig Hunting Club is a wild ride into the dark heart of the American dream, where even the most brutal desires can be fulfilled for a price, and nobody is safe from the rich and powerful. Praise for BOISE LONGPIG HUNTING CLUB: “Nick Kolakowski spins a ripping pulp yarn of smart-ass bounty hunters and bad-ass crime queenpins caught in the Jean-Claude Van God-Damnedest take on The Most Dangerous Game since Hard Target, but with no bad accents.” —Thomas Pluck, author of Bad Boy Boogie and Blade of Dishonor “Bounty hunters, a Monkey Man and Zombie Bill, explosions, sharp violence and even laughs. Kolakowski brings the goods with this one!” —Dave White, Shamus Award-nominated author of the Jackson Donne series “A bounty hunter, his underworld criminal sister, and a dead body stuffed in a gun safe. What could possibly go wrong? In Boise Longpig Hunting Club, Nick Kolakowski unleashes a sordid and delightfully twisted tale of double crosses, revenge, and good ol’ redneck justice. Like the bastard child of Joe Lansdale and James Lee Burke, this one is well worth the sleepless night you’ll spend captivated.” —Joe Clifford, author of the Jay Porter thriller series and The One That Got Away

Boise Longpig Hunting Club

The fiery sequel to Boise Longpig Hunting Club is here… Three nights ago, Jake Halligan and his ultra-lethal sister Frankie were kidnapped by a sadistic billionaire with a vendetta against their family. That billionaire offered them a terrible deal: Spend the next 24 hours in the backwoods of Idaho, hunted by rich men with the latest in lethal weaponry. If Jake and Frankie survived, they’d go free; otherwise, nobody would ever find their bodies. Jake and Frankie managed to escape that terrible game, but their problems are just beginning. They’re broke, on the run, and hunted by every cop between Oregon and Montana. If they’re going to make it through, they may need to strike a devil’s bargain—and carry out a seemingly impossible crime. Rattlesnake Rodeo is a neo-Western noir filled with incredible twists. If you want true justice against the greedy and powerful, sometimes you have no choice but to rely on the worst people… Praise for RATTLESNAKE RODEO: “Nick Kolakowski is known for his insightful essays on complex social issues and controversies within the world of crime fiction but, for those unfamiliar with his fiction, Rattlesnake Rodeo (and its fantastic predecessor, Boise Longpig Hunting Club) are terrific starting points. At turns ruthless and intimate, but always with a touch of humor, Rodeo takes readers on a violent, memorable journey through the new American West and the dark violence plaguing his characters’ souls.” —E.A. Aymar, author of The Unrepentant

Rattlesnake Rodeo

A Capacious and Quintessential Guide Maxims: #1: Carry a Scholarly Book (at All Times) #12: Know Your Manet from Your Monet #14: Be Proficient in at Least One Classical Instrument #64: Learn to Recite Romantic-Era Poetry on Cue If you think you need a PhD in Greek and Roman philosophy from an Ivy League school to call yourself an intellectual, reconsider your supposition. While you may envy the initials that follow distinguished names of professors and the intellectual elite, it's not the mortar board and scholarly robes you need—it's the obscure esoterica. In this primer, you'll learn to walk the talk of the intelligentsia, leaving simpletons and pseudo-intellectuals in your dust. Inside How to Become an Intellectual, you will find the prodigious truths every self-respecting learned person lives by. This code of scholarly behavior allows aspiring high-brows like yourself to educate their unfortunate lessers, amaze their Mensa friends, and impress their fellow wise people—one distinguished bon mot at a time!

100 Mandatory Maxims to Metamorphose into the Most Learned of Thinkers

How to Become an Intellectual

S. A. Cosby

Patrick Cooper

William Soldan

Nick Manzolillo

Aaron Fox-Lerner

Mike McCrary

Andrew Paul

Kyle Summerall

Dale Phillips

James Queally

Blair Kroeber

THIS IS IT!!! The final publication from the award-winning, trailblazing, ass-kicking THUGLIT magazine. And we are going out with a bang, people. TWELVE all new stories of crime to blow your faces off like a mistimed quarter-stick of dynamite. We are sure as shit not going quietly into that dark night, Thugketeers.Oh no. We are going out with a BANG!A BAD DAY IN BOAT REPO by Nick KolakowskiWHAT'S A JIM HAT? by Nick ManzolilloTHE MISSING PIECE by Aaron Fox-LernerSEPARATE CHECKS by Mike McCraryTHE LAST LIVING THING by Andrew PaulFLIP THE RECORD by Patrick CooperJUKE by Kyle SummerallFOREVER AMBER by Dale T. PhillipsALL THINGS COME AROUND by William SoldanPROWL by James QueallyTULARE by Blair KroeberSLANT SIX by S.A. Cosby

Thuglit: LAST WRITES

Nick Kolakowski

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