It was supposed to be only a temporary job--something to pay the bills until Dusty could get his feet back on the ground and raise enough money for medical school. After all, there's nothing wrong with being a bellboy at a respectable hotel like the Manton--that is, until "she" came along.
Marcia Hillis. The perfect woman. Beautiful. Experienced. Older and wiser. The only woman to ever measure up to that "other" her--the one whose painful rejection Dusty can't quite put from his mind.
But while Dusty has designs on Marcia, Marcia has an agenda of her own. One that threatens to pull the Manton inside-out, use Dusty up for all he's worth and leave him reeling and on the run, the whole world at his heels.
A richly-imagined crime narrative of the Oedipal and betrayal, A SWELL-LOOKING BABE is Thompson at his very best--a cornerstone in Thompson's enduring legacy as the Dimestore Dostoyevsky of American fiction.

Together at last. Under the pseudonym Richard Stark, Donald E. Westlake, one of the greats of crime fiction, wrote twenty-four fast-paced, hard-boiled novels featuring Parker, a shrewd career criminal with a talent for heists and a code all his own. With the publication of the last four Parker novels Westlake wrote--Breakout, Nobody Runs Forever, Ask the Parrot, and Dirty Money--the University of Chicago Press pulls the ultimate score: for the first time ever, the entire Parker series will be available from a single publisher. Nobody Runs Forever opens a three-part saga with a job at a poker game that sours into a necktie party. When Parker goes in on a messy scam--stealing an armored car--with someone he barely knows, as usual the amateurs get in the way of the job. Featuring new forewords by Chris Holm, Duane Swierczynski, and Laura Lippman--celebrated crime writers, all--these masterworks of noir are the capstone to an extraordinary literary run that will leave you craving more. Written over the course of fifty years, the Parker novels are pure artistry, adrenaline, and logic both brutal and brilliant. Join Parker on his jobs and read them all again or for the first time. But don't talk to the law.

Together at last. Under the pseudonym Richard Stark, Donald E. Westlake, one of the greats of crime fiction, wrote twenty-four fast-paced, hard-boiled novels featuring Parker, a shrewd career criminal with a talent for heists and a code all his own. With the publication of the last four Parker novels Westlake wrote--Breakout, Nobody Runs Forever, Ask the Parrot, and Dirty Money--the University of Chicago Press pulls the ultimate score: for the first time ever, the entire Parker series will be available from a single publisher. In Ask the Parrot, Parker's back on the run, dodging dogs, cops, and even a helicopter. Forced to work with a small-town recluse and a group of fools at a gun club in rural Massachusetts, Parker focuses on getting the cash and getting out. It'll be a deadly day at the races. Featuring new forewords by Chris Holm, Duane Swierczynski, and Laura Lippman--celebrated crime writers, all--these masterworks of noir are the capstone to an extraordinary literary run that will leave you craving more. Written over the course of fifty years, the Parker novels are pure artistry, adrenaline, and logic both brutal and brilliant. Join Parker on his jobs and read them all again or for the first time. But don't talk to the law.

"CATCH AND KILL" BY DUANE SWIERCZYNSKIA nationwide tragedy took away Luke and Joanne Collins' son, and now they roam the country in search of those they feel were responsible for his death. Their goal is simple: catch and kill."SAVE THE CHEERLEADER, DESTROY THE WORLD" BY KEITH R. A. DECANDIDOWhen she jumped off a Ferris wheel in Central Park and survived, Claire Bennet changed the world. Now "Evos" - Evolved Humans - are exposed. In this story we discover what happened to Claire after that fateful moment."A LONG WAY FROM HOME" BY KEVIN J. ANDERSON AND PETER J. WACKSA group of Evolved Humans use their abilities to plan an escape from a detention center for people with very unusual powers.THREE BRAND-NEW NOVELLAS BASED ON NBC'S WORLD-WIDE HIT TV SERIES HEROES, AND THE EPIC EVENT SERIES HEROES REBORN.

Marnie Young, an executive assistant in San Diego, is a sweet girl who wouldn't hurt a fly. She's also super lonely. But one night, without warning, Marnie has a violent seizure; co-workers recoil in horror as she writhes on the floor. Two days later, Marnie wakes up in a hospital room. As her vision comes into focus, she sees 17 doctors and nurses dead on the floor, blood splattered everywhere. Soon she discovers the shocking truth: Marnie has become lethal, and everyone who comes within three feet of her dies instantly! Which is really going to mess up her dating life (if she had one). Is there a cure? Will anyone ever get close enough to find out?

A mild-mannered consultant is reluctantly forced into a race against the clock as he attempts to thwart a terrorist plot, in this gritty, countdown crime thriller set in modern-day Philadelphia.

During an angry confrontation at two-bit motel, mild-mannered consultant Joe Hayward is thrown headfirst into the middle of a frightening terrorist plot to bring Philadelphia to its knees. With only two hours to thwart the attack, Joe is going to need all the help he can get... including that of his wife's paramour!

Three generations - torn apart by one bullet. Philadelphia 1965: Two street cops - one black, one white - are gunned down in a robbery gone wrong. The killer is never prosecuted. One of the fallen officers, Stanislaw Walczak, leaves behind a twelve-year-old boy, Jimmy... Philadelphia 1995: Homicide detective Jim Walczak learns that his father's alleged killer, Terrill Lee Stanton, is out of prison. Walczak will be waiting, determined to squeeze the truth out of him - any way he can. Philadelphia 2015: Jim Walczak's daughter Audrey, studying forensic science in grad school, reinvestigates her grandfather's murder for her dissertation. But the deeper Audrey digs, the more she realises: the man everyone thinks killed Walczak didn't do it... And when the truth comes out, the danger's only going to grow.

In this neighborhood, make a wrong turn...

.".. and you're history."

Mickey Wade is a recently-unemployed journalist who lucked into a rent-free apartment--his sick grandfather's place. The only problem: it's in a lousy neighborhood--the one where Mickey grew up, in fact. The one he was so desperate to escape.

But now he's back. Dead broke. And just when he thinks he's reached rock bottom, Mickey wakes up in the past. Literally.

At first he thinks it's a dream. All of the stores he remembered from his childhood, the cars, the rumble of the elevated train. But as he digs deeper into the past, searching for answers about the grandfather he hardly knows, Mickey meets the twelve-year-old kid who lives in the apartment below.

The kid who will grow up to someday murder Mickey's father.

Jamie DeBroux's boss has called a special meeting for all "key personnel" at 9:00 a.m. on a hot Saturday in August.

When Jamie arrives, the conference room is stocked with cookies and champagne. His boss smiles and tells his employees, "We're a cover for a branch of the intelligence community. And we're being shut down." Jamie's boss then tells everyone to drink some champagne, and in a few seconds they'll fall asleep---for good. If they refuse, they'll be shot in the head.

Escape is not an option. Jamie's boss has shut down the elevators and rigged the fire towers with chemical bombs. Panic sets in, chaos erupts, and no one is sure whom to trust. Jamie quickly realizes that there's only one way he's ever going to see his family again: the hard way.

The night before a big meeting, Jack Eisley is sitting in an airport bar in Philadelphia, chatting up a pretty young blonde. Sure, Jack has a wife and daughter at home, but this is just a little harmless flirting. Harmless, that is, until the blonde leans forward and says, "I poisoned your drink."
She tells Jack that unless she can keep someone within ten feet of her at all times, she'll die. And if he wants the antidote, he'll have to take her back to his hotel room and promise to stay by her side.
Jack thinks: psycho. But as the violent night wears on, and he encounters a relentless government assassin, a threatening voice on a cell phone, a deadly waitress, dirty cops, and shady cab drivers . . .
He begins to believe her.

Meet Lennon, a mute Irish getaway driver who has fallen in with the wrong heist team on the wrong day at the wrong bank. Betrayed, his money stolen and his battered carcass left for dead, Lennon is on a one-way mission to find out who is responsible--and to get back his loot. But the robbery has sent a violent ripple effect through the streets of Philadelphia. And now a dirty cop, the Russian and Italian mobs, the mayor's hired gun, and a keyboard player in a college rock band maneuver for position as this adrenaline-fueled novel twists and turns its way toward its explosive conclusion.
One thing's for sure: This cast of characters wakes up in a much different world by novel's end--if they wake up at all.

Your name is Angelo Mortalli. Your brother is trapped behind enemy lines and on the verge of - no. That's not right. Your name is Raymond Garrison. You've retired from the dangers of the field, but a desperate plea from your oldest friend plunges you into a vicious firefight that - no. That's not right, either. You are Bloodshot. You are the shade of gray that freedom requires. The perfect confluence of military necessity and cutting-edge technology. A walking WikiLeaks. A reservoir of dirty secrets that could set the world on fire. And you've just been captured Collecting Bloodshot #1-4 (2012) by best-selling writer Duane Swierczynski and acclaimed artists Manuel Garcia & Arturo Lozzi, find out why this is the series that has IGN proclaiming "Valiant is quickly becoming the publisher to beat."

From the mind of John Carpenter, the man who brought you the cult classic horror film Halloween and all of the scares beyond, and the heart of writer, editor, producer Sandy King comes 12 more twisted tales of terror, tricks, and treats. In volume 5 of the award-winning graphic novel series, they bring together another stellar ensemble of storytellers from the worlds of movies, novels, and comics for another spine-tingling collection of stories that will haunt you. Each story is a standalone surprise that captures the essence of fright night. We dare you to read it all the way to the end. If you get too scared, remember, it's only a comic. It's only a comic... or is it? Happy Halloween.

It's dangerous enough when an ordinary college girl turns confidential informant. Even more dangerous when she's smarter than the kingpins, killer, and cops who control her.
Honors student Sarie Holland is busted by the local police while doing a favor for her boyfriend. Unwilling to betray him but desperate to avoid destroying her future, Sarie has no choice but to become a "CI"--a confidential informant.
Philly narcotics cop Ben Wildey is hungry for a career-making bust. The detective thinks he's found the key in Sarie: her boyfriend scores from a mid-level dealer with alleged ties to the major drug gangs.
Sarie turns out to be the perfect CI: a quick study with a shockingly keen understanding of the criminal mind. But Wildey, desperate for results, pushes too hard and inadvertently sends the 19-year-old into a death trap, leaving Sarie hunted by crooked cops and killers alike with nothing to save her--except what she's learned during her harrowing weeks as an informant.
Which is bad news for the police and the underworld. Because when it comes to payback, CI #1373 turns out to be a "very" quick study...

FUN & GAMES AND HELL & GONE COME FULL CIRCLE IN THE HARDIE SERIES' ASTONISHING CONCLUSION.
Charlie Hardie finds himself in a steel box, tubes and wires attached to his body, trapped inside a satellite parked in orbit 500 miles above the Earth. He's got a year's supply of food, air, water, and no communication back to Earth, and must complete his 12 months' duty or his wife and son will have an "accident."
But when someone all-too-familiar docks on the satellite, informs Hardie he's sitting in a veritable zero-G vault containing the world's most dangerous secrets, and forces a crash-landing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hardie must decide whether he's come face-to-face with the partner he needs to save his family--or with his nemesis. After years of exile, Hardie's arming up....and heading home.

The second of three high-energy thrillers arriving back-to-back from cult crime fiction sensation Duane Swierczynski.
Left for dead after an epic shootout that blew the lid off a billion-dollar conspiracy, ex-cop Charlie Hardie quickly realizes that when you're dealing with The Accident People, things can get worse. Drugged, bound and transported by strange operatives of unknown origin, Hardie awakens to find himself captive in a secret prison that houses the most dangerous criminals on earth.
And then things get really bad. Because this isn't just any prison. It's a Kafkaesque nightmare that comes springloaded with a brutal catch-22: Hardie's the warden. And any attempt to escape triggers a "death mechanism" that will kill everyone down here--including a group of innocent guards. Faced with an unworkable paradox, and knowing that his wife and son could be next on the Accident People's hit list, Hardie has only one choice: fight his way to the heart of this hell hole and make a deal with the Devil himself.

The first of three explosive pulp thrillers arriving back-to-back from cult crime fiction sensation and Marvel Comics scribe Duane Swierczynski.
Charlie Hardie, an ex-cop still reeling from the revenge killing of his former partner's entire family, fears one thing above all else: that he'll suffer the same fate.
Languishing in self-imposed exile, Hardie has become a glorified house sitter. His latest gig comes replete with an illegally squatting B-movie actress who rants about hit men who specialize in making deaths look like accidents. Unfortunately, it's the real deal. Hardie finds himself squared off against a small army of the most lethal men in the world: The Accident People.
It's nothing personal-the girl just happens to be the next name on their list. For Hardie, though, it's intensely personal. He's not about to let more innocent people die. Not on his watch.

August 1977. Astronomers detect the so-called "WOW" signal: a burst of sound from deep space, near the constellation Sagittarius. The signal is believed to be extraterrestrial in origin. The next month, the astronomers send a reply. Boy, is that a huge mistake. Because more than four decades later, the alien intelligence has sent an invasion force of exactly one photon-and it's the kind of microscopic threat we could have never seen coming... In a desert town one hour north of L.A., Lieutenant Ron Pinkerton watches in horror as law-abiding citizens begin to lose their minds-and the laws of gravity. And then astrophysicist Marisa Stringfellow appears, telling Pinkerton the craziest thing he's ever heard: an alien entity is taking over minds one by one and using their hijacked bodies to create as much mayhem as (in)humanly possible. The tell-tale sign: a violent twitch that means: goodbye, nervous system. And now humanity's last chance lies in the hands of hardboiled cop and a heartbroken scientist... that is, until one of them begins to twitch.

Before BLOODSHOT hits the silver screen in 2020, experience the hit series that debuted Valiant's nanite-enhanced commando with this essential standalone volume! Killed in action, soldier Ray Garrison is brought back from the dead by Project Rising Spirit, a private military contractor trafficking in violence. Infused with cutting-edge nanotechnology, Bloodshot's nanites make him a nearly unstoppable killing machine. His enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and healing make him the perfect weapon, and he serves his masters at PRS very well. But after defying his programming and escaping his captors, Bloodshot will fight to rediscover the secret of his true identity and expose the billion dollar black-bag operation that created him once and for all. From acclaimed writers Duane Swierczynski (Birds of Prey) and Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) and all-star artists Manuel Garcia (Black Widow), Barry Kitson (The Amazing Spider-Man), Arturo Lozzi (Immortal Weapons) and more - the BLOODSHOT DEFINITIVE EDITION trade paperback collection re-presents the blockbuster first year of the breakout Valiant series behind the upcoming major motion picture from Sony! Collecting BLOODSHOT #0-13.

Del Farmer isn't your ordinary hardboiled private eye. Instead of collecting fingerprints or clues, he collects souls of the recently dead. His latest dead guy, Brad Larsen, might just be the key to destroying Farmer's longtime nemesis, The Association. Of course, Farmer is sadly mistaken. An FBI agent unstuck in time is toying with him. A mysterious couple keeps trying to kill him. Another job - a mundane babysitting gig that pays the bills - is threatening to steer him way off course into a violent hell of sexual deceit, fractured identities and cheap apartment toilets.