The thrill of the chase, the steely-eyed detective (either gentle or hardboiled), the dark alleys and the double-cross, the unsolvable crime by a masterful criminal mind: this new title in our Gothic Fantasy Short Stories series features chills and double twists, unexpected turns and private investigators with an eye for the unusual, and contains a cunning mix of classic and brand new writing. Great detective thriller writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, John Buchan, G.K. Chesterton, Arthur Morrison and the Mother of Detective fiction herself, Anna Katharine Green, join rarely seen tales by modern authors, and completely new stories, published here for the first time by, amongst others, T.Y. Euliano, Tracy Fahey, Tom Mead Marie Vibbert. As always our submission windows are packed with great reads so the successful stories are always a joy to publish.

Death plays dirty. It's 2112 and war between nations has become a spectator sport. Soldiers are now gamers who live and die based on the outcome of the match, and every four years a worldwide MegaDeath tournament gives countries a chance to air their grievances. This year, however, an enterprising company has made it possible for ordinary citizens to bet their lives on their country's team. Winning players will become national heroes, but losers will be responsible for the deaths of millions of their fellow citizens. For North America's talented star player, Megan Mori, death can't come soon enough. Haunted by the loss of her daughter, which she blames on her own government, she has nothing more to lose and no one to fight for. But as the games begin, it becomes clear that a much more sinister agenda is unfolding, and Megan will need to rally her fellow gamers against a threat that could end humanity as they know it. "A thrilling and inventive future world that strikes a chord in today's nationalistic climate." -- Advanced Review Fans of Death Race and Ready Player One will love this book.

Death plays dirty. It’s 2112 and war between nations has become a spectator sport. Soldiers are now gamers who live and die based on the outcome of the match, and every four years a worldwide MegaDeath tournament gives countries a chance to air their grievances. This year, however, an enterprising company has made it possible for ordinary citizens to bet their lives on their country’s team. Winning players will become national heroes, but losers will be responsible for the deaths of millions of their fellow citizens. For North America’s talented star player, Megan Mori, death can’t come soon enough. Haunted by the loss of her daughter, which she blames on her own government, she has nothing more to lose and no one to fight for. But as the games begin, it becomes clear that a much more sinister agenda is unfolding, and Megan will need to rally her fellow gamers against a threat that could end humanity as they know it. “A thrilling and inventive future world that strikes a chord in today's nationalistic climate.�  –Advanced Review Fans of Death Race and Ready Player One will love this book.