Showing results for "Amazon" in Anthologies & Short Stories

Whodunit? The answer is absolutely spellbinding. In this genre-blending collection of short stories, seven award-winning and bestselling fantasy authors work their signature magic on the puzzle-box plot. Whether unfolding in realities far-flung or deceptively familiar, these mysteries leave an irresistible trail of clues. Curated by John Joseph Adams, New York Times bestselling anthologist.

An IT whiz at the Babylon Casino is enlisted to upgrade security for the game of keno and its random-number generator. The new quantum computer system is foolproof. But someone on the inside is no fool. For once the odds may not favor the house - unless human ingenuity isn’t entirely a thing of the past.

For Isabel, the artist who no longer believes in love, Safe Harbor’s therapy program is just another checklist item to survive her parents’ divorce. But what begins as a tense session filled with mistrust and heartbreak blooms into something that neither Isabel nor the other teens in the program could have expected. Maybe it’s time to begin again?

Summer lovin’ happens so fast—but in these stories, it’s built to last. Sit back and relax, ideally poolside, as top romance authors deliver a refreshing six-pack of summer reads. Whether it’s a sleepaway-camp rivalry, a second chance at love, or opposites attracting, each sun-kissed short story offers more than just a fling.

There are those who are natural-born leaders. Others are forged in the fiery crucible of battle. Some are just built that way. Emerson Avery was already exceptional when suddenly, events would conspire to thrust the mantle of leadership into his young hands. Stationed at a secret military facility on the edge of human-controlled space, the war was simply a fact of life. But in one fateful moment, Emerson’s world would be torn apart, changing his destiny and the future of the entire galaxy forever.

Isabel Gibson has all but perfected the art of forgetting. She’s a New Yorker now, with nothing left to tie her to Brinkley’s Island, Maine. Her parents are gone, the family bookstore is all but bankrupt, and her sister, Sophie, will probably never speak to her again. But when a mysterious letter arrives in her mailbox, Isabel feels herself drawn to the past. After years of fighting for her independence, she dreads the thought of going back to the island.

Eric, a college freshman, joins his four dormmates for an afternoon in New York City—the first time he’s seen them outside their campus bubble. But feeling increasingly invisible among these new friends, Eric’s anxieties compound. As they roam the streets of New York, Eric begins to question if he’s even truly wanted there. Soon, though, the friends start to reveal pieces of themselves. Can Eric let go enough to show them who he really is?

Leave your preconceived notions at home as you embark on a mind-bending journey with six of today’s most visionary authors. Brimming with humor and heartache, this collection of short stories maps the roads we took to get here and the paths that lie ahead. The present may be a gift, but the future and the past both come with a price.

Burned out and working a postcollege job she hates, Allison Yang drops dead in her office—and wakes up three years in the past. Back at college. She has one chance for a redo at life: from switching majors and facing toxic friends to being fearless with her parents. And, perhaps, approaching the popular athlete she’d always loved from afar. Fingers crossed that this time will count.

Fate works in mysterious ways—and this Valentine’s Day, it’s feeling particularly mischievous. From accidental Zoom crashes to graveyard resurrections, six beloved romance authors bring you a collection of increasingly steamy second chances.

Reuben thought he’d spend the rest of his life with Beth, until she broke his heart six months ago. He’s not even remotely over her, so he’s devastated to hear she’s getting married—this weekend. Now he’s faced with the ultimate question: what should he do on the day of the wedding? Grieve? Disrupt the ceremony? Or do everything in his power to pretend it’s not happening? Enlisting the help of his friends, Reuben is all set to mark the occasion with distraction on a grand scale: Ferraris, champagne, and a VIP box at the races.

With a newborn in tow, Bubbles Jones escapes a brutal sanctuary for “wayward girls” to confront the hypocritical shame of her pastor father and the betrayal of a lover. But Bubbles is accompanied by a woman who offers her shelter and a dream. Forging an unpredictable path ahead, Bubbles will not yield and will not hide in her unwavering commitment to make a big life real in a world determined to keep her small.

Yorkshire, 1943. Lily Baines, a bright young debutante increasingly ground down by an endless war, has traded in her white gloves for a set of headphones. It’s her job to intercept enemy naval communications and send them to Bletchley Park for decryption. One night, she picks up a transmission that isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help.

From amnesiac vampire slayers to fallen angels, space vampires to cursed tattoo artists, sleep paralysis demons to ancient wish-granting entities—six stories prove that even monsters deserve a happily ever after. Treat yourself to a collection that's equal parts spooky and steamy.

Maxine was made to do one thing: die. Except the minor non-player character in the world Riley is building makes her own impossible decision - veering wildly off course and exploring the boundaries of the map. When the curious Riley extracts her code for closer examination, an emotional relationship develops between them. Soon Riley has all new plans for her spontaneous AI, including bringing Max into the real world. But what if Max has real-world plans of her own?

In this chilling collection, five acclaimed authors invite you into a world where the supernatural hides in plain sight. Look closely, and you’ll find it: lurking within an ancient tree, stalking an idyllic beach, and whispering through a friend’s letter. Your curiosity is exactly what it’s been waiting for.

When vandals destroy beach hut 512 on Brighton’s iconic seafront, they reveal a dead body that has apparently lain undisturbed for two months. But according to the hut’s owner, Sims, its locks rusted shut three months ago and she hasn’t had access to it since. So how could the man have got in, and why is there no evidence of the murderer?

For Lily, falling in love with her childhood friend Walker was the easiest thing to do back in high school. His sudden rejection was unforgettably crushing. Seven years later, their families have conspired to bring them back together at a cabin in the Rockies when a sudden snowstorm traps them overnight with no power. Thanks to a cozy fire, a prowling bear, and a little forced time in an open-air gondola, they confront their unresolved feelings—and a past more complicated than Lily knows.

Gather round as today’s most diabolically clever authors twist simple moments into otherworldly horrors. An empty baby stroller. A scratching underneath the bed. A farmhouse in the moonlight. With an unnerving sense of the macabre, these stories transform our greatest fears into bone-chilling realities.

Tommy Cordero always likes watching his wife, Denise, make an entrance, and never more so than when she comes through the door of his hospital room. He’s looking for words of comfort—after all, his lungs are shot—but Denise is looking for honesty. In their forty-six years together, Tommy considers they’ve done well. Denise and their children have never wanted for anything: a comfortable home, cars, vacations. Surely that outweighs a couple moments of weakness? But Denise is ready to unpack his assumptions, and Tommy is in for some revelations.