Now Available: Death in Dark Places

Six full length detective novels with a mix of longtime bestselling mystery authors and some new to the genre.

This set includes James Reasoner’s legendary debut novel TEXAS WIND. Originally published in 1980, TEXAS WIND has been acclaimed as one of the finest private eye novels ever written.

DEVIL IN A CAGE is a classic private eye novel by renowned action/adventure author W.L. Fieldhouse. Featuring a compelling protagonist in John Weller, a complex plot, sheer storytelling energy, insightful social commentary, and a vivid portrait of Las Vegas that could only be provided by an insider like Fieldhouse. A powerful novel of crime and detection.

Multi award winning novel WILD NIGHT is a historical detective novel. In the 1920's Lucas Hallam was something of a legend: a Texas Ranger turned Pinkerton agent turned Hollywood P.I. And when the occasion arose, Hallam mounted up again and rode with Tom Mix, William S. Hart, and the other famous movie cowboys of the silent era. He didn't think of his past often, and it was the furthest thing from his mind when he went into Chuckwalla, California, hoping to turn the ghost town into a movie set . . . even when the two men started shooting at him.

SOME DIE HARD is legendary mystery and thriller author Stephen Mertz's first novel, originally published in paperback nearly forty years ago and long out of print. Part hardboiled private eye yarn, part classic novel of detection (with a locked-room mystery unlike any other), SOME DIE HARD is pure entertainment.

In TRIPL3 CROSS, veteran author John Hegenberger spins a yarn that is both an exciting thriller and a compelling piece of "noirstalgia", expertly recreating a sense of late-Eighties paranoia and double-dealing and painting a vivid picture of Washington and Cuba during that era, as well as saving a shocking twist for the very end.

Acclaimed, bestselling historical novelist James J. Griffin makes a stunning debut as an author of contemporary thrillers with MURDER AMONG THE CLOUDS. Fast-paced, populated with compelling, intriguing characters, and filled with fascinating police procedure and breathtaking suspense.

Stormfall - John Hegenberger

L.A. P.I. Stan Wade is back in STORMFALL, the latest in John Hegenberger's fine series of historical mysteries. It's 1959 this time, and Stan is on his way to Texas, hired by legendary director John Ford to investigate a murder that takes place during the filming of THE ALAMO. The case seems pretty simple, but John Wayne is involved and Ford doesn't want anything to damage Wayne's reputation and stop him from completing his pet project about the iconic battle. Naturally, things turn out to be a lot more complicated than they appear at first, and before the book is over, Stan Wade winds up back in Los Angeles, battling a deadly conspiracy that threatens widespread death and destruction.

As always, Hegenberger does a great job of vividly recreating a time and place, adding plenty of period details without overwhelming his breakneck-paced plot. The Stan Wade series is one of the most purely entertaining around, and STORMFALL is another great one. Highly recommmended.

Now Available: Blaze! Bloody Wyoming - John Hegenberger

All J.D. Blaze wanted to do was celebrate his wife Kate’s birthday, but when you’re the Old West’s only pair of husband-and-wife gunfighters, trouble is never far away. A savage attack and a dangerous injury not only threaten Kate Blaze’s life, she also finds herself a captive of twisted killers and unsure of her own identity. But J.D. will battle with his wits, a pair of rock-hard fists, and a blazing .45 to find Kate and free her before it’s too late!

Acclaimed author John Hegenberger joins the BLAZE! team with a scorching tale of hate and revenge that leads to an apocalyptic showdown. Read BLOODY WYOMING and see why BLAZE! is today’s bestselling Adult Western series.

Now Available for Pre-Order: Blaze! Bloody Wyoming - John Hegenberger

All J.D. Blaze wanted to do was celebrate his wife Kate’s birthday, but when you’re the Old West’s only pair of husband-and-wife gunfighters, trouble is never far away. A savage attack and a dangerous injury not only threaten Kate Blaze’s life, she also finds herself a captive of twisted killers and unsure of her own identity. But J.D. will battle with his wits, a pair of rock-hard fists, and a blazing .45 to find Kate and free her before it’s too late! 

Acclaimed author John Hegenberger joins the BLAZE! team with a scorching tale of hate and revenge that leads to an apocalyptic showdown. Read BLOODY WYOMING and see why BLAZE! is today’s bestselling Adult Western series.

Now Available: Iceslinger - John Hegenberger

A deadly showdown on frozen Ganymede . . . an experiment in time travel that has unexpected results . . . the dead being brought back to life—to sell insurance . . . a legendary villain seeking to summon a strange visitor from another planet . . . 

These are only some of the ventures into the fantastic and bizarre to be found in ICESLINGER, the latest collection from acclaimed author John Hegenberger. These classic tales of science fiction and fantasy are filled with action, big ideas, humor, and drama. Step into the many worlds of John Hegenberger and prepare to be entertained!

Now Available: Spadefall - John Hegenberger

It’s 1950, and Stan Wade, L.A. PI, is working on his first case: recovering the stolen manuscript of a new Sam Spade novel by Dashiell Hammett. This epic hunt will last for a decade, and before it’s over will involve Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Alfred Hitchcock, Mickey Cohen, Robert Bloch, stripper Candy Barr, and a sleazy nightclub owner named Jack Ruby. Will Stan survive to put all the pieces of this crazy-quilt case together? 

It’s bullets, volcanoes, espionage, romance, humor, double-crosses, and pop culture references galore as Stan Wade races through another fast-moving, action-packed caper. John Hegenberger’s SPADEFALL is the latest entry in one of the best new private eye series in years and pure reading entertainment. Trying to keep up with Stan Wade is some of the most fun you’ll ever have in the pages of a book! 

“If you’re looking for non-stop action, along with some humor and surprising twists, give this a try.” – Bill Crider on SPYFALL, the first book in the Stan Wade series.

Starfall - John Hegenberger

I thought SPYFALL, the first book in John Hegenberger’s series about private detective and reluctant secret agent Stan Wade, was well-written and a lot of fun. The sequel, STARFALL, is even better.

Stan takes on occasional jobs for Walt Disney, who in Hegenberger’s slightly alternate take on the 1950s has some sort of shadowy connection with the government. This time kindly old Uncle Walt wants Stan to investigate the mysterious death of a test pilot who’s in the running to become one of the Mercury Seven, America’s first group of astronauts. Stan’s probing of the case takes him to Edwards Air Force Base and also involves him with a bunch of “peacenik” protestors, as well as turning up some unexpected connections to notorious L.A. gangster Mickey Cohen and a fellow private investigator who’s gone missing.

Hegenberger clearly has a great time spinning a private eye yarn in the classic mold, with Stan getting hit on the head, taken for a ride, and running around for most of the book wearing a rakish eye patch due to an injury he suffers while battling some bad guys. At the same time there are some darker currents under the breezy, fast-moving surface as Stan struggles with self-doubts and his own history. STARFALL is well-plotted, makes good, accurate use of the era’s history, and is full of interesting characters, both fictional and historical. Most importantly, Stan Wade is a compelling, likable protagonist who has an equally likable circle of friends and associates. STARFALL is just great fun from start to finish, and it gets a high recommendation from me.

Now Available for Pre-Order: Crossfire - John Hegenberger

A vanishing corpse...a clout on the head...industrial espionage with millions of dollars at stake...an international conspiracy that threatens the 1988 Summer Olympics...These are just some of the problems private investigator Eliot Cross has to untangle in CROSSFIRE: THE SCALES OF JUSTICE, the newest novel from popular author John Hegenberger. Fast-paced, filled with mystery, action, and humor, CROSSFIRE is a private eye yarn in the classic mold and a sure bet for entertainment.

"Cross is engaging, the secondary characters are colorful and skillfully drawn, the writing is crisp and well-paced. It all makes for an entertaining trip down the hardboiled side of the street." - Wayne D. Dundee

Tripl3 Cross On Sale for a Limited Time

 John Hegenberger's next Eliot Cross novel CROSSFIRE will be available next Monday, and to mark the occasion, this week the previous novel in the series, TRIPL3 CROSS, is on sale for only 99 cents. It's a great deal on this critically acclaimed book!

Now Available: The Last Martian Chronicles - John Hegenberger

From the cold, rocky surface of Mars to the vast reaches of deep space, from the dusty pages of the pulps to the cutting edge medical technology of the future, the stories in John Hegenberger’s THE LAST MARTIAN CHRONICLES span the frontiers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Unlikely friends try to survive the dangers of future war in “Keys to the Kingdom”. A bizarre fate befalls a famous author in the alternate history story “Howard’s Toe”. Sinister forces are on the prowl in “Dead Dames in Dayton”. Alien visitors come to Earth with surprising results in “Last Contact”. And two races face a poignant destiny in “The Last Martian”. These stories and others from popular author John Hegenberger are filled with imagination, ingenuity, and heart.

Now Available: Tales From the Otherverse

Other times, other places, other stories than the ones we know...These are the Tales From the Otherverse, where anything is possible and things never work out quite the way you'd expect. Some of today's top talents in popular fiction turn their hands to tales of alternate history. Featuring new stories by bestselling, award-winning authors Bill Crider, Lou Antonelli, Scott A. Cupp, Robert E. Vardeman, James Reasoner, and more. Explore the Otherverse and see what might have been! (Amazon links are below. Also available from Smashwords for all platforms.)

Now Available for Pre-Order: The Last Martian Chronicles - John Hegenberger

From the cold, rocky surface of Mars to the vast reaches of deep space, from the dusty pages of the pulps to the cutting edge medical technology of the future, the stories in John Hegenberger’s THE LAST MARTIAN CHRONICLES span the frontiers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Unlikely friends try to survive the dangers of future war in “Keys to the Kingdom”. A bizarre fate befalls a famous author in the alternate history story “Howard’s Toe”. Sinister forces are on the prowl in “Dead Dames in Dayton”. Alien visitors come to Earth with surprising results in “Last Contact”. And two races face a poignant destiny in “The Last Martian”. These stories and others from popular author John Hegenberger are filled with imagination, ingenuity, and heart.

Coming Soon: Tales From the Otherverse

Other times, other places, other stories than the ones we know...These are the Tales From the Otherverse, where anything is possible and things never work out quite the way you'd expect. Some of today's top talents in popular fiction turn their hands to tales of alternate history. Featuring new stories by bestselling, award-winning authors Bill Crider, Lou Antonelli, Scott A. Cupp, Robert E. Vardeman, James Reasoner, and more. Explore the Otherverse and see what might have been!

Spyfall - John Hegenberger

I had nothing to do with publishing John Hegenberger's novel SPYFALL, which comes out in a couple of days, so I can rave about how good it is without seeming too self-serving. As I've said before, I love a book that has a distinctive voice, and SPYFALL certainly does. Stan Wade is a private detective in a vividly realized Los Angeles in 1959, primarily taking cases that involve the movie community (as Dan Turner, Bill Lennox, and many other fictional private eyes did before him), but he's also something of an unofficial secret agent, handing sensitive assignments involving politics and espionage that come his way from one of his regular clients, Walt Disney. Yeah, that's right, Uncle Walt his own self is actually a secret spymaster on the side of the good guys.

And that's just the start of a caper (there's really no other good word to describe this novel) involving Ian Fleming, Mickey Cohen, and countless other cameo appearances by historical figures from the era. The action moves swiftly from L.A. to Jamaica to Berlin to Paris, with a shadowy Russian assassin trying to kill Stan every step of the way. With all of this going on, Stan still manages to influence history in ways we never would have guessed.

SPYFALL is just pure fun, packed with humor, plot twists, and occasional dark undertones. Stan Wade is a very likable narrator/protagonist, and his friend and aspiring private eye Norman is a fine sidekick. There are more pop culture references than you can keep up with, which can sometimes get tiresome very quickly, but Hegenberger keeps them fresh and realistic and never annoying. SPYFALL is one of the best books I've read this year, and luckily there are several more Stan Wade adventures in the works. I'm looking forward to them.

Two New Releases From Rough Edges Press: Mutiny on Outstation Zori - John Hegenberger/Blaze! #7 Hatchet Men - Michael Newton

MUTINY ON OUTSTATION ZORI – John Hegenberger

Who stole the space station?

At the far reaches of the Imperium, something’s gone terribly wrong on Outstation Zori.  The station has cut itself off from all communication, and the corporation that owns it sends a team of specialists to get to the bottom of this mystery.  But a young con-man, a rebel leader, and a greedy space pirate are in for a mind-bending shock as they face off against alien races, bizarre religions, and an ultimate betrayal by one of their own.

MUTINY ON OUTSTATION ZORI: A space adventure caper with philosophical overtones from John Hegenberger, critically acclaimed author of CROSS EXAMINATION, TRIPL3 CROSS, and the upcoming THE LAST MARTIAN CHRONICLES.

BLAZE! #7: HATCHET MEN - Michael Newton

War erupts in San Francisco, and Kate and J.D. Blaze are caught in the middle! With the hatchet men of the Chinese tongs on one side and the gamblers and outlaws of the Barbary Coast on the other, the streets of the city by the bay will run red with blood if Kate and J.D. can't uncover the sinister truth behind a wave of kidnapping and killing. It'll take all their cunning—and their deadly skill with their six-guns—to put a stop to an unholy scheme!

Award-winning author Michael Newton returns to the Blaze! series with another action-packed, fast-paced adventure featuring the Old West's only husband-and-wife team of gunfighters.

Now Available for Pre-Order: Mutiny on Outstation Zori - John Hegenberger

Who stole the space station?

At the far reaches of the Imperium, something’s gone terribly wrong on Outstation Zori.  The station has cut itself off from all communication, and the corporation that owns it sends a team of specialists to get to the bottom of this mystery.  But a young con-man, a rebel leader, and a greedy space pirate are in for a mind-bending shock as they face off against alien races, bizarre religions, and an ultimate betrayal by one of their own.

MUTINY ON OUTSTATION ZORI: A space adventure caper with philosophical overtones from John Hegenberger, critically acclaimed author of CROSS EXAMINATION, TRIPL3 CROSS, and the upcoming THE LAST MARTIAN CHRONICLES.

Now Available: Tripl3 Cross - John Hegenberger

It's 1988, and small-town P.I. Eliot Cross is searching for his long-lost father. Then, a CIA informant says that Dad has been in deep cover for over twenty years. Now, the informant's been murdered and Eliot is on the run. Scrambling to clear his name, Eliot journeys from Washington D.C. to Havana, Cuba, struggling against deadly drug-runners, syndicate hit-men and his own violent nature. But the worst is yet to come, as Eliot discovers his father is at the center of an international conspiracy, a nuclear threat and a double cross...or is that a triple cross? Veteran author John Hegenberger spins a yarn that is both an exciting thriller and a compelling piece of "noirstalgia", expertly recreating a sense of late-Eighties paranoia and double-dealing and painting a vivid picture of Washington and Cuba during that era, as well as saving a shocking twist for the very end. TRIPL3 CROSS is pure reading entertainment.

"In TRIPL3 CROSS, John Hegenberger skillfully blends elements of the traditional PI genre with those of an espionage thriller and comes up with an exciting, entertaining tale sure to please a wide spectrum of readers. Eliot Cross is a tough Columbus, Ohio PI with depth and complexities beyond the norm. At the core of his hard exterior and too-quick temper is the emptiness he feels over a father long thought dead. What ensues after he learns that his father may actually still be alive, makes for a fast-paced thrill ride that propels Eliot relentlessly in search of the truth, all the while dodging the Syndicate, the CIA, and ultimately Castro’s thugs in the heart of 1988 Cuba. A great debut for a protagonist readers are sure to want to see more of!" – Wayne D. Dundee

"It’s 1988, and when p.i.  Eliot Cross finds out that his father didn’t die the way Cross had been told  long ago, Cross decides to find out the truth.  He winds up in Cuba where nobody wants him to be, and he discovers not only the truth about his father but about secrets that others would rather have hidden.  It’s a fast-moving tale of mystery and espionage that will engage you right from the start.  Check it out." – Bill Crider

Now Available for Pre-Order: Tripl3 Cross - John Hegenberger

It's  1988, and small-town P.I. Eliot Cross is searching for his long-lost father. Then, a CIA informant says that Dad has been in deep cover for over twenty years. Now, the informant's been murdered and Eliot is on the run.

Scrambling to clear his name, Eliot journeys from Washington D.C. to Havana, Cuba, struggling against deadly drug-runners, syndicate hit-men and his own violent nature. But the worst is yet to come, as Eliot discovers his father is at the center of an international conspiracy, a nuclear threat and a double cross...or is that a triple cross?

Veteran author John Hegenberger spins a yarn that is both an exciting thriller and a compelling piece of "noirstalgia", expertly recreating a sense of late-Eighties paranoia and double-dealing and painting a vivid picture of Washington and Cuba during that era, as well as saving a shocking twist for the very end. TRIPL3 CROSS is pure reading entertainment.

Cross Examinations: Crime in Columbus - John Hegenberger

Eliot Cross is a private detective in Columbus, Ohio, in this collection of linked novelettes set in 1988. This is first-person private eye fiction in the classic mode, and done very well, too. The cases Cross takes on involve a burglar trap turned deadly, a politician's missing relative, kidnapping, and of course murder. My favorite story in the book centers around a comic book convention and features a dying message much like the ones that crop up in Ellery Queen yarns.

John Hegenberger's writing reminds me quite a bit of Robert Bloch's. There's the same sense of playfulness, tempered by some underlying themes that are pretty dark. CROSS EXAMINATIONS: CRIME IN COLUMBUS is a very entertaining book, and I'm glad to know that Eliot Cross will be having more adventures in the future. I'm looking forward to reading them.

Now Available: Cross Examinations - John Hegenberger

A series of serious crimes: Kidnapping. Murder. Art Thief. Blackmail. Comic Books.

Private Investigator Eliot Cross faces heartache, headache, backache, and a royal pain in the neck in these rollicking noir stories from the heart of the Heartland.

Cross Examinations, Inc. established in 1988 
Crime in Columbus

Never before published, CROSS EXAMINATIONS sets the stage for an exciting new novel that will join pop-culture author John Hegenberger’s soon-to-be-published Tripleye trilogy and his upcoming Stan Wade, L.A.P.I. series.