Audiobooks by Bill Pronzini

"A gritty and thrilling anthology of 28 new short stories in tribute to pulp noir master, Cornell Woolrich, author of 'Rear Window', the inspiration behind Alfred Hitchock's classic film. Featuring Neil Gaiman, Kim Newman, James Sallis, A.K. Benedict, USA Today-bestseller Samantha Lee Howe, Joe R. Lansdale and many more. An anthology of exclusive new short stories in tribute to the master of pulp era crime writing, Cornell Woolrich. Woolrich, also published as William Irish and George Hopley, stands with Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner and Dashiell Hammett as a legend in the genre. He is a hugely influential figure for crime writers, and is also remembered through the 50+ films made from his novels and stories, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, The Bride Wore Black, I Married a Dead Man, Phantom Lady, Truffaut's La Sirene du Mississippi, and Black Alibi. Collected and edited by one of the most experienced editors in the field, Maxim Jakubowski."

A. K. Benedict, Ana Teresa Pereira, Barry N. Malzberg, Bill Pronzini, Brandon Barrows, Charles Ardai, David Quantick, Donna Moore, James Grady, James Sallis, Joe R. Lansdale, Joel Lane, Joseph S. Walker, Kim Newman, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lavie Tidhar, M.W. Craven, Martin Edwards, Mason Cross, Max Decharne, Maxim Jakubowski, Neil Gaiman, Nick Mamatas, O'Neil De Noux, Paul Di Filippo, Samantha Lee Howe, Susi Holliday, Tara Moss, Vaseem Khan, Warren Moore, William Boyle (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Paradise Affair

"From Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini comes this historical mystery, The Paradise Affair. Quincannon’s pursuit of two con men who have absconded to Hawaii with a considerable sum of his employer’s assets dovetails nicely with Sabina’s vision of a second honeymoon. But neither is wont to stay out of trouble, and Sabina inadvertently becomes involved in a locked room murder involving a dying message in Honolulu."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Erica Sullivan, Kevin Kenerly (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Stolen Gold Affair: A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery

"The Stolen Gold Affair is the latest charming historical mystery in Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini’s detective series. In response to a string of gold thefts in a Mother Lode mine, Quincannon goes undercover as a newly hired miner to identify and capture the men responsible. Meanwhile, Sabina finds herself not only making plans for her and Quincannon’s wedding, but also investigating both an audacious real estate scam and an abusive young man’s villainous secret."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Erica Sullivan, Mark Peckham (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Peaceful Valley Crime Wave

"Bill Pronzini’s riveting western mystery, The Peaceful Valley Crime Wave, takes on the modern world with old-fashioned violence—and his Peaceful Valley is anything but … Nothing much happens in Peaceful Valley, Montana. And that’s just how Sheriff Lucas Monk likes it. Aside from the occasional drunken brawl or minor disturbance out on the reservation, he hasn’t had to resort to his fists or sidearm in years. That is, until mid-October, 1914, when the theft of a wooden cigar store Indian sets off a crime wave like nothing Lucas has ever seen. Teenager Charity Axthelm goes missing, Reba Purvis’ housekeeper is poisoned with cyanide Reba is sure was meant for her, and Lucas’ gut tells him that this is only the beginning. It’s not long before the first corpse shows up, bringing the peace in the valley to a thundering end."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Nick Sullivan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Flimflam Affair: A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery

"The Flimflam Affair is the latest charming historical mystery in Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini’s detective series. Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services is a fixture in San Francisco at the dawn of a new century. While the future is unclear, Sabina and John know one thing for certain: they will protect their clients from flimflammers, thieves, and murderers, and do whatever it takes to run these dregs of society into the arms of the law. Sometimes, that requires a subtle touch. Professor A. Vargas, self-styled medium extraordinaire, and his partner Annabelle, use guile and trickery to swindle bereaved men and women eager to contact the spirits of deceased loved ones. John and Sabina must not only unmask these charlatans, but also solve the riddle of an impossible murder in the midst of a séance. Other cases involve brute force and personal danger. Such as the theft of a burglarproof safe mysteriously emptied of gold bullion. And John’s pursuit of a ruthless gang of counterfeiters, whose leader appears to be a man from John’s past in the Secret Service―a man thought long dead. Adding spice to these exploits is Sabina and John’s personal relationship, which is rapidly progressing to an exciting new level."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Mark Peckham, Meredith Mitchell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Give-a-Damn Jones

"Not all the folks who roamed the Old West were cowhands, rustlers, or cardsharps. And they certainly weren’t all heroes. Give-a-Damn Jones, a free-spirited itinerant typographer, hates his nickname almost as much as the rumors spread about him. He’s a kind soul who keeps finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s what happened in Box Elder, a small Montana town. Tensions are running high, and anything—or anyone—could be the fuse to ignite them: a recently released convict trying to prove his innocence, a prominent cattleman who craves respect at any cost, a wily traveling dentist at odds with a violent local blacksmith, or a firebrand of an editor who is determined to unlock the town’s secrets. Jones walks into the middle of it all, and this time, he may be the hero that this town needs."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Armando Durán, Chris Abell, Donald Corren, Eddie Lopez, Grover Gardner, Jim Meskimen, John Lescault, Johnny Heller, Michael Kramer, Nick Sullivan, Patrick Lawlor, R. C. Bray, Sam Osheroff, Traber Burns, William Hughes (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Bags of Tricks Affair: A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery

"The Bags of Tricks Affair is the latest charming historical mystery in MWA Grand Master Bill Pronzini’s detective series. A con man always has a bag of tricks, ready to fool the unsuspecting, and almost everyone is unsuspecting until they get taken. When that happens, they turn to Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services, to recover their money and what’s left of their dignity, and perhaps even to save their lives. When one such case leaves Sabina Carpenter the only witness to a murder, the family of the culprit vows to stop at nothing to keep her silent. The threat leaves John Quincannon deeply concerned for Sabina’s safety, but there’s no rest for the wicked and so the crime-solving duo must split up to tackle two separate con games, run by two villains with deadly bags of tricks at hand. And when Sabina’s life is put in danger, John must rush to save her while grappling with the terrifying realization of exactly how much she means to him."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Mark Peckham, Meredith Mitchell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nightcrawlers

"Things were quiet in Nameless' San Francisco agency, and his partner, Tamara, was itching to get back to work. A deadbeat father needed to be found, and Tamara needed to do some fieldwork, so she took off for his last known address. When Tamara goes missing, Nameless feels a sinking in his gut: A few years ago he had been kidnapped and left to die in a cabin in the woods, and something about Tamara's disappearance echoes too loudly. When he discovers the house she had investigated and sees the words 'taking us to a house in the wood' scrawled on a wall, the echo becomes thunderous. Now it's a race against time, and Nameless is already late."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Nick Sullivan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hardcase

"Fresh from his recent marriage, the Nameless Detective returns to what appears to be a routine investigation, an adoption case. While searching through the effects of her recently deceased mother, twenty-three year old Melanie Ann Aldrich discovers some papers which show she was adopted. With her father dead as well, it seems unlikely she will ever find out why she was never told. So she hires Nameless to find her true parents. In the course of his investigation, Nameless quickly learns why Melanie's parents never told her she was adopted and why everyone is so eager to keep it quiet. Melanie's biological mother, an emotionally disturbed young woman who died in her early twenties of a brain tumor, was raped by a then teenage delinquent named Steven Chehalis. In his attempt to piece together the past, Nameless tracks down Chehalis only to discover that he's a serial rapist responsible for a large number of rapes and at least two murders as well. Nameless finds himself in a race to bring Chehalis to justice. Chehalis, aware of Nameless's intention, sets his psychotic sights on both his biological daughter, Melanie, and Nameless's new bride. Hardcase is Pronzini's most suspenseful mystery to date."

Bill Pronzini (Author), John Michalski (Narrator)

Audiobook

Endgame: A Nameless Detective Novel

"The Nameless Detective has taken many cases over the years … and these two will test his agency’s resources. The first involves a woman whose husband is accidentally killed in a remote cabin in the Sierras. The wife isn’t buying that he was alone, and she’s determined to uncover his secret and get closure … in spite of any potential heartbreak. Nameless’ next case is a missing person—a person who was agoraphobic and never left the house. The husband swears that while their relationship was strained due to his wife’s condition, he was still in love with her. He begs Nameless to clear him and find his wife before the cops come for him. Endgame is a classic Nameless tale―twisty puzzles featuring one of mystery’s best-loved detective."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Nick Sullivan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Dangerous Ladies Affair: A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery

"For the firm of Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services, stopping extortionists is not only grand, but excitingly lucrative. When a pleasant afternoon’s bicycling through Golden Gate Park with a friend ends with the revelation of threatening letters, followed by a gunshot in a mansion garden, Sabina Carpenter knows this is a case that demands her immediate and undivided attention. The questions her partner John Quincannon has to unravel are not difficult: Wrixton, a wealthy banker, has met his extortionist’s first demand, but the order to pay another $5,000 is too much to face. The banker’s real problem is something he doesn’t want to reveal. That was fine with the detective, and when he was informed that some private letters were involved and Wrixton absolutely needed them back, there was nothing more Quincannon needed in the way of background. As with so many of San Francisco’s elite, the bedroom doors never seemed to stay shut. That was the easy part; far more difficult was the matter of the dead courier, murdered most foully in a locked room within a locked room, creating a trail that will take John Quincannon through most of San Francisco’s less savory places and end with a riverboat trip that is anything but a relaxing cruise. The Dangerous Ladies Affair is the next thrilling installment in this charming historical mystery series from MWA Grand Masters Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini."

Bill Pronzini, Marcia Muller (Author), Mark Peckham, Meredith Mitchell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Zigzag: A Nameless Detective Collection

"Two novellas and two short stories featuring Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini’s iconic Nameless Detective “Zigzag” is an original novella, in which a safe and simple accident investigation becomes the unraveling of a twisted murder scheme. “Grapplin’,” which first appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, deals with the kind of missing person case that can end in only one of two ways, closure or heartbreak. In the second short, “Nightscape,” listeners discover how, indeed, one thing just leads to another. (This story was first published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine as “The Winning Ticket.”) The final work, “Revenant,” is another original novella and entangles Nameless in a weird crime with fearful occult overtones."

Bill Pronzini (Author), Nick Sullivan (Narrator)

Audiobook