Showing results by narrator "Daniel Linden" in All Categories

Charlaine Harris (the Sookie Stackhouse novels) and Toni L. P. Kelner (the Laura Fleming mysteries) have gathered together another 11 writers with serious vamp credentials to provide a baker's dozen tales. Meet Sookie Stackhouse, who, as the only non-vampire at a 'Dracula's birthday ball', soon finds that's she's the one on the menu, and Harry Dresden, who drops by a role-playing game to find himself dealing with deadly party crashers.

Conspicuous Gallantry is the long-awaited sequel to The Content of Character. Charlie Cooper has returned from a hitch with the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan and is scarred so badly he calls himself a freak. He is incapable of dealing with his family and his wife, Annie, and only his dog, Gibbs, has the power to get though his shell. His best friend died protecting Charley on the battlefield; died protecting Charley with his own body, and Charlie heard and felt every bullet that hit him and killed him.

The local newspaper called him the Aikido Killer, but he was just a tired old man who had fought back. Sure, he was an Aikido teacher, but so what? He had been unarmed and the three attackers had all carried knives. Why was he in jail for murder? Why? Parker wants to know. Somehow, the District Attorney had found out about Gunner's war record and figured, with a half century of martial art training, he should have been able to defend himself and not killed that poor, innocent boy. Parker doesn't think so and sets out to prove it.

Aikido Sensei Parker, a sometimes private investigator, finds himself in Maine on a bird hunting vacation with an old friend. Only, it turns out the invitation holds ulterior motives: Harry Andersen has a friend who is missing. Parker is asked to look into it, and the chase is on. Missing redheads driving hot cars, mountains of dope stacked in bales, and the most intriguing, expensive mushroom, chaga, push every mushroom pirate in New England on a desperate search to find a mother lode.

Parker is thinking about the rest of his life and contemplating marriage, when a dark-haired gypsy shows up at his door, insisting on learning the esoteric art of Aikido. She is an odd one, but comes in with a fist full of money and swaying hips. Parker isn't hooked, but can't keep his eyes off her.