Afterburn and Other Stories — John Moralee

Afterburn and Other Stories is a large collection of crime stories totalling over 110,000 words + 8000-word bonus. It contains over twenty short stories and two flash pieces as well as an 8000-word bonus version of the story Afterburn, which first appeared in the magazine Crimewave. Five of the stories have been published before in magazines and anthologies. It contains: Afterburn - a retired astronaut investigates the death of an old friend (mystery) The Uncertainty Principle - two hard-boiled detectives look for a missing girl (SF detective) Diamond Pass - a man returns to his home town and discovers shocking secrets (crime drama) Distant Relatives - a man and his daughter cross the dangerous Australian Outback (crime drama) Pulling No Punches - a boxer risks his life for his family (noir) Falling in Love - a greedy husband tries to kill his new wife with unexpected complications (noir) Hollywood Asylum - a reclusive screenwriter meets a beautiful woman living next door (noir) The Kidnapping - a light-hearted tale about an unusual kidnapping (comic crime) Deal Breaker - a little girl needs the help of a lawyer to get justice (legal drama) Bad Advertising - a man hears a murder happen in the flat below him (suspense) Patriotic Duty - a headless body leads a New Orleans detective to a gang of killers (action and suspense) My Cousin Shunsuke - a teenage girl helps her cousin investigate the death of his girlfriend (mystery) The Abduction - a man disappears at a convention for ufologists (mystery) On the Road - two couples have a deadly journey (crime drama) Fever Pitch - an ex-convict looks for revenge (suspense) The Good Samaritan - an Australian trucker soon wishes he had not stopped for two people on a lonely road (dark suspense) The Pledge - a college student encounters a dangerous secret society (thriller) The Enigma of Lucy Ash - a beautiful woman returns home with tragic consequences (noir) A Deadly Prelude - a music producer has to make a deadly decision