New Releases by Joe R. Lansdale

Your next dose of pitch-black comedy, mystery, and mayhem has arrived as Hap and Leonard find themselves in a vicious and ridiculous situation—just as the best friends may finally be calling it quits. When Hap and Leonard are called in on a strange request (subduing a meth-hopped hog) by a desperate young lady, they quickly learn this woman is part of a fringe group: The Hatchet Girls, who have pledged their allegiance to a crazed and grudge-bearing leader bent on bloody societal revenge. The timing couldn''t be worse to be caught in such a vile, sticky wicket of a case: both boys are wrapped up in their domestic lives: Leonard is in the midst of wedding planning with fiancee, Pookie. And meanwhile, Hap and Brett are hard at work on their new home. Homemaking bliss will have to wait as Hap and Leonard are driven to stop the danger in its tracks and better understand the group''s mission and the plans they have already set in place for helter-skelter esque mayhem. Life changes, midnight sneaks, and dark encounters with misguided dames who yell "Chop, Chop," lead Hap and Leonard into one of their darkest adventures yet.

In this holy mess of a case for the "perpetual bad boy" (New York Times) sleuths in the beloved Hap and Leonard series, PI Duo Hap and Leonard investigate the untimely death of a woman whose family stood much to gain from her passing. Minnie Polson is dead. Burned to a crisp in a fire so big and bad it had to be deliberate. The only thing worse is that Hap and Leonard could have prevented it. Maybe. Minnie had a feeling she was being targeted, shaken down by some shadowy force. However, when she’d solicited Hap & Leonard, all it took was one off color joke to turn her sour and she’d called them off the investigation. Wracked with a guilty conscience, the two PIs—along with Hap’s fleet-footed wife, Brett—tuck in to the case. As they look closer, they dredge up troublesome facts: for one, Minnie’s daughter, Alice, has recently vanished. She’d been hard up after her pet grooming business went under and was in line to collect a whopping insurance sum should anything happen to her mother. The same was due to Minnie’s estranged husband, Al, whose kryptonite (beautiful, money-grubbing women) had left him with only a run-down mobile home. But did Minnie’s foolish, cash-strapped family really have it in them to commit a crime this grisly? Or is there a larger, far more sinister scheme at work? Irreverent, wise-cracking, and full of atmosphere and bite, Sugar on the Bones is not to be missed.

Joe R. Lansdale (Hap & Leonard) and his daughter, author/country singer Kasey Lansdale (Creepshow), join forces with award-winning artist Daniele Serra (Hellraiser) and colorist Tom Napolitano (Batman/Spawn) to bring you Dana and Jana-the new dynamic duo of supernatural— er, supernormal sleuthing! Dana Roberts, seasoned investigator of the supernormal, is called to Italy by an ex-lover to investigate a strange phenomenon— the mystery of a bleeding wall. Due to an odd experience of her own, Jana Davis attends a book signing event focused on strange occurrences. The twosome meet, team up and together head to Italy in search of answers. Are they dealing with a haunted house? A demon perhaps? Or a vengeful specter from the other side? Dana has battled angry jinns, malevolent shadows, ancient travelers, and soul-sucking shapeshifters, but in The Case of the Bleeding Wall, she and her new sidekick, Jana, will face their most dangerous challenge yet.

Michael McCarty interviews masters of the fantastic, including: Harlan Ellison, Whitley Strieber, Laurell K. Hamilton, Harry Turtledove, Boris Vallejo, Joe R. Lansdale, Max Collins, Charles Grant, The Amazing Kreskin, Richard Matheson, and many more

From Edgar Award winner Joe R. Lansdale comes a laugh out loud road novel full of outrageous wit and the power of friendship, and driven by storytelling as only Lansdale can offer.

Edgar award-winning author Joe R. Lansdale beams a light on an East Texas town held in the grip of conspiracy. Charlie Garner has a bad feeling. His ex-wife, Meg, has been missing for over a week and one quick peek into her home shows all her possessions packed up in boxes. Neighbors claim she''s running from bill collectors, but Charlie suspects something more sinister is afoot. Meg was last seen working at the local donut shop, a business run by a shadow group most refer to as ''The Saucer People''; a space-age, evangelist cult who believe their compound to be the site of an extraterrestrial Second Coming. Along with his brother, Felix, and beautiful, randy journalist Amelia "Scrappy" Moon, Charlie uncovers strange and frightening details about the compound (read: a massive, doomsday storehouse of weapons, a leashed chimpanzee!) When the body of their key informer is found dead with his arms ripped out of their sockets, Charlie knows he''s in danger but remains dogged in his quest to rescue Meg. Brimming with colorful characters and Lansdale''s characteristic bounce, this rollicking crime novel examines the insidious rise of fringe groups and those under their sway with black comedy and glints of pathos.

A gritty and thrilling anthology of 30 new short stories in tribute to pulp noir master, Cornell Woolrich, author of ''Rear Window'' that inspired Alfred Hitchock''s classic film. Featuring Kim Newman, James Sallis, A.K. Benedict, USA Today-bestseller Samantha Lee Howe, Joe R. Lansdale and many more. This anthology of exclusive new short stories offers tribute to the master of the pulp era – Cornell Woolrich, who stands with Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner and Dashiell Hammett as a legend in the genre. Enter a world of vengeful brides and black widows, where cold-blooded killers watch from every window and every sin shall be paid for, no matter how deep you bury them. See the chilling fate of a young woman, and the darkness in every family, in Joe R. Lansdale’s “Missing Sister”, the cold, calculating mind of an ambitious wife and her cheating husband in Samantha Lee Howe’s “Trophy Wife”, a reunion dinner ripped apart by conspiracies and violence in Susi Holliday’s “The Invitation”, and the tight-knit family of a New York dive bar explode into violence in William Boyle’s “New York Blues Redux”. Hope that the long, dark night will keep your sins and secrets. FEATURING CHARLES ARDAI BRANDON BARROWS A. K. BENEDICT WILLIAM BOYLE M. W. CRAVEN MASON CROSS MAX DÉCHARNÉ O’NEIL DE NOUX MARTIN EDWARDS PAUL DI FILIPPO JAMES GRADY SUSI HOLLIDAY SAMANTHA LEE HOWE MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI VASEEM KHAN JOEL LANE JOE R. LANSDALE BARRY N. MALZBERG NICK MAMATAS WARREN MOORE DONNA MOORE TARA MOSS KIM NEWMAN ANA TERESA PEREIRA BILL PRONZINI DAVID QUANTICK KRISTINE KATHRYN RUSCH JAMES SALLIS LAVIE TIDHAR JOSEPH S. WALKER

From an Edgar award-winning author comes the gripping and unexpected tale of a lost town and the dark secrets that lie beneath the glittering waters of an East Texas lake. Daniel Russell was only thirteen years old when his father tried to kill them both by driving their car into Moon Lake. Miraculously surviving the crash—and growing into adulthood—Daniel returns to the site of this traumatic incident in the hopes of recovering his father''s car and bones. As he attempts to finally put to rest the memories that have plagued him for years, he discovers something even more shocking among the wreckage that has ties to a twisted web of dark deeds, old grudges, and strange murders. As Daniel diligently follows where the mysterious trail of vengeance leads, he unveils the heroic revelation at its core.

From the Edgar Award-winning author of the Hap and Leonard series, a hard-boiled novel set in 1960s Texas in which a no-nonsense car salesman faces a tempting decision, a dangerous deal, and an alluring affair. Ed Edwards is in the used car business, a business built on adjusted odometers, extra-fine print, and the belief that "buyers better beware." Burdened by an aging, alcoholic mother constantly on his case to do something worthier of his lighter skin tone and dreaming of a brighter future for himself and his plucky little sister, Ed is ready to get out of the game. When Dave, his lazy, grease-stained boss at the eponymous dealership Smiling Dave's sends him to repossess a Cadillac, Ed finally gets the chance to escape his miserable life. The Cadillac in question was purchased by Frank Craig and his beautiful wife Nancy, owners of a local drive-in and pet cemetery. Fed up with her deadbeat husband and with unfulfilled desires of her own, Nancy suggests to Ed -- in the throes of their salacious affair -- that they kill Frank and claim his insurance policy. It is a tantalizing offer: the girl, the car, and not one, but two businesses. Ed could finally say goodbye to Smiling Dave's, and maybe even send his sister to college. But does he have what it takes to see the plan through? Told with Joe Lansdale's trademark grit, wit, and dark humor, More Better Deals is a gripping tale of the strange characters and odd dealings that define 1960s East Texas.

A brand-new Hap and Leonard series collection chock full of Joe R. Lansdale''s inimitable blend of humor, mayhem, and insight, Of Mice and Minestrone delivers never-before-seen stories, a selection of the boys'' favorite recipes, and an introduction from New York Times bestselling crime author Kathleen Kent. Hap Collins looks just like a good ol'' boy. But from his misspent youth on, his best compatriot is Leonard Pine, who is black, gay, and the ultimate outsider. Inseparable friends, Hap and Leonard climb into the boxing ring, visit each other''s families, get in bar fights, and just go fishing--all the while confronting racists, righting wrongs, and eating a whole lot of delicious food. So pull up a seat and sit a spell. Master storyteller Joe R. Lansdale has cooked up a new passel of tales for you about the unlikeliest duo East Texas has to offer, created by his own self About Hap and Leonard Hap and Leonard are Joe R. Lansdale''s beloved, highly-unlikely East Texan crime-fighting duo, immortalized in over twenty novels and short story collections. Hap Collins''s liberal politics don''t sit well with his neighbors; Vietnam veteran Leonard Pine is black, conservative, and gay. Together, as amateur detectives, and muscle for hire, they run roughshod over bullies, criminals, and bigots of all stripes. About the Hap and Leonard TV series Lansdale''s duo made their screen debuts in the Hap and Leonard Sundance TV series, with Michael K. Williams (The Wire), James Purefoy (The Following), and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men). Previous Hap and Leonard collections Hap and Leonard Hap and Leonard: Blood and Lemonade The Big Book of Hap and Leonard (digital only)

From the mind of creator Joe R. Lansdale comes a prequel to the cult-classic film! President Nixon has discovered an alien threat, and he knows there''s only one man he can reach out to for help: Elvis Presley. But will Elvis be enough to defeat a horde of Cosmic Blood-Suckers?

Edgar Award-winner and fan favorite Joe R. Lansdale is back with Hap and Leonard's latest caper: investigating the disappearance of a revivalist cult leader's daughter. Hap and Leonard are an unlikely pair-Hap, a self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough-as-nails black gay Vietnam vet and Republican-but they're the closest friend either of them has in the world. Hap is celebrating his wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Brett (who is also Hap and Leonard's boss), when their backyard barbecue is interrupted by a couple of Pentecostal white supremacists. They're not too happy to see Leonard, and no one is happy to see them, but they have a problem and only Hap and Leonard will take the case. Judith Mulhaney's daughter, Jackrabbit, has been missing for five years. Well, she's been missing from them for five years, but she's been missing from everybody, including the local no-goods who ran with her, for a few months. Despite their misgivings about Judith and her son, Hap and Leonard take the case. It isn't long until they find themselves mixed up in a revivalist cult that believes Jesus will return flanked by an army of lizard-men -- solving a murder to boot. With Lansdale's trademark humor, whip-smart dialogue, and plenty of ass-kicking adventures to be had, you won't want to miss Hap and Leonard's latest.

Award-winning author Joe R. Lansdale and daughter Kasey Lansdale join forces to bring you a short story collection showcasing the new dynamic duo of supernatural sleuthing, Dana Roberts and her sidekick Jana. With two tough, resourceful women on the case, the ghosts and specters from "the other side" won''t know what hit them!

A long-lost bookmobile opens a wild new chapter in the lives of dysfunctional Texas detectives Hap and Leonard—stars of the hit Sundance TV series. Hap Collins is a straight, white, liberal, blue-collar tough guy. Leonard Pine is a gay, black, Republican combat veteran. Together, they're the truest Lone Stars living in America's most independently minded state. Best friends who've shared a succession of low-wage odd jobs that have gotten them into even odder situations dealing with lowlifes, now the duo delivers their own brand of ass-kicking justice as private investigators. In this brand-new story, a day's fishing lands Hap and Leonard their biggest catch ever: the Rolling Literature bookmobile. A pillar of rural African American communities in East Texas, the renovated school bus vanished fifteen years ago—along with its driver, Harriet Hoodalay, aka Hoodoo Harry—reappearing just in time to crash Leonard's pickup into a creek. Behind the wheel was a twelve-year-old boy who didn't survive the accident. The kid was clearly running scared, but who was he running from and how did he end up in the driver's seat of the missing bookmobile? The first solid lead in a case that started more than a decade earlier with Hoodoo Harry, this mystery of a small town's dark and disturbing past will take all of Hap and Leonard's wits—and fists—to solve. Known for his "zest for storytelling and a gimlet eye for detail," multiple award–winning author Joe R. Lansdale brings his rapid-fire dialogue, no-holds-barred action, and gut-busting humor to this original Hap and Leonard novella ( Entertainment Weekly). The Bibliomysteries are a series of short tales about deadly books, by top mystery authors.

Set during the 19th century, and combining an unusual mix of racial unrest, odd ball characters, and strange happenings, Red Range is a unique take on “The Western.” During a Klan lynching, a mysterious rider appears, and proves to be a deadly shot! It is the Red Mask, a tough, lethal, black man who wisely keeps his identity concealed, especially while battling his enemies. Through a series of events, the Red Mask continues to thwart the violent and hateful actions of the Klan, while picking up an orphan along the way, and teaching him how to turn his hate into something more positive.

The Rocketeer Adventures continued where Dave StevensÍ original masterpiece left off, creating for the first time new stories involving the ace stunt pilot Cliff Secord. This oversized deluxe edition collects all 24 stories by some of the most talented creators in comics.

Sixteen compelling tales of post-apocalyptic societies and dystopian worlds include stories by Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, W. E. B. Du Bois, Harlan Ellison, and others.

"Lansdale is an immense talent."—Booklist. Small-town juvenile delinquents, Pentecostal snake-handlers, zombies, psychopaths, and assorted freaks populate these witty and gritty tales of horror by a master of the genre. The suspenseful, action-packed tales range from visions of a post-apocalyptic world ("Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man''s Back," "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks") to alternative histories ("Trains Not Taken," "Letter from the South, Two Moons West of Nacogdoches"). A dozen other stories of gruesome violence and utter depravity include "The Pit," in which car trouble develops into a life-or-death struggle; "Night They Missed the Horror Show," involving an encounter with ornery rednecks; and "Hell Through a Windshield," in which a drive-in movie provides a one-way ticket to another dimension. By Bizarre Hands, Joe R. Lansdale''s debut collection of short stories, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction, and two of its tales have received Stoker awards. Lansdale''s novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted into a 2002 film, and his Hap and Leonard detective stories inspired the Sundance Channel television series. This edition features an Introduction by science-fiction novelist Lewis Shiner and an Afterword by horror fiction author Ramsey Campbell. Suggested for mature readers. www.doverpublications.com

On the great plains of the old American west, enormous steam-powered robots march across the countryside. Their mission: to defend the populace against invading Martians and armies of killer albino apes! The Steam Man, a giant metal man operated by a team of monster hunters, seems to have the defense of the West well in hand, until a crazed and powerful vampire comes to town with the intention of bringing forth the apocalypse!

Arguably (and who doesn’t like to argue?) the world’s bestselling cult author, Joe R. Lansdale is celebrated across several continents for his dark humor, his grimly gleeful horror, and his outlaw politics. Welcome to Texas. With hits like Bubba Ho-Tep and The Drive-In the Lansdale secret was always endangered, and the spectacular new Hap and Leonard Sundance TV series is busily blowing whatever cover Joe had left. Backwoods noir some call it; others call it redneck surrealism. Joe’s signature style is on display here in all its grit, grime, and glory, beginning with two (maybe three) previously unpublished Hap and Leonard tales revealing the roots of their unlikely partnership. Plus… A hatful and a half of Joe’s notorious Texas Observer pieces that helped catapult him from obscurity into controversy; and “Miracles Ain’t What They Used to Be,” Lansdale’s passionately personal take on the eternal tussles between God and Man, Texas and America, racism and reason—and religion and common sense. And Featuring: Our Outspoken Interview, in which piney woods dialect, Bible thumpery, martial arts, crime classics and Hollywood protocols are finally awarded the attention they deserve. Or don’t.

" Dubious delights . . . await you in . . . the latest outing for Joe R. Lansdale's perpetual bad boys, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. . . . a ton of fun." — New York Times Only Hap and Leonard would catch a cold case with hot cars, hot women, and ugly skinheads. The story starts simply enough when Hap, a former '60s activist and self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough black, gay Vietnam vet and Republican with an addiction to Dr. Pepper, are working a freelance surveillance job in East Texas. The uneventful stakeout is coming to an end when the pair witness a man abusing his dog. Leonard takes matters into his own fists, and now the bruised dog abuser wants to press charges. One week later, a woman drops by their new PI office with a proposition: find her missing granddaughter, or she'll turn in a video of Leonard beating the dog abuser. The pair agrees to take on the cold case and soon discover that the used car dealership where her granddaughter worked is actually a front for a prostitution ring. What began as a missing-person case becomes one of blackmail and murder. Filled with Lansdale's trademark whip-smart dialogue and unorthodox characters, Honky Tonk Samurai is a rambunctious thrill ride by one hell of a writer. "Wild, funny, utterly improbable and thoroughly satisfying entertainment." — Chicago Tribune "Audacious . . . Honky Tonk Samurai lives up to the rich legacy of the . . . Hap and Leonard series." — Dallas Morning News "Terrific . . . This shambolic, action-packed novel will ensnare new readers and satisfy devoted fans alike." — Publishers Weekly, starred boxed review "Damn fine reading." — Booklist, starred review

Prepare to meet the wicked progeny of the master of modern horror. In Lovecraft''s Monsters, H. P. Lovecraft''s most famous creations—Cthulhu, Shoggoths, Deep Ones, Elder Things, Yog-Sothoth, and more—appear in all their terrifying glory. Each story is a gripping new take on a classic Lovecraftian creature, and each is accompanied by a spectacular original illustration that captures the monsters'' unique visage. Contributors include such literary luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Karl Edward Wagner, Elizabeth Bear, and Nick Mamatas. The monsters are lovingly rendered in spectacular original art by World Fantasy Award–winning artist John Coulthart (The Steampunk Bible). Legions of Lovecraft fans continue to visit his bizarre landscapes and encounter his unrelenting monsters. Now join them in their journey...if you dare.

In the field of country noir--the dark side of rural and small-town America--Lansdale staked his claim to East Texas with The Nightrunners. A ''66 Chevy bears down on the countryside, with a carful of vicious teenagers and evil of Biblical proportions, in this terrifying morality tale of sex and violence. Here''s what Publishers Weekly just said in its starred review: "Lansdale''s The Nightrunners (1987)...set new standards for the depiction of graphic violence and is probably the best novel of its type between Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs ... This upsetting look at the human capacity for evil breaks with crime novel conventions when a supernatural element enters the story in the form of the grotesque deity known as the God of All Things Sharp...The Nightrunners retains its ability to awe and to horrify."

Now a Tubi original film starring Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis, this rip-roaring adventure set at the dark dawn of the East Texas oil boom is the perfect introduction to Joe R. Lansdale, whose work has been called "as funny and frightening as anything that could have been dreamed up by the Brothers Grimm — or Mark Twain" (New York Times Book Review). Jack Parker thought he'd already seen his fair share of tragedy. His grandmother was killed in a farm accident when he was barely five years old. His parents have just succumbed to the smallpox epidemic sweeping turn-of-the-century East Texas -- orphaning him and his younger sister, Lula. Then catastrophe strikes on the way to their uncle's farm, when a traveling group of bank-robbing bandits murder Jack's grandfather and kidnap his sister. With no elders left for miles, Jack must grow up fast and enlist a band of heroes the likes of which has never been seen if his sister stands any chance at survival. But the best he can come up with is a charismatic, bounty-hunting dwarf named Shorty, a grave-digging son of an ex-slave named Eustace, and a street-smart woman-for-hire named Jimmie Sue who's come into some very intimate knowledge about the bandits (and a few members of Jack's extended family to boot). In the throes of being civilized, East Texas is still a wild, feral place. Oil wells spurt liquid money from the ground. But as Jack's about to find out, blood and redemption rule supreme. In The Thicket, award-winning novelist Joe R. Lansdale lets loose like never before, in an action-packed adventure that's equal parts True Grit and Stand by Me.

I wrote ''Christmas with the Dead'' simply because I wanted to write a holiday horror story," Lansdale admits. "This was the result.

A teen leads a journey to grant a murder victim's lifelong wish in this dark psychological thriller by an Edgar Award–winning author. "A charming gothic tale . . . as funny and frightening as anything that could have been dreamed up by the Brothers Grimm—or Mark Twain." — New York Times Book Review May Lynn is a pretty girl who dreams of becoming a Hollywood star. Until her dead body is dredged up from the Sabine River. Sue Ellen, May Lynn's strong-willed teenage friend; her pals Terry and Jinx; and Sue Ellen's mother set out to dig up May Lynn's body, burn it to ash, and take those ashes to Hollywood. If May Lynn can't become a star, at least her remains can be spread in the land of her dreams. Pursued by Uncle Gene and Constable Sy, who are after the money Sue Ellen and the other's have found, as well as Skunk, an all-too-real legendary killer who's after their lives, they begin to understand that when you set out to make the dreams of a friend your own, your worst nightmares might come along for the ride. "Marvelous and terrifying, Edge of Dark Water is the result of a real genius at work. A masterpiece." —Dan Simmons "Hugely appealing. . . . Reading Joe Lansdale is like listening to a favorite uncle who just happens to be a fabulous storyteller." —Dean Koontz " Edge of Dark Water describes a trip downriver that is one-half Huck Finn , one-half Deliverance , and entirely Joe Lansdale. If you aren't familiar with the work of this true American original, and master of hillbilly noir, climb in the boat and hang on for dear life: the water is rough." —Joe Hill

The Old West, but not as we know it. Giant steam-powered robots are created to take down invading Martians and armies of killer albino apes in an all-out brawl. The Steam Man, a giant metal man operated by a team of monster hunters, seems to have the town protected and the West under control, until a crazed and powerful vampire comes to town to bring forth the apocalypse! * Cowritten by Joe R. Lansdale (_Cold in July_) and beautifully illustrated by Piotr Kowalski (_Sex_). A crazy wild-west premise with some beautiful art by Piotr Kowalski that blends multiple genres.�Bloody Disgusting

Hap and Leonard is now a Sundance TV series starring James Purefoy and Michael Kenneth Williams. If there’s one thing Hap Collins and Leonard Pine like, it’s trouble—and they especially like getting paid to find it. So when their friend and sometime boss Marvin Harmon asks the boys to look into a cold-case double homicide, they’re happy to oblige. It turns out that both victims were set to inherit some serious money, and one of them ran with an honest-to-goodness vampire cult. The more closely Hap and Leonard look over the crime-scene photos, the more trouble they see. The image of a red devil’s head painted on a tree is just the beginning—a little research turns up a slew of murders with that same fiendish signature. And if things aren’t weird enough, Leonard has taken to wearing a deestalker cap . . . Will this be the case that finally sends Hap over the edge?

When the devastation wrought by endless dust storms in 1930s Oklahoma makes orphans of Jack, his schoolmate Jane, and her brother Tony, they take the truck of a dead man and set out to find a new start.