Mark Peckham

Raised in Japan by American expatriates, Karen Leith now lives a reclusive life in New York, known chiefly for her highly regarded novels, of which the latest has won a major American literary award. When she is found on the floor behind her desk, surrounded by blood, it looks like foul play. But the only possible suspect is Leith's future daughter-in-law, Eva, who has recently become engaged. Eva swears by her innocence, even though she was the last...

Ellery Queen investigates a mobster whose bizarre death is marked by the number 9 Nino Importuna has a soft face, but when he smiles, it's terrifying. His Central Park penthouse is lavish, but it was bought with the blood of his enemies. His criminal empire controls mining, electronics, and food-legitimate corporations that he runs with a murderer's touch. When he catches one of his capos stealing from him, Importuna could either kill the man or...

A talented but broke doctor finds the only cure for poverty is crime Harry Brown is a good doctor, but he doesn't know the antidote for the poison that has coursed through him for 2 decades-the poison of envy. Ever since his days in prep school, when this scholarship student looked longingly at the fine clothes and expensive cars showered on the other children, Dr. Brown has been desperate for wealth. Becoming an MD was supposed to be his ticket to...

David Tully hunts for a burglar's killer in order to save his wife It's been 3 days since David Tully has seen his wife, and there's a homicide cop waiting at his front door. Someone has been murdered, but it's not Ruth Tully. The dead man is Crandall Cox. The name is unfamiliar, but he was killed with Tully's gun. At the time of the murder, Tully was hard at work at the state capital. His alibi may be airtight, but his wife's is not. There's a warrant...

An American cop stumbles across a drug ring on a tropical island No matter how hard she tries, Tracy can't seem to kill herself. Her hands shake too much to cut her wrists. Wading into the ocean, her body refuses to be drowned. Even the heroin she has been shooting for years has failed to kill her. Her joints aching, she takes another hit, promising herself that she'll attempt suicide again tomorrow. But she won't get the chance. Tracy's just sinking...

An American spy dives into the Tokyo underworld to catch a defector Fred Wilkinson waits in a Tokyo alley, wishing he were James Bond. Paunchy, in his 50s, and oh-so-tired, Wilkinson has nothing in common with that world-famous man of mystery-except that they are both spies. He's already near the end of his career when he goes to Japan to meet with the Soviet defector Krylov, and some of his colleagues back in Washington think he's getting soft. They're...

Inspector Richard Queen and his new wife engage in a manor house mystery Ellery Queen is vacationing in Istanbul when he learns that his aging father, the retired police inspector Richard Queen, is getting married. The world-famous sleuth rushes home to congratulate the happy couple and enjoy the unique experience of giving his father away to the bride. The honeymoon over, Richard and his new wife return home to find an envelope containing a $100...

Ellery Queen and his father discover a baffling murder on a private island Ellery Queen and his father are meandering through breakfast when their apartment is invaded. Without making a sound, 2 men appear in the Queens' living room, guns drawn, and proceed to search the place. When they're done, a 3rd man follows: a paunchy little professor-type who happens to be the brother of a king. King Bendigo doesn't rule a country, but his control of the international...

Ellery Queen leaps into action when a jet-setter is murdered in Wrightsville From New Year's in Málaga to Christmas in Hawaii, John Levering Benedict III-or Johnny-B, as everyone calls him-is the crown prince of the jet set. He has 3 ex-wives, a limitless fortune, and more frequent flier miles than he can count. When Johnny-B tires of life in the sky, he sneaks off to a quiet corner of New England called Wrightsville, where he has purchased a cozy...

A college student's disappearance threatens to upend the race for governor Tisquanto is a quiet college town, and its chief of police wants to keep it that way. For years, the only trouble the students gave the locals was the occasional fraternity party that got out of hand. But now there are kids on campus calling for revolution. When the governor's right-hand man, Mike McCall, comes to Tisquanto, the chief of police promises he'll keep the students...