Books published by Stark House Press

HOME IS THE PRISONERJim Singley has served his time. Accused of killing his business partner, he left a lot of bad feelings in Athena—but now he’s back. Back to a wife who hates him, a son who has been raised to despise him, and a town full of folks who wish he were dead. But Jim has some unfinished business. There is his former partner’s wife, Audrey, now married to someone else. And her daughter, Cleo, the only one who spoke up for him at the trial, corroborating his defense when no one else would. There’s Matt, his only real friend, harboring a long-kept secret. And Wayne, the son who has been raised to hate, ready to explode with unanswered questions. Athena is a town that can never forgive, but Jim won’t leave until he’s confronted them all. THE LITTLE LIEEveryone knows that Dee and Chad will eventually get married. They’re such a perfect couple. So when boarder Mr. Fly overhears them having an argument that results in Chad’s moving out, he assumes that they will soon make up. But Dee knows that it’s over. She just can’t stand the public humiliation. So she lies about it. Just a little lie. She tells everyone that Chad has moved to the city to pursue a new job. Then she tells everyone he’s headed for California, where she will no doubt soon join him. She even convinces herself that it’s all true. Still, when the plane that Chad is supposedly on crashes, and someone with his last name is listed as a passenger, Dee breathes a sigh of relief. Her secret is now safe. But is it…?

DEAD HORSEFrom The New York Herald, European Edition, May 26, 1935:OBITUARIES“WHITFIELD, Emily Davies Vanderbilt Thayer“…On July 19, 1933, in New York City, she married Mr. Raoul Whitfield, the popular American mystery novelist. Together, they moved to the American southwest, where they constructed a luxurious ranch near the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico. They hosted elaborate parties, their guests arriving from New York, Los Angeles, and various European capitals. In February of 1935, to the surprise of their friends, they separated. Mr. Whitfield moved to Los Angeles and Mrs. Whitfield filed for divorce, which had not become final at the time of her death.“On the morning of May 24, Mrs. Whitfield was found dead on her bed, her outstretched right hand holding a Colt .45 revolver. She had been shot in her left side. A coroner's jury brought in a verdict of suicide…”Or was it? Sheriff Tom Delgado thinks otherwise. Now he’s got to prove it.

THE ANGEL OF TERROR It all begins with a murder. James Meredith is a very rich man, but he is found guilty of shooting his fiance’s suitor in a crime of passion. Meredith’s lawyer, Jack Glover, suspects that the fiancé is the guilty one, and indeed, Jean Briggerland—Meredith’s first cousin and bride-to-be—is a true heartless beauty. Jean is after Meredith’s fortune, but Glover is one step ahead of her, and finds a new bride for Meredith. Then Meredith, too, is murdered. Now the fortune which Jean thought to inherit belongs to a young newspaper artist named Lydia Beale. Jean and her father are practiced in the art of murder, however, and they are soon making plans for the early death of Lydia. Only the old man named Jaggs, hired by Glover to protect her, stands between her and the beautiful angel of death.  KATE PLUS 10 Kate Westhanger has been raised by her uncle, the Colonel, into a life of crime. For him, there is always the next job, the big payoff, and retirement. Crime is a way of life. For Kate, crimes are a puzzle that need to be solved, with each detail offering its own particular challenge. For Inspector Michael Pretherston, Kate herself is a bit of a puzzle. There is no question but that she’s good at what she does. Her latest caper involves a variety of disguises that bring her in contact with two of London’s top financiers. Pretherston has no idea what Kate’s up to, but he seems to keep running into her, first as personal secretary to Lord Flanborough, and later as a Polish princess. Whatever Kate has planned, it will definitely be the scheme of the century. If only he can figure it out before it’s too late.    

THE LIVING ENDEddie Marlon is just a kid with a song he wants published, another city kid with dreams of being in the music business. His song is nothing special, but Eddie gets a tip that a local radio station needs help on the early morning shift. Marty Allen hires him to line up the records for his show. But the way Eddie sees it, Marty is a square—he doesn’t go for the bucks that are to be had charging A&R guys to get their tunes on the air.Eddie must have been born lucky because one night Marty needs Eddie to help him get the station boss out of a jam. Then they owe him. And when it’s time to collect, Eddie is right there with a plan. He wants his own time slot and he wants to put on free shows with all the big talent, who will naturally play for free to get the air time. Eddie’s got big plans alright. Because now it’s his shot at the top—and if you want to be on Eddie’s show, you’re going to pay for it!

STAIRWAY TO AN EMPTY ROOM Monica Marshall’s sister Biddy has been murdered by her husband. Biddy has a daughter, Winifred, and with the husband on death row, Monica agrees to take charge of her. Winifred is anxious to leave the house where she has been living with Biddy. The house and the woman who runs it seem so unpleasant to Monica. But nothing prepares her for Stevens. He is managing a mountain retreat where Monica takes her new charge for a getaway--she hates him immediately. Strangely enough, Winifred recognizes the couple in another cabin. Soon Monica realizes that there is something very strange going on here. Her brakes fail … later she almost drowns in the lake. And Stevens is becoming very protective of young Winifred. What do all these people have to do with Biddy’s death, and what is really going on here?...      TERROR LURKS IN DARKNESS Kitty has the fright of her life one night when she takes what she is told is a short cut and ends up  on a dead end street in the rain. And to make matters worse, there is a savage dog outside her car, causing her to wreck the front end trying to avoid it. Fortunately, the owner of the dog appears and calms the dog, then drives her home. But imagine Kitty’s shock when she finds out that Sunny, the woman who told her about the short cut, is found dead later that night on the same road, her throat savaged. Of course, everyone hated Sunny, but that doesn’t explain her strange death. And now Kitty’s roommate, Ardis, has gone missing … and two of her friends are asking her to lie about what she knows. No wonder inspector Doyle doesn’t believe her story—she has no idea what to believe herself! 

MARIJUANA GIRLIt's the striptease in the gymnasium that gets Joyce suspended from school right before graduation. She had just been acting out. But the dean is not amused. It's not Joyce's fault that she looks for love and attention in all the wrong places. Her parents have been bouncing her from relative to relative all her life while they travel around the world. At least she has Tony. Or did. When Joyce takes a job at the local newspaper and starts seeing her boss Frank, Tony blows up and deserts her. But that's okay because Frank takes her into the city and introduces her to the world of jazz musicians, jive talk and marijuana. It's all happening so fast for Joyce-and all she really wants is to be loved. CALL SOUTH 3300: ASK FOR MOLLY!Slade Martin is a womanizer and a heavy drinker, but he's the shining star of the sales department at All-Channel TV. His job is to sell sets, so when he meets Ann Frank, he immediately corrals her into helping him land the biggest client at the convention, Mortimer Kane. How she accomplishes this task is her own business. But Ann has a secret of her own. Besides working for All-Channel, she is also a high class prostitute working for Molly, the local madam. Unaware of this, Slade falls for Ann in a big way. Ann would like nothing more than to fall for Slade, too, but the feeling just isn't there. Instead, she's in love with Eric, who only uses her for her money-if only he weren't so good in bed. THE SEX CUREJustin Riley has to admit that his troubles always have something to do with women. What he really wants is someone who believes in him, who believes he's the best doctor on earth. Someone young, eager and exciting. There's Betty, pregnant with his child and suffering a botched abortion; Misty, a failure at marriage but not sex; and unattainable Marge Miles. His wife Olivia is quick to point out that her money and father's influence got him where he is. But Justin is tired of pretending-pretending to love the women he just wants to sleep with, pretending that his marriage is respectable and good when he knows deep down that he is nothing but a liar and a cheat. A man ruled by sex… and fear.

NEW MAN IN THE HOUSERoger Garland has made a career out of pleasure. He is, in fact, the perfect butler-discreet, deferential and ready to please the family, particularly the women of the house. His new employer is banker Matthew Hornaday. But Garland is much more interested in Hornaday's teenage daughter, Lorna. Lorna is just discovering sex, and Garland is certain that he can be the perfect teacher. But there is also Mrs. Hornaday to consider. She may be married to a banker, but she was once a Broadway star, and has lost none of her lust for life-or for Garland. If only Mr. Hornaday didn't distrust him so much, this could be the perfect set-up for seduction. HER HIGH-SCHOOL LOVERLaura Vaughn has fallen out of love with her second husband. Her first husband, Pierre, taught her all about life when they were young in France, but archeologist Robert makes her feel like an obligation. While Laura writes letters to Pierre, her teenage son Tony seethes with rage and confusion, resentful of his mother, disdainful of his step-father, mad at the world. And Tony's friend, Tad Howard, has problems of his own-his parents hate each other, and use him as their punching bag. Each one them is seeking something and someone to make the pain go away. It is only a matter of time before Laura and Tad find each other.

First appearing on newsstands in late 1952, Manhunt was the acknowledged successor to Black Mask, which had ceased publication the year before, as the venue for high-quality crime fiction. By April of 1956 it was being billed as the "World's Best-Selling Crime-Fiction Magazine." On its pages, over its 14-year run, appeared a veritable Who's Who of the world's greatest mystery writers including: Ed McBain, Mickey Spillane, Richard Deming, Jonathan Craig, Hal Ellson, Robert Turner, Jack Ritchie, Frank Kane, Craig Rice, Fletcher Flora, Talmage Powell, Richard S. Prather, David Alexander, Harold Q. Masur, Gil Brewer, Helen Nielsen, Erskine Caldwell, Henry Slesar, David Goodis, Lawrence Block, John D. MacDonald, Clark Howard, Fredric Brown, Donald E. Westlake, Harlan Ellison, Harry Whittington and Steve Frazee.The Best of Manhunt includes 39 of the original stories, a Foreword by Lawrence Block and Afterword by Barry N. Malzberg, as well as an introduction to the tortured history of the magazine by editor, Jeff Vorzimmer.

BORROW THE NIGHTJudge Ralph Addison has been receiving threatening letters for the past six days, but he hasn't taken them seriously. Until now. The seventh letter is followed up by a phone call. He is being watched. Perhaps this isn't just a prank. The letter states that "you will die when Messick dies," and is signed "Mr. Justice." The judge had sentenced young Walter Messick to death for the murder of Faye Harper. But when he goes to the D.A. with his fears, he finds that Patrolman Matt Coleman, also involved in the case, has received the same threatening letters. And now that Messick's execution is upon them, together they only have one day to find out the truth…or die at the hands of Mr. Justice. THE FIFTH CALLERDr. Lillian Whitehall has been brutally murdered. DA Inspector Doug Marchall knows that the crime occurred at 5:20pm because she was bludgeoned to death with a clock. Everyone assumes that the murderer is her Hungarian nurse, Anna Bardossy, who is lying in a hospital bed, the victim of a suicide attempt and now suffering amnesia. But there were other callers that day: her high-strung patient, her exacting lawyer, her unemployed brother. They all paint a picture of poor put-upon Dr. Whitehall, badgered by her unfaithful nurse. But could there have been another caller, someone who knew what had happened to Anna-and what had caused the doctor's all-too-timely end?

THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY WITH ITTwenty years ago, young Inez Bailey was strangled to death, and the killer was never found. On a trip to California to visit his sister, Chicago police inspector Roy Malley finds this old crime intriguing. He's sure he could have discovered the murderer if it had been his crime to solve. Busman's holiday or not, he starts to dig. And uncovers more than he intended when he sets the wheels in motion in this small community. Because the killer is still among them, a respected member of society, a family man and business owner. He is in tight control of himself, has been for years. But with just a little push, he could let himself go. But letting go is the one thing he can't let himself do. THE THREE WIDOWSThe Bladeswells are on vacation, traveling by car from Omaha to California. While in Santa Cruz, they hear about a man found dead on the beach, which brings to mind a similar event which occurred while the couple were vacationing in Yellowstone-a man found dead with no identification on him. When Mr. Bladewell hears about another similar case in Yosemite, he begins to wonder if there isn't someone on a select killing spree. The next night finds them at a cabin resort in Escondido, where they join their hometown friend Chet. The unmarried Chet is enjoying the attention of three older women vacationers, all recently widowed. This sets Mr. Bladeswell to thinking-three dead men and three widowed women-that perhaps there is more than coincidence at work here … that maybe one of them is a murderer.

STOOL PIGEONIt's Christmas Eve in Little Italy, and Vince Milazzo is called in to investigate the murder of Tony Statella, shot in the head outside of Rocky Tosco's restaurant. Milazzo has got a personal grudge against Tosco that goes back to their childhood. He knows that somehow Rocky is involved, and is determined this time to bring him down.Even though the murderer turns out to be a kid who was avenging the honor of his sister, Milazzo keeps pushing the Chief for more time. He knows that Rocky is guilty of something, if only he can find someone to rat on him. But every stool pigeon Milazzo talks to tells him the same thing-they don't know from nothing. Now Milazzo has until midnight to find the connection … or this case might very well be his last.

DEATH IS A PRIVATE EYE“The reason these stories are being published only now, rather than 40 or more years ago when they were first written, is that Gil Brewer’s markets have come back to him. Brewer published his first great noir story in 1955, and he kept writing great noir stories for more than 20 years, long after there were magazines eager to buy them. . . . Now, in 2019, with Brewer’s reputation as an important figure in 20th-century American crime writing continuing to grow, the time has come for his later short stories finally to find their audience.”—from the Introduction by David Rachels

TALL, DARK AND DEADTina Van Lube is being blackmailed by a disreputable ex-lover, so she hires detective Lou Lait to get her incriminating love letters back. All in a day’s work for Lait. Except for one small detail—the disreputable ex-lover, columnist Erskine Spalding, is found dead with a knife in his back. Suspects abound: Tina’s husband Jan, disfigured war hero; Tina’s hot-headed brother, Stanislaus ; Coates, the recently-fired butler; plain-but-dedicated secretary, Prescott; the gun-running Colonel; the social-climbing Durkins…even Lolita, the dancer. They all had their reasons for quieting the nasty gossip columnist. Lait’s making it his job to find out who did the deed.THE SAVAGE CHASEEverybody wants Stallings. Stallings is rich and when he gets drunk all he wants to do is gamble…and he always loses. So when a clever cabbie ends up with Stallings passed out in the back of his taxi, he takes him to a hotel room and trades the man to gambler Lee Mayo for some quick cash. Mayo has been carrying on with Stallings wife, but agrees to the exchange, and then tells her where he is. So they hustle over to the hotel, only to find that someone has already picked him up. Now the word is beginning to spread and fellow gambler Ernie Wiles becomes involved, a man much more ruthless than Mayo and determined to find Stallings first. They all want Stallings—what they don’t know is that Stallings is completely broke!RUN THE WILD RIVERThe two deputies escort Bill Ackroyd out of Juarez, kick him around a little, and take all his money. Bleeding and thirsty, he meets Manuel, who gets him back on his feet. Manuel has been leading his fellow Mexicans across the Rio Grande as cheap Texas labor, but having seen the error of his ways, wants Ackroyd to help him break up the illegal business. Ackroyd sees a perfect opportunity, and joins the human traffickers instead. Soon he meets Maria, and figures out how they can make some real money by finding out who controls the whole setup. It’s all going so well. Until blonde, beautiful Gail Graham comes to town…

THE HOODS TAKE OVER Alan Avery is out one evening picking up medicine for his pregnant wife's migraine when he witnesses a brutal murder. Two thugs cut a guy's throat, then throw his body into their trunk and drive away. When he reports to the police exactly what he has seen, the cops are surprised to find someone who will actually stand up to the hoods in town. His wife fears the worst, but Alan sticks by his testimony. So when Ricca and Doto are arrested and fingered by Alan, crime boss Marty Kahn springs into action, eventually getting them freed. Now the gangsters are making their own plans-and dealing with Alan is the number one priority on their list.

PIRATES You're an ex-SEAL named Hal Morgan. You served in a desert war and returned to the States with plenty of scars-inside as well as outside. Now you sail charter boats in Puerto Rico, taking the tourists out to sea. You're returning an empty boat to the marina when you spot a daysailer drifting ahead, apparently abandoned and ready to sink. You come alongside and find a young woman in a torn, black cocktail dress lying unconscious in the cockpit. The daysailer doesn't look as though it will last long, so you hurry the woman over to your boat and do what you can for her. When she wakes, she finds your gun in the cabin and demands that you go back and get some bag she left on the daysailer. She acts as though this bag means a lot to her-and it does. Because the young woman-Ana Cortez Bolano-has just left her boyfriend, gangster boss Jaime Riviera, taking all his cash with her. Now you have a choice: you can hand Ana over to Riviera, knowing what he'll do to her, or you can make like a white knight and help her escape. The first decision is easy. After that, well, things get complicated ....

THE SPREADWalter is the New York publisher of a sex magazine called The Spread. He sells about 100,000 copies an issue. This glossy, pornographic weekly provides him a platform to work out his fantasies while fulfilling the dubious needs of his readers. The way he sees it, Walter provides a service—he is in demand. He has sex with his secretary Virginia in the office, and services his wife at home. But Walter has become both a spokesman for the sexual revolution, and a victim of it. He has become trapped by his own creation. He begins to harass the readers who send in classified ads. He ignores an advertiser who may be selling dangerous goods. The times are getting ahead of Walter. And he is the last one to know it.  HORIZONTAL WOMANShe has good thighs, good breasts, a striking if somewhat affected face — she knows all of this because she has been told so by clients many times — but she knows what they can never tell her: that her best feature is her compassion and she wears it like armor through all the streets… Elizabeth Moore is a social worker. Her supervisor, Oved, is trying to train her to be a dedicated investigator. After all, her job is to protect the city and reduce public assistance. But Elizabeth has another mission, to help her clients with their self-esteem. She is a caseworker who takes her caseloads very seriously indeed. The trouble is that so many people need her. But how can she explain to her boss that the kind of therapy she provides her clients can only be offered in bed?

REDHEADS DIE QUICKLY Gil Brewer, the frantic master of compulsive noir fiction—the man of whom author/editor Ed Gorman once said, “at his best, he hooked you in the first paragraph and never let you go.”  According to Leonard Cassuto, author of Hard-Boiled Sentimentality: The Secret History of American Crime Stories, “Brewer marinated crime and lust together in the humid Florida heat to produce stories of sexual hunger, obsession, and predation.” Presented here are thirty of his best Florida stories, direct from the pages of Manhunt, Pursuit, Detective Tales and other great mystery magazines of the 1950s and 60s. Brewer contributed prolifically to the pulp outlets of the day, turning out everything from hardboiled crime tales to pornographic fantasies. He published over 100 stories and 50 novels from 1951 to 1976 under his own name and at least 13 pseudonyms (including an Ellery Queen novel). Originally published in 2012 by University Press of Florida, this new Stark House edition of Redheads Die Quickly includes five stories left out of the first edition, including the novelette “Meet Me in the Dark.” They are, as crime writer Dave Zeltserman referenced them, “hard-boiled gems, with each story wilder than the next.”

NO LAW AGAINST ANGELS In which Lt. Al Wheeler investigates the murder of two young ladies--both of whom worked at the Haven of Rest mortuary-both of whom had a tattoo on their upper shoulder in the shape of a dollar sign which turns into a snake-and both of whom worked as part-time call-girls for the mysterious fellow known as Snake Lannigan, a man no one has ever seen. DOLL FOR THE BIG HOUSE In which Lt. Al Wheeler is reassigned to the Eight Precinct under Captain Bligh in order to--find Lili Hertz, whose sister has reported her missing-track her to the Big House of Absolem Kirch, despotic owner of a newspaper empire and the man behind a lot of dirty politics-and crack the kidnapping ring that provides Kirch with the young girls he keeps in his mansion against their will. CHORINE MAKES A KILLING In which Lt. Al Wheeler turns in his badge to become a private investigator for a lawyer's firm in order to--investigate an open-and-shut murder case involving Walter Byrne, friend of the lawyer and now married to the lawyer's ex-wife-determine just who really did kill the chorus girl, who was also Byrne's mistress-figure out who is trying to kill Byrne's wife, Myra, while fending off the advances of the man's sexy daughter. .

FRANTIC Julien Courtois finds himself in a bit of financial bind. And the only way out is murder. He's even got the perfect plan. While his secretary believes him to be in his office, he climbs up a rope to an upper floor and stages his victim's "suicide." It all works according to plan. But on his way out of the building, he remembers that the rope is still dangling out of the window, leading right down to his office! Rushing back into the building, Julien manages to get stuck in the elevator when the janitor turns off the power for the weekend. At the same time, a young couple steal Julien's car from in front of the building, and his wife, thinking she's watching Julien drive off with another woman, assumes the worst. And so begins a torturous set of circumstances. While Julien remains trapped in the elevator, his life gradually becomes unraveled by a vindictive wife and a couple of teenagers playing at being gangsters. Filmed in 1961 by Louis Malle as Elevator to the Gallows, this classic French novel is a masterpiece of noir tension.

GO, LOVELY ROSE They find Mrs. Henshaw at the bottom of the cellar stairs with her neck broken. Everyone assumes she has fallen. But when Rose's sister appears on the scene, she immediately begins to cry murder. And she's right! Young Hartley is the obvious suspect. Mrs. Henshaw had been his and his sister Rachel's housekeeper for many years, and there was no love lost between any of them. In fact, no one in town really liked Rose Henshaw. Her ex-husband, Francie, certainly knew how evil she could be-she ruined his life. The rest of them were simply afraid of her: young Dr. Craig, the newcomer in town; and Bix, Hartley's teenage girlfriend; her father, Hugh Bovard, editor of the local paper; and his shattered wife, Althea, still mourning the loss of her son. They all hated Rose Henshaw for one reason or another-but who hated her enough to push her down the stairs? THE EVIL WISH Ever since Marcia and Lucy were little girls, they would hide in the basement of their brownstone and listen in on their father's conversations. But now they are in their 30s, still living with their domineering father, and one day they eavesdrop on a very portentous revelation. Their widowed father intends to marry his secretary, give her all his money, and let her kick his daughters out of their house. In their anger and outrage, Marcia and Lucy hatch a plot to murder him. When their father and his secretary are involved in a fatal car crash, their plans prove unnecessary. But what are they to do with their murder scheme and the residual guilt-particularly when the aborted plot develops a life of its own?

NIGHTFALL Jim Vanning stands at the window of his Greenwich Village apartment. It's a hot, sticky night, but he's afraid to go out. Vanning is haunted by memories of a car accident…and a gun. He's killed a man, and he knows they will be coming for him. But will it be the cops or the criminals that find him first? Finally, Vanning decides to go out. He has no idea where he's going, but he's in a hurry to get there. That's when he meets Martha…and soon realizes that she will either redeem him, or lead him to his doom. Either way, Vanning is rushing into the night… CASSIDY'S GIRL Cassidy used to be an airline pilot. But that was before the crash. Now he drives a bus. And drinks with his friends. And fights with his wife Mildred, a slave to her temper, her body, her sex. But Mildred has found a new man to torment. So when Cassidy meets Doris, he decides to ditch his life, and take up with her instead. Doris is his angel, his way out. But Doris already has a lover-the bottle. Torn between his jealousy over Mildred and his new-found desire for Doris, Cassidy starts making plans to escape the desolation that is his life. But a man can only go so far to escape himself. NIGHT SQUAD Corey Bradford was a cop but they caught him on the take, and bounced him. Now he's a back alley pariah. He can't even sit in at one of Grogan's poker games. But when Corey saves the big man's life one night, Grogan offers him $15,000 to find out who tried to heist him. Then McDermott of the Night Squad steps in and offers Corey his badge back to work with him to bring down Grogan. Corey is torn down the middle. The Night Squad can hand him back his prestige, his dignity. But Grogan's bribe can bring him a small fortune, a way out. Make one mistake, and either side will kill him.

LEAD WITH YOUR LEFTDave Wintino is the youngest homicide cop on the force, and is constantly getting ribbed for it. When an ex-cop named Owens is found murdered while delivering some for a bond company, no one takes Wintino seriously when he suggests it could be more than just a random burglary. He starts investigating on his own, and discovers that Owens and his old partner were still working together. Could an 30-year-old case involving a bootleg still and a gangland killing have anything to do with Owens' death? When Owens' partner is found murdered as well, Wintino knows that there is more than coincidence at work here-if only he can get someone to take him seriously. THE BEST THAT EVER DID ITTwo men are murdered on a New York City street. One is a guy who just won a thousand dollars in a slogan contest. The other is a cop. The wife of the cop hires Barney Harris to find the killer. But what possible motive could there be for the killing of these two total strangers? Of course, the cops are already on this one, but Barney gets lucky, and stumbles across a clue in a neighborhood bar. He finds a prostitute the two men had in common. But he still can't figure out why a killer would go after them both. What linked these two men? And what kind of scheme prompts a gunman to go after a guy so squeaky clean that the boldest act of his life is planning a trip to Europe with his contest winnings?

THE RED SCARF Roy Nichols needs to find some quick cash to keep from losing his motel. The new highway was supposed to go through, providing plenty of business, but now it's been delayed. The bank refuses to help, and his brother turns him down. Desperate and on the way back home, he catches a ride with a bickering couple named Vivian and Teece. They start drinking, then Teece gets spooked, and crashes the car. That's when Nichols discovers that his travelling companions have been carrying a briefcase full of cash. Teece appears to be dead, and Vivian confesses that they have robbed the mob, and begs him to help her escape. But to do that, Nichols will have to lie to his wife Bess…to the cops…and ultimately, to a very dangerous man named Radan. A KILLER IS LOOSE Ex-cop Steve Logan is down on his luck. With a baby on the way, Logan decides to pawn his last pistol to a bartender friend. On his way, he rescues a stranger, Ralph Angers, from being hit by an oncoming bus. Angers is an eye surgeon and a Korean War vet, and he has plans to build a hospital in town. Unfortunately, he is also prepared to kill anyone and everyone who gets in the way of his plans. So when Angers manages to get a hold of Logan's Luger, he also drags his rescuer into a nightmare of murder and insanity. Logan becomes a hostage to Angers' plans, and there will be no mercy to anyone who gets in his way.