CORA BUHLERT

Massachusetts in the Year of the Lord 1695: Apprentice witchfinder Matthew Goodson, and condemned witch Grace Pankhurst have been on the run from Matthews former masters for months now.Shortly before Christmas, Matthew and Grace find shelter with the Whitelaw family in the town of Cold Hollow. But the witchfinders are on their trail, so Matthew and Grace have to flee again on the day of the winter solstice.Many dangers lurk in the dense woods of Massachusetts Bay Colony. But which is the greater threat, the witchfinders or the thing from beyond that dwells in the woods and hunts on the darkest nights of the year?This is a historical holiday horror novelette of 11100 words or approximately 40 print pages by two-time Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert.

The cryogenic freezing of the dead in hope of a eventual revival has long been the province of cranks and crazies. However, when two frozen mountain gorillas are successfully revived, cryogenics suddenly becomes a viable medical technology. The first humans are revived soon thereafter and though most of them have financial difficulties not to mention problems adjusting to the new world in which they find themselves, their successful revival nonetheless sparks a run on cryogenic freezing with unforeseen social and financial consequencesThis short story of 2300 words chronicles the cryogenics boom of the mid to late twenty-first century.

After a massive row with her parents over intolerable relatives, Katie finds herself all alone for the holidays. So she heads for the one place in town where everyone is welcome on Christmas Eve, the legendary Purple Owl Cafe.The Purple Owl Cafe has a chequered sixty-year history. These days its not just a place for good music and conversation, it also happens to be a lesbian bar.Katie doesnt mind, though so far her life was too busy for romance of any kind. But thats about to change when Katie meets Jess at the Christmas Eve party at the Purple Owl CafeThis is a short and sweet holiday romance of 4700 words or approximately 16 print pages.

When two men dressed up as Father Christmas rob a London jewellery store and one of them ends up dead on the floor, shot by his own accomplice, its certainly one of the more unusual cases for Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd and her team. But as Helen begins to investigate, it turns out that the case is even more bizarre than she suspected.This is a holiday mystery novelette of 9300 words or approx. 30 print pages in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.

When a priceless Fabergé egg goes missing from a locked room in the London townhouse of Russian oligarch Yevgeny Ivanov, everybody quickly suspects Eva Hart, Ivanovs cleaning lady and single mother.But Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd has her doubts about this theory, for Eva Hart has no motive, since the egg is unsellable on the free market. But what does Evas little daughter Emily know? And what happened to the egg?This is a mystery novelette of 7500 words or approx. 25 pages.

Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run together.Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eke out a living on the independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under the radar of those pursuing them.When they are hired to retrieve a shipment of bootleg medical nanobots, it seems like a routine job at first. But it quickly turns out that they are not the only ones who are after the nanobots. And their client has an agenda of her own. This is a story of 5100 words or approx. 20 print pages in the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.

Cadet Anjali Patel had hoped for something more exciting than guard duty for her first mission with the legendary Shakyri Expeditionary Corps, the best fighters in the Empire of Worlds.However, this boring job quickly turns hot, when an enemy convoy comes up the mountain pass Anjali is supposed to guard.This is a prequel story of 4500 words or approx. 18 print pages to the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.

When the landlord of "The Cork and the Bottle" ends up dead in a puddle of blood on the floor of his own pub, the case seems clear. The teen burglars who broke into the pub to steal the contents of the till are the culprits.But there are things about the case that just dont add up. And eventually, Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd begins to suspect that the killers are to be found much closer to homeThis is a crime short of 4400 words or approx. 14 print pages altogether in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.

Absolutely no one is sorry when the infamous Ruislip Wood Ripper, a serial killer who has already murdered three women, ends up dead in the forest, shot by a hunter while on the cusp of attacking his fourth victim.But there are just a few coincidences too many in this case for the taste of Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd. Was it really just pure luck that hunter Reginald Hargreaves just happened to be in the right place at the right time? And why did no one warn French tourist Anne Marie Sauvage that there was a killer on the loose in Ruislip Woods?This is a crime short of 6200 words or approx. 20 print pages altogether in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.

At first glance, the robbery in a small bank branch doesnt seem overly mysterious. After all, the CCTV footage clearly shows a masked robber threatening bank clerk Jim Carling with a gun before disabling the cameras.However, the robber knew a bit too much about the inner workings of the bank, so Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd quickly suspects that the robber had inside help. But who of the five bank employees is the insider? And what happened to Jim Carling after the robber took him hostage?This is a crime novelette of 9300 words or approx. 30 print pages altogether in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.

Homeless teen Chris certainly isnt the most reliable of witnesses. And so no one takes her seriously when she walks into a police station and claims that her boyfriend Max, nicknamed Zorro, has been kidnapped.Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd is initially inclined to dismiss Chris as well. But then Chris mentions a ransom demand, a mysterious phone call demanding an envelope in exchange for the safe return of Max.Chris claims she has no idea what the kidnappers are talking about. But when Helen and her team investigate the abandoned warehouse that Max and Chris have made their home, she notices unusual activities in the area.But what precisely do the kidnappers want? And whatever happened to Max?This is a mystery novelette of 8700 words or approximately 28 print pages in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.

When intern Kitty Chan is found dead in the basement of the Victoria and Albert Museum, dressed in a Victorian ball gown, the cause of death is quickly established. Kitty died of arsenic poisoning. But who gave her the deadly dose and why?Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd investigates and quickly realises that there is more to this case than meets the eye.This is a mystery novelette of 8500 words or approx. 27 print pages in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.Warning : There are some rude words in this story.

When Caroline Murray is found dead in an underground parking garage with a needle in her arm, the case seems clear. Caroline died of a drug overdose.However, everybody who knew Caroline insists that she was vehemently opposed to drugs and would never have taken any. And what was Caroline doing at 544 Grant Road, a building to which she had no known connection?Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd is quickly convinced that Caroline Murrays death was not a simple drug overdose. But who had reason to want Caroline dead and why?This is a crime novelette of 7700 words or approx. 24 print pages altogether in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.

New York City, 1936: Its a rare evening at home for Richard Blakemore, hardworking pulp writer by day and the masked vigilante only known as the Silencer by night. But even though crime never rests, next months Silencer novel doesnt write itself. And besides, Richard enjoys the chance to spend some time with his fiancee Constance Allen.Pulp fiction thrives on exaggeration and non-stop action. And as always, the question is how much of the Silencers adventures are fact and how much is fiction?This is a short story of 2700 words or approx. 10 print pages in the Silencer series, but may be read as a standalone.

Three tales of broken hearts and love gone wrongMatt was the great love of Lydias young life. But how can she possible survive, knowing that he loves another, that red-headed bitch Jeannie?They got their happy ending, the white wedding, the house, the suburban life together. But every morning when he leaves for work, she secretly hopes he wont come back.Three years ago, AJ and Diane were a couple. It didnt work out and Diane grew a hard shell around her wounded heart and adopted a new tough personality to survive. But when she runs into AJ at a wedding party, the past comes crashing back all at once.This is a collection of three short stories of 4700 words or approx. 18 print pages altogether.

After a massive row with her parents over intolerable relatives, Katie finds herself all alone for the holidays. So she heads for the one place in town where everyone is welcome on Christmas Eve, the legendary Purple Owl Cafe.The Purple Owl Cafe has a chequered sixty-year history. These days its not just a place for good music and conversation, it also happens to be a lesbian bar.Katie doesnt mind, though so far her life was too busy for romance of any kind. But thats about to change when Katie meets Jess at the Christmas Eve party at the Purple Owl CafeThis is a short and sweet holiday romance of 4700 words or approximately 16 print pages.

Cadet Anjali Patel had hoped for something more exciting than guard duty for her first mission with the legendary Shakyri Expeditionary Corps, the best fighters in the Empire of Worlds.However, this boring job quickly turns hot, when an enemy convoy comes up the mountain pass Anjali is supposed to guard.This is a prequel story of 4500 words or approx. 18 print pages to the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.Nominated for the 2018 eFestival of Word Best of the Independent eBooks Award

Thirty years ago Jimmy Donnelly was sent to prison. Now hes free again and eager to finally avenge himself on Detective Charles Maryham, the man who put him behind bars. And then theres Maryhams beautiful wife Carla, the subject of many of Jimmys wet dreams back in prison.But thirty years is a long time. And sometimes, its too late for vengeance.This is a short story of 3700 words. This story is also available as part of the collection Murder in the Family.

Even in a galaxy torn apart by war, the young still have dreams.On Rajipuri, a poor planet in the Empire of Worlds, Anjali Patel and her two younger sisters look up at the stars and dream of escaping the limitations of a traditional and rigidly stratified society.At the same time, in a camp for war orphans in the Republic of United Planets, Mikhail Grikov also looks up at the stars and dreams of escaping a life of pain and abuse.One day in the far future, they will meet and change the galaxy. But for now, theyre merely dreaming of the starsThis is a prequel novelette of 8500 words or approx. 30 print pages to the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.

New York City, 1938: Richard Blakemore, hardworking pulp writer by day and the masked vigilante only known as the Silencer by night, has faced many a horror in his day. But few of them can match the terror of the blank page. Especially since Donald A. Stuart, the upstart young editor of an upstart young magazine called Stunning Science Stories, has already rejected Richards story "The Icy Cold of Space" four times.Stuart demands changes that Richard does not want to make. Worse, he also holds Richards story hostage. Unless Stuart permanently rejects the story, Richard cannot sell it elsewhere.There are a lot of shady practices in the pulp business, but Stuarts actions are beyond the pale even for the wild west of publishing. And so the Silencer decides to pay Stuart a visit to put the fear of God into an editor who believes himself to be one.This is a novelette of 10800 words or approx. 38 print pages in the Silencer series, but may be read as a standalone.Any resemblances to editors, writers and magazines living, dead or undead are entirely not coincidental.