Seven Sordid Stories

1. The Blood on the Curb. The narrative follows morally questionable detective, George ＂Six-Shot＂ McGraw, a rough-around-the-edges, world-weary cop, only just returning to the job after the highly-publicized killing of a notorious mobster, and the investigation into an apparent gangland slaying, and the complicated truth and deadly consequences that lie at the core of the case. 2. It Comes in Threes. The devastating story of a man succumbing to his greatest suspicions. The ultimate fear and sheerest circumstances that drive an ordinary man into the darkest regions of the human psyche, propelling a short series of events that leave a bloody trail of misery for those closest to him. A story of love, friendship, paranoia, possession, actuality, and murder. 3. A Killer Scoop. The story follows a young waitress in the heart of neighborhood being terrorized by an unidentified serial killer, and the two strangers who walk through the diner doors and forever alter her life; this includes the romantic interest - and the daunting discovery - of one of these strangers. Who both seem all too familiar with her. 4. Devil’s Gypsy. Callous criminality runs rampant, loyalty is tested, and life is considered cheap in this hot-rodding, switchblade-wielding rumble of a story, following the violent twenty-four hours of an increasingly reckless gang member. 5. The Briefcase. When two low-life friends stumble across the violent aftermath of a mysterious meeting gone wrong on the backroads of the boondocks, what seems like a stroke of good luck takes multiple turns into murder and deception. 6. Lunchroom Verdict. This short story was meant as a crude farce, showcasing the indifference men of power can hold for human life when presented with even the remotest possibility of threat, with examples of sinister peer-pressure and self-preservation. 7. When They Came Back. The story, also told in numerous flashbacks, follows the return of psychopathic hitman Peter Ritten after his latest ＂job.＂ As the night goes on, the memories this man used to relish take on a disturbing tangency - as if returning from the grave - and the hunter finds the tables turned. But nothing is as it seems. Even the hauntings.

A young writer from Raleigh, NC, Nick Swain’s publication history includes several works of crime fiction featured in Crimson Streets Magazine; this includes the Neo-Noir heist story ＂The LaFierra Caper and Its Rat Pack Robbers＂; the one-room gangster mystery ＂The Cabanga Situation＂; and the serialized novella ＂Devil in Disguise＂; along with an engaging guide for aspiring Pulp writers and avid readers alike titled ＂Fast Talk: The Slang of Pulp.＂ Swain has also had an eerie tale published in each of HellBound Books’ ＂Shopping List＂ anthologies. ＂The House on the Back Road＂ being featured in the first, and ＂Archie’s Beachside Paradise＂ being featured in its sequel