Kane Paul - Exit Wounds

EXIT
WOUNDS

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Exit Wounds
Print edition ISBN: 9781785659188
E-book edition ISBN: 9781785659195

Published by Titan Books
A division of Titan Publishing Group Ltd
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 0UP

First edition: May 2019
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Names, places and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead (except for satirical purposes), is entirely coincidental.

Introduction Copyright Paul B. Kane & Marie ORegan 2019
The Bully Copyright Jeffery Deaver 2019
Dead Weight Copyright Fiona Cummins 2019
Like a Glass Jaw Copyright Mark Billingham Ltd 2015. This story was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015 as part of the series Blood, Sweat and Tears.
On The Anatomization of an Unknown Man (1637) by Frans Mier Copyright John
Connolly 2016. Originally published in Night Music: Nocturnes 2.
Reprinted by permission of the author.
The Pitcher Copyright Sarah Hilary 2019
Disciplined Copyright Martyn Waites 2019
The Consumers Copyright Dennis Lehane 2012. Originally published in Mystery Writers
of America present Vengeance. Reprinted by permission of the author.
Voices Through the Wall Copyright Alex Gray 2009. Originally published in Shattered:
Every Crime has a Victim. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Wet With Rain Copyright Lee Child 2014. Originally published in Belfast Noir.
Reprinted by permission of the author.
Happy Holidays Copyright Val McDermid 2008. Originally published in
the Daily Mail. Reprinted by permission of the author.
Fool You Twice Copyright Marland Broadribb Ltd. 2019
Lebensraum Copyright Christopher Fowler 2019
Dancing Towards the Blade Copyright Mark Billingham Ltd. A version of this story
was first published in Men From Boys, edited by John Harvey. Published by William
Heinemann Ltd, 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.
Kittens Copyright Dean Koontz 1966. Originally published in The Reflector,
Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania; revised edition
Dean R. Koontz 1995. Reprinted by permission of the author.
Take My Hand Copyright A.K. Benedict 2019
Dressed to Kill Copyright James Oswald 2019
Booty and the Beast Copyright Joe R. Lansdale 1995. Originally published in
Archon Gaming. Reprinted by permission of the author.
The New Lad Copyright Paul Finch 2019
The Recipe Copyright Louise Jensen 2019

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

By Paul B. Kane & Marie ORegan

We have both been fans of the crime genre for as far back as we can remember.

Our tastes have always been wide-ranging, as broad as the genre itself. From the mysteries of Agatha Christie to Colin Dexters Morse, from the hard-boiled detective stories of Raymond Chandler to the serial killer tales of Thomas Harris and Jeff Lindsay over the years weve lapped them all up. Needless to say, theyve also influenced our own work, from novels like The Gemini Factor to collections such as Nailbiters and In Times of Want

And over the course of our careers in fiction, weve also been fortunate enough to meet a lot of our crime-writing heroes, whether its at conventions some of which weve even run ourselves or online, either through social media or just on email. This got us thinking, over a drink in a pub (drinking and thinking, just like all the best detectives), what if we were to try and put together an anthology of stories by some of our favourite crime writers, something we would love to read ourselves? After all, weve racked up a fair amount of experience between us compiling anthologies such as Hellbound Hearts, A Carnivle ofHorror, Phantoms and Beyond Rue Morgue (also by Titan and of interest to crime fans because it gathers together new stories featuring Poes detective Dupin).

But what should the focus be this time? As already mentioned, theres such a wide scope to crime fiction; from psychological to procedural, from the armchair detective to hit-men and assassins, the genre takes them all in. Theres one thing you tend to find in a crime story, however, and thats an exit of some kind. Sometimes its a death, an event that kicks everything off or even ends it. Or it could be a case of someone going missing, leaving a family not knowing what happened. Or simply somebody skipping out on a marriage, or a deal, or even a country. Or it might be that a character has reached the point of no return and sees no option but to end it all themselves.

And, of course, an inevitable consequence of that exit or absence whether it comes at the end or the beginning of a tale is likely to be a wound of some sort. It doesnt have to be physical, it can be emotional (sometimes those kinds of wounds are even worse). Put both of these ideas together and you have Exit Wounds, the book you are holding in your hands and which were incredibly proud of.

Inside these pages youll find many varied tales of both exits and wounds, the topics left as wide open as possible for authors to deliver their very best work. And do we have some treats in store for you! From how the main character in Jeffery Deavers The Bully deals with the titular threat, to an overbearing mother in Fiona Cummins Dead Weight; from a certain famous painting in John Connollys On the Anatomization of an Unknown Man (1637) by Frans Mier to a journalists hunt for a story in Sarah Hilarys The Pitcher and the depravities of love in Martyn Waites Disciplined.

Dennis Lehane, meanwhile, offers a cautionary tale about modern life in The Consumers, Alex Grays haunting Voices Through the Wall will give you pause for thought, as will Christopher Fowlers affecting Lebensraum, and Lee Childs jumping-off point is the sale of a house in Wet With Rain. We present Dean Koontzs first ever published story here in the form of the shocking Kittens, mix mythology and crime in A.K. Benedicts Take My Hand, and serve up a slice of good ol-fashioned Texas noir in Joe R. Lansdales Booty and the Beast.

Theres a double helping of crime favourite Mark Billingham in the form of Like a Glass Jaw and Dancing Towards the Blade, plus a hard-hitting novelette from Paul Finch, The New Lad, and a subtly chilling look at suburban life in Louise Jensens The Recipe. All this and appearances from Val McDermids beloved characters Tony Hill and Carol Jordan in Happy Holidays, bounty hunter Lori Anderson (her first adventure, actually) in Steph Broadribbs Fool You Twice, and Scottish detective Inspector McLean in James Oswalds Dressed to Kill. All in all, a line-up that should please fans of crime in all its forms.