Showing results by author "Richard Paolinelli" in All Categories

Sherlock Holmes! The very name of the world's greatest detective conjures up images of Victorian London, gaslit streets, hansom cabs, and dense fogs. But there was a time, a dark three-year period, when London had to make do without Sherlock Holmes. From 1891 to 1894, he was presumed dead, having perished during the epic struggle with that infamous Napoleon of crime, Professor Moriarty, atop the Reichenbach Falls. But unknown to most, even his friend Dr. Watson, Holmes survived.

On October 8, 1956, New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history against the Brooklyn Dodgers. But the story you have never heard, a story that, had it not happened the way it did, might have changed the very history of baseball is the story of the man in the mask and blue umpire suit standing behind the plate and Yankees catcher Yogi Berra. That man was Ralph "Babe" Pinelli. Had it been any other umpire that day other than Pinelli, Larsen's perfect game might never have happened, if not for how Pinelli grew up in early 20th Century San Francisco, ...

This is the 25th story from The Art of Sherlock Holmes project and first appeared in The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, Part VI.

Millions of years in the future, humanity has been driven out of the Milky Way and now calls the Andromeda Galaxy home. Lost in their murky past are the tales of great knights who held the line against the invasion of a dark force until the rest of humanity could escape their doom. The last and greatest of these knights was Galen Underwood. Long after that heroic stand, a mercenary by the name of Galen Dwyn has been hired to rescue a kidnapped princess.

US Marshal David Crockett Hall and Texas Ranger John Barclay Armstrong have set out chasing men, each for their own reasons. When their paths converge in Kansas, they discover the men they were following separately have now joined together and are heading for a giant payday somewhere, but where, the two lawmen don't know. This story is about camaraderie, friendship, hardship, and an unerring desire to complete their jobs at any and all costs.

Three tribal leaders have been murdered - murdered in a fashion that suggests the deeds were carried out by the COYOTE, a legendary evil trickster feared by many Native Americans. The tribal president contacts his old friend in the FBI for assistance in solving the crimes and preventing more murders. The FBI selects its star agent, Jack Del Rio, and dispatches him to New Mexico. Del Rio finds a situation tangled in political intrigue, and must work through those issues on his way to solving the mystery. Assisting him in his quest is Officer Lucy Chee. A romantic interest develops.

Thousands have checked into the Infinity Hotel over the years. None of them have ever checked out. Peter Childress and Charlie Womack are successful engineers on their way to Phoenix for an important presentation. But one of Charlie's infamous shortcuts has gotten them good and lost once again. As night falls, the pair stumble across the Infinity Hotel and the promise of a meal, fuel and a good night's sleep before starting off fresh in the morning is too good to pass up. But while Charlie takes to the hotel's amazing amenities, Peter begins to uncover some of the hotel's dark secrets.

In the thrilling conclusion to the Jack Del Rio series, Endgames, the former FBI special agent has fallen off the grid and is content to let the rest of the world believe him dead. He has taken the name John Rivers and lives a secluded life on the Navajo Reservation...But the shades of his past are not yet done with him yet. Surviving elements of his enemies from London and Washington D.C. want to see him actually filling out a grave and are coming for him.

A compelling political conspiracy mystery thriller heralds the return of FBI star agent Jack Del Rio, who is perhaps the only man in America who can stop the strings of assassinations and conspiracies that threaten to topple the entire government administration and bring the United States under the thumb of evil dictatorship.

In this volume, what you will find in the sections that follow are twenty-one amazing stories of death and wealth set around a wandering cousin far out in the cold edges of our solar system. You will find Vikings, knights, warriors defending home and hearth, of triumph and tragedy, and, yes, even the god himself. You will listen to tales of great courage and great loss. Of sacrifice for a greater good and of justice delivered to the overly greedy. You will even find the aforementioned Walt Disney himself.

These are the stories of the first 100 years of the United States Space Force created by then US President Donald J. Trump. Within this new anthology of military sci-fi short stories, you will find stories of service and incredible sacrifice. Stories of the one sacrificing a few to save the many, and of the one sacrificing himself for all.

These are the stories of Uranus. Stories of new beginnings and creation. Stories of the mysterious seventh planet in our solar system and of the God of the sky that it was named after.

Artists in every era and medium have depicted Neptune as a tempestuous god with ever-changing moods, so it’s fitting that his anthology follows suit. In these sections, you’ll find stories by turns heroic, comic, pensive, absurd, uplifting, and ambiguous. They also reflect different conceptions of what it means to be “related to Neptune”, as this volume was intended to be. Some anchor themselves in mythology, while others focus on the planet, and still others are weird amalgams of Neptunian themes.

While Dwyn lies in stasis, recovering from his injuries in his stand against Harmool's fleet, Rhea has assumed the title of Regent of Salacia while leading the search for her missing father, King Iodocus. She is also helping repair the damage done to the Alliance in her Uncle's and Mother's mad quest to launch a new Empire. A shocking assassination attempt is thwarted at the last second by Dwyn, who seems to be a changed man now that he has exited stasis to save his love.

Welcome to Earth. We know so much about our home planet, yet so very little. From the ancient astronomers who sought to figure out our place among the stars to the modern-day scientists studying the deepest oceans to those who looking for life on other planets. In this anthology resides 18 stories of discovery and daring that exhibit the spirit of adventure that has led explorers to risk their lives trying to discover the mysteries and secrets of Earth.

The Plot Thickens: Imagine you're a 32-year-old Master Chief in the U.S. Navy named Walter Koch, and you're not just testing any old diving suit; you're in what's essentially a high-tech, sci-fi wetsuit for Project Seadragon. This suit lets you swim deeper than a submarine's dreams, without the hassle of tanks or the fear of the bends. But, as luck would have it, your test dive goes south faster than a penguin on a ski lift. An explosion sends you rocketing towards the surface, leaving your team in a rather permanent state of "rest." When you wake up, you're not just in the suit; you are ...

Saturn. The Ringed Planet. Harbinger of ideas and wonder. The planet that gave birth to the modern era of science envisioning the myriad of multi-colored rings circling the planet, one of the reasons for the invention of the telescope, and the second largest in our solar system. These are the stories of Saturn, the great Titan. Tales of time, age, and endings.

Sol, the center of our solar system, the very reason why we exist at all. These are the stories of our Sun, stories of nobility and righteousness. Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Sol, and experience the compelling world of science fiction anthology.

Oracle Veritas of the House of Delphi has waited for over 65 million years to tell her story. In the year 2041, the first humans from Earth have stepped onto the surface of Mars, where they will encounter Oracle and hear of a world once called Olympus, inhabited by a race of immortals that called the planet home. Back then, all were led by Lord Zeus, head of the ruling family of Caste Olympus. But other Castes chafe under the Olympian rule. Lord Odin, of Caste Norse, and Lord Anu, of Caste Paga, have set their eyes upon the throne of Olympus. Only Caste Zion, led by Lord Yahweh, remains loyal to the throne.

There are stories here that explore the mythology of Zeus and the personalities in myth, as well as urban fantasy and fantasy stories that explore our understanding of leadership. The science fiction worlds range from splendidly alien to profoundly human to mixes of each as authors present their visions of what life might be like on Jupiter’s moons.