SETH W. JAMES

The Only Problem and Other Stories

“A cop-turned-armed-robber on his way to the payoff should always expect betrayal, but he thinks he's only risking his life until everything goes wrong . . .

A young restaurateur trying to save his first venture by mule-ing a kilo of coke learns what it means to do anything . . .

A hard-boiled detective will go a long way to find his friend’s murderer, even if the trail leads through a crooked police department, the arms of a lusty heiress, and a midnight ambush . . .

The Only Problem and Other Stories is a collection of hard-boiled, noir, and caper stories, set in the roaring ‘20s, the crumbling ‘70s, modern day, and no day at all. Inspired by masters of genre such as Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, and John Godey, detectives, bounty hunters, cops, drug dealers, thugs, the lawyer outside the law, and the guy in the wrong place all take their turn on stage, telling the story of life from its lowliest filth to the gleam of a diamond in the rough. So, strap on your .45, grab a bottle for the road, and let’s roll.”

Shadow Over Odiome

“From the dark corners of the world to the outskirts of civilization, Cthulhu Cults embrace the madness of their dead god's call through murderous rites intent upon his resurrection and the re-enslavement of all human kind. Waging hidden war against the rising tide of darkness is Solomon Kane, father of the slain and Venator, one of few solitary hunters who battle beyond hope to find and destroy the cults before the sacrificial dagger falls. But when Kane investigates the seaside town of Odiome, he discovers a more ancient cult at work, more secretive, more organized and determined, capable of succeeding where the insane Cthulhu Cults have failed: The Followers of Dagon. Now, though relentlessly pursued by The Followers and racing against the approaching eon's end, Kane must uncover where and how the mass sacrifice will be conducted that resurrects Cthulhu and heralds human kind's demise.”

Samuel Creed

“They were the King and Queen of New York: Richard Kilmer, the literary golden boy whose début novel had captured America's heart, and his wife Carrie, an Amazonian in height, beauty, and prowess that every musical on Broadway wanted to hire as the city's hottest young choreographer.

Behind their throne, however, the dream life they had built was on the verge of collapse. Rich hadn't written a single word of his second novel in three years of trying. Failing to produce his next book by the contracted deadline would mean the end of his career and financial independence, driving him back to his wealthy father's house of humiliation and shame. In desperation, Rich looked to the provocative novels of his prolific but unpublished best friend Samuel Creed—and stole one.

Alarmed by her husband’s seclusion and the loss of their once inexhaustible intimacy, Carrie then sought the advice of their closest friend, Sam Creed. Though looking for insight and comfort, Carrie reawakened feelings for Sam she only now had the courage to face, leading to a passion greater than she imagined and consequences more tragic than betrayal.

But neither love nor friendship, nor even ambition, will grace the stage when the truth is revealed, and the final act is written by Samuel Creed.”

The Parnell Affair

“As an NOC officer at the CIA, Sally Parnell had spent her life fighting the proliferation of nuclear weapons. An adept at international intrigue, she never expected that after bringing good news out of Niger (a certain Middle Eastern dictator had not, in fact, tried to buy uranium) that her cover would be blown and her overseas network of agents would be revealed and murdered—by her own government. The administration of President Peter Howland, however, had gone to great lengths to plant the evidence that she had debunked, needing the threat of nuclear terrorism to strong arm the nation into war: they would not allow the reputation of one spy or the lives of her foreign agents to stand in their way. At The Washington Observer, Hill reporter Tobias Hallström uncovered his newspaper’s complicity in the outing of Sally Parnell. Desperate to discover why and to atone for his paper’s despicable actions, Tobias offers Sally his contacts, his resources, and his unequivocal help. Sally accepts and together she and Tobias struggle to uncover the truth behind the President's betrayal and to win a measure of justice for her fallen agents. They soon discover that revealing her identity was only one piece of a larger and more sinister puzzle, composed of crimes greater than treason, and motivated by desires worse than greed.

Inspired by the actual events which led to the Iraq War, The Parnell Affair is a meticulously researched fictional account of one of America’s most contentious eras. Detailing the interplay between such controversial topics as the outing of Valerie Wilson (née Plame), the forged Niger Documents, and the torture of prisoners, The Parnell Affair draws into focus the key elements of America’s march toward war in a unique, character-driven thriller.”

The Pyrrhic Rendition

“American journalist Ianthe Van Alt came to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to investigate the cross-border tunnels into Gaza, to forget what had happened to her in New York four months ago, and to forget William. What she found was an escapee from Cairo's infamous Torrah Prison, an escapee with a story about the CIA dragging a businessman in to be tortured. Tales of the US government using Extraordinary Rendition for purposes other than terrorism had surfaced from time to time, but this one was different: a crafty guard had taken a photograph proving it all. But more than a cell phone pic convinced Ianthe of the story's authenticity: as soon as she returned to Cairo, the murders and kidnapping attempts began as the full weight of the US government came crashing down around her, desperate to smother her investigation before it unveiled a truth so dangerous it could tear the administration from power.

Now, Ianthe is on the run, searching for the crafty guard and his photo, and trying to evade the private military contractors the administration has sent to capture her.  Also pursuing her is William, a former Foreign Service Officer and Ianthe's ex-lover, sent by her paper to investigate her disappearance. No one knows her or her methods better than William Kennan, no one is more likely to track her down, but will he find her in time to help her gather the evidence of the administration's crimes, to impeach the President, or will he unwittingly draw down her hunters upon them both?”

The Adventurers

“The Sacred Spring has struck and an Orc horde ten-thousand strong has erupted from Mount Festir, surging down the forested highlands toward the coast and plunder—and over the pastoral town of Getnits. Known primarily for the smell of its tanneries and the dullness of its farmers, Getnits seemed the most boring place imaginable to Goey, the heir apparent to the Village's only bakery. With his majority and adulthood less than a year away, Goey would soon become an important man in the village, as baker, or would if not for his only partly unearned reputation as a thief. But a childhood spent breaking into the Strutting Stag Inn to listen to bard's tales had fired his blood for adventure and so, together with his best friend—Regnar, one of the forest folk that the villagers called vagabonds, when they didn't call them outlaws—and his worst enemy—Hefgirt, the recently reformed town bully and reluctant heir to the town's only caravanner—and Wanda— the tavern keeper's daughter who harbors a deadly secret—Goey intends to renounce village life for a career as an adventurer. Their ceaseless training in preparation for the road ahead will be tested long before their planned departure, though, when a clue to the mystery of Hefgirt's mother's murder surfaces; they will be tested further when Wanda's secret is revealed to a village that still burns at the stake any suspected of witchcraft; and they will face the ultimate test when they learn that the worst tale in Getnist's history is about to be retold—by the approaching horde.”