Stark House Press

01/17/2026

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Marcia Muller has been writing about Sharon McCone for almost 50 years, from her first 1977 novel, Edwin of the Iron Shoes, to her most recent, Circle in the Water, with a wealth of short fiction in between. This month we lead off with a new collection that offers 16 of the best McCone short stories...

01/13/2026

Warehouse space being what it is, we're always trying to reduce stock. To that end, we have added a few more titles to our Sale page at starkhousepress.com. Check it out for some discounted treasures.

01/12/2026

We proudly announce that our lead title for January is THE LOST COAST & OTHER SHARON MCCONE STORIES by Marcia Muller. Marcia Muller has been writing about Sharon McCone for almost 50 years, from her first 1977 novel, "Edwin of the Iron Shoes," to her most recent, "Circle in the Water," with a wealth of short fiction in between. This book collects the best of them.

Here is what "Booklist" had to say in their recent review...

Muller, whose career spans nearly 50 years with over 50 books to her credit, is often recognized as the originator of the female P.I. genre, laying the foundation that led to the development of female sleuths like V. I. Warshawski and Kinsey Milhone. Perhaps Muller’s best known creation is California-based P.I. Sharon McCone—confident, strong-minded, tough, smart—who symbolizes the modern, independent woman who emerged in the 1970s. Muller’s latest is an outstanding collection of short stories, all featuring McCone at different stages in her long career as an investigator in San Francisco. Whether it’s finding the man making threatening calls to the All Souls Legal Cooperative (where McCone spent the bulk of her career), uncovering the motive and perp in the case of a brutally murdered woman, discovering what happened to a naïve
young woman led astray by a handsome con man with big dreams and even bigger ambitions, or hitting the singles' scene to uncover a corrupt dating agency, McCone shows tenacity, intelligence, well-honed intuition, compassion, and an ironic sense of humor in every case. The 16 stories are perfect for those who want to experience the full scope of McCone’s career and Muller's superb writing talent. — Emily Melton

Available wherever books are being sold!

12/15/2025

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Another year, another selection of classic crime reprints, and a few new titles sprinkled in. For December, it’s nothing but the good old stuff this time! Leading off the month is an author new to the Stark House list: Dana Chambers, creator of the Jim Steele series. These two books, with the emph...

12/12/2025

Nancy Oakes writes about a wide variety of fiction on websites like "Oddly Weird Fiction," "GoodReads" and "The Crime Segments." She recently reviewed our November release of Mary Collins' DEAD CENTER, and here is the link: http://www.crimesegments.com/2025/10/back-from-hiatus-and-moving-right-along.html

Mary Collins was a 1940s San Francisco area mystery writer who set all her books in the Bay Area. DEAD CENTER is set in the heart of S.F., and should appeal to all vintage crime readers, particularly those who enjoy a rather sly sense of humor.

It's available wherever books are being sold in both print and ebook editions.

12/11/2025

If you somehow missed James Reasoner's review of our December release of Lorenz Heller's THREE MUST DIE!, here is the link:https://jamesreasoner.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-three-must-die-dan-gregory.html

Heller wrote under a number of pseudonyms, but this is the only novel he wrote under the name "Dan Gregory." But it's pure Heller: interesting story packed with great characters.

And it's available in a 2-fer with NIGHT NEVER ENDS at your local bookstore.

12/04/2025

We led off the month of November with a 2-fer by Richard Jessup--WOLF COP/PORT ANGELIQUE. Just in case you missed it, here is the link to the "Paperback Warrior" review of WOLF COP: https://www.paperbackwarrior.com/2025/12/wolf-cop.html?m=0

And if you tune in to "Paperback Warrior" on Friday, Dec 5th, there should be a review of PORT ANGELIQUE as well.

Jessup is best known as the author of the gambling noir, THE CINCINNATI KID, which was filmed in 1965 with Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson. WOLF COP and PORT ANGELIQUE both pack the same punch, and the book is now available to order from your local bookstore.

12/03/2025

Our lead title for December introduces a new author to the Stark House list, Dana Chambers, with a 2-fer of "Some Day I'll Kill You/Too Like the Lightning" from 1939. Here is what "Booklist" had to say about it:

Some Day I’ll Kill You/Too Like the Lightning
By Dana Chambers
Dec. 2025. 292p. Stark House, paper, $19.95 (9798886011715)
In Some Day I’ll Kill You, Lisa Barclay nearly dies when the boat explodes in a ball of fire. She slips over the side just in time, and her husband’s body is never found. Now, four years later, the blackmail notes arrive, and they prey expertly on her survivor’s guilt, demanding lots of money. She turns to the hero and narrator of Chambers' two thrillers, her former lover Jim Steele, a radio
scriptwriter who looks like his name and acts like it, too. This was Chambers' first novel, first published in 1938. An ad man turned mystery writer, he created seven thrillers featuring Steele.
In Too Like the Lightning, Steele is distraught; Lisa is missing and likely dead. So he dives into his undercover government job just as there’s a rash of mysterious airplane disasters and a “sudden army” of millions amassing in Mexico, all connected to a creepy European outfit, the Coalition. What follows is a rapid display of tradecraft with a soundtrack of gunfire and highpowered cars. Chambers wrote scenes of unexpected depth and ecstatic moments amid
murders and mayhem. — Don Crinklaw

If this sounds like your cuppa tea, the book is available now wherever books are being sold.

12/02/2025

For those of you who missed James Reasoner's review of our October release of ONE FOR MY DAME by Jack Webb--part of a 2-fer that also includes THE DEADLY COMBO--here is the link:
https://jamesreasoner.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-one-for-my-dame-jack-webb.html

Both books are excellent vintage late 50s/early 60s crime novels, available wherever books are being sold, including starkhousepress.com.

12/01/2025

Nicholas Litchfield, who has written many an intriguing introduction for Stark House, also writes for several UK publications. Here is a link to his "Sheffield Star" review of THE RED TASSEL by David Dodge, our October Black G*t book...
https://www.thestar.co.uk/arts-and-culture/books/the-red-tassel-by-david-dodge-a-fast-paced-and-thrilling-tale-book-review-5407832

Available wherever interesting books are being sold.

11/26/2025

Wishing all of our American friends a happy turkey day! When we consider all we have to be thankful for, we include each one of you!

11/11/2025

November Newsletter:

Hard to believe it’s already November, but here it is. End of the year. Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving is coming up, and Christmas is on the way. Here at Stark House we’ve got a few treasures lined up to end out the year, beginning with our lead title for November, Wolf Cop/Port Angelique ...