Bat Out of Hell: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories

Inspired by the debut album from legendary rock star Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell is a stellar collection of mysteries from some of the best writers in the genre.

The fourth installment in the Music and Murder Mystery series, edited by Don Bruns, Bat Out of Hell is a nonstop thrill ride of engrossing mysteries from some of the best authors in the business. An anthology unlike any other, this collection includes a brand-new Jack Reacher story from Andrew Child, a never-before-seen Pignon Scorbion prequel from Rick Bleiweiss, as well as exciting new mysteries from Heather Graham, Don Bruns, John Gilstrap, Dave Bruns, C. J. Kudlacz, and Charles Todd.

Whether you are familiar with the series or encountering it for the first time, Bat Out of Hell has something for everyone.

Dave Bruns took advantage of the COVID pandemic to begin a second career as a writer. Thirty-six years spent working in child welfare prepared him for a walk of life as a storyteller. His clients included drug dealers, smugglers, and murderers, and his Carl Boyd series reflects that experience. Bruns lives in Toledo, Ohio, with his wife, LouAnn Frey, and an obnoxious Portuguese Water Dog named Roscoe. Rule Number Four, Bruns's debut novel, was published in the summer of 2024.

A third-generation military kid, fiction author C. J. Kudlacz grew up all over the USA and strives to incorporate this atypical perspective and sense of place into his characters and settings. He has worked as a bartender, a stage and voice-over actor, and has traveled the world flying jets for both military and civilian organizations--all outstanding ways to find and tell stories. A 1997 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he also has an MA from the University of Oklahoma and is a twenty-five-year Air Force veteran. He lives in Utah.

Heather Graham, a USA Today bestselling author, has written more than a hundred novels. She has been awarded the Thriller Writers' Silver Bullet Award, the Thriller Master Award, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Strand Magazine and from Romance Writers of America. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers, Horror Writers Association, RWA, and Mystery Writers of America.