A New York Times bestseller, The Midnight Assassin is a sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885. In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. But beginning in December 1884, Austin was terrorized by someone equally as vicious and, in some ways, far more diabolical than London's infamous Jack the Ripper. For almost exactly one year, the Midnight Assassin crisscrossed the entire city, striking on moonlit nights, using axes, knives, and long steel rods to rip apart women from every race and class. At the time the concept of a serial killer was unthinkable, but the murders continued, the killer became more brazen, and the citizens' panic reached a fever pitch. Before it was all over, at least a dozen men would be arrested in connection with the murders, and the crimes would expose what a newspaper described as "the most extensive and profound scandal ever known in Austin." And yes, when Jack the Ripper began his attacks in 1888, London police investigators did wonder if the killer from Austin had crossed the ocean to terrorize their own city. With vivid historical detail and novelistic flair, Texas Monthly journalist Skip Hollandsworth brings this terrifying saga to life.

On the night of December 1,1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. On April 11, 1901, after five days of testimony before an all-male jury, Margaret Hossack was found guilty of his murder and sentenced to life in prison. One year later, she was released on bail to await a retrial; jurors at this second trial could not reach a decision, and she was freed. She died August 25, 1916, leaving the mystery of her husband's death unsolved. The Hossack tragedy is a compelling one and the issues surrounding their domestic problems are still relevant today, Margaret's composure and stoicism, developed during years of spousal abuse, were seen as evidence of unfeminine behavior, while John Hossack--known to be a cruel and dangerous man--was hailed as a respectable husband and father. Midnight Assassin also introduces us to Susan Glaspell, a journalist who reported on the Hossack murder for the Des Moines Daily, who used these events as the basis for her classic short story, " A Jury of Her Peers", and the famous play Trifles. Based on almost a decade of research, Midnight Assassin is a riveting story of loneliness, fear, and suffering in the rural Midwest.

Terry Mastriano and his twin sister, Tempie, have become reluctant assassins, swearing a blood oath to avenge their father's assassination. The target? E. "Needles" Puzzoli, a man who went to prison but not for their father's murder. For eight years, prison kept Needles safely out of the twins' reach, but now he's out and planning to leave town. If the twins want revenge, they must act now. Complicating matters is a mysterious and beautiful redhead who makes a prior claim on Needles. When Tempie attempts to kill Needles, the strange woman attacks, and warns both twins to stay away or die. Terry figures they're in a race with another assassin but he's only half-right. The dangerous woman is so much more than a fellow killer-she's a sensuous, deadly vampire with an undisclosed connection to both Needles and the twins. In an added complication, the vampire displays a lusty, predatory interest in Terry. An unexpected event forces Terry into a bargain with the vampire. Honor and vengeance demand satisfaction, and the twins are out for blood. No matter who gets to Needles first, a debt will be owed. Blood always wins. Just ask the vampire.