Uncommon Assassins

Hired killers. Vigilantes. Executioners. Contract killers. Assassins working from a moral or political motivation. You'll find them all in this thrilling suspense anthology. But these are not ordinary killers, not your run-of-the-mill hitmen. The emphasis is on the "uncommon" here-unusual characters, usual situations, and especially unusual means of killing.

Here are tales by some of the best suspense/thriller writers today, including F. Paul Wilson, Ken Bruen, J. Carson Black, Billie Sue Mosiman, Laura DiSilverio, Joseph Badal, Matt Hilton, and 16 others. The stories range from historical fiction to science fiction to political thriller-there's even an alternate history story in the mix.

• Nightshade - Stephen England
• The Pepper Tyrant - J. Gregory Smith
• Everybody Wins - Lisa Mannetti
• Fat Larry's Night With the Alligators - Ken Goldman
• Thyf's Tale - Christine Morgan
• Misconceptions - Matt Hilton
• Second Amendment Solution - Billie Sue Mosiman
• Killer - Ken Bruen
• For the Love of Boys - Rob M. Miller
• Bloodshed Fred - Monica J. O'Rourke
• Slasher - F. Paul Wilson
• Fire & Ice - Joseph Badal
• Madame - Doug Blakeslee
• The Man Who Shot Hitler - Elliott Capon
• Mercy Killing - Laura DiSilverio
• Scrub - Michael Bailey
• The Wellmaster's Daughter - James S. Dorr
• Wish I'd Never Met You -- Jonathan Templar
• The Bluelight Special - J. Carson Black
• Welcome to the Food Chain - Weldon Burge
• Inside Out - Al Boudreau
• Katakiuchi - Charles Colyott
• Taking Care of Business - Lynn Mann

"Uncommon Assassins is a wonderful collection of short stories that will get your adrenaline flowing and will reaffirm your faith in the triumph of right over wrong, good over evil. Weldon Burge has done a masterful job of putting together this collection." - Fair Reviews

"Our assassins run the gamut, from a depressed, middle-aged woman to a Viking story-teller, a time-traveling hitman to a blind sushi chef. Some are geniuses, some are fools. Sometimes you root for the killer, sometimes the mark. ... For fiction lovers and writers alike, Smart Rhino is one to watch." - Shannon Connor Winward, author of The Year of the Witch and Undoing Winter

"It's rare that every story in an anthology will knock my socks off and this one is no exception, but the vast majority of the stories are highly enjoyable. ... Uncommon Assassins is a nicely put-together anthology and there's something to love for crime and mystery fans alike." -- Crime Fiction Lover

"While I'm not normally a big fan of anthologies, this one was a blast to read The editor did a great job picking 'uncommon' stories. There are a couple that stick out, that really show the range of talent here. They range from Viking assassins to an "all in the family" group of assassins and more It was a fun read, all the way through. I'd certainly be interested in seeing other anthologies edited by Weldon Burge in the future " -- Khinasi