Most Popular Books by David Morrell

From New York Times bestselling author, David Morrell, comes a classic thriller that introduced the character of Rambo, one of the most iconic action heroes of the twentieth century. Called “the father of the modern action novel,” FIRST BLOOD changed the genre. Although the book and the film adaptation have similarities, they are very different, especially its unexpected ending and its greater intensity. If you’ve only experienced the film, you’re in for a surprise. Once they were soldiers. Rambo, the ragged kid whose presence in town is considered a threat. And Teasle, the Chief of Police of Madison, Kentucky. Both have been trained to kill: Rambo in Vietnam, Teasle in Korea. They learned different military tactics, different ways of death and survival in two different wars. Now, without warning, they are enemies in a civilian combat that becomes a chase through the woods and mountains and caves above the town. As we follow them, we understand that once a man has been trained as a killer, perhaps he is changed forever. Award-winning FIRST BLOOD was published in 1972, was translated into 26 languages, and has never been out of print. It was one of the first novels to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. David’s novelizations for RAMBO (FIRST BLOOD PART II) and RAMBO III are available as e-books. They’re quite different from the films and include revealing introductions. See also David’s RAMBO AND ME: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY. Critical reactions: “A fine novel. . . . When Johnny comes marching home this time, watch out.” —The New York Times Sunday Book Review “A first-rate thriller.” —Newsweek “One of the finest chase novels you will ever read.” —Minneapolis Tribune “A terrific thriller.” —Saturday Review “One hell of a hard, fast novel.” —John D. MacDonald

CREEPERS, David Morrell''s gripping joyride of a thriller, depicts every harrowing second in eight hours of relentless terror. A New York Times bestseller, it received the prestigious Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association. On a cold October night, five people gather in a run-down motel on the New Jersey shore and begin preparations to break in to the Paragon Hotel. Built in the glory days of Asbury Park by a reclusive millionaire, the magnificent structure—which foreshadowed the beauties of art-deco architecture—is now boarded up and marked for demolition. The five people are "creepers," the slang term for urban explorers: city archeologists with a passion for investigating abandoned buildings and their dying secrets. On this evening, they are joined by a reporter who wants to profile them—anonymously, as this is a highly illegal activity—for a New York Times article. Frank Balenger isn''t looking for just a story, however. And after the group enters the rat-infested tunnel leading to the hotel, it becomes clear that he will get much more than he bargained for. Danger, terror, and death await the creepers in a place ravaged by time and redolent of evil. The darkest secrets live in places you’re not supposed to be. “Chilling.” —Stephen King, New York Times bestselling author of Doctor Sleep “Crack this novel, and it’s like an alien abduction of your brain—forget resuming your normal life until it’s finished. This will be a classic.”—Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling co-author (with Lincoln Child) of White Fire “With its nonstop cascade of ingeniously contrived dangers and assaults, culminating in an apocalyptic finale, Creepers provides the essence of all thrillers, an intense emotional effect that will leave readers drained.”—Washington Post

"Riveting...Crackling...It really moves." WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD They were orphans, Chris and Saul--raised in a Philadelphia school for boys, bonded by friendship, and devoted to a mysterious man called Eliot. He visited them and brought them candy. He treated them like sons. He trained them to be assassins. Now he is trying desperately to have them killed. Spanning the globe, here is an astonishing novel of fierce loyalty and violent betrayal, of murders planned and coolly executed, of revenge bitterly, urgently desired.

Learn how to write a novel from a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author with more than fifty years of writing and publishing experience. The Successful Novelist is one of the best books on writing fiction for aspiring and experienced writers alike. David Morrell, bestselling author of First Blood, The Brotherhood of the Rose, and The Fifth Profession, tackles everything from the craft of writing and dealing with writer''s block to the psychology of being a fiction writer and how to market a book. By reading this book, you''ll learn how to overcome common obstacles standing in your way of becoming a successful novelist and creating better fiction in the process. Plus, it''s great reference guide if you''re participating in NaNoWriMo! Topics covered include: Novel plotting Story structure Character development How to write dialogue Book research Viewpoint/POV Writing descriptions Succeeding in publishing And more! Praise for The Successful Novelist: "Like listening to a beloved brother. I found the acute observations and his narrative philosophy more valuable for the new writer than the contents of any 100 other texts."—Dean Koontz, international bestselling author whose books have sold over 500 million copies "This is the best guidebook to both writing and the business of writing that I''ve ever read."—Peter Straub, award-winning novelist and poet "The Successful Novelist is the vehicle you want if you plan to drive your way to successful fiction."—Joe R. Lansdale, award-winning author of 45 novels

"Something is on the prowl in the forests and foothills outside the small Wyoming town of Potter''s Field, something that mutilates but does not feed, that kills indiscriminately and without reason, at night, by moonlight. As the body count mounts, police chief Nathan Slaughter and the town''s medical examiner try to find out who or what is doing the killing....Morrell embeds compelling human drama in a taut, hell-for-leather plot consisting of equal parts police procedural, medical detective story, biological horror story, disaster novel and Gothic thriller. Beneath its multi-genre surface, The Totem engages broader sociological issues....A thriller of rare ambition and achievement, as thought-provoking as it is exciting and scary." Washington Post Book World

Give me my brother, or I’ll give you your fiancée’s dismembered corpse… In this short story from the thrilling anthology MatchUp, bestselling authors Gayle Lynds and David Morrell—along with their popular series characters Liz Sansborough and Rambo—team up for the first time ever.

From the author of The Covenant of the Flame and The Fifth Profession. Brendan Buchanan is an undercover intelligence operative who has impersonated more than 200 people in the last eight years. But now his multi-personality occupation threatens to destroy him.

Drew MacLane is a star agent in Scalpel, a clandestine, government-sanctioned organization named for its purpose: precise surgical removal. Assassination. Then MacLane decides to stop killing. He withdraws from the operation and retreats to a monastery, where for six years he lives the life of a hermit. But then someone tracks him down, leaving a trail of bodies. Someone who knows all about him–and will stop at nothing to destroy him. In this novel of thrilling suspense, a former killer is drawn back into that electrifying world where no one is as he seems–and where life’s most horrifying, harrowing game is played.

From the bestselling author of the classic espionage saga, The Brotherhood of the Rose, comes a high-action spy novel about deception and the meaning of loyalty. . . . When a bureaucratic mistake allows a terrorist attack to occur, CIA operative Steve Decker leaves the spy world in disgust. Seeking a new life, he moves to picturesque Santa Fe, New Mexico, and for the first time allows himself to think about something other than global intrigue and violence. He even lowers his guard sufficiently to commit himself to a relationship, but after his lover’s house explodes and she is seen escaping with an unknown man, Steve discovers that she has a mysterious past and that she knows he once worked for the CIA. Did she love him, or was she only using him as a bodyguard? Drawn back into the world of deceit and treachery, Steve will stop at nothing in his desperate cross-country quest to find his lover and learn the truth. “David Morrell is a master of suspense. He wields it like a stiletto—knows just where to stick it and how to turn it. If you’re reading Morrell, you’re sitting on the edge of your seat.” Michael Connelly “Expect the unexpected…Romance, sex, violence, deception, intrigue, and characters who are bigger than life…A step above the rest of the suspense genre.” Denver Rocky Mountain News “Fast and furious action…This powerhouse thriller achieves a runaway victory on the basis of sheer storytelling excitement.” Publishers Weekly “Looking for an explosive action thriller? Or a literary novel with emotional depth and perfect prose? David Morrell’s latest will satisfy both tastes and then some.” Associated Press “A bullet of a read…A romantic thriller that examines violence, honor, and love.”Los Angeles Features Syndicate

Nineteen of Young''s essays study American fiction, the works of Hemingway, and Young''s own unique critical standard. Young reveals the "so what?" that he insisted all literary studies ought to have by demonstrating the impact of American writing on culture and myth.

Famous for his suspenseful fiction that delivers sheer emotional power, David Morrell, the bestselling author of First Blood, The Brotherhood of the Rose, The Fifth Profession, and Assumed Identity, here presents a mesmerizing novel of intrigue and high-action thrills...Fallen star journalist Matt Pittman holds a gun in his hand, ready to commit suicide...until he''s abruptly interrupted by a phone call and a bizarre assignment: to write the obituary of a man who is not yet dead. Suddenly, clinging desperately to a life he''d so recently been eager to discard, Matt is thrust into the heart of a global conspiracy whose sinister machinations promise a terrifying endgame. He will find himself both a murder suspect by the police and a target for murder by invisible assassins determined to destroy him. Now Matt Pittman is on a desperate, great final story -- and his last byline may be written on a tombstone.

From acclaimed action author David Morrell comes a short thriller based on bizarre actual events. On a blistering desert landscape in World War II, two armies face each other. One belongs to the legendary French Foreign Legion, but the other belongs to the French Foreign Legion also, one side working for the Allies, the other for the Germans. In this vivid historical recreation of one of the strangest battles in modern warfare, a terrible twist of Fate compels comrades-in-arms, who trained together, ate together, and slept in the same barracks, to become mortal enemies. David Morrell is the prize-winning author of First Blood, the novel in which Rambo was created. His numerous New York Times bestsellers include the classic espionage novel, The Brotherhood of the Rose, the basis for the only television miniseries to be broadcast after a Super Bowl. An Edgar, Anthony, and Macavity nominee, Morrell is a recipient of the International Thriller Writers’ prestigious Thriller Master award. “Nobody does this kind of thing better than David Morrell.” —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of The Affair “A titan among thriller writers.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Buried Secrets

When a man''s family is abducted following the seeming reappearance of his long-lost brother, he''ll go to any lengths to save them in this heart-pounding thriller by award-winning author David Morrell. Brad Denning is a successful architect living a perfect life in Denver with his loving wife and son. Or so it would be, if not for the haunting memory of his brother Petey who disappeared while under Brad''s supervision when they were kids. Now, a man claiming to be his sibling has mysteriously appeared and Brad is eager to take him in, despite the man''s haggard appearance and reluctance to reveal anything about his past. "Petey" is a welcome addition to the family, until a camping trip goes terribly wrong and Brad returns home to find that his devoted wife and son have been abducted. Certain that Petey -- or whoever he may be -- is responsible for the horrible crime, Brad sets out to recover his family. Traveling alone through America''s heartland, it''s a race against time as Brad struggles to get to his family before the terrible secret of what really happened long ago destroys everything he cares about.

A writer in Victorian London turns detective to clear his own name in this historical mystery series debut by a New York Times –bestselling author. Winner of the Macavity and Nero Awards ALA Reading List Award for Best Mystery "A masterpiece . . .a fantastic historical thriller, beautifully written, intricately plotted, and populated with unforgettable characters... . . . If you liked The Alienist , you will absolutely love this book. I was spellbound from the first page to last." —Douglas Preston" "An absolute master of the thriller." —Dean Koontz Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his memoir Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, is the major suspect in a series of ferocious murders identical to ones that terrorized London forty-three years earlier. The blueprint for the killings seems to be De Quincey''s essay On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts. Desperate to clear his name but crippled by opium addiction, De Quincey is aided by his devoted daughter Emily and a pair of determined Scotland Yard detectives. In Murder as a Fine Art, David Morrell plucks De Quincey, Victorian London, and the Ratcliffe Highway murders from history. Fogbound streets become a battleground between a literary star and a brilliant murderer, whose lives are linked by secrets long buried but never forgotten. "A highly entertaining thriller. . . . An inspired blend of innovation, history, and gore. Murder is rarely this much fun." — Washington Post "Morrell writes action scenes like nobody''s business." — New York Times Book Review "A brilliantly plotted thriller that will take you to the cobble-stoned streets of Victorian London." — Entertainment Weekly

Legendary thriller writer David Morrell transports readers to the fogbound streets of London, where a killer plots to assisinate Queen Victoria. The year is 1855. The Crimean War is raging. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the English government. The Empire teeters. Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself confronted by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation. This killer targets members of the upper echelons of British society, leaving with each corpse the name of someone who previously attempted to kill Queen Victoria. The evidence indicates that the ultimate victim will be Victoria herself.

Warner''s highly successful backlist program for David Morrell (The Fifth Profession) continues with Last Reveille, a newly repackaged thriller classic. After Pancho Villa''s bloody 1916 raid on the New Mexico border, the U.S. Cavalry enlists the help of wilderness fighter Miles Calendar.

The most riveting reads in history meet today''s biggest thriller writers in Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads.Edited by David Morrell and Hank Wagner, Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads examines 100 seminal works of suspense through essays contributed by such esteemed modern thriller writers as: David Baldacci, Steve Berry, Sandra Brown, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, Heather Graham, John Lescroart, Gayle Lynds, Katherine Neville, Michael Palmer, James Rollins, R. L. Stine, and many more.Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads features 100 works - from Beowulf to The Bourne Identity, Dracula to Deliverance, Heart of Darkness to The Hunt for Red October - deemed must-reads by the International Thriller Writers organization.Much more than an anthology, Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads goes deep inside the most notable thrillers published over the centuries. Through lively, spirited, and thoughtful essays that examine each work''s significance, impact, and influence, Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads provides both historical and personal perspective on those spellbinding works that have kept readers on the edge of their seats for centuries.

Two brilliant operatives known as Saul and Drew are drawn together to solve a baffling mystery: Why have ten elderly men from around the world been kidnapped? As the agents investigate they are pulled into a violent cycle of revenge that stretches back to World War II—and is now forcing sons to pay for their father''s darkest sins. David Morrell''s international thrillers have no equal. From the Vatican to the Swiss Alps, from Australia to the heartland of America, The League of Night and Fog brings together two generations bound by one chilling legacy.

From the American heartland to the edge of Hell, David Morrell (bestselling author of such classics as First Blood and The Brotherhood of the Rose) has consistently redefined the modern thriller. Now he turns to a darker side of suspense in a powerful collection of tales, many of them award winners. Prefaced by revealing autobiographical introductions, they delve into the weird, uncanny terrors that lurk just beneath the comforting surfaces of daily life. Fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of madness, fear of being trapped, fear of the unspeakable horrors that fester deep within the soul. . . . No matter who or where you are, fear is always with you, always ready to attack from behind the masks of thoughts and dreams. In this career-spanning examination of his life and the fears we all share, let David Morrell tell you a story . . . “For These and All My Sins” —a motorist in need of help finds himself in a town where everyone is disfigured . . . and discovers too late the terrifying reason they became that way . . . “The Beautiful Uncut Hair of Graves”—Both your parents die suddenly. Going through their legal papers, you find adoption records, dated at your birthday . . . but every official document has vanished, along with your biological mother . . . “Orange Is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity”—Beneath the placid, beautiful landscapes of a master artist’s paintings are levels of meaning that hide deep layers of pain . . . and unearthly nightmares . . . “Dead Image”—You know that that Hollywood stars think fame is more important than life itself . . . but you don’t realize the half of it . . . (There’s a lot of James Dean in this story.) “The Shrine”—Parents grieving for their dead children find a hidden place that offers lost hope . . . or eternal madness . . .

RAMBO (FIRST BLOOD PART II) The most dangerous man in the world is back. David Morrell''s First Blood introduced Rambo, who joined the ranks of Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, James Bond, and Harry Potter as an international thriller icon. In this sequel, Rambo is imprisoned for his one-man war against a small-town police chief. His former commanding officer, Colonel Trautman, arrives with a promise to release him. With two conditions. First, Rambo must return to the Vietnamese prison camp from which he escaped and find the missing Americans rumored to be prisoners there. The second condition? Don''t rescue the prisoners. Only bring back photographs. Under no circumstances engage the enemy. For Rambo, the first part is difficult. But the second is impossible. This special print edition contains a revealing, behind-the-scenes introduction as well as an equally revealing afterword-RAMBO AND ME: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY.

Master of the high-action thriller, David Morrell is a five-time New York Times bestselling paperback author (First Blood, The Covenant of the Flame). Back in print after eight years, Testament--a chilling novel of a race for survival against a fanatical white supremacy group--is newly repackaged to kick off Warner''s much-in-demand Morrell backlist program.

Its Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, but among the revelers on Canyon Road, a decidedly unholy scene is taking place. A desperate man, dressed all in black, feverishly seeks refuge for himself and the squirming bundle he holds tightly against his breast...

After agreeing to paint a portrait of the wife of Derek Bellasar, an international arms dealer, former marine-turned-artist Chase Malone matches wits with Bellasar while trying to rescue his current wife from the lethal fate of her predecessors.

The secret weapon developed by the man Cavanaugh is assigned to protect is like Kryptonite to the former Delta Force officer turned security guard--it multiplies the effects of adrenaline, a hormone associated with fear, so it incapacitates instead of energizing him. A lot of people want Daniel Prescott''s secret, but Cavanaugh, who''s felt the drug''s effects, wants his antidote. When Prescott disappears after causing the death of the Global Protective Services team charged with keeping him alive, Cavanaugh and his wife Jamie go after him in a high-speed chase that traps them between government agents and foreign operatives each racing to find the scientist first and kill him before he can use his formula on them. Despite Prescott''s double-dealing, and the bloody battle in a mountain redoubt that results in the deaths of his friends and colleagues, Cavanaugh knows the only way to banish the fear that may compromise his and Jamie''s own safety is to track the elusive scientist to his last refuge. In this propulsive thriller, Morrell turns the tables so often that it''s hard to separate the good guys from the bad ones, but that won''t keep readers addicted to violence, treachery, and high-tech weaponry from staying with it to the last surprising chapter. “Spectacular action backed by the author’s hands-on research . . . a horrifying climax . . . twists and turns . . . one of the best of the genre.”—Associated Press “Everything [Morrell} writes has a you-are-there quality, and that, coupled with his ability to propel characters through a scene, makes reading him like attending a private screening.”—Washington Post Book World “Impressive action . . . plenty of twists . . . most notable, though, is the advertised ‘tradecraft’—from clever ways to modify one’s ammo and armor to the very best method of taking out a car you’re chasing.”—Publishers Weekly “The story accelerates to warp speed, hurtles to a stunning climax. A wonderfully entertaining action adventure.”—Booklist

David Morrell isn’t only an acclaimed thriller author. He’s also a former professor of American Studies who writes in-depth profiles about film and music legends. Few movie stars made as great an impact as Marilyn Monroe. Although she died in 1962, a half century later she remains vivid in popular culture, even to those who have never seen her films. Two of the men she married—Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller—themselves made a powerful cultural impact. In this moving essay, bestselling author David Morrell analyses Monroe’s poignant life, which had more significance than any movie in which she appeared. Even her most knowledgeable fans will find something new in this in-depth homage to a star whose luster outshone her films.

Intrigue and danger follow a man who is searching for his father''s grave in France.

Savage, a former Navy SEAL and American state-of-the-art security specialist. Akira, Japan''s most brilliant executive protector and a master of the samurai arts. Their mission: the retrieval of Rachel Stone, a beautiful American woman whose ruthless billionaire husband is out to destroy her. But quickly Savage and Akira realize they are trapped in a mission more far-reaching than the protection of one person. For they are bound together in a common nightmare, a set of horrifying memories, a terrifying past that never happened, but is somehow inexplicably real. Only together can they confront the mystery. Yet when they do, an even more chilling scenario awaits them - one with the power to shatter not only their world but ours as well.