BOOKS
LENIN'S HAREM is available in English and Latvian. DEEDS OF DARKNESS, HOUSE OF TIGERS, A STRANGER FROM THE STORM and KGB BANKER in English.
DEEDS OF DARKNESS
Story Collection
Level Short
ISBN 978-1685127909
Deeds of Darkness is the best short fiction by award-winning author William Burton McCormick. A collection of twenty-four globetrotting stories of suspense, mystery, crime, espionage, horror, and historical genres from the pages of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, Mystery Magazine, and elsewhere. Deeds of Darkness includes stories nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award, Shamus Award, Thriller Award, and five Derringer Award-nominated stories. Also included are two unabridged novellas, "Demon in the Depths," which finished second in the Ellery Queen's Readers' Poll for 2021, and "House of Tigers," named to the Honor Roll for both the Black Orchid Novel Award and the Mysterious Bookshop's Best Mystery Stories of 2023. Deeds of Darkness takes readers from war-torn Eastern Europe to gangster America and deep below the frozen seas of the Arctic Ocean. From modern tales of crime to World War II espionage to ghost stories in shadowy Odessa and murder in Ancient Rome, every flavor of suspense and adventure awaits within. With a foreword by Linda Landrigan, Editor-in-Chief of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
PRAISE FOR DEEDS OF DARKNESS
"William Burton McCormick is one of the most inventive and original writers currently working in the mystery short story field."
— Janet Hutchings, Editor-in-Chief, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
"This guy has a wonderfully twisted mind! Buckle up for a scary ride."
— Peter James, International bestselling crime writer
"DEEDS OF DARKNESS is a delight for those who, like me, enjoy twisted tales of suspense and bad behavior. A compendium of human nature’s darkness, it’s a shame Alfred Hitchcock isn’t around to adapt some of these into film or television."
— John Harrison, Writer/Director of Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, the Dune miniseries, and Clive Barker’s Book of Blood. He is also the author of the paranormal thriller novel, Passing Through Veils
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HOUSE OF TIGERS
Novella
Wildside Press
ASIN B0BC4BCDSP
Ilya Dudnyk, a corrupt but romantic Russian police inspector, is trapped inside his oligarch employer’s Siberian mansion with an unknown killer, a duplicitous Latvian journalist named Santa Ezeriņa chained to his arm, and an apocalyptic insect plague raging for hundreds of kilometers beyond the smoke barriers and barricaded windows. Can Ilya track down the killer before he is the next victim? Or will the endless swarms find a way inside and all are consumed by a hundred trillion ravenous, blood-sucking mosquitoes?
An Honorable Mention for the Black Orchid Novella Award and Mysterious Bookshop's Best Mystery Stories of 2023.
PRAISE FOR HOUSE OF TIGERS
"If you've read any of William Burton McCormick's work in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine you'll already know this is a great read. McCormick delivers a cracking tale of intrigue in a Russian gangster's mansion in Siberia. With a closed circle of suspects inside and a apocalyptic mosquito storm raging outside murders begin to happen. McCormick does an excellent job of painting a memorable setting and peopling it with unforgettable characters. HOUSE OF TIGERS is a riveting, fast-paced tale and I highly recommend it! You won't be disappointed."
— David Dean, Edgar award nominated author of Tommorrow's Dead
"HOUSE OF TIGERS is a fascinating story with unforgettable characters, wonderful pacing, humor and a satisfying ending."
— John M. Floyd, Shamus and Derringer award winning author of The Barrens
"Don't miss HOUSE OF TIGERS! At first I thought I would never go outside again. By the end I wasn't so sure about staying inside! At least, not in that place. Gripping story."
— Kaye George, award winning author of Death in the New Land
"HOUSE OF TIGERS is a binge-worthy story of suspense with dark and weighty undercurrents. McCormick strikes an excellent balance between the melancholy and gloom of the remote setting and the humor he always includes in his stories, and the breezy pacing keeps the reader turning the pages. Five Stars."
"HOUSE OF TIGERS is a quirky and highly entertaining mystery."
"William Burton McCormick has constructed a cleverly plotted murder mystery where two unlikely characters band together quite literally to decipher the unexpected unfolding before them. With plenty of tension and page-turning mystery vibes; the setting, characters and pace are all on point here and pull everything together well to make for a fun original reading experience. Five Stars."
A STRANGER FROM THE STORM
Novella
Mannison Press
ISBN 9781005132750
The year is 1900. The port city of Odessa on the Black Sea is being terrorized by a brutal killer called the Specter. With five people already dead, the murderer promises more.
One family, the Karadopoulinas, run a boarding house. Sisters Tasia and Eleni feel certain the killer is a scarred, shambling Londoner who took lodging with them one night during a thunderstorm. Furtive and threatening, Henry Humble, stalks Odessa’s labyrinth of interlocking courtyards and foggy docks at night, armed with weapons and skeleton keys.
As the body count rises, so do the questions...
Who is the mysterious figure haunting the catacombs below the streets of Odessa?
Why won’t Eleni’s police constable sweetheart investigate?
Who will be the next to die?
A Victorian-style murder mystery with elements of horror, adventure, and Hitchcockian black humor. Winner of the 2022 Bronze Medal from the Coffe Pot Book Club and a finalist for Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion Award.
PRAISE FOR A STRANGER FROM THE STORM
"As dark and labyrinthine as the tunnels beneath Odessa, and with as many twists. Enthralling!"
— Clio Gray, Author of Booker Nominated & Bailey's Longlisted The Anatomist's Dream
"A sly, wry look at murder, William Burton McCormick has given us the perfect read for Halloween--and the whole year. With a pair of quip-trading twins for sleuths, enough red herrings to fill a lake in Odessa, and a villain you won't readily guess, A Stranger from the Storm gives the reader a fast, snappy tour of times gone by in a place laden with history and secrets kept far underground."
— Jenny Milchman, Mary Higgins Clark award winning and USA Today bestselling author of Cover of Snow and The Second Mother
KGB BANKER (coauthored with whistleblower John Christmas)
Novel
Milford House Press (an imprint of Sunbury Press, Inc)
ISBN/ASIN 978 1620066690
What if you returned to the land of your ancestors and they tried to kill you there? When Chicago financial executive Bob Vanags takes a job at ominous Turaida Bank in Rīga, Latvia, he hoped to learn of his heritage and expected to fight economic fraud in Eastern Europe. Instead, Bob finds himself pulled into a world of political intrigue, blackmail and murder. Aided by his son, David, beautiful colleague Agnese Avena and a fearless Latvian journalist named Santa Ezeriņa, Bob slowly unravels Turaida’s darkest secrets, discovering sins and conspiracies surpassing even his wildest fears. Secrets Turaida security chief Karlis Pugo and his shadowy backers want to keep hidden even at the cost of Bob’s life.
Winner of the Best Conspiracy Thriller at the Best Thriller Book 2022 Awards.
PRAISE FOR KGB BANKER
“If you love a suspenseful story, told with great skill, then you’re definitely going to want to read this one.”
-Steve Berry, New York Times and #1 Internationally Bestselling Author of THE AMBER ROOM and THE ROMANOV PROPHECY
“KGB BANKER is the espionage thriller at its finest. Timely and suspenseful, McCormick and Christmas use their wealth of experience in Eastern Europe to craft a pulse-pounding tale of spies, assassins and financial corruption ripped straight from today’s headlines. Santa Ezeriņa may be the best action heroine in years. A must read,. Destined to be a bestseller.”
-Robert Dugoni. New York Times Bestselling author of THE EIGHTH SISTER and THE LAST AGENT
"Dark crimes, cool twists, and an even cooler reporter who just can't resist danger."
-Antony Johnston, New York Times Bestselling Writer and Creator of
ATOMIC BLONDE
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LENIN'S HAREM
Novel
Lume Books
ISBN-13-978-1908483447
Amidst the ashes of the failed workers’ rebellions of 1905, Courland aristocrat Wiktor Rooks finds that he has lost everything: home and heritage, his life's very purpose. Coerced into the Russian Army, Wiktor is soon swept up into the turbulent years of the Great War and Bolshevik Revolution. In the service of his enemies, he finds himself torn between the noble classes of his birth and his new communist masters, between calls for freedom on Baltic shores and waves of oppression radiating from Moscow's center.
By a twist of fate, he becomes a member of the elite Latvian Red Riflemen of the Revolution; a regiment nicknamed “Lenin’s Harem” for their absolute loyalty to the cause. Wiktor adapts to his situation by hiding his aristocratic past. He finds friendship amongst the soldiers and love with a communist girl. When the wars end, he returns to his homeland a different man. But betrayals await in Rīga and Stalin's soldiers are soon knocking on the midnight door...
Set in Russia and Latvia between 1905 and 1941, Lenin’s Harem is a story of nationhood, brotherhood and love throughout the most turbulent years of the twentieth century. The novel explores identity in a time of changing loyalties and the search for a just struggle when all causes are tainted by bloodshed and betrayal.
PRAISE FOR LENIN'S HAREM
"If you enjoy historical fiction, tales of war and revolution, political intrigue, psychological suspense, action, family saga, or any of the above, you’ll find it all in Lenin’s Harem, along with a tender love story, all packaged in beautiful prose."
-V. S. Kemanis, author of the Dana Hargrove series
"Latvia rings true in Lenin's Harem."
-Brian Carslon, United States Ambassador to Latvia 2001 to 2005
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ĻEŅINA HARĒMS (Translated by Andžela Šuvajeva)
Romāns
Zvaigzne ABC
ISBN-978-9934-0-4404-5
Viljama Bērtona Makormika romāns "Ļeņina harēms" ir aizraujošs vēstījums par trauksmainajiem 20. gadsimta notikumiem, latviešu nācijas veidošanos, sarkanajiem strēlniekiem un centieniem saglabāt patību laikmetu griežos. Niansēts vēsturisko notikumu apraksts un dziļš cilvēka pārdzīvojumu atainojums ļauj salīdzināt šo romānu ar Pasternaka un Solžeņicina darbiem.
Asiņainais 1905. gads. Kurzemes guberņu pāršalc tautas bruņotā sacelšanās. Baltvācu muižnieku Rūku ģimene ir spiesta visu pamest un bēgt no agrāk tik paklausīgo kalpu naida. Zaudējot mājas un mantojumu, jaunā aristokrāta Viktora Rūka dzīve sagriežas ar kājām gaisā.
Pret paša gribu iesaukts Krievijas armijā, viņš piedalās Pirmajā pasaules karā un boļševiku revolūcijā. Izprazdams baltiešu brīvības alkas un nicinādams totalitāro režīmu Maskavā, Viktors nejūtas piederīgs nedz baltvācu muižniecībai, nedz arī jaunajai komunistiskajai pārvaldei. Liktenim labpatīk jokot: Viktors nonāk Ļeņina harēmā jeb sarkano strēlnieku pulkā. Viņš slēpj savu aristokrātisko izcelsmi, sadraudzējas ar strēlniekiem un iemīlas jaunā komunistē. Karam beidzoties, Viktors atgriežas dzimtenē – nu jau neatkarīgajā Latvijā. Taču drīz pie viņa durvīm klaudzina Staļina režīma garā roka...
No angļu valodas tulkojusi Andžela Šuvajeva.