Josh Viola: Blood Business

Blood Business

Two books, one anthology.

The grift. The scam. The double-cross. Blackmail and burglary; murder and larceny. Blood Business tracks the underbelly of human nature through the muck of our lesser angels in twenty-seven crime stories set in this world...and beyond.

Edited by Mario Acevedo and Joshua Viola
330 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-9986667-9-2

Table of Contents [+]

Table Of Contents From This World

FOREWORD
Gary Phillips

INTRODUCTION
Mario Acevedo

DOUBLING DOWN ON DEATH
Edward Bryant

BONE ON WOOD
Mark Stevens

BLACK AND BLUE
Carter Wilson

GIRLS GONE WILD
Cat Rambo

NIGHT IN TUNISIA
Manuel Ramos

AN OFFICER AND A HITMAN
Gary Jonas

SLUG
Paul Goat Allen

MORPHING
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

THE PLEDGE
Mark Stevens & Dean Wyant

SHADOWS WITHIN SHADOWS
Mark Stevens & Dean Wyant

IT DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING
Shannon Baker

THE GUESSING GAME
Sean Eads

STRAIGHT TO THE TOP
Trevor Jones

Table Of Contents From Beyond

BITTEN OFF
Edward Bryant

A CLAMOR OF BONES
Alyssa Wong

DIVIDED THEY FALL
Patrick Berry

JANE DOE MUST DIE
Angie Hodapp

OUTSORCERY
Joshua Viola

DO IT ALREADY
Stephen Graham Jones

LUNCHTIME
Jeanne C. Stein

NUMERAL ELEVEN
Jason Heller

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME
Betsy Dornbusch

SHOE
Aaron Michael Ritchey

CARD SHARP
Kat Richardson

TAKERS FIND GIVERS
Mario Acevedo

THE COMBO
Warren Hammond

THE GROUP HOME
Chris Holm

AFTERWORD
Christine Goff

THE ASH OF THE PHOENIX: REMEMBERING EDWARD BRYANT
Sean Eads

"In Blood Business, duality is a theme but nuance reigns. Honesty won't save you. Virtue is subjective. And what if the only difference between appearance and a reality is what we choose to believe? Cinematic at times, uncomfortably intimate at others, Blood Business is a visceral delight."

—John Wenzel, The Denver Post

"In this uniformly good anthology of noir stories, the authors are able to inject some life, of the supernatural variety, into a genre usually rife with clichés."

—IndieReader

"Take horror writing at its best and add a crime/mystery spin. Then pair this with psychological depth for the foundation of the special atmosphere and focus of Blood Business, where every story is powerfully wrought, filled with satisfying twists, and presented with a flair of originality and surprise not typically seen in crime story collections. For all these reasons, Blood Business is a unique, compelling, dark production very highly recommended for fans who like their crimes tinged with psychological depth and horror, and who look for original, unique, compelling productions where every story is a gem and no 'filler' is allowed."

—D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

"Blood Business compiles an absolutely stunning collection of talent."

—Brian Keene

"Two sharp, distinctive, and complementary clusters of stories."

—Kirkus Reviews

"Blood Business is as satisfying as a stiff drink after a tough case. Deliciously gritty, and dark as a day-old bruise, these stories will thrill any noir fan."

—Jaye Wells, USA Today bestselling author

Barnes & Noble Amazon Hex Publishers

Joshua Viola is an author, artist and film producer based in Denver, Colorado. He is the co-author of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - The Dead Shall Rise. He has worked on films such as Shrine of Abominations, Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon, and Steven Kostanski's Deathstalker reboot starring Daniel Bernhardt (co-produced by Guns N' Roses' Slash.) In 2024, he formed Bit Bot Media with Klayton (Celldweller) and partnered with Canadian film studio Raven Banner Entertainment and FreakZone Games.

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