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Raymond Benson

Born: Midland, Texas September 6, 1955
Pen Name: David Michaels, Gabriel Hunt

Connection to Illinois: Benson moved to the suburbs of Chicago in 1993 and still resides there today. He currently teaches Film History at the College of DuPage.

Biography: Raymond Benson has been an author, composer, computer game designer, stage director, film historian, and film genres instructor for over thirty years. He is also the third official author of the James Bond 007 novels. Along with the books he has written, Benson also co-edited ''Ice Cold: Tales of Intrigue from the Cold War'' with another Illinois author, Jeffery Deaver.


Awards:

Primary Literary Genre(s): Fiction; Mystery

Primary Audience(s): Adult readers

E-Mail: admin@raymondbenson.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Raymond-Benson/107314582624322?ref=ts=raymond+benson
Web: http://www.raymondbenson.com
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Benson


Selected Titles

A hard day's death :
ISBN: 0843960639 OCLC: 183259454

Leisure Books, New York, NY : ©2008.

When aging rock star Peter Flame is murdered after his latest concert, Spike Berenger, the owner of Rockin' Security, uses his industry connections to catch the killer.

Artifact of Evil
ISBN: 1937530140 OCLC: Hertford, N.C. :

Crossroad Press Hertford, N.C. : 2018

FROM THE ESSENTIAL RAYMOND BENSON COLLECTION From internationally-acclaimed, New York Times best-selling author Raymond Benson, comes a suspense thriller that blends modern-day crime, historical figures, and fantasy. When his ranch hand’s newborn son is abducted from the hospital’s maternity ward and found dead hours later in a trash dumpster, former FBI agent and West Texan Rusty "Red" River resolves to bring the perpetrators to justice. Investigation reveals that a string of similar child abduction/murders previously occurred in Texas towns between Limite and the Mexican border. They all have one peculiar “signature” in common—the babies’ heads are marked with the Arabic equivalent to the letter “L.” River contacts his former girlfriend, a Jewish historian, to help solve the mystery. Together they uncover a bizarre plot that stretches from war-torn Iraq to Israel, Mexico, Texas, and finally Chicago. Even stranger is the catalyst for the wickedness. A mysterious, prehistoric relic is in the possession of the killers—a talisman that has been passed down through the centuries. Saddam Hussein had it. Adolf Hitler had it. Attila the Hun once owned it. It even belonged to Judas. What exactly is the artifact of evil? BIO: Raymond Benson is the highly acclaimed author of twenty-five books, including six original James Bond 007 novels, three film novelizations, three short stories, and two anthologies on Bond. He is a sought-after lecturer on film genres and history. Writing as David Michaels, Benson is a New York Times best-selling author, an Edgar Alan Poe Award nominee, and a Readers' Choice Award winner.

Black & white :
ISBN: 1608090418 OCLC: 753622940

Oceanview Pub., Longboat Key, FL : ©2012.

Martin Talbot is stunned when he discovers several hidden volumes of his elderly mother's diaries which tell of her adventures as the Black Stiletto, an underground heroine who operated in the late 1950s in New York City, taking on communist spies, the Mafia, and common crooks, and he must find some way to keep her safe when an old enemy surfaces from the past.

Blues in the Dark: A Thriller
ISBN: 1948924919 OCLC:

Arcade Crimewise 2019

Karissa Glover is a movie producer who moves into a decrepit but functional old mansion in the West Adams Heights area of Los Angeles, where black celebrities of yesteryear—Hattie McDaniel, Louise Beavers, and others—once resided. The former owner was a white actress, Blair Kendrick, who often starred as the "bad girl"—a femme fatale—in films noirof the 1940s. However, Blair’s career was cut short when she was tragically killed by the mob after allegedly witnessing the slaying of a corrupt studio head in 1949. As Karissa and her producing partner decide to develop a modern film noir about Blair Kendrick, malevolent forces from the past attempt to stop them—first with intimidation, and then with the thread of murder. Is this because Karissa has learned that Blair was involved in a then-taboo interracial relationship with jazz musician Hank Marley? What really happened on the night that death struck in a dimly lit studio mogul’s office? The consequences of Blair and Hank’s doomed love affair still resonate in the present day as Karissa attempts to unravel Blair’s secrets. Seeping with mystery, intrigue, Hollywood history, and forbidden romance, Blues in the Dark is Raymond Benson at his most insightful and page-turning best.

Checkmate
ISBN: 0425212785 OCLC: 76709411

Berkley Books, New York : 2006.

He is Sam Fisher: Third Echelon special operative. When a cargo freighter loaded down with radioactive material is headed towards the coast of the United States, he has minutes to disable the ship or die trying.

Dark side of the morgue :
ISBN: 0843961988 OCLC: 259266691

Leisure Books, New York : ©2009.

Musicians in Chicago progressive rock bands are being murdered, one by one. The local police have no clues, but several of the musicians who fear they're next on the hit list claim that the killer is a ghost from the past, a woman who was reported missing and presumed dead for over thirty years. The Rockin' Security team, Spike Berenger and his partner Suzanne Prescott, investigate.

Die Another Day
ISBN: B01K93OS9Q OCLC:

Hodder & Stoughton 2002

Doubleshot
ISBN: 9781906772529 OCLC: 945790591

While officially on medical leave, James Bond uncovers a murderous plot by the

Dying Light - Nightmare Row
ISBN: 153026622X OCLC:

CreateSpace 2016

DYING LIGHT Nightmare Row tells the terrifying story of Mel Wyatt, an 18-year-old American athlete who participated in the Harran 2015 Global Athletic Games two weeks earlier. As one of many Americans stranded in Harran as a result of the outbreak, Mel has been surviving with her little brother, Paul, in an isolated hotel – their parents were killed on the first day of the Infected attacks on the stadium. Thus begins a tense and ticking time bomb thriller of survival.

Gabriel Hunt - Hunt Through Napoleon's Web.
ISBN: 1306917530 OCLC: 882609805

Titan Books, 2014.

From the towers of Manhattan to the jungles of South America, from the sands of the Sahara to the frozen crags of Antarctica, one man finds adventure everywhere he goes: GABRIEL HUNT. Backed by the resources of the $100 million Hunt Foundation and armed with his trusty Colt revolver, Gabriel Hunt has always been ready for anything--but is he prepared for the adventures that lie in wait for him?

High Time To Kill.
ISBN: 9781906772512 OCLC: 968736680

Ian Fleming Publications, East Rutherford : 2012.

During a dinner party with an old friend, James Bond encounters a vicious new criminal organization called

Hitman: Damnation
ISBN: 0345471342 OCLC: 821224008

Del Rey, New York : 2012.

Since the devastating conclusion of Hitman: Blood Money, Agent 47 has been MIA. Now fans awaiting the return of the blockbuster videogame and film phenomenon can pinpoint the location of the world’s most brutal and effective killer-for-hire before he reemerges in Hitman: Absolution. When the Agency lures him back with a mission that will require every last ounce of his stealth, strength, and undercover tactics, they grossly underestimate the silent assassin’s own agenda. Because this time, Agent 47 isn’t just going to bite the hand that feeds him. He’s going tear it off and annihilate anyone who stands in his way.

Homefront :
ISBN: 0345527151 OCLC: 679925342

Del Rey/Ballantine Books, New York : c 2011.

After the United States is invaded and occupied by a unified Korea, reporter Ben Walker flees Los Angeles and tries to survive as he joins a band of soldiers heading east across the desert and reinvents himself as the Voice of Freedom, broadcasting information about enemy positions to civilian resistance cells through guerrilla radio.

Hotel Destiny: A Ghost Noir
ISBN: 1952979978 OCLC:

Gordian Knot Books 2020

WHAT IF YOU, AS A GHOST, HAD TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER?From internationally acclaimed and New York Times best-selling author Raymond Benson comes a novel that is a ghost story with a distinctive noir sensibility mixed with David Lynchian surrealism.The year is 1985. Manhattan’s Times Square area is sleazy, and the streets are full of what Coleman Sackler calls “New York Street Skunk.” Cole is the night manager and self-proclaimed hotel detective for the transient Hotel Destiny, which has been plagued with scandals over the century, including several murders, gangster occupation and ownership, and fleabag status during the 1960s and 70s. Five recent slayings in the building have been attributed to—the police believe—one killer.During the gala grand re-opening Halloween party, Cole Sackler himself is murdered by a masked man. But hold on! Cole “awakes” and is still in the hotel—as a ghost. Prior to his death, a mysterious woman had told him that hidden portals located throughout the building can lead one to other time periods, and that the key to Cole’s destiny is in the hotel’s past and embedded in its many secrets.Thus, Cole’s spirit sets out to solve his own murder by dropping in on living characters throughout Hotel Destiny’s history and observing and/or interacting with them. His goal is to discover the identity of his killer, as well as learn the ironic truth about his own family, his heritage, and himself!

In the Hush of the Night: A Novel
ISBN: 1510729879 OCLC:

Skyhorse 2018

Chicago Special Agent Annie Marino examines the case of a dead young woman who possesses a tattoo Annie has come across before—that of bloody bear claws. Several deceased women with the tattoo have turned up over the past few years, all suspected of being involved in a vast human trafficking operation.Annie’s neighborhood friend, Jason Ward, is a young writer engaged to be married into an upper-class family from a posh Chicago suburb. Jason believes his future brother-in-law, a war veteran, is definitely a bully—but does he also have ties to the Russian mob?Yana Kravec, a woman from St. Petersburg, Russia, has been fraudulently lured into a trafficking scheme and thrown into a horrid and seemingly hopeless situation. She is, however, determined to fight back and escape her captors.Annie’s investigation eventually uncovers a sordid plot of procuring slaves overseas and marketing them in the US. Her interests soon coincide with those of Jason and Yana, bringing the trio together to fight against a deadly network of criminals. As the separate lives of these characters collide, their paths ultimately converge in a night of terror and survival in a Michigan forest, where they become the prey of evil men who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.

James Bond, choice of weapons :
ISBN: 1605980994 OCLC: 464579888

Pegasus Books, New York : 2010.

Collects three full-length novels and two short stories on the famed British spy, where he finds himself investigating the British handover of Hong Kong to China, and stopping a Japanese crime ring from committing mass murder.

James Bond, the union trilogy :
ISBN: 1605980072 OCLC: 227016365

Pegasus Books, New York : ©2008.

In High Time to Kill, 007 confronts a deadly adversary in the peaks of the Himalayas; in Doubleshot, Bond outmaneuvers the Union by traveling to Tangier and Morocco; and in Never Dream of Dying, an enigmatic Union leader prompts a chase through the Corsican wilderness.

Jethro Tull.
ISBN: 9781842438251 OCLC: 829461440

Oldcastle Books, Chicago : 2002.

Pocket Essentials is a dynamic series of books that are concise, lively, and easy to read. Packed with facts as well as expert opinions, each book has all the key information you need to know about such popular topics as film, television, cult fiction, history, and more. This pocket-sized reference book looks at this legendary rock band and analyzes its place in music history. Looking at each and every Jethro Tull album from a comprehensive perspective, as well as including concert trivia and biographical information and a look at the solo careers of band members past and present, th.

Metal gear solid /
ISBN: 0345503287 OCLC: 191318080

Ballantine Books/Del Rey, New York : ©2008.

Highly skilled former agent Solid Snake is called out of retirement to do what he does best-- neutralize a crisis of epic proportions. A deadly team of renegade operatives has taken over the nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island in the icy Aleutians. If their demands aren't met, a powerful, top-secret weapon will be unleashed upon the world.

Metal gear solid 2.
ISBN: 0345503430 OCLC: 317926324

Ballantine Books/Del Rey, New York : ©2009.

Solid Snake and his partner Otacon are lost at sea in the wake of a terrorist attack while rookie FOXHOUND operative Raiden is working to rescue the president from terrorist captors.

Never dream of dying /
ISBN: 0515133078 OCLC: 49787842

Jove Books, New York, N.Y. : 2002.

James Bond, 007, finally comes face to face with his most cunning nemesis-the enigmatic blind criminal mastermind behind the sinister organization known only as the Union.

Sweetie's diamonds /
ISBN: 0843958596 OCLC: 133452695

Dorchester Publishing, New York : 2007.

The Black Stiletto :
ISBN: 1608090205 OCLC: 707968300

Oceanview Pub., Longboat Key, Fla. : ©2011.

Martin Talbot is stunned when he discovers several hidden volumes of his elderly mother's diaries which tell of her adventures as the Black Stiletto, an underground heroine who operated in the late 1950s in New York City, taking on communist spies, the Mafia, and common crooks, and he must find some way to keep her safe when an old enemy surfaces from the past.

The Black stiletto :
ISBN: 1608090728 OCLC: 822959886

Oceanview Publishing, Longboat Key, Florida : ©2013.

Hollywood actress Judy Cooper--who lives a double life as a vigilante called The Black Stiletto--volunteers to work for John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, only to become involved in a devious plot with a Soviet spy ring.

The Black Stiletto :
ISBN: 1608091015 OCLC: 865563459

It is 1961 in the fourth book of the "Black Stiletto" series. Judy, the Stiletto, meets Leo, a charismatic man who convinces her to move to Los Angeles when she is "run out" of New York by increasingly hazardous police heat. But soon Judy suspects that Leo is not the white knight she first thought. Leo, who has connections with the West Coast mobs, has plenty of skeletons in his closet. His mysterious sister, Christina, who once served time for armed robbery, could also be a threat to the Stiletto's new life in California. Meanwhile, in the present, Alzheimer's-stricken Judy takes a turn for the worse as Martin comes to grips with the imminent end of his mother's life. And when elements from the Stiletto's past once again appear to threaten Martin's family, it is up to his daughter Gina to step up and take matters into her own hands. In a novel bristling with mysteries, secrets, and lies, the Black Stiletto saga takes a dark left turn into even more treacherous territory.

The Black Stiletto :
ISBN: 1608091031 OCLC: 871788877

"It's 1962. Judy Cooper, the Black Stiletto, is devastated at the betrayal by her nemesis and former lover, mobster Leo Kelly. Additionally, Leo and his psychotically dangerous sister Christina have set out to ruin the Stiletto's reputation in L.A. with a series of crimes that are made to appear as if the crime-fighter is responsible. The very pregnant Judy must fight back only with her wits and cunning--until disaster strikes and she is forced to flee to her old hometown in Texas for the final showdown with destiny"--Amazon.com.

The facts of death
ISBN: 9781906772543 OCLC: 941066984

Putnam, New York : ©1998.

The James Bond bedside companion /
ISBN: 1401102840 OCLC: 60758634

Publishing Online, Seattle, Wash. : ©1988.

The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way: A Novel
ISBN: 0825309913 OCLC:

Beaufort Books 2022

For Scott Hatcher, a former television writer turned struggling novelist with a failing marriage to boot, social-distancing and mask-wearing feel like fitting additions to his already surreal life. When his wife Marie and neighbor John Bergman disappear in the middle of the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Scott is naturally mystified and disturbed, but he is also about to learn that his picturesque neighborhood hides more than just the mundane routines of suburban life. When a fire claims the empty house for sale next door, the entire community is shocked when the charred remains of Marie and John are found inside. Stranger still, stockpiles of valuable Personal Protection Equipment, clearly stolen, were destroyed in the blaze alongside them. As the neighborhood reels from the loss, Scott and Bergman’s earthy and enticing widow, Rachel, not only find themselves under investigation for the crime, but also inexorably drawn to one another. As tensions reach a fever pitch, the tale—which is at once familiar and ordinary, yet bizarre and eerie—shows that, just like life in 2020’s uncertain times, dread and danger lurk below the hidden underside of everyday suburbia.

The man with the red tattoo /
ISBN: 0515135631 OCLC: 52207203

Jove Books, New York : 2003, ©2002.

James Bond is sent to investigate the mysterious ailment that claimed the lives of a young woman and her family on a flight from Tokyo to London, a probe that leads 007 into a conspiracy involving genetic research and the Yakuza.

The pocket essential Jethro Tull /
ISBN: 1904048188 OCLC: 867920687

Pocket Essentials, Harpenden, Herts. : 2002.

The psychology book
ISBN: 9781465458568 OCLC: 781275279

DK Pub., New York : 2012.

All the big ideas, simply explained - an innovative and accessible guide to the study of human nature The Psychology Book clearly explains more than 100 groundbreaking ideas in this fascinating field of science.

The Secrets on Chicory Lane: A Novel
ISBN: 1510722947 OCLC:

Skyhorse 2017

Sixty-one-year-old Shelby Truman, a romance novelist, has received a request to visit her childhood friend, Eddie, who is on Death Row. Though mentally ill, Eddie is scheduled to be executed for the disturbing, brutal murders of his wife and unborn child. As Shelby travels home to Texas for the unnerving reunion, she steps back into memories of her past, recalling her five-decade-long relationship with Eddie in order to understand what led the beautiful but troubled boy who lived across the street to become a murderer. Shelby and Eddie used to visit an abandoned fallout shelter in his backyard, their "secret hiding place" where they could escape Eddie's abusive father, enjoy innocent playtime, and, later, adolescent explorations. As they grow increasingly close, a tragedy occurs one July fourth, an event that sets in motion a lifelong struggle against an Evil—with a capital "E"—that has corrupted their all-American neighborhood. With only a few days left for Eddie to live, Shelby braces herself for a reunion that promises to shed light on the traumatic events that transpired on her street, changing everything Shelby thought she knew about the boy on Chicory Lane.

The World is Not Enough
ISBN: B01HC9N97M OCLC:

Hodder & Stoughton 1999

After an oil tycoon is murdered at the London headquarters of M16, James Bond is assigned to protect the dead man's daughter from her father's killer, who once tried to kidnap her for ransom

Tom Clancy's splinter cell /
ISBN: 0425201686 OCLC: 57196540

Berkley Books, New York : ©2004.

Sam Fisher, a splinter cell, or top secret agent for the National Security Agency with the right to steal and kill to preserve the country's freedom, goes after Middle Eastern terrorists who are building a highly destructive weapon and have kidnapped hisdaughter.

Torment: A Love Story
ISBN: 1946025666 OCLC:

Gordian Knot Books 2018

FROM THE ESSENTIAL RAYMOND BENSON COLLECTION From internationally-published author Raymond Benson comes a unique supernatural thriller, a story of voodoo, murder, love, and obsession—but wait! Is it really supernatural, or is it all in the protagonist’s troubled mind? Rick Shepherd is an ordinary guy from the mid-west with a history of depression and a hospital stay for a nervous breakdown. He’s in a failing marriage, a dead-end job, and is undergoing the proverbial mid-life crisis. Not the best way to begin a business retreat in Jamaica with his company. After a bizarre encounter at a tourist-trap voodoo show where he is “cursed” by an actor supposedly possessed by a spirit, he meets a beautiful young woman named Larissa on the beach. She is mysterious and enchanting, and Rick falls head over heels for her. Before he leaves the island, she gives him a medallion known as the "Heart of Erzulie." In the Caribbean religion of voudon, or voodoo, Erzulie is the love goddess, the goddess of beauty, health, help, fortune... the medallion is usually worn as a good luck charm. Hence he is cursed…but protected as well. Rick’s plan is to contact Larissa in Los Angeles once they're both back in the States. But his plane crashes, killing everyone aboard...except Rick. Somehow he is able to miraculously walk away. And then the really bad things start to happen. His wife dies unexpectedly and Rick is accused of her murder. He becomes a fugitive from the law, but Rick doesn't care—he's obsessed with Larissa and has to find her. From this point on, he begins to unravel pieces of Larissa's life, following her "trail" backwards from Texas, where she grew up, to New York, and finally to Los Angeles. Eventually it leads back to Jamaica and to the evil men with whom she became involved—Jamaican gangsters who produce real snuff films that are distributed over the Internet to elite, selective clients worldwide. Rick’s torturous journey is one of redemption but full of danger and excitement as one horrific thing happens after another. To find the love of his life, he must undergo unimaginable torment. BIO: Raymond Benson is the highly acclaimed author of twenty-five books, including six original James Bond 007 novels, three film novelizations, three short stories, and two anthologies on Bond. He is a sought-after lecturer on film genres and history. Writing as David Michaels, Benson is a New York Times best-selling author, an Edgar Alan Poe Award nominee, and a Readers' Choice Award winner.

You Only Live Twice II: Back of Beyond
ISBN: 0912515414 OCLC: New York :

Victory Games New York : 1986

"BRIEFING: Q lab security has been breached! In the chill of pre-dawn London, a top-secret file was stolen from Q Branch despite the tight security of M.I.6 headquarters. The files, containing chemical warfare secrets from Nazi Germany, were passed on before the thief was arrested. The culprit - one of the most trusted and loyal Q Branch technicians! Why has he turned against Queen and country? Who wields such power that he can force a loyal Briton to turn traitor? What havoc does he threaten to wreak with the stolen information? MISSION: You must find and plug the security breach and retrieve the missing file. Your search takes you from the cold death of a wintry London to the merciless desolation of the Australian Outback. Along this treacherous route you must survive remote controlled death, perilous beauties, and the killing ferocity of nature. Can you come from Back of Beyond? You Only Live Twice II is an original adventure that can be played alone or as a sequel to the You Only Live Twice Adventure Module."

Zero minus ten /
ISBN: 0399142576 OCLC: 35777366

As the takeover of Hong Kong by China approaches, opponents plot to scuttle the transfer. The British send agent James Bond and he discovers a drug dealer is preparing to explode a nuclear device. By the author of The James Bond Bedside Companion.

Zero Minus Ten.
ISBN: 1906772568 OCLC: 941066956

Ian Fleming Publications, London : 2012.

 

 

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