Chad Lutzke

When his ten-year-old granddaughter vanishes without a trace, a once-tough-as-nails cop is thrown back into a world he thought he'd left behind. Forced to team up with her other grandpop, a silver-tongued con man with a heart of tarnished gold, he finds himself on the most Important case of his life. They're old. They're stubborn. They argue about everything. But when family is on the line, these two aging misfits become a force no kidnapper, crook, or unlucky lowlife wants to cross. They may be past their prime... but these grandpops don't retire. They reload

In the gripping novel set against the gritty backdrop of 1970s Chicago, two elderly men, wearied by their homeless existence, embark on a fateful train journey that promises a fresh start out west. Their story, deeply entrenched in the themes of a small-town thriller and a road trip adventure book, offers a poignant exploration of the human condition. As the train snakes through the heart of America, what begins as a hopeful quest for work and redemption swiftly spirals into a harrowing tale of crime and mystery. Their journey, marked by heartbreaking twists and turns, soon becomes a suspenseful thriller teeming with heart and emotion. Amidst the clatter of the rails and the ever-changing landscapes, a traumatic event in a desolate train car catapults them into a vortex of chaos. What unfolds is a chilling narrative of deceit, murder, and grave robbing, unraveling dormant secrets that threaten to consume them. Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing-Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Three separate yet strangely connected novellas kick off Crystal Lake's Dark Tide series with stories of Mystery and Suspense. THE STRANGEST TWIST UPON HER LIPS by Chad Lutzke: When a suicide note is just too much to bear, an absurd celebration of life feels like the only way out. While avoiding the suicide note his fianc left behind, a grief-stricken man tackles a bucket list the two had made together, fulfilling entries that take him out of his comfort zone and into the realm of skid-row voodoo, where truths are finally revealed. Another grief horror yarn from the author of Stirring the Sheets and Of Foster Homes and Flies. MY ONLY SUNSHINE by Robert Ford: A grief-stricken mother has five days to solve her daughter's murder. Caroline's daughter was abducted and murdered over four months ago. Now, in an abandoned building, in the dead of night, she can talk with Emma's ghost. Five days. Fourteen minutes each day. That's all the time Caroline has to find out who murdered Emma, and say goodbye to her daughter for the very last time. SUET by John Boden: Dark secrets and darker things are a lonely man's inheritance. Corbin is a lonely young man who finally broke the bonds of an emotional vampire of a job. He accepts the sad task of going through the estate of his dead grandparents, to discover that family can go back quite far, as can secrets and shadows. He will discover that the family he always knew kept things back and that an inheritance isn't always monetary. History has teeth and talons and often times does not let go easily. Crystal Lake's Dark Tide series will continue soon with more tales of Mystery Thrillers and Horror Books, including themes of Weird Western, Sherlock Holmes, Grief Horror, Body Horror, Halloween, Mystery fiction, and Psychological Thriller books.

Three separate yet strangely connected novellas kick off Crystal Lake's Dark Tide series with stories of Mystery and Suspense. THE STRANGEST TWIST UPON HER LIPS by Chad Lutzke: When a suicide note is just too much to bear, an absurd celebration of life feels like the only way out. While avoiding the suicide note his fianc left behind, a grief-stricken man tackles a bucket list the two had made together, fulfilling entries that take him out of his comfort zone and into the realm of skid-row voodoo, where truths are finally revealed. Another grief horror yarn from the author of Stirring the Sheets and Of Foster Homes and Flies. MY ONLY SUNSHINE by Robert Ford: A grief-stricken mother has five days to solve her daughter's murder. Caroline's daughter was abducted and murdered over four months ago. Now, in an abandoned building, in the dead of night, she can talk with Emma's ghost. Five days. Fourteen minutes each day. That's all the time Caroline has to find out who murdered Emma, and say goodbye to her daughter for the very last time. SUET by John Boden: Dark secrets and darker things are a lonely man's inheritance. Corbin is a lonely young man who finally broke the bonds of an emotional vampire of a job. He accepts the sad task of going through the estate of his dead grandparents, to discover that family can go back quite far, as can secrets and shadows. He will discover that the family he always knew kept things back and that an inheritance isn't always monetary. History has teeth and talons and often times does not let go easily. Crystal Lake's Dark Tide series will continue soon with more tales of Mystery Thrillers and Horror Books, including themes of Weird Western, Sherlock Holmes, Grief Horror, Body Horror, Halloween, Mystery fiction, and Psychological Thriller books.

Jinx is a record-collecting, middle-aged minimalist whose dreams of becoming a detective are waylaid by love and laziness. But when he inherits his late aunt's rundown motel, The Neon Owl, his passion for investigative work reignites while he searches for answers as to who keeps shitting in the bushes. His findings lead to a full-blown murder mystery where he and new-found friend, Roddy, the elderly, one-legged handyman, set out to find the killer. A crime noir-ish whodunnit rife with humor, grit, and ranch dressing." Terrific stuff from Chad Lutzke, who manages to take tired tropes and set them on fire with passion and originality." Joe R. Lansdale, Champion Mojo Storyteller"Once again, Lutzke shows his mastery of creating characters that live and breathe far from the page. An intoxicating blend of humor and intrigue. The only reason I paused while racing to the finale was to laugh out loud." Robert Ford, co-author of A Penny for Your Thoughts

After being held against their will in a house used for trafficking, three girls plan their escape.

The boys crept to the window and watched as Miss Maggie carried the long bundle into the barn, the weight of it stooping her aging back. Rafter lights spilled from the barn doors and Davey saw an arm fall from the canvas-wrapped parcel. He smiled. "She got someone " Both children grinned and settled in their beds, eyes fixed to the ceiling. This was family growth. "Boden and Lutzke weave heartache and a backwoods tale as easily as telling a story around a campfire, delivered in an incredible voice." Robert Ford, author of BORDERTOWN "Poetic, unnerving, and heartbreaking. The partnership between Boden and Lutzke yields the kind of story that leaves you aching and unsettled. Long after finishing, I couldn't stop thinking about Maggie, her boys, and what happens out behind the barn." Kristi DeMeester, Author of BENEATH "Lawdy mercy. This story was amazing. There's something magical and sad about it. I dig it a lot." Michelle Garza (half of the Sisters of Slaughter) authors of MAYAN BLUE & THOSE WHO FOLLOW

"My name is Levi. I'm 16. I've got a skull for a face. And here's how shit went down." Having never been outside the walls of Gramm Jones Foster Care Facility, sixteen-year-old Levi leaves in the middle of the night with an empty backpack and a newfound lust for life. A journey that leads him into the arms of delusional newlyweds, drunkards, polygamists, the dangerous, and the batshit crazy. His destination? Hermosa Beach, California where he's told there is another like him, with the face of a skull. A coming-of-age road trip filled with surreal Lynch-ian encounters exploring the dark, the disturbing, and the lonely in a 1980s world-an epic venture for one disfigured boy struggling to find his place in the world." This is Huck lighting out for the territories, and kind of documenting an era for us on the way. Only--because it's now not then--he's got a skull face to deal with. As do we all." Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels"I was captivated by the first sentence... The pages fly by. I was utterly absorbed into the world of this transient teenager and his endearing, poignant and often hilarious take on every situation." Cemetery Dance

Completely revised and expanded with 4 extra stories. As beautiful as the night can be, it often plays a role in something more foreboding, supplying the catalyst for things both terrifying and imaginative. Utilizing this hallowed time of day, author Chad Lutzke offers 23 short stories, with creature features, sleep deprivation, hiding the undead, revenge, cannibalism, morbid habits, and executions of karma being just a handful of the themes covered in this book. Read on and discover what the mind produces when using the night as a catalyst.