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The Rich and the Dead
MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA presents
THE RICH and THE DEAD
The rich are very different from you and me. Blessed by great wealth, they can get what they want, even what they shouldn't have. Cursed by great wealth, they become the targets of others who will risk everything to become affluent. In THE RICH AND THE DEAD, bestselling author Nelson DeMille introduces twenty original tales by today's most elite mystery writers who explore the life (and death) styles of the rich and infamous.
In Ted Bell's The Pirate of Palm Beach, an arrogant society columnist feels the unsociable [and deadly] backlash from his poison pen. In Lee Child's Addicted to Sweetness, a swaggering drug lord plots a nasty payback against a thieving underling. In David Morrell's The Controller, a seasoned protection specialist may need to be protected from the mercurial finance titan who purchases his services... and tests his loyalties. From multinational boardrooms to palatial mansions to exotic playlands, these suspenseful, gold-standard tales reveal in scary, funny, and riveting ways just how much trouble money can buy.
Featuring stories by • Nelson DeMille • Ted Bell • Peter Blauner • Karen Catalona • Tim Chapman • Lee Child • Michael Connelly • Frank Cook • David DeLee • Joseph Goodrich • Daniel J. Hale • Roberta Isleib • Harley Jane Kozak • David Morrell • Carolyn Mullen • Twist Phelan • S.J. Rozan • Jonathan Santlofer • Elaine Togneri • Angela Zeman
THE RICH and THE DEAD
The rich are very different from you and me. Blessed by great wealth, they can get what they want, even what they shouldn't have. Cursed by great wealth, they become the targets of others who will risk everything to become affluent. In THE RICH AND THE DEAD, bestselling author Nelson DeMille introduces twenty original tales by today's most elite mystery writers who explore the life (and death) styles of the rich and infamous.
In Ted Bell's The Pirate of Palm Beach, an arrogant society columnist feels the unsociable [and deadly] backlash from his poison pen. In Lee Child's Addicted to Sweetness, a swaggering drug lord plots a nasty payback against a thieving underling. In David Morrell's The Controller, a seasoned protection specialist may need to be protected from the mercurial finance titan who purchases his services... and tests his loyalties. From multinational boardrooms to palatial mansions to exotic playlands, these suspenseful, gold-standard tales reveal in scary, funny, and riveting ways just how much trouble money can buy.
Featuring stories by • Nelson DeMille • Ted Bell • Peter Blauner • Karen Catalona • Tim Chapman • Lee Child • Michael Connelly • Frank Cook • David DeLee • Joseph Goodrich • Daniel J. Hale • Roberta Isleib • Harley Jane Kozak • David Morrell • Carolyn Mullen • Twist Phelan • S.J. Rozan • Jonathan Santlofer • Elaine Togneri • Angela Zeman
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2011
About the author
Nelson DeMille
252 books7,553 followersNelson Richard DeMille was an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include Plum Island, The Charm School, and The General's Daughter. DeMille also wrote under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, Ellen Kay and Brad Matthews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
August 30, 2025
Surprisingly Exceptional!
From the first story, I knew that I was in for a great treat. The book is about rich people and their lives. It is a book that also includes the deaths of the people and their friends, families and acquaintances.
I like the way the book is written. It has different types of scenarios. There are some stories where the rich characters are killed off. And then there are some other stories where the rich person does the killing, themselves. There are also a few stories where nobody dies, but a lesson is learned.
All of the stories are about rich characters getting their just deserts. Or the stories are about the rich people giving them to someone else. Of course the stories are about the rich people getting robbed or burglarized. There’s even a story where the rich people get their revenge on the thief who is blackmailing them.
Each story is well written and well loved. The Rich and the Dead is not a Mystery Writers of America, book just for its looks. But it does have an amazing cover. The cover is great visual stimuli for all the stories inside. I love the book so much that I think it is worth five stars.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
From the first story, I knew that I was in for a great treat. The book is about rich people and their lives. It is a book that also includes the deaths of the people and their friends, families and acquaintances.
I like the way the book is written. It has different types of scenarios. There are some stories where the rich characters are killed off. And then there are some other stories where the rich person does the killing, themselves. There are also a few stories where nobody dies, but a lesson is learned.
All of the stories are about rich characters getting their just deserts. Or the stories are about the rich people giving them to someone else. Of course the stories are about the rich people getting robbed or burglarized. There’s even a story where the rich people get their revenge on the thief who is blackmailing them.
Each story is well written and well loved. The Rich and the Dead is not a Mystery Writers of America, book just for its looks. But it does have an amazing cover. The cover is great visual stimuli for all the stories inside. I love the book so much that I think it is worth five stars.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
October 20, 2016
I bought this specifically for the Michael Connelly story, but it's a great collection. I did a short review of each story & wound up using the word 'disturbing' too often. It's true, many of the stories were. & that was a good thing. Most had some ambiguity & made me think. The characters might have been good people who did a bad thing or vice versa. Sometimes they slid into pure horror, other times rose to excellence. And sometimes, life just isn't fair. Excellent collection.
Introduction by Nelson DeMille was short, sweet & very good.
Death benefits by Nelson DeMille even though the end isn't a shock, it was good. Had the same fascination as a train wreck. 3.5 star
Pirate of Palm Beach by Ted Bell was fun. I really liked several characters & it was fun to sneer at others. 4 star
Thank God for Charlie by Peter Blauner took me one way & then another, but ended a bit too abruptly. Still a good story, though. 3.5 stars
Sadowsky Manifesto by K. Catalona was kind of hoot & yet thoroughly disturbing. I did not see that ending coming! 4 stars
Kiddieland by Tim Chapman was very disturbing, great point of view. 4 stars
Addicted to sweetness by Lee Child was good in a lot of ways, but I don't believe gas fumes would work that way. Neat if it would, though. 2.5 stars
Blood washes off by Michael Connelly Harry Bosch conducts an interview & the truth comes out without any trouble what so ever. I'd like to be on that jury. 4 stars #23.5 in the Harry Bosch Universe in my chronology. See my review of The Black Echo for the full chronology.
Gift by Frank Cook was really good in a lot of ways, but a big question was never answered which hurt it a lot. Cool idea & great revenge. 3 stars
Bling, bling by David DeLee excellent female lead & a gritty, twisty story to make her shine. Disturbing ending. 4 stars
Murder in the 6th by Joseph Goodrich I can't say anything without giving it away. Wonderful. 4 stars
Precipice by Daniel Hale started out without a particularly likeable character who grew on me. Nice guys don't always finish last, especially if they have a good woman. 4 stars
Itinerary by Roberta Islieb features a male main character & was surprisingly good. 4 stars
Lamborghini mommy by Harley Jane Kozak started out well, but was a bit thin at the end, as if highly edited to fit. Still very good. 3.5 stars
Controller by David Morrell same as above.
Poetic justice by Carolyn Mullen was sad, but well done. Lived up to the title well. 4 stars
Happine$$ by Twist Phelan has an interesting twist. I never knew quite who was good or bad until the end. 4 stars
Iterations by S.J. Rozan was definitely a shocker. Everyone needs a purpose in life, but sometimes... Well, I'll just say this might have been one of the best of the bunch. 4 stars
Ritchie and the rich bitch by Jonathan Santlofer was just mean & nasty. Interesting point of view. 4 stars
Paparazzo by Elaine Togneri had one of the characters I liked the least at the start. The author did a good job turning that around, but I didn't find the initial issue all that believable. 3 stars
Daphne, unrequited by Angela Zeman only gets 3 stars because I'm not quite sure what to make of the main character. I like some ambiguity, but her motivations were just beyond my ken. If anyone can explain them to me, I'd love it. Please use spoiler tags, though.
All told, this was one of the best anthologies I've read in a long time. Highly recommended & a great place to find more reading.
Introduction by Nelson DeMille was short, sweet & very good.
Death benefits by Nelson DeMille even though the end isn't a shock, it was good. Had the same fascination as a train wreck. 3.5 star
Pirate of Palm Beach by Ted Bell was fun. I really liked several characters & it was fun to sneer at others. 4 star
Thank God for Charlie by Peter Blauner took me one way & then another, but ended a bit too abruptly. Still a good story, though. 3.5 stars
Sadowsky Manifesto by K. Catalona was kind of hoot & yet thoroughly disturbing. I did not see that ending coming! 4 stars
Kiddieland by Tim Chapman was very disturbing, great point of view. 4 stars
Addicted to sweetness by Lee Child was good in a lot of ways, but I don't believe gas fumes would work that way. Neat if it would, though. 2.5 stars
Blood washes off by Michael Connelly Harry Bosch conducts an interview & the truth comes out without any trouble what so ever. I'd like to be on that jury. 4 stars #23.5 in the Harry Bosch Universe in my chronology. See my review of The Black Echo for the full chronology.
Gift by Frank Cook was really good in a lot of ways, but a big question was never answered which hurt it a lot. Cool idea & great revenge. 3 stars
Bling, bling by David DeLee excellent female lead & a gritty, twisty story to make her shine. Disturbing ending. 4 stars
Murder in the 6th by Joseph Goodrich I can't say anything without giving it away. Wonderful. 4 stars
Precipice by Daniel Hale started out without a particularly likeable character who grew on me. Nice guys don't always finish last, especially if they have a good woman. 4 stars
Itinerary by Roberta Islieb features a male main character & was surprisingly good. 4 stars
Lamborghini mommy by Harley Jane Kozak started out well, but was a bit thin at the end, as if highly edited to fit. Still very good. 3.5 stars
Controller by David Morrell same as above.
Poetic justice by Carolyn Mullen was sad, but well done. Lived up to the title well. 4 stars
Happine$$ by Twist Phelan has an interesting twist. I never knew quite who was good or bad until the end. 4 stars
Iterations by S.J. Rozan was definitely a shocker. Everyone needs a purpose in life, but sometimes... Well, I'll just say this might have been one of the best of the bunch. 4 stars
Ritchie and the rich bitch by Jonathan Santlofer was just mean & nasty. Interesting point of view. 4 stars
Paparazzo by Elaine Togneri had one of the characters I liked the least at the start. The author did a good job turning that around, but I didn't find the initial issue all that believable. 3 stars
Daphne, unrequited by Angela Zeman only gets 3 stars because I'm not quite sure what to make of the main character. I like some ambiguity, but her motivations were just beyond my ken. If anyone can explain them to me, I'd love it. Please use spoiler tags, though.
All told, this was one of the best anthologies I've read in a long time. Highly recommended & a great place to find more reading.
June 5, 2015
All good stories. Some a little better than others. Listened to the audiobook, which had multiple narrators & they were all good too.
June 12, 2011
It’s always difficult for me to review a book containing a compilation of various works by a variety of authors. Some stories I like, others not so much. The same hold true for the authors. THE RICH AND THE DEAD contains works by some well know names like Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Nelson DeMille, Ted Bell etc. as well as others with whose works I have not read……until now. Along with my old favorites, thanks to this book, I have been introduced to the writing of new authors (to me at least) like Karen Catalona, Daniel J. Hale and Harley Jane Kozak…authors whose works I will now be sure to read again.
I have no idea if money makes one more devious and evil than the lack of money but in this instance each and every character in the various offerings either has tons of it and is bent on holding on to it….or is being pursued, blackmailed or romanced by someone else who wants to get their hands on it. All in all, every story in this book demonstrates the talent and vivid imagination of the individual authors. Among my favorites were The Pirate of Palm Beach which features a war of wits between a snarky gossip columnist and a rich playboy con artist, The Precipice a tale of surprising twists and rekindled love, The Sadowsky Manuscript, a lesson in the pitfalls present in the competitive world of publishing and my own personal favorite, Lamborghini Mommy whose protagonist is a lady I would enjoy having as a best friend. There is even one period piece in the collection called Poetic Justice that tells the tale of a factory owner and a servant in his home that will appeal to the devotees of historical fiction. Be forewarned, this is not the usual historical fiction fare with love blossoming between the master of the house and a beautiful but poverty stricken woman. He’s ruthless and she’s out for revenge.
This is the perfect book for someone who likes to read before turning out the light for the evening, but doesn’t want to stay up all night to see how the story ends. These stories are short, concise, entertaining and best of all you can finish one in a matter of minutes and get to sleep. Your only problem may be that, like candy, one piece could prove to be addictive and leave you craving more.
I have no idea if money makes one more devious and evil than the lack of money but in this instance each and every character in the various offerings either has tons of it and is bent on holding on to it….or is being pursued, blackmailed or romanced by someone else who wants to get their hands on it. All in all, every story in this book demonstrates the talent and vivid imagination of the individual authors. Among my favorites were The Pirate of Palm Beach which features a war of wits between a snarky gossip columnist and a rich playboy con artist, The Precipice a tale of surprising twists and rekindled love, The Sadowsky Manuscript, a lesson in the pitfalls present in the competitive world of publishing and my own personal favorite, Lamborghini Mommy whose protagonist is a lady I would enjoy having as a best friend. There is even one period piece in the collection called Poetic Justice that tells the tale of a factory owner and a servant in his home that will appeal to the devotees of historical fiction. Be forewarned, this is not the usual historical fiction fare with love blossoming between the master of the house and a beautiful but poverty stricken woman. He’s ruthless and she’s out for revenge.
This is the perfect book for someone who likes to read before turning out the light for the evening, but doesn’t want to stay up all night to see how the story ends. These stories are short, concise, entertaining and best of all you can finish one in a matter of minutes and get to sleep. Your only problem may be that, like candy, one piece could prove to be addictive and leave you craving more.
January 5, 2018
The stories in this anthology range from hard boiled and satirical noir, from light and cozy to sharply cynical or wickedly funny. The theme that unites all of the stories is the world of incredibly rich people. Sometimes they are villains. At other times, they are victims. Sometimes, they are part of solving a crime. Other times, they are the ones perpetrating crime.
This anthology contains work by both famous mystery writers as well as some who are new to the field or who were at the time of the books release. I have discovered at least four new authors whose other works I’m eager to explore. This anthology was a lot of fun to read.
This anthology contains work by both famous mystery writers as well as some who are new to the field or who were at the time of the books release. I have discovered at least four new authors whose other works I’m eager to explore. This anthology was a lot of fun to read.
April 6, 2020
The Mystery Writers of America’s published a yearly anthology of short stories with a central idea. The writers submit short stories based on that idea, in this case the super rich, either as criminals, the victim od crime, or something even more twisted. The anthologies are very good, and this one is no exception! I did not skip a story.
May 7, 2025
As with any anthology a mix of good and bad stories. More bad than good in this one, and none truly excellent
January 30, 2014
A short story, told entirely from the perspective of a police interview transcript, in which Connelly brings Bosch face to face with a woman whose husband was shot in their home. Returning from a vacation, the couple arrives home to discover a man wileding a gun in their home. Having conned over 500 investors out of millions of dollars, the gun-wielding man appears set on setting the record straight and injecting a little karma into the world. While guilt for his crime appears to slide off the husband's back, others in the room seem to have a different take on it all... which leads to some interesting fallout.
A great short story exemplifying Bosch's ability to stay cool in high-octane situations.
A great short story exemplifying Bosch's ability to stay cool in high-octane situations.
June 30, 2014
Not really a fan of short stories but due to my love for Michael Connelly's books decided to make the effort.
A very interesting short story taken from the point of view of a police interview.
This is a very good short story but I have to be honest, I really do prefer the longer read.
A very interesting short story taken from the point of view of a police interview.
This is a very good short story but I have to be honest, I really do prefer the longer read.
June 8, 2011
Reading it because our family friend Karen Catalona has a short story in the book. Her story is excellent. Haven't read all of the others yet.
April 8, 2012
I bought this collection simply for the Peter Blauner story...I was pleasantly surprised by all the tales.
September 29, 2015
This book of mystery stories is a great way to pass some time. All the delicious stories are little gems to enjoy. This is a very entertaining read.
June 23, 2017
This was an entertaining read, or in this case, listen to in the car as I listened to this book driving to and from work recently. I enjoyed it as a lover of mystery stories. It is a great collection of well written & interesting mystery short stories. Imagine Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous meets Agatha Christie and comes back around to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It pulls back the curtains on the lengths that people go to attain or maintain wealth. It also pulls no punches on how disgusting this can be at times morally, ethically & philosophically. I suggest this collection for lovers or mystery, short stories and scandals.
June 6, 2023
This book has been on my TBR shelf for quite some time. It was published in
2011 and it is many short stories by some writers I have read and some I have never heard of. I do plan to follow up on one author because the character in the short story was interesting, and he has a trilogy. David Morell's Cavanaugh.
The Mystery writers of America put out this anthology yearly I believe, and I possibly have others on my shelf.
It is a good way of discovering authorsyou may not have read before, and also fun to read short stories by authors you like. Lee Child has a particularly strange story Nelson DeMille's was also a good one.
2011 and it is many short stories by some writers I have read and some I have never heard of. I do plan to follow up on one author because the character in the short story was interesting, and he has a trilogy. David Morell's Cavanaugh.
The Mystery writers of America put out this anthology yearly I believe, and I possibly have others on my shelf.
It is a good way of discovering authorsyou may not have read before, and also fun to read short stories by authors you like. Lee Child has a particularly strange story Nelson DeMille's was also a good one.
February 19, 2017
I listened to this on audiobook. The plus to reading it in this format is that the stories are short and can often be finished as I drive to/from appointments. The downside to this book is that some of the stories left me hanging and I didn't feel like the character development was very strong. Some of the short stories were interesting, however. If you like the genre of short stories, I'm sure you would find several that would appeal to you.
May 22, 2022
Really entertaining collection with hardly a misfire in the bunch. Fun descriptions of the excesses of wealth, and some genuinely surprising denouements (check out Kiddieland by Tim Chapman - holy moly, I did **not** see that coming!!). The only story I didn't like was (unfortunately) the last one called Daphne, Unrequited by Angela Zeman which I found confusing and dull. Nelson DeMille's introduction had a disappointing phoned-in feel, but other than that, this was a terrific read.
October 2, 2017
Been reading short story collections recently after not reading these types of collections for years and find the wonderfully enjoyable, many of which I recognize a early treatments that later become novels for some of these authors...recommend this one as well!
October 14, 2019
Somewhat enjoy the Mystery Writers of America anthologies. Good way to get exposure to a variety of new (to me) and established writers. As you can imagine, with this many short stories, some resonate, some don't.
November 8, 2024
An easily digestible, yet intriguing read that emerges you into the life and mindset of fame, fortune, and luxury, and what happens when that is taken away.
Recommend to anyone interested in murder mystery or short stories.
Recommend to anyone interested in murder mystery or short stories.
June 2, 2025
Compilation books are harder to review because some stories are better than others. I found all of the stories interesting and will follow-up looking for some of the authors' other works. I did enjoy being introduced to unfamiliar authors.
August 15, 2025
Nice anthology
I like the concept for this anthology, a view of crime from the top rather than the streets. Most of these stories are very interesting especially those by my favorite authors. Not all the stories are home runs, but they're a fascinating perspective on crime.
I like the concept for this anthology, a view of crime from the top rather than the streets. Most of these stories are very interesting especially those by my favorite authors. Not all the stories are home runs, but they're a fascinating perspective on crime.
April 18, 2018
Good collection! Only one or two stories with low quality. The rest was very good! Bravo!
October 7, 2018
As with many short story collections, some awesome, some average, some leave you wondering how they made the cut into the book. Overall pretty enjoyable, though.
May 9, 2019
A couple of good stories. Most so, so.
The worst, by far, was the Richie story.
Bad grammar, no punctuation, dialog that ran together. Etc.
The worst, by far, was the Richie story.
Bad grammar, no punctuation, dialog that ran together. Etc.
July 12, 2020
3.5 stars. Only read Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch short story “Blood Washes Off.”
July 20, 2020
Only liked the Nelson Demille story. The rest were a bit meh
December 23, 2021
Good selection of crime and short mystery stories, with some unique, enjoyable twists. I read the hardcover version.
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November 7, 2022I love these anthologies. Mystery fans will find stories by their favorite authors and many who will be a favorite.
May 19, 2025
I didn’t really like the concept. I wouldn’t have ordered it if I realized they were short stories.
May 20, 2025
Interesting selection of short stories with a mystery attached
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews