Wild and weird tales by the author of the Mongo Mysteries—including the novella that inspired the dwarf detective's first adventure: Shadow of a Broken Man. The "unlimited imagination" of the creator of Mongo the Magnificent is given free rein in these eleven stories full of suspense and surprises ( Publishers Weekly). An architect can read minds after surviving a fatal car wreck. The lives of schoolteachers are far from ordinary—or safe. A snake charmer visits a busy, fast-food burger joint. Two bumbling friends summon a demon who develops migraines whenever he's asked to do anything evil. A chess grandmaster plays a game for his life, which takes him from the sea to high in the Alps. A secret organization has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an ex–CIA agent. A bank clerk's boring life flips upside down when a stranger hands him a thermos in the Madrid airport. Science and religion violently collide on a college campus after a murder. And a man's dream may be his ultimate nightmare . . .
