Deadly Ambition collection

What drives someone to keep reaching for all that glitters, no matter the price? It’s easy to believe that more is better: more acclaim, more control, more wealth. But when dreams are fueled by greed, they can quickly twist into nightmares. These six propulsive short stories explore what happens when the true cost of ambition comes due.

In the car on the way to her husband’s funeral, Honey Beckett still can hardly believe that Barney is actually dead. Granted, he was more than twice her age. But he was Barney Beckett, visionary tech genius, full of surprises—by turns romantic, inspirational, and controlling. Always in control. At the service, she impulsively goes to sit with the three ex-wives: practical Rita, fiery Svetlana, ambitious Meredith. Each broke up the other’s marriage in turn—and now, one final betrayal awaits.

Elena’s looking forward to a quiet Friday night curled up with her husband with a glass of wine and a new crime drama on TV. As the show starts, she realises, with a jolt of panic: every detail mirrors one horrific night she’s spent years trying to forget. Elena doesn’t believe in coincidences. Someone knows her secret—and she’ll lose everything if the truth comes out.

Rachel has orchestrated the perfect plan to win back her husband’s attention. A bloody handprint. Signs of a struggle. And a disappearance staged by Rachel herself. He’ll follow the clues, rescue her, and feel needed again. But when Jake doesn’t come looking, Rachel realizes that their marriage has turned darker than she thought.

Rituals and routines are safe places for delivery driver Lenora Sforza. Until her schedule is turned upside down by the bludgeoning death of a regular customer—a shocking crime that has left the authorities perplexed. The quietly observant Lenora can’t help but feel that she holds the key to unraveling the mystery. After all, a clever killer has gone to calculated lengths to make her an accomplice to the crime.

Struggling artist Hannah Brennan finds her muse in a gorgeous unfinished painting of a reclining woman at an amateur artist’s estate sale. It’s exactly the mix of classic and avant-garde that she’s aiming for. But inspiration crosses the line when, with just a few polishing touches, she passes off the dead man’s art as her own. Suddenly, Hannah is the one to watch in the New York art scene. And someone is watching. Someone who knows the truth about Hannah’s mysterious muse.

Los Angeles, 1985. Journalist Hallie Pitney is fighting to keep her head above water selling minor stories to gossip magazines. She still dreams of her byline on something better—something that could finally launch her career. Then a whisper reaches her: a legendary movie star may be hiding a devastating secret. For Hallie, this could be the story that changes everything. But a dark choice lurks behind Hollywood’s shuttered gates: the story of a lifetime—or everything she stands for.