Jacket Man

Book 0: A Mulholland / Strand Magazine Short

by Linwood Barclay

Genres: Thrillers; Suspense

Synopsis

From the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of Far From True, a short story where the grifter is not who he seems.

Sam seems like an ordinary guy. While he is filling up his car with gas in Stamford, Connecticut, a car whips into the station lot, stops alongside, and asks him for directions to LaGuardia Airport. Gian claims that he is from Milano, but Sam can spot an imitation in a second. The accent is all wrong, and while Gian tries to sell him counterfeit luxury coats that he can't take back on the plane to Italy, they bump hips, and Sam feels what he thinks is a gun tucked into Gian's belt. "Jacket Man" is a story of how to escape with your life, and some counterfeit pleather coats while you're at it.

"Jacket Man" by Linwood Barclay is one of 20 short stories within Mulholland Books's Strand Originals series, featuring thrilling stories by the biggest names in mystery from the Strand Magazine archives. View the full series list at mulhollandbooks.com and read them all!

Release date: April 19, 2016

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Print pages: 48

Sample

I was putting gas into the van when the dark blue Chrysler 300 whipped into the station lot. The driver didn’t pull up to the pumps, but stopped alongside me and powered down the window.

“I wonder if you can help me,” he said. He had an Italian accent. Tanned, pockmarked face, jet-black moustache, black hair. Nice suit. The tie was silk.

“Sure,” I said, glancing at the pump, not wanting to go over eighty bucks. I’d already given four twenties to the attendant in the booth. I avoided credit cards, and they wouldn’t free up the pump without a card unless you went in and paid first. W. . .