MatchUp

In this incredible follow-up to the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller FaceOff, twenty-two of the world’s most popular thriller writers come together for an unforgettable anthology. MatchUp takes the never-before-seen bestseller pairings of FaceOff and adds a delicious new twist: gender. Eleven of the world’s best female thriller writers from Diana Gabaldon to Charlene Harris are paired with eleven of the world’s best male thriller writers, including John Sandford, C.J. Box, and Nelson DeMille. The stories are edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child and feature: -Lee Coburn and Joe Pickett in “Honor & …” by Sandra Brown and C.J. Box -Tony Hill and Roy Grace in “Footloose” by Val McDermid and Peter James -Temperance Brennan and Jack Reacher in “Faking a Murderer” by Kathy Reichs and Lee Child -Jamie Fraser and Cotton Malone in “Past Prologue” by Diana Gabaldon and Steve Berry -Liz Sansborough and Rambo in “Rambo on Their Minds” by Gayle Lynds and David Morrell -Jeffrey Tolliver and Joe Pritchard in “Short Story” by Karin Slaughter and Michael Koryta -Harper Connelly and Ty Hauck in “Dig Here” by Charlaine Harris and Andrew Gross -Regan Pescoli and Lucas Davenport in “Deserves to be Dead” by Lisa Jackson and John Sandford -Lucan Thorne and Lilliane in “Midnight Flame” by Lara Adrian and Christopher Rice -Bennie Rosato and John Corey in “Getaway” by Lisa Scottoline and Nelson DeMille -Ali Reynolds and Bravo Shaw in “Taking the Veil” by J.A. Jance and Eric Van Lustbader

About the Author :
Lee Child is the author of eighteen New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher thrillers, nine of which have reached the #1 position. All have been optioned for major motion pictures; the first, Jack Reacher, was based on One Shot. Foreign rights in the Reacher series have sold in almost a hundred territories. A native of England and a former television director, Lee Child lives in New York City. Lee Child is the author of eighteen New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher thrillers, nine of which have reached the #1 position. All have been optioned for major motion pictures; the first, Jack Reacher, was based on One Shot. Foreign rights in the Reacher series have sold in almost a hundred territories. A native of England and a former television director, Lee Child lives in New York City. Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-seven New York Times bestsellers, including Mean Streak, Deadline, Low Pressure, and Smoke Screen. Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, most of which remain in print. Sandra and her husband, Michael Brown, live in Arlington, Texas. CJ Box is the New York Times bestselling author of fifteen novels including the award-winning Joe Pickett series. Box has won the Edgar Award for Best Novel as well as the Anthony, Macavity, Barry, and Le Calibre .38 awards. His novels have been translated into twenty-five languages. Box lives outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Breaking Point and The Highway will be released in 2013. Peter James is the #1 international bestselling author of the Roy Grace series, with more than eighteen million copies sold all over the world. His novels have been translated into thirty-seven languages and many are in development for TV and film including the Roy Grace series. All of his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police, with whom he does in-depth research. He lives in England. Kathy Reichs is the author of eighteen New York Times bestselling novels featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Like her protagonist, Reichs is a forensic anthropologist—one of fewer than one hundred ever certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. A professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she is a former vice president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and serves on the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada. Reichs’s own life, as much as her novels, is the basis for the TV show Bones, one of the longest-running series in the history of the FOX network. Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of The Patriot Threat, The Lincoln Myth, The King’s Deception, The Columbus Affair, The Jefferson Key, The Emperor’s Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. His books have been translated into forty languages with 19,000,000 copies in fifty-one countries. For more information, visit SteveBerry.org. Gayle Lynds is the New York Times bestselling author of Masquerade and Mosaic, and co-author with Robert Ludlum of The Hades Factor and The Paris Option. Born in Nebraska and raised in Iowa, she has been a reporter for The Arizona Republic in Phoenix, editor of Santa Barbara magazine, and a think-tank editor with top-secret clearance. She lives in California with her husband, novelist Dennis Lynds. Romantic Times magazine named Mosaic "thriller of the year." Visit her Web site: www.gaylelynds.com. #1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris was born in Mississippi and lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, daughter and three dogs. Their sons are out of the nest. She’s written four series and two stand-alone novels in addition to numerous short stories and a novella or two. Her Sookie Stackhouse books have appeared in twenty-five different languages and on many best-seller lists. They’re also the basis of the HBO series “True Blood.” Lisa Jackson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy books including romantic suspense, thrillers and contemporary and historical romances. She is a recipient of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award and has also been honored with their Career Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense. Born in Oregon, she continues to make her home among family, friends and dogs in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her at www.lisajackson.com. John Sandford is the author of twenty-four Prey novels; the Virgil Flowers novels, most recently Storm Front; and six other books. He lives in New Mexico. Christopher Rice is the author of four New York Times bestsellers. The son of author Anne Rice and the late poet Stan Rice, he was raised in New Orleans. He now resides in Los Angeles, where he is a cohost of the Internet radio program The Dinner Party Show with Christopher Rice & Eric Shaw Quinn. J.A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the Ali Reynolds series, the J.P. Beaumont series, and the Joanna Brady series, as well as four interrelated Southwestern thrillers featuring the Walker family. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tuscon, Arizona. Visit her online at JAJance.com. Eric Lustbader is the author of nearly forty novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Ninja, which introduced Nicholas Linnear, one of modern fiction’s most beloved and enduring heroes. In 2004, Mr. Lustbader was chosen by the estate of the late Robert Ludlum to continue the Jason Bourne novels, and has published eight international bestselling works to rave reviews. He is also the author of two successful and highly regarded series of fantasy novels, The Sunset Warrior Cycle and The Pearl Saga. He and his wife Victoria are residents of the South Fork of Long Island.

Review :
Praise for FACEOFF “So good it demands a sequel.” “A thriller reader’s ultimate fantasy. How cool would it be if a pair of celebrated crime-fiction protagonists, the creations of different authors, teamed up together on a case, in a story jointly penned by the two writers? Even if it was just 1 pair, it would be pretty darn cool, but 11 pairs? Way cool. . . . Great fun for thriller fans.” "A marvelous anthology. This innovative concept entertains as each author works in concert with another to deliver a story worth every word on the page." “Familiarity with the authors and their creations is a huge plus in reading this collection, but not knowing a particular character or writer should not be a deterrent. . . . Some great collaborations and stories.” “An impressive accomplishment that celebrates the genre in both style and substance. Enthusiasts will dig it for what it is—an abundance of chills and thrills delivered by an inspired lineup of literary heavyweights—while casual readers just might be tempted to pick it up for the sheer novelty of it all. Regardless of motivation, they will find themselves turning pages late into the night. This just may be the optimal summer read.” “A box of chocolates. You can start at one corner and methodically gorge yourself, or study the chart and pick out the caramels. With an anthology, you can start at page 1 and read through, or peruse the table of contents for favorite writers. If the anthology is good enough, it won't matter. And FaceOff is. In fact, it is brilliant. . . . The teaming up is what makes this anthology so special. It's a fair bet that fans will first turn to their favorite authors, but after devouring those stories, try the others. It is like a wonderful box of chocolates -- without the guilt.” “FaceOff is like a literary Mortal Kombat.” “Pow! That’s the sound of thriller fans’ heads exploding when they hear the bold premise of this anthology. . . . This collection is 11 fever dreams come true.”