Dangerous women aren't always the ones who carry guns and take down the bad guys. Sometimes, the most dangerous women are the ones we don't even notice — the sultry siren crooning in a smoky bar, the innocent young girl twirling in her summer dress, the soft-shoed nurse who helps the comatose.

In this collection, award-winning author Shanna Germain gathers seven of her darkest, lushest fantasy and horror stories about strong, smart women who know that danger is a matter of scale — and of which side you happen to be standing on.