Best of
Apple

2021

Body in the Books


Heather Huffman - 2021
    Augustine to tie up loose ends and maybe learn a bit about the man she never knew.Only what first appeared to be a heart attack turns out to be murder, and there’s no shortage of suspects. The detective assigned to the case might be handsome and charming, but Nora’s convinced he’s chasing down the wrong lead.With her newly-inherited Greyhound named Margo and a quirky band of friends in tow, Nora decides to track down the killer. She finds herself in a race to solve the murder before she becomes the next body in the books.Body in the Books is the first installment of the Nora Jones cozy mystery series. You won’t want to miss this humorous whodunit that’s being likened to Scooby Doo for grownups.

A Deeper Fear


Allison Brennan - 2021
    He won’t talk about it with anyone, not even Lucy. She’s hoping a conference in Sacramento, which includes family and the unveiling of a highly sought after drone Sean’s been working on, will help him heal.But the upcoming drone demonstration – and the fact that Sean didn’t come home last night – is the least of the couple’s worries. The night before the drone is set to debut to the world, the operator goes missing. Ellen Dupre is Sean’s friend. When she’s found, barely clinging to life, Sean is determined to find out what happened to her.Ellen Dupre saw something she wasn’t supposed to . . . and those behind the attack are willing to risk it all to keep their secrets.

Girl One: Murder


Molly Black - 2021
    She’s one of BAU’s rising stars and the go-to agent for hard-to-crack serial cases. When she receives a handwritten postcard promising to release 12 kidnapped women if she will solve 12 cold cases, she assumes it’s a hoax.Until the note mentions that, among the captives, is her missing sister.Maya, shaken, is forced to take it seriously. The cases she’s up against are some of the most difficult the FBI has ever seen. But the terms of his game are simple: If Maya solves a case, he will release one of the girls.And if she fails, he will end a life.Maya embarks with an urgency unlike any she’s ever felt. In a race against time, and with her sister’s life hanging in the balance, she must unravel the link between the 12 captives and end the killer’s dark game once and for all. Is this killer toying with her? Does he truly have her sister? Will he ever give her back?Or will Maya end up sucked too deep into this killer’s twisted cat-and-mouse game to notice that she, herself, is the prey?

Her Last Wish


Blake Pierce - 2021
    She wants to go down fighting, and to take as many serial killers with her as she can.A serial killer strikes in the Virginia area, targeting women who seek fertility treatments. As Rachel enters his sick and twisted mind, she struggles to understand his motive, or the connection between the victims.Worse, the case strikes too close to home, bringing up memories of her own fertility treatments, and her failed mission to have a second child. As she seeks insight from a diabolical, jailed serial killer, she immediately realizes it’s a mistake. Can he see right through her?Can Rachel keep her secret and keep her deteriorating health at bay long enough to finish the job? Can she fulfill her own bucket list before she dies? And can she keep herself from descending down the dark hole of her own traumatic past? A riveting and chilling crime thriller featuring a brilliant and flailing FBI agent, the RACHEL GIFT series is an unputdownable mystery, packed with suspense, twists and shocking secrets, propelled by a page-turning pace that will keep you bleary-eyed late into the night.

Discerning Grace


Emma Lombard - 2021
    Discovering she is a pawn in an arrangement between slobbery Silverton and her calculating father, Grace is devastated when Silverton reveals his true callous nature.Refusing this fate, Grace resolves to stow away. Heading to the docks, disguised as a lad to ease her escape, she encounters smooth-talking naval recruiter, Gilly, who lures her aboard HMS Discerning with promises of freedom and exploration in South America.When Grace's big mouth lands her bare-bottomed over a cannon for insubordination, her identity is exposed. The captain wants her back in London but his orders, to chart the icy archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, forbid it. Lieutenant Seamus Fitzwilliam gallantly offers to take Grace off the fretting captain's hands by placing her under his protection.Grace must now win over the crew she betrayed with her secret, while managing her feelings towards her taciturn protector, whose obstinate chivalry stifles her new-found independence. But when Grace disregards Lieutenant Fitzwilliam's warnings about the dangers of the unexplored archipelago, it costs a friend his life and she realises she is not as free as she believes.DISCERNING GRACE is historical women's fiction that will appeal to fans of Claire Fraser from Outlander and Demelza Poldark from Poldark—in other words, fans of feisty historical female leads.

Lucky Cowboy


Heatherly Bell - 2021
    Lincoln's only interest in her now is one of obligation and guilt. After all, he's the one responsible for the lassoing "incident" (don't ask. Lincoln's life was perfect until his matchmaking granny stuck her nose in his business. Now, he’s accidentally injured his best friend's sister, the woman partly responsible for a family feud."What a thoroughly delightful story! I adored it." ~ Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author"Lucky Cowboy is an engaging read you can really sink into and enjoy!" ~ Cora Seton, New York Times bestselling author"Be prepared to fall in love, with a story that will warm your heart and curl your toes!” ~ New York Times bestselling author, Marina Adair"If you like Virgin River, you'll love Lucky Cowboy!" Kate Kisset, USA Today bestselling author of the Lonesome Cowboy seriesLucky Cowboy is a small-town western romantic comedy involving a hot but grumpy cowboy and a "sunshine" teacher. It can be read as a stand-alone, contains no cliffhangers with a guaranteed HEA!

Unlikely in Love


Ashlie Knapp - 2021
    Stuck in the small Oklahoma town she always had every intention of leaving, she has no idea what comes next. When her sexy high school crush, Wyatt Holloway, returns to town and asks her for a job on her farm, her simple life becomes more complicated than she ever imagined.Wyatt Holloway returned from three tours overseas in the army a broken man. He'd seen and done things that haunt his days and nights. When he discovers Annabelle Cleaver, the beautiful but quirky girl from high school, needs help on her family farm after the passing of her crazy grandma, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the woman who'd always held his interest.Ten years later, the unspoken spark that existed as teenagers still remains. The question is, will it produce fireworks or a dying flame?

Only Murder


Rylie Dark - 2021
    Back in her home state, a place she vowed she would never return, Sadie, running from a secret in her recent past and back into her old one, finds herself facing her demons—including her sister’s unsolved murder—while assigned to hunt down a new serial killer.Two women are found dead in a remote area of Northern Alaska, near Sadie’s hometown, floating under the ice, their bodies preserved, much the same way Sadie’s own murdered sister was found—a memory that still plagues her. The case strikes way too close to home, blurring Sadie’s judgment, stirring up memories of her estranged father and murdered sister, memories she’s not ready to grapple with.This part of Alaska—icy, rough, remote, populated by outcasts—proves impenetrable even for a seasoned FBI agent like Sadie. The killer, matching his landscape, is more sinister and smart than anyone Sadie has encountered. Amidst the perplexing clues, Sadie remains sure of only one thing: he will strike again.Against her wishes, Sadie must team up with Sheriff Logan Cooper—single, begrudging, and with a dark past of his own. Together, they must enter the canals of this killer’s twisted mind and seek help from the locals, however hostile, to solve the pattern of these murders before another girl turns up dead.With a major storm coming, can Sadie solve the murders before it’s too late? Or will she end up as the next body floating under the ice?An action-packed page-turner, the SADIE PRICE series is a riveting crime thriller, jammed with suspense, surprises and twists and turns that you won’t see coming. It will have you fall in love with a brilliant and scarred new character, while challenging you, amidst a barren landscape, to solve an impenetrable crime.

See Her Run


Rylie Dark - 2021
    But when Mia, unwilling to back down, escapes and turns into a fugitive, she continues to hunt down killers and solve active cases—all while trying to clear her own name.In SEE HER RUN (A Mia North FBI Suspense Thriller—Book One), Special Agent Mia North is a rising star in the FBI—until, in an elaborate setup, she’s framed for murder and sentenced to prison. When a lucky break allows her to escape, Mia finds herself a fugitive, on the run and on the wrong side of the law for the first time in her life. She can’t see her young daughter—and she has no hope of returning to her former life.The only way to get her life back, she realizes, is to hunt down whoever framed her.A diabolical killer that Mia once put behind bars is freed on parole. He taunts her while she’s in prison, now on the other side of the Visitor glass, and boasts of a murder he is about to commit. Mia, locked in jail, will be helpless to stop it.With time running out, Mia must use her sharpest instincts to escape, evade the law, and stop him before he claims his next victim. Can she hunt down the killer and save the victim—and herself?Will she find herself back in jail?Or worse—at the mercy of a killer, without any backup?An action-packed page-turner, the MIA NORTH series is a riveting crime thriller, jammed with suspense, surprises, and twists and turns that you won’t see coming. Fall in love with this brilliant new female protagonist and you’ll be turning pages late into the night.

Miss Minerva's Pirate Mishap


Maggie Dallen - 2021
    But what if this thief ends up stealing her heart?The eldest daughter of a naval captain, Minerva is well-versed in tactical objectives and strategic maneuvers. It's no wonder she's put those skills to use when planning her own future with her perfectly proper suitor. There is only one flaw in her plan. She's failed to take into account the troublesome newcomer who's hiding out in her seaside town. The irritating rogue is in her way at every turn—teasing, taunting, and all around upending her well-ordered life. But then again, what else would she expect from a pirate?She'd like to say it's fear that makes her heart pound and her pulse race whenever he is near. She'd like to say that...but she's never been a very good liar. It's excitement, plain and simple, that has her seeking him out when she ought to be running in the opposite direction. And when he kisses her? Well, that stirs up another emotion entirely. One that makes her wonder what she's willing to sacrifice for duty...and just how much she'd risk for love.

Forgotten


Jeffery Deaver - 2021
    Many of his cases are those that the police are unable or unwilling to solve, but the job that brings him to a small-town in Ohio has already been solved. A teenage boy has been arrested and convicted for murder, but his parents are convinced that he didn’t commit the crime—and offer a reward to anyone who can prove it. Colter’s investigation into the murder, the shooting of a local drug dealer, brings him deep into a small-town conspiracy, with plenty of members who will go to any lengths to keep Shaw from learning the truth.

An Unexpected Mail Order Bride


Blythe Carver - 2021
    She wants a man. Not some silly boy who plays pranks. She’s not one to wait for life to come to her. She’ll seize it by the horns. And she does just that, ending up in the wild west with nothing but her money and her companion.Nate Winchester and his two boys were abandoned by his wife. She simply up and left them. Who does that? Now, Nate’s had to figure out how to be mother and father to his sons. Lucky for him, he’s got siblings who have helped him. But that’s not enough. Children need a mama.When his sister comes up with a plan for getting him a bride, he’s not interested. Yet, his sister Melissa is persistent.Lo and behold, here comes Theresa Baldwin. A ray of sunshine in his otherwise bleak life.Theresa has no idea that her appearance has been orchestrated by Nate’s sister. She’s thrilled to have found this woodworking, ranching man’s man in the wild west. Until she learns the truth…

Breed


Colet Abedi - 2021
    The fate of humanity lies in the hands of evolution...2999 A.D.Earth, as it’s known, is no more. Man and beast are now merged, creating a new breed of species. Reptiles, Mammals, Bird, Amphibians…Four Kingdoms.Five Breeds. One last chance at survival.Siren. The only of her kind. Her race eradicated by genocide at the fearful hands of a jealous Kingdom. And now the seventeen-year-old, forbidden Breed is in the middle of a war. Her only ally... an enemy. Aedan. The young ruler of Kingdom OM— the same kingdom responsible for the Great Cetacean Massacre. Torn between her love for Aedan, and loyalty to her Breed, she must keep her true genetic identity, and her feelings a secret. Or face extinction. If she is to save this world, first she will have to survive it...

King of Masters


Brynn Ford - 2021
    She's a proudly independent woman. He's going to make her the reluctant queen of his criminal empire…whether she wants it or not.★★★★★ "Hell to the yes!!!" -Boys in Books are Better, Goodreads Review-Murphy is the born leader of the O'Shea family, one of four families in a conglomerate of traffickers. They make their living stealing women and selling them to new masters…masters among which, he is a king. When he acquires a new slave meant to be his plaything, he finds he has no interest in her easy submission. He wants a challenge. He wants a woman who will stand by his side and make him stronger. He doesn't want a pet…he wants a wife. Stella is the epitome of an independent woman. She's tough, single, and runs her own business. On a chance encounter, she meets Murphy, and their instant physical chemistry is undeniable. A one-night stand turns into a long-distance affair of the heart, except Stella doesn't know the real Murphy O'Shea. She's falling for him, but she doesn't know he's a ruthless criminal.Murphy is meant to have an arranged marriage in five years, only now he's met Stella. He wants her…and he's going to take her. He's the king of masters and she'll be made his reluctant queen.This steamy dark romance is a spin-off from the Four Families trilogy.Series Note: This book is a spin-off from the Four Families trilogy. While this book could be read as a standalone, the author highly recommends that you first read the Four Families trilogy. King of Masters contains spoilers of the epic ending to the Four Families trilogy, and that is an ending you do not want spoiled! You can start reading the Four Families trilogy for free with Counts of Eight.Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes of dubious consent. A toxic relationship is depicted that features kidnapping, coercion, manipulation, and a forced marriage.Reading OrderBook 1: Counts of EightBook 2: Dance with DeathBook 3: Pas de TroisSpin-Off: King of Masters

Photo Bombed


Daria White - 2021
    She’s determined to stand on her own two feet in Edenville, Texas after her bitter divorce. When the town’s wedding of the year stars her friend as the bride, Bianca can’t wait to celebrate the nuptials. Neither she nor the guests expect a corpse! When the police suspect the bride, Bianca's determined to prove her friend’s innocence.Lamar Sims, the new police detective in Edenville, is investigating the murder case. Bianca’s “interference” is not helping, but she won't stop when her friend's freedom is on the line. He makes it clear he wants her to let the police do their job, so she has to find ways around him.No one in Edenville is safe until the killer is behind bars. Bianca won’t let Detective Sims dismiss her hunches. They may have to work together before another dead body shows up.

The Night She Disappeared


Kevin O'Brien - 2021
    She rarely drinks, and this hangover is brutal. Why can't she shake the feeling that something terrible happened last night? And why can't she recall any of it? BUT EVEN WORSE What Anna does remember: an awkward restaurant meal with her married lover, Russ Knoll, and his unsuspecting wife, Courtney. Russ's phone call reveals that Courtney is missing, and as days go by with no trace, he comes under police scrutiny. Anna's in the spotlight too, thanks to a TV rival with a grudge. Anna's not proud of her affair, but she and Russ aren't bad people. They're certainly not the killing kind. IS THE ONE YOU CAN'T REMEMBER . . . Anna already suspected that Courtney--a successful, charming author--might have a darker side. Is she truly missing? Perhaps the sudden disturbances in Anna's life aren't accidental after all. But no scenario that Anna imagines can compare to the twisted game unfolding around her, one chilling piece at a time . . .

Let Me Go


Kate Bold - 2021
    She soon finds herself in a race against time to save herself—and her marriage—from her ex-husband turned serial killer, who will stop at nothing until he has her back.Ashley has spent years trying to forget her past and the poverty-wracked childhood she escaped from. Her life is finally perfectly normal—and she’s worked hard to make it that way. Her new husband is wealthy and handsome. Their suburban house is a total dream. And with her master’s in criminal justice almost complete, Ashley is ready to move on with her life, confident that her secrets are buried for good.But on a trip to her rural hometown, old tensions suddenly threaten to boil over. Her Polo-wearing husband sticks out dangerously among the hardened folk of Grundy County. And when the visit goes horribly awry, Ashley, handed shocking news, realizes the past has a stubborn way of coming back.As Ashley’s carefully constructed life begins to splinter around her, she finds herself in a fight for her life, drawn deeper into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. This killer knows her better than anyone—and he’ll stop at nothing, murder included, to get her where he wants her.Will her past finally claim her for good?A dark crime thriller full of mystery and suspense, the ASHLEY HOPE mystery series is rife with twists and jaw-dropping secrets as it unfolds into a riveting psychological thriller. Join this brilliant new female protagonist as she hunts down a serial killer, keeping you spellbound and turning pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.

The Convenience Series: Books 1-3


Stella Gray - 2021
    Because if he finds out what I've done, this sham falls into shambles.And I'm starting to think my heart will, too.

Wolf Retreat


N. Gray - 2021
    Their only recourse? To attend a retreat where alphas meet their forever mate. They're hoping to find an alpha who would protect them from danger.Shawn's problem: After three years, he still hadn’t found his fated mate. When a friend suggested a Wolf Retreat, it piqued his interest enough to attend. Hopefully, one female stirred his inner beast into claiming her, or doom him to loneliness with the possibility of losing his pack.The retreat: When Shawn saw Carmen, the dark-haired beauty with bright green eyes, sparks flew. He knew she was the one and would do everything in his power to protect her, even if it meant fighting to the death.Wolf Retreat is a stand-alone HEA shifter romance featuring characters from the Blaire Thorne universe.

Pride of Lions


Jullian Scott - 2021
    A town with a violent past. You can run from your demons, but you can't escape evil.Eliza Kingston moved away from Silver Lake twenty years ago after a tragedy rocked the town. She never expected to move back and she certainly never expected to find herself in the middle of a murderer's deadly games. Evan Harding hung up his detective badge 18 months ago and moved back to his hometown to start over. He was just beginning to rebuild his life when he walked into a cafe and right into Eliza Kingston. Evan and Eliza have a complicated history and it isn't long before they both realize that those complications aren't going to stay in the past.After stumbling upon a murdered cheerleader, Eliza and Evan are determined to find her killer. While working the case, they also must navigate the dangerous terrain of their unresolved feelings. Just as they start to find a way back to each other, another girl is murdered and no one in Silver Lake is safe. Can Eliza and Evan catch the killer before another victim loses her life?Utterly gripping mystery for readers who love Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot, and Melinda Leigh.

The Undone Life of Jak Dreadth


Shawn Speakman - 2021
    Unknown to him though, machinations within House Dreadth sabotage his efforts as war scorches the sky, leaving him for dead in a desert wilderness rife with hardship.There, Jak meets Agnez al-Kol, a goatherd who could be a Will Master of an ancient religion or just an eccentric old woman. Together they travel the sands of the Splinter and, as they navigate the harshest of elements, they will discover their lives are intertwined in ways neither could have imagined—for the past is rarely contained in the past, and the future is dependent upon courage discovered in the present.Grappling with family intrigue, bounty hunters, and dragons, Jak will learn that living a life of consequence is the only life worth living.Or he will die trying.

Awakening Your Inner Shaman: A Woman's Journey of Self-Discovery through the Medicine Wheel


Marcela Lobos - 2021