Best of
Detective

2022

The Existential Worries of Mags Munroe


Jean Grainger - 2022
    My twelve-year-old daughter frequently moans that Ballycarrick is the most boring town in Ireland.Nothing ever happens here.She’s right.And as the local police sergeant, this is something I’m delighted about.I’ve enough to worry about - the polar ice-caps, the evil monster that’s shrinking my trousers, not to mention the hot flushes - without having to be like one of those gritty Netflix cops, chasing criminals down alleyways and busting drug deals.So, life is calm and fairly predictable.Until something unthinkable happens in our sleepy backwater.A crime, but not like anything I've ever seen before.It's a complete mystery.And it's up to me to solve it.

Don't Look Back


D.K. Hood - 2022
    An addictive short-read origin story about how she became Black Rock Falls’ most loved Sheriff.Jenna has been working undercover for four years and now she’s ready to take down the most dangerous man she’s ever met—her husband, Michael.Pulling shopping bags out of the back of her car, Jenna scans the house for Michael but he’s nowhere to be seen. Stepping into the marble hallway, she sighs with relief at the thought of just one more night here. But first, she must survive the most high-stakes night of her career: Michael is planning something deadly behind closed doors, and Jenna must find a place to hide where she can listen to every word – then, she must run for her life.But as night falls and the guests arrive, Jenna sees a distressed young girl being dragged into the house, and she knows she can’t leave an innocent soul behind.Staying will risk the case Jenna’s already sacrificed so much for, but innocent lives will be lost if she doesn’t bring this twisted monster down. With the clock ticking, can Jenna save the girl and make it out alive?An absolutely unputdownable short crime thriller from USA Today bestselling author D.K. Hood. If you’re a fan of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, you will love this gripping read.

Desert Heat (Victor Loshak #4)


L.T. Vargus - 2022
    A human body draped over the limbs of a cactus. Sand scouring the naked flesh every time the wind blows.A shocking death launches Special Agent Victor Loshak on a new investigation with an ominous message: They know everything. He heads to Tucson, Arizona, where a recent murder spree seems to be linked to the human trafficking conspiracy he's been working in secret for months.Loshak still has dreams about the Kansas City case. Nightmares about the team of techs peeling up the floorboards in a suburban home. Finding the rotting bodies face down in the muddy earth of the crawlspace. A grisly discovery that ultimately led to more questions than answers.Now he may be closer than ever to solving the puzzle.If you follow the conspiracy rabbit hole all the way down, you eventually reach the bottom.The task force working the desert murders seems oblivious to the conspiracy link, and Loshak must tread lightly. He doesn't know who to trust, what information to share.The tendrils of the human trafficking ring lead in all directions outward from that Kansas City crawlspace. Their influence reaches the highest levels of government and law enforcement. They have eyes and ears everywhere.Even with the complications, the Tucson case slowly unravels the web of connections behind the crimes, both the murders and the conspiracy.Questions get answered. Names and faces are laid bare. Puzzle pieces snapping into place at long last.But the revelations bring about the gravest danger yet.

YOU DID THIS


Jamie Millen - 2022
    A homicide detective’s destiny.Everybody loves Claire’s little sister, Tina. But only Claire sees the twisted psychopath hiding behind her sister’s angelic face. When Tina is brutally murdered on her fourteenth birthday, the day Claire failed to walk her home from school, Claire never forgives herself. And neither does their mother.Twelve years later, more girls turn up dead in Newburgh exactly like Tina. Claire, now a police detective, suspects that her sister’s murderer is still on the prowl. But the serial killer stumps the FBI forensic profiler assisting the case and Special Agent Robert Cline—Claire’s old flame.When Claire becomes the lead suspect in the murder investigation, the system turns against her. Unable to trust anyone—not even herself—Claire must break every rule in the book to save the next girl.With time running out in this nerve-shredding psychological thriller and harrowing family drama, a shocking discovery changes everything. Is Claire’s sister truly dead—or is she playing one final lethal prank?YOU DID THIS is the first book in the Claire Wolfe Thrillers series and can be read as a standalone mystery. Fans of Mike Omer, Robert Dugoni, Melinda Leigh, and Karin Slaughter should get to know Claire Wolfe.

The Girl in the Glass Case


Devashish Sardana - 2022
    And she refuses to let anyone stand in the way of her pursuit of the Doll Maker, a ruthless serial killer who dresses up little kids as Barbie dolls and displays their bodies in glass cases. But Simone knows that time is running out to piece together the clues as the Doll Maker has made it clear that the killings have only just begun . . .Another serial killer, the Clipper, who enjoyed nine years of infamy as India's most notorious butcher, erupts into an all-consuming rage when he is cast aside by the media in favour of the sick new slayer-the Doll Maker. The Clipper turns his fury into blood-soaked revenge to capture the top spot. As corpses start to pile up, Simone fights to maneuver the Doll Maker into a clever trap. But the Clipper is hell-bent on striking first and regaining the crown with his most grisly murder yet.Can Simone take down the two serial killers and stop the psychotic competition before it gets out of hand?The Girl in the Glass Case is a jaw-dropping psychological crime thriller. If you like determined heroines, nail-biting twists and chilling serial murderers, then you'll love this rollercoaster ride.Read The Girl in the Glass Case today to step into the arena of deadly competition!

Deadly Corruption (Detective Sarah Spillman Mystery Series Book 7)


Renee Pawlish - 2022
    

Flirting with Fame (Flirting with the Finest, #2)


Kaye Kennedy - 2022
    Will she pay for hers with her life? Bellamy Have you ever felt like you were being watched? You get that spine-tingling uneasiness. Maybe you heard a noise that you couldn’t place, or thought you saw someone in the shadows. Imagine having that feeling every time you leave your house. That’s my life right now.I’m Bellamy Shaw. Artist of the Year. Height of my career. Teetering on the edge of falling for my sinfully hot bodyguard. And I can’t even enjoy it. Why? Because I have a stalker. Someone has snaked his way into my inner circle, but I have no clue how and I’m afraid that by the time I figure it out, it’ll be too late. Tai I’m a detective with the Special Investigations Task Force, but my mom’s hefty medical expenses have forced me to take on a side gig doing security for a popstar. It was supposed to be simple: keep Bellamy safe while she played her residency in Manhattan. Except, I’ve started to catch feelings for the princess of pop. And I really can’t go there.To make matters worse, some psycho keeps sending her creepy “gifts.” And he’s escalating. Suddenly, my easy side gig has gotten way more complicated than I’ve bargained for, but I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. I’ve trained my entire career for this. I just hope it’s enough.This is book two in the Flirting with the Finest Series and, while interconnected, it can be read as a standalone.

Beach Wedding


Michael Ledwidge - 2022
    But this isn’t the first time Terry has been to the Hamptons.As the designer tuxedos are laid out and the flowers arranged along the glittering surf, Terry can’t help but take another look at a decades-old murder trial that rocked the very foundations of the town—and his family. He soon learns that digging up billion-dollar sand can be a very dangerous activity. The kind of danger that can very quickly turn even the most beautiful beach wedding into a wake.

Violet and the Bow Street Runner (Garland Cousins, #2)


Emily Larkin - 2022
    Violet Garland may be a duke’s daughter, but she has a strong streak of daredevil. What she wants most in life is adventure—and when she spots a Bow Street Runner among the ton, she knows she’s finally found it. She’ll help the investigator track down his villain, whether he wishes her to or not! Bow Street Principal Officer Perry Wintersmith does not want any assistance, especially from a female as persistent and annoying as Lady Violet Garland. Although Lady Violet does possess a most uncommon talent and she is exceptionally good at following people… Perhaps he ought to accept her offer of help? Together they might be able to unravel a rather perplexing mystery—and Perry may just avoid falling off any roofs.Take one adventure-seeking duke’s daughter, one solitary Bow Street Runner, a strange series of thefts, a dash of magic, a sprinkling of naughty drawings, and what do you have? A romp of a Regency romance that will sweep you through London’s alleyways and over its rooftops, with detours into cupboards, attics, bandboxes, and ballrooms.A Baleful Godmother novel.

The Sapphire Cove


Sophie Anderson - 2022
    

Hunter's Rules (The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries Book 6)


Val Penny - 2022
    She has traumatic injuries, but she clings to life. Hunter notes that her wounds are like those inflicted on two other women, who died from their ordeal.Can Meera keep the injured woman alive long enough for her to identify the assailant? Is the same person responsible for all three crimes?When Hunter is identified as a suspect, can he establish his innocence and lead his team to solve the crime and keep Edinburgh safe?

Death in Disguise


Emma Davies - 2022
    Missing canapes? No problem. Burnt brownies? A piece of cake… But a dead body? Now that’s a recipe for disaster.Francesca is nervous about catering her first ever murder mystery party, but it’s clear from the clink of champagne flutes and piles of empty plates that the evening is a roaring success. The guests look spectacular in their disguises, whispering and giggling as they try to identify who killed beautiful young Becky. But days later the game takes a sinister turn when Becky is found poisoned, and all the signs point to the culprit being a party guest.From the woman having an affair to the guest hiding her true identity, everyone had a secret – and it turns out that Becky knew them all. As Fran finds herself centre-stage in a real-life murder mystery, the finger of suspicion points at each guest in turn. And Fran starts to wonder, were any of these secrets dangerous enough to kill for?Then the body of a second guest is found, and it becomes clear a deranged killer is going off-script. It seems anyone who was involved in the game that night is in their sights, even Fran. Can she unmask the murderer before the final curtain falls?A page-turning cozy mystery packed with twists. If you love Clare Chase, M.C. Beaton and The Thursday Murder Club you’ll absolutely adore this unputdownable whodunnit.

AVENGING ANGEL: Love and Death in Old Brooklyn


Charles S. Isaacs - 2022
    After eight years of training, now a strikingly beautiful assassin, she accomplishes her mission.Her campaign continues with solitary walks through dark city streets, hoping to be assaulted by men with bad intentions. Those entrapped by her spider’s web pay dearly for their efforts.Surrounded by three armed men one night, she’s rescued by Mike Borelli, an Italian-American passerby. A stormy, up-and-down relationship ensues. Ultimately, as her rage matures into purposeful action, and as he begins to see the world through her eyes, they become a team.Along the way, they encounter serial killers, wife-beaters, actual and would-be rapists, gangsters, crooked cops, a kidnapper and a pedophile priest, as well as numerous women in desperate need of their help. Beneath all the action, though, is the blossoming of a most unlikely love story.

Widow's Kiss


Tony Faggioli - 2022
    Before long, more bodies of religious men are found, each murdered and marked in the same way.Secretly enlisting the help of his dead partner, Detective Napoleon Villa, from beyond the veil between this world and the next, Parker learns from the outset that his prime suspect is the victim’s wife, Allison Dietrich. The problem is, she’s barely denying her guilt. As if, for some reason, she wants to get caught. Before long, Parker and Villa are both pulled into a game of mental hopscotch with a woman who is something far different than what she appears to be. And as they investigate further, it becomes apparent that there is a special kind of evil at work. One based on seduction, sex, and a vile attempt to corrupt faith. All of it led by a woman who will prove to be far more dangerous than any criminal they have ever faced.

The Case of the Texas Ranger


C.H. Sessums - 2022
    That doesn't stop me from being disappointed to find him at the local speakeasy one night. The leathery, stout man at his table looks vaguely familiar, and I'm only a little surprised to find out he's Templeton Gorham, former Texas Ranger. The governor shut down the Rangers years ago, but before that, Templeton was virtually a legend in his profession. He and JD are laughing over drinks like old friends, but later, when the three of us walk out into the night, gunshots pierce the darkness. Templeton is left lying in a pool of blood, and I'm left with a brand-new case on my hands.When the victim won't speak, can I find the answers to keep a killer from finishing the job he started?

Monster Max and the Marmalade Ghost


Robin Bennett - 2022
    One resident is walking on the ceiling, one is riding their wheelchair through walls, and Reggie says his marmalade is haunted (no one listens). Can Max and his friends work out what’s happening to protect his family and the local community?Things aren’t looking good: the Marmalade Ghost is turning into a sticky Godzilla, Max falls out with his (joint) best friend, and then just when it can’t get any worse, someone kidnaps Max’s cat, Frankenstein…Time to ‘Protect and Do Good Stuff!’

Can't Go Home


Melinda Di Lorenzo - 2022
    Just weeks later, Savannah’s body was found brutally slain outside the mountain town. With no suspects or leads, the local authorities dismissed the murder as a tragic one-off, likely perpetrated by a tourist. But Trinity wasn’t convinced.Determined to do better for other victims, she left town and settled in Vancouver, rising through the ranks to become a detective. She’s never looked back. But now, an unexpected phone call from her former lover has her barreling down the highway to face the past.Another young woman has disappeared under eerily similar circumstances. Allegedly. But the local police are disinterested. Trinity’s ex has a tenuous—at best—hold on his mental and physical health. And Savannah’s secretive and handsome brother is in town, asking an awful lot of questions.Trinity’s focus is clouded. Maybe her judgment, too. As she wades through her past, she needs to answer a potentially life-threatening question: is there a dangerous, repeat criminal on the loose, or is she just desperate for closure?