Will Harper Florida Thrillers: Vol. 1-4
David Crosby - 2020
Nice work if you can get it. And if you can avoid making the kind of enemies—mobsters, local officials, politicians, and industry good ole’ boys among them—who would gladly contribute to your untimely demise. MILLION DOLLAR STAIRCASEWill thinks fast when he discovers his girl friend’s the victim of a frame-up. He sees instantly why they can’t go to the cops—the mayor, the city manager, and for all Will knows, every official in town could be in on it. It’s the latest offensive in a case of municipal bullying that’s busted many a bank account and broken many a heart—something that sounds so boring you could doze off just reading the words: Eminent Domain. But it’s anything but boring when it enters your life as the legal justification for waltzing in and power-grabbing your property-- business, buildings, and all.GUILTY MONEYWill Harper thinks his latest story’s about Florida’s prison problems. It seems that budget cuts have led to police departments turning to creative schemes to raise money. Grove County’s version involves arresting citizens for minor charges and then driving up their bail when a search of the citizen’s home too conveniently turns up drugs.But the usual guilty money scheme has been improved upon by a corrupt deputy, Deke Snyder, who’s skimming money from the jail. Once Will finds that out, Deputy Deke sics all his buddies on him–which include every cop in town.FLORIDA BURNINGA toxic algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee that’s as thick as guacamole. A deadly pollutant from a cane field. And an environmentalist dead in a cane field fire. Coincidence? Florida PI Will Harper knows damn well it’s not.THE FLORIDA SHUFFLESeems like Will’s got it made. The semi-retired investigative journalist is living the dream aboard his yacht WanderLust with his new live-in girlfriend Callie, a social worker at a rehab center. And, tired of getting beat up on the job, he’s finally whipping himself into shape. But it’s not all Florida coast sunsets, kayak adventures, sweaty bike races, and steak dinners on the boardwalk. Callie learns her employer has a history of setting clients up in shady sober homes in exchange for financial kickbacks—and one of those homes has lostthree of its patients to “accidental” overdoses in the past four months.Turns out it’s just the tip of the iceberg.This mystery anthology is custom-made for Florida mystery connoisseurs, and the cherry on top is Will’s liveaboard trawler, harking straight back to the grand tradition of marina-living PIs like John D. McDonald’s Travis McGee and Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford. Fans of classics like those and more recent Florida tales by Wayne Stinnett and Dawn McKenna will be thrilled to discover this tempting tropical series—but so will anyone looking for the kind of private investigator who really cares.
Sinatra: The First Collection
Alan Lee - 2021
Her name is El Gato and she's a top priority for both the DEA and FBI. Sinatra and his team are needed. However, this terrorist holds the key to Sinatra's past and his future. He and the mysterious El Gato have tangled before...Book Two -
Wild Card
The celebrated governor of Maryland has been compromised at the MGM Casino in National Harbor. His situation is dire, and the implications for the country are brutal. Sinatra and Beck, secret agents for the Joint Federal Investigations Commission, are activated and sent undercover to the high-stakes poker tables. Just how much is Sinatra willing to wager? For America, he'll risk it all. But for a corrupt governor?Book Three -
Paradise Royale
There's treason brewing in the ranks of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Vital documents are pilfered and the Sinatra team is activated.In pursuit of the thief, Manny and Beck will rampage through paradise and clash with a mysterious foreign agent, a beautiful woman chasing secrets and toying with Manny's heart. The sparks that fly could set the entire Caribbean on fire. Has Sinatra finally met his match?
Jasmine Steele Mysteries Vol. 1-5
Kimberly Amato - 2020
In every tale, Amato manages to mix all the excitement of an action thriller with the swirling emotions of a mainstream psychological novel.STEELE INTENTShrewd, hardened New York homicide detective Jasmine (Jazz) Steele’s just come back from a grisly crime scene involving the body of a brutally-beaten young girl—the second she's investigated this week— when she receives an anonymous phone call: "Don't think you're untouchable…you or your son." Then a dial tone...No one is spared tough breaks and/or turbulent anguish in Kimberly Amato’s hard-boiled yet deeply emotional police procedural, . A lesser cop than Jazz would barely be able to cope.MELTING STEELEIn Jasmine Steele’s heartbreaking new case, an entire family's been viciously murdered.Hard-boiled alert: author Kimberly Amato pulls no punches. The mother's throat was slit while trying to call for help and the father was shot in the chest, then gruesomely sliced up while still alive, like a scene from a horror film. Also found, the body of their young son, about Jazz’s son’s age, left in the closet with a snapped neck. But it's the remaining clues to a missing fourth victim—a teenage daughter named Kaley—that leave Jazz reeling. Kaley's seemingly disappeared without a trace.Soon Jazz discovers that the family had plenty of disturbing skeletons in its closet. Skeletons possibly warranting hiring a hit man on the Internet.BREAKING STEELEGory video game violence comes home to roost when two store managers are brutally murdered in the back room of their gaming shop just before peek holiday season. The corporation that owns the store is doing everything it can to keep the matter quiet—but they won’t succeed if detective Jasmine Steele cracks the case. A fast-paced police procedural that’s as gripping as it is eerily personal. And this one comes with a captivating (although, as Jazz might say, a slightly “nerdy”) bonus: a heaping dose of the fascinating ins and outs of video game subculture. Which is far more murderous than the average reader would suspect.COLD STEELEJazz gets a rude awakening when a 3-year-old cold case comes back hot. New York City’s “Carnation Killer,” a serial rapist and murderer, leaves his fifth calling card on a woman named Emilia Smith. The calling card? A heart-shaped carving into the woman’s chest and a single white carnation.Emilia’s last night alive was spent at a college bar that sparks Jasmine’s least happy memory—the very same establishment that served as a backdrop to her own early adult years, a past defiled and traumatized by a dangerous man. Just as Jazz is finally happy in her personal and professional lives, her bone-chilling trauma comes rushing back. And the Carnation Killer is still out there.STEELE SHIELDJasmine’s nearest and dearest find themselves tangled in a web of terrifying cyberbullying, hair-raising stalking, sexual harassment, and murder—with Jazz stuck in the middle. Jazz heads up an investigation that quickly falls down the sordid rabbit hole of the darker, more twisted side of social media, all the while fearing for her loved ones.
The Ice Maiden
B.D. Smith - 2017
Seeming to select his victims at random, he acts out the rituals of the Spanish Inquisition before committing their bodies to the sacred waters of nearby Sebec Lake. Anne Quinn, an investigator for the Piscataquis County sheriff’s office, and Detective Douglas Bateman with the Major Crimes Unit of the Maine State Police join forces in tracking him down. Hiding in plain sight, the killer is clearly from the local community and plays a deadly “catch me if you can” game with Quinn and Bateman. He seems determined to humiliate them and demonstrate his superior intellect, leading them to suspect that perhaps there is a deeper motive and purpose behind his string of murders.
A Pepper Brooks Mystery Collection: A Cozy Box Set Books 1-3
Eryn Scott - 2019
Each book features a different classic author. ;) Happy reading!Book One: Literally DeadTo solve or not to solve?When a visiting professor is found dead, English major Pepper Brooks is caught in the middle of the investigation. Literally. While the detectives focus on crime scene forensics, Pepper can't ignore the Shakespearian clues left by the killer.With the help of a handsome library clerk, a dog named Hamburger, and the words of The Bard himself, this unlikely sleuth might just close the book on this case.Book Two: Literally MurderA Farewell to BlondesWhen a young woman shows up dead in Campus Creek, amateur sleuth Pepper Brooks is warned not to get involved. She's fine with that. It's her final quarter of college, she's immersed in Hemingway and planning her future. Plus, things are already complicated enough trying to figure out where everything stands with Alex, her maybe-boyfriend.But when two more fair-haired women show up drowned, Pepper literally can't stay away. Especially when her best friend may be the next one For Whom the Bell Tolls.Book Three: Literally GoneIt is a truth universally acknowledged that an overly inflated ego must be in want of the spotlight.When the actor set to play Mr. Darcy is found murdered in his dressing room, Pine Crest's annual AustenFest is derailed. Pepper Brooks must set her pride and prejudice aside to differentiate between rumor and truth as she searches for the killer.Between running her new bookstore and trying to decide who is a Darcy and who is a Wickham, Pepper quickly finds that her story might not end as happily as those written by Jane Austen.
Cuckoo Uncaged
Julia Derek - 2021
Accused of murder, she will stand trial once psychiatrists deem her fit enough to understand her charges. Only Yvonne knows that she didn't kill her husband; her son Gabe did. Because she was onto him, he tricked the authorities into believing that Mom killed Dad. Having been traumatized in his tweens, he suffers from extreme anger issues. In order to deal with them, he must kill on occasion.Yvonne is determined to prove to everyone that not only did Gabe kill his father, but that he's the one who's truly dangerous, not she. That's easier said than done, considering her fugitive status and the psychotic episodes she still experiences...
Dark Path
Melissa F. Miller - 2017
But death keeps finding him.
After solving a series of unexplained deaths and exposing a sordid political scandal, Bodhi retreated from the limelight. Permanently, he thought. But now he's called out of early retirement to help investigate a death cluster on a private island in the Florida Keys.
Healthy residents of a ritzy assisted living facility are dying in the middle of the night ... their faces frozen in terror.
Bodhi arrives on Golden Island to find a community gripped by fear. And beneath the surface, conflict simmers, threatening to boil over. The charismatic leader of the Golden Island Church, the dying Cuban-Americans, and the local Catholic priest all have secrets to protect.It's up to Bodhi to bring the truth to light ... before another resident dies.
Dark Path is the first book in an intriguing, engrossing new forensic thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Melissa F. Miller. Lonely Path (Book 2), Hidden Path (Book 3), and Twisted Path (Book 4) are available now!What Readers Are Saying:"[A] very enjoyable read--a forensic thriller crossed with cozy mystery, with a cast of entertaining characters confined in a remote location. ... [I]n Miller's books there are always interesting themes alongside the thrill of a fast-paced plot, and 'Dark Path' is no exception.""I fervently enjoyed the twists and turns as one by one, the clues to the puzzle are discovered.""[A]n excellent, tightly woven tale that hooked me quickly and kept me reading until the conclusion.""Melissa Miller's writing is strong, with good character development, lots of action and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end."Other Thriller/Mystery Series by Melissa F. Miller:The Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller SeriesThe Aroostine Higgins Thriller SeriesThe We Sisters Three Mystery Series
Deuce Mora Mystery Series
Jean Heller - 2018
The scrappy lead columnist for the Chicago Journal normally writes about politics, and, rather than shying away from fights, she tends to pick them, but every once in a while, Deuce’s search for a good story brings her face to face with more trouble than she was really looking for. In Award-winning journalist Jean Heller’s first action-packed mystery featuring the intrepid sleuth, Deuce learns in short order that if you mess with organized crime, you have to be tough—and you’d better be as much detective as reporter. The second volume finds Deuce on the wrong side of the NSA, the FBI and the CIA. At a minimum. Exhausted by these two white-knuckle investigations in one year, Deuce is content to focus on her column until she gains information that could help catch the relentless arsonist whose Burning Rage is consuming Chicago. Fans of hard-boiled female protagonists should hang onto their fedoras-- this one’s an action-packed extravaganza! "Good reporters do not always good novelists make, but Jean Heller is both." -- The Boston Sunday Globe "Superb ... It reads like a multimillion-dollar movie thriller." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Deuce … finds dead-ends and danger at every turn. Part journalism procedural, part character study, THE SOMEDAY FILE is a humdinger of a mystery, the first of a welcome new series.” --Paul Levine, author of Bum Rap THE SOMEDAY FILE Deuce uncovers a series of crimes committed over nearly six decades, and, as her human interest story morphs into a hard-boiled, action-packed mystery, she finds herself dead center in a storm of threats and reprisals from the mob. Fortunately, she has many allies, but at least one of them, she suspects, is hiding a secret–- corruption? Murder? The veteran reporter knows: if you’re talking Chicago crime scene—it’s probably both. THE HUNTING GROUND The grisly discovery of a human bone while Deuce is out for a hike with handsome arson investigator Mark Hearst leads to the unearthing of a vast burial field, a human trafficking ring, and international intrigue. The pull-no-punches columnist-- and meticulous detective-- keeps turning up information, but the Journal’s lawyer appears daily, bringing warnings about “national security.” What, Deuce seethes, could be a greater matter of national security than the safety of the city’s children, who are being kidnapped and murdered? BURNING RAGE Whole blocks of Chicago real estate are falling to an arsonist, but no one knows why and everyone suspects the worst – terrorism. But no terrorist group has claimed the mayhem. From the moment she hears the earliest details of the first fire, her detective-instincts say the pieces don’t fit, and every other instinct tells the hard-hitting reporter she can’t walk away from the story – even though she knows she’ll regret it. WHO WILL LIKE IT: Fans of Chicago private investigators VI Warshawski and Libby Fischer Hellman’s Georgia Davis, get-the-story-or-die reporters like Hank Philippi Ryan’s Jane Rylan
The Althea Rose Mystery Set: 3 Novels and 2 Novellas
Tricia O'Malley - 2019
Turquoise blue water and the best margaritas this side of Mexico make it hard to leave. I'm Althea Rose, co-owner of Luna Rose Potions & Tarot Shop, and I've just stumbled into a love triangle while trying to save my best friend from being accused of murder. Tequila For Two When a radical Pagan group blows into Tequila Key to celebrate the autumnal equinox, Althea Rose’s psychic senses start tingling. She goes on full alert after meeting Horace, a Gandalf wannabe who reminds Althea of an old man playing dress up. Soon, Althea is in way over her head as the full moon starts to rise and the clock counts down on the killer wandering Tequila Key’s quiet streets. Tequila Will Kill Ya (Novella, 106 pages)Tequila Key’s local white witch, Luna Lavelle, has been looking forward to celebrating All Hallows’ Eve with her new Wiccan group for months now. Little does she know that her perfect weekend is about to be ruined by a strange curse that descends upon Tequila Key. Together with voodoo priestess Miss Elva, Luna must work against the clock to save the residents of Tequila Key. When handsome Dr. James gets involved in the fight, Luna realizes that it isn’t just her life that is in danger – her heart is on the line too. Three Tequilas It’s hard to resist a good old-fashioned treasure hunt. When an esteemed institute in London hires Althea and her dive master buddy, Trace, to document a high-stakes treasure expedition, they are pulled into a game that neither of them had realized they were playing. In a race to find a rare Aztec emerald lost on a sunken pirate ship, Althea is forced to use every trick in her book to stay alive. Even magick.Tequila Shots & Valentine Knots (Novella, 67 pages) Valentine’s Day has arrived in Tequila Key and Miss Elva, the resident Voodoo Priestess, has been asked to concoct a love potion for a couple that needs some extra spice in their marriage. When her pirate ghost, Rafe, sees the potion and thinks it is for Miss Elva – all hell breaks loose. Get swept along on a fun Valentine's Day story in quaint Tequila Key.
Pineapple Pack II
Amy Vansant - 2018
Amateur sleuth Charlotte Morgan is commissioned to solve Bucky’s murder, but soon finds herself embroiled in a competition masterminded by her boyfriend’s crazy ex, the ever-nefarious Stephanie. When the Pineapple Port crew pack up a snake-bus and head to North Carolina for a vaction, the Outer Banks will never be the same... Pineapple Beach House The Pineapple Port crew takes a road trip to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, only to discover “body bits” in their vacation home. The nursing home next door is run by some suspicious characters and one of their residents is missing. Hmm... As the bits o' somebody pile up (and Mariska keeps the neat and safe in a butter dish), amateur sleuth Charlotte Morgan and her friends must solve the murder before a storm blows them all back to Florida! Pineapple Disco Humor, thrills and mystery abound in the SIXTH Pineapple Port Mystery. Charlotte, the 55+ community's young female sleuth is thrust into a thrilling struggle to survive when her friend Jackie's underground "mature" disco is infiltrated by violent criminals intent on claiming the club as their own. Even more frightening --- the ridiculously vengeful Gloria is back and on the warpath after a playful suitor goes missing. Charlotte must search for the connection between the two cases with the help of Declan, whose own secret past with crazy, serial killer-spawn Stephanie is beginning to show... Fans of female-sleuth authors like Jana Deleon, Lilian Jackson Braun, Gina Lamanna and Janet Evanovich will love the Pineapple Port series' abundant humor and clever plots --- as well as Charlotte's sharp intellect and the love and loyalty she holds for the wacky 55+ community who raised her.
Face of Death
Stella Gold - 2019
The numbers torment her, make her unable to relate to people, and give her a failed romantic life—yet they also allow her to see patterns that no other FBI agent can see. Zoe keeps her condition a secret, ashamed, in fear her colleagues may find out. Yet when a serial killer strikes across the Midwest, strangling women in remote places and seemingly at random, Zoe, for the first time, is stumped. Is there a pattern? Can there be no pattern at all? Or is this killer as obsessed with numbers as she is? In a mad race against time, Zoe must enter the diabolical mind of a killer who always seems to be one step ahead of her, and stop him from claiming his next victim before it’s too late. At the same time, she must keep at bay her own demons, which may ultimately prove to be even more threatening.
Unforeseen
Nick Pirog - 2008
After all, it was his case, and he doesn t need to be reminded of the gruesome details. The book dubbed the serial killer, Tristen Grayer, The MAINEiac. Grayer is allegedly dead, but only Prescott knows the truth, Grayer is alive and lurking in the shadows. On October 1st, the anniversary of the first murder, Tristen resurfaces, killing someone special from Prescott's past. Suddenly, it s deja vu for Prescott except this time the women closest to him begin to fall victim at the hands of Grayer. With the help of former flame, medical examiner Dr. Caitlin Dodds, and Eight in October author, Alex Tooms, Prescott must race against the clock to stop Tristen from completing his encore.
The Reacher Experiment: The Complete Series Books 1-9
Jude Hardin - 2019
And the assassins determined to track him down... Rock Wahlman: Forty-one years old, United States Navy Master at Arms, E-8, retired. Grew up in an orphanage, recently discovered that he is the product of a human cloning experiment, an exact genetic duplicate of a former army officer named Jack Reacher. Now someone wants all evidence of the experiment to be erased, which means that someone wants Wahlman to be erased. He’s on the run, desperate to survive, desperate to learn the truth about why all this is happening… This discounted collection includes: Dead Ringer ★★★★★ “If you are a Jack Reacher fan, I suggest you try this series.” ★★★★★ “This is a great twist on the Jack Reacher series!” Moving Target ★★★★★ “Jude Hardin is a fabulously creative author…” ★★★★★ “Fast paced action book!” No Escape ★★★★★ “Really enjoyed it!” ★★★★★ “I enjoy the fact that this series of books maintains a great thread.” Kill Shot ★★★★★ “I have found that these books are very hard to put down.” ★★★★★ “Another fast-moving thriller by author Jude Hardin that enticed me to read it all in a single sitting.” 357 Sunset ★★★★★ “Same high quality as always.” ★★★★★ “Terrific read, I look forward to the next one.” Redline ★★★★★ “Another masterful usage of the Jack Reacher character.” ★★★★★ “Good read.” End Game ★★★★★ “Kept me up most of the night until I finished it.” ★★★★★ “Loved the ending.” Ricochet ★★★★★ “Good storyline, suspenseful and very funny at times.” ★★★★★ “I am looking forward to more.” Gone ★★★★★ “Absolutely love this author’s imagination and where the story went.” ★★★★★ “Great job!” Note: While the name Jack Reacher and some of the supporting characters and story situations are used with author Lee Child’s permission, the Jack Reacher character remains offstage in The Reacher Experiment thrillers. Also by Jude Hardin The Nicholas Colt series: COLT LADY 52 POCKET-47 CROSSCUT SNUFF TAG 9 RATTLED (Short story) KEY DEATH BLOOD TATTOO SYCAMORE BLUFF THE JACK REACHER FILES: FUGITIVE THE JACK REACHER FILES: VELOCITY (Short story) THE BLOOD NOTEBOOKS Note: Although published at a later date, the events in COLT and LADY 52 precede those in
Raina Sun Mysteries: Books 1-3
Anne R. Tan - 2016
For readers who like cozy mysteries, quirky characters, a dash of humor, and Chinese-American culture. Raining Men and Corpses Graduate student Raina Sun is trying to keep her head above water as the bills roll in when her dashing college adviser cons her out of several months of rent. But her quest to get her money back sets into a motion a streak of bad luck. First, she finds the dead body of an ex-lover and becomes the prime suspect to his murder. The only man she ever loved reappears as the lead detective to the case and wants to reignite their passion (or at least he’s sending out smoke signals). Her life careens out of control as her grandma moves into Raina’s postage-stamp-sized apartment, dragging a red suitcase and trouble. Raina summons her sleuthing skills to extract herself before things get dicey. There is no place for an amateur when it comes to murder. Gusty Lovers and Cadavers Graduate student Raina Sun thought she knew what she was getting herself into when she volunteered to take the new foreign exchange student shopping on the last weekend before Christmas. But between a riot for the last hot toy of the season and an abandoned baby, the holiday is a season for mayhem, and sometimes it doesn’t pay to be a Good Samaritan. She wants to reunite the infant with his family, but calling the mysterious phone number in the diaper bag leads to more questions than answers. A strange man claims to be the child’s father, and his alleged mother turns up dead. Raina summons her sleuthing skills to protect this baby and soon discovers everyone has a few skeletons in their closets. With her pimp-cane-toting grandma, she faces an ex-boyfriend bringing sexy back as well as a murderer determined to hide the truth. Breezy Friends and Bodies Raina Sun thought cleaning her grandma's house in San Francisco to prepare for Chinese New Year would be a breeze. Instead, she finds her deceased grandfather’s secret journal and ends up French kissing the train tracks in a mugging incident. After putting the move on her grandma, her grandfather’s BFF took an elevator ride straight to the Heavenly Gates. And the second time Raina ends up flat on her back without a man in sight, she suspects the Year of the Monkey would leave her skulking in cold damp places where family secrets are better off dying with the dead.