Book picks similar to
City of Illusions by Judith Works


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The Malice of Angels (Esme Quentin Mystery #3)


Wendy Percival - 2017
    Esme, wary of Max's motives, declines to get involved.Meanwhile, Esme’s friend Ruth, prompted by WW2 anniversaries, wants to solve the mystery of Vivienne, her mother Bea's sister, a wartime nurse who never came home. Despite Bea’s disapproval, Ruth is convinced the truth will finally help Bea come to terms with her loss and asks Esme to investigate.Esme unpicks the threads of Vivienne's past and stumbles upon a disturbing connection, linking the old soldier’s murder to her own distressing past and her late husband's fate. As events unravel, Esme realises that to uncover the secrets behind Vivienne’s story, she must also confront the terrifying truth behind her own.

Christmas Mystery


James Kipling - 2015
    It is a Christmas story of hope, of human kindness and forgiveness, of mistakes, altruism and regrets. It is engaging, entertaining and surprising - a suspenseful crime thriller that’s filled with twists and turns. The arrest of Maxwell Sheppard, internationally renowned and despised conman, made worldwide news. Max made a fortune duping the mega rich with an ingenious Ponzi scheme, but then his luck ran out. As part of his punishment, the district attorney forces Max to read letters from people he’s hurt and respond to each of them. One of these letters, penned by a teenage boy, stuns him. Someone had used his name and investment firm falsely which threatened many homes to foreclosure in a small Iowa town right before the Christmas holiday. This sends Max on a quest to right his wrongs; to save a small town of hard working, innocent people from losing their homes. Can he save this town? An engaging and entertaining book that leaves you to wonder what will happen next. Buckle up for the surprising ending!

Angus Adams: The Adventures of a Free-Range Kid


Lee M. Winter - 2015
    Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B013W5L4AE.As a free range kid, Angus is allowed to do things other kids his age aren’t – like play in the street and hang out at the park without adults (shock, horror!) But when he’s accused of stealing an iPhone from school, Angus must use all of his brains, resilience, and courage to catch the real thief, clear his name, and outwit the seriously bad dudes hot on his tail!

In Our Blood: A Jake Hawksworth Thriller


William J. Goyette - 2018
    Nearly thirty years ago, Detective Jake Hawksworth and best-selling author Drew McCauley were brought together by a horrific crime. Jake, still reeling from the unsolved hit-and-run death of his wife, and Drew will be reunited once again when a crime from Drew's novel-in-the-making becomes a devastating reality. Is the kidnapping of Drew's son somehow linked to the murder Jake is investigating? Was Jake's wife's death really an accident? And could the person who has haunted both men for decades be responsible for these seemingly unrelated events? As Jake races to protect Drew's family, they find themselves on a collision course with fate - derailed by a series of breakneck twists and turns that culminates at an isolated, snow-ravaged house. It is here that long-buried secrets are unearthed and Jake realizes, to his horror, that his hunches are not always right. That the keys to solving his wife's death and a heinous, decades-old crime have been under his nose all along.

Failure to Protect (Dre Thomas & Angela Evans, #4)


Pamela Samuels Young - 2019
    What Really Goes on Behind School Doors? When the classroom is no longer a safe space for her child, a grieving mother is determined to seek justice for her bullied daughter. Enter hard-charging attorneys Angela Evans and Jenny Ungerman. From the very start, the two lawyers face more than an uphill battle. An ambitious school principal is far more concerned about protecting her career than getting to the truth. She flat out denies any knowledge of the bullying and prefers to sweep everything under the rug. But just how low will she go? As the battle enters the courtroom, the attorneys fight hard to expose the truth. But will a massive coverup hinder their quest for justice?

Rick Steves Pocket Rome


Rick Steves - 2011
    Everything a busy traveler needs is easy to access: a neighborhood overview, city walks and tours, sights, handy food and accommodations charts, an appendix packed with information on trip planning and practicalities, and a fold-out city map. Included in Rick Steves Pocket Rome: Sights: the National Museum, Palatine Hill, Trajan's Column, Market, and Imperial Forums, Baths of Diocletian, Appian Way, St. Peter-in-Chains, Pilgrim's Tour of Rome, Jewish Ghetto, and Capitoline Museums Walks and Tours: Colosseum Tour, Roman Forum Tour, Night Walk Across Rome, Pantheon Tour, Vatican Museum Tour, St. Peter's Basilica Tour, and Borghese Gallery

After the Fall (The Narrow Gate Book 1)


Janean Worth - 2015
     Centuries after the Fall, the world is a different place than it used to be... When she suddenly becomes a Stray, Kara is forced to flee the relative safety of GateWide in order to avoid becoming a slave to the cruel Sovereign. Hunted deep into the wilds by the Sovereign's Enforcers, Kara must find a way to survive, relying only on her own scarce knowledge of the decimated wilderness outside the settlement's walls. Surrounded by mutated creatures in an unfamiliar environment, Kara soon realizes that many of the things that she thought she knew about the wilderness had been based on lies that had been taught to all the people of GateWide. Why have the people of the settlement been misled and how will she find the truth with only one small clue to guide her?

Towards the Within


Reece Willis - 2018
    What starts out as a simple trip around India soon becomes a psychological journey into the darkness of Sam’s past. One he knows there's no running from. When Sam decides to give up his mundane life and travel to India he has no idea what he’ll do when he gets there and it isn’t long before his lack of preparation takes its toll. Vulnerable and alone, Sam is haunted by memories of his childhood and as he struggles to make sense of the pain he has suffered he follows a dangerous path that has devastating consequences.

A Slice Of Life: Every Person Has A Story


Smita Das Jain - 2021
    An enthralling read!’- Shraddha Sahi, Author of Anamika Khanna Falls in Love & The Case of the Counterfeit CurrencyEvery human wears a mask. Behind the cheerful facade lies faith, hope, trust, love, despair, confidence, insecurity, et al. Everyone has a story. A DINK couple finding Work From Home a challenge... The Couple who wasn’t one... A rigid person who deviates from a lifelong habit... Two people who remain in touch for 35 years, without talking... A daughter who has sacrificed her dreams for her mother… A fictional potpourri of extraordinary narratives of ordinary people who have more to their everyday lives beneath the surface, these stories reflect myriad hues of human behaviour.From the author of the suspense thriller ‘The Lost Identity’ comes an anthology that touches the human heart. ‘The story is so well crafted that it keeps the reader intrigued from start to end, eager to know what happens next!’ - Review for Smita’s First Book ‘The Lost Identity’

Blood & Honour


Richard Foreman - 2018
    But what is his ultimate plan?Varro must get to the heart of the conspiracy, or die trying.'Spies of Rome: Blood & Honour' is the first book in a new series by bestselling author Richard Foreman.

Murder on the High Seas


Sara M. Barton - 2011
    Pestered by a man who can't take no for an answer and wooed by a man who seems too good to be true, Kate has to figure out what is real and what is not. It's not easy to be a middle-aged, baby boomer femme fatale, but the ever feisty, confident Kate does her best to solve the mystery.

Murder on Gold Street


Rod Moore - 2015
    The investigation into his murder unearths a more than questionable lifestyle where it seems that everyone who knew him had a reason to see him dead. Detectives Steve Rickets and his partner Detective Sarah Branson follow a trail of dead ends that lead them scratching their heads. Is it the disgruntled business partner, the angry and upset daughter, the woman who secretly loves him, of the crime figure he owes thousands to? This classic who done it murder mystery will keep you guessing to the end. An unexpected twist will lead you right to the killer if you spot it. This short story of 12,000 words (appx) is ideal for lovers of hard boiled detective crime thrillers and murder mystery short stories.

The Rome Affair


Karen Swan - 2017
    Born to wealth and a noted beauty, no door is closed to her, no man can resist her. At twenty-six, she is already onto her third husband when she meets her love match. But he is the one man she can never have, and all the beauty and money in the world can't change it.2017 and Francesca Hackett is living la dolce vita in Rome, leading tourist groups around the Eternal City and forgetting the ghosts she left behind in London. When she finds a stolen designer handbag in her dustbin and returns it, she is brought into the orbit of her grand neighbour who lives across the piazza - famed socialite Viscontessa Elena dei Damiani Pignatelli della Mirandola. Though the purse is stolen, Elena greets the return of the bag with exultation for it contains an unopened letter written by her husband on his deathbed, twelve years earlier.Mutually intrigued by each other, the two women agree to collaborate on a project, with Cesca interviewing Elena for her memoirs. As summer unfurls, Elena tells her sensational stories, leaving Cesca in her thrall. But when a priceless diamond ring found in an ancient tunnel below the city streets is ascribed to Elena, Cesca begins to suspect a shocking secret at the heart of Elena's life.

Everything Will Be All Right


Douglas Wallace - 2009
    

Wands Upon A Time In Brimstone Bay (Witches Of Brimstone Bay #2)


R.K. Dreaming - 2020
     Witch Esme Westbrim is settling into a new life in Bewitching Brimstone Bay when the murder of a tourist hits too close to home. The second body in a few months has turned up on her doorstep!To make things worse Esme has seen someone she knows all too well lurking around the scene of the crime. Afraid her family will come under suspicion, Esme must attend a magical fairy-tale reunion ball and uncover deadly secrets from the past. Even help from a psychic cat, magically marvellous cupcakes, and a wild witch cousin might not be enough when a certain ridiculously handsome Special Agent keeps getting in Esme's way! Can Esme find happily ever after for everyone or will her belief that fairy tales always end badly come true? Read it now and join Esme on her latest charming and funny witch cozy mystery adventure! This is a full-length humorous cozy mystery that can be read as a standalone mystery story or enjoyed as part of the series. Books In This Series: Book 1 - Witch In Charm's WayBook 2 - Wands Upon A Time In Brimstone BayBook 3 - Witch Way To The Wicked...