Book picks similar to
An Unseen Current by Bethany Maines


mystery
a-first-reads-entry
action-adventure
don-t-have-yet

Chocolate to Die For


JoAnna Carl - 2010
    He says he's making a movie based on a local author's novel, but the sensible Lee McKinney smells a phony, especially when her sleuthing leads to a dead body...In The Chocolate Mouse Trap, Lee McKinney's friend goes overboard with inspirational e-mails-enough for someone to permanently delete her! Now everyone on her friend's address list is suspect-or a potential victim. Lee needs to trap the killer, or she might be next to land in his outbox...

The Charlie Parker Mystery Series: Books 1-4


Connie Shelton - 2012
    She’s an accountant and a partner with her brother in a private investigation business. But when her old friend Stacy North comes looking for help, Charlie gives in and agrees to help.Stacy’s Rolex watch is missing and she’s afraid her husband Brad will find out. The truth is that she was seeing another man, and she’s terrified of Brad’s legendary temper. Charlie finds the missing watch--no problem--but when the “other man” suddenly turns up dead, Stacy is desperate. Can Charlie find out who the real killer is before the police connect Stacy to the victim? It turns out to be the challenge of Charlie’s life.BOOK 2 - Vacations Can Be MurderCharlie is riding front seat on a Hawaiian helicopter tour when she and the pilot spot a lifeless body lying on the rugged rocks of Kauai’s NaPali coast. Drake Langston is the pilot flying the tour. When the flight is over, Charlie assumes her acquaintance with Drake is, too. Within twenty-four hours, though, Drake’s friend and employer, Mack Garvey, is arrested for murdering Gilbert Page. Drake persuades Charlie to help clear Mack.It isn’t easy. The investigating officer has an old grudge against Mack, and it doesn’t help that Mack knew the victim and owed him a half million dollars. Charlie roots out the suspects one by one, never guessing that her own life will be in danger before her vacation is over.BOOK 3 - Partnerships Can Be MurderCharlie returns from her Hawaiian vacation to find her older brother Ron involved with a much younger woman. The more Charlie sees of cute Vicky, the more she realizes how deceitful Ron’s new love is. Is it simply a case of male mid-life crisis, or is there something more devious going on?Meanwhile, Charlie doesn’t have much time to ponder Ron’s problems. Her friend Sharon Ortega is a partner in a restaurant business with David Ruiz. When David turns up dead, an apparent suicide, Sharon comes to Charlie for help. Sharon’s problem is a double-edged sword. If he did kill himself, David’s life insurance won’t pay and Sharon will probably lose the restaurant because she can’t afford to hire a replacement. But if he didn’t kill himself, then it was murder, and Sharon could very well find herself a suspect.BOOK 4 - Small Towns Can Be MurderTucked into the mountains and valleys of northern New Mexico are the hidden towns, little enclaves of history and tradition–and secrets. Charlie and her office assistant Sally Bertrand visit one such place over the July 4th weekend, and when they drop in on a friend they learn that Cynthia Martinez suddenly suffered a miscarriage and died. Privately, friends wonder if spousal abuse caused her death. Charlie agrees to ask a few questions and see what she can find out. Meanwhile, Charlie and her brother Ron have an ongoing dispute over gun control. And Drake Langston, the helicopter pilot she met in Hawaii, is visiting and the romance is heating up.

Destined for Trouble


Claudia Lefeve - 2014
    All she wants to do is unwind, forget about her failed relationship, and work on her tan.But when the owner of the local crab shack is murdered at Jules’s welcome-home party, she is forced to scrap her rest-and-relaxation plans. Now her best friend, Abby Lee, is the prime suspect, and her high school sweetheart, Deputy Chief Justin Harper, is working the case. Even though Jules knows she shouldn’t, she just can’t keep herself from getting involved in the investigation—and entangled with handsome Assistant District Attorney Hartley Crawford. While an old flame threatens to rekindle and a new one sparks, Jules must find a killer and prove her friend’s innocence. But will she put two and two together before trouble catches up with her?Revised edition: This edition of Destined for Trouble includes editorial revisions.

Chasing the Dollar


Ellie Ashe - 2014
     Miranda was just found not guilty of fraud, putting an end to the worst year of her life. And now the trouble really starts… Miranda Vaughn has spent the last year fighting for her freedom. Arrested for a fraud scheme, she's lost her job at a prestigious investment firm, her fiancé, and her reputation. The jury may have found her not guilty, but Miranda is broke, in debt to her beloved aunt, and can't find a job. She's not going to be able to move forward with her life until she finds out who set her up. Buried in the evidence against her, Miranda finds a larger scheme involving far more money than the $37 million her boss fleeced from unsuspecting investors. Determined to uncover the truth, Miranda begins her own investigation that leads her to Macau and Belize, and into the arms of one sexy FBI agent with his own agenda. When the danger heats up, Miranda finds herself in a race against time to find those behind it all, before they find her… Winner of the 2015 HOLT Medallion awards for novel with romantic elements and best first novel "Smart, sexy, and so suspenseful! The Miranda Vaughn Mysteries take you on a wild ride through the world of big-money crime, and you won't believe whodunit!" –Traci Andrighetti, USA Today bestselling author of the Franki Amato Mysteries

Spying in High Heels


Gemma Halliday - 2006
    shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears - along with $20 million in embezzled funds - and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her...

Never Buried


Edie Claire - 1999
    Too bad his body didn't!Advertising copywriter Leigh Koslow doesn't pack heat--just a few extra pounds. And she doesn't go looking for trouble. When she moved into her cousin Cara's refurbished Victorian house, she wasn't planning on discovering a corpse--certainly not one that had been embalmed ten years before. But as anyone in the small Pittsburgh borough of Avalon could tell her, her cousin's house has a history attached. A history dating back to two mysterious deaths in the summer of 1949.Someone wants Leigh and Cara out of the house--someone who has something to hide. But that someone doesn't know Leigh's impetuous cousin, and when Cara digs her heels in, Leigh looks to her old college chum, local policewoman Maura Polanski, for help. But the answers the trio find only point to more questions. Were the scandalous deaths of fifty years ago really an accident and a suicide? Or were they murder?The nearer the women get to the truth, the more desperate someone becomes. Because some secrets are better off kept. Especially when they hit close to home!

Louisiana Longshot


Jana Deleon - 2012
    Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small, bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play.Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late.

Familiar Magic


Constance Barker - 2020
    She has all the knitting, crocheting and painting items needed for all your crafty projects, as well as a few witchy spells if you're so inclined. While her magic is secret to the mundane, her circle of close friends and family all have their own mysteries.Take Sybil, her fluffy tabby kitten familiar. While Sybil may look young she's much older and has been by Thea's side since she was a wee sprout. She's a sassy kitty who can take care of herself. Thea's half human friends include a detective bear shifter and a best friend fox shifter. Granny rounds out Thea's inner circle. Granny has raised Thea from a small girl when her parents disappeared. A mystery that haunts Thea to this day.When the small town of Ardensville is rocked by a murder of a young woman found in the city park's gazebo, the mundane and the magicals must work separately to find a killer. The victim was just starting her own craft store, which puts a target on Thea. But others, including members of the victim's family and friends, have reasons of their own to wish the victim dead.Can Thea, Sybil and her friends discover the fiend who's taken out one of their own without getting themselves into deep dodo?***Find out in the First Book in the Tabby Kitten Familiar Series***

Every Dog has his Day


Chloe Grace - 2019
    Well today I've had mine.Hey, I'm Albertus Eagle and it turns out I'm an unwitting pet detective. I haven't always been such a successful legal beagle, but when I'm confronted with a case that is so personal I can't ignore it, I discover I have a passion for finding those who don't want to be found.Cleo the cat? Well, she tags along for the ride.I've not only found myself a new home after the untimely demise of my previous owner, but I've also made amends with the cat. It turns out she's not that bad, really.On top of that, what sends shivers racing down my spine to my paws, is that we've fingered a killer.How?Because you humans underestimate us animals. And while you go about your business ignoring our very existence, the cat and I are listening and taking notes.

Pineapple Lies


Amy Vansant - 2015
    Golf cart racing with her surrogate mothers Mariska and Darla was about as nutty as life got...until she found the hot pawnbroker's mom buried in her backyard. Talk about making a lousy first impression. Armed with nothing but her wits, Pineapple Port's questionable cast of characters and a growing crush, Charlotte is determined to solve the mystery of Declan's mother's murder. Hey, at least this guy's skeletons aren't in his closet.

Mama Does Time


Deborah Sharp - 2008
    Mama's antics - especially her penchant for finding trouble - drive her daughters Mace, Maddie and Marty to distraction.One night, while settling in to look for ex-beaus on COPS, Mace gets a frantic call from her mother. This time, the trouble's for real: Mama found a body in the trunk of her vintage convertible, and the police think she's the killer. It doesn't help that the handsome detective assigned to the case seems determined to prove Mama's guilt, or that the cowboy who broke Mace's heart shows up at the local Booze 'n' Breeze in the midst of the investigation. Before their mama lands in prison - just like an embarrassing lyric from a country-western song - Mace and her sisters must find the real culprit.MAMA DOES TIME is a traditional mystery with a comedic edge: Agatha Christie meets "My Name is Earl.''Penned by a native Floridian, set in cattle-and-citrus country, the story reveals an authentic slice of the state. Everyone knows Disney World and sexy South Beach. But how many know Florida's ranches, rodeo, and Southern-fried flavor, just fifty miles from the coast?

Paw Enforcement


Diane Kelly - 2014
    Sure, he had it coming—which is why the police chief is giving Megan a second chance. The catch? Her new partner can’t carry a gun, can’t drive a cruiser, and can’t recite the Miranda Rights. Because her new partner is a big furry police dog. So that’s what the chief meant when he called Megan’s partner a real b*tch…WILL FATE THROW HER A BONE?With Brigit out on the beat, Megan is writing up enough tickets to wallpaper the whole station. But when a bomb goes off at the mall’s food court, it’s up to Megan and Brigit to start digging—and sniffing—for clues. With the help of dead-sexy bomb-squad expert Seth Rutledge and his own canine partner named Blast, Megan finds herself in a desperate race to collar a killer. Will justice be served—or will she end up in the doghouse?"Readers should be prepared for a laugh fest. Diane Kelly is first class."—Night Owl Romance

Dream Singer


Frank O. Smith - 2014
    As a young man, he possessed the rare gift of dream singing – the ability to see the future, but lost it through a selfish act. A seemingly chance crossing of paths with a thirteen year-old runaway boy who has witnessed a murder in a railroad dramatically changes both their destinies. Part love story, tragedy, and mystery, Dream Singer is a story of the betrayal of love, and the quest for redemption, where listening to dreams and the spirit of the land is vital to Elijah and boy staying ahead of the killer – and staying alive.

Secret of Her Own


Shawn McGuire - 2020
    The only foreseeable problem is insuring they applied enough sunscreen to their pasty-white Wisconsinite skin. This is Jayne O’Shea’s plan for her Hawaiian vacation. The one thing, the biggest thing that wasn’t on her agenda was solving any kind of crime. Which means she shouldn’t have told the woman across the street she was a small-town sheriff in her real life. Gemi Kittredge is the top-ranked women’s bantamweight MMA fighter on the island. She’s capable of taking down a man twice her size in under thirty seconds. When Gemi begs for her help, how can Jayne possibly say no?

The Find (The Find, #1)


Venezia Miller - 2021
    In the dark forests of Sandviken, Sweden, a hiker makes a shocking discovery that disrupts the lives of four families, bound by memories of joyous summer vacations, but confronted by a dark secret they long believed to be a relic of the past.For over thirty years, a serial killer has lived among them, hunting innocent young girls and using them for his perverted pleasures.The investigation is slow, and the inspectors assigned to the case are confronted not only with a cunning, calculated and ruthless killer but also with their own personal demons.It’s only a matter of time before he strikes again.Will they be able to stop him this time?And at what price?Keywords: mystery, detective, suspense.