Book picks similar to
Dead Beat by Micheal Maxwell


mystery
informative
series-trial
cops-and-crooks

Escape From Danger (Escape from Reality Cozy Mystery, #1)


Courtney McFarlin - 2020
    She never thought she’d discover something shocking about her own past. She never dreamed she’d have an opportunity to fall in love. She never expected she’d soon be fighting for her life after getting too close to the truth.After the unexpected death of her father, Shay moves back home and discovers her father left her a legacy to live out her dreams. Her new business is set to open in just a few weeks, and she needs to figure out why there’s a dead guy in one of the newest escape rooms. Join Shay as she reconnects with her best friends from childhood, tries to solve a murder, and locks horns with the attractive detective assigned to the case. Sparks fly and danger lurks where Shay least expects it.

Aztec Odyssey: Historical Action Adventure


Jay C. LaBarge - 2020
    Wracked by plague and war, the majestic Aztec empire begins to crumble. As their beloved capital city falls to the ruthless Spaniards and hordes of vengeful tribes, the Aztecs make a last-ditch attempt to secretly save their heritage before it’s lost to the sands of time forever.Meanwhile in the modern day, a string of high-profile robberies lays waste to archaeological sites and museums across Mesoamerica, overshadowed by a brewing nationalistic fervor which threatens to topple already fragile countries. Rumors say the artifacts hold the secret to a legendary myth—The Seven Cities of Cibola—which has concealed countless treasures for centuries.Faced with unraveling the mysteries of both the present and the past, aspiring archaeologist Nick LaBounty embarks on a dangerous mission to solve a long-held family mystery and discover the truth behind the stolen artifacts.He soon finds his fate irreversibly entangled with a civilization from over five hundred years ago. But time is running out, and the future of both a fabulous treasure—and all Central America—teeters precariously in the balance.

Precious Things: Some things are worth killing for.


Marie Reyes - 2021
    

Grim and Bear It


Paula Lester - 2020
    On the outs with her boyfriend and suddenly without a job, she's scrambling to pay the rent. She doesn’t exactly have the kind of life she wants.Tessa needs a change.And the ability to afford the wet food her cat Pepper thinks she deserves at every meal.Against her better judgement but without another offer, Tessa takes a job from one of the scariest of bosses—her mother, who has a deadly sharp tongue.And just like that, she learns that the life insurance agency at the edge of Mist River isn’t what it seems to be. Plus, Cheryl Randolph isn’t simply the sharp-tongued, overly critical mom Tessa thought she was. She’s a grim reaper. One of many people tasked with escorting souls into the afterlife.And now Tessa is one too.She wasn't expecting her life change to involve so much Death.

Camp Chaos


Anne Fox - 2019
    A foul-mouthed woman with a gun on her hip and a badge on her belt. And she's good with a gun. Very good. She's dying to be a member of the unit - literally. Meet Special Agent Kathryn Hanko as she joins the clandestine law enforcement team known only as "the unit" and faces her first mission with them against the terrorist group Camp Chaos.

Carnations and Deadly Fixations


Abby Reede - 2019
    A small town with busybodies and open secrets. Can a new girl in town start a new life before a murder investigation ends it? Tracy Adams had three things going for her in her just-above-average boring life namely: 1. A good job 2. A good job... that she liked 3. A good job that she liked... and that paid VERY well When she lost her job and had to move back to the small town where she grew up, it seemed like her life had lost all purpose. Helping out at her aunt's floundering floral shop seemed like the perfect distraction before she decided what to do next. When her aunt's competition, a nasty and egotistical know-it-all is found dead, the rumor mill in Fern Grove goes into overdrive. With an important piece of evidence linking Tracy to the scene of the crime, she becomes a person of interest in the murder investigation. This leaves her feeling vulnerable and confused. Moving back to Fern Grove was meant to be the start of a new life but this murder mystery is fast ending what has hardly begun. Will she retain her wits and piece together the clues that will lead her to the killer? If you want to enjoy a light-hearted read, with an amateur female sleuth and a gripping murder mystery with a touch of romance, then you'll love Tracy Adams and all the friendly and not-so-friendly characters in Fern Grove. No cliffhanger, swearing or graphic scenes! Buy Carnation and Deadly Fixations to discover how events unfold in this cozy murder mystery.

The Man from Murmansk


Trevor Scott - 2017
    On a cold February night, while flying a drone, he takes video of a missile on a transporter erector launcher being loaded aboard a merchant ship. This could be a violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by Reagan and Gorbachev. Karl is recalled to America, but not for long. The Agency wants him to continue with his mission, which brings him to a tumultuous South American country. As the U.S. Navy tracks the Russian ship across the Atlantic, it soon becomes clear that a new Cold War could turn hot, bringing the two superpowers to the brink of war. With Karl being the son of legendary CIA officers Jake Adams and Toni Contardo, he definitely has the DNA to complete this mission. But in the cat and mouse spy game, nobody is safe.

Ollie Stratford Cozy Mysteries: 5 Book Box Set: An Ollie Stratford Cozy Mystery


N.C. Lewis - 2018
    Lewis's popular Ollie Stratford Cozy Mysteries series. Enjoy hour upon hour of good, clean, humorous, reading with characters you will grow to love! BOOK1: TEXAS TROUBLES Middle-aged Professor Ollie Stratford's been hounded by a psycho realtor, outrun by a bunch of grandma’s, taken advice from sock puppets, stuck in a brimming toilet bowl, and almost run out of college by a drunken professor. How is that for her first few days in a quiet little Texas town she never wanted to live in? BOOK 2: CREEK CRISIS When a mysterious Portuguese film producer hires Ollie Stratford's event center she thinks it is going to be fun and games... until the brawling and fisticuffs amongst the Divas break out followed by Murder! BOOK 3: BITTER BONES When the bones of beloved local, Garrick Markovich, turn up buried by the oil well, Ollie's dreams of financial stability are put in danger. Now, Ollie must uncover the secrets of tight lipped locals to find the killer and obtain justice for Garrick. BOOK 4: MAGIC MUMBLES Doctor Ollie Stratford loves a good mystery. But the last thing she ever expected was to stumble into one while relaxing at Mysterious Malcolm's Magical Masquerade show. When a body shows up during the show, and the Magician leaps from the stage and disappears, Ollie gets sucked into a world where everyone has a grudge, and no one is talking. BOOK 5: TEDDY TUMPIN Ollie is trying to live a normal life, in a normal Texas Hill Country town, with a normal event center business. All that changes when the high school homecoming brings a local hero back to town. Then strange things happen—including to Ollie—and a body appears unexpectedly in a most unusual place. As Ollie follows a twisted trail, she does not understand the terrible consequences that will result. Will Ollie and the gang be able to track down the killer before the next victim or is it already too late? Pick up this TOTALLY ABSORBING COZY MYSTERY BOXSET FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS AND TURNS.

Dead Man's Trench


Keith Finney - 2020
    DISCOVER THIS SIZZLING SERIES OF COZY MYSTERIES SET IN THE SWEEPING LANDSCAPE OF NORFOLK.  A man lies dead, deep in an excavation trench, an angry villager's signature on a damming piece of evidence, and a race against time to discover the truth. When the corpse of a hated local man is discovered, smelling of whiskey and with his head split open, the police conclude its suicide.Ant and Lyn aren't convinced, and as they uncover disturbing clues that point to murder, the amateur sleuths have only days to prove their theory before DI Riley closes the case - and leave a killer on the loose. Set in the evocative landscape of Norfolk, this baffling cozy murder mystery with its thread of humour and hint of romance between our two lead characters, will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Dead Man's Trench is the first book in the Norfolk Cozy Mystery series that features fast-paced action, surprising plot twists and compelling characters.If you like the Faith Martin, Joy Ellis or Betty Rowland's Mysteries, then you'll love Keith Finney's Norfolk Cozy Mystery thrillers. Pick up Dead Man's Trench to discover this exciting series today! This book was published initially under the pen name, Nigel Lockwood.

Killer Cocktail: Patricia Fisher Mysteries 2.5 (A Humorous Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery)


Steve Higgs - 2019
    That's right, isn't it? Patricia Fisher's unconventional response kick starts the adventure of a lifetime as she throws off the shroud of her unfulfilling marriage and discovers the woman she ought to be hiding beneath. Killer Cocktail is a short story introduction to a unique cozy mystery series full of relatable characters and unsolvable crimes.  Invited to a party as a guest of a friend, Patricia realizes her mistake when she discovers all the other guests are 30 years her junior. But when the obnoxious online celebrity birthday girl drops dead in the middle of the event, Amateur sleuth Patricia has to swing into action. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries by Cee Cee James, AR Winters, Hope Callaghan, and others, then you will love Patricia Fisher!

Honorable Death


Linda S. Prather - 2019
    She’d known since the day she graduated from the academy that one day he’d wind up on her beat, and she’d have to arrest him… or kill him. She could accept the fact he’d been murdered. What she couldn’t accept was the massive torture he’d endured before his death. Someone would pay for that.A multilayered, fast-paced archaeological dig of a mystery.

The Operator


Craig Martelle - 2020
    Only bad people and not many, but for a great deal of money.Case the target. Make the hit. Move on until he meets the woman with sparkling green eyes who changes everything.Is his newest target deserving of death? Who is Ian to decide if the politician needs to die? He is the one who has to live with the consequences, that’s who.The contract deadline nears. Too many unknowns, too much to lose. Pull the trigger or not?Ian makes his own rules to get himself out of a quandary where it’s more than just his life on the line. For the greater good, join Ian Bragg.

Nobody's Safe Here


Bill Percy - 2016
    Meanwhile, Deputies Andi Pelton and Boyd Ordrew clash as they investigate Jared Hansen, a boy caught with rifles and a paranoid plan to kill his schoolmates. Their problem? Jared, a great kid, a school leader, has no previous problems. Ordrew’s convinced Jared’s a mass shooter-in-waiting, but Andi’s not. Ed joins their search for whatever caused his radical transformation from great kid to psychotic killer. It’s a race against time: Magnus grows more irrational and homicidal, Jared's insanity may not be controlled before it’s too late, and Ed’s risky plan to save the boy may destroy his relationship with Andi. Nobody’s Safe Here, a psychological thriller, tells the story of a community of ordinary, decent people facing terrifying mysteries.

The Witch Who Settled the Account


Emma Belmont - 2020
    Murder has met its match.As the new owner of the Pixie Point Bay Lighthouse and B&B, Maris Seaver is finally ready to organize her finances. But while she’s at the town’s credit union, the manager mysteriously dies.Although suspects abound, the murderer has been clever. No one even knows how the man was killed.

Criminal Instinct


Vito Zuppardo - 2019
    His first beat was the New Orleans French Quarter, on foot. He met business owners and learned street scams from the best con-artist. Mario befriended Lucinda Jones who picked up a nick name of Voodoo Lucy later in the True Blue Detective Series. The first day she met Mario she had something to offer the undercover cop. She soon found herself looking down the barrel of a gun by a local thug that liked beating on woman. Lucy left Tupelo Mississippi with her mother Wanda to escape an abusive father who beat on her mother sometimes just because it was a Tuesday—he didn’t need a reason. It was risky for Lucy to take on an abusive woman beater drug dealer but that was Lucy. With her new found police officer friend they set up their own con to put this thug behind bars. This story is a prequel, taking place immediately before the events in the first book of the, True Blue Detective series. This story is filled with action, drama, mystery, relationships, and crime. It’s a front-row seat to see New Orleans from a cop’s perspective: cruising the streets, dealing with injustice, while also visiting local businesses to interact with the interesting people in this unique, historic city.