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The Dogs
Allan Stratton - 2015
Wait. There it is again, at the cornfield. Some movement, some thing. Mom and I have been on the run for years. Every time he catches up with us, we move to a new place and start over.But this place is different.This place is full of secrets. And they won't leave me alone.
All These Perfect Strangers
Aoife Clifford - 2016
Only Pen knows the reason why.College life had seemed like a wonderland of sex, drugs and maybe even love. The perfect place to run away from your past and reinvent yourself. But Pen never can run far enough and when friendships are betrayed, her secrets are revealed. The consequences are deadly.‘This is about three deaths. Actually more, if you go back far enough. I say deaths, but perhaps all of them were murders. It’s a grey area. Murder, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. So let’s just call them deaths and say I was involved. This story could be told a hundred different ways.’‘This is a novel of disquieting intimacy and controlled suspense, Aoife Clifford deftly tightening the screws until we share the narrator’s sense of emotional and physical confinement and the unremitting grip of the past.’ - Garry Disher, author of Bitter Wash Road
Dead Girls Don't Lie
Jennifer Shaw Wolf - 2013
. . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth. In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.
The Insect Farm
Stuart Prebble - 2015
For Jonathan, it is his magnificent, talented, and desirable wife, Harriet. For Roger, it is the elaborate universe he has constructed in a shed in their parents' garden, populated by millions of tiny insects. While Jonathan's pursuit of Harriet leads him to feelings of jealousy and anguish, Roger's immersion in the world he has created reveals a capability and talent which are absent from his everyday life. Roger is known to all as a loving, protective, yet simple man, but the ever-growing complexity of the insect farm suggests that he is capable of far more than anyone believes. Following a series of strange and disturbing incidents, Jonathan begins to question every story he has ever been told about his brother--and if he has so completely misjudged Roger's mind, what else might he have overlooked about his family, and himself? As the accidents at home multiply and tragedy strikes, a startling picture emerges. One of these brothers is a killer, and the other has no idea.
Little Bones
N.V. Peacock - 2020
I became Cherrie. When I was a child, they called me Little Bones…My father was Mr Bones – the notorious serial killer of 25 years ago.As a child I witnessed his crimes.Everything is different now. I have a new identity. I’m a mother. I am finally free.Until that podcast. I should never have listened.They’re linking a recent disappearance to the crimes of the past.They know who I am. They’re calling me Little Bones again.They say I’m a villain but I’m not. I’m a victim.You believe me, don’t you?
We Told Six Lies
Victoria Scott - 2019
You were wild when I met you, and I was mad for you. But then something happened. And now you’re gone. But don’t worry. I’ll find you. I just need to sift through the story of us to get to where you might be. I’ve got places to look, and a list of names. The police have a list of names, too. See now? There’s another lie. There is only one person they’re really looking at, Molly. And that’s yours truly.
Ask the Dark
Henry Turner - 2015
Tell the truth, I'm tired of getting asked. I want to answer everybody all at once and get it all the hell over with…Billy Zeets has a story to tell.About being a vandal and petty thief.About missing boys and an elusive killer.And about what happens if a boy who breaks all the rules is the only person who can piece together the truth.Gripping and powerful, this masterful debut novel comes to vivid life through the unique voice of a hero as unlikely as he is unforgettable.
Mother, Mother
Koren Zailckas - 2013
With two beautiful daughters, a brilliantly intelligent son, a tech-guru of a husband and a historical landmark home, her life is picture perfect. She has everything she wants; all she has to do is keep it that way. But living in this matriarch’s determinedly cheerful, yet subtly controlling domain hasn’t been easy for her family, and when her oldest daughter, Rose, runs off with a mysterious boyfriend, Josephine tightens her grip, gradually turning her flawless home into a darker sort of prison. Resentful of her sister’s newfound freedom, Violet turns to eastern philosophy, hallucinogenic drugs, and extreme fasting, eventually landing herself in the psych ward. Meanwhile, her brother Will shrinks further into a world of self-doubt. Recently diagnosed with Aspergers and epilepsy, he’s separated from the other kids around town and is homeschooled to ensure his safety. Their father, Douglas, finds resolve in the bottom of the bottle—an addict craving his own chance to escape. Josephine struggles to maintain the family’s impeccable façade, but when a violent incident leads to a visit from child protective services, the truth about the Hursts might finally be revealed.
The Grave Tender
Eliza Maxwell - 2015
People said her mother, Winnie, was never quite right, but with one single, irreparable act, life as Hadley knew it was shattered. The aftershocks of that moonlit night left her reeling, but the secrets and lies had started long before.When a widowed and pregnant Hadley returns years later, it’s not the safe harbor she expects. The mysteries surrounding a local boy’s disappearance remain, and the townspeople still whisper about Hadley’s strange and reclusive Uncle Eli—whispers about a monster in their midst.But Hadley’s father and grandmother, the cornerstones of everything safe in her world, avoid her questions. If Hadley stays here, will she be giving her children the family they need or putting their lives in danger?The hunt for answers takes a determined Hadley deep into the pine forests, in search of sunlight that will break through the canopy of lies long enough to reveal the truth.
Murder Notes
Lisa Renee Jones - 2018
And she is very good at her job. When a series of murders surface—the victims all stripped naked and shot in the head—Lilah’s instincts tell her it’s the work of an assassin, not a serial killer. But when the case takes her back to her hometown in the Hamptons and a mysterious but unmistakable connection to her own life, all her assumptions are shaken to the core.Thrust into a troubled past she’s tried to shut the door on, Lilah’s back in the town where her father is mayor, her brother is police chief, and she has an intimate history with the local crime lord’s son, Kane Mendez. The two share a devastating secret, and only Kane understands Lilah’s own darkest impulses. As more corpses surface, so does a series of anonymous notes to Lilah, threatening to expose her. Is the killer someone in her own circle? And is she the next target?
Finding Tessa
Jaime Lynn Hendricks - 2021
But looks can be deceiving.When Jace Montgomery comes home late from entertaining clients, he discovers that his wife Tessa is missing. There’s broken glass at the back door. Clumps of her hair. Blood. The cops in their small New Jersey town have him pegged as a suspect, especially after he explodes at a reporter during a press conference. Jace maintains his innocence despite the mounting evidence against him, but when a coworker he's accused of having an affair with also disappears and a search warrant turns up an illegal gun in Jace’s home, all signs point to him as the culprit. What is he really hiding?Meanwhile, Tessa finally feels safe, having set up her husband to take the fall for her disappearance—and someone close to him is helping her put him away. Breaking her lifelong pattern of bad men is only one hurdle she has to overcome. The other is outrunning her secret past while trying to stay alive, especially when those in her new life aren’t who they appear to be.Jace’s lies don't add up and the authorities are closing in. Will Tessa’s old life catch up to her and drag her back to a life of abuse before justice is served? Finding Tessa is a smart domestic thriller where nothing can be taken at face value, where every twist reveals a deadlier secret than the one before. Fans of Gillian Flynn, Samantha Downing, and incisive, fresh psychological suspense won't want to miss it.
Take You Apart
T.J. Spade - 2015
Her hair is matted to her face with a mixture of blood and tears and she screams again before subsiding into body wrenching sobs. Her voice is slightly slurred as she begs, “Please, stop. Please, I want to go home. Please don’t do it again.” A pair of black gloved hands comes into view. They hold pliers. The girl screams again. Lovely. Successful artist Caleb Everett lives each day with a real-time film inside his head, playing … murder. Since he was a child, Caleb has been able to see into the minds of killers. Working alongside veteran Homicide Detective Jack Rafferty, Caleb now uses his unique ability to balance the scales of justice. With a new case afoot, Caleb is himself being targeted by a killer, and with attractive journalist Makayla Dawson on the scene, it becomes a race against time to save them all. With the odds savagely stacked against them, will this case take apart everything Caleb holds dear?
His Taste Box Set
B.B. Hamel - 2019
If you like dark plots with lots of steam, especially ones that connect in a small town, then this collection is for you! No cliffhangers, absolutely no cheating, and of course each book features an HEA! Read the blurbs down below and happy reading. His Taste I got one taste of him and now I can’t stop. I know I should stay away from Case Hammett. He’s notorious for a reason: handsome face, muscular body, enough money to own the entire town. The confident and cocky bastard is totally all-wrong for me, and I should be very afraid. But I take a job cleaning his house to help support my sick mother against my better judgement. And I was right to be nervous: he loves getting me down on all fours to scrub his floor. He’s always teasing, his hands on my skin, his cocky grin pushing my limits. Things seem fine on the surface, but there’s a darkness in his house that I can’t escape. But when his hands brush against my skin, I don’t care about anything else. I just need more of his taste, more of his body. He corners me in his bedroom and asks a simple question: Do you want me to take care of you? I’m terrified, but I think the answer is yes. If I can’t escape, I might not leave this house ever again. His Demand I’m all about trying new things. Especially losing my virginity. I came to Pine Grove looking for a new start. Instead, I found Dawson Spark. He’s the kind of man I used to stay far away from. Handsome, cocky, and clearly rich, I can’t pretend like I’m not intimidated when he invites me back to his house. But I’m still a virgin. I’ve never done anything like this before. Now I know why people can get addicted in love. I know this won’t be a one-time thing. I’m a part of his world now, and Dawson demands a lot more than I ever thought I had. Giving him my virginity was the easy part. It’s giving him everything else that’s going to be hard… His Secret It’s my job to keep her safe. But I want something in return. I’m the Chief and Police and I get what I want. At least until I find Emma knee-deep in trouble. Those gorgeous eyes, perfect hair, pouty lips. She makes a growl slip from my throat and I can’t stop myself before I offer her my protection. There’s a catch, of course. I’ll keep her safe, but she better repay me over, and over, and over again. My hands on her hips, pulling her close against my body, I’ll whisper in her ear. You want safety? I want you. I can't help myself. I'm falling for this girl, harder than I ever imagined. She’s my new girl, and she'll get whatever she wants and much more. His Touch Don't be afraid. Let him touch it. My life is one disaster after another. Until the man that killed my father takes me as his own. I should hate Rowan more than anything. But my father was abusive and I have nowhere left to run. Now I’m stuck with this beautiful monster.
Yes, Daddy
Jonathan Parks-Ramage - 2021
Jonah Keller moved to New York City with dreams of becoming a successful playwright, but, for the time being, lives in a rundown sublet in Bushwick, working extra hours at a restaurant only to barely make rent. When he stumbles upon a photo of Richard Shriver—the glamorous Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright and quite possibly the stepping stone to the fame he craves—Jonah orchestrates their meeting. The two begin a hungry, passionate affair. When summer arrives, Richard invites his young lover for a spell at his sprawling estate in the Hamptons. A tall iron fence surrounds the idyllic compound where Richard and a few of his close artist friends entertain, have lavish dinners, and—Jonah can’t help but notice—employ a waitstaff of young, attractive gay men, many of whom sport ugly bruises. Soon, Jonah is cast out of Richard’s good graces and a sinister underlay begins to emerge. As a series of transgressions lead inexorably to a violent climax, Jonah hurtles toward a decisive revenge that will shape the rest of his life. Riveting, unpredictable, and compulsively readable, Yes, Daddy is an exploration of class, power dynamics, and the nuances of victimhood and complicity. It burns with weight and clarity—and offers hope that stories may hold the key to our healing.
All the Truth That's in Me
Julie Berry - 2013
Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family.Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas.But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.