Dean Wilder makes sure of it. The daughter of a United States Senator is found brutally murdered in a quiet park, and an ex-professional basketball player is accused. In the series debut, criminal defense lawyer Dean Wilder can't resist the chance to represent someone who is as crazy as anyone can be without being criminally insane. A defense lawyer with a conscience, Wilder steps into the case knowing the trouble will run deep. Politicians, lawyers, psychologists, and crooked cops push Wilder to the edge. Under mounting media pressure, can Wilder find the real killer before he strikes again? Smart and witty, this legal thriller will take you for a ride through the courtroom, and leave you with twists and turns that you didn’t see coming.

    Sure, she may not have wanted Emma when she and her husband adopted her years ago, but she loves her now, and that’s what matters, right?But when Emma is missing and Marianne fears she might be dead, she turns on the other person who never wanted to adopt her in the first place — her older daughter, Mia. In her mind, Mia hurting Emma is the only thing that makes sense, but then why can’t the police find proof?Everything seems clear to Marianne.Mia once lost Emma at the mall.She turned her back on her little sister in the woods.It’s obvious to Marianne that Mia’s the reason Emma is missing now.As the police search for Emma and Marianne draws closer to her best friend and away from her daughter, she becomes more and more suspicious of what could really have happened. Mia uncovers secret after secret about her family, but it isn’t until she learns the whole truth that she’ll be able to put all the pieces together.You can only push a person so far before the monster in them comes out.

    They’re chasing the rumor of an ancient Roman shipwreck in the murky waters of Guanabara Bay, a rumor that, if true, will rewrite the history of the Americas. What they find instead will cast new light on one of the strangest murder mysteries of the 20th century, and thrust Maddock and his friends into the midst of a diabolical plot to destroy the Church. DESTINATION: RIO is the first in a new series of stand-alone novellas by USA Today bestselling author David Wood and prolific action-adventure novelist Sean Ellis. Each new story in the DESTINATION: ADVENTURE series will transport Dane, Bones and the crew of Sea Foam to an exotic and exciting locale, where treasure, mystery, and adventure await! This author's preferred edition includes added material! Praise for David Wood and Sean Ellis! “Dane and Bones.... Together they're unstoppable. Rip roaring action from start to finish. Wit and humor throughout. Just one question - how soon until the next one? Because I can't wait.” -Graham Brown, author of Shadows of the Midnight Sun “What an adventure! A great read that provides lots of action, and thoughtful insight as well, into strange realms that are sometimes best left unexplored.” -Paul Kemprecos, author of Cool Blue Tomb and the NUMA Files “Ellis and Wood are a partnership forged in the fires of Hell. Books don’t burn hotter than this!” -Steven Savile, author of the Ogmios thrillers

    

    Her mother tries to hold the family together, but her father buries himself in his work while her older brother and sister deal with the loss in their own self-destructive ways.Meanwhile, Pantera, whose last kidnapping case ended with a dead girl and no suspect, does everything possible to find Samantha before her case becomes just another cold case—or worse. “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.” Shakespeare, The Tempest

    Okay, so what he actually bought was an afternoon of pet pampering—he doesn’t own a pet.Maybe he could pamper her instead? Or she could pamper his bear.One problem. He’s the bad guy, who came to town to destroy the animal local shelter, so he could build luxury houses on the land.Yes, he is the Christmas villain. But he intends to change. For Sian.Sian is done with men. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Peter, was a bully who never appreciated the wonderful family he was part of but won’t sign the divorce papers and hand over the money he owes her. To make things worse, he arrived in town to embarrass her at the charity auction she’d helped arrange.But then a Christmas miracle happened. Matthew Lewis, a billionaire property tycoon, paid a small fortune for an afternoon with her. Okay, so what he actually bought was an afternoon of pet pampering—but she knows he doesn’t have a pet.So maybe she could pamper him instead?Wait! Matthew is the bad guy in town. Sian has sworn off men for life. And she has two daughters who must come first.But he’s a bear shifter and they mate for life. Can she risk her heart on a man again?The Wolf Wants a WifeSimon always wanted a wife—and child.He just never expected them to arrive as one perfect package.Wolf shifter, Simon, thought his chances of finding his mate and raising a child were gone. But then he finds his pregnant mate and it seems as if fate has stepped in to fulfill his wish. All he needs to do is protect her from the father of her unborn baby, who is determined to rip the child away from its mother to raise as his own. Alone.Gemma’s life has fallen apart. No, that’s not quite accurate. Gemma’s life has been destroyed by the father of her child. She’s lost her job, had her bank accounts frozen, and been chased across the country by a man who wants her unborn child for himself.Not happening. Gemma will do whatever it takes to keep her child.When she winds up alone and broke in Bear Creek, she can’t believe her luck when a silver-haired wolf shifter tells her he is her mate. He promises to protect her and her child. But can she allow him to risk everything for her?Can they prevent Gemma’s baby being taken and get a Second Chance Christmas in Bear Creek?The Lion Loves a LadyCharlie has just met his mate. But will Lady Penelope Granger ever fall in love with a lion shifter who has made personal sacrifices for the sake of his best friend and her young child?He has nothing to offer Penny other than a small cabin in the mountains. And his eternal love.When Charlie’s best friend from high school arrives on his doorstep pregnant and alone, he takes her in without hesitation. Nearly eight years later, they still share his home and the welfare of her daughter. But things are about to change when Charlie meets his mate.The only problem is...she’s Mrs. Granger. That’s right, Charlie’s mate is married.Penny Granger is desperate to avoid a Christmas at home. Not because she doesn’t want to share the holiday season with her parents. No, she’s come to stay at The Catherine Hotel so she can lick her emotional wounds, and try to forget her husband, who married Penny for her money.She believes she’s done with men—Until she meets Charlie. There’s an instant spark between them. But when she discovers he’s at the hotel to pick up the mother of his child. Penny quickly realizes he’s just like her ex-husband, and she is not about to get her heart broken again.Can these two people overcome their misconceptions and find true love?

    

    Stabbings, rapes, and assaults are on the increase, an escape leaves officers looking for answers, a prisoner does the unthinkable, strip searching is taken to another level and exactly how does an officer smuggle alcohol in? This is life behind the walls as told by a real correctional officer.

    Disappearances, deaths, drug deals in broad daylight, arrests but no convictions, and residents’ distrust of their new police officers have turned life in the idyllic lake town into a nightmare.While the nation is focused on the southern border, Tony, his partner, Don Hanson, and receptionist-turned-investigator, Denise Richardson, learn first-hand how Mexican cartel drug trafficking has infiltrated the northern border. Quiet little Grand Rock Lake could become a hub to supply illegal drugs to the surrounding states! If dirty cops and drug dealers are in collusion, it would put his team into an explosive situation. Can they untangle the truth in time, before more victims fall?

    She had suffered an unimaginable amount of abuse in her short life. Although she couldn’t tie her shoe laces, she could smash a room to pieces; she fought against everything like a wild cat.At the age of five Kira moved permanently to live with Mia and her family, but by the time she was nine years old the whole family was at breaking point.Mia is the kind of person who won’t give in and believes she can always change things for the better, but try as she might she can’t change Kira. So after six years, with a very heavy heart, she is forced to question whether she can really help this lost and damaged child.Raw, shocking and honest, this short story will shed new light on the role of foster carers, revealing the kind of heartbreaking real life situations carers like Mia Marconi are confronted with every day.

    

    The pair are the envy of the Dublin social scene and it looks as if Sandy's future is bright. But when her mother's health declines and she has to be hospitalised, Sandy discovers a letter in her mother's personal belongings, which unleashes a long-hidden family secret that forces Sandy to question everything she once took for granted.As Sandy sets out on a voyage of discovery that takes her from Dublin to the Costa del Sol in search of her true identity, nothing can prepare her for what lies in store...

    Ellie Greene wants a quiet life with Grams on the Wyoming farm, and quiet could happen if someone would stop sabotaging them. Each week something more dangerous happens and Ellie doesn't know how much more she can stand. Forced to seek help, Ellie would prefer anyone else other than the tall, dark, sexy-as-sin cowboy with the knight-in-shining-armor complex she gets stuck with. While the chemistry between them flares brighter than fireworks, Ellie knows they want different things from life. She wants an easy-going farm boy, and nothing about Shane is easy. Besides, soon he’ll be moving on. He’s not meant to be a civilian… Shane Hannigan doesn’t know how to be anything but a Marine sniper. Honestly, he’s not sure he’s good at anything else. Since the IED explosion took his leg—and most likely his career—he’s not sure where he belongs. As a man whose job is to protect others, coming across the blonde-curly haired beauty with a flat tire is a nice distraction, that is until he finds out the flat was no accident. Someone is out to get Ellie, and even though she’s the most stubbornly competent woman he’s ever met—and damn if that’s not a sexy trait—he knows she's in danger and he’s going to help her, despite her obstinate objections. Can they work together to find who is determined to destroy Ellie before it’s too late? Or will Ellie lose her heart and her farm?

    

    However, now having run out of fuel and stuck, clueless, in the English Channel she begins to regret her decision.Fortunately, she is plucked from a serious situation relatively unscathed, and this is when she first meets Alex. He shepherds exhausted Caro to the comfort of his grandmother’s home on Guernsey.Caro’s ordeal is far from over. The port authorities have taken an interest in her vessel, and her boyfriend Craig’s arrival, like a rolling thunder, is imminent.Despite the seriousness of the situation, Caro gets to know the sincere but moody Alex better, and forms a strong bond with his wise grandmother who takes a shine to her.And she will need all the friends she can get when the truth about Craig comes out into the open. Once more in danger, Caro must find the strength to trust and love again.LIBERATION DAY is a standalone thriller that will appeal to readers of crime and romance. Pippa McCathie is the bestselling author of the mystery series that begins with MURDER IN THE VALLEYS, available on Kindle, paperback and in audio. LIBERATION DAY is set in Guernsey, where the author has lived for many years.