Book picks similar to
THE SMOKE by Tom Barling


crime
south-america
england
london-crime

Giving My Heart To The King Of Atlanta


Mo Howard - 2018
    They have a million followers who check out their channel for pranks and couple travel videos. Chloe thinks life is perfect until she finds out that her prince charming is cheating. Humiliated and disrespected, Chloe gives up her YouTube channel and is back at square one, living on her best friend Layla’s sofa. Without Eric she feels like she can’t go on; that is until she runs into a handsome stranger, Cole Lewis, that reignites her need to create. What she doesn’t know is that her new boo is one of the most feared men in Atlanta. He runs the city with an iron fist and likes to be low-key, which doesn’t fit into Chloe’s public lifestyle. Somehow they learn to manage their relationship, but not without a few hiccups (like Eric trying to coming back in the picture and online haters who don’t want Chloe to be happy). 
 Layla has always been there for her best friend and that doesn’t stop when Chloe is at her lowest. Layla encourages Chloe to move on and forget about Eric. She wants her friend to be happy and she knows that Cole would be perfect for her. While trying to play match maker she goes through changes of her own with her high-school-sweet-heart-turned-fiancé, Ken. He is not the man that she thought he was. While dealing with a broken heart, she meets a man that takes her breath away, causing her to face a difficult question. Will she leave the love she’s known for years and try something new, or continue to hold her man down even though he hurt her? 
 Giving My Heart to the King of Atlanta is filled with love and drama. Chloe and Layla must go through their fair share of trials to get their happy endings.

Bowling Ball


Escobar Walker - 2013
    From ice-cream defecation to sleazy liaisons in cinemas, you will love BOWLING BALL if you like Irvine Welsh, Chad Kultgen or Escobar Walker.

Witch One Did It? (Wax Witch Mysteries Book 1)


Ellie Hanks - 2017
    After getting into trouble with the Witching Police, she's sent back to her sleepy home village of Bone Bridge, on magical probation for thirty days. Banned from using magic and under the watchful eye of her younger sister, Ari is all set for a quiet month. That's when a body is found at the village fair. The sleepy little village of Bone Bridge hasn't seen a murder in 200 years, and now a body has been found in the most unusual way. Ari and her sister can't help but find themselves swept up into a murder investigation, and try as she might, Ari starts to realize that there's no avoiding trouble, even if she wants to. Solving the murder is one thing, but Ari’s convinced that there are other mysteries afoot as well. She suspects she’s being framed for the ‘trouble’ that landed her back home in the first place, but everyone else thinks she’s stark raving mad. Being back home is certainly weird, it's been three years since Ari was last in town and her ex-boyfriend and police Sergeant, Dave, only seems to have grown more handsome in that time. With a murderer on the loose, prize pumpkins being stolen, and a curious magical mystery at the center of her house, staying out of mischief and having a quiet probation might just prove to be more difficult than Ari thought.

Miami's Superstar


Diamond D. Johnson - 2018
    Such a beautiful girl, but life was doing a number on her. She had been dealing with heartache pretty much since she graced the world with her presence seventeen years ago. At a young age, she’s become familiar with watching her mother be her boyfriend’s punching bag. All Ryan wanted in life was for her mother to leave her abusive boyfriend, Malik, so the two of them could peacefully live their lives. Not only was she dealing with emotional problems stemming from her mother’s relationship, but she was a high school senior dealing with depression and low self- esteem, simply because she didn't see the beauty in the heavy set, black queen looking back at her in the mirror. She then meets Messiah Washington. A guy who's musically talented, sexy, a few years older than Ryan, and could have any woman he wanted, but he was interested in Ryan. The title of this book is Miami’s Superstar because even with all the turmoil that Ryan was dealing with, she was talented. Some would even say that she reminds them of a younger Whitney Houston. The question is, does Ryan know that? Can she become the Miami Superstar that Messiah is setting her out to be, or will she just throw it all away?

Top Dog


Kerry Kaya - 2019
    There is only one way out. Danny McKay wants out, his boss Freddie Smith on the other hand has different ideas. At all costs, Freddie the Top Dog of the East End must protect his reign and if that means disposing of his much younger, stronger, number two, then so be it. With a price on his head, Danny must fight to stay alive. He joins ranks with his close friend Moray Garner and together they set out to take over the East End once and for all. Along the way they discover a secret, a secret so horrifying that it could bring the underworld crashing to its knees. The question is who will survive and who will be crowned the Top Dog. Top Dog a hard hitting and compelling read. Gillian Godden Author.

Solway Tide


Andy Jarvis - 2014
    Outspoken, sassy and determined to make it up through the ranks, she's assigned to follow the case of a body found in the sea only to find herself the one being pursued. Far from being a run-of-the-mill murder tale this gripping page turner takes the genre by the horns throwing it in a totally new direction. A nightmare of a tale that challenges the very philosophy and motivation behind genetic experimentation and what possibly could be the 'hidden agenda' behind modern medical research. A setting on the remote west coast of Cumbria provides an eerie, atmospheric, heath land backdrop to this imaginative, twisting story of murder, corruption and the darker side of human nature.

The Complete Tyrone Swift Mysteries


Gretta Mulrooney - 2020
    YOU GET *SEVEN* CRIME MYSTERIES FULL OF TWISTS.BOOK 1: THE LADY VANISHEDA missing woman holds the key to a valuable inheritanceFlorence Davenport hires Swift to find her missing stepmother. There are no leads and no suspects, but if the body is found, Florence will inherit half of a very valuable house.BOOK 2: BLOOD SECRETSFifteen years ago a teenage boy, Teddy Bartlett, went to a woods on the outskirts of London and was beaten to a pulp and left damaged for life. The police never found who did it or why he was targeted.BOOK 3: TWO LOVERS, SIX DEATHSA man stabs his girlfriend to death. Then hangs himself, leaving a note confessing to the murder. Open and shut case? Not for detective Tyrone SwiftBOOK 4: WATCHING YOUTWO YEARS AGO someone kidnapped Thomas Maddox’s six-month-old son. The case has never been solved and the boy has not been found.BOOK 5: LOW LAKEDetective Tyrone Swift is hired to investigate the death of Kim Woodville. Two years ago, the young woman drowned in the lake by her family house. But there was bruising on her arms, and the prime suspect was let go because of police errors.BOOK 6: YOUR LAST LIEPilot Greg Roscoe is found stabbed to death in his cockpit. His body has been mutilated. Detective Tyrone Swift is hired by the pilot’s mother to investigate the death of her beloved son. But Greg wasn’t who she thought he was. He had a tangled personal life, with three wives and a history of adultery and risk-taking.BOOK 7: HER LOST SISTERThree sisters, Kelly, Faith and Orla. Two are attacked. Kelly drowns, Faith survives, Orla wants justice. Kelly and Faith Dwyer are attacked on a ferry crossing the Irish Sea. Faith can’t remember what happened. Orla asks detective Tyrone Swift to investigate. Swift starts in London, where it becomes clear that many people wanted Kelly dead.THE DETECTIVETyrone Swift is an ex-police detective who now works privately. He’s survived a stabbing and his fiancée running off with another man. Swift's personal life is complicated. He is still involved with his ex-wife Ruth, who is expecting their child, but living with another man. And it’s just about the worst time to begin another relationship but he is tempted by the attractive police detective Nora Morrow.THE SETTINGThe streets of London with their vibrant mix of nationalities, cultures, and rich and poor are beautifully evoked. From the quiet suburbs with their veneer of happy family life, to the bustling centre with refugees struggling to survive, to exclusive penthouses where the rich can have anything they want delivered.

Dark Shadows


Sibel Hodge - 2020
    They just can't prove it.The Detective...Fearing a possible cult is coercing innocent students, Detective Becky Harris is sent undercover to investigate. But after more tragic incidents occur, she suspects the connection between the victims is even more terrifying. And finding the evidence to prove it may cost Becky her whole career.The Counsellor...A distraught student turns to her counsellor Toni with a strange story to tell. But a tragic car accident prevents Toni from learning more. Convinced something sinister was going on in the young woman's life, Toni starts digging further, enlisting the help of her godfather, an ex-SAS operative. What they discover is a nightmare conspiracy. And someone operating in the dark shadows is deciding who lives and who dies.

Every Mother's Fear


Joanna Warrington - 2017
    PERFECT FOR FANS OF 'CALL THE MIDWIFE', Jodi Picoult, Katie Flynn, Nadine Dorries & Rosie Goodwin it's about TWO WOMEN CAUGHT UP IN A PHARMACEUTICAL DISASTER . . Sandy an aspiring model has a one-night stand with a journalist that results in pregnancy. Shunned by her family, she quietly checks herself into a maternity home to wait out her pregnancy and prepare to have the baby adopted. Rona and her husband have been trying for a baby for years, but Rona is unable to conceive. When Sandy delivers a child disabled by thalidomide, Rona commits a terrible crime and makes a life-changing decision that will have dramatic consequences.Meanwhile, Sandy’s journalist lover stumbles upon the scoop of a century. As he investigates corruption entrenched in the company that developed thalidomide, he is surprised to reconnect with Sandy. He and Sandy feel drawn to each other, but both will have to confront old wounds if they want to be together. An interesting slice of social history which will stir every emotion within you.

A Matter of Conscience: the Aragon Years


Judith Arnopp - 2021
    The intensive education that follows offers Henry a model for future excellence; a model that he is doomed to fail.On his accession, he chooses his brother’s widow, Caterina of Aragon, to be his queen. Together they plan to reinstate the glory of days of old and fill the royal nursery with boys.But when their first-born son dies at just a few months old, and subsequent babies are born dead or perish in the womb, the king’s golden dreams are tarnishedChristendom mocks the virile prince. Caterina’s fertile years are ending yet all he has is one useless living daughter, and a baseborn son.He needs a solution but stubborn to the end, Caterina refuses to step aside.As their relationship founders his eye is caught by a woman newly arrived from the French court. Her name is Anne Boleyn. A Matter of Conscience: The Aragon Years offers a unique first-person account of the ‘monster’ we love to hate and reveals a man on the edge; an amiable man made dangerous by his own impossible expectation.The story continues in A Matter of Faith : Book Two of The Henrician Chronicle.

B&Bers Behaving Madly at a Devon Seaside Guesthouse


Sharley Scott - 2019
    Eccentric or challenging guests are the usual order of the day. But when a sinister man moves in across the road, the first ripples of unease appear.Katie has learned the hard way that a seaside idyll is never what it seems. She and Jason have worked hard at their marriage, but now she has other issues to tackle.While her new cleaner has proved to be a godsend, she comes with a complicated love life. Then there’s Katie and Jason’s daughters, Emily and Lucy, whose boomerang visits definitely have an ulterior motive.And what about the threatening man opposite who has taken an intense dislike to Shona, the madcap owner of the adjoining B&B. Shona’s life has always been chaotic, but now it’s verging on disaster.As the season moves on and guests come and go, Katie fears her daughters have been keeping secrets of their own, while Shona’s troubles come to a head.When the B&Bers are behaving madly, anything can happen. Can Katie weather the storm?

The Beach Hut


Jennie Alexander - 2012
    But when her husband leaves her, she struggles to find pleasure in anything. However Ella is determined to rebuild her life and makes plans for a fresh start on the coast. But she is soon to realise that no matter how far you run, you can’t escape yourself.Libby Pinkney thinks she has life under control; with two well-behaved teenagers, the biggest house with the best sea view and an increasingly impressive presence within the local community.But when a new neighbour moves into the old cottage next door, her well–ordered life threatens to tumble around her like a house of cards.Ella's beach hut, on England’s beautiful Hampshire coast stands bravely against the elements. Inside, it is as individual as its owner; a cosy home from home, a love nest and a place to shelter from the sun or rain. It plays witness to events that bring joy and tragedy and provides a little retreat for those who seek solace there.The Beach Hut is an ideal book for summer reading or holiday reading. It has drama, humour, friendship and romance.

Outback Heat


Suzanne Brandyn - 2010
    She wants to sell the family’s cattle station and return to Sydney and her fiancé as quickly as possible. Sarah doesn’t want anyone to find out what she’d done in the past. She wants to close this chapter of her life for good and then there will never be a reason to return to this dusty one horse town. Ethan Wade, her first love claims that he owns half of Munro Station but Sarah wants him out. As they try to settle their differences, a raging attraction ignites. Will Sarah and Ethan find each other again as Sarah's past creeps back from her storehouse of regrets? Outback Heat was previously published under the title of Heat in the Outback. Blurb:

Mosquito Point Road: Monroe County Murder & Mayhem


Michael Benson - 2020
    There’s Killer of the Cloth, The Baby in the Convent, Mosquito Point Road, Death of a First Baseman, The Blue Gardenia, and Pure/Evil. Three of the killers are female.

Piggy Monk Square


Grace M Jolliffe - 2005
    Only two little girls know where he is but they’re too scared to tell. Time is running out for the policeman. Will the girls get help before it’s too late? Piggy Monk Square is a dark yet frequently very funny novel set in 1970's Liverpool. The action takes place in the volatile period before the Toxteth riots burned much of the inner city down. A BRITISH THRILLER This unusual yet very readable British thriller describes a world tainted with deep mistrust and hostility between the local people and the police force. This harsh world is viewed through the eyes of a nine-year-old girl, Rebecca. Rebecca’s world is changing. Her parents are fighting. Her teachers are cruel. She doesn’t know what to do and turns to her best friend Debbie more and more. But Debbie’s life is just as tough. With a father who is always dodging the police, and a mother who works her to the bone, Debbie is no Cinderella. The world these girls inhabit is no fairy tale, it is confusing and can be brutally violent. A TERRIFYING SECRET No wonder the girls mix reality with fantasy - it’s how they survive, especially when it comes to coping with what will soon become their terrifying secret. A secret that will infuse their childhood with fear and change their lives forever. The nightmare begins when Rebecca and Debbie are playing in the cellar of a derelict house. A policeman catches them there and warns them not to return to this dangerous old building. But they are both determined little girls with nowhere else to play, so they come back, again and again. Unfortunately for them so does the policeman. The policeman tries to chase the girls away, but he falls down a ladder and goes ‘asleep.’ The girls try to wake him but can’t. They want to get help but at the same time they know they shouldn’t have been playing in that cellar. They have learned not to trust the police and are so afraid of getting into trouble that they leave the injured policeman alone. NOWHERE TO TURN Wishful thinking makes the girls hope that he will get up and go of his own accord and that everything will be okay again. But when they return and find him still there, conscious but unable to move they find another way to help him. A way that doesn’t involve adults. But, their interpretation of ‘helping’ the dying policeman has terrible consequences for them all.