A View to Die For


Richard Houston - 2012
    The sleuth is not a detective, private eye, or lawyer. He's an ordinary guy with an extraordinary dog.Jacob Martin is trying to make the best of a divorce and mid-life crisis when he gets a call at two o’clock Sunday morning from his mother. His sister has been arrested for the murder of her fourth husband, and his father is near death. Thus begins an adventure that takes Jake and his golden retriever from their Colorado retreat to a backwater town in the Missouri Ozarks where they search for cold-blooded killers, a cache of gold coins buried by Jesse James, and the love of a beautiful nurse.

Never Say Spy


Diane Henders - 2011
    She’s leaving the city to fulfill her dream of rural tranquillity when she gets carjacked by a man who shouldn’t exist.When RCMP officer John Kane kills her would-be abductor, Aydan thinks her troubles are over. But Kane’s investigation implicates her in an international espionage plot, and criminal charges become the least of her worries when she’s targeted by the very spies Kane suspects her of aiding.Pity her enemies. Because nobody’s tougher than a middle-aged woman who wants her dream back.Contains coarse language, moderate violence, and sexuality. The story can stand alone but will be more enjoyable if read in order.

The Suicide Plan


Emma L. Clapperton - 2017
    Most of the faces in the audience are familiar to him, except one. David Hopkirk walks into the West End Spiritualist church in Glasgow and slits his own throat in the middle of a demonstration. But why?Patrick is then catapulted into a case, which sees the death of a child, a failed court case and a family torn apart. Soon Patrick will have all the pieces of the puzzle but will he be able to fit them together in time?

Weddings Can Be Murder


Christie Craig - 2008
    Will seeing her wedding planner murdered and getting herself locked in the dark with a sexy PI do the trick?Hired by Houston's elite wedding planner to investigate some missing brides, the last thing bad-boy Carl Hades wants is to be shackled with another man's soon-to-be wife. Especially when the gorgeous redhead stirred emotions he'd avoided for years. Now, avoiding her sounds like a genius plan, especially when her future wedding goes the same the way as her engagement ring—down the toilet—making Katie available. . . and a hell of a lot more tempting. But when the missing brides come up dead, Carl suspects that Katie might be next, which makes avoiding her impossible and improbably, especially when being with her is a whole lot of fun.

Telling Lies


L.A. Dobbs - 2017
    Someone murdered Lynn Palmer and staged the scene to make it look that way.With a pool of suspects who aren’t telling the truth and a corrupt mayor who wants the case solved yesterday, Sam and Jo follow a puzzling trail of clues with a surprise ending. And when a stray dog points them in the right direction, Sam discovers the killer is closer than he thought.Just when Sam and Jo think they can rest after having solved Lynn’s murder, a shocking discovery proves that sometimes even those you trust can be telling lies.

Off The Grid


Dan Kolbet - 2011
    He's engaged to the CEO's daughter and is quickly becoming the go-to corporate spy on its behalf. But Luke would rather tear the company down from the inside. The company killed his parents and it must pay. Threatened by a secret that could destroy him and any chance of revenge, Luke sets off to find the true origins of this obscure technology, but discovers a vast deception that will change the world forever.

Raveled


Anne McAneny - 2013
    Despite her infamous surname and people’s wilted memories, this jaded cynic of a daughter sinks her teeth in and refuses to let go. She can practically taste the bitterness of that long-ago, twisted night when two teenagers died, linked to her father by bad luck and a few strands of rope.Ignoring the dense local atmosphere where image trumps substance and lies become legend, Allison stirs the pot. The more layers she discards, the more elusive the truth becomes. And when a key source of information turns up dead, the dark edges of resentment coil in around her like a slowly tightening noose. As revelations get ugly, Allison may wish she’d never ventured toward the forbidden fruit of truth.

Strong Spirits


Alice Duncan - 2003
    Kincaid comes to Daisy to help solve her husband's disappearance, Detective Sam Rotondo isn't far behind.Sam isn't fooled by Daisy's choice of "vocation" and blackmails her into spying on the Kincaids.Then Daisy reads Sam's cards... and the tables turn.

3 a.m.


Nick Pirog - 2013
    Henry Bins is awake for one. He wakes up each day at 3 a.m. then falls asleep at 4 a.m. Life is simple. Until he hears the woman scream. And sees the man leave the house across the street. But not just any man. The President of the United States.

The St. Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre


Elisabeth Crabtree - 2014
     What begins as a run of the mill, albeit tasty, assignment turns into something much more dangerous when one of the Cookie Jar’s employees is poisoned. Now Kat is chasing the biggest story of her life, while trying to catch the eye of her handsome editor and avoid becoming the killer’s next victim. A cozy novella: approximately 44,000 words

Girl Jacked


Christopher Greyson - 2013
    They were old friends. He knew only one way to deal with pain. Hunt it down and kill it." Police Officer Jack Stratton is hiding. Hiding from the world. From pain. From the memories of losing his best friend, Chandler, in Iraq. Suffering from PTSD and isolated from those he cares about, the last thing Jack expects to hear is his foster sister Michelle, Chandler’s sister, is gone. The words cut straight to his core. Although the police think she just took off, he knows Michelle would never leave those she loved behind–like he did. Now he must take action, find Michelle, and bring her home or die trying. The first novel in the Jack Stratton Collection introduces us to handsome rogue, Jack Stratton. A debt of honor to his dead foster brother drives Jack into a world of deception and lies. As Jack’s walls begin to crumble, he must navigate the quirky characters that seep into the mystery of his foster sister’s disappearance. And in the sleepy community of Darrington, like so many places in this world, nothing is as it appears. The hidden mysteries that often go unnoticed begin to emerge as Jack and his new unpredictable sidekick begin to turn over the rocks. Following a trail that has grown cold, Jack must tread carefully to protect his job, his family, and his life. This stand-alone novel features rogue hero Jack Stratton. Look for other books in the Jack Stratton Collection including Jack Knifed, Jacks are Wild, and now Jack and the Giant Killer. They can be read in any order, however, they are best experienced in sequence.

A Witness Above: A Frank Pavlicek Mystery


Andy Straka - 2001
     Thirteen years ago, NYPD Detective, Frank Pavlicek quit the force after a controversial shoot-out that left an unarmed African-American teenager dead. The divorced father of a teenage daughter, Pavlicek now works as a private investigator and hunts with a trained falcon. While hunting, he discovers the corpse of a black, teenage drug dealer with ties to his daughter. Unable to ignore the connections to his family or the shooting that cost his career, he goes after the killer to find the truth, save his daughter …and free himself from the shackles of his past. The first novel in the blockbuster Frank Pavlicek series. An Anthony, Shamus, and Agatha Award nominee. "Pavlicek is a breath of fresh air in the field of private eye fiction." Jeffery Deaver "Highly recommended. I dare you to tell me I’m wrong," Michael Connelly "A book this good, and this original, helps remind me why started reading mysteries in the fist place," Steve Hamilton "Storytelling as sharp and strong as talons," Rick Riordan

Good Girl Gone


K.T. Finch - 2017
    Molly, his ten-year-old daughter is his whole life. But one ordinary morning, Tom discovers that Molly's not in her room.Gone. Vanished.Police are called, a search party goes out, and Tom, already struggling with staying sober, finds himself coming undone. As hours become days without any sign of Molly, everyone she knows is called into question, including Tom himself. As he tries to desperately piece together what could've happened, Tom realizes that nothing is quite as it seems. Will Molly be found in time? Or will Tom have to face the rest of his life not knowing what happened to little girl?Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.

Next to Disappear


Malcolm Richards - 2015
    Until disgraced ex-teacher Emily Swanson moves into the couple’s former home.Emily’s life is in ruins and she’s meant to be making a fresh start. But when she learns about the missing nurse, she sees a chance for redemption. Because finding Alina could help right the wrongs of Emily’s past. It could even mark the start of a new career in private investigation.But what Emily doesn’t know is that Alina had a horrifying secret. One about the care foundation where she worked. And the closer Emily gets to uncovering the truth, the closer she gets to terrible danger.Inspired by a shocking true crime, Next To Disappear introduces a thrilling, twist-filled series and a refreshingly different take on the private investigator genre.Revised edition: Previously published as Lost Lives.

The Color of Greed


Jack Thompson - 2012
    A depraved secret. The ruthless Chinese mafia. Murder is never simple.When the young husband of a wealthy California heiress is found dead on his yacht, private investigator Raja Williams and his tech-savvy partner, Vinny Moore, head to Los Angeles. Their investigation leads to a human trafficking ring, the Chinese mafia, and a cover-up that may go as high as the governor's mansion.As more bodies pile up, Raja and Vinny find themselves targeted by a powerful enemy with much to hide, and must race to uncover the truth before everyone involved, including the two of them, ends up dead.Brilliant. Fearless. Unstoppable. Raja Williams is a private detective who is relentless in his pursuit of justice. Neither the dark, tragic anti-hero nor the James Bond super-hero type, Raja uses his intuitive genius and penetrating empathy to unravel mysteries. His sixth sense for evil gives him headaches and steers him straight into trouble. Readers have described him as "a cross between Dirk Pitt and Alex Cross."Raja's partner, Vinny Moore, is a gorgeous hipster geek who prefers hacking computers to haute couture. Vinny once worked for the U.S. government until she purposely made herself more trouble than they could handle so they would cut her loose. She loves to push Raja's buttons with the hipster lingo she is constantly picking up on the internet. Despite her teasing, Vinny is Raja's best friend.WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:"Best detective since Sherlock Holmes!""I love Raja Williams. He is a brilliant private investigator with an amazing heart.""Crime solving and kick ass...totally enjoyable way to spend time indoors.""This book had me from chapter one and I couldn't put it down. It's fast-paced, full of action, and dripping with mystery.""Hats off to Jack Thompson for a great thriller that was good clean fun.""I've always enjoyed mysteries, but this novel has something special, a certain joie de vivre.""The pace moved quickly, when necessary, to create pulse quickening sequences, and slowed down, when appropriate, to delve into more technical aspects of the investigation.... I'm so happy to have found another author, and character series, to add to my list of must read authors!""I really couldn't put this one down, and read it straight through from start to finish. I see a film in the future."If you like action-packed, fast-paced mysteries with unexpected twists and turns, then you'll love the Raja Williams series.Grab your copy of The Color of Greed and dive right in.