Book picks similar to
Die Laughing: 5 Comic Crime Novels by Steve Brewer
mystery
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Closure
Randall Wood - 2009
Special Agent Jack Randall of the FBI finds himself appointed to track down and stop the shooter. Not by his superiors, but by the killer himself.As more bodies fall the shooter takes his message to the press, earning the support of the public with his choice of targets and confounding the FBI at every turn. From the desert of Nevada to the urban jungle of New York City, Jack and his team follow the trail of bodies and haunting messages left behind by the killer. With the pressure to find him mounting on Jack, the assassin’s crimes grow bolder, and his message more sinister and closer to home.It becomes clear to Jack that in order to find the shooter, he may have to look inside his own past, and become the man he was years ago.
Forgotten Coast: Books 1-4
Dawn Lee McKenna - 2017
Maggie Redmond is called to a crime scene on St. George Island, where she is met with the body of Gregory Boudreaux. The medical examiner calls it a suicide, but no one knows that Maggie has a horrible connection to the dead man.When Gregory’s uncle, Bennett Boudreaux, the richest and scariest man in town, takes a sudden interest in Maggie, people start to wonder, Maggie included. Maggie knows he may suspect her of killing his nephew, but she finds herself slowly drawn to the man.As Maggie fights to help a young girl escape the clutches of a volatile drug dealer who’d love to see Maggie dead, she also struggles to hide her dark link to a dead man, and her burgeoning relationship with her boss, Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton.Unfortunately, secrets have a way of revealing themselves at low tide.Riptide - Book 2Once again, sinister things are afoot in Apalachicola, FL, and one of them is an actual foot.When a local fisherman finds a severed limb in his net, it sets off a chain of events that no one can anticipate.Lt. Maggie Redmond soon discovers that the foot belongs to the friend of another recently dead guy, Gregory Boudreaux, the man she never told anyone about. Gregory’s death was thought to be a suicide. That seems less likely, now that his best friend Sport’s foot has shown up out of the blue, as it were.When it starts looking like town villain Bennett Boudreaux might be responsible for eliminating Sport, things begin to get a little weird. Especially since Maggie’s started to take a liking to Bennett. She’s also taken a real liking to her boss, Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton, but both her relationship to Bennett and her secret connection to the dead men threaten hers and Wyatt’s relationship.Is Bennett protecting or avenging Maggie for some reason, or does he have something altogether different on his mind?What Washes Up - Book 3Karma’s alive and well in Apalachicola, Florida, and there are several people who are about to meet it face to face. When more than a dozen bodies wash up on the beach on St. George Island, the residents of Apalach are outraged, and none more so than investigator Maggie Redmond and Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton. It’s time for the greedy to answer for the lives of innocents.Meanwhile, a man is found tied to a burning boat in the middle of the bay, and Maggie’s instincts tell her Bennett Boudreaux is behind it. But if he is, Maggie has to decide whether she really wants him punished, or if justice has already been served.Landfall - Book 4Two storms that nobody thought were coming just made landfall. As a hurricane gathers its power just off Apalachicola’s shore, another storm comes to a head in Lt. Maggie Redmond's home.Held prisoner by a man bent on avenging the death of a son, Maggie must find a way to save herself and her two children. No one knows where they are. No one is coming to help.Maggie and her children will have to find a way to survive both the madness inside their home and the madness raging outside.
Defender of the Innocent: The Casebook of Martin Ehrengraf
Lawrence Block - 2014
Redefined.Martin H. Ehrengraf, dapper and diabolical, may be Lawrence Block's darkest creation. He's the defense attorney who never sees the inside of a courtroom, because all his clients are innocent - no matter how guilty they may seem. Some even believe themselves to be guilty: They remember pulling the trigger, or wiring the dynamite to their spouse's car, or holding the bloody blade. But things have a way of working out when Martin Ehrengraf is on the case. Evidence turns up, incriminating someone else. More murders occur, with the same M.O. And the gate of the jail cell opens, and the accused walks free.But be careful - hiring Martin Ehrengraf comes with a price. A high price, one that comes due even if he appears to have done nothing on your behalf. And you'd better be prepared to pay...Here at last are the complete exploits of Martin Ehrengraf: a dozen delicious tales of vice and villainy including one - ''The Ehrengraf Fandango'' - that is appearing for the first time anywhere. It's a 12-course meal of sinister surprises, exquisitely prepared and served simmering hot by the greatest living master of mystery fiction.
The Reacher Experiment: The Complete Series Books 1-9
Jude Hardin - 2019
And the assassins determined to track him down... Rock Wahlman: Forty-one years old, United States Navy Master at Arms, E-8, retired. Grew up in an orphanage, recently discovered that he is the product of a human cloning experiment, an exact genetic duplicate of a former army officer named Jack Reacher. Now someone wants all evidence of the experiment to be erased, which means that someone wants Wahlman to be erased. He’s on the run, desperate to survive, desperate to learn the truth about why all this is happening… This discounted collection includes: Dead Ringer ★★★★★ “If you are a Jack Reacher fan, I suggest you try this series.” ★★★★★ “This is a great twist on the Jack Reacher series!” Moving Target ★★★★★ “Jude Hardin is a fabulously creative author…” ★★★★★ “Fast paced action book!” No Escape ★★★★★ “Really enjoyed it!” ★★★★★ “I enjoy the fact that this series of books maintains a great thread.” Kill Shot ★★★★★ “I have found that these books are very hard to put down.” ★★★★★ “Another fast-moving thriller by author Jude Hardin that enticed me to read it all in a single sitting.” 357 Sunset ★★★★★ “Same high quality as always.” ★★★★★ “Terrific read, I look forward to the next one.” Redline ★★★★★ “Another masterful usage of the Jack Reacher character.” ★★★★★ “Good read.” End Game ★★★★★ “Kept me up most of the night until I finished it.” ★★★★★ “Loved the ending.” Ricochet ★★★★★ “Good storyline, suspenseful and very funny at times.” ★★★★★ “I am looking forward to more.” Gone ★★★★★ “Absolutely love this author’s imagination and where the story went.” ★★★★★ “Great job!” Note: While the name Jack Reacher and some of the supporting characters and story situations are used with author Lee Child’s permission, the Jack Reacher character remains offstage in The Reacher Experiment thrillers. Also by Jude Hardin The Nicholas Colt series: COLT LADY 52 POCKET-47 CROSSCUT SNUFF TAG 9 RATTLED (Short story) KEY DEATH BLOOD TATTOO SYCAMORE BLUFF THE JACK REACHER FILES: FUGITIVE THE JACK REACHER FILES: VELOCITY (Short story) THE BLOOD NOTEBOOKS Note: Although published at a later date, the events in COLT and LADY 52 precede those in
The Defendants Box Set: Thaddeus Murfee / The Defendants / Beyond a Reasonable Death
John Ellsworth - 2014
But Thaddeus Murfee just graduated from law school and has $200 left from his student loan. He is so broke he has to borrow his roommate's suit for his first job interview. While he is so desperate to earn rent and food money, he fails to nail down exactly what it is he'll be doing.They tell him a U.S. Attorney is selling government secrets...But is he, really?Thaddeus Murfee likes his new boss, the U.S. Attorney. Good things happen and gifts flow his way. What's not to like? The government lawyer even has a daughter he wants Thaddeus to meet. Were the people who hired him just totally wrong about the guy selling government secrets? What proof do they actually have of this serious accusation? Meet the foreign agents who will pay top dollar for U.S. war plans... The Defendants Thaddeus is just a little bit older and has hung out his shingle. He's a solo lawyer learning how to pattycake, when a new case walks in the door. While Ermeline was passed out, someone carved her date's name in her chest. Then the date is murdered. Ermeline is charged with First Degree murder and comes to Thaddeus. Can the young lawyer figure out what to say and do in court before a full-fledged jury trial? Will he have what it takes to do a bang-up job for his client? And what about the government lawyers who have set him up to fail? And what about the mob hitman headed his way? Thaddeus has his hands full and, to top it all off, he's found a girlfriend.Beyond a Reasonable Death This legal thriller is the story of the same young lawyer in a small town who has now crossed the mob. They send a hit man after him. Trying to break free, he sues them and a courtroom drama ensues. Very quickly he learns you don’t sue the mob and go back to normal living. He is pursued relentlessly and runs west to the mountains of Arizona, where he seeks refuge with a Navajo shepherd. He sets up his office in a cabin while he pursues his case against the godfather. The shepherd has many lessons for Thaddeus Murfee—lessons about surviving when all odds are against you. Together they face the first mob soldier sent after Thaddeus. Plus…the old shepherd has a granddaughter who attends medical school. Katy teaches him to fly-fish, and romance blossoms. Then, he is pursued again and must abandon her in this powerful crime fiction. Set in Chicago, Mexico, and Arizona, Thaddeus is hunted. He must battle wealthy lawyers who seek to protect the mobsters. Thaddeus takes his case to trial with astounding results.
Maniacal
C.M. Sutter - 2016
The newly promoted Sergeant Jade Monroe, and her partner, Detective Jack Steele, have just been informed of an unidentified male body found at a local lake. The town is in an uproar. The victim was nearly decapitated, and murder simply doesn’t happen in North Bend. As more bodies turn up, the single connection between all of the victims becomes clear—it’s Jade, herself. With each new victim getting one step closer to Jade, time begins to tick away. She must find the person responsible before her loved ones, or herself, are targeted next. Note: All Detective Jade Monroe books are standalone stories, yet they are best read in chronological order. #1 Maniacal #2 Captive #3 Fallacy #4 Premonition
Graven Images
Jane Waterhouse - 1995
Her story of the moment involves a madman known as the Holy Ghost, a deranged serial killer who disfigures his victims. When Susan Trevett lives to tell about her encounter with the Holy Ghost, she picks a young farmboy out of a police lineup. But then Susan does a dramatic turnaround: she insists that the boy is innocent, and that she disfigured herself to repent for past sins. The jury delivers a not guilty verdict, and Garner is left with an ending to her book she fears might not tell the whole story. To compensate, Garner plunges headlong into another case. A media firestorm has erupted around celebrated sculptor Dane Blackmoor. Body parts have been found in his lifelike sculptures, and Garner, who has tangled with the enigmatic artist in the past, thinks she knows the villain's identity. As she becomes increasingly involved in the Blackmoor story, she realizes she's being stalked by a cold-blooded killer who knows her like a book. Garner suddenly understands that there's a small space between the words true and crime: make one mistake in judgment, and it may come back to haunt you - with a vengeance.
An Ace and A Pair
Blake Banner - 2017
But he’s a dinosaur who belongs to another age. Detective Carmen Dehan has such a bad attitude that nobody at the precinct can stomach her. Captain Jennifer Cuevas wants them both out of the way and thinks they make a perfect pair. So she gives them the Cold Cases file – the cases nobody gives a damn about.She has no idea just how hot a cold case can get.Ten years back Nelson Hernandez and his four cousins were playing poker in a dive at Hunts Point. Somebody came in, blew them away and beheaded and castrated Nelson, leaving his head and his balls on the table. There was no shortage of suspects, the Jersey Mob, the Triads from Manhattan, or the 43rds own bent cop, Mick Harragan. But nobody was ever charged, and the night of the murder Mick Harragan went missing with Nelson’s wife, Maria.Now Stone and Dehan plan to find him – whatever the consequences…
False Truth 1-4: A Jordan Fox Mystery Boxed Set
Diane Capri - 2015
These are quick reads, meant to be devoured in a single session -- just like the stories you hear from your friends every day.Each book will leave you asking breathlessly, "And THEN what happened?"False Truth 1: A Jordan Fox MysteryRookie TV reporter Jordan Fox graduated from journalism school and slid into her dream job at News Channel 12 on a secret mission to find answers to the very cold case of her mother’s murder. But on the first day, she gets her pitch stolen, her pay cut, and her status demoted to intern.And that’s just the first hour.False Truth 2: A Jordan Fox MysteryJordan plans to break a big story to stay employed long enough to do the real job only she can do. She gets her chance when she discovers the victim of a brutal crime on the scene of her first assignment. Determined to prove herself, Jordan investigates as if the victim’s story was hers to report -- but it isn’t hers and her efforts only drive her further into trouble until she comes face-to-face with a killer.False Truth 3: A Jordan Fox MysteryJordan started this investigation to save her job; finishing it might be the only way to save her life.False Truth 4: A Jordan Fox MysteryBudding investigative reporter Jordan Fox continues her a secret mission to find answers to the very cold case of her mother’s murder and keep her job until she solves the crime. When she’s assigned to cover a lightweight story about a reality singing competition, Jordan pitches a story about the world’s humanitarian response to a crisis in Haiti instead.Be careful what you wish for, Jordan.Introducing The Hunt for Truth, an exciting new mystery series, starring tenacious multimedia journalist Jordan Fox. An ambitious newcomer with a difficult past, fans are sure to love this feisty new heroine from Diane Capri and Beth Dexter!
Take the Monkeys and Run
Karen Cantwell - 2010
Typical, that is until she sets out to find the missing link between a bizarre monkey sighting in her yard and the bone chilling middle-of-the-night fright fest at the strangely vacant house next door. When Barb talks her two friends into some seemingly innocent Charlie’s Angels-like sleuthing, they stumble upon way more than they bargained for and uncover a piece of neighborhood history that certain people would kill to keep on the cutting room floor.Enter sexy PI Colt Baron, Barb’s ex-boyfriend who would love to be cast as new leading man, filling the role just vacated by her recently estranged husband, Howard. When Colt flies in from out of town to help Barb, events careen out of control and suddenly this mini-van driving mother of three becomes a major player in a treacherous and potentially deadly FBI undercover operation. It’s up to her now. With little time to spare, she and she alone, must summon the inner strength necessary to become a true action heroine and save the lives of those she loves. The question is can she get them out alive before the credits roll?
Touchfeather (Touchfeather Thriller #1)
Jimmy Sangster - 1968
She’s lethal, seductive, and as ruthless as any double-O. Her latest assignment is to track down a scientist suspected of selling secrets to the Russians. It’s a high-stakes, global escapade that takes an unexpected violent turn that shatters her life…and ultimately pits her against a billionaire industrialist with terrifying intentions. “Jolly & Preposterous Intrigue.” New York Times “A clever, high-spirited story.” Times Literary Supplement (London) “Exhilarating…it’s a winner!” Irish Times
The Diary: The Complete Loving a Killer Serial
Julia Derek - 2014
TERRIBLE SECRETS.Happily married Lexi Woods thought losing a child would be the worst thing that could ever happen to her. She was wrong. It turns out that life has more ugly surprises for her. When she is finally through the heavy depression of losing her newborn, she finds her husband’s diary. As she reads it, she learns that he’s been unfaithful to her. He’s not at all the man she thought he was. Unfortunately, that’s not the worst part. Not only has the love of her life gone behind her back -- but it also looks like he killed his mistress... What else could he be hiding?NOTE: This edition contains all three novellas of the Loving a Killer serial. The first is entitled The Diary, the second The Other Woman, and the third Guilty. It has some sexual content.
The Murder of Janessa Hennley
Victor Methos - 2013
The savagery of the killer is something the small community of Kodiak Basin, Alaska has never seen before. With nowhere else to turn, the Sheriff is forced to enlist the help of the FBI.A special agent with a mysterious past...Special Agent Mickey Parsons of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit receives the Sheriff's request and flies to Alaska to help in the investigation. Parsons has the most closed cases of any special agent in Behavioral Science's history, but the mental and physical scars of the last case he handled in the field nearly six years ago has left him tired and contemplating retirement.Uncertain if he has the strength to follow a killer into the darkness again, Parsons may need the Sheriff as much as she needs him.A monster in the making...Parsons believes the Hennleys to be the killer's first victims. But the sheer brutality has him convinced he's dealing with someone more monster than man. Someone that is escalating in their sadism, and if left free, will bring terror on the community unlike any they have ever experienced.
A New Life
David J. Antocci - 2013
She has no idea how she got there, and notices changes in herself that she cannot explain. Haunted by unsettling dreams of her past, she sets out to escape, joined by Eric, who finds himself in the same predicament. Standing in their way is a madman, and his band of willing followers, with a mind set on murdering their unwelcome visitors. An eccentric hermit who has been living there for years offers them refuge, but they must deny his generosity. Escape is their only option. Yet, they discover this deceptive paradise is harder to leave than they had ever imagined. One mystery leads to another, until their escape throws them into even greater danger as Abby’s frightening past finally catches up with her. Her escape is only the beginning.