Book picks similar to
Mindless by R.W.K. Clark


mystery-thriller
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dark-and-disturbing
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The Fatal Heir


Lois Lewandowski - 2006
    A few years previous, she survived a car accident that shattered her ankle and her first marriage. Now she’s remarried and walking again and life would be perfect—if only she could get pregnant.Fortunately, Gillian’s mother-in-law and one of the Jackson County commissioners from Bend Brook, Nebraska, hatch a plan that will enable Gillian and her husband Clint to afford the next step in fertility treatment: they ask her to become an investigator for the county. Her first assignment is to find the biological parents of the commissioner’s adopted daughter, Caroline. With only one concrete fact to go on—Caroline was left at a Colorado monastery in 1967—Gillian heads for Aspen. Unfortunately, no one at the monastery remembers any such event—or so they say. When one monk goes missing and a woman who’s sleeping in the bed reserved for Gillian is murdered, Gillian has second thoughts. She can’t turn back, though, since most of Bend Brook has taken bets on whether she’ll be able to solve the case.As she uncovers past events that lead to the discovery of Caroline’s true identity, Gillian realizes that sometimes the perfect family might be the one you already have …

True Crime: 4 True American Crime Stories - Vol 1 (From police files of the 1920s to the 1950s)


Guy Hadleigh - 2013
    Almost (but not quite), lost in the mists of time, these tales romp along with plenty of action and recreate the atmosphere of this exciting and dangerous era using the vernacular of the times.You may not have heard much about some of these bad guys, but they were real, ruthless hoodlums and all had their "15 minutes of fame", leaving trails of death and mayhem behind them.  Most did not live to an old age, and those that did were probably in jail.Their escapades were daring and reckless and many paid the ultimate price in the end.Volume 1 contains*    The Jekyll and Hyde Mob After a rash of robberies, lawmen of the Los Angeles Sheriff's office had killed off or jailed every gang of bank robbers in the county. However, three suave gentlemen continued to loot the banks in daring fashion, leaving the lawmen completely clueless.*    The Whispering Bride Death cast its long, silent shadow over a sleepy New England town as Mrs.Wegner, a widow, waved good-bye to the last of the summer boarders. Little did she realize that she was waving good-bye forever, that death would soon claim her as its victim in the strange case of THE WHISPERING BRIDE.*    The Red Bandit The desperation of a hunted man gave Oklahoma its greatest reign of terror when a youth, vowing never to serve a 75 year rap for robbery, set off a series of events that gave the authorities a veritable nightmare as they pursued their quest down the bloody trail of crime.*    The Master Forgers Counterfeit checks - hundreds of them - were flooding Milwaukee in 1937 and 1938 until science scored a victory for the law!Order your copy today..!Scroll back up for instant download

Wormwood (Rob Soliz and Frank Pierce, #1)


Larry Enmon - 2017
    As the mayor's daughter, her kidnapping triggers mounting political pressure and forces the Chief of Police to put two senior detectives on the case. Rob Soliz and Frank Pierce have done the impossible in the past, but their methods are unconventional.The only evidence at the scene is a Bible found in the girl's car and soon Frank and Rob find themselves involved in a disturbing investigation shrouded by Bible prophecy, doomsday cults, and murder.Is Katrina still alive? And what exactly is Wormwood?As the trail leads them into the woods of rural East Texas, Frank must deal with his lingering religious doubts and solve the case. His worst fears will be realised when he must discover the ugly truth about Wormwood. But he and Rob will have to get out alive to tell the story…

City of Dark Hearts


James Conan - 2008
    With the support of a young man who is just venturing into the burgeoning trade of news photography, Emily soon finds herself in a race against time to save Anna's life and to bring her story back to New York before Pulitzer's tough deadline expires.Chicago is a place of dangerous contrasts. Among all the glitz and razzmatazz of the Fair itself and the spectacular wealth and influence of a new middle class elite, Emily comes face to face with rival ethnic groups, the sinister underworld of pornography and prostitution, as well as the ruthless meatpacking giants of the Union Stock Yard, who control the lives and destinies of so many of Chicago's immigrant poor.

The Romanov Stone


Robert C. Yeager - 2012
    Kate is the final heir to a family fortune, but nothing is simple in the tragic history of the Romanov clan. In order to claim the royal riches, Kate must find a long-missing alexandrite gem-the Romanov Stone-which is no easy task.Simon Blake, a respected New York gemologist, will be her companion as they travel overseas in search of the legendary jewel. They will not be fighting historians or archaeologists, however. Instead, they must go up against jewel thieves, members of a blood-thirsty crime syndicate, and a sinister cleric trained in mind control.Simon wants to find the stone as much as Kate does, but his romantic feelings for her make him more protective than proactive. He wants no harm to come to Kate, whereas she is fiercely driven by the need to make sense of her family history. She knows she deserves the fortune. Kate will find the alexandrite and restore honor to the Romanov line-if it's the last thing she does.

The Jeffery Deaver Suspense Collection: Speaking In Tongues / The Blue Nowhere / Garden Of Beasts


Jeffery Deaver - 2007
    But controversy -- and danger -- seem to have an unerring hold on him. Aaron Matthews, a brilliant psychologist, has turned his talents away from curing patients to far deadlier goals. He's targeted Tate, his ex-wife, Bett, and their estranged daughter Megan for unspeakable revenge. Featuring an urgent race against the clock, gripping details of psychological manipulation, and brilliant twists and turns that are trademark Deaver, Speaking in Tongues will leave you speechless.THE BLUE NOWHERERead by Dennis BoutsikarisWhen a sadistic hacker, code-named Phate, sets his sights on Silicon Valley, his victims never know what hit them. He infiltrates their computers, invades their lives, and lures them to their deaths. Desperate, the head of The California State Police Computer Crimes Division frees Wyatt Gillette, imprisoned for hacking, to aid the investigation. Gillette and Detective Frank Bishop, an old-school homicide cop who's accustomed to forensic sleuthing, at first make an uneasy team, but they must utilize every ounce of their disparate talents to stop the merciless and brilliant killer.GARDEN OF BEASTSRead by Jefferson MaysPaul Schumann, a German American living in New York City in 1936, is a mobster hitman known for his brilliant tactics and for taking only righteous assignments. But when he gets caught he is offered a stark choice: prison or covert government service. Paul must pose as a journalist coveringthe summer Olympics taking place in Berlin and hunt down and kill Reinhardt Ernst -- the ruthless architect of Hitler's clandestine rearmament. If he refuses the job, his fate will be Sing Sing and the electric chair.

Safely Buried


John Pesta - 2011
    I had just come off I-65, and my high beams lit her up from behind. She was walking along the road between dark, endless cornfields, and her right leg was in a cast. She wore denim shorts and a yellow tank top that didn’t quite reach the shorts. Without crutches, she moved as fast as she could on the gravelly shoulder. She would take a long step with her good leg, stiffly swing the cast forward the same distance, and immediately start the next step. Tilting jerkily, she looked as if she would fall with every stride. I crossed the centerline to give her more room to fall. Just as I was about to pass her, she glanced over her shoulder and stuck out a thumb.When Phil Larrison picks up a hitchhiker, he gets more than he bargained for.

Night Game


Carol Davis Luce - 1996
    The exclusive King’s Club resort casino is a glittering playground for gamblers with everything to gain…and the hunting ground for a shadowy killer with nothing to lose. So far, the odds are in his favor. Until casino owner Jay King places his bets on a beautiful private invesigator. . .Kasey Atwood is an expert at undercover surveillance, and no stranger to this dazzling world of high stakes and low morals. Her attraction to the sensual, enigmatic King is immediate–and incendiary. As their love affair heats up, she becomes a pawn in a dangerously seductive game of passion and revenge. Then more innocent blood is shed, and Kasey knows she can’t afford to make one false move. At risk is nothing less than her heart–and her life. . .

Azrael


M.T. Ellis - 2017
    She’s wrong. He’s coming for her again.The body Detective Rose is looking at bears a striking resemblance to Emily, a woman who survived a horrific, sexually motivated abduction five years ago. Her fear is confirmed when Emily goes missing again.When another woman, Grace, is abducted, Detective Rose finds herself doubting the instincts that tell her the disappearance is the result of intimate partner violence. She connects the cases and recruits Grace’s partner, Ethan, to help in the search. Together they must find Grace and Emily before it’s too late.

Blood on the Water


Alex Connor - 2013
    This prequel to the conspiracy thriller Isle of the Dead introduces us to the dark side of Venice - a city with secrets to rival its splendour.

Axe to Grind


A.L. Fraine - 2021
    A woman is slaughtered in vicious attack, and left in an abandoned building, handcuffed to a chair. Invited by a former colleague to join a new team in the South of England, DCI Jon Pilgrim takes on the case of the murdered young woman. Partnered with the captivating DS Kate O’Connell, they hunt for the killer. The victims links to the local gangs seems to lead to an open and shut case, but Jon isn’t convinced. The killer seems to be sending a message. But what is it? Just as things seem to be making sense, another body is found in a similar state.This victim seems unrelated to the first, but it’s clearly the same killer.Jon must deal with gang bosses, jealous partners, and come to terms with his own tragic past to find the killer before the death toll rises.But as things escalate, Jon fears the past is about to repeat itself, and tear him apart.

Mindgame


Anthony Horowitz - 2001
    A thriller that actually manages to thrill, and a very dark comedy that twists and spirals towards a completely unexpected ending. This is one play where seeing isn't quite believing and reading the text is the only way to uncover all the clues.

The American Pearl


Peter Gilboy - 2018
    SHE'S STILL TRYING TO COME HOME. QUINTYN AMES is a troubled government researcher who discovers that a female soldier may have been left behind at the end of America's most notorious war, and is still trying to come home. But the government doesn't want PATRICIA PAVLIK back. AMES is determinated to get to the truth and to finally bring her home.

Magnolia Steele Mystery Box Set


Denise Grover Swank - 2019
     Center Stage Act Two Call Back  Curtain Call Free Magnolia Steele bonus content will be releasing through Denise’s newsletter. Sign up is at the end of each book.

Key West Drop


Mike Pettit - 2013
    Key West Drop is a suspense filled rampage of murder, money, greed, betrayal, white slavery, and drugs. Jack Marsh goes toe to toe with the Israeli Mafia to save a shipment of captive women destined for the Mideast slave market. The I.M.’s first mistake was to snatch Jack’s best friend because he knew of their planned shipment, their second mistake was that they threatened to kill his friend if he didn’t back off. Their third mistake was to underestimate an adversary that would stop at nothing to bring the gang down. The action rolls through the Florida Keys, Key West, Miami, and a final fight on the tempest torn waters of the Florida Strait. The climax will leave you stunned.MP