Book picks similar to
Secrets and Malice by Ken Langwell


first-reads
giveaways
suspense-thriller
unread-fic-thriller

Cowboy for a Season


Janalyn Knight - 2019
    Years of trying and failing to bear a child have given her an air of sadness overlaid with a hardened determination to persevere. Hiring Brazilian Professional Bull Rider, Alex, who is on a slow road to recovery from potentially career-ending injuries, will help Hanna get her wheat in before the fall rains come. The handsome cowboy makes it clear that he will return to bull riding before the start of the new PBR season in January. Alex didn’t count on his ex-wife dropping off his toddler daughter Chloe without warning. Hannah didn’t count on caring for the cowboy or his precious daughter. Despite his love for Chloe and the way he cares for Hannah, Alex’s goal remains the same—to return to bull riding, the only life he’s ever wanted. Three hearts hang in the balance, and one decision will break them all. If you like hot cowboys, strong women, and ranching in the new West, then this book will have you burning through the pages.

Imperfect Strangers (Inspector Inoue #1)


Lea O'Harra - 2015
    It’s not long before Inoue discovers that nearly everyone involved in the case is harbouring their own secrets and lies.However, when a second university employee is murdered on campus in the dead of night, Inoue’s Commanding Officer – Superintendent Takenaka – takes over the case and makes a sudden arrest, eager for the high profile case to be closed as soon as possible.But whilst everyone is convinced they have caught the murderer, Chief Inspector Inoue is certain that they have the wrong man.Inoue faces his greatest challenge to date – risking professional ruin and disgrace in a race to find the killer.But with everyone around him a potential suspect, who can he trust?Can the small town of Fujikawa ever return to normal?Or is it impossible to find perfect justice in an imperfect world?‘Imperfect Strangers’ is a gripping murder mystery and an intriguing dissection of modern day Japan.'A thrilling page-turner.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Cold Kill'. Lea O’Harra, an American by birth, has lived in Japan for over 30 years. This is her first novel and marks the first book in the Inspector Inoue series. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher.

Three Days in Seattle


Debra Burroughs - 2012
    Romance. Murder.A gorgeous Blonde, a kidnapped Sister, a handsome Stranger, and a vengeful Killer.The desperate race is on to find the sister before both women wind up dead.A Romantic Suspense novel that will curl your toes

The Enchanted Orchards


Kristin Maddock - 2012
    But she is haunted by the tragic secret of her sister’s death and even her beloved orchards can’t seem to save her. Refusing to give into sorrow, a desperate Fern goes in search of the courage she once had in order to live and dream again. She gets more than she bargained for when she finds friendship, understanding—and even love—in unexpected places. Soon, her summer of hopeless grief turns into an enchanted journey of healing that will be life-altering and unforgettable. Sometimes all of life’s answers can be wrapped up in one hot summer. Especially if peaches are involved…

Daughters of the Lake


Wendy Webb - 2018
    Tucked in the folds of the woman’s curiously vintage gown is an infant, as cold and at peace as its mother. No one can identify the woman. Except for Kate. She’s seen her before. In her dreams…One hundred years ago, a love story ended in tragedy, its mysteries left unsolved. It’s time for the lake to give up its secrets. As each mystery unravels, it pulls Kate deeper into the eddy of a haunting folktale that has been handed down in whispers over generations. Now, it’s Kate’s turn to listen.As the drowned woman reaches out from the grave, Kate reaches back. They must come together, if only in dreams, to right the sinister wrongs of the past.

Riversong


Tess Thompson - 2011
     In the wake of her husband's tragic death, Lee is pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a dangerous loan shark willing to do anything to collect. Out of money and options, Lee seeks refuge in the small Oregon town where her mother's dilapidated home sits vacant, as desperate for a fresh start as Lee herself.With a baby on the way and a living to make, Lee opens a restaurant and begins to rebuild her life. But just as she catches her breath, and the eye of a local musician offering a second chance at love, she finds herself right back in the clutches of the debt collector with more to lose than ever.

Daniela's Crazy Love: The Prequel


Emily Jane Trent - 2015
     Cooper Burke left love behind for a career in major league baseball. This is the prequel to Daniela's Crazy Love: The Novel - a steamy romance about a second chance at love. The devastating breakup with the high school baseball star hurt Daniela deeply. Even now, she may be unable to resist his charms. When Cooper shows up unexpectedly, he seems to be hiding something. Daniela suspects that he is frightening her for reasons she doesn’t understand.Cooper was the last person she expected to be following her. But there he was, as annoyingly handsome as before. His short brown hair and pale green eyes had not failed to make her want to fall into his arms.And right then, it was no different. For some reason, her mind couldn’t conceive that he had been gone nearly four years. Quite the opposite, it felt as though time stood still, like he had not left at all. He had been waiting for her, patiently anticipating her next words.“Cooper! You scared me to death!"Could Cooper be the one who is terrorizing Daniela, or is she imagining it?And if he isn’t, then who is the man in the shadows? ˃˃˃ Do you like romantic suspense thrillers? Daniela Rinaldi is the baby sister in an Italian family with 4 older brothers. You will enjoy her exciting baseball romance in this Rinaldi Romance, a second chances novel, complete in two heart-pounding books:Daniela’s Crazy Love: The Prequel and Daniela’s Crazy Love: The NovelGenre: erotic romantic suspense thriller, baseball romance, sports romance novelType: Standalone novel with a separate prequel (a steamy new adult romance)

Dirt


Cassia Leo - 2017
    Then, in one brutal instant, the universe tilted on its side, discarding us into black nothingness.Now, I have a cocky a**hole for a husband. The only way we communicate anymore is when we’re fighting or f**king.With nothing left to lose, I write Jack a goodbye letter and head for Portland, where I quickly meet a neighbor who helps me find a job. My new neighbor—hot, tattooed ex-soldier Isaac Evans—is complicated. Nevertheless, we form a fast friendship, bonding over our mutual desire to create something beautiful from the wreckage of our lives. But despite the distance between us, Jack and I are still trying to make things work—fighting and f**king dirtier than ever. And he doesn’t appreciate my new friendship with Isaac. Not one f**king bit.

Hadley & Grace


Suzanne Redfearn - 2021
    A woman who can’t even kill a spider, Hadley soon finds herself pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family.Grace, new mother of baby Miles, desperately wants to put her rough past behind her for good, but she finds it impossible when her path crosses with Hadley’s, and her quest for a new start quickly spirals out of control and turns into a terrifying flight for survival.Stronger together than apart, the two find their fates inextricably entwined, and as the danger closes in, each must decide how much she is willing to risk for the other.A powerful story of self-discovery, Hadley and Grace is the heart-racing tale of two women facing insurmountable odds, racing to stay one step ahead of the trouble that is chasing them, and discovering new kinds of love and family along the way.

Ghost Gifts


Laura Spinella - 2016
    Her remarkable gift may help others rest in peace, but it also made for an unsettling childhood and destroyed her marriage. Finally content as the real estate writer for a local newspaper, Aubrey keeps her extraordinary ability hidden—until she is unexpectedly assigned the story of a decades-old murder.Rocked by the discovery of a young woman’s skeletal remains, the New England town of Surrey wants answers. Hard-nosed investigative reporter Levi St John is determined to get them. Aubrey has no choice but to get involved, even at the terrifying risk of stirring spirits connected to a dead woman’s demise and piquing her new reporting partner’s suspicions.As Aubrey and Levi delve further into the mystery, secrets are revealed and passion ignites. It seems that Aubrey’s ghost gifts are poised to deliver everything but a normal life.

Let Them Eat Cake


Sandra Byrd - 2007
    She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends. When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be!So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed– she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future–très bon!This book is written from a lightly, organically, Christian world view.

Dead But Living


Varun Vashist - 2013
    Eric had never done any good to any one. He was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Suddenly, he had a dream and he was cured. He thought it to be EVIL. He goes to find the reason behind it. No one helps him but he starts meeting people whom he had never met and started visiting places he had always thought to be without significance.Who are these people? What saved him: EVIL or DIVINE?

A Death in Sweden


Kevin Wignall - 2016
    A former CIA operative, he is now an agent for hire by foreign powers on the hunt for dangerous fugitives. It’s a lethal world at the best of times, and Dan knows his number is almost up. His next job could be his last—and his next job is his biggest yet.The target sounds trackable enough: Jacques Fillon, who gave up his life trying to save a fellow passenger following a bus crash in northern Sweden. But the man was something of an enigma in this rural community, and his death exposes his greatest secret: Jacques Fillon never existed at all.Dan is tasked with uncovering Fillon’s true identity—but can he do so before his own past catches up with him?

Bloodline


Jess Lourey - 2021
    Perfect homes. Perfect families. It’s enough to drive some women mad…In a tale inspired by real events, pregnant journalist Joan Harken is cautiously excited to follow her fiancé back to his Minnesota hometown. After spending a childhood on the move and chasing the screams and swirls of news-rich city life, she’s eager to settle down. Lilydale’s motto, “Come Home Forever,” couldn’t be more inviting.And yet, something is off in the picture-perfect village.The friendliness borders on intrusive. Joan can’t shake the feeling that every move she makes is being tracked. An archaic organization still seems to hold the town in thrall. So does the sinister secret of a little boy who vanished decades ago. And unless Joan is imagining things, a frighteningly familiar figure from her past is on watch in the shadows.Her fiancé tells her she’s being paranoid. He might be right. Then again, she might have moved to the deadliest small town on earth.

Untraceable


Shelli R. Johannes - 2011
    When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.