Shooting Star


Patricia M. Clark - 2013
    One phone call unravels that tidy world when she is summoned to the bedside of her critically ill mother, whose dying declaration stuns her. She is the adopted daughter of a murdered prostitute with an entire family she’s never met. After her mother’s funeral, Joal decides to stay in Indiana to figure out who she really is and poke around the edges of her birth family. As an investigative reporter, Joal has unraveled hundreds of sordid business deals and personal relationships. Eventually someone reveals the truth, but her mother’s murder isn’t the cliché “prostitute killed by pimp.” The answer may lie with the only witnesses. Her grandmother, the matriarch who tries to keep the family together. Her two brothers, one now a supremely optimistic minister and the other an overly pessimistic doctor. Or the murderer himself, now incarcerated in an Indiana prison.From the homey heartland of Indiana to the humid jungles of Vietnam, Joel follows two stories riddled with criminal acts and hidden agendas. Her work sends her overseas to follow a homebuilder Ponzi scheme while at home she widens the net to include some more colorful members of her family. Unwittingly, they all provide little pieces to a puzzle that begins to come together revealing a conspiracy of silence that has been suppressed for over three decades.Shooting Star is first and foremost the story of a woman trying to reclaim her shattered identity. Only by uncovering the essential truths about the mother she never knew can she put some kind of stability back into her life. Solving a thirty year old murder and finding her place in a family she never knew existed are just added bonuses.

Miami Beach Missing


Chase Waters - 2019
    They’ve just hung out their shingle when a disturbing case falls in their laps. Three young women have been kidnapped and are being brutally tortured live on webcams from somewhere in Miami Beach. While Austin initially shirks the idea of investigating, believing the police are in the best position to solve the case, it soon becomes apparent there is more going on than meets the eye. A conspiracy in the police department and false leads drive Austin and Maria deep into the disturbing world of the dark web. And when one of the girls is murdered live on camera, Austin must determine how far he’s willing to go to seek justice.

Hope To Escape


Jack Parker - 2015
     Ess wasn't aware that a momentary encounter during her childhood had made her the object of obsession nearly twenty years later. Not just the artist’s obsession, but also the art collector’s. The artist had to kidnap her to keep her safe. The truth doesn't always set you free. How do they go on?

The Kingmaker


Daniel Martin Elliott - 2018
    there's intrigue... and a whole lot of action." –Readers' Favorite When top political consultant Miles Davis takes on the campaign of Enrique Arenas in his run for President of Colombia, it appears to be just another lucrative job, another campaign to win. But is it?Ghosts from distant pasts lurk in the shadows. Forbidden loves create new scars and traumatic memories force old ones to ache. And an international conspiracy, stronger and more sinister than any of them can imagine, might finish off more than just Enrique’s campaign.

Out of the Shadow


J.K. Winn - 2012
    One Goal. To discover the truth no matter the cost.A survivor of rape and her husband's murder, all Becca Rosen wants to do is move on with her life, but how can she when she's being stalked by a psychopath with an attitude---and an agenda. The police are no help because they're convinced, with her history of mental illness, Becca has faked the rape to get away with murder. On top of that, Becca has begun to have flashbacks of childhood abuse, possibly at the hands of the rapist. Not knowing where to turn, and feeling like she might go crazy again, Becca hires Psychologist, Sarah Abrams.Three men come into Becca's life around the same time. While each of these men has his charms, could one of them be the perpetrator? Or could it be somebody else? Together Becca and Sarah start on a course of hypnotherapy to discover the abuser's identity. Will their work reveal the real killer before it's too late, or will Becca fall prey once again to this demented criminal?

Christmas on the Anvil


Michael Penmore - 2021
    Everyone but the spaceship’s grumpy XO/navigator. When mysterious Christmas-themed things start happening, can the jaded second-in-command debunk the myth, or will she start to believe in the magic of Santa and the sleigh? Warning: Filled to bursting with humour and Christmas songs you know and love to hate. Get into the spirit of Christmas with the Anvil’s crew in this light-hearted seasonal romp from the author of the Jane Poole Genesis.

The Amish Detective


Hannah Schrock - 2016
     Hannah Byler has never married, at twenty-five she half believes it is too late and she half lives in regret at what she might have done in the Englisch world. As she watches Jacob’s body being lowered into the ground her mind starts working and she feels that there may be more to the accident than meets the eye. She and her reluctant sister Ruth start investigating the case and find a haunting web of lies, deceit and coverups that lead them into danger…

Murderous Minds Volume 2: Stories of Real Life Murderers that Escaped the Headlines


Ryan Becker - 2018
    Each tale is sordid, twisted, and worthy of newspaper headlines. Among the killers in this book, you will read about: - Christine Paolilla, a teen who turned a gun on the very friends who had rescued her from being bullied and tormented daily - Ronald Gene Simmons, who slaughtered 16 family members, including his daughter and the child they conceived together - Susan Hendricks, who murdered her family, then attempted to frame one of the sons she had brutally shot to death By weaving a tale in which Dark Fantasies Turned Reality, this book invites you to see life from a perspective few ever witness— that of the killer. Paired with an in-depth account of each case, it will be a nightmarish journey to the darkest reaches of the minds of these real-life murderers! Get your copy today and explore the shocking realities that came from their — Murderous Minds!

Lost and Found


Chloë Rayban - 2015
     She is sent over from England to sell the house as quickly as possible. But when she gets there something about the place enchants Julia. For although La Mulatière is decrepit, enormous and unmanageable, it is a house with a hundred stories, and all of them are begging Julia to uncover them. Her father’s legacy turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Julia finds herself falling in love with the house, the villagers – and perhaps even her brooding, surly neighbour, Jacques. Even as she is drawn to Jacques she is warned away from him by those who think they know him better. And unresolved issues with her ex, Oliver, might wreak havoc on her idyllic hideaway… La Mulatière begins to yield its secrets one by one, and Julia pieces together the past even as she tries to fathom her own future. Tales of the house in the Revolution, of its aristocracy flung from riches to abject poverty, and of a mysterious and scandalous noblewoman, all come to light. But the echoes from the past will not be silent in the present, and Julia slowly begins to realise that her prying might have serious consequences for her own future… Is La Mulatière the cure for Julia’s heartbreak...or will the past ruin what might be her last chance of happiness? ‘Lost and Found’ is a beautiful, evocative romance rich with the history of France. Praise for Chloe Rayban: ‘A perfect blend of romance and self-discovery’ - Holy Kinsella, bestselling author of 'Uptown Girl' Chloe Rayban is the bestselling author of 13 books for teenagers, including Wild Child (Random House). She has been shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize twice and the Carnegie Medal. Her books have been translated into many different languages and are sold all over the world. She lives in London and France. 'Lost and Found' is her first adult novel. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

Death on D'Urville: A Claire Hardcastle Mystery


Penelope Haines - 2019
     When Claire’s routine flight to pick up regular passenger, Jorge, from a remote island turns into a homicide investigation, she is excited to discover she may hold a clue to the crime! A growing attraction to investigator Detective Sergeant Jack Body, and a desire to help solve the murder, leads Claire into a world of disputed Maori history, artefact smuggling and child abuse. Death on D’Urville is the first novel in the Claire Hardcastle Mystery series set in New Zealand, following Claire’s adventures as a commercial pilot, flying instructor and accidental detective.

Stone Investigations: The Complete Series


Harper Maguire - 2019
    When Tucker’s fiancée goes missing a week before their wedding, Zoe has her own ideas as to why the trailer-park-queen disappeared, but she keeps those opinions to herself… That is until she hires Stone Investigations, and Greg Stone specifically, to hunt down the missing woman. Greg Stone is determined to find the missing fiancée before anything bad happens to her. But Zoe keeps getting in his way, and before long, he sees her as more than the overly intelligent, know-it-all lawyer who hired him. Greg begins to see Zoe as his perfect match. Part 2 Jennifer Langdon is a workaholic G.P. who lives in a beach-side bungalow and enjoys the lazy rhythm of Harper’s Bay when she isn’t giving flu shots or trying to figure out the source of her patients’ odd rashes. She comes from a big family, and family is important to her, but somehow she’s never managed to meet the right man to settle down with and start a family of her own. The baby bug has bit her, though. She wants one and because of it, she jumps at the chance to babysit her two-year old niece any time the occasion arises, which is often. But one day when she’s babysitting and checks her cell phone while her niece is playing on the beach side playground, that’s all the time it takes for the little girl to disappear into thin air. Part 3 Cara loves her father more than anyone in the world. She runs Fancy’s, the best seafood restaurant in Harper’s Bay, and while her father owns the place, he gives her free reign and full control, breezing in only for dinner each night in his crisply tailored suits. But one night when Cara’s father doesn’t show up for his steak and merlot dinner as always, she instantly knows something is terribly wrong. And soon her budding relationship with Tom shifts away from romantic flirtation and into the mysterious territory of trying to figure out what happened to Joseph “Fat Joe” Conway. Part 4 Professional surfer, April Chase has traveled the world from Hawaii to Indonesia. Along the way, she developed a close friendship with fellow surfer, Bethany Waterbury, who falls in love with the next town they arrive at to compete—Harper’s Bay. But the night before the big surfing competition, Bethany goes missing. The media flies into a frenzy and soon people start to suspect that April had something to do with it in an attempt to ‘knock out the competition’. Nothing could be further from the truth, which is why April needs the help of Stone Investigations and William specifically to help find her missing friend. Part 5 Matthew Stone has always been a loner, but a lone man would be nothing without man’s best friend, and Matt’s best friend is Rudy, a Rottweiler whose bark is far worse than his bite. Rudy has never bitten anyone and Matt knows he wouldn’t, but he’s been getting dirty looks and a complaint or two about Rudy’s daytime whining. He’s never thought to hire a dog walker, but when he does, he quickly discovers that there’s at least one woman in Harper’s Bay who isn’t afraid of his intimidating dog. Could it be a sign? Meanwhile, Hurricane Jane presses in on Harper’s Bay and the brothers of Stone Investigations work tirelessly to close in on Abigail Gardner’s real killer, but what Greg, Luke, Tom, Will, and Matt discover is far more disturbing than any of them could’ve ever imagined.

Ghost Unbroken


Annie McLeod - 2013
    Short StoryHer future is set, her life mapped out, but one unexpected meeting turns her carefully laid plans upside down.

Pieces of Stone


L.M. Kaye - 2015
    After being abandoned by her father and losing her mother to drugs, Emma raises her younger sister, Kate, and maintains her emotional and mental equilibrium by keeping the friendly residents of Clare at a safe distance. In fact, in all her relationships, Emma plays it cool, choosing to break up with boyfriends before things get “too serious” and keeping only one close, true friend. She’s been hurt before and isn’t willing to get hurt again, so she keeps her heart under lock and key and refuses to let anyone in too deep. This strategy works well enough until a mysterious man comes to town, and Emma’s life—and the lives of the people she cares about—begin to unravel, forcing her to confront painful questions about love and loss. A suspenseful, fast-paced psychological thriller, Pieces of Stone is about the desire to belong, family ties, and the fears and needs that plague us all.

Deranged


Jacob Stone - 2017
    investigator Morris Brick, a former homicide cop on the trail of a murderous psychopath who gives a terrifying new meaning to the word DERANGED . . . They call him the Skull Cracker Killer. He drugs his victims. Breaks open their skulls with a hammer and chisel. The rest is inhuman. Five years ago he terrorized New York City, claiming twelve victims before the killing stopped. Now he’s racking up victims on a fresh hunting ground. Where former LAPD homicide detective Morris Brick is working as a consultant on a serial-killer film. Where a desperate mayor pleads with Brick to take on the case. And where the only way he can stop the next wave of murders is by outsmarting a madman—before he strikes again, this time much too close to home . . .

A Family Affair


Mary Campisi - 2006
    Her father has another family which includes a mistress and a daughter. Determined to uncover the truth behind her father's secret life, Christine heads to Magdalena, prepared to hate the people who have caused her to question everything she thought she knew about her father. But what she finds is a woman who understands her, a half sister who cherishes her, and a man who could love her if she'll let him. The longer she's around them, the more she questions which family is the real one. . . Attention Book Clubs! Included on my website is a Book Club Discussion Guide for A Family Affair. This story is filled with moral ambiguity, difficult choices, and second chances--all great topics for conversation and contemplation. Truth in Lies Series: Book One: A Family Affair Book Two: A Family Affair: Spring Book Three: A Family Affair: Summer Book Four: A Family Affair: Fall Book Five: A Family Affair: Christmas Book Six: A Family Affair: Winter (TBA) Book Seven: A Family Affair: The Promise (TBA)