Book picks similar to
The Agora Letters by Clay Boutwell


mystery
historical-fiction
hidden-gems
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Vow of Silence (The Jill Shannon Murder #2)


Chris Patchell - 2018
     Five years after the brutal slaying of her husband, software executive Jill Shannon is ready to take the next step in her life. But with her wedding to prosecuting attorney Conner Manning just eight weeks away, her future father-in-law’s political ambitions for her fiancé threaten all her hopes. Jill’s past holds dark secrets. Secrets she can’t afford to have exposed under the relentless lights of a political campaign. When Phoenix Detective David Shaw turns up at Jill’s door asking questions about a reporter's murder, he has no idea what a lethal Pandora’s Box he’s just opened. Was the womanizing reporter killed by a jealous husband, or was it related to his drug use? Or did it have something to do with the secret expose the reporter was working on? Jill Shannon looks like a dead-end lead but Shaw can’t shake the feeling the beautiful widow has secrets she’s not sharing. Jill is caught between the sins of her past and the shattered hopes for her future. Shaw finds himself drawn deeper into a twisted labyrinth of lies and danger. One thing is clear: some vows are made out loud in front of witnesses. But some vows are made in silence, and witnesses can’t be left alive.

Drop Dead, Gorgeous


Mike Jastrzebski - 2016
    She had to come back from the grave to convince him she was murdered. Oh, and she brought along the ghost of her mother.What was she thinking? Artie didn't get along with his mother-in-law when she was alive...why would it be any different now?If you like a great mystery and don't mind a couple of ghosts mucking things up, grab this book now. You won't regret it.

The Key to Murder


Jen Pitts - 2020
    Discover the places and people that make New Orleans unique through the eyes of newcomer, Samantha Richardson, in the first book in the French Quarter Mystery Series, The Key to Murder. Looking for a fresh start as well as clues to her past, Samantha is thrilled with her furnished apartment even with its strange diary and key left on the living room bookshelf. Sammy, as her new friends call her, explores the city’s French Quarter by following the riddles in the anonymous diary. It was fun until it led to a body. Now Sammy must find out who wrote the journal before the murderer strikes again. Sammy moved to New Orleans for answers and a new life, but is a murderer going to keep her from her future?

A Talent for Murder


Andrew Wilson - 2016
    In this tantalizing new novel, Christie’s mysterious ten-day disappearance serves as the starting point for a gripping novel, in which Christie herself is pulled into a case of blackmail and murder.“I wouldn’t scream if I were you. Unless you want the whole world to learn about your husband and his mistress.”Agatha Christie, in London to visit her literary agent, is boarding a train, preoccupied with the devastating knowledge that her husband is having an affair. She feels a light touch on her back, causing her to lose her balance, then a sense of someone pulling her to safety from the rush of the incoming train. So begins a terrifying sequence of events—for her rescuer is no guardian angel, rather he is a blackmailer of the most insidious, manipulative kind.“You, Mrs. Christie, are going to commit a murder. But, before then, you are going to disappear.”Writing about murder is a far cry from committing a crime, and Agatha must use every ounce of her cleverness and resourcefulness to thwart an adversary determined to exploit her expertise and knowledge about the act of murder to kill on his behalf.In A Talent for Murder, Andrew Wilson ingeniously explores Agatha Christie’s odd ten-day disappearance in 1926 and weaves an utterly compelling and convincing story around this still unsolved mystery involving the world’s bestselling novelist.

Gods of Gold


Chris Nickson - 2014
    Leeds is close to breaking point. The gas workers are on strike. Supplies are dangerously low. Factories and businesses are closing; the lamps are going unlit at night.Detective Inspector Tom Harper has more urgent matters on his mind. The beat constable claims eight-year-old Martha Parkinson has disappeared. Her father insists she’s visiting an aunt in Halifax – but Harper doesn’t believe him. When Col Parkinson is found dead the following morning, the case takes on an increasing desperation.But then Harper’s search for Martha is interrupted by the murder of a replacement gas worker, stabbed to death outside the Town Hall while surrounded by a hostile mob. Pushed to find a quick solution, Harper discovers that there’s more to this killing than meets the eye – and that there may be a connection to Martha’s disappearance.

I'm Going to Kill that Cat!: Start reading this cozy mystery right away!


F. Della Notte - 2018
    Is this oddball detective team Heaven-sent? Busybody Mrs. B has her heart in the right place—even if her nose isn’t. As the housekeeper and assistant to Father Melvyn Kronkey, she knows everything about everyone in their little Catholic church. But when a public spat fueled by a mischievous pussycat leaves one parishioner dead and another the prime suspect, an old woman’s freedom depends on her snooping. Sorting through the victim’s pilfered journal, with help from an uncannily intuitive cat, the amateur sleuths uncover a shadowy trail of vice. But when the sanctuary suffers a break-in and a mysterious prowler is spotted around town, exposing the truth could send them to an early appointment with St. Peter. Can Mrs. B, Father Melvyn, and their feline friend nab the culprit before the church’s reputation goes to Hell? I’m Going to Kill that Cat is the deliciously intriguing first book in the Housekeeper Mystery cozy series. If you like character-driven stories, quirky personalities, and crime-solving kitties, then you’ll love F. Della Notte’s furry ball of fun. Buy I’m Going to Kill that Cat for a holy rolling whodunit today!

A Deadly Tonic


V.L. McBeath - 2019
     It looks like Eliza’s day out will have to wait… March 1900: Eliza Thomson loves solving murder investigations from the comfort of her drawing room. But things become real when a stranger turns up on her doorstep. After mumbling a few cryptic words he promptly drops dead! What did he mean? And who wrote the mysterious note found in his pocket? Determined to find answers, Eliza has no time to waste. Working with the police, and with the help of her friend Connie, she travels London in search of answers. But can she identify the killer before they strike again? This is the first story in the Eliza Thomson Investigates series. If you like murder mysteries and historical heroines with attitude, you’ll love this introductory novella. Get your copy today! NB. This series is written in UK English

Murder at the Manor


Catherine Coles - 2020
    However, it turns out to be anything but dull when his uncle, the Earl of Northmoor, is shockingly murdered!Evelyn must use all of her sleuthing knowledge, gained whilst she was a member of the Police force during the war, to find out who the murderer is before the bungling local police force decide the Earl was bumped off so Tommy could inherit his title.If you enjoy the glamour of bygone eras like 1920s Downton Abbey and gentle, cozy mysteries set in the English countryside then you will love this new series.

A Lesson in Crime


Wes Markin - 2019
     Not for Michael Yorke. When a student party ends in violent murder, Michael Yorke begins to realise he harbours a fascination with crime which goes way beyond the norm. Driven to discover the truth behind a series of murders which shocks the university community, Yorke turns his back on those closest to him: his girlfriend, Charlotte, and his best friend, Brandon. With bloody and disastrous consequences. A super-fast one-hour thrill ride, which will define the relentless and compassionate police officer who stars in One Last Prayer for the Rays

Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set


Meredith Potts - 2018
    A friend in need. A dangerous investigation. And cake. If this is your kind of cozy mystery series then you'll love this boxed set. This collection features all seven books in the Mysteries of Treasure Cove series: 1. Murder and Chocolate Fudge Cake 2. Murder and Layer Cake 3. Murder and Chocolate Cake 4. Murder and Citrus Cream Cake 5. Murder and Cherry Cake 6. Murder and Vanilla Cake 7. Chocolate Cupcakes with a Side of Murder Special Note: Chocolate Cupcakes with a Side of Murder is exclusively available in this set. Don't miss out on Sabrina Carlson's latest adventure. Buy your copy right now! Mysteries of Treasure Cove Series Blurb: One of Sabrina Carlson's oldest friend's is found murdered. Unfortunately, she doesn't have time to grieve. After all, the killer is out there somewhere. And she isn't about to let them get away. Instead, Sabrina is going to do everything in her power to bring the guilty party to justice. Even if it means risking her life. But is she really prepared to discover the truth? Or will this investigation break her?

Just Watch Me


Jeff Lindsay - 2019
      From the author of the wildly successful Dexter series comes a new, mesmerizing bad guy we can root for: Riley Wolfe. He’s a master thief, expert at disguise, and not averse to violence when it’s needed. It’s no accident, though, that Riley targets the wealthiest 0.1 percent and is willing to kill them when they’re in his way: he despises the degenerate and immoral rich and loves stealing their undeserved and unearned valuables.   In this series launch, Riley aims for an extraordinary target in a heist that will make history. Riley will try to steal the Crown Jewels of Iran. Yes, these jewels are worth billions, but the true attraction for grabbing them comes down to one simple fact: it can’t be done. Stealing these jewels is absolutely impossible. The collection is guarded by space-age electronics and two teams of heavily armed mercenaries. No one could even think of getting past the airtight security and hope to get away alive, let alone with even a single diamond from the Imperial Collection.   No one but Riley Wolfe. He’s always liked a challenge.   But this challenge may be more than even he can handle. Aside from the impenetrable security, Riley is also pursued by a brilliant and relentless cop who is barely a step behind him.   With the aid of his sometime ally, a beautiful woman who is a master art forger, Riley Wolfe goes for the prize that will either make him a legend—or, more likely, leave him dead.

The House of Closed Doors


Jane Steen - 2012
    Yet Nell is determined to elude the duties and restrictions of matrimony. So when she finds herself pregnant at the age of 17, she refuses to divulge the name of the father and even her childhood friend Martin is kept in the dark.Nell's stepfather Hiram sends Nell to live at the Poor Farm of which he is a governor, to await the day when her baby can be discreetly adopted. Nell is ready to go along with Hiram's plans until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced that the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and the incident prompts her to rethink her decision to abandon her own child to her fate. But the revelations to which her questions lead make her realize that even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby, she may have no safe place to run to.

Sydney Rye Mysteries Books 1-8 Box Set


Emily Kimelman - 2022
    This left him unconscious on the floor of my home. Amazingly, this bullet did not kill him.Ten years ago I adopted Blue as a present to myself after I broke up with my boyfriend one hot, early summer night with the windows open and the neighborhood listening. The next morning I went straight to the pound in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Articles on buying your first dog tell you never to buy a dog on impulse. They want you to be prepared for this new member of your family, to understand the responsibilities and challenges of owning a dog. Going to the pound because you need something in your life that's worth holding onto is rarely, if ever, mentioned.I asked the man at the pound to show me the biggest dogs they had. He showed me some seven-week-old Rottweiler-German shepherd puppies that he said would grow to be quite large. Then he showed me a six-month-old shepherd that would get pretty big. Then he showed me Blue, the largest dog they had.The man called him a Collie mix and he was stuffed into the biggest cage they had, but he didn't fit. He was as tall as a Great Dane but much skinnier, with the snout of a collie, the markings of a Siberian husky, the ears and tail of a shepherd and the body of a wolf, with one blue eye and one brown. Crouched in a sitting position, unable to lie down, unable to sit all the way up, he looked at me from between the bars, and I fell in love."He's still underweight," the man in the blue scrubs told me as we looked at Blue. "I'll tell you, lady, he's pretty but he's skittish. He sheds, and I mean sheds. I don't think you want this dog." But I knew I wanted him. I knew I had to have him. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.Blue cost me $108. I brought him home, and we lived together for years. He was, for most of our relationship, my only companion. But when I first met Blue, a lifetime ago now, I had family and friends. I worked at a crappy coffeehouse. I was young and lost; I was normal.Back then, at the beginning of this story, before I'd ever seen a corpse, before Blue saved my life, before I felt what it was like to kill someone in cold blood, I was still Joy Humbolt.I'd never even heard the name Sydney Rye.P.S. The dog does not die.**Beware: If you can’t handle a few f-bombs, you can’t handle this series.**

Lafitte's Treasure


Joe Corso - 2014
    So why does Lafitte refuse their generous offer? In the approaching War of 1812 General Andrew Jackson hasn’t any weapons, ammunition or money to fight the British with and no one to turn to for help but the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. Jackson hates pirates, but he agrees to meet with Lafitte, and he forms an unlikely alliance with the dashing pirate. What changed Jackson’s mind about attending the meeting? Before the war begins, Lafitte buries an unusual treasure, one that is sought in the 21st century by two men and a beautiful woman. Julianna Montaigne a direct descendent of Pierre Lafitte has found his diary in her grandfathers old sea man’s trunk. The diary has a clue to the treasure. Eddie Calto a New York City firefighter has a second clue left to him by his great great grandfather, The two join forces in an attempt to find Lafitte's Treasure. But there are dangerous men who want the treasure for themselves and for 200 years they have waited patiently for anyone seeking Lafitte’s Treasure. Borrow this book for free with your prime subscription or subscribe to kindle lending library!

Twelve Miles From Rome: A Lucius Marius Nola Mystery


Steven J. Kears - 2015
    Lucius Marius Nola, a retired veteran of the Roman Army, inherits a farm in the Alban Hills on the outskirts of Rome. Nola is looking forward to a new life in the countryside, living off the land, and more importantly, escaping his violent and disturbingly troubled past. However, no sooner has Nola begun to enjoy life once again when, against his will, a strange turn of events draws him into a web of murder and intrigue. 'Twelve Miles From Rome' is the first of a thrilling series of ancient world mysteries featuring Lucius Marius Nola.