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The Kings of Cool
Don Winslow - 2012
Among the most celebrated thrillers in recent memory—and now a major motion picture directed by Academy Award–winning filmmaker Oliver Stone—Savages was picked as a best book of the year by Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly, Janet Maslin in The New York Times, and Sarah Weinman in the Los Angeles Times. Now, in this high-octane prequel, Winslow reaches back in time to tell the story of how Ben, Chon, and O became the people they are. Spanning from 1960s Southern California to the recent past, The Kings of Cool is a breathtakingly original saga of family in all its forms—fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friends and lovers. As the trio at the center of the book does battle with a cabal of drug dealers and crooked cops, they come to learn that their future is inextricably linked with their parents’ history. A series of breakneck twists and turns puts the two generations on a collision course, culminating in a stunning showdown that will force Ben, Chon, and O to choose between their real families and their loyalty to one another. Fast-paced, provocative, and wickedly funny, The Kings of Cool is a spellbinding love story for our times from a master novelist at the height of his powers. It is filled with Winslow’s trademark talents—complex characters, sharp dialogue, blistering social commentary—that have earned him an obsessive following. The result is a book that will echo in your mind and heart long after you’ve turned the last page.
Dove Season
Johnny Shaw - 2010
Soon. And that impending event brings his son Jimmy back to the Imperial Valley of southern California just north of the Calexico/Mexicali border. Jimmy hopes he can spend what time his father has left laughing and reminiscing. But Jack’s got one dying request. He needs Jimmy to find a Mexican prostitute named Yolanda.Enlisting the help of his boyhood friend Bobby Maves, the pair stumbles through the violent, the exploited, and the corrupted of Mexicali. It doesn’t take long before they’re in over their heads. And as Jimmy tries to survive the dangers of the Mexicali underworld, he unwittingly uncovers truths about his father he never imagined, forcing Jimmy to come to terms with the man he thought he knew, and to decide just what sort of man he wants to become.“[Johnny Shaw] is excellent at creating a sense of place with a few deft strokes... he moves effortlessly between dark comedy and moments that pack a real emotional punch, and he’s got a knack for off-kilter characters who are completely at home in their own personal corners of oddballdom.”– Tana French, author of In the Woods, Faithful Place
On His Watch
Katie Ruggle - 2016
But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...Ice rescue diver Derek Warner never meant to be a hero. But when two little girls go missing, he's the first in line to bring them home-even if that means scouring the wilderness with the woman he once loved and lost, Artemis Rey.Artemis has never stopped wanting Derek. Now, racing to find the girls before it's too late, minutes turn to hours. Night falls. Old flames rekindle. And a danger grows in the darkest wilderness that may be more than even the Search and Rescue brotherhood can hope to face...
Crank Palace
James Dashner - 2020
The Maze. The Scorch. The inner halls of WICKED. But now he has a burden that can't be shared with Thomas and the others—the Flare. And Newt can't bear the thought of his friends watching him descend into madness as he succumbs to the virus.Leaving only a note, Newt departs the Berg before the Gladers return from their mission into Denver, Colorado. From there, he experiences the gritty nightmare of life on the streets, running from the infected and those hunting them, until he ends up in the Crank Palace, the last dumping ground of those without hope. Although Newt thought he was running away from his friends to save them from himself, along the way he meets a young mother named Keisha and her son, Dante, who end up saving Newt in a way he could never have imagined.Taking place during the latter events of The Death Cure, Crank Palace tells the story of Newt like never before, from inside his own mind, as he searches for meaning in a life gone horribly wrong. He will try to fulfill a newfound destiny before his path leads to its inevitable conclusion—and one last meeting with his best friend.
The Gravediggers' Bread
Frédéric Dard - 1956
He'll do anything to stay by her side, even if it means working for her husband, a funeral director. But as everyone knows, three's a crowd.
Redeeming the Cowboy: A Contemporary Christian Romance (Blackwater Ranch Book 6)
Mandi Blake - 2021
The Unexpected Crush, Book 1
Alexa Wilder - 2015
She won’t sacrifice her dreams for a man. He proves she doesn’t have to. Kaia Davenport has left her old life behind. Now an intern at a prestigious hospital, she’s sacrificed so much to get where she is. She’s confident in her job, but when it comes to her curvy body, she’s learned she’s not in every man’s taste. And it’s not like she has time to date - all she cares about is her dream of being a doctor. Unfortunately, she manages to get into trouble during her very first week at the hospital. Chase Donahue isn't used to people telling him no, especially women. He’s a billionaire and he’s handsome. That’s usually enough to get him everything he wants. Not that Kaia knows who he is when they first meet. She can’t stand his arrogance and his entitled smirks. When he requests her assistance with a project, she hates him even more. Little does Kaia know that all Chase can think of is her spunky attitude and gorgeous curves. She’s exactly the woman he’s been looking for. Sparks fly and tempers escalate, but true passion cannot be tamed when Kaia storms into Chase’s office to tell him off. Instead, she finds herself in his arms, unable to resist him. Will this be the biggest mistake in her career? Or will it lead to something even more complicated… Love. **This hot and steamy alpha billionaire romance is perfect for fans of Hannah Ford, Lila Monroe, Cassie Cross, and J.S. Scott** Excerpt: “I…” I lost my words. I licked my lips, trying to realign my train of thought, but all I could think about was running my hands through his mess of dark hair. Without thinking about it, I licked my lips again. That must have been all of the answer that Donahue needed, as I was suddenly pushed back against the now-closed door, Donahue’s body pressing against me, his mouth on my own. With a moan, I opened to him, allowing him to dominate the kiss. After what could have been five seconds or a million years, he pulled away. “God… I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” he panted, pushing even further against me, rocking his hardness next to my thigh. “Since the moment in the bar — if not before. And then yesterday, you sauntered up here in that short skirt and tight top. Your body is to die for."
The Black Widow Club
Hilary Davidson - 2013
Betrayal. Rage. Paranoia. Lust. Revenge. Murder. Anthony Award–winning author Hilary Davidson’s short stories invariably lead to dark places.In “Stepmonster,” a jilted wife learns that the younger woman who stole her husband may be on the prowl again. In “Son of So Many Tears,” the mother of a criminal discovers the carnage left behind by her son. In “Anniversary,” a man prepares a very special meal for the girl of his dreams. In “Beast,” a wedding-obsessed woman refuses to accept a bad breakup. In “Undying Love,” a dead man with a fading memory tries to piece together the mystery of his own murder. In “Insatiable,” a wealthy old man watches his beautiful wife seduce a new lover. In “Fetish,” a father’s terror about the sick, twisted world his daughter inhabits leads him to take some terrible measures to save her. In “The Other Man,” a bar owner realizes his adulterous days may be numbered when a cuckolded husband starts stalking him. And in the title story, “The Black Widow Club,” a young mother discovers that murder may be a family tradition.Read The Black Widow Club: Nine Tales of Obsession and Murder at your own risk.
She Who Lies
Alex Kane - 2020
Self-made millionaires Gavin Shaw and Stevie Laird built their business from humble roots to global turnover, Stevie’s wife – and Gavin’s sister – Eva is never out of the style pages, while daughter Carla has used her huge following as an Instagram influencer to shine a spotlight on mental health issues.But behind the glamour lies a web of lies; hidden secrets so explosive that they would bring this family dynasty crashing down. But someone out there knows the truth…and now they’re stepping out of the shadows to reveal the dark heart of the Laird-Shaw family. Because when the truth comes to light, there’s nowhere to hide…and all the money in the world can't save this family from themselves.A gripping psychological thriller that will hook you from page one - the perfect read for fans of C.L. Taylor, T.M. Logan and Adele Parks.
Praise for Alex Kane:
‘Would I recommend this book? OMFG! Absolutely I would! There are twists, suspense and a very emotive but riveting storyline to keep you hooked’ CrimeBookJunkie ‘had me scrambling all over the pages, trying to get to the truth…You have to read it to believe it...FANTASTIC!!’ Shalini's Books and Reviews‘A cracking good read that will leave readers breathless…Brilliantly written and deviously plotted…Griplit at its most addictive!’ Bookish Jottings‘OMG what a startling ending!!!! That I did not see coming at all!!’ A Knight’s Reads‘One of the best books I've read this year…the ending is one you will never be able to figure out.’ Netgalley reviewer (5 stars)‘This book was such a thrill ride from the beginning…I did not see that ending coming!...you will absolutely love this book! I highly recommend it!’ Netgalley reviewer (5 stars)‘definitely one of those, “just one more chapter” kind of reads that you won’t be able to put down.’ By The Letter Book Reviews (5 stars)‘A really good read that had me hooked from the first few chapters…I can’t say too much more without spoiling it but brace yourself for the final few chapters!’ Netgalley reviewer‘The start of the book already sent chills down my spine…I loved this book and the writing style and the author has gained a fan.’ (5 stars) B for Book Review
Many Dead Bankers
Casey Christie - 2012
Midweek lunch time. The sound of gunfire reverberates under the hulking structures of the Canary Wharf skyscrapers. The Wharf and its bankers are under terrorist attack by extremists in black Kevlar combat gear with fully automatic assault rifles and explosives. Bankers and their families are cut down in broad daylight and the authorities and their unarmed police force are powerless to stop the slaughter.Mark Andrews, an out of shape, retail bank manager, sits at a bar in the middle of the mayhem and waits for his one true love, Amelia Brown.Then he receives a surreal phone call from his mysterious friend, Captain John Taylor - is he British Army SAS? And can he help Mark save himself, Amelia and the city's bankers?
The Yarn Spinner: A Crossroads Café Short Story
Deborah Smith - 2014
Cathy Deen Mitternich recognizes her old self in the fragile survivor huddled in the sheep barn's storage room at Rainbow Goddess Farm. Former art teacher Lucy Parmenter may be beyond even the tough-love magic of the farm, a live-in counseling center for abused women. Afraid to set a foot outside, drugged on medication, and filled with despair, Lucy needs the big biscuit magic of the Crossroad Café's Delta Whittlespoon. Together, Cathy and Delta search for a lifeline that represents Lucy's best hope of holding on. Their search ends in Lucy's new home at the barn. When Lucy discovers the magic there, neither she nor Cathy will ever be the same. Deborah Smith is the author of The Crossroads Café, chosen as a Top Five Romance of 2006 by Library Journal, a Number One bestseller at Kindle, and a bestseller at the Wall Street Journal. Her bestselling Crossroad Café Novellas include The Biscuit Witch and The Pickle Queen. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of A Place To Call Home.
Buy a Bullet
Gregg Andrew Hurwitz - 2016
This is the story of Smoak's first outing as the Nowhere Man, where after completing a mission in Northern California, he happens to spot a young woman at a coffee shop. Brutalized and under the control of a very powerful, unscrupulous man, her life is in danger if she doesn't escape. And the only person that can help her do that is a man with the background and skills of the Nowhere Man.
Undead Winter
T.M. Williams - 2013
That's all it takes for the darkness to penetrate. To infect. To destroy.A plague has incapacitated humanity, spreading across the globe faster than it could ever possibly be contained. Almost overnight the world is awakened to a new reality and the realization that no one is safe, not a single living soul.As the virus takes control, humanity is brought crashing to its knees. The few left untouched fight frantically for their survival, even as they know their future no longer exists, doing the uninmaginable at the brink of death.A dark tale that shows exactly how desperate, how dark, humanity can get once the undead winter arrives.This short story will haunt readers long after the last page has been read. A story you will want to read over and over.
Last Call for the Living
Peter Farris - 2012
For Hobe Hicklin, an ex-con with nothing to lose, it was just another score. For Hobe's drug-addled, sex-crazed girlfriend, it was just more lust, violence, and drugs. But in this gripping narrative, nothing is as it seems.Hicklin's first mistake was double-crossing his partners in the Aryan Brotherhood. His second mistake was taking a hostage. But he and Charlie can only hide out for so long in the mountains of north Georgia before the sins of Hicklin's past catch up to them.Hot on Hicklin's trail are a pair of ruthless Brotherhood soldiers, ready to burn a path of murder and mayhem to get their revenge. GBI Special Agent Sallie Crews and Sheriff Tommy Lang catch the case, themselves no strangers to the evil men are capable of. Soon Crews is making some dangerous connections while for the hard-drinking, despondent Lang, rescuing Charlie Colquitt might be the key to personal salvation.Prodigious talent Peter Farris has written a backwoods fairy tale of fate and flight that is also a dark, modern thriller. Like the bastard child of Stephen Hunter's Dirty White Boys and Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, Last Call for the Living is a smashing debut from a writer whose unique and disturbing vision of the world cannot be ignored.
Gravesend
William Boyle - 2013
The victim's brother, Conway D'Innocenzio, is a 29-year-old Brooklynite wasting away at a local Rite Aid, stuck in the past and still howling for Ray Boy's blood. When the chips are down and the gun is drawn, Conway finds that he doesn't have murder in him. Thus begins a spiral of self-loathing and soul-searching into which he is joined by Alessandra, a failed actress caring for her widowed father, and Eugene, Ray Boy's hellbound nephew. Ray Boy Calabrese is back in Gravesend: some people worship him, some want him dead . . . but none more so than the ex-con himself.