Book picks similar to
Chain Letter by Willow Rose


horror
willow-rose
thriller
young-adult

The Navigators


Dan Alatorre - 2016
    SOME SECRETS AREN'T MEANT TO BE KNOWN! A freak landslide at a remote mine site uncovers a strange machine to a group of paleontology grad students. Wary of corrupt school officials, team leader Barry takes the machine home to study it in secret, reaching only one realistic, and unbelievable, conclusion: it was designed to bridge the time-space continuum. It’s a time machine. Testing delivers disastrous results, sending one team member to the hospital and nearly killing another. When word leaks about the discovery, the ultimate power struggle ensues: the university wants it for funding, the power company wants its energy regenerating abilities kept under wraps, and a rival group wants to steal it for themselves. No one cares if Barry's team comes out alive. Fleeing for their lives, the students must fight the school, the police, and each other if they want to learn the truth about what they've discovered, a truth with more severe consequences than any of them can predict..

Taboo (CSI Reilly Steel, #1 - Preview)


Casey Hill - 2011
    an outstanding forensic debut.' THE BOOKSELLERForensic investigator Reilly Steel, Quantico-trained and California-born and bred, imagined Dublin to be a far cry from bustling San Francisco, a sleepy backwater where she can lay past ghosts to rest and start anew.She's arrived in Ireland to drag the Garda forensics team into the 21st-century plus keep tabs on her Irish-born father who's increasingly seeking solace in the bottle after a past tragedy. But a brutal serial killer soon puts paid to that. A young man and woman are found dead in a hotel room, the gunshot wounds on their naked bodies suggesting a suicide pact. But as Reilly and the team dig deeper, and more bodies are discovered, they soon realise that a twisted murderer is at work, one who seeks to upset society's norms in the most sickening way imaginable…Show more Show less

Shadowline Drift


Alexes Razevich - 2014
    Alternate cover edition for ASIN B00JEP2GBI2015 Reader's Choice Award NomineeAn Amazonian tribe that may or may not exist; a dangerous teenage sorceress; a beautiful anthropologist - and madness - conspire to stop Jake Kendricks from revealing the truth about a mysterious substance that will end world hunger.Perfect for lovers of psychological thrillers in the vein of Lost and Inception.

Cutter's Grove


Patrick Dakin - 2011
    Is it his imagination? He's not sure.A few weeks later, in the nearby town of Cutter's Grove, Lucas is told about the mysterious disappearance of a girl that took place a year earlier. Shown her picture Lucas sees a beautiful child with long, shiny black hair and an angelic smile.She looks nothing like the ruined creature he saw in the desert.But there is absolutely no doubt in his mind ... it's her.Now he's faced with the problem of what to do with this knowledge. If he goes to the authorities and starts expounding about a ghost sighting he'll be locked up for sure, based on irrefutable evidence of insanity. It seems he has little choice - he has to try to determine the girl's fate on his own and, in the process, learn who might have been responsible.

Six John Jordan Mysteries


Michael Lister - 2015
     SIX JOHN JORDAN "BLOOD" MYSTERIES -- in the popular, award-winning, and critically-acclaimed series. "Ex-cop turned Prison Chaplain John Jordan is one of crime fiction's most original heroes, and his creator, Michael Lister is one of the genre's freshest voices" PJ Parish. ”Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity.” Michael Connelly "Eerie and cinematic, classic whodunits with thoroughly modern sensibilities. John Jordan manages to be deeply flawed yet utterly appealing. Lister, with his gift for exploring the nuances of human relationships, creates a vivid and multi-faceted supporting cast, each character finely-wrought, each portrayal unflinching. Suspenseful, complex and original, page-turners with a soul." Lisa Unger "Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. In his unique voice, Lister examines human beings' responses to a fundamentally inhuman situation. Not for the faint of heart, it's Heart of Darkness meets The Shawshank Redemption. Read this book and see what crime fiction is capable of." Julia Spencer-Fleming Michael Koryta says, "If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister." The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" “Michael Lister is a giant talent with a unique vision. His landmark John Jordan Mystery series is a treasure of contemporary literature.” Florida Weekly

The Funhouse of Horrors


Jazan Wild - 2013
    or at least I did until my life became one. My name is Stone and this is my story. Let me take you on a trip back to when I had only one voice in my head, MY OWN!”And with just those few words the doors to the Funhouse Of Horrors opened to the world. Young Jacob, while on a family picnic, stumbles upon an old abandoned house in the woods just a week before Halloween. The wretched dwelling is being prepared to be used as a one-night only Haunted House! A strange worker, known only as Ole Scratch, sees Jacob 'Jake' Stone and gives him a book with two tickets inside that change his life — or what's left of it after the ghosts are done with him! And the ghosts are NEVER done with Jake. As he grows, so does the terror. Deciding that the ghouls and goblins are never going to take a hint, and leave him to rest in peace, Jake Stone decides to become a ghost writer. It would seem that the living impaired have a lot to say. Yet legend has it, that all who read Stone’s tales of woe, begin to see the dead everywhere they go! Enter if you dare... into the Funhouse of Horrors!"CARNIVAL COMICS" and "FUNHOUSE OF HORRORS" are Registered Trademarks.

Darkness, Tell Us


Richard Laymon - 1991
    Six college kids at a party. Then someone suggested they try the Ouija board. The board that Corie had hidden in the back of her closet and sworn never to touch again. Not after what happened last time. Not after Jake's death...They were only playing around, but the Ouija board worked all right. Maybe too well. A spirit who called himself Butler began to send them messages - and make demands. Butler promised them a hidden treasure if only they would follow his directions and head off to a secluded spot in the mountains... a wild, isolated spot where anything could be waiting for them. Treasure or death. Or Butler himself.

Sergei and Hans


Dennis Santaniello - 2015
    Set on the Eastern Front of WWI, on a cruel and unforgiving mountain, and later in a terrifying German prison camp, this fascinating story encapsulates real men and their struggles to survive a war unlike the world has ever seen. Both soldiers have their own stories to tell.They are “SERGEI AND HANS”.

The Forgotten Eden


Aiden James - 2010
     Only one person has ever survived a visit to this place long enough to tell about it. His name is Jack Kenney. Thirteen years old at the time of the event, Jack and his family were forced to flee Carlsdale and head north to the larger city of Tuscaloosa. The menace from their former home left them in peace for nearly eight years. But after the brutal murder of a noted archaeologist and teacher at the University of Alabama, everything changed. Jack and his older brother, Jeremy, attend the University and are close friends of the late professor. Within days of his death, they are abducted by the FBI, held against their will in a secret holding facility near Manassas, Virginia. Frustrated by the brothers' seeming refusal to cooperate, the agency's interrogations become increasingly violent, until Jack gains a welcome reprieve when Special Agent Peter McNamee arrives from the FBI's Richmond office. He befriends Jack and gains his trust, drawing upon a similar supernatural event from his own youth. Willing, finally, to talk after so many years spent in sworn silence, Jack leads Peter on an extraordinary roller-coaster ride involving a mystical and deadly realm located in America's Deep South....

Merrie Axemas: A Killer Holiday Tale


M.R. Sellars - 2010
    R. Sellars, author of the best selling Rowan Gant Investigations series. Merrie Axemas: A Killer Holiday Tale was written specifically to be published as a free ebook, as a gift from M. R. Sellars and his publisher to his fans.

Alex


Adam J. Nicolai - 2011
    A bereaved father. Alone with his loss, Ian Colmes has driven away everyone he loves. But when he begins to see his dead son again, is it because the boy is reaching out from beyond? Or has Ian's anguish finally given way to dementia?With a masterful hand, suspense newcomer Adam J Nicolai paints a picture of grief, madness, and the furious strength of a father's love for his son.

Heaven's Peak


Miguel Estrada - 2018
    However, everything changes when Kevin witnesses his sister being kidnapped by a bizarre creature. The police are skeptical of his story, so he decides to unveil the mysteries surrounding the town on his own.On the other side of the investigation, FBI agent Norman James will do anything to solve the baffling case, except believe a traumatized teenager's nonsense.Meanwhile, newscasts predict a blizzard approaching in the next couple of days, as people in the town begin to behave strangely.Will they be able to find the little girl before Heaven's Peak is consumed by darkness? Heaven's Peak is the first full-length horror-thriller novel from author Miguel Estrada. If you like suspense, mystery and dread, prepare for a ride you won't forget.

THE ROAD TO HELL


Paul Levine - 2011
    Levine's heroes travel dark and dangerous paths as they confront devilish and powerful villains. The journeys are by land, by sea, and in one case, perhaps only in the mind. In "El Valiente en el Infierno," (The Brave One in Hell), a 13-year-old Mexican boy tells his own story as he makes a treacherous midnight crossing into California in search of his father. The boy's courage is tested when he runs into two gun-toting American vigilantes, and the confrontation will change all of them forever. "Development Hell" imagines a pitch session in which a bedraggled Edgar Allan Poe squares off with a slick Hollywood producer who wants to make a cheesy slasher flick out of "The Pit and the Pendulum."Bookgasm praised the story as "going straight to the funny bone." In "A Hell of a Crime," a prosecutor prepares for a homicide trial while being pestered by his domineering mother, a famous lawyer herself. Just what role did she play in the murder? And how is the prosecutor's enigmatic wife involved in the case? Two of the author's best-loved characters, mismatched law partners Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, appear in "Solomon & Lord: To Hell and Back."  Steve says he's going fishing with Manuel Cruz, a sleazy con man. Victoria knows that Cruz is an unlikely fishing buddy. So just what is Steve up to now? Something between mischief and murder.The book also contains an excerpt from "Solomon vs. Lord," the first novel of the bestselling series of legal thrillers. A quick synopsis: Victoria Lord follows all the rules. Steve Solomon makes up his own. When they defend an accused murderer, they'll either end up in ruin, in jail...or in bed. Here's what number one bestselling author Harlan Coben had to say: "Hiaasen meets Grisham in the court of last retort. A sexy, wacky, wonderful thriller with humor and heart."Finally, an excerpt of "Mortal Sin," one of the award-winning Jake Lassiter novels, is also included in the collection. This time, the linebacker-turned-lawyer has a dangerous conflict of interest. He's sleeping with Nicky Florio's wife...and defending the mob-connected millionaire in court.  One false move, and Jake will be gator bait. "Recalling the work of Carl Hiaasen, this thriller races to a smashing climax." - Library Journal. PRAISE FOR THE FICTION OF PAUL LEVINE "Mystery writing at its very, very best." - Larry King, USA TODAY"Irreverent...genuinely clever...great fun." - The New York Times Book  Review"Just the remedy for those who can't get enough Spenser and miss Travis  McGee terribly." - St. Petersburg Times"Genuinely chilling." - Washington Post Book World "Take one part John Grisham, two parts Carl Hiaasen, throw in a dash of John D. MacDonald, and voila!" - Tulsa World"Wildly entertaining blend of raucous humor and high adventure."- St. Louis Post-Dispatch"Cracking good action-mystery...funny, sardonic, and fast-paced." - Detroit Free Press ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Gated Trilogy


Matt Drabble - 2017
    Their lives are complete when Emily falls pregnant, however their dreams are shattered one cold winter night by a car accident that robs them of their happiness.To overcome their loss they up stick and move to Eden Gardens, a US gated community that offers "Heaven on Earth and Twice as Nice". The people are warm and friendly and welcome them with open arms. The town is a beautiful throwback to a bygone age, where the sun always shines and the sky's always blue.As they settle into their new perfect lives, the circle is complete when Emily falls pregnant. The town is perfect, the weather is perfect and their lives are perfect. But are the stares from their neighbours a little too intense, is the town a little too interested in their happy news, and is Eden all that it seems.They are about to find out that paradise comes at a cost, and when you sign a lease, you should always check the fine print. Book 2."GATED II: Ravenhill Academy"It has been 10 years since the events in the small picturesque town of Eden. Lives were forever altered as two newcomers found the courage to peek behind the curtain and bring Tolan Christian's reign to a violent end as the town burned around them.No-one was more affected than Sarah-Jane Mears. The once bubbly ball of good nature is now a shadow of the former woman she used to be. After travelling to try and find a new home she has eventually settled in Northern England. She has taken a teaching position at Ravenhill Academy, an exclusive private school.But now there is a new student who has just transferred. A young American boy who is strangely familiar and oddly charismatic. As the school breaks for the Christmas holidays the harsh winter weather has cut them off from the outside world. Sarah is starting to learn that Ravenhill is an old building seemingly with a life and an energy of its own, one that is slowly stirring.She is going to realise that not all lessons are learnt in the classroom and that some secrets won't stay buried.Book 3."GATED III: Election Day"It was the chance of a lifetime for Avery Grant, the opportunity to run an election campaign for a candidate that seemed like the real deal.Christian Tolanson has risen through the ranks of British politics. A man with a unique ability to inspire those around him to almost cult like levels of devotion. He has lived many lives down through the ages from his humble beginnings as a child preacher. But now his life force is finally starting to fade and time is running out pushing him to desperate levels. A man consumed by his own destiny and ready to burn the world to get what he wants.Avery will discover the path that many have walked before her and never returned from. A realization that anything that seems too good to be true, will likely get you killed.

Work. Rest. Repeat.


Frank Tayell - 2014
    The soil was poisoned. The air became toxic. Billions died. Those who survived took refuge in great towered cities, and began constructing giant colony ships that would enable them to escape the ruined Earth. The work wasn’t completed in their lifetime. The seas rose to swamp the diseased land, and lap against the city walls. Their descendants laboured on, and now the first of the spaceships is nearing completion. But these cities aren’t dictatorships. An election is scheduled to choose a leader for this last exodus of humanity. With twenty-four hours until voting is due to begin, two workers are murdered. It is the first serious crime in generations, and it is down to the young Constable Ely to solve it. The election must take place. The ships must be launched. Above all, production must come first. (54,000 words)