Book picks similar to
Blood Relics by J. Robert Kennedy
fiction
thriller
u_anthropologist-archaeologist-etc
z_captive-kidnapp-slave-hostage-etc
Deadly Straits
R.E. McDermott - 2011
Griffin, R.E. McDermott delivers a thriller to rival the masters.When marine engineer and very part-time spook Tom Dugan becomes collateral damage in the War on Terror, he's not about to take it lying down.Falsely implicated in a hijacking, he's offered a chance to clear himself by helping the CIA snare their real prey, Dugan's best friend, London ship owner Alex Kairouz. Reluctantly, Dugan agrees to go undercover in Alex's company, despite doubts about his friend's guilt. Once undercover, Dugan's steadfast refusal to accept Alex's guilt puts him at odds not only with his CIA superiors, but also with a beautiful British agent with whom he's romantically involved.When a tanker is found adrift near Singapore with a dead crew, and another explodes in Panama as Alex lies near death after a suspicious suicide attempt, Dugan is framed for the attacks. Out of options, and convinced the attacks are prelude to an even more devastating assault, Dugan eludes capture to follow his last lead to Russia, only to be shanghaied as an 'advisor' to a Russian Spetsnaz unit on a suicide mission.Deadly Straits is a non-stop thrill ride, from London streets, to the dry docks of Singapore, to the decks of the tankers that slake the world's thirst for oil, with stops along the way in Panama, Langley, Virginia, and Teheran. Richly spiced with detail from the author's 30 years sailing, building, and repairing ships worldwide, it is, in the words of one reviewer, "fast-paced, multilayered and gripping."
SuperCell
Douglas Dorow - 2016
The new members of the HRT team; Agents Fruen and Stevens along with his K-9 partner, are tested as they pursue two escaped inmates.
Night of the Bonfire
Kevin Scott Olson - 2015
From the peaceful seaside town of Laguna Beach, the trail leads him across the globe, and into a world beyond anything he imagined. Amidst violent twists and turns, Quinn's journey takes him from the crowded streets of Rome to a quiet cove off the Mexican coast. Along the way he crosses paths with an oligarch obsessed with vengeance...with a woman of unforgettable beauty...and with a man on the verge of adding the crowning touch to his criminal empire. Interwoven with memorable characters, Night of the Bonfire is a riveting novel that takes the reader to an exceptional level of intrigue.
Dark Water
Evan Graver - 2018
He’s settled down to work for his father’s construction firm in Wilmington, N.C. But it’s not so easy. When the grandfather of his former lieutenant, Greg Olsen, shows up at his work site, Ryan is pulled back in. His practical knowledge of sailing and skills as a former Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician make him the ideal candidate to track down the pirates. His first step is to consult with insurance investigator Emily Hunt. Ryan learns the pirates have sunken some of the sailboats off the Florida Keys. He and Emily don their scuba gear to investigate the wrecks. Their discoveries point them toward a smuggling ring and lead them to several people who have lived to tell their tales of being attacked by the pirates. Mango and Jennifer Hulsey survived because Mango was no stranger to war. He joins forces with Ryan to sail Ryan’s own boat into harm’s way, to bait the pirates into attacking them. On the journey from North Carolina to Mexico, Jennifer plays matchmaker with Ryan and Emily. Their romantic weekend in the Florida Keys is interrupted by hitmen. Undeterred, Ryan and Mango sail for Mexico to lure out the pirates. Can they survive the deadly forces arrayed against them to stop a madman bent on war with the United States? From the Book: The boat rocked again. His eyes snapped back open. He held his breath and listened intently. He heard silence and the ringing of his tinnitus. Very slowly, he slipped from the bed and stood. He kept his weight centered in the hull, so he wouldn’t give away his movements by causing the boat to rock as the person above had just done. Outside, he could hear someone moving. Eventually, they would come through the cabin door. Ryan moved to the navigation table and gently lifted its top. He grabbed the Walther pistol and eased the table top back down. He took three quick steps to the kitchen and tucked himself behind the cabin wall, so he was out of the line of sight for whomever entered the cabin. A man dropped down the ladder holding a pump-action shotgun. He moved down the narrow passageway, placing himself between Ryan and Emily. Ryan feared his bullet would go through the man and hit Emily. A shot in the wrong place could also sink his boat. He looked down at the filet knife he’d left by the sink after washing dishes last night. He slipped his gun into the waist band of his shorts and picked up the knife. Metal scraped on metal as he lifted the blade from the stainless-steel sink basin. The sound drew the man’s attention. He spun, leveling the muzzle of the scattergun. Reviews: Dark Water is Graver's debut novel. It kicks off with a bang and he keeps it moving in this taut, fast-paced, action thriller. He writes with authority and passion. The settings are vivid and well researched. He writes in the same vein as Mark Greaney's Grey Man series, Wayne Stinnett's Jessie McDermitt Caribbean Adventure Series, and Mark Dawson's John Milton. ⸻ Third Reef Publishing
Capriati's Blood
Lawrence De Maria - 2013
The man, she says, doesn’t know about his child but may hold the key to saving her life. Rhode, whose private investigation business withered when his reserve unit was called up, takes the case, although it seems hopeless. If the F.B.I. can’t find the father, how can he? That turns out to be the least of Rhode’s problems, as he almost immediately becomes the target of a deranged mobster. He only survives because a mysterious guardian angel – with an automatic pistol – is watching his back. It soon becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. Bodies pile up as Rhode’s search takes him from a college campus to a nursing home to a Florida orange grove. And, finally, to a revelation he never sees coming.
The Sword of Moses
Dominic Selwood - 2013
Taking centre stage, she faces the ultimate battle against an age-old evil she must stop at all costs. For readers of Dan Brown and Kate Mosse, comes THE SWORD OF MOSES, an extraordinary and gripping adventure.
A Shot in the Bark: A Dog Park Mystery
C.A. Newsome - 2011
Neither do her friends at the Mount Airy Dog Park. When the apparent suicide of Lia's deadbeat boyfriend draws the attention of Detective Peter Dourson, he decides to adopt the dead man's dog to infiltrate the tight group he's certain conceals Luthor Morrissey's killer. As his investigation uncovers secrets, a grieving Lia fights her growing attraction to the laid-back detective. Meanwhile, Luthor's killer lurks, desperate to stay ahead of the investigation--no matter who has to die... If you like believable characters, a multi-layered plot, and a compelling sense of humor with your intrigue, pick up this can't-put-down whodunit for a romp through the dog park with Lia and the gang. This extended edition includes new and expanded scenes. (69,000 words)
Simon Said
Sarah R. Shaber - 1997
Martin's Press Best First Traditional Mystery Award Forensic historian Simon Shaw likes his murders old and cold, and his first case fits the bill. An archeologist friend has found a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull under historic Bloodworth House, and Simon investigates with his usual doggedness until he discovers that the corpse is Anne Bloodworth, an heiress who disappeared in 1926. Shaw feels compelled to find out who killed her. But this turns out to be more than an academic exercise when someone who wants to hide past secrets tries to murder him!"Shaber charms us with her personable prof and her warm, vibrant portrait of small-town Southern life." --"New York Times Book Review"
Destiny
Tom Lowe - 2015
He's asked to analyze a cache of papers found locked in an old trunk. They were the last manuscripts written by Isaac Newton. Using Newton's math and notes, Marcus begins to see a pattern leading to a prophecy so frightening that to reveal it will change world events. At the time of his death. Newton was searching for ancient biblical codes that may open a locked window into future events. Newton helped explain gravity --- but could he do the same for human destiny?
Follow the Money
Fingers Murphy - 2011
GET READY TO LOSE SOME SLEEP!"ALWAYS ASSUME PEOPLE ARE LYING, BUT NEVER ASSUME YOU KNOW WHY."Oliver Olson went to law school to help people.But when one of the world’s most prominent law firms offers him a high paying summer job, he thinks he’d be crazy not to take it. He soon finds himself enthralled by a world of wealth, privilege, and power. Blinded by his gilded new world, Ollie is slow to see that something is not right with the case he is assigned to work on - a case with no chance of winning, given to a "summer associate" merely to keep him busy. Are people following him? Is he imagining things? Are they listening to his conversations? Why are people coming out of the woodwork with a sudden interest in a twelve year old murder case? And is it really possible that the wrong man went to prison?Ollie wants to succeed, but when he sacrifices his own moral standards for a shot at the big time, he winds up staring down the barrel of a gun.When you’ve sold out and can no longer follow your heart, you can only FOLLOW THE MONEY.This novel is 75,000 fast-paced words.About the Author: Fingers Murphy is the pen name of a well known international criminal defense attorney.
Breaking News
J.D. Rader - 2009
Nothing is as it appears and soon Bill uncovers dark secrets that someone would kill to protect. As the news story unfolds Bill Ramey and Senator Smith are swept into the funnel of a media tornado that neither of them can control. Though Bill tries to hang on to his integrity, he becomes one of the players in a dangerous game of media manipulation.
Clawback
Mike Cooper - 2012
After a stint in the Middle East, black ops vet Silas Cade becomes an "accountant"-the go-to for financiers who need things done quickly, quietly, and by any means necessary. Silas is hired by a major player to pay a visit to a hedge fund manager to demand clawback: the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that goes bad. But before Cade can tell his client that he got his ten million back, the guy turns up dead. And he's not the first. Someone's killing investment bankers whose funds have gone south. Silas's scrubbed identity, and his insider's perspective, makes him the ideal shadow man to track down whoever's murdering some of the most hated managers on Wall Street. With the aid of a beautiful financial blogger looking to break her first big story, Silas tracks a violent security crew who may be the key to the executions. But as paranoia and panic spread, he begins to wonder: is the threat coming from inside the game-or out? With breakneck pacing, nonstop action, and cutting edge details of today's financial intelligence technology, Clawback hurtles to its final twist, a gripping contemporary tale of shady finance, venal corruption, and greed run rampant.
The Pharos Objective
David Sakmyster - 2010
Until today. Until the Morpheus Initiative - a team of psychic arcaeologists- use their abilities to solve the mysteries of the Pharos and bypass its deadly defenses. But as they close in on the chamber, they are suddenly thrust into an ancient conflict between the keepers of the Pharos's astonishing secret and evil forces bent on its destruction.
Against The Odds
Mara Jacobs - 2012
And I'm good. Very good.But, I also have a little bit of a problem with placing bets on a sporting events. Not so good.Sometimes my little problem becomes a whole lot of trouble and I need to resort to some, shall we say, less than stellar actions to get out of debt. So, I become my alter ego, JoJo, and fix college basketball games. Hey, a victimless crime, no one's the wiser, and it's better than the alternative, which is a drive into the desert with my loan shark and a shovel in the trunk. Although, it has to be said, my loan shark is pretty good looking.I love Vegas, and I love the life I've built, but when one of my friends is murdered, and another one shot at, I know I need to take a serious look at myself. And I need to call in the big guns. Even if that means teaming up with detective Jack Schiller, a man who's dealing with his own problems. But dang, he sure is sexy.I'm just trying to juggle protecting my friends, helping sexy detective Jack while not letting him get to close, and finding a murderer. And, oh yeah, no one can learn about JoJo.Because if they do, there's no way I'll be able to bluff my way out.
Tyranny
William W. Johnstone - 2015
Brannock is proud to be a rancher, a West Texan, and a American. The land he owns has been in his family for generations. But when the IRS claims he owes a fortune in back taxes—and some stiffs from the Bureau of Land Management tell him his family’s deed is invalid—G.W. refuses to stand down. This land is his land, and there’s only one way the government can take it: over his dead body…The battle lines are drawn. The feds hit G.W. with everything they’ve got, from legal threats to sabotage to hired thugs. All G.W.’s got is his grandson Kyle and fiesty lawyer Miranda Stephens. But when his story makes the national news, a veritable army of ordinary citizens rises up and rushes to West Texas. To join the cause. To fight against tyranny. To live free or die…The battle lines are drawn. The next civil war is about to begin.