Book picks similar to
Ant Farm by James M. Jackson


mystery
fiction
mystery-suspense
1st-in-series

Depraved Difference


J. Robert Kennedy - 2011
    A cell phone video of her vicious murder, callously released on the Internet, its popularity a testament to today's depraved society, serves as a trigger, pulled a year later, for a killer.Emailed a video documenting the final moments of a woman's life, entertainment reporter Aynslee Kai, rather than ask why the killer chose her to tell the story, decides to capitalize on the opportunity to further her career. Assigned to the case is Hayden Eldridge, a detective left to learn the ropes by a disgraced partner, and as videos continue to follow victims, he discovers they were all witnesses to the vicious subway murder a year earlier, proving sometimes just watching is fatal.From the author of The Protocol comes Depraved Difference, a fast-paced murder suspense novel with enough laughs, heartbreak, terror and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, then knock you flat on the floor with an ending so shocking, you'll read it again just to pick up the clues.

Cowabunga Christmas


Anna Celeste Burke - 2015
    Surf’s up at the exclusive resort they’ve chosen as their honeymoon destination. The Sanctuary Resort and Spa at Corsario Cove has everything: a spectacular location with scenic views of the Pacific Ocean, luxurious accommodations, 5-star cuisine, spa services, and a staff that aims to anticipate and meet your every need. A romantic midnight swim in the Club Level terrace pool changes everything when an unexpected guest drops in wearing a Santa Suit with a couple bullet holes in it! Who killed Santa? Kim and Brien are soon swept up in murder and mayhem trying to unravel the mystery.

The Ambassador's Wife


Jake Needham - 2008
    So, Inspector Samuel Tay of Singapore CID asks himself, why is it no one wants him to find their killer?The first body is in Singapore, on a bed in an empty suite at the Marriott Hotel. The second is in Bangkok, at a seedy apartment near the American embassy. Both American women, both viciously beaten and lewdly displayed. The FBI says it’s terrorism, but the whispers on the street tell a different story. They say a serial killer is stalking American women across Asia.Inspector Samuel Tay is a little cranky, a little lonely, a little overweight, and he smokes way too much. A lot of people think he's a lousy policeman, but he's the best detective the Singapore cops have ever had. It makes the bosses nervous as hell to put this case in Tay's hands, but with something this tricky on their plate they know they have no choice.Still, there's a big problem. Before Tay can even get the investigation started, everybody wants a piece of it. The FBI demands to take over the case, the American Diplomatic Security Service insists on being in charge, Bangkok's Special Branch won't allow itself to be ignored, Singapore's Internal Security Department is going to have a major say, and even the American Ambassador sticks his nose right into the middle of everything.That's a lot of people walking all over Tay's murder case. But here's the thing. He realizes that none of them, not a single one, really want him to find the killer.

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.

The Darkest Lies


Solomon Carter - 2018
    SOME SECRETS CAN’T BE HIDDEN WITHOUT DEADLY CONSEQUENCES… AND HOGARTH HAS A SECRET ALL OF HIS OWN… DI Joe Hogarth and his team are called to a murder at a seaside nightclub. A big man with a reputation for extortion has been stabbed to death, but no one saw the killer strike. A young man disappeared from the scene moments before the murder. The young man has no clear motive but Hogarth can’t let go of his suspicions. He decides to track down the missing youth… And soon discovers the motive for the murder is far older, and far darker than he could have imagined.One man goes missing and a ghost from the past reappears as the darkest lies of two generations are ruthlessly exposed. One cop takes justice into her own hands. And yet another may pay the ultimate price.AS HOGARTH AND THE TEAM PEEL BACK THE LAYERS OF CRIME, THE BODYCOUNT STARTS TO RISE…DI Hogarth’s reputation hangs in the balance. And one cop’s life hangs by a thread.Secret Affairs. Lies and Betrayal. Murder.And Hogarth’s personal life is heading for a crisis. In a truly thrilling conclusion, DI Hogarth and his team race against time to stop a killer who watches their every move. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ruth Rendell, Helen Durrant, Joy Ellis and LJ Ross. If you love to read gripping detective thrillers with flawed characters and police procedurals with shocking twists and a noir flavour, then the DI Hogarth Darkest series is for you.Readers have described the Darkest series as pefect for fans of British crime thrillers, Female detective novels, British crime mysteries, Police Procedurals, Heist thrillers and Noir Thrillers.The Darkest Lies is a crime novel you won’t want to put down. The Setting: Southend-on-sea, Just over an hour from London. A tough and densely packed suburban town sandwiched between the sparkling Thames Estuary and a semi-rural hinterland of fields and marshes. A place where wealth and glamour sit cheek-by-jowl with addiction, poverty and crime. When he transferred to the Essex coast, ex-Met Detective Joe Hogarth might have imagined he was signing up for sun, sea and semi-retirement. But the merry hell of Southend might just have him beat. It’s a good thing this DI doesn’t know when to quit… THE DI HOGARTH DARKEST SERIES THE DARKEST LIESTHE DARKEST GRAVETHE DARKEST DEEDTHE DARKEST TRUTH ALSO BY SOLOMON CARTER LONG TIME DYING series featuring private investigators Eva Roberts and Dan BradleyTHE LAST LINELUCK AND JUDGMENTLONDON CALLINGTHE FINAL TRICK For more information visit SolomonCarter.net

Girl in Trouble


Stacy Claflin - 2017
     Alex Mercer is no stranger to kidnappings. The emotional scars still run deep from his sister’s disappearance years earlier. His daughter Ariana remains safe long after her adoption, and he cherishes the few times a year he gets to see her. The joy is palpable when he takes her on their first one-on-one outing. At least until he pauses to answer a text and Ariana disappears… Wracked with guilt and determined to find answers, Alex teams up with an unlikely ally at the police department. As the clues reveal a pattern of missing girls, the kidnapping case becomes a race against time to save Ariana. What cost is Alex willing to pay to keep his daughter alive? Girl in Trouble is the first book in a series of thrilling stand-alone novels spun off from the USA Today bestselling Gone Trilogy. If you like heart-pounding suspense, page-turning action, and characters you’ll never forget, then you’ll love Stacy Claflin’s engrossing new series.

Russian Roulette


Mike Faricy - 2011
    OR SO DANGEROUS... PI Dev Haskell wakes up one morning in dire need of an asprin, a cup of coffee, and an hour in the sauna. It seems he's just spent a wild night with his beautiful bombshell of a client, Kerri, and she's left him a note. A smart and sly man who fancies himself just a little more savvy and debonair than reality confirms, Dev thinks he's got it made. But he has absolutely no idea what he's getting into when he agrees to track down Kerri's sister Nikki. Turns out both women are involved in an elaborate human trafficking ring with Braco the Whacko, a notorious Russian mobster, at the helm. Soon Dev finds himself at odds with local police, Homeland Security, and an FBI task force, as well as in and out of the hospital thanks to a gunshot wound and a bit of shrapnel in the rear, not to mention on the run from a neurotic underworld boss and a psychotic killer: it must be love... In a bizarre but compelling mixture of crime and offbeat comedy, Dev proceeds to messily balance both sides of the law in a wacky tale that will keep you on your toes while laughing out loud.

Chasing Shadows (Drew Patrick)


Jason Richards - 2018
     When Tina Ross and her friends witness a brutal murder they make a pact to keep what they saw to themselves. The teens think silence equals safety. But the killers have another idea. Concerned mother Bonnie Ross hires private investigator Drew Patrick to find out where her daughter is sneaking off to at night. What appears to be a simple case of a rebellious teen leads to some of Boston's darkest corners. Drew quickly finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation and needing to protect Tina. But when she and her friends go missing, it is a race against the clock to save them from murderous thugs. Chasing Shadows is a prequel novella to the Private Detective Drew Patrick series of suspenseful crime thriller novels. Includes a preview of Shattered, the first novel in the series. Read Chasing Shadows today and begin the pulse-pounding adventure. If you enjoy books by Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, and James Patterson, then you will enjoy this new detective crime thriller series by Jason Richards.

Falling Fast


Neil Broadfoot - 2014
    But Doug is already working on a story of his own – tracking down a notorious rapist who has just been outed in Fife and thought to be heading for his parents’ home in East Lothian. Tapping his contact and sometime drinking pal DS Susie Drummond, Doug discovers that the woman who fell from the Scott Monument was the daughter of a high-profile MSP. Digging deeper, he and Susie are dragged into a story darker than they could ever have imagined – one that certain people would go to any lengths to keep hidden.

Dangerous Behavior


Walter Marks - 2002
    And it is up to Dr. David Rothberg, the new prison psychiatrist, to determine whether Janko should be released. As David finds himself drawn into the psychological quicksand of a disturbed inmate, his manipulative girlfriend, and a brutal guard, David needs to confront his own demons as he decides if Janko deserves a second chance. This high-voltage thriller will keep you at the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last page.

The Greeks of Beaubien Street


Suzanne Jenkins - 2012
    The Princess of Greektown continues the story.Nestled below the skyline of Detroit you'll find Greektown, a few short blocks of colorful bliss, warm people and Greek food. In spite of growing up immersed in the safety of her family and their rich culture, Jill Zannos doesn't fit in. A Detroit homicide detective, she manages to keep one foot planted firmly in the traditions started by her grandparents, while the other navigates the most devastated neighborhoods in the city she can't help but love. She is a no nonsense workaholic with no girlfriends, an odd boyfriend who refuses to grow up, and an uncanny intuition, inherited from her mystic grandmother that acts as her secret weapon to crime solving success. Her story winds around tales of her family and their secret laden history, while she investigates the most despicable murder of her career. The Greeks of Beaubien Street is a modern tale of a family grounded in old world, sometimes archaic, tradition as they seek acceptance in American society. They could be any nationality, but they are Greek.

Death's Door: A Palm Court Detectives thriller


David Reichart - 2015
    But he’s not a regular guy. He’s an elite warrior, battle tested to the max in Iraq and Afghanistan, first in Marine Special Ops and later as a Navy SEAL. When he finally decides to walk away from the military, Yates isn’t planning on making further use of his extreme training and lethal skills. But somebody else is. Palm Court Detectives, a skyrocketing new agency run by a laicized Jesuit priest in a refashioned vintage motel, needs a guy exactly like Yates to add clout to its roster. His first assignment for the detective agency based in Mobile, Alabama, takes Yates under cover at a trucking company that has been targeted by hijackers. Jesse’s civilian naiveté allows him to be drawn quickly into a turf war between hijackers who he likes, outlaw bikers who like him (or what he can do for them), and a drug cartel renegade who has a severe Jesse Yates problem and a chilling plot in the works. Joining the eclectic, fun-loving team at Palm Court Detectives as a private investigator in training turns out to be everything Yates had hoped for and more—more excitement, more camaraderie, and more chances to die.

No Game For a Dame


M. Ruth Myers - 2011
     Moving through streets where people line up at soup kitchens, Maggie draws information from sources others overlook: The waitress at the dime store lunch counter where she has breakfast; a ragged newsboy; the other career girls at her rooming house. Her digging gets her chloroformed and left in a ditch behind the wheel of her DeSoto. She makes her way to an upscale bordello and gets tea – and information – from the madam herself. A gunman puts a bullet through Maggie’s hat. Her shutterbug pal on the evening paper warns her off. A new cop whose presence unsettles her thinks she’s crooked. Before she finds all the answers she needs, she faces a half-crazed man with a gun, and a far more lethal point-blank killer. If you like Robert B. Parker's hard boiled Spencer series and strong women sleuths, don't miss this one-of-a-kind Ohio detective from a time in United States history when dames wore hats -- but seldom a Smith & Wesson.

Shaking the Tree (The Man with Three Names)


Michael Donohue - 2011
    Out of prison, but still on parole, the only thing he wants is to keep his head down, go to work and maybe grab a cold beer at the end of his shift. He doesn't even care that the program stuck him in Essex - a nice, but nowhere small town. With his head already full of bloody and painful memories, he'd like it just fine if his past and future stayed nice and quiet.Too bad the present just got really messy.A body in a tree. A missing briefcase. A Russian hit man. A DEA agent bent on revenge. A corrupt mayor. Not to mention a sheriff with dangerous ambition. A meth lab in the woods. And some pissed off bikers. Things are suddenly very interesting in sleepy Essex county. Bodies are turning up. Secrets are coming out. Questions are being asked. Fingers are being pointed. It's not good being the new guy in a small town.

Drone


Miles A. Maxwell - 2016
    A Presidential election. A Constitutional crisis. And a terrorist who may get away scott-free. It could happen again. Perpetrated by anyone, anywhere . . . at a financial cost of next to nothing! A short story -- the secret behind President Christopher Wall's rise to power two years before Loss Of Reason.