Book picks similar to
Turn Loose the Dragon by George C. Chesbro


mystery
mystery-thriller
unread-c-d
weekend-escapism

Mystery: The Isherwood Case Files


Johnny Scotland - 2015
    Although Charley doesn't like the idea, he has no choice but to put up with it. Isherwood shows the squad what difference observation makes to how a potential crime scene is viewed, when asked to help by a member of the public who is worried for the safety of her sister. Is she right? Is the girl's fiance a monster who has already killed his previous wives? The problem is that he is perceived as a high profile member of society and the Chief warns the detectives to tread carefully. Will Isherwood tread on anyone's ego as he provides insight on this potential murder case? This is the first of the series of Isherwood Case Files in which our detective gets up close and personal with homicide, showing the squad the difference between the American approach and the more reserved British approach. Mystery 2:The Case of the Ghost Writer With Jon Isherwood being asked to help in the Los Angeles Police Department's homicide division, a call is received from a landlord who has found his tenant has been murdered. In this salubrious part of town, the ghost writer has found his demise. Will the clues be sufficient to pin the murder on anyone? Since the ghost writer lived a very private life, investigation takes Isherwood and his team to the home of a rich and famous author. There are many questions unanswered, though with forensics on their side, will they be able to work out the motive that anyone could have had to kill the solitary figure? Using observation, Isherwood and his team work toward finding a conclusion to a story which spells sadness, disappointment and revenge. But whose will the revenge be and will it be easy to crack the case? Readers will need to take the journey with our detectives to find the answers to their questions. Not all is always as it seems. Mystery 3:The Case of the Dead Man with No Identity When a victim is found at the bottom of the laundry chute in a hotel, where will the inquiries begin. There is no identification on the man and nothing to say who he was. Isherwood investigates the case of the dead man with no identity with his usual flare. Should he be looking in other places or are the clues there for him to find? As the story unfolds, is the killer who they think it is? Can a killer actually be charged with murder when the victim is seemingly already dead? One of Isherwood's most irritating cases, the blandness of the whole affair baffles him. Instead of being riddled with detail for him to unfold, this crime comes with no clues, no answers and no real leads. How will the detectives find out who killed Ian Bradshaw? And what stories can the dead body tell the coroner's office about how the death occurred? Readers will discover within the pages of this story. Mystery 4: A Case of Check Mate When a murderer leaves the calling card of a chess piece, Isherwood is left to find out the significance. Does this mean something particular? The preacher who was murdered seems an unlikely victim, though Isherwood is left to do what he can to make sense of the killing. Looking through past history, perhaps there are links that may have been missed, other than for that calling card.

Prior Sins


D.J. Gross - 2011
    Understanding the dark impulses that drive men to maim and kill comes easily to him. When he temporarily swaps teaching positions with a University of Michigan colleague, Hadrian assumes he’ll be on a sabbatical from crime. Then a series of disturbing assaults occur on campus and the Ann Arbor police ask him to consult on the case. Pursuing a link between the perpetrator and ancient mythology leads Hadrian to Sarah Roth. His reaction to her challenges his long held assumption that emotional intimacy is beyond him. She believes she’s a monster University of Michigan Classics Professor Sarah Roth dreams of blood and death. Her mother warned her to never share her dreams or she’d be locked away. Sarah pours her passion into teaching as a relationship is out of reach. When Hadrian approaches her for information, she is shocked by her attraction to him. Hadrian is dangerous to her but the demons inside her like to live dangerously. As Sarah struggles to keep her distance from Hadrian, her dreams become more vivid and violent. The real monster is hunting her Someone on campus is secretly obsessed with Sarah. He is recreating the Labors of Hercules, violent feats of power and strength, to prove worthy of her love. Once he’s completed his quest, Sarah will be his forever. Praise for the Novels of DJ Gross:“I was super glued to my Kindle for two days...The balance between the suspense-filled action and romance is spot on." The Romance Reviews on Stolen Justice "Seriously top-notch." Romance Junkies on Stolen Justice "DJ Gross made it so you just had absolutely no idea what would happen next!" Shameless Romance Reviews on Stolen Justice"For anyone who enjoys Romantic Suspense - this is a must read." The Book Pimp Blogs on Stolen Justice

Casting Call


John Locke - 2014
    Women have written lewd messages on his body with lipstick, and two guys are using him as a human toilet. Against Kaylee’s wishes, Ivy decides to get involved. She soon learns four things: his name is Bobby; he’s not drunk, but been drugged; he drives a great car; and he’s separated from his wife. Ivy cleans him up, drives him home. When he starts feeling better, they flirt. If you guess she winds up in bed with him, you’re right. But that’s the last thing you’ll guess correctly in this million-mile-an-hour twisting tale! PRELIMINARY COMMENTS Casting Call moves at warp speed! Hilarious! Mind-blowing. Impossible to predict. Locke’s latest has more twists and turns than a Rubik’s Cube! I literally flew through this book. Can’t remember ever turning pages this fast!

Neil Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane - For Fans (Trivia-On-Books)


Trivion Books - 2015
     You may have liked the book, but not be a fan. You may call yourself a fan, but few truly are. Are you? Trivia-on-Books is an independent quiz-formatted trivia on the book for readers, students, and fans alike. Whether you're looking for new materials to the book or would like to take the challenge yourself and share it with your friends and family for a time of fun, Trivia-on-Books provides a unique approach that is both insightful and educational! Features You'll Find Inside: • 30 Multiple choice questions on the book, plots, characters and author • Insightful commentary to answer every question • Complementary quiz material for yourself or your reading group • Results provided with scores to determine "status" Promising quality and value, grab your copy of Trivia-on-Books!

The Blue Hallelujah


Andy Straka
    When Rebecca died of cancer in prison—branded as a disturbed vigilante after killing one of his murder suspects—Jerry knew he needed to put the truth in writing to set the record straight.Now, as an old man nearing his own demise, Jerry is unsure whether to share his narrative about Rebecca with the world. But when his eight-year-old granddaughter Marnee disappears, Jerry learns she’s been taken by someone close to the killer depicted in the pages hidden in his dresser drawer.It’s time for Jerry to finish the story—by confronting an evil that threatens Marnee’s life and the lives of everyone around her. And by placing his faith in a higher power to redeem the love for Rebecca in his heart.

Rising From the Ashes


Katy Pierce
    Allie Grecco will make them pay.Allie Grecco is living a double life. Thoughtful friend, office drone, and girly college student by day, she becomes a deadly hunter by night, lurking New York City’s seediest alleys to eliminate scumbag predators the cops can’t—or won’t—catch.Since her discharge from the military, it’s the only thing that keeps the nightmares at bay. But everything changes when Allie realizes she’s not the only hunter out there.When one of her sting operations is interrupted by another ex-military operator, Allie learns a secret about her day job at Soldiers for Hire, and is soon put to the ultimate test... a case that could alter the course of her life forever.A civil rights lawyer is missing, and the cops have declared her dead. It smells like a cover-up. Allie Grecco won’t have it. Not on her watch.Rising From the Ashes is book one of Katy Pierce’s Allie Grecco series, perfect for fans of L.T. Ryan. A thrilling roller-coaster ride of one soldier’s journey to face her demons—vigilante-style.

Die Laughing 2: Five More Comic Crime Novels


Ben Rehder - 2014
    He's working a routine case, complete with hours of tedious surveillance, when he sees something that shakes him to the core. There, with the subject, is a little blond girl wearing a pink top and denim shorts—the same outfit worn by Tracy Turner, a six-year-old abducted the day before. When the police are skeptical of Ballard's report—and with his history, who can blame them?—it's the beginning of the most important case of his life.LAST CHANCE LASSITERPaul LevineIn this prequel to the “Jake Lassiter” series, the linebacker-turned-lawyer faces overwhelming odds. Fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, Lassiter rents a grungy law office in a Miami Beach parking garage. What else could go wrong? Well, he could be disbarred for punching out his own client. As for cases, the down-and-out lawyer has only one. Lassiter represents Cadillac Johnson, an aging rhythm and blues musician who claims his greatest song was stolen by a top-of-the-charts hip-hop artist. The evidence is long gone and chances of winning are slim. Except for one thing. “If your cause is just,” Lassiter says, “no case is impossible.”CLIENTParnell HallStanley Hastings couldn't be happier. He had his first paying client, and the assignment was straight out of a forties noir movie, tailing the man's cheating wife and snapping pictures of her at a motel. If only he hadn't fallen asleep on stakeout. When he wakes up the woman is dead, the murder weapon is in his car, and a small town police force straight out of In the Heat of the Night has him cast in the Sidney Poitier role. To clear his name—and get paid—Stanley will have to figure out who his client is, who killed the woman in the upstate motel, and who was the resultant corpse!RADIO ACTIVITYBill FitzhughFM rock deejay Rick Shannon has just been fired from his latest Classic Rock station. He’s thinking it’s time to get out of radio once and for all. But when a famous deejay disappears in Mississippi, Rick gets a job offer to take over the slot. So he packs his bags and moves back to his home state where he comes across a tape of an illegally recorded phone conversation that might explain the fate of the missing deejay. Rick starts looking into the matter, and before you can say “Stairway to Heaven” he’s uncovered a scheme of blackmail, arson, murder, and a major FCC violation. Based on an illegal recording made by the author (and former FM rock deejay), Radio Activity redefines classic rock.CALABAMA Steve BrewerWhen a speeding Corvette flies over his head, leaving him without a scratch, Eric Newlin decides it's an omen and his life is about to change. He's right. Within days, he's broke, homeless, unemployed and getting divorced. He falls so far that he ends up involved in a kidnapping scheme with hillbilly crimelord Rydell Vance. Leavened with dark humor, CALABAMA takes a wry look at California's rural, redneck interior, a bitter, precarious place where it's easy for an outsider's life to spiral out of control.

Murder Above the Silver Waves


Blythe Baker - 2021
    

Precious Things: Some things are worth killing for.


Marie Reyes - 2021
    

The River Seine Killings (DI Ruth Hunter #10)


Simon McCleave - 2021
    

Murder In Miami: A Forest Pines Mystery


Duncan Whitehead - 2017
    The FBI claim they need her expertise; but is she just the bait? Meanwhile, as the killings continue, Jenny finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving the board members of a run down condo building in Fort Lauderdale.

Lycaon's Fire


Jeff Schanz - 2021
    People go missing, presumed dead, suspected eaten alive. Though the myth is considered silly superstition to most residents, someone or something is killing to protect the truth.A mild-mannered drifter named Merrick, a haunted man with his own brutal, deadly secret, passes through the town, accidentally setting in motion a chain of events that will bring the town’s bizarre mysteries to light. When a fearless and feisty young waitress named Kat offers her help, she and Merrick fall into the murderous crosshairs of entities who eliminate anyone that threatens their agenda.On a forested mountain, far from anyone who can hear them scream, Merrick, Kat, and their allies are hunted in an unholy ritual, where the game is survival and the prize is life. But not all who are hunted are easy prey. Something else that no one counted on, something powerful and savage that can kill with the swipe of its clawed hand, also stalks the mountain.In the light of the sacrificial fire, the bloodthirsty hunters will face an unfathomable killing machine in a showdown that pits monster against monstrosity.-- Book 1 of "Merrick, The Drifter" series --

The Hands of Time Series


Irina Shapiro - 2014
    The Hands of Time: When a young American woman vanishes without a trace from a quaint fishing village on the coast of England only one person knows the truth, but he remains silent, safe in the knowledge that she will never be found. Meanwhile, Valerie Crane finds herself transported to the year 1605. Terrified and confused, she turns for help to the Whitfield brothers, who take her in and offer her a home. Both Alexander and Finlay Whitfield fall in love with the mysterious woman who shows up on their doorstep, creating a love triangle that threatens to consume them all. Valerie must make her choice, deciding between the brother who will lead her down the path of destruction and one who will give her the love she couldn’t find in her own time. A Leap of Faith: Alone and bereft, Valerie’s sister, Louisa, makes the fateful decision to follow her sister into the seventeenth century. But, the best laid plans often go awry, and she finds herself on the wrong continent, and in the wrong year. Louisa must cross the Atlantic to get to Virginia, hoping that Valerie is still there in 1620, and face the uncertainty of her situation as she makes the dangerous journey to the New World. Will the two sisters reunite, or will they pass like ships in the night, never knowing how close they came to finding each other? A World Apart: Reunited with her sister at last, Louisa settles in colonial Virginia, but an unexpected visitor throws life into turmoil once again by offering Valerie and Louisa an opportunity to return to the future. Before the sisters have a chance to make a decision, the unthinkable happens; ripping the family apart, and scattering them over continents and time itself. No one is spared as child is torn from parents, sister is parted from sister, and a devastating famine threatens the colony. The Whitfields and Sheridans must fight for survival and face challenges they never imagined as they are cast a world apart. A Game of Shadows: It’s 1624, and the Whitfields finally arrive in England, eager to spend time with Louisa and Kit, but their visit is not the happy reunion they’d hoped for. In the meantime in 1777, Abbie and Finn go behind enemy lines to spy for the Revolution, putting themselves in grave danger. The slightest mistake can mean the difference between life and death, and tear them apart forever. Even Finn’s knowledge of what’s to come is not enough to keep them safe from their own carelessness. Unexpected revelations, long-buried secrets, and unforeseen reunions threaten to destroy everything the Whitfields and Sheridans hold dear, throwing their lives into turmoil once again. Shattered Moments: Murder, blackmail, long buried secrets, and a tender new romance take center stage in Shattered Moments, the final installment of The Hands of Time Series as the Whitfields and Sheridans face their toughest challenges yet.

Blast


David Hodges - 2017
    But her dreams are cruelly shattered by a bomb blast that leaves her badly scarred. Suddenly her career’s in ruins and her long-term boyfriend is gone. Plagued by the paparazzi, she flees to Cornwall where she meets and falls in love with her handsome neighbour, blind crime novelist, Alan Murray. As a new life starts to fall into place, her former boss threatens to tell Alan about her past indiscretions unless Lynn agrees to become one of his porn stars. She refuses and is miraculously saved from exposure when her boss ends up taking a dive off a cliff. Relief doesn’t last long though as a series of unsettling incidents, leads Lynn to suspect that her novelist lover may not be all he claims to be … David Hodges’ latest crime thriller, Blast, again delivers the gritty realism that only an experienced ex-copper can provide. Praise for David Hodges… 'Extremely well-written and passionately described crime-scenes' - Mid Somerset Series 'Hodges uses the experience of 30-plus years in the job as an anvil of solid fact to beat out pacey tales of "canteen culture" cops' - Cheddar About the author: David Hodges is a former superintendent with Thames Valley Police, and is a prolific writer and the author of eight other crime novels, plus an autobiography on his life in the police service. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth, on the edge of the Somerset Levels where he can fully indulge his passion for thriller writing. He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, The Crime Readers’ Association, The Society of Authors and International Thriller Writers Inc.

Fatal Oath: A Sue Whitney Medical Thriller


Russell Bessette - 2020
    But Susan's promising career may be over before it begins as she struggles to maintain her ethics while working for a medical group with questionable practices. When she's targeted by a crooked congressman with false claims, Susan finds herself facing charges of manslaughter. Threatened by menacing opponents who would silence her forever, Susan must expose greedy criminals and clear her name before she loses her life.A chilling novel with frightening twists and turns, Fatal Oath is a thriller with a strong, smart female protagonist and a pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat narrative involving a medical conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of power.