Book picks similar to
Amelia's Story by C.P. Murphy
historical-fiction
fiction
historical
mystery
The Hundred Year Wait
Amelia Price - 2014
Can she persuade the most intelligent person in the world to trust her? And if she does, can she survive the danger that surrounds them?
Dukes, Drinks, and Murder
Jennifer Monroe - 2021
Although unsure as to why a lowly spinster such as she would be invited anywhere by a duke, Victoria's trusted assistant, James Kensington, assures her it must concern her late father’s accounting firm, which she secretly runs.Unfortunately for them both, James is dead wrong.On the first night of her stay, events take a murderous turn when Victoria discovers her host dead from apparent poisoning. Worse still, the other guests believe Victoria may have played a part in the duke's untimely death.With a killer on the loose and her name on the line, Victoria sets out to solve the mystery of His Grace's murder. But discovering "whodunit" might prove more difficult than she first believed; it seems everyone at Stanting Estate has a motive to want the duke dead.Knowing that she cannot complete this task alone, Victoria turns to James for help. As the two work closely together, new feelings begin to emerge, yet Victoria attempts to suppress them. After all, it would not do to fall in love with an employee. For each clue she unravels, however, Victoria finds herself not only closer to unmasking the murderer, but closer to James, as well. Can she solve the murder before she loses both her reputation and her heart?A cozy, romantic Regency murder mystery that will keep you guessing til the end.
Spit of a Minute
Linda Dickson - 2013
Her aging parents have already slipped into a great depression of their own. Her brothers named her 'Queenie' and it stuck. Queenie steps from the barn to welcome a man from a neighboring farm. A frustrated man drunk on corn liquor and rage.Three children, an alcoholic husband and a monkey later, she's living in the city and struggling to keep a clean house and beans on the stove when the "Eye-talian" pilot from New York City asks her opinion on fryer hens in the grocery. He's smooth. He takes her to places with white table cloths.World War II deploys the pilot to Europe and Queenie to the Big Apple. Survival on the streets of NYC for Queenie and her baby girl, Abba Gee, is a war story of another kind. Queenie makes decisions without options. Her's is a story of what can happen to any of us if we are not paying attention."Told from a Southern point of view, funny, sad, and partially true. Queenie is the grandmother I did not know. A lifetime of rumors and over heard gossip painted this character. Others speak of grandmothers who smelled of talcum powder and passed on receipes while Queenie's legacy echos stories of grit and how life can change in the Spit of a Minute.""Dickson's language is palpably evocative of the period--you could vividly imagine the scenes in sepia, peopled by those long-ago characters that now only exist as memory.""Dickson writes with a relaxed, leisurely cadence with confidence in her own literary powers. She effectively simulates the feel and mood of the South, as well as the hustle and bustle of the city--something about the writing, not the plot, that reminds me so much of Harper Lee's classic `To Kill a Mockingbird.'"Dickson's compelling narrative subtly shifts in tone and texture according to the changes in time, and this is one of the qualities in her writing that makes me hope she actually writes more, and soon."
Piercehaven: Welcome to the Island
Robin Merrill - 2017
A dark secret. A bunch of kids caught in the middle.
Emily has just moved to a remote Maine island, but it feels like a different planet. Everything seems to be a mystery. Is her new job really in danger? Is the gorgeous lobsterman really interested in her? Is it possible an entire town is that obsessed with basketball? And what is this dark secret no one will talk about? Emily will have to choose: try to fit in or fight for what's right.
Limelight
Emily Organ - 2017
Actress Lizzie Dixie drowned in the River Thames, so how was she murdered five years later in Highgate Cemetery?Intrepid Fleet Street reporter Penny Green was a friend of Lizzie’s and Scotland Yard needs her help. Does Penny unwittingly hold clues to Lizzie’s mysterious death? Penny must work with Inspector James Blakely to investigate the worlds of theatre, showmen and politicians in search of the truth.But who is following her? And who is sending her threatening letters?Penny is about to discover that Lizzie’s life was more complicated, and dangerous, than she could ever have imagined.If you like a murder mystery then you'll love this atmospheric Victorian mystery by Emily Organ.
Reel to Real: The Video Store Murders
Joyce Nance - 2014
But in March 1996, the robbery of a Hollywood Video store went horribly wrong, ending in a hail of gunfire and the worst mass murder in the history of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This book is based on the true story of three ex-cons who met through the New Mexico Community Corrections early release program. One was obsessed with movies and guns, another was hopelessly in love, and the third double-crossed them both. Initially, all hoped for a new and better life, but in this modern tragedy, the ex-cons' self-destructive impulses ultimately led to their doom and that of their innocent victims. An entire city was left to mourn.
The Wrong Turn
N.C. Marshall - 2017
Now though, she is desperate to track down the stranger who saved her life. DCI Tony Morgan thought he had escaped his old career, but when he receives a call from his ex-boss to tell him that there’s been a hit and run in the area, leaving a young woman trapped in a burning car and left to die, he knows that he must return and help to investigate. Meanwhile, Megan sets out to track down the man who pulled her from the car that night, and in doing so, develops a strange infatuation for him. As secrets are revealed, and the truth starts to emerge, it soon becomes clear that Megan is still in danger, and the life-saving hero may not be everything that she wants him to be. A twisty, psychological drama combining crime, mystery and romance.
Blood Sister
Kenna McKinnon - 2015
Together with handsome detective Mark Snow, they set to bring the killer to justice. But Annie is haunted by her past, unable to overcome her mother's death and her father deserting their family. Soon after, the investigation takes a surprising turn when Annie and her boyfriend find themselves among the suspects. What is the cryptic message left on the late doctor's charts... and is it possible that Annie, or one of her friends, is responsible for the crimes? Praise for BLOOD SISTER: "A charming murder mystery" - Gisela Hausmann, author & blogger "A uniquely courageous and quirky whodunit with a fresh voice." - Jesse Giles Christiansen
Innocence Lost
Sherilyn Decter - 2019
Maggie Barnes doesn't have much left. After the death of her husband, she finds herself all alone to care for her young son and look after their rundown house. As if that weren't bad enough, Prohibition has turned her neighborhood into a bootlegger's playground. To keep the shoddy roof over their heads, she has no choice but to take on boarders with criminal ties. When her son's friend disappears, Maggie suspects the worst. And local politicians and police don't seem to have any interest in an investigation. With a child's life on the line, Maggie takes the case and risks angering the enemy living right under her nose. Maggie's one advantage may be her oldest tenant: the ghost of a Victorian-era cop. With his help, can she find justice in a lawless city? Innocence Lost is the first novel in the Bootleggers' Chronicles, a series of historical fiction tales. If you like headstrong heroines, Prohibition-era criminal underworlds, and a touch of the paranormal, then you'll love Sherilyn Decter’s gripping tale. Buy Innocence Lost to dive into corruption and mystery today!
Beautiful Exiles
Meg Waite Clayton - 2018
Headstrong, accomplished journalist Martha Gellhorn is confident with words but less so with men when she meets disheveled literary titan Ernest Hemingway in a dive bar. Their friendship—forged over writing, talk, and family dinners—flourishes into something undeniable in Madrid while they’re covering the Spanish Civil War.Martha reveres him. The very married Hemingway is taken with Martha—her beauty, her ambition, and her fearless spirit. And as Hemingway tells her, the most powerful love stories are always set against the fury of war. The risks are so much greater. They’re made for each other.With their romance unfolding as they travel the globe, Martha establishes herself as one of the world’s foremost war correspondents, and Hemingway begins the novel that will win him the Nobel Prize for Literature. Beautiful Exiles is a stirring story of lovers and rivals, of the breathless attraction to power and fame, and of one woman—ahead of her time—claiming her own identity from the wreckage of love.
Murder Upstream: A Detective Mystery
Mark Hazard - 2016
Detective Kyle Villante gets his first call after coming off a two-year undercover stint that ended in a bloodbath and marred his reputation with the brass. But he doesn’t get to work the case alone. Detective Solomon Aduwo of the State Police has arrived in Harding to assist with the investigation. Villante bristles at the perceived leash around his neck, but he and Aduwo set out to work the case, all while Villante struggles to keep secrets and ghosts of the past from coming back to haunt him. Meanwhile, Aduwo has come to Harding with secrets of his own and an agenda that could doom Villante’s future. Murder Upstream is a thrilling mystery, full of vivid characters, puzzling questions, action and suspense.
False Flag
Jay Tinsiano - 2013
In Bangkok, he is pointed in the direction of Theo's friend – Richard – an English ex-pat with dubious connections and knowledge of the seedier side of the city. Richard gains his trust and Frank decides to take up a proposition—to take part in an anti-terrorist drill in Hong Kong. That drill soon turns into a nightmare. Listening Length: 4 hours and 51 minutes.
An Untamed Governess for the Rogue
Olivia Bennet - 2019
She is his ultimate risk...
After losing both her parents, Teresa Dowels' future seems uncertain. Forced to leave the house she grew up in, she finds employment as a governess at the Duke of Rowfex’s mysterious manor. Luke Morton, second son of the Duke of Rowfex, is trying to preserve a well-hidden family secret. But life as he knows it changes the day he saves his younger sibling’s ravishing governess from rape. However, it is only a matter of time before the attacker, a notorious criminal with an ulterior motive, strikes again... When Luke disappears, all pieces seem to connect. With Teresa discovering the ugly truth about his family, time is against her. And only a miracle can keep them both alive... *If you like a realistic yet steamy depiction of the Regency and Victorian era, then An Untamed Governess for the Rogue is the novel for you. This is Olivia's 5th novel, a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a strong happily ever after. Pick up "An Untamed Governess for the Rogue" today to discover Olivia's amazing new story!
For Nothing
Nicholas Denmon - 2011
Motivated by justice and revenge, he seeks out the assassin that laid his friend Jack low.Professional killer Rafael Rontego traverses the deadly politics of Buffalo’s mafia underbelly. In a city whose winter can be just as deadly as those wielding power, Rontego tries to stay ahead of the game.Their two worlds collide in this epic thriller that takes the reader on a search for self, justice, and truth.
The Beast: A Chilling True Story of a Psychopathic Child Killer (Ryan Green's True Crime)
Ryan Green - 2021
He kidnapped, raped and killed six children and teenagers in a single month. While the previous missing children had been treated like runaways, there was now no question that somebody was abducting children in the Lower Mainland area, and the media went berserk.The police immediately came under scrutiny for failing to connect the previous disappearances. The missing person cases were passed to homicide detectives, and a whole new investigation began. The police were now hunting a serial killer and Clifford Olson Junior was one of the main suspects.From the age of seventeen, Clifford Olson Junior spent only 1,501 days outside of prison or jail. If his claims are to be believed, he averaged about one murder every ten days. During his imprisonment, he was assessed on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, a tool designed to evaluate psychopathy. The standard threshold is 25-30. He scored a 38 out of 40, the highest rating ever recorded.The Beast is a chilling account of Clifford Olson Junior and one of the most disturbing true crime stories in Canada’s history. Ryan Green’s riveting narrative draws the reader into the real-live horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller.CAUTION: This book contains descriptive accounts of torture, abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to read any further.