Book picks similar to
Avarice by Lisa Clark O'Neill


romantic-suspense
mystery
contemporary
georgia

Meridian File


C.B. Samet - 2018
    He wants an uncomplicated assignment. As a celebrity stalker targets Aurora Meridian, the Rider team--Mason and Maxine--are drawn into the sinister underworld of the Russian mafia. Aurora and Mason fight for their lives and each other while Maxine Rider discovers the lines she must cross and the sacrifices to be made to keep her client and her team safe.

Love's Taming


Maryann Jordan - 2014
    And boring. Between focusing on keeping her small, inner-city clinic running, paying off student loans, and living in the tiny apartment above the clinic she has no time for fun or dating and certainly not for anything adventurous. Then one night, danger and surprise show up in the alley behind her clinic. And Annie is in for the ride of her life. Stoney is a mystery. A man of few words but smoldering looks. She decides to take a risk and after a night of passion finds herself thrown into a world that she never knew existed. A world of drugs, danger and intrigue. Shane is a detective, who vows to keep Annie safe at all costs. Losing his heart to her is the easy part. Keeping her safe and earning her trust will prove to be his most difficult task. **DUE TO ADULT CONTENT, SEXUAL SCENES OF AN EXPLICIT NATURE, AND LANGUAGE THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER CRUDE, 18+ only, please. **NO cliffhanger, HEA, inter-connected stand alone stories in the series**

Out of the Dark


Geri Foster - 2013
    His boss arranges for him to hitch a ride with the corporate attorney Emily Richards, who is in Russia as a mediator.Emily Richards wants only to return home then on to a peaceful vacation with her best friend. When armed men invade her hotel room minutes after Mac arrives, Emily is forced to depend on Mac to stay alive. Anger that Mac has entangled her in a life or death struggle quickly turns to fear when the men pursuing them call her by name.Together Mac and Emily engage in a tumultuous ride to escape with their lives and capture a crazed bomber and a vindictive drug lord. More difficult is tearing down their own emotional walls. Can they succeed and admit love is the most precious thing in life?

Deceived


Stella Barcelona - 2014
    Barcelona’s debut book brings an excellent author to the fore; the intrigue blends beautifully with the romance.” -Heather Graham, New York Times Bestselling AuthorTaylor Marlowe Bartholomew carries three of the most notable names in New Orleans society. She hoped to forge her own path in the world as an Assistant District Attorney, but that dream is dying as obligations pull her into the family shipbuilding business. In Taylor’s final days in the DA’s office, she receives a murder assignment that could unravel her perception of reality.Brandon Morrissey is haunted by demons that force him to keep his life simple and detached. He pours all of his energy into his thriving legal practice, until, overnight, he becomes the single father of an infant. For the sake of his son’s future, Brandon searches for a killer and faces the truth about his family’s unfortunate past.Someone is willing to kill to use the past for their own ends. Thrust together, Brandon and Taylor have different views of their families’ intersecting histories. As they confront a sea of uncertainty, one thing is sure…no one is safe until they discover where the truth lies.Their destinies have been set in motion by their ancestors.Ghosts of the past shadow every step they take.Together they have to find the truth…before it’s too late.“Stella Barcelona’s stunning debut, Deceived, has it all. Mystery—check. Action—check. Romance —check. A heart-pounding must read, Barcelona writes for those of us who want intelligent protagonists and an intriguing mystery.” - Cherry Adair, New York Times Bestselling Author

Hide 'N Seek


Yvonne Harriott - 2012
    Her sister, Sydney, is missing and the trail leads to Dalton Beck, CEO of Beck Security Systems. He denies any involvement in Sydney’s disappearance, but with the evidence stacked against him, can she believe him? As she races against time to find her sister, she’s not only in danger of losing Sydney -- she’s also in danger of losing her heart. Dalton Beck is positive that Sydney is responsible for the security breach at his company. Someone is hacking into his computer system. To find the truth, he turns to Marklynn for help. She doesn’t trust him, but he’s not going to let that stop him as an attraction develops between them. But to earn her trust, he must make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save his company and catch a killer who will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Cold River


Liz Adair - 2011
    She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. With the river rising and death a real possibility, will she find a reason to stay and chance the odds? Part romance, part cozy mystery, part thriller, Cold River, like many of Liz Adair’s books, is a novel about family ties and second chances. From The Deseret News: "Cold River" is a light read, with emphasis on romantic entanglements and small-town politics…Readers expecting a complex thriller or a dark suspense book may be disappointed with "Cold River," but those looking for light afternoon entertainment will enjoy it. The content is family friendly, with no sexual issues beyond a few kisses and a frank discussion about reasons not to let physical intimacy progress. While there is danger and some potentially violent situations, these are neither graphic nor overly threatening. The family relationships are well done. Especially entertaining is the sibling banter between Mandy and her young sister, who joins her in the backwoods and also falls in love ... not with a boy, but with bluegrass. From Alice Wills Gold’s blog: I’m so Funny (Sometimes): Sometimes I wonder where my brain is. It wasn't until I sat down to write this review that I realized how the title Cold River reflects the subject of the book. I swear I am blonde sometimes. The gist of the story-line in Cold River is a gutsy gal takes a job as a superintendent of schools in the small town in the upper mid-west of the US. She has never lived in such a small town and so when she ends up renting a house right on the river, the river and its surrounding landscapes are a comfort to her as she acclimates to the small town life. The river also has significance in one of the main plots, but I hate to give away spoilers in the reviews I write, so you will just have to read the book yourself. I fell in love with the male co-leads, if that's what we can call them. There are three cousins that are completely different yet equally hunky and mysterious. Once the story got going it was fast paced and intriguing and the suspense and romance only grew my interest up until the very end. I loved how the relationships all twist and intervene with one another; the mere idea is so consistent with small town living, especially because everyone is related in one way or another. I didn't guess the villain of the story until they were revealed and that is not easy for an author to do...I always guess what's going on, so I appreciated the surprise. It was a great surprise and I love when an author can get me shaking my head at myself for not guessing what was really going on in the story-line. I am personally connected to the three subplots of music in schools, literacy, and gaining emotional maturity and I agreed with the viewpoint of the author on them all and enjoyed how Adair wove them into the greater story. The end of the story was magnificent. I have a real hard time giving a book a good review if I don't think the end was spectacular. It has to be not only spectacular but real to life and feel-good. I know that limits me, but I don't think I am going to change now, so all you authors out there, write good endings.

The Watcher


Christina Dodd - 2017
    When Sheriff Kateri Kwinault gets a call about something strange happening at the local boys' and girls' summer camp, she finds herself telling a scary story that might be a little too close to the truth...

SEAL the Deal


Makenna Jameison - 2015
    After her husband was killed in an accident, she’d do anything to shield herself from more heartache. Her success in the courtroom has not come without costs though. The disgruntled ex-husband of a client is seeking revenge—and his sights are set on Rebecca.Navy SEAL Patrick “Ice” Foster vowed never to be in a relationship again. The gorgeous brunette he meets on the beach isn’t going to change his mind—no matter how tempting her feminine curves, innocent glances, and fierce independence may be.Despite their determination never to fall in love, Rebecca and Patrick can’t deny the connection between them. When danger lurks around every corner, she knows there’s only one man she can trust to protect both her and her daughter. But who will protect her from a broken heart?SEAL the Deal, a stand-alone novel, is book one in the bestselling Alpha SEALs series.

Catch Me If You Can


Nina Bruhns - 2000
    Kit Colfax knew the parish sheriff always got what he wanted, but to protect her future she couldn't let him have his way... or her.Kit sought to put Beau's thieving cousin behind bars. Beau sought to stop her. And painful experience had taught Kit how powerful men operated... and manipulated. Well, not this lady. Not this time. Sure, Beau made her FEEL as she never had before. Made her WANT to trust him as he so unwaveringly trusted in his cousin's innocence. But was that a lover talking, or a deceiver bent on saving his family... whoever paid the price?

In a Lover's Silence


Qwillia Rain - 2011
    Actually, she has two. The first is sexy, six-foot, Deputy US Marshal, Seth Vassar, fresh off the plane from Dallas, Texas and looking for answers to a five-year-old murder investigation. The by-the-book marshal doesn't take no for an answer any more than Wynne likes to let a puzzle go unsolved.Which leads to her second problem. A serial killer intent on making Wynne pay for destroying his next work of art. Now Wynne has to guard her heart against a man she knows is going to leave her while she tries to keep one step ahead of a maniac. In a game this deadly, her only hope lies In A Lover's Silence.*** This book is approximately 80,000 words with an excerpt from Teach Me, Master ***

Her Honor's Bodyguard


Johnny Ray - 2012
    When his dad died, leaving him and his mother penniless, he dropped out of law school and ended his relationship with Noella, but in doing so, he stopped a scandal that could have ruined her family. These secrets he would never let her know. Ironically, years later, he would have never guessed she would be instrumental in ruining his career with the Tampa police force. After Noella finished law school and started pursuing her goal of working up the ranks in judgeships, she never considered inviting another guy into her life. As such, when someone attempts to threaten her into vacating her seat on the bench, and by force if necessary, she knows of no one else she really trust as much as Vance, who now has a successful bodyguard and private detective business.She knows that Vance might hate her for her part in having him dismissed from the police force, but what he will never know is that she actually saved him from going to prison. Additionally, she now thinks he was framed, and perhaps by the same people who are threatening her. She had to talk him into taking her on as a client . . . but would he agree to her request?As the number of attacks on her life increases, Vance soon has no choice but to offer her his protection, and in spite of everything, when they see each other again their old attraction for each other returns. She wants the truth. He wants the truth. However, making the ultimate sacrifice is not always easy to understand, whether given or received. Ultimately . . . could they now trust each other with these secrets? While their lives depend on discovering the truth to their past, these truths are locked in deep secrets that could also destroy them.This novel is available also in paperback, hardback, and audio.

Maverick Sheriff


Delores Fossen - 2014
    This could be his son, whose loss has haunted him for two years. But Cooper has a formidable adversary in Jessa Wells. She's the adoptive mother and she'll do anything to hold on to Liam.It's cruel justice that the man who shares Liam's rare blood type has an unsolved murder in his own family. And the danger's far from over. Fighting her desire for Cooper, Jessa has no choice but to join forces with the maverick cowboy. Jessa knows working together is their best shot at keeping the child safe. But it's the possibility of a future alone that breaks Jessa's heart.

A Stranger's Touch (Psychic Heat Book #1)


Roxy Boroughs - 2012
    Frantically grasping at any hope, she turns to STAFFORD WEBB, a psychic who retrieves information through his sense of touch.Stafford is reluctant. Unbeknownst to Maggie, he helped with the Tommy Hutchinson kidnapping case six months earlier, but didn’t get to the child in time. Haunted by images of the boy, Stafford retreats inward and focuses on his other private obsession: finding the killer, James Ryan Morley – the man who also murdered Stafford’s older sister when she was sixteen.But the desperation in Maggie’s eyes is too great for Stafford to ignore. Following his visions, they set off on a journey through the rugged terrain of the Northwest Territories – and along the jagged line between faith and reason.61,000-word Romantic Suspense. Adult language, some violence, sexual situations.

Tender Deceit


H.Y. Hanna - 2014
    Now he could be the man who wants her dead. Leah Fisher returns to her childhood home of Singapore after her father dies in mysterious circumstances and finds that the boy she once loved has become a dangerous, attractive stranger. Who is Toran James and what exactly is he hiding? Suddenly, she discovers that the past holds more secrets than she realised. Was her father's death really an accident? Someone is out to silence Leah - and that someone might be the man she is rapidly falling in love with...again. "a classic romantic suspense mystery in the style of Mary Stewart..." Fast-paced, action-packed romantic suspense filled with intrigue and sizzling tension. The exotic locale and tropical atmosphere of cosmopolitan Singapore adds up to a perfect escapist read.* This is the first part of Leah & Toran's story, which continues in TENDER TREACHERY (Book 2)Books in this Series:TENDER DECEIT (Book 1)TENDER TREACHERY (Book 2)TENDER BETRAYAL (Book 3)Alternate cover edition for 9780992315368

His Desire


Sheila Kell - 2014
    She’s independent. Together, desire will determine their future.Hamilton Investigation & Security leader, Jesse Hamilton, swears never to love again. The risk of losing his heart is too painful. Burying himself in work and caring for his daughter, he doesn’t expect strong-willed FBI Special Agent Kate Ross to break down his carefully constructed walls.When Kate is injured, Jesse pulls the full force of HIS into action to protect her. He refuses to be the reason behind another senseless death. Making a decision that could cost Kate her life, Jesse must decide just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman his heart desires.***HIS DESIRE is the first book in the HIS romantic suspense series.