Book picks similar to
True Blue Detective by Vito Zuppardo


mystery
1-a-thriller
_-1st-in-series
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At Bay


John W. Mefford - 2016
    Until it was all gone in an instant. As she begins her daunting quest to uncover the black spots on her memory, what she finds isn't sweet or charming or even pleasant. And that's when she begins to question everything, including herself. Her work as a Special Agent for the FBI is only a distraction, serving as a mental metronome...anything to crank the gears of her feeble mind. And then it happens-a bizarre, ritualistic murder. She loses herself in her work, fully immersed in the investigation. Unable to recall even her own kids, she's somehow able to formulate coherent theories on what type of person could pull off such a sickening act. As her mind slowly plugs a few memory gaps, her emotions are scrambled by the reality of her worlds colliding. And the resulting explosion tears her in two. Can she pick up all the incendiary fragments to solve the twisted crime while she clings to some semblance of sanity? One woman can only keep so much...At Bay.

Pressure Head


J.L. Merrow - 2012
    The local police keep his number on file for a different reason—his sixth sense for finding hidden things.When he’s called in to help locate the body of a missing woman up on Nomansland Common, he unexpectedly encounters someone who resurrects a host of complicated emotions. Phil Morrison, Tom’s old school crush, now a private investigator working the same case. And the former bully partly responsible for Tom’s injury.The shocks keep coming. Phil is now openly gay, and shows unmistakable signs of interest. Tom’s attraction to the big, blond investigator hasn’t changed—in fact, he’s even more desirable all grown up. But is Phil’s interest genuine, or does he only want to use Tom’s talent?As the pile of complicated evidence surrounding the woman’s murder grows higher, so does the heat between Tom and Phil. But opening himself to this degree exposes Tom’s heart in a way he’s not sure he’s ready for…while the murderer’s trigger finger is getting increasingly twitchy.Warning: Contains a flirtatious plumber with hidden talents, a cashmere-clad private investigator with hidden depths, and an English village chock full of colourful characters with plenty to hide.

Dead Folks' Blues


Steven Womack - 1992
    It's just his luck that the first person to waltz into his Nashville office is Rachel Fletcher, the woman who stole—then broke—his heart in college. Now the man she married is in big trouble, and Rachel wants Harry to forget about yesterday and make sure her husband lives to see tomorrow.

Tell Me Lies


Ed James - 2020
    Fans of Lee Child and David Baldacci will be gripped by this heart-racing thriller from bestselling author Ed James.As Senator Christopher Holliday walks through the halls of the US Federal Building in Seattle, his phone beeps with an alert. Frustrated by the interruption, he takes a quick glance and is horrified by the image on the screen – his two children, Brandon and Avery, unconscious. The message simply reads: Meet me or they die.The race is on to find the children and leading the investigation is Special Agent Max Carter from the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team. He will stop at nothing to find children stolen from their families – after all, he was once one of those taken children, so he knows exactly what’s at stake.Rushing to the Senator’s home in Washington State, Carter faces a wall of police cruisers and blacked-out SUVs. Megan Holliday, the senator’s wife, was ambushed by a man with a gun as she returned home from taking her kids out for ice cream. Bound and drugged, the attacker left her unconscious on the doorstep before messaging her husband.When Senator Holliday flees the federal building, but fails to show up at home, Carter grows suspicious. The busy politician has vanished without telling anyone what he’s up to. If Carter knows one thing, it’s that Holliday has something to hide. And he just became Carter’s prime suspect.

Hot Enough to Kill


Paula Boyd - 1999
    Highly Recommended." -- Editor, I *Love* a Mystery"...makes for fast, fun summer reading." -- Nancy Cook-Senn, Shawnee Escort"Anyone who enjoys the works of Janet Evanovich or Joan Hess is going to love Ms. Boyd." -- Toby Bromberg, Romantic Times"...a terrific mystery, sharply drawn, cleverly plotted, dynamically presented, and pure sleuthing entertainment from first page to last." -- Wisconsin Bookwatch"The mystery genre has witnessed an abundance of female sleuths, but none quite like Jolene Jackson and her mother, Lucille." -- Argus Observer5 Stars and 5+ Laughs! Has to be film adapted. Would make a delightful audiobook. " ...a hoot and a half of rollicking good mystery! The best dang novel I've read all year!" -- Leann Arndt, The Midwest Book Review"Carl Hiaasen meets Texasville! ...a must read for your Sherlock funny bone." -- Judi Clark, Mostly Fiction"... comedic characters you'll just love. ...a humor you can't resist. I can't remember the last time that I read a book as light and refreshing as this." -- Pamela Stone, My Shelf"This first entry of an apparent series will leave readers loudly laughing at the antics of Jolene and her mother. Hot Enough to Kill is a tongue-in-cheek look at relationships and amatuer sleuthing. Still, the mystery has a character of its own that adds to a wonderful plot. If this tale is any example, Paula Boyd has a long running series that will provide much pleasure to fans." -- Harriet Klausner

The Missing Piece


Sharon Sala - 2019
    His wife, Annie, suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s, causing her to remember little of the life she shared with her husband. Charlie has devoted his career to saving what he can—missing people, threatened lives. But when prominent Denver multimillionaire Carter Dunleavy vanishes without a trace, Charlie and his assistant, Wyrick, discover missing doesn’t always mean gone.It turns out Carter didn’t vanish after all—he’s gone into hiding. Someone in his inner circle wants him dead and now Carter needs Charlie to expose the culprit before the Dunleavy empire spirals into ruin. But with a tangled web of suspects looking to silence Charlie’s investigation, he’ll have to find Carter’s would-be killer and fast, before the traitor can finish the job.

Secrets of the Specter: A Haunted Mystery, A Magical Cat & A Modern-Day Candlestick Maker


Molly Fitz - 2021
    I work in my family’s shop in the historic district of Larkhaven, Georgia, and also make a pretty penny from sharing videos of my process online.My life is simple, quiet, and all mine… until a white cat with mismatched eyes shows up outside my shop and refuses to leave. When I take him home, things get really weird. As in, I can now see things and people that were never there before.It gets even freakier when a voiceless spirit introduces herself to me via a handwritten letter. This specter claims that I share her name and will also share her fate if we can’t solve the mystery that’s haunted our town since 1781… and quickly, because she won’t be able to maintain her strength for much longer.Talk about a cold case! Can I actually find a way to free my eighteenth-century counterpart? Or has my new feline companion just signed my death warrant by opening my eyes to the secret supernatural plane in our otherwise sleepy small town?

A Man With One of Those Faces


Caimh McDonnell - 2016
    Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history......or else they’ll be history.A Man With One of Those Faces is the first book in Caimh McDonnell's Dublin Trilogy, which melds fast-paced action with a distinctly Irish acerbic wit.

The Sound of Rain


Gregg Olsen - 2016
    Driven off the force by her treacherous partner and lover, she’s flat broke and struggling with a gambling addiction. All Nicole has left is the dream of a warm bed at a homeless shelter and the haunting memories of three-year-old Kelsey Chase—whose murder case ended her career.As Nicole obsesses over the old facts, she realizes everything about that case felt off: a disinterested mom, a suicidal pedophile, and too many questions left unanswered. When the little girl’s grieving father begs Nicole for help, she’s drawn back into the investigation…and given one shot at redemption.But the deeper Nicole digs, the more evil she uncovers, including betrayals that hit painfully close to home. Will a shocking discovery be the key to finally getting justice for Kelsey and resurrecting her own life?

See Them Run


Marion Todd - 2019
    A card bearing the number ‘5’ has been placed on the victim’s chest. DI Clare Mackay, who recently moved from Glasgow to join the St Andrews force, leads the investigation. The following night another victim is struck down and a number ‘4’ card is at the scene. Clare and her team realise they’re against the clock to find a killer stalking the streets of the picturesque Scottish town and bent on carrying out three more murders.To prevent further deaths, the police have to uncover the link between the victims. But those involved have a lot more at stake than first meets the eye. If Clare wants to solve the case she must face her own past and discover the deepest secrets of the victims – and the killer.

Moonshine & Magic


Bella Falls - 2018
    Now that she’s ready to return home, she plans to lay low and sip some of her Nana’s sweet tea while the town gossips come out to play. Unfortunately, on her first night back, Charli discovers the body of her crazy great-uncle (hey, everyone has one). She suddenly finds herself at the center of a mystery that threatens the very foundations of Honeysuckle Hollow and the safety of every paranormal citizen in it—starting with Charli herself. With the clock ticking, will Charli’s special magical talents be enough to save not only the town but her own life? Find out now in Moonshine & Magic: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 1!

Testarossa


J.D. Cary - 2010
     John Testarossa is an LAPD cop with an NYPD attitude who has seen it all. The dead, the dying and the decomposing are all in a day’s work for the red-headed Italian from Brooklyn. After an arm rolls up on a Santa Monica beach, and the dead body to which the arm was once attached is discovered, John and his partner, Alex Ortiz, enter the world of college sports, athletes, and the illegal drugs that enhance their performance. Rage and revenge come together in a toxic cocktail John is all too familiar with. It defined him as a young boy, and ultimately still does as a man. He carries a dark secret. It is in the beautiful Dr. Karen Gennaro—who has a few secrets of her own— that John finds a soft place to land. Even as he knows all too well what falling in love with a cop can do to a woman. What sustains this hard-boiled detective is the bond he shares with his brave and dedicated partners. When that bond is destroyed in a senseless act of violence, will his past, and a desire for vengeance, destroy him? From Los Angeles, where Venice Beach, Marina del Rey, and the dream of Abbot Kinney’s Venice Canals paint a picture of bliss, Testarossa will take you on a deeper, darker journey.

The Dead Trilogy


Andrew Barrett - 2020
    1500 pages of killer action and suspense that lead to a ‘fast-paced and thrilling climax’.A Long Time Dead. Everyone trusts Roger. He’s got an honest face… for a killer.Two dead women. All the evidence points to Scenes of Crime Officer, Roger Conniston. The real killer uses Roger’s sordid secrets against him until no one believes he is innocent. He’s about to lose his job, his wife, and his freedom. But the killer wants it all; the killer wants Roger’s life too, and time is running out.Stealing Elgar.No one can question Roger’s loyalty. Except those he won’t give it to.Scenes of Crime Officer, Roger Conniston, ventures out alone to find his wife. He doesn’t trust the police anymore, and he despises the man who kidnapped her.Hades is a brutal killer who is planning Britain’s largest robbery, and needs Roger’s compliance.When he found out that she was literally sitting on a bomb, Roger’s compliance turns to fury.But will his fury get him there in time?No More Tears.Roger is about to pull the trigger. And then decides to forgive himself.SOCO Roger Conniston’s fury hasn’t subsided, and he selects a name from a list of Hades’ ex-gang members. That name is Jess.A few miles away, a killer reads a name on a letter. That name is Roger Conniston, and that killer is Jess.But someone even closer has a mind for vengeance, and he wants them both dead.When fighting a killer becomes a battle for revenge – this is No More TearsBonus Material:An Introduction from Andrew BarrettReasons and MethodologyCharacter BiographyThings of NoteThe Theme of Each BookA Detailed Synopsis of Each bookA Long Time Dead – the earliest version, from October 2000. This is a link to your own downloadable ebook.

Cauldrons & Cake


Sara Bourgeois - 2020
    One of the most prestigious witches in New Orleans is looking for a magical bakery to make her wedding cake, and Fern Moonfall is in the running. First, she must prove herself by catering a bridal shower and lacing her sweets with just enough magic to ensure every guest has an enchanting experience. But Fern has some competition – a witch from a rival coven. A tropical storm looms over the quaint southern hotel called Praline Manor. During the festivities, a guest falls to her death. Fern sets out to find the killer, and she has no idea if the culprit is also a fellow witch. Fern has to keep her mind in the game if she wants to find the culprit before the storm clears, but that's hard to do when her cat familiar, Gumbo, is home alone. Can she pull it together in time to avoid a killers snare? Come along as Fern and friends solve the crime one spell at a time. Cauldrons & Cake is the first book in the Wicked Witches of Brookdale cozy mystery series. It contains no adult language, situations, or gore and is suitable for mystery lovers of all ages.

Murder on the SS Mystique


Shelly West - 2020
    And what would be a greater change in scenery than a renovated 1940s ocean liner called the SS Mystique? Audrey eagerly signs up, thinking all she’ll have to do is tend to wealthy passengers and their pets on a quaint old liner. Instead, she boards a ship shrouded in odd superstitions and deadly mysteries. First she must gain favor with Captain Truffles, the ship’s cat, then she needs to learn the ropes in three days flat before the SS Mystique takes on hundreds of more passengers. It wouldn’t be so bad—if not for the two bodies appearing right after the ship sets sail. Spitfire Audrey has a few ideas about who might be to blame, but a handsome Officer Gerald is determined to keep her off the trail. The SS Mystique Cozy Mystery series is fun, quirky, and exciting! If you're a fan of ocean liners, lovable pets, or grand adventures, this series offers all three!