Book picks similar to
True Blue Detective by Vito Zuppardo


mystery
first-in-series
1_action_mystery_<br/>thriller
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Stealing the Dragon


Tim Maleeny - 2007
    The Chinese Triads suspect one of their own, a female assassin named Sally known to have a complex relationship with a San Francisco detective named Cape Weathers. But when Sally goes missing, Cape becomes the focus of the Triads’ attention, and soon the police and FBI have him on their radar. Cape quickly realizes he’s screwed if he doesn’t find out what really happened on board the ship. He soon seeks the aid of two neurotic cops, a drug lord, an autistic computer genius, a mayoral candidate, and a reporter with sentient hair. From there, it all goes to Hell.

Scarlet Oaks and the Serial Caller (Scarlets Oaks Book 1)


Michaela James - 2017
    But when an eerie sounding caller is identified as the bay area’s latest serial killer, it appears her life will never be same.With the killer continually calling into Scarlet’s show, while managing to stay one step ahead of the San Francisco police, Scarlet begins to fear she’s his next victim. Enlisting best friends, Niles and Tom, and their often-hilarious help, Scarlet sets out to find the elusive Serial Caller … before he finds her.Root for Scarlet during this heart-pounding and alternately humorous mystery thriller. Fall in love with unforgettable characters, recognize familiar family members and hold on tight for an adrenaline-filled ride.If you’re a Stephanie Plum fan, make room for Scarlet Oaks!This is the first book in the Scarlet Oaks Series. Start the adventure - buy Scarlet Oaks and the Serial Caller today.

Dog Groomer Mysteries: Books 1-5


Chelsea Thomas - 2021
    But far from enjoying the beautiful SoCal sunshine — hanging with her pups and eating good food — Amy pokes her nose where it is most definitely not wanted.Into a murder investigation.It’s not long before Amy gets targeted as a major suspect. But Amy and her grumpy Granny are smart and determined to solve the mystery. They won’t rest until the killer is behind bars, and they won’t stop no matter how dangerous their lives become.(That’s really, really dangerous.)Dog Groomer Mysteries, Books 1-5A New Leash on LifeRuff and TumbleTo Fetch a KillerTail of Two KillersHowl to Get Away With Murderand Big Apple Pie - A Bonus Crossover Story

Force of Habit


James Scott Bell - 2012
    Sinners beware.Just who is Sister Justicia Marie? And what is she doing to some of the toughest thugs in L.A.? When a nun is viciously attacked, Sister Justicia takes it upon herself to find out what happened. The cops don't like that. Neither does her Mother Superior at St. Cecelia's. But when a couple of hoods try to stick up a liquor store and Sister J brings them down, something is unleashed inside her...something that will either confirm her calling . . . or destroy it. From "one of the best writers out there, bar none" (Library Review) comes the start of a new series featuring a heroine unlike any other in crime fiction--Sister Justicia Marie, rogue nun. If criminals are the knuckles, she is the ruler. So be good. An original novelette from national bestselling suspense author James Scott Bell.

Carrots


Colleen Helme - 2011
    Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and two children. All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber's mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer. The next thing she knows, she's lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn't suspect any lasting affects until later, when she suddenly 'hears' what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she's bossy and too old to understand them, but that's nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the redhead at work that he doesn't want her to know? As if that isn't enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he's out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed.

Deadly Secrets


O.M.J. Ryan - 2019
    He’s been setup. Someone wants to destroy him.Things go from bad to worse when tenacious DCI Jane Phillips is assigned to his case, determined his celebrity won’t get in the way of justice. Even Marty’s powerhouse lawyer, Nicolette Johnson, fears this is a case she simply can’t win.Desperate to clear his name, Marty is propelled into a dark world of danger, corruption and depravity, and with the media world he once ruled now baying for his blood -- the hunter has become the hunted.Not knowing who to trust, or where to turn, Marty fights alone against a powerful criminal network as he tries to save his reputation, his job…and his life.

Blackman's Coffin


Mark de Castrique - 2003
    A Chief Warrant Officer in the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the U.S. military, he lost a leg in Iraq. His outspoken criticism of his medical treatment resulted in his transfer to the Veteran’s Hospital in Asheville, NC. Disillusioned with the military, grieving over the recent death of his parents, and at odds with his brother, Sam’s life is in shambles. Then an ex-marine and fellow amputee named Tikima Robertson walks into his hospital room.Tikima hints she has an opportunity for Sam to use his investigative skills—if he can stop feeling sorry for himself. But before she can return, Tikima is murdered, her body found floating in the French Broad River. Sam was the last person to see her alive.Tikima’s sister, Nakayla, brings Sam a journal she finds in Tikima’s apartment. A note stuck to the in-side cover reads “For Sam Blackman.” The volume dates to 1919 and contains the entries of a twelve-year-old boy who accompanies his father, a white funeral director, as they help a black man, Elijah Robertson, transport his deceased relative from Asheville to a small family plot in Georgia. The link to the present? Nearly 90 years ago, Elijah’s body was also found in the French Broad River, a crime foreshadowing the death of his great-great-granddaughter Tikima.Sam and Nakayla must delve into Asheville’s rich history, the legacy of the Vanderbilts at the Biltmore estate, and of author Tom Wolfe to uncover the murderous truth.

Cold Comfort


Trevor Douglas - 2017
    The circumstances surrounding the murder of a young woman lead Bridgette to believe it’s the work of a serial killer, but nobody is listening. Convinced the killer will strike again shortly, can Bridgette find enough evidence to convince her team before another young woman is murdered?

Written in Dead Wax


Andrew Cartmel - 2016
    His business card describes him as the “Vinyl Detective” and some people take this more literally than others. Like the beautiful, mysterious woman who wants to pay him a large sum of money to find a priceless lost recording — on behalf of an extremely wealthy (and rather sinister) shadowy client.  Given that he’s just about to run out of cat biscuits, this gets our hero’s full attention. So begins a painful and dangerous odyssey in search of the rarest jazz record of them all…

Lady Justice Takes A C.R.A.P. City Retiree Action Patrol


Robert Thornhill - 2009
    See how sixty-five year old retiree, Walter Williams,became a cop and started the City Retiree Action Patrol. Meet Maggie, Willie, Mary and the Professor, Walt's zany sidekicks in all of the Lady Justice novels. Laugh out loud as Walt and his band of Senior Scrappers capture the 'Realtor Rapist" and take down the 'Russian Mob'. Every Golder Ager knows that as we grow older, we face a whole new set of challenges in life. Walt and his friends meet these challenges head-on and you'll have a hard time not laughing out loud as they thumb their noses at the ravages of Father Time. I guarantee, after reading Lady Justice Takes A C.R.A.P., you will come away with a new light-hearted perspective and respect for the triumphs and challenges of the Senior set. In fact, you may even be prompted to ask your Grandpa what he's been up to lately!

Hunting the Five Point Killer


C.M. Wendelboe - 2017
    Retired detective Arn Anderson never thought he’d be broke enough to take on a cold murder case. Or desperate enough to team up with a TV reporter. Or pathetic enough to go back to his rundown childhood home after he swore he’d left Cheyenne for good. But here he is, hunting a serial killer who also appears to have come out of retirement. On the anniversary of the Five Point Killer’s crimes, Arn’s only option is to survive the carnage of a murderer who may be too twisted—and too brilliant—to catch.

Thunder Storme (Wyatt Storme Mystery #5)


W.L. Ripley - 2020
    Wyatt and Chick save the woman and are swept into a violent battle for control of a new casino and all the riches and power it will bring. The Kansas City mob, the Dixie Mafia and the local syndicate have them out-numbered and out-gunned but it's the gangsters who should be worried. There's a deadly storm coming...and his name is Wyatt.

The Bad Place


M.K. Hill - 2019
    A remote farm out on the Thames estuary, where six children were held captive for two weeks. Five of them got out alive. That was twenty years ago. Now adults, they meet up annually to hold a candlelit vigil for their friend who died. The only rule is that no-one can talk about what happened the night they escaped. But at this year's event, one of them witnesses a kidnapping. A young girl, Sammi, is bundled into a van in front of their eyes. Is history repeating itself? Is one of them responsible? Or is someone sending them a twisted message? DI Sasha Dawson, of Essex Police, is certain that the key to finding Sammi lies in finding out the truth about The Bad Place. But she also knows that with every second she spends trying to unlock the past, the clock ticks down for the missing girl...

Swan Deception


Glede Browne Kabongo - 2014
    Shelby Cooper seems to have it all-- a successful career as a leading scientist in her field, two adorable kids, and a loving husband who is poised to become the next CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation. But soon, this picture perfect family portrait is shattered by a series of disturbing events: Shelby is almost run off the road by an aggressive driver, and shortly thereafter, she receives a series of anonymous calls from a frightening stranger who claims she must pay for her sins. To make matters worse, this diabolical enemy who is always one step ahead saves his most shocking move for last--a brutal murder with Shelby's fingerprints all over the murder weapon.  Who is Shelby Cooper and what secrets has she been keeping? Who desperately wants to destroy her family and why? The truth may be too horrifying to be believed.A Library Journal SELF-e Best Book of 2016 Pick

Death of a Wolfman


Susan Boles - 2016
    Quicker than she can stitch together the threads of a genealogy project she's just signed on to research, Lily Gayle Lambert finds herself embroiled in investigating the murder of a stranger who suffers from 'wolfman syndrome’. And, when a member of a prominent family turns up dead soon after the 'wolfman', Lily Gayle must find the link between the two and solve the mystery before she becomes the next target. Escaping from a trailer in the woods owned by two good ole boys and a confrontation with the eldest son of the town's wealthiest family have Lily Gayle hot on the trail of the killer…much to the consternation of her cousin. Who just happens to be the County Sheriff. With the help of her lifelong best friend, Dixie, and town busybody, Miss Edna, she pieces together the clues leading to a conclusion that shocks the entire town