Book picks similar to
The Darkest Heart by Dan Smith


fiction
thriller
signed-by-author
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The Last Day on Earth


R.M. Allinson - 2013
    "A pre-post-apocalyptic joy ride thriller philosophy jam"Sometimes Lucy Black wishes that the authorities had never confirmed that an asteroid, even bigger than the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, was on a collision path with Earth, and never admitted that all attempts to divert the massive asteroid had failed.That was two months ago.Today is the day it's due to hit.

Crucible


Ryan W. Aslesen - 2018
    The War on Terror provides the backdrop for the novella that introduces the roots of ultimate antihero, Max Ahlgren.Captain Max Ahlgren is proud to be one of the first team commanders in the Marine Corps' nascent MARSOC detachment. Finally, the Corps' elite warriors are working alongside those of other branches, battling insurgents, not on the front lines but behind them. After his first mission, however, Max learns he will be replaced as team commander.The new commander, Major Whitbeck, comes from 8th and I: Marine Barracks, Washington DC. His late father, a revered general, died in a terrorist car bombing. The commander is in Afghanistan for vengeance--and redemption.When the team infiltrates the ancient desert fortress of Kazindrak, hunting an elusive Al-Qaeda terrorist, Whitbeck reveals his ineptitude in combat. Max's fury grows as the body count rises. When the actual nature of the mission is revealed, Max gets a good look at the sordid underbelly of the War on Terror and sees first-hand what monsters men can become. If he is to survive, however, he may have no choice but to become one.Sometimes the greatest enemy is within...

Point of Direction


Rachel Weaver - 2014
    Anna and Kyle quickly fall for each other, as they are both adventurous, fiercely independent, and in love with the raw beauty and solitude of Alaska. To cement their relationship, they agree to become caretakers of a remote lighthouse perched on a small rock in the middle of a deep channel—a place that has been uninhabited since the last caretaker mysteriously disappeared two decades ago. What seems the perfect adventure for these two quickly unravels, as closely-held secrets pull them apart, and the surrounding waters threaten uncertain danger. A psychological thriller set against the rugged landscape of coastal Alaska, Point of Direction is an exquisite literary debut.

When The Jaguar Sleeps


J.A. Kalis - 2015
    A desperate struggle for survival. A hidden Inca treasure. Ruthless grave robbers.Ecuador. A dream holiday turns into a nightmare when two men are stranded in the Amazon rain forest after a plane crash. With no hope of being rescued, they decide that their only chance of survival is to find their way back to civilization. And so they set off on a daring journey, struggling through the dense underbrush, totally unprepared for the dangers that lie ahead. When they stumble upon some ancient ruins where fabulous treasures might be hidden, it all goes wrong again … Looking for a fast-moving adventure thriller you won't be able to put down until you finish it? Then try this one.

Ding Dong! Is She Dead?


Paris Morgan - 2014
    Ding Dong!!! Is She Dead? Allie must find a way to save Megan's daughter from the person that is determined to kill them no matter what.

Necessary Evils


Bill Carson - 2012
    The pain and anguish over his wife’s murder has been harnessed, molded and channeled into a hatred of the most abnormal ferocity, and an un-closable door had now been wrenched open in his mind, and he had crossed over into the darker realms of humanity where the merciless, cruel, vicious and uncompromising sides of human nature reside. His brain had been rewired and the switch had been flicked.Has all this been preordained? Are there sinister dark forces at work at here? Necessary Evils will have you on the edge of your seat with your heart in your mouth.

Mississippi Blues


D'Ann Lindun - 2013
    Although Trey wanted to believe in his friend’s innocence, he was forced to testify in court, and Jace was sent to prison for life. Trey returns determined to prove he was right. Even if it means losing the woman he still loves. Summer Hill cannot forgive Trey, or his father, the chief of police, for the wrongs she feels they did to her family. When her brother escapes from Angola, Summer vows to keep her brother safe, no matter the cost. Falling back in love with Trey again isn’t an option.Now, five years later, the past begins to unravel. Reluctantly thrown together, Summer and Trey follow a twisted path that lead them to the truth—Jace didn’t kill anyone and an entire town’s ugly secret is unveiled. But more importantly, can Trey and Summer rediscover the love they lost?

RedDevil 4


Eric C. Leuthardt - 2014
    Leuthardt.Renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Hagan Maerici is on the verge of a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that could change the way we think about human consciousness. Obsessed with his job and struggling to save his marriage, Dr. Maerici is forced to put his life's work on the line when a rash of brutal murders strikes St. Louis.Edwin Krantz, an aging, technophobic detective, and his partner, Tara Dezner, are tasked with investigating the horrifying killings. Shockingly, the murders have all been committed by prominent citizens who have no obvious motives or history of violence. Seeking an explanation for the suspects' strange behavior, Krantz and Denzer turn to Dr. Maerici, who believes that the answer lies within the killers' brains themselves. Someone is introducing a glitch into the in-brain computer systems of the suspects—a virus that turns ordinary citizens into murderers. With time running out, this trio of unlikely allies must face a gauntlet of obstacles, both human and A.I., as they attempt to avert disaster.

The Assassin's Wife: A Thriller


Roger Weston - 2011
     "A Jennifer Garner Role? Fast paced adventure, lots of plain killing but no stretched out gory details. Good beach read and I liked." Drama Professor Meg Coles is in a state of shock after her husband is terminated and she barely escapes the killers. Now she is on the run, on the F.B.I.'s most wanted list, and a fugitive of the law and of government assassins. She learns that she knows very little about the man she's been married to for ten years. She must become a criminal to survive and to find out the truth, and she must get answers before the death teams silence her permanently. "Very interesting and fascinating story. Good fast page turner and hard to put down when it's time to sleep. Am looking forward to reading the next few stories." "I enjoyed the ability of the woman to out guess the bad guy's. It kept me interested all the way through." "I loved this book. It grabbed me from the first moment and kept my gripped all the way through. Just when you thought you figured it out, there you'd go again! It was action packed. Meg is a great lead in the book and managed to survive against all odds. Don't miss this book! The ending will make you want more!" "I really enjoyed the action and the author trying to get inside a woman's head. I am married and still don't understand some of the feminine ways, but Mr. Weston kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. I will read more by him. The action is superb." "Very exciting. Good story line. Well written. Action all the way. Good characters. Hard to put down. I commend the author for his imagination." "Plenty of fast paced action. Some excellent detail on make up and evading pursuit." "Roger Weston is an author you should get to know! Written to keep you on edge and held to the story. Hard to put down and do anything else. Makes you feel like you are with the people in the story!" "I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it difficult to put it down for a moment. I will read the author's book again." 270 pages Also by Roger Weston: The Sniper (Prologue to The Brandt Series) The Recruiter: A Chuck Brandt Thriller (The Brandt Series Book 1) The Handler: A Chuck Brandt Thriller (The Brandt Series Book 2) Rogue Op: A Chuck Brandt Thriller (The Brandt Series Book 3) The Golden Catch: A Frank Murdoch Action-Adventure Fatal Return: A Jake Sands Action-Adventure Short Stories by Roger Weston: The True Tale of Castaway Daniel Foss The True Tale of Castaway Ann Saunders Coming Soon: The Brandt Series Book 4

Ulterior Motives


Mark O'Neal - 2008
    Louis Wolves. His team got bounced out of the NBA Playoffs, so he decided to come back to Chicago to visit his family Mother's Day weekend. However, someone from his past wanted to make him pay, so his stepfather was kidnapped for a million dollar ransom. He had 48 hours to raise the money or else his stepfather was dead. Will Maurice rescue his stepfather, or will the two of them fall victim to this band of ruthless thugs?This is a reedited and reformatted version of Ulterior Motives; and it contains bonus chapters, a more in-depth background of the main characters, and an alternate ending for your enjoyment. Relive the action and suspense in Volume 1 of this spellbinding series.

The Crying Boy: A Compelling Suspense Thriller


Jane E. James - 2017
    When she learns that the boy in the painting was deaf, like her dead son, she starts to try to communicate with his ghost.Meanwhile, Clayton finds himself entangled in an equally undesirable friendship with a retired fire chief who knows more about the painting than he is prepared to let on.Is The Crying Boy painting cursed, and can numerous house fires be linked to it?Struggling with their unstable marriage, the couple find themselves in further danger as an increasingly disturbing bond develops between Avril and The Crying Boy.In a twist of events Avril's irrational behavior is brought to a dramatic halt when she discovers she is pregnant. With her affections once again restored for Clayton, she decides to dispose of the sinister portrait. But the cast off painting wants revenge and its anger towards Avril's unborn child might just prove immeasurable.

Deadly Catch


E.Michael Helms - 2013
    . . .”   After twenty-four years in the U.S. Marines, recently retired Mac McClellan is happy to be a civilian again. He is enjoying a leisurely fishing vacation in the Florida panhandle when he hooks a badly decomposed body. Then, when a bag of rare marijuana is discovered stashed aboard his rental boat, he realizes someone is setting him up to take the fall for murder and drug smuggling. Mac’s plans for a more laid-back life must be put on hold while he works to clear his name as the number one suspect. Mac launches an investigation with the help of Kate Bell, a feisty saleslady at the local marina with whom he has struck up a promising relationship. Along the way he must butt heads and match wits with local law enforcement officials, shady politicians, and strong-armed thugs from the Eastern Seaboard to sniff out and bring the real smuggler and killer to justice.

Long Hill Home


Kathryn Pincus - 2015
    Kelly Malloy is a wife, a mother and a successful lawyer whose world is shattered when she is brutally attacked while running along the banks of the Brandywine River. Chad McCloskey, a lonely teenage boy from a dysfunctional home, stumbles upon Kelly Malloy’s unconscious body immediately after the assault, and he is falsely accused of the crime after he tries to help her. Maria Hernandez, a young woman who emigrated illegally from Mexico, is reluctantly thrust into the role of witness to the crime, putting her in jeopardy of deportation only weeks before she is to give birth to her child.Kelly, Chad and Maria all suffer tremendous adversity in the wake of the crime, and they ultimately discover that their lives and their fate are inextricably and permanently connected. Long Hill Home is a story of crime, mystery and the legal process—but it is also a story about the human condition, and how, regardless of vast differences in background or circumstances, all people strive for the same things—love, security and a fulfilling life.Described by reviewers as "simultaneously heart wrenching and heart welling," a "page turner" that readers "cannot put down," an "emotional" read and "an incredible novel, all the more so as a debut work."

The Last Con


Zachary Bartels - 2015
    . . WAITING IN DETROIT FOR A BORN-AGAIN CON MAN TRYING TO SAVE HIS FAMILY.Former con man Fletcher Doyle is finally home after six years in the pen. He’s working a menial job, regaining his bearings in the world, and trying to revive his relationships with his wife and twelve-year-old daughter. No easy feat.But when Fletcher and his family go on a mission trip to Detroit—in the company of the condescending church leader who also happens to be his landlord—Fletcher finds his old life waiting for him. Within hours of arriving in the city, he’s been blackmailed into doing a job for a mysterious criminal who calls himself The Alchemist.A series of relics hidden by the Knights of Malta, as ancient as they are priceless, are in the sights of The Alchemist. What he needs is a gifted grifter with a background in ecclesiastical history . . . what he needs is Fletcher Doyle.Between hiding his reawakened criminal life from his wife and trying to hide her from their relentless landlord, Fletcher is ready to give up. But when his family is drawn into the dangerous world he can’t shake, Fletcher is forced to rely on his years in the game to save the only people who mean more to him than the biggest con in history.

The Twelfth Imam Collection


Joel C. Rosenberg - 2014
    At extreme personal risk, Shirazi undertakes his assignment. A native Farsi speaker whose family escaped from Iran in 1979, he couldn’t be better prepared for the mission. But none of his training has prepared Shirazi for what will happen next. An obscure religious cleric is suddenly hailed throughout the region as the Islamic messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. News of his miracles, healings, signs, and wonders, spread like wildfire, as do rumors of a new and horrific war. With the prophecy of the Twelfth Imam seemingly fulfilled, Iran’s leaders prepare to strike Israel and bring about the End of Days. Shirazi must take action, but the clock is ticking.The Tehran Initiative: The world is on the brink of disaster, and the clock is ticking. Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test. Millions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—known as the Twelfth Imam—has just arrived on earth. Israeli leaders fear Tehran, under the Twelfth Imam’s spell, will soon launch a nuclear attack that could bring about a second Holocaust and the annihilation of Israel. The White House fears Jerusalem will strike first, launching a preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames, oil prices to skyrocket, and the global economy to collapse. With the stakes high and few viable options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike.Damascus Countdown: 2014 “Christian Retailing’s Best” award finalist!All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. U.S. President William Jackson threatens to support a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression. Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes.