Book picks similar to
The Mateguas Island Series by Linda Watkins
suspense
dark-fantasy
horror
free-from-amazon
ARKANE Thriller Boxset 1: Stone of Fire, Crypt of Bone, Ark of Blood
J.F. Penn - 2013
Stone of Fire (previously Pentecost)2. Crypt of Bone (previously Prophecy)3. Ark of Blood (previously Exodus)Over 320 5 star reviews on Amazon.com for these individual booksSTONE OF FIRE, ARKANE Book1A power kept secret for 2000 years. A woman who stands to lose everything.India. When a nun is burned alive on the sacred ghats of Varanasi, and the stone she carried is stolen, an international hunt is triggered for the relics of the early church.Forged in the fire and blood of martyrs, the Pentecost stones have been handed down through generations of Keepers who kept their power and locations secret.Until now.The Keepers are being murdered, the stones stolen by those who would use them for evil in a world transformed by religious fundamentalism.Oxford University psychologist Morgan Sierra is forced into the search when her sister and niece are held hostage. She is helped by Jake Timber from the mysterious ARKANE, a British government agency specializing in paranormal and religious experience. Morgan must risk her own life to save her family, but will she ultimately be betrayed?From ancient Christian sites in Spain, Italy and Israel to the far reaches of Iran and Tunisia, Morgan and Jake must track down the stones through the myths of the early church in a race against time before a new Pentecost is summoned, this time powered by the fires of evil.The first in the ARKANE series, PENTECOST is a fast-paced thriller that explores the edges of faith against a backdrop of early Christian history, archaeology and psychology.CRYPT OF BONE, ARKANE Book 2The prophecy in Revelation declares that a quarter of the world must die and now a shadowy organization has the ability to fulfill these words. Can one woman stop the abomination before it's too late?ISRAEL. A victim of Jerusalem Syndrome jumps to his death from the top of the Western Wall, his body smashed on the ancient stones. Another disembowels himself under the scrawled figure of the Pale Horse of the Apocalypse with the chilling words, "God told me to do it."Dr Morgan Sierra, specialist in psychology of religion, travels to Israel to investigate the deaths and becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy that will use cutting-edge technology to carry an ancient curse to mankind.She joins agent Jake Timber at ARKANE, a secret government agency investigating the supernatural and together they hunt down the Devil's Bible, pursued all the way by the evil forces of Thanatos.From the catacombs of Paris to the skeletal ossuaries of Sicily and the Czech Republic, Morgan and Jake must find the Devil's Bible and stop the curse being released into the world before one in four are destroyed in the coming holocaust. Because in just seven days, the final curse will be spoken and the prophecy will be fulfilled.ARK OF BLOOD, ARKANE Book 3A desperate race to find the Ark of the Covenant - and save the world from a devastating Holy War.
Cairo, Egypt. When the curator of the Museum of Antiquities is slaughtered in a horrific ritual by a group wearing the masks of Ancient Egyptian deities, local authorities ask for help from ARKANE, the agency tasked with investigating religious and paranormal events.Then, in Washington DC, a decapitated Arab body is discovered. The head is placed on the replica Ark of the Covenant along with a chilling message that warns of a terrifying escalation of violence in the Middle East.ARKANE agent, British-Israeli psychologist Dr Morgan Sierra, must race against time to uncover the real Ark - aware that her nemesis, the vicious mercenary Natasha, is also in the hunt and out for bloody revenge. Morgan travels across Egypt and Jordan, retracing the steps of the Biblical Exodus and following a trail of clues that takes her into the mists of history - and mortal danger...The third novel in the bestselling ARKANE series, EXODUS is a pulse-pounding thriller.
Credible Dagger
Gregory M. Acuña - 2013
Four Belgrade University students are enjoying the time of their lives. Fresh with a wad full of foreign currency and few worries, their innocence is suddenly shaken when Field Marshal Göring’s Luftwaffe bombers strike the city at daybreak in “Operation Punishment.” The four students, Josef Kostinic, Celeste Bowman, Dick Vojovoda, and Penelope Mitchell take refuge and flee the city, only to have their rescue hopes dashed as Axis aircraft strafe the Adriatic coastline, sealing off their exit and forcing them in different directions. Two years later, with the United States formally entered into the war, the four students are unknowingly reunited once again. This time, British and U.S. intelligence services combine forces and infiltrate a team into Yugoslavia to determine the true credibility of Chetnick resistance leader Draza Mihailovich, code named Credible Dagger. The young companions must not only survive the harsh conditions in the field, but also Partisan guerrilla attacks, Communist double agents, and the ruthless tactics of SS counter-intelligence chief Hans Flosberg, who is constantly on their trail. Despite all these challenges, the operatives uncover information so crucial that the Allies keep it a secret for almost sixty years. About the Author: Gregory M. Acuña was a former U.S. Air Force pilot. He grew up in San Diego and now lives in Northern California. This is his second novel and he is currently writing the sequel to The Balkan Network.
The Lost Boy
Noel Hynd - 1999
For Ellen Wilder, editor of the local newspaper, the gruesome killing is as disturbing as the irrational fears that have suddenly woven themselves into her mind and left her doubting her own sanity. For state police detective Michael Chandler, whose haunting near-death experience has left him with an uncanny way of sensing things, the murder is only a hint of what is to come.But nothing could have prepared either of them for the return of Franny Corbett. A hulking child of a man and the blackest sheep in a family of black sheep, his eerie presence may have ushered in all of these bizarre and frightening events. Soon the town of Wiltshire will be shaken again. For in a car sunk beneath the surface of a glimmering blue lake, floats another body. And the killing has just begun....
Super Dark
Tanith Morse - 2013
Ten years ago on Halloween night, grotesque creatures snatched her best friend Elliot and Sam narrowly escaped with her life. Now a decade on, the police investigation has ground to a halt and Elliot’s whereabouts remains a mystery. Traumatized by her ordeal, Sam finds it hard to make friends. She is mistrustful of authority and changed schools more times than she cares to remember. To her, the world is cruel and unforgiving. Then she meets the enigmatic Lee Weaver. With his gorgeous face and magnetic presence, he turns heads wherever he goes. Sam has never wanted anyone as much as she wants Lee, but there are things about the alluring stranger that don’t add up, leading Sam to ask unsettling questions about her past. Soon she discovers the boy of her dreams is keeping a terrible secret: one that threatens to destroy everything Sam holds dear . . .Super Dark is a seductive love story that will keep you guessing right until the final page ...
Imprint of the Past
Robin Roughley - 2019
So when she discovers the picturesque cottage for sale on the internet she instantly falls in love with the place and when her husband John agrees to view the property she comes to believe that it is written in the stars that this will be their new forever home. Rosebud Cottage sits on the clifftops commanding breath-taking views of the sea, a vista that is forever changing, and one that instantly fills them both with a sense of belonging. Though things are about to change, as a simple walk on the pebbled beach at Seaview Cove turns into a nightmare for Emily as she discovers a body hidden by the rocks, a man is sprawled on the stones, eyes closed, arms outstretched his wild black hair matted with blood. Though by the time she raises the alarm and dashes back to the beach she is left stunned to find the man has vanished. So starts the mind bending mystery as Emily tries to navigate her way through the labyrinth of her own mind, and as those around her become more concerned with her behaviour, she finds herself doubting her own sanity. As obsession takes over, Emily comes to realise that sometimes even the most tranquil of surroundings can mask the most devastating of crimes. As the weather changes and the storms arrive Emily Green finds herself trapped in a dark place, a place where even her own senses are not to be trusted. And as she tries to hold onto her sanity, someone is watching from the shadows, someone with evil on their mind.
Eye of Fear
Lauren AlgeoJalpa Williby - 2016
Award-winning and best-selling authors from across the genre spectrum join forces in this edgy collection. These deliciously frightening and reflective tales of phobias will cause your heart to race and your body to perspire. ***ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS ANTHOLOGY WILL BE DONATED TO THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS (NAMI)*** Experimental by Lauren Algeo: Four people, four boxes, one nightmare. There's no way out for Michael, Heidi, Sabina and Jace, and no escape from their own minds. Do they have the mental strength to withstand insanity? The First Step by Marisa Oldham & Angie Martin: Following a terrifying ordeal, Adele has wrapped herself up in the comfort of her own home for the past four years. Can one man bring her the courage she needs to take the first step into a new world? A Mind’s Undoing by Sloane Kady: Inside Kate lived a fear so profound even sanity couldn't reason with it and reality couldn't shake it from its foundation. When her greatest fear comes knocking, will she recognize it, or will it push her farther into a world of her mind's making? Mark of Deceit by Glede Browne Kabongo: Ambitious career girl Natalie Grainger Fox is in for the fight of her life when she becomes the unwilling recipient of a computer flash drive that could bring about the collapse of her employer—a global powerhouse that may be guilty of financial fraud and cold-blooded murder. Unreal by Shay Lynam: When a glitch in the system traps three teens inside a virtual reality, they must band together and face their worst fears in hopes of finding a way out. Jezebel’s Embrace by Heather Osborne: With an abusive mother dominating every aspect of her life, Lilith has grown to fear intimacy and touch. When she finally manages to escape, the death of a kindly lady draws her back. Will Lilith learn to conquer her fear, or will it consume her, mind and soul? Heaven’s Hell by Sandy Richards: Ernie had a devil of a time with life; nevertheless, salvation came calling surrounded by hellish circumstances. Touch of the Untouchables by Jalpa Williby: Zak has only known one way of life: stay inside the wall. When a forbidden excursion goes wrong, he meets up with an enemy of unknown danger. In facing his worst fear, he is forced to question everything that has been his world and determine his own reality.
Stalked in the Woods
Stephen Young - 2016
and that's when your heart starts pounding.… Creepy Encounters in the Woods, Horrifying true stories of people being stalked in the woods, by ‘something' undefined... Creepy camping stories that will make you never want to go camping again, True cabin in the woods stories, ....Unexplained Mysteries in the woods that defy explanation, Paranormal and Ghost stories, Cryptids, Bigfoot....or....something else. True Stories that make you check your doors are bolted. Alone in the Woods, the sound of branches snapping, the fleeting dark shadow that appears to be coming closer to you.... the dark lonely woods suddenly don't feel so empty…. Do you love Creepy stories?...In these True stories that's exactly what you'll get….There’s something in the woods…..And it’s coming for you…. Stephen (Steph) Young has appeared on national radio shows and podcasts including Coast to Coast AM, The Unexplained, Where did the road go?, and Midnight in the Desert... An independent Researcher addicted to researching all Paranormal, Supernatural, Esoteric & Enigmatic mysteries. Each book Young writes seems to lead to further questions and searches for answers as the mysteries inevitably deepen & develop into ever more complex riddles in the spectrum of the Unknown.
The Writhing: A Horror Novel
Abe Moss - 2019
Sometimes it's better not to. Sometimes the truth is downright haunting.
Alex watches from her bedroom window as the small, secluded town of Amberton sleeps: a bright, pleasant town with a dark, disturbing secret. Helen, her foster mother, is gone all hours of the night with no explanation. The neighbors, always friendly, always smiling, are also always watching. They know something Alex doesn’t. Something she shouldn’t… When three outsiders become ensnared in the town’s dark conspiracies, Alex witnesses for herself the nightmare hiding in plain sight. Together, haunted by their own pasts, these outsiders threaten to unstitch the town at its rotten seams, uncovering the gruesome truth writhing beneath the surface.
Lost Girls
Celina Grace - 2012
She was never seen again.In the present day, Maudie is struggling to come to terms with the death of her wealthy father, her increasingly fragile mental health and a marriage that’s under strain. Slowly, she becomes aware that there is someone following her: a blonde woman in a long black coat with an intense gaze. As the woman begins to infiltrate her life, Maudie realises no one else appears to be able to see her. Is Maudie losing her mind? Is the woman a figment of her imagination or does she actually exist? Have the sins of the past caught up with Maudie’s present... or is there something even more sinister going on?Lost Girls is the new novel from the author of The House on Fever Street: a dark and convoluted tale which proves that nothing can be taken for granted and no-one is as they seem
Stillness
Eldon Farrell - 2018
Pulled from her training with the Epidemic Intelligence Service, Dr. Lynne Bosworth is tapped to head the investigation. Many questions surround the outbreak, not the least of which is how did plague find its way to the heartland of America? Determined to find the answers and her own way out of the long shadow cast by her father, Lynne embarks for Iowa. Unable to isolate an index case of bubonic plague, patient zero is traced to Nikolai Markov; an old Russian bio warfare scientist. Rumors of a bioterror attack are rampant. Under examination, the bacteria present Lynne with many anomalies but few answers. The antibiotic resistance noted in the field is absent in the lab, while a synthetic gene is found that seemingly has no purpose. For her superiors it’s enough to deem the outbreak a biological attack, a conclusion that Lynne does not share. For her, something about the whole incident remains…elusive. In search of evidence to either prove or disprove the bioterror claim, she crosses paths with FBI Special Agent Caleb Fine. Together, they come to believe that something other than a biological attack is going on in Stillness, and that the answer to what may lie in solving the fifteen year old murders of Bobby and Maggie Sullivan. As the body count rises and the pressure mounts, they delve deeper into the shadowy past of this quiet town; in the process exposing secrets long thought forgotten until finally uncovering the shocking truth behind the cause of the outbreak.
It Waits on the Top Floor
Ben Farthing - 2021
She hires a team to reverse-engineer the overnight construction. But she knows more than she’s letting on.A curious 9-year-old decides there’s treasure inside, and goes exploring. His terrified dad chases close behind.Inside, the facade of an empty office building is quickly shattered. Ghostly figures stalk the explorers. The walls themselves are hungry. And something is waiting on the top floor.
The Dark Stuff
Paul Seiple - 2013
First, it's a faint tap. Ignore it. If you're lucky it will go away. Daniel Haley isn't one of the lucky ones. It started as a prank to breathe life into a stale relationship. The spirit board was meant to scare Daniel's girlfriend back into his arms. Ignoring the board's danger for a cheap scare, Daniel unlocks a haunting past determined to destroy everything he has ever loved.You never know what will happen when you play with the dark stuff.
The Sasha McCandless Series: Volume 1
Melissa F. Miller - 2012
Miller!Irreparable Harm (Book 1)After eight long years, Sasha McCandless is about to make partner at a prestigious law firm. When a plane operated by her client slams into the side of a mountain, killing everyone aboard, Sasha gears up to defend the inevitable civil lawsuits. She soon realizes the crash was no accident: a developer has created an application that can control a commercial plane's onboard computer from a smartphone. Sasha joins forces with a federal air marshal, and they race to prevent another airline disaster. But when people close to the matter start turning up dead, Sasha must rely on both her legal skills and her Krav Maga training to stop the madman before he kills her.Inadvertent Disclosure (Book 2)Six months after an airplane crash altered the course of Sasha's professional and personal life, she's focused on building her solo law practice and tending her budding relationship with federal air marshal Leo Connelly, who helped her stop a madman. When she drives from Pittsburgh to rural Clear Brook County to argue a discovery motion, she finds a town bitterly divided over the issue of hydrofracking the Marcellus Shale. Outsiders from the oil and gas industry and environmental activists threaten to rip apart the community's fabric. Then the town's only judge is murdered, and Sasha can't just walk away. As she works to find the killer, she must race to save the town before it fractures beyond repair.Irretrievably Broken (Book 3)The venerable law firm of Prescott & Talbott is reeling from the murder of partner Ellen Mortenson -- purportedly at the hands of her estranged husband -- when a photograph of the dead woman arrives, her face Xed out and "ONE DOWN" scrawled across the bottom. Within days, a second partner is murdered, her husband also accused. Sasha doesn't practice criminal defense, so she's suspicious when her former firm asks her to represent Ellen's husband. Owing Prescott a favor, she takes the case and soon finds herself representing not one, but both, of the so-called Lady Lawyer Killers. The long hours jeopardize her relationship with Leo Connelly when he needs her most. That's the least of Sasha's troubles, though, because what she doesn't know is that the real killer is waging a vendetta for a past case gone wrong. And there's one more lawyer on his list.
Abandoned
Katie Berry - 2021
On December 31st, 1981, high atop a snowy mountain peak in the rugged interior of British Columbia, Canada, ninety-eight beautiful people eat, drink, laugh and dance inside the opulent grand ballroom of The Sinclair Resort Hotel.The clock strikes twelve, a cheer goes up and the music swells; balloons drop and streamers swirl.Then blackness...Fifteen seconds later, the power returns and every living soul inside the ballroom has vanished, never to be seen again.Now, forty years later, Preternatural Investigator Lively Deadmarsh and his twin sister, Minerva, have been brought in to solve this decades-old mystery once and for all.Should they fail, they may become part of it, forever... "Shining-Like""Seriously Creepy""I couldn't put it down"
Grain of Truth
V.J. Chambers - 2017
They tiptoe down the hallway, stepping over the blood spatter of her parents’ murder scene, never noticing. When they discover the bodies and call the police an hour later, they are prime suspects in the killings, and they are eventually convicted. But they are innocent. They have been trapped in prison for twenty-five years. Until now. The newly formed Conviction Review Unit has the power to overturn wrongful convictions. Heading up the unit is Elke Lawrence, former prosecuting attorney, running from a dark and painful past. She is joined by Detective Iain Hudson, who only trusts physical evidence, and former defense attorney Frankie Hart, whose passion is freeing the innocent. But as the CRU begins to investigate the case, malice surfaces from those hell-bent on making sure some secrets stay buried. The unit must overcome every obstacle, every threat. They must uncover the truth.