Hope Road


John Barlow - 2011
    A fascinating study in dark and evil... The stuff of Great British grit and dark, dark humour … Barlow provides plenty of twists and turns before the truth is revealed. But what is most enjoyable about Barlow's writing isn't his story archs or plotting, but his characters, dialogue and sense of place... Beautifully cinematic… far more cinematic than a McDermid or a Rankin. Crimefictionlover.comBarlow throws in plenty of twists before everything is untangled, since of course nothing in the case is exactly what it seems to be, and he spins the yarn in fast-paced, very readable prose. He also does a good job with the setting, the English city of Leeds, and made me feel like I'd been there. HOPE ROAD is a fine novel, the first in a series, and I look forward to reading the others.Rough EdgesHOPE ROAD: a crime thriller - You can't change your past. But what about your future?John Ray, son of crime boss Antonio 'Tony' Ray, is the straight one of the family. With a successful business and a lifestyle to match, he wants nothing to do with his father's criminal world. But what does that world want with him?A young prostitute is found dead in John's car, and Freddy Metcalfe, his best friend and employee, is framed for her death. Freddy denies everything but it's an open and shut case: he's going down for murder. John sets out to find the real killer.But things get complicated. A stash of counterfeit money was also found in John's car, and the police seem more interested in that than in the dead girl. Then Lanny Bride turns up; one of the north's most ruthless criminals (and an old friend of the Ray family), Lanny is desperate to know who killed the girl. But why? Meanwhile, Freddy is too scared to talk to anyone, even his lawyer.John's police detective girlfriend, Denise Danson, has been warned off the case by her boss. But she doesn't believe Freddy is guilty, and secretly helps John look for the murderer. The problem, though, is that uncovering the shocking truth about the girl's death will force John to confront his own criminal past and risk destroying his future, as well as losing the only woman he's ever loved. A novel set in Leeds, this is the first crime-mystery in the LS9 series.

Deadly Deceit


Karen Randau - 2016
    Ensnarled in a cover-up that puts her in an assassin’s crosshairs, Rita must unravel a web of lies and connections that date back to Jared’s service in the Iraq war – before a mysterious kidnapper returns Rita’s daughter Zoe one body part at a time. This fast-paced thriller is one you won’t want to put down from beginning to end.

Kiss My Assassin


Dave Sinclair - 2019
    He’s on the hunt for a mysterious and powerful arms-dealing organisation named Kali—and they have him squarely in their sights.Along the way he falls for a mysterious woman who may just be the death of him.Fast-paced with whip-smart dialogue and twists at every turn, Kiss My Assassin is the very definition of unputdownable.Note to the reader: Although the Bishop novels can be read in any order, the events described take place before those in the Eva Destruction novels.

The Child Taker & Slow Burn


Conrad Jones - 2015
    How far would you go to get your children back......?A stand alone novel based on high profile child abductions, which have been followed by millions of concerned parents on the news. 5 year old twins are abducted from a tent in the Lake District and the hunt for a dangerous paedophile ring begins. Police procedure follows the premise that 60% of abducted children are murdered within the first four hours of being taken. The first hour is called "The golden hour" and the longer a child is missing, the less chance there is of them being recovered unharmed. The Child Taker follows the desperate search for the missing twins. Packed with action and twists, this is one of the best thriller novels around. Guardian Reviews SLOW BURNThe second Detective Alec Ramsay novel. A young girl is bullied and abused at school. Her brother is habitually beaten by the same gang for nothing more than being overweight and a different religion. Later in life when their paths cross again, a terrible revenge ensues.'Tank' is like Jack Reacher on steroids! Guardian Reviews. Crime thriller writing that will have you chewing your fingers as you read! ; Review

Killing Me Softly


Bianca Sloane - 2012
    Her body was discovered days later, her beautiful face bashed in with a rock. Police determine her brutal death to be a mugging gone wrong and drop the matter into their cold case files.Over a year later, Tracy’s sister, Sondra, still can’t come to grips with what happened. She throws herself into her work as a documentary filmmaker to try and forget the cruelty of her sister’s death. However, a chance encounter with a man from Tracy’s past rips the wound open and sends Sondra on a desperate search for answers about the secrets from her sister’s life that may have led to her death.As Sondra struggles to uncover what happened to Tracy, she’s launched into a tangled web of deceit and danger that put her on a collision course with life and death…

BULLETS (Jon "Big Slick" Elder Book 1)


Elijah Drive - 2015
     Professional poker player Jon "Big Slick" Elder was minding his own business in a diner when an Arizona sheriff walked in and killed the man sitting next to him, a Mexican day laborer accused of murder. The law officer then arrested Slick simply because the sheriff didn't like the color of Slick's skin. Slick knew that the stranger who had been sitting next to him at the diner was no murderer because, in addition to cards, Slick also kills people for money. The poor man didn't have the look, but Slick does, and with the help of a Latina assistant district attorney, a Navajo state trooper and a homegrown federal agent, Slick sets out to prove the dead man's innocence. What he discovers, as he digs deeper, is a deadly mystery that threatens not only him, but his newfound friends as well. But Slick hates to have anyone… ANYONE… toss him his shoes and tell him to get out of town. "This is an exciting, intriguing, and thrilling book with twists and turns that are unexpected but all too believable. Dear author: please write another one like this." - Book Angel "Tense, thrilling and with a lot of twists, this is an edge-of-your-seat-read with some great action scenes. An excellent debut novel by Elijah Drive." Croydon Citizen BULLETS - mystery thriller by Elijah Drive

When Justice Calls


Jamie McFarlane - 2018
    When innocent lives are in danger, justice will be served. Army Ranger Henry "Biggs" Biggston just can't seem to fit in. The recently discharged vet desperately wants to put his specialized skills to good use. And when a security gig reveals a stray CCTV clip of shocking sex-trafficking footage, Biggs' desire to nail the bad guys kicks into action. Teaming up with a no-nonsense school friend turned cop, the burly ex-Ranger discovers he's up against a seriously organized crime syndicate. It doesn't take long for the mobsters to put a price on his head, and the first life Biggs will have to save is his own. Can the ranger save the innocent girls from sexual slavery or will a murderous cartel cut his retirement short?When Justice Calls is an edge-of-your seat thriller. If you like gritty heroes, non-stop action, and twists you won't see coming, then you’ll love Jamie McFarlane's high-octane novel. Buy When Justice Calls today!

Rendezvous Series: Books 4 - 6


Win Blevins - 2017
     From NY Times Bestselling author, Win Blevins, the story of legendary mountain man, Sam Morgan, comes to a roaring climax, filled with narrow escapes, a search for peace, and a home for his mixed-race family. “Blevins has painted an epic saga of life in the early West on a huge canvas of vivid colors. –Tony Hillerman.” “Through clever storytelling, and the seamless insertion of important background information, Blevins has made sure that readers unfamiliar with the series can follow each book on its own.” – Booklist ….... HEAVEN IS A LONG WAY OFF Sam Morgan faces the most daunting task of his adventuresome life. It is 1827 and he, with the trapping brigade commanded by Jedediah Smith, has been expelled from Mexican California. Sam must make a trek to the Wind Rivers for the sake of his Crow wife and their infant daughter, Eperanza.Nursing a broken heart, and in need of income, Sam rides to Santa Fe—and there he meets a beautiful widow. Soon after leaving, the herd of horses belonging to Sam and his companions are sold for a healthy profit. He returns to California to reunite with his daughter only to learn she has been taken captive in an Indian raid.Sam's desperate mission to rescue his daughter, their escape in a frail craft down a rampaging river, and their long trek home, is a harrowing tale told by a master of the historical novel. "Win Blevins's novel about venturesome Sam Morgan, and the fur trade and mountain men, is both authentic and entertaining!" —Dallas Morning News. A LONG AND WINDING ROAD A decade has passed since Sam Morgan took up the rough-and-tumble life of a mountain man in the Far West. In those ten years, Sam has made his mark as a trapper, fighter, and survivor.Sam has also endured tragedy.Distraught, Sam finds a mission for himself when he determines to find and rescue two Mexican girls, Lupe and Rosalita. They have been kidnapped from their village by Navajo raiders and spirited off into the New Mexico wilderness.The search for the captive girls takes him deep into Navajo, Ute, and Blackfeet Indian territory, to Bent's Fort in Colorado, near death at the hands of a companion, and finally to a surprise at the end of the trail, involving the missing girls and a trapper called Pegleg Smith. “The glory years of frontier life, fresh and rich.” — Kirkus Reviews DREAMS BENEATH YOUR FEET Eighteen years have passed since Sam Morgan came West from Pennsylvania and learned the perilous business of trapping in the Rocky Mountain wilderness.Now, in 1840, the world has changed. The fur trade has played out, and he must find other means to make a living.Sam decides to return to California with his daughter Esperanza and start a new life. The great golden land holds a harsh memory, but friends convince him that his destiny, and that of his mixed-race family, lies on the Pacific shore.Meadowlark's uncle, Flat Dog, his family, and Hannibal MacKye, the half-Delaware Indian mountain man, join Sam and Esperanza for the journey west, where they hope to trade for a herd of Appaloosa horses to sell at a profit in California.

Better To Give Than Deceive: Grifter Trilogy - Book 1


Kobrinica Press - 2014
    But with an unpredictable cop on the take, a double-cross in the works, and a hitman dispatched to recover the money, time is a luxury the trio of grifters cannot afford to waste by trying to figure out who's double crossing whom if they hope to have any chance of recovering the money and staying alive.And before they lose what little leverage they have, Jared and Chance make a bold and daring move to rig Frank's trial and execute a plan that sets in motion events that lead to a dramatic verdict, unforeseen consequences, and the wisdom that it would have been better to give than deceive.Genre: Crime Fiction, Courtroom DramaThis book is also available in a profanity-free Alternate Edition. (ASIN: B00REN1UFK)

Last Seen Leaving


Catherine Lea - 2018
    Now she's blind and runs a failing law practice out in the burbs.But when Frank goes missing in New Zealand and the ransom note tells his mother not to call the police, Syd just may be the only one who can find him.Is Syd just driven by honor? Or is she trying to prove that she's still good enough? And when the first dead body turns up, can a blind woman see what everyone else has overlooked?Or will she be next on the killer’s list?A gripping thriller that will have the pages turning into the wee hours.

Baby Dear


Linda Huber - 2017
    Caro married Jeff because her biggest wish was to be a mother, and he had the means to give their children a better life than she’d had. Jeff, who is besotted with Caro, is terrified he will lose her now they can’t have a baby.Across town, Sharon is eight months pregnant and unsure if she really wants to be a mother. Soon her world will collide with Jeff’s. He wants to keep Caro happy and decides that getting a baby is the only way.   Then Caro is accidently drawn into an underworld of drugs…Meanwhile, Jeff is increasingly desperate to find a baby – but what lengths is he prepared to go to? Is Sharon in danger, and will Caro ever have the family she’s always dreamed of?

The Prince of Korin


Melody J. Bremen - 2021
    Nor does he want to be one.He spends his days in the royal library, poring over old manuscripts, studying archaic languages and playing chess. He’s never been like Krollis, his fearless twin brother, who is an expert swordsman and hunts wild beasts in the forests.When an army of vizzens, the fearsome old enemy of Korin, attacks from the east and Krollis disappears, Endomer is left in charge of the country. He struggles to find a way to save his people while his soldiers are dying and his citizens are forced to flee. As he fights to gain the respect of the palace court, he discovers a threat coming from within the palace walls. There is no one he can trust.He isn’t only fighting for his country – he’s fighting for his life.Fans of Megan Whalen Turner and Jennifer A. Nielsen will enjoy this story of political intrigue and betrayal.

Missing Girls: In Truth Is Justice


Larry Crane - 2015
     After a stranger abducts Marcella and Gavin’s young daughter, Hannah, on her way to school, the couple struggles not only with the horror of her loss, but also with their utter helplessness. They hire a private detective and try to get on with their lives—moving halfway across the country to New Jersey in search of a new start. Once in New Jersey, however, Marcella becomes obsessed with the infamous Edgar Smith, accused of murdering a young girl—and with finding out the truth about his involvement in the crime. As Marcella’s investigation takes her deeper into the heart of the mystery, new information about Hannah’s disappearance comes to light and calls into question Marcella and Gavin’s ability to face the truth about themselves, their marriage, and their daughter’s disappearance. Missing Girls is a blisteringly smart novel that weaves together mystery, thriller, true crime, and alternate history into a fast-paced psychological drama.

The R.E.M. Effect: A Science Fiction Thriller


J.M. Lanham - 2016
    And the results are a nightmare. From J.M. Lanham comes a heart-pumping thrill ride that puts a sci-fi twist on the future of medicine, technology, and philosophy. It’s 2021 and Paul Freeman just landed a job with Asteria Pharmaceuticals, a world leader in revolutionary drug development. Paul knows the company’s future is riding on the success of their latest product—a sleeping pill designed to interact with the human genome to deliver the perfect eight-hour sleep cycle. Just a few blocks from Asteria’s Atlanta headquarters, troubled self-help guru Donny Ford is selling a different kind of drug, empowering followers to take control of their lives using a sacred meditation technique skeptics believe may have already taken his mind to a dangerous place. 3,000 miles away, war-hardened journalist Claire Connor sits captive in a top-secret facility hidden deep in the Costa Rican jungle, guilty of two offenses: seeking help for a sleep disorder, and asking too many questions. When these worlds collide, the three will discover just how far some companies are willing to go to protect the bottom line. --------------------------- The debut novel by J.M. Lanham, The R.E.M. Effect is a new addition to the science fiction tradition of Michael Crichton, Preston & Child, Marcus Sakey, and Dean Koontz. Dive into fast-paced suspense that explores Big Pharma corruption, clandestine government experiments, and the mysteries of the human mind to create a world where taking a pill could mean taking lives. Want to download the first few pages of this book for FREE so you can try before you buy? Click the 'Send a free sample' button and start reading now! And if you like this title, don't miss out on The R.E.M. Project (The REM Series Book 2) available now!

Miami Burn


John D. Patten - 2017
    Plain and simple. Fresh off a prison stint for a crime he didn't commit and out for blood.But when a wealthy socialite begs Titus to track down her missing daughter, he dives head first into a seedy Miami underworld of lowlife thugs, celebrity wannabes, and women as beautiful as they are deadly. Titus soon finds himself up against an organized crime boss, a crooked politician, and a hard-nosed Miami detective. Nobody, it seems, wants the girl found, but Titus doesn’t scare easy. Armed with two fists and razor-sharp wit, Titus unravels a mystery deeper, darker, and more twisted than a simple missing girl.