Book picks similar to
The Hangmen of Sleepy Valley by Brett Halliday


mysteries
novels
old-west-mystery
20th-century-lit

The Bittermeads Mystery


E.R. Punshon - 1922
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

The Avenger


E. Phillips Oppenheim - 1907
    He questions her and finds she thought she was in the apartment of his neighbor, Morris Barnes, who lives above him. While he is on the telephone, she quietly slips out of his flat and heads to Barnes’ abode. A few hours later, she is once again at his door – this time looking scared and faint. She asks Wrayson to escort her downstairs as the hallway is unlit. As they emerge, a hansom sits at the doorway with Morris Barnes in it. But, they discover that Barnes has been strangled. Wrayson soon learns that the young lady is the estranged older daughter of a club acquaintance, retired Colonel Fitzmaurice. He also discovers that he has fallen in love with her. The big question however, has he fallen for a murderess? How can he discover the truth? In typical Oppenheim style, this “whodunit” weaves a tangled web and one must wait until the end to discover the surprising truth. (Summary by Tom Weiss)

The River Seine Killings (DI Ruth Hunter #10)


Simon McCleave - 2021
    

CAPITOL MURDER (Shepherd & Associates #1)


Judith Erwin - 2021
    He doesn’t care. But when in trouble, the ruggedly handsome cowboy, Jake Shepherd, is the man to have on your side. A topnotch PI and former FBI agent with a Yale law degree, he can shoot the wings off a mosquito at 100 yards, read a suspect like a restaurant menu, and catch the eye of the ladies. On the job, Jake offends clients, maneuvers suspects, and takes full advantage of a unique relationship with his former FBI supervisor—always in the pursuit of justice. Just when you think you know him—look out. Love him or hate him. Never underestimate him.In CAPITOL MURDER, Jake meets Atlanta attorney Scarlett Kavanaugh when the husband of her estranged twin (a U.S. senator) is found dead. A savvy Harvard Law graduate, Scarlett is a formidable match for Jake with her quick wit, intelligence, and self-confidence. Sexy sparks hover as Scarlett assists in Jake’s investigation of the murder

The Dark Yorkshire Series #4-6


J.M. Dalgliesh - 2019
     Books four to six in this bestselling series are brought together for the first time in a great value collection. BLOOD MONEY A businessman found hanged. A tortured and mutilated loaner. High finance has never been so deadly… DI Nathaniel Caslin is spiralling toward a professional crisis. His biggest case in years has collapsed amid accusations of police intimidation. A rebuilt reputation is now facing ruin… As the extremes of nationalist hate descend upon York, a refugee is tortured to death while a straightforward case of a bankrupt’s suicide proves to be anything but simple. How does an enigmatic campaigner with a secret to keep link these two disparate worlds? Shining a light onto corporate finance draws Caslin to those who prefer to live in the shadows. Making money, concealing wealth, protecting what you have… comes at a price. Your enemies - your friends - may find the true cost is underwritten in blood… FEAR THE PAST A murder without motive. A downtown bombing. The sins of the past revisited… DI Nathaniel Caslin is heading up a specialist unit, an opportunity to make a real difference. Little does he know, decisions taken decades previously are about to threaten all that he holds dear… Gangland tensions are on the rise as an uneasy peace is fractured in spectacular fashion. Two warring factions are lining up to unseat the other. Old adversaries rekindle their passion to exact revenge whilst the next generation seek to make a name for themselves. Meanwhile, Caslin is asked to investigate the mysterious murder of a private detective, revealing the vested interests of a multitude of figures. Finding himself walking the line between upholding the law and delivering justice, Caslin sees the past returning to haunt those around him. A crime perpetrated years previously sends ripples far and wide. Some people have much to gain whilst others have so much to lose… none more so than Caslin himself… THE SIXTH PRECEPT A killer stalks his prey. The five precepts are laid down. The sixth will be his own... DI Nathaniel Caslin has earned the freedom to run his case load as he sees fit, bypassing the hierarchical constraints with his specialist unit. Little does he know a deadly adversary is walking the streets of York. One who will push the team to their psychological limits... Reluctantly agreeing to a joint investigation alongside a detective from the Drug Squad, Caslin is perplexed by the multiple homicides of a number of addicts. Poisoned by their own supply with no apparent motive, the killings appear gang related. The crime scene is filthy and forbidding with each victim having the index finger removed from their right hand after death. A planned mutilation? A trophy? Strategically placed among the dead is a blooming pink flower, the only beauty within a dark, macabre scene. When a bank employee vanishes only to be found dead at the hands of a medieval stoning, Caslin's team are left with a puzzle to unpick. An index finger is missing and inside the victim's mouth, carefully placed and undamaged, are the petals of a small pink flower... A serial killer is on a mission. Caslin must reach into the darkness in order to confront the most dangerous and determined killer of the age. One who seeks to build a monument to his efforts.

EMP Antediluvian Purge


S.A. Ison - 2018
    Now, home on leave to visit his dying grandfather, Harry is shocked to learn the old man had secrets -- and before passing away, he tells Harry two of them. One will change Harry forever and one just may save his life when a massive EMP hits and rips apart the fabric of the U.S. and perhaps the world, trapping him in the one place he thought he'd left behind. His small town turns in on itself. Is this the work of the ubiquitous KKK, a homegrown terrorist group right from the heart of Harry's world? Time is running out for Harry and his family. Some secrets cannot and should not remain hidden, but will he have to risk everything to set the world right?

In the Matter of Michael Vogel


Drew Yanno - 2013
    At first, the townspeople accept the initial ruling of an accidental drowning, despite the fact that the boy's body wasn’t discovered when the lifeguards searched the pool earlier in the day after his sister reported him missing. However, when an autopsy reveals an unanticipated result, it sets in motion a search for a killer, in a town unaccustomed to murder. The story is told from the perspective of three members of the community: a twelve year old boy with a future he hopes to avoid; a sheriff with a past he longs to forget; and a forty year old bachelor with a secret he wants desperately to protect. Their stories all come together in a stunning and heart-stopping conclusion that helps to provide each of them a measure of redemption.Librarian please note:This is an alternate cover edition. The original ISBN numbers are:ISBN10 - 0615757588ISBN13 - 9780615757582

Murder in the Mangroves


Marty Ambrose - 2010
    She's adjusted to the Florida lifestyle, received a small raise, and is enjoying a playful romance with island cop Nick Billie. Things start to heat up when Mallie's old boyfriend, Cole, reappears and she finds herself torn between two men. But just before the annual Mango Festival which had promised to be a pleasant distraction the body of the Mango Queen is found in the mangroves. So it s back to business and Mallie is assigned to report on the case. She soon finds that the murderer isn't the only one in town to worry about, as her investigation begins digging up old secrets that many islanders prefer to remain buried. Can Mallie find the key to the Mango Queen s death before the killer plants her under the nearest tropical tree? And if she survives that, will she be able to decide whether Nick or Cole holds the key to her heart?

Murder in Caney Fork


Wally Avett - 2014
    Taught to shoot in the rough logging camps of the North Carolina swamps, Wes Ross remembers his lessons well. Dodging hostile gunfire with dozens of other young Marines, he storms a remote Pacific island as one of Carlson's Raiders in the first commando-style attack of World War II. He blasts several Japanese snipers from their palm-tree hideouts with buckshot before an enemy bullet sends him home. The Carolina homefront includes a new girlfriend and a new occupation, learning to be a rural lawyer in his uncle's law office, including courtroom intrigue and what goes on behind the scenes. Wes, like his uncles, is a good man, the kind who takes up for the poor and downtrodden, looking out for those who are easy prey for bullies. Frog Cutshaw is the storekeeper in the Caney Fork backwoods, a swaggering ex-moonshiner who is deadly with his ever-present .45 auto pistol. Frog's daylight rape of a married woman and the brutal killing of her husband bring on Bible Belt vigilante justice, an eye for an eye, a life for a life. Wally Avett is a retired newspaperman. He lives in North Carolina.

File Under Fidelity


Geraldine wall - 2015
    Distraction comes in the form a wealthy young American who wants to trace his Shropshire family. One question leads to another and the final revelations shock and almost overwhelm him. Meanwhile, Anna faces tragedy in her own family and struggles to come to terms with the chaos of her emotions, plunging deeper and deeper into flight and denial. In the process she almost loses the people she loves most. This is a tale of the deep story of the heart told with humour and compassion and relentless honesty. This is the last novel in the trilogy of Anna Ames books.

Birdcall Morning


Mark J. Asher - 2016
    The last time he was conscious, at thirty-one, O.J. Simpson had just led police on a long car chase and nobody knew the name Monica Lewinsky. When he turns on the strange-looking flat screen in his room at the nursing home, he hears reporters on one channel after another talking about Charlie Sheen’s infamous meltdown. After his mother arrives at his bedside, he learns that his father has died, his wife has divorced him, and the music store that he owned for most of his adult life has been sold. As Joel grapples with the loss of his independence, he realizes that his mother, who has driven him crazy since birth, will be his caretaker for the foreseeable future. Luckily, angels disguised as therapists and the support of old friends help him through a grueling rehabilitation. With one foot in the past and a heavy heart, Joel is about to slowly reenter a very different world than the one he left. Birdcall Morning is an emotional and life-affirming tale about the struggle to start over, the value of friendship, the true nature of love, and the changing times that we live in. It’s the sort of book that takes you on an unexpected journey that’s captivating until the very last word.

The I-94 Murders


Frank F. Weber - 2018
    A tryst of bondage.  A lover's murder.  Investigator Jon Frederick returns in a search to uncover the identity of a killer creeping through communities along I-94 in Minnesota, targeting couples who store their fetish photos online.  The killer taunts Jon with hidden messages embedded  in local media that lead him to Sonia, a young woman with a terrible secret.  A fast-paced thriller based on the profile of a true-life serial murderer, The I-94 Murders  guides the reader with an insider's light along the dark road of a killer.

Vengeance Road


G. Michael Hopf - 2018
     With no home, or family, he heads west in pursuit of revenge. There he will not only find purpose in killing the men responsible for destroying his life but will also uncover that justice is not as simple as life or death. VENGEANCE ROAD is book one in THE WANDERER series.

The Milburn Big Box Set: Two Complete Series: "A Murder In Milburn" & "Return To Milburn"


Nancy McGovern - 2020
    

Sober Justice


Joe Hilley - 2004
    While defending his client, Connolly stumbles into a conspiracy and quickly finds himself in the midst of a complicated web of intrigue and deceit.The action builds to a dramatic and surprising conclusion as Connolly faces certain death and learns that sometimes even time and circumstance must yield to the purposes of God.Click Here to Meet the Author Download the Readers' Guide.