Book picks similar to
The Prodigal Captive by Rachel Woods


mystery
fiction
mystery-action-romance
arc

Death in Nostalgia City


Mark S. Bacon - 2014
    Nostalgia City is the ultimate resort for anyone who wants to visit the past. A meticulous recreation of an entire small town from the early 1970s, it’s complete with period cars, music, clothes, shops, restaurants, hotels—the works. The relaxed theme-park atmosphere is just what Lyle needs—until rides are sabotaged and tourists killed. Then park founder, billionaire “Max” Maxwell, drafts Lyle into investigating—unofficially. As the violence escalates and employees get rattled, Lyle gets help. Kate Sorensen, the park’s PR director—and former college basketball player—becomes another incognito investigator. Except that she’s six-foot-two-and-a-half-inches tall and drop-dead gorgeous. So much for incognito. Together, Lyle and Kate unravel a conspiracy of corporate greed and murder.

Deadly Sleep


Valerie Keogh - 2014
    She is also a serial killer. She kills neatly, three victims every six months, moving around the UK, hiding in plain sight. Everything goes according to plan until she moves to Bath. Because in Bath the police are hunting a serial killer who kills and tortures his victims. A psychic connection develops between the two killers, Nicola sees him and what he does to his victims in her nightmares.She is starting to lose control and she really can't afford to do that. In an attempt to break the link, to have the other killer caught, Nicola goes to the police with what she knows. But can she help them without exposing herself? A serial killer and a burnt out policeman - can they really work together to stop him? And at what cost?

Buddha on the Bus


Nate Damm - 2014
    When various complications arise during the journey, Nate finds himself focusing closely on the characters around him for a bit of entertainment, but ends up getting more than he bargained for. The focal point of the story is Nate's seat-mate, a young man named Bud, whose extremely odd behavior catches the attention of everyone on the bus.

The Kimberley Secret


Gabriel Farago - 2021
    With his last breath, Rogan’s father makes a disturbing revelation that rocks his son to the core and leaves him pondering who he really is, and where he came from.  With his world turned upside down, Rogan soon finds himself irresistibly drawn into a desperate search to find his true identity, and turns to an old friend for help. On a dangerous journey of discovery that takes him around the globe and the remote wilderness of outback Australia, Rogan follows clues hidden in unexpected places to uncover the truth. Will Rogan succeed? Will the truth – if and when he finally finds it – crush him, or will lifting the curtain of uncertainty and doubt be liberating, and finally bring peace by showing him who he really is?

Dangerous Behavior


Walter Marks - 2002
    And it is up to Dr. David Rothberg, the new prison psychiatrist, to determine whether Janko should be released. As David finds himself drawn into the psychological quicksand of a disturbed inmate, his manipulative girlfriend, and a brutal guard, David needs to confront his own demons as he decides if Janko deserves a second chance. This high-voltage thriller will keep you at the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last page.

The Art of Danger


Stuart Doughty - 2020
    Three men are murdered to get a dull, forgotten painting. A crazy, pointless heist? Or something far more sinister?In this action-packed crime-thriller, the tough ex-cop and firearms specialist Kite is up against a foreign spy who’s planning havoc and mayhem, not an art show. To complicate matters, Kite’s being followed by a kooky – and sexy – young woman. Where does she fit in? Even worse, Kite’s got a shameful secret in his past that he thinks is well hidden – until he realises someone’s on to it and the odds stack up to produce an action-packed thriller.What Kite is chasing down isn’t just a painting: it’s the most explosive art in the world. Can he stop the impending cataclysm?

Open Primary


A.C. Fuller - 2017
    Smith Goes to Washington for the social media age."---------------After a lifetime of political disillusionment, Mia Rhodes created an alternative to the two-party system: Ameritocracy. Part American Idol, part Iowa Caucus, her online political competition promises to find the most popular independent candidate in America and give them a genuine shot to win the presidency.But her project flounders until Mia catches the eye of eccentric tech billionaire Peter Colton. With Mia's vision and Peter's money, Ameritocracy moves rapidly from punchline to possibility. As the site grows, the stakes rise crisis by crisis, and Mia must learn that ending politics as we know it means saying goodbye to the Mia Rhodes she has always known.---------------Grab Book 1 today and find out what happens when one woman harnesses the power of the internet to destroy the two-party system...Series List--Designed to Be Read in Order:Book 1: OPEN PRIMARYBook 2: OFF MESSAGEBook 3: ECHO CHAMBER

Messandrierre


Angela Wren - 2015
    Steely and determined, Jacques won't give up and, when a new Investigating Magistrate is appointed, he becomes the go-to local policeman for all the work on the case. Will he find the perpetrators before his lover, Beth, becomes a victim? Messandrierre – #1 in a new crime series featuring investigator, Jacques Forêt. Also in the series: Merle (#2)

The Poison Path


Solomon Carter - 2020
    THE BODY BELONGS TO A DEADBEAT ACTOR STARRING IN A LOW BUDGET FILM. FIRST IMPRESSIONS SUGGEST ACCIDENTAL DEATH… BUT HOGARTH LEARNS THE MAN HAD PLENTY OF REASONS TO LIVE... AND THE BODY UNDER THE PIER ISN’T THE ONLY MYSTERY IN TOWN. HOGARTH MUST BATTLE HIS DEMONS BECAUSE TEMPTATION IS SET TO STRIKE AGAIN…No one knows why Gareth Manning died but everyone in the film crew has a theory. Manning was a drinker, a wastrel with a history of falling apart. But Manning had ambition too. DI Hogarth, DS Palmer and DC Simmons must work through the clues and the lies… but the deeper they delve, the murkier it gets.

Inn at Raven's Crest


Salem Marlowe - 2017
    When the opportunity arises, the two jump at the chance to make this dream a reality. They find an old Victorian home that has been vacant for many years and believe this is their chance to fix up and open the Inn at Raven’s Crest. Maggie quickly learns of the ghosts still living in the house. She befriends them; talks to them; helps them find peace, and offers a way to get to the other side. As the first guests arrives, so does an awful storm which puts out the roads, the power and the internet, thus leaving all of the guests captive at the Inn. When one person is found murdered, and then another, everyone is frightened and not sure who to trust and who the murderer is. There are many signs that point to one and then another suspect before the final chapter is revealed. Inn at Raven’s Crest by Salem Marlowe has a plot we may have read before, but the characters and the events are brand new and kept me glued to my Kindle. Each time I thought I had solved the mystery, another twist changed my mind. I couldn’t help but root for Maggie and Lee and for the future success of the Inn. Each character was well portrayed and had all the human characteristics of good and evil in them. I would love to see what happens when the next set of guests arrive at the Inn. It would be an awesome TV series with new guests arriving weekly. I highly recommend reading Inn at Raven’s Crest; mystery fans will not be disappointed. Two friends buy an abandoned Victorian house and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Before renovations are completed they discover their home has come complete with ghosts, and an old, unsolved murder. Can they solve the mystery and get the ghosts to leave? Or will they get caught up in a new set of murders, ones that are decimating their guests?

Family Affairs


Pamela G. Hobbs - 2015
    The chance to take her mind off what still feels so raw, so recent in her screwed-up life. Filling her time with lots of things to do but no thinking time – that had to be good. But then there’s the gentle reminder of those dreaded emails, the feeling of being watched.Never far away, pain is always lurking beneath the surface. A random shooting? Unlikely . . . And it’s only a matter of time before she’ll have to face it, grieve for her losses and deal with the constant fear that follows her. But is she ready to go there? Can she really be responsible for his death? Something prickles her memory, her fears very real . . . Then the penny drops. A shared past.Her stomach jumping like a grasshopper on speed and used to faking it, her past fears come back to haunt her, having witnessed something no child ever should. Their relationship fiery and strained, can she learn to trust Dev? Always relied on to be the one who centres her, he throws her off-centre completely. A complication she really doesn’t need, will the cold light of day become her great leveller? Or will she succumb?As for Dev, photographer at large – pals? Who is he kidding! His affection for Frankie goes much further . . . her voice an arrow to the groin. But will she ever think of him as anything but a “brother”? Or is he doomed to remain just a shoulder to cry on?Murder, sex and intrigue, this book will keep you guessing.

The Good Lie


D.F. Bailey - 2007
    A Moment of Panic. Lives Changed Forever. As Paul Wakefield paddles his kayak across Mouat Channel off Vancouver Island, he hears the engine of a yacht cutting through the fog toward him. In an instant, the cruiser swamps Paul and the young girl beside him and disappears into the fog, never to be seen again. Dumped into the winter ocean, the terrified girl thrashes in the ice-cold water, submerging Paul in her frenzy to survive. In a desperate attempt to save them both, Paul makes a fateful decision. The Child Must be Revenged. Who will Survive?The Good Lie goes deep into the hearts and souls of characters who struggle to adapt to an utterly senseless incident. Faced with grieving parents demanding retribution, Paul and his wife Valerie find their relationship pressured by a series of events that threaten to consume them. What is Good? What is False? The Good Lie. “In this profession you see everything. The thieves, the cokeheads, the pimps and prostitutes — of course they lie. Everybody expects them to lie. But sometimes, the good lie, too.”

Pride of Lions


Jullian Scott - 2021
    A town with a violent past. You can run from your demons, but you can't escape evil.Eliza Kingston moved away from Silver Lake twenty years ago after a tragedy rocked the town. She never expected to move back and she certainly never expected to find herself in the middle of a murderer's deadly games. Evan Harding hung up his detective badge 18 months ago and moved back to his hometown to start over. He was just beginning to rebuild his life when he walked into a cafe and right into Eliza Kingston. Evan and Eliza have a complicated history and it isn't long before they both realize that those complications aren't going to stay in the past.After stumbling upon a murdered cheerleader, Eliza and Evan are determined to find her killer. While working the case, they also must navigate the dangerous terrain of their unresolved feelings. Just as they start to find a way back to each other, another girl is murdered and no one in Silver Lake is safe. Can Eliza and Evan catch the killer before another victim loses her life?Utterly gripping mystery for readers who love Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot, and Melinda Leigh.

Alas, She Drowned


Monica Knightley - 2016
    Betrayal. Tea and Scones. When ex-novice nun, turned steamy romance writer, Maggie O’Flynn moves to the charming village of Stratford Upon Avondale to open a tea room she expects plenty of murders, betrayal, and duplicity. On the stages of the town’s renowned Shakespeare Festival. But when a theater critic is found murdered on the town’s riverbank and the prime suspect turns out to be the sexy bookshop owner Maggie has had her eye on, she takes matters into her own hands. Will she be able to dig through the layers of betrayal and duplicity to find the true murderer before that handsome bookseller, Nate Larimer, finds himself behind bars? With the help of her loud, brash, spitfire of a friend, Gina Mattucci, Maggie plans to do just that. With a bit of Shakespeare, copious amounts of tea, and a faux-English setting to rival anything the real England has to offer, ALAS, SHE DROWNED is the first book in THE STRATFORD UPON AVONDALE mystery series. Lovers of cozy mysteries will find a cozy home in Stratford Upon Avondale.

Vengeance


Mark David Abbott - 2018
    He has a dream job in an exotic land, his career path is on an upward trajectory and at home he has a beautiful wife whom he loves with all his heart. But one horrible day a brutal incident tears this all away from him and his life is destroyed. He doesn’t know who is to blame, he doesn’t know what to do, and the police fail to help. What should he do? Accept things and move on with his life or take action and do what the authorities won’t do for him? What would you do? Get it now!  ~ ~ ~ Vengeance is the first novel in the John Hayes series.