Book picks similar to
The Bearded Lady: From The Archer Files (A Vintage Short) by Ross Macdonald
mystery
noir
short-story
crime-fiction
Dead Water
Matt Brolly - 2019
Fast paced, full of twisty goodness, a well-drawn and intriguing main protagonist and a well-constructed and horrifically addictive storyline.’ Liz Loves Books
‘I was Dead Impressed with the fast paced plot; Dead Curious about who 'The Watcher' was; Dead Impressed the author managed to fool me; Dead Surprised when the killer was revealed and felt the ending was… well… Dead Perfect!’ Noelle Holten, bestselling author of Dead Inside‘Fantastic stuff. A must read for any lovers of crime. Matt Brolly has a cracking series on his hands.’ NorthernCrime'An action-filled, totally gripping, page turner!' Carol Wyer, author of Little Girl Lost
In a Small Motel
John D. MacDonald - 2017
She owns a small motor-inn motel on a major highway in South Georgia. The summer heat is still strong in the waning days of October, and she is tired from a long summer season. As the evening progresses, Ginny’s motel begins to fill-up. There is Johnny Benton, a strange motel guest who insists on parking his car behind the motel, a would-be suitor named Don Ferris, a guest that is the catalyst for a long and frightening night, and then there is the dead husband whose long shadow is cast across Ginny’s life like a long heavy rain...
Dead Ringer
James D. Mortain - 2020
NOW HE'S BACK. AND HE WANTS REVENGE..."A story brimming with dramatic tension" Award-winning author, Debz Hobbs-Wyatt.When the discarded body of a young woman sparks a manhunt on the streets of Bristol, striking similarities to another murder suggest there’s only one detective for the job. But he’s in disgrace and self-imposed exile.Bitter from a promotional snub and professionally embarrassed by his last failed murder case, DI Robbie Chilcott lives a life of seclusion. But now he has a chance to restore some pride and put a deadly serial killer behind bars.Back where he belongs, it doesn’t take Chilcott long to establish a shocking link between the victims: both were daughters of SAS veterans. As the investigation deepens, so the realisation dawns that he is pursuing a methodical, calculating and ruthless adversary.He’s a hunting a professional, accomplished in the dark art of death and trained to the highest military levels of escape, evasion and survival. If Chilcott is to gain an advantage and end the bloodshed, he must break from the shackles of law and place his trust in one of the most secretive and tight-knit military units.But will they turn on one of their own?From the Kindle best-selling author of the Detective Deans Mystery Series comes a fast-paced police procedural for fans of gripping action and edge-of-your-seat suspense. If you like LJ Ross, JD Kirk, Angela Marsons and Charlie Gallagher, you'll love this new British crime series.DI CHILCOTT - BOOK ONE
The Walker on the Cape (Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series Book 1)
Mike Martin - 2012
At first everyone thinks it's a heart attack or stroke. But then it is discovered that he was poisoned. Who would do this and why? Finding that out falls to Sergeant Winston Windflower of the RCMP along with his trusted side-kick Eddie Tizzard. Along the way they discover that there are many more secrets hidden in this small community and powerful people who want to keep it that way. Windflower also discovers two more things; a love of living in a small community that is completely different from his up-bringing in a remote Indian reserve and maybe the love of his life. He gets a taste of East Coast food and hospitality as well as a sense of how crime and corruption can linger beneath the surface or hide in the thick blanket of fog that sometimes creeps in from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
Biker
Mike Baron - 2013
Ginger Munz, a woman dying of cancer hires him to find the son she lost as a baby. The child’s father is a sadistic sociopath named Moon who has vowed to kill her and Josh’s girlfriend Cass, for ratting him out. The trail leads to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and west into no-man’s land where Josh learns the monstrous fate of the stolen child.Josh is the BIKER, caught up in a race for survival against a human monster on the road between heaven and hell at the end of which lies either salvation or damnation.
Baron spins a tale of unrelenting suspense and horror that moves across his narrative landscape like the roar of a chopper’s engine.
One Last Breath (Detective Jessie Talbot #1)
Adam Nicholls - 2020
A detective with everything to lose. Homicide Detective Jessie Talbot has solved countless murder cases, but when a body is found with bizarre patterns carved into its chest, a chilling new case pushes her skills beyond what she ever thought possible. The killer’s name is Zeus, and the body count grows with every move he makes. While a helpless old lady lies in the path of danger, and an innocent young boy from the streets tries to help, Jessie has to fight past her own problems and solve the case before the weight of her investigation finally breaks her down. Tough, sexy and stylish. Jessie Talbot is a breath of fresh air in the serial killer genre. She perfectly balances police work with her personal struggles, which makes for a unique yet lovingly familiar thrill ride. *These books can be read in any order.
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
Vincent Goodwin - 2012
Victor Hatherly enters Dr. Watsons office with a missing thumb, he says the story is so unbelievable he cant go to the police. So, Watson brings Hatherly to Holmes who can solve unsolvable cases. Join Holmes and Watson on the hunt for the engineers thumb. Graphic Planet is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group. Grades 3-8.
Milicent Le Sueur
Margaret Moseley - 2001
Millicent Le Sueur is an eccentric, obsessive-compulsive bag lady in a rural Southern town who witnesses the killing of a teenage girl. Or so she claims. Some townsfolk believe she killed the girl and made up the story to cover her crime. Counting, checking, deducing and tracking, she looks for a killer she hopes won’t count her as the next victim.
Murder in the Goblins Playground (DCI Arthur Ravyn Mystery, #1)
Ralph E. Vaughan - 2016
Located deep in Red Cap Woods, it has long been the site of weird events, from pagan rites to human sacrifice by secret devil cults. When local rowdy Allan Cutter staggers into the snug bar of the Three Crowns pub and dies, old fears that have lain dormant for ages come to the fore. His death is quickly followed by the murder of a developer who planned to destroy Red Cap Woods. Villagers believe dark powers are awakening, that the murderous elves reputed to dwell in the woods will again dip their caps in human blood. Into this maelstrom of fear and emotion come DCI Arthur Ravyn and DS Leo Stark. As the bodies continue to mount, they discover it will take all their combined skills, intellect and courage to solve the mysterious deaths, keep the villagers from panicking, and not get sacked by powers even more inimical than those lurking in the eldritch depths of Red Cap Woods.
Purgatory (Jon Stanton Mysteries Book 11)
Victor Methos - 2017
But his job in Homicide has served up a bad case of insomnia and hallucinations, and just as his body, mind, and spirit are about to break, he begins investigating an intriguing series of merciless murders. As his condition deteriorates, he refuses to turn the case over to his partner, knowing he couldn’t rest until justice is served. Unfortunately, justice is what the killers believe they’re delivering, and their next delivery comes a little too close for comfort.
Death in Pieces (DI Haskell & Quinn #2)
Bilinda P. Sheehan - 2020
When forensic psychologist Harriet Quinn receives the random pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, she doesn’t realise they hold the key to identifying a sadistic killer’s next victim. A victim who hasn’t even been taken yet.
Sleep then my Princess
O.N. Stefan - 2015
While mourning the death of her husband, Senior Tissue Engineer, Stephani Robbins, is plagued by recurring visions of a child being locked up in a chicken coop. Meanwhile, someone is sending her creepy love poems, roses, and photos that have been taken without Stephani's knowledge. As more photos appear, the police suspect that Stephani has hired someone to take these photos. She before she can convince the police to take her seriously she is kidnapped. While imprisoned she discovers why she has been having these visions and it is more chilling than she ever imagined. Can she make it out alive? What some of my beta readers said... Wow! You've got a thriller with a level of horrific reality here. You take the reader inside a perverted serial killer's head and an innocent woman whose life has been ripped from her and whose present season of recovery is being trespassed. You describe the love of an adoring niece for her mourning auntie and this connects the reader to the prologue and adds another level of emotion to this already captivating plot. What a book! I have to say 'wow' because your writing style is so picturesque. You show a every detail to plainly. I was captured right away. The showing is real and to telling, which is a top virtue in any real book. The main character Stephanie has a sassy attitude underneath all of the hurt. Her story is heart breaking and so deep I felt her agony. This is a worthy read. O.N. Stefan, this one is so chilling and well written. The villain jumps off the page at the reader and scare the bejeebers out of you. You descriptions of the lab scene in the first chapter are right on and her getting the poem was quite spooky. The conflict of the mother and Puddles was well done showing just the type of upbringing or lack of this man had. High stars! I think you have a great novel here. The prologue is intense and urged me to keep reading, as well as setting the stage for when she discovers the pictures to give a sensation of malice. Your voice is exciting and the dialogue is good. It does seem more formal at times, but that is to be expected when having highly educated characters. I especially like your detailed descriptions and the use of medical terminology.
Bound by Lies
Gretta Mulrooney - 2017
The chief character is so well defined and so likeable. The story was intriguing and had plenty of twists and turns. ” Julia Corbett “Swift is a good character, suitable for people who like PD James, the story is believable and comes together well.” “Absolutely loved this book! Extremely well written with believable characters and lots of twists!” E. Boisvert “Excellent mystery, well drawn characters, and a great storyline.” Suki Anne Perfect for fans of Robert Galbraith, Paula Hawkins, P.D. James, or Ruth Rendell. IN THIS THREE-BOOK BOXSET: BOOK 1: THE LADY VANISHED A missing woman holds the key to a valuable inheritance Florence Davenport hires Swift to find her missing stepmother. There are no leads and no suspects, but if the body is found, Florence will inherit half of a very valuable house. BOOK 2: BLOOD SECRETS Fifteen years ago a teenage boy, Teddy Bartlett, went to a woods on the outskirts of London and was beaten to a pulp and left damaged for life. The police never found who did it or why he was targeted. Now, the boy’s father, recently returned from Australia, wants to find out what really happened to his son. He hires private detective Tyrone Swift to investigate the tragic crime. BOOK 3: TWO LOVERS, SIX DEATHS A man stabs his girlfriend to death. Then hangs himself, leaving a note confessing to the murder. Open and shut case? Not for detective Tyrone Swift Dominic Merrell’s estranged wife Georgie doesn’t believe that he could have done it. Detective Swift discovers that Dominic was a reliable, devoted husband and father for eighteen years until he met the beautiful, charismatic Lisa, who he left his wife for. No one can believe that Dominic was capable of murder. But if it wasn’t him, then who killed the seductive but chaotic Lisa? THE DETECTIVE Tyrone Swift is an ex-police detective who now works privately. He’s survived a stabbing and his fiancée running off with another man. Swift's personal life is complicated. He is still involved with his ex-wife Ruth. THE SETTING The streets of London with their vibrant mix of nationalities, cultures, and rich and poor are beautifully evoked. From the quiet suburbs with their veneer of happy family life, to the bustling centre with refugees struggling to survive, to exclusive penthouses where the rich can have anything they want delivered. THE AUTHOR Gretta is a critically acclaimed author of best-selling detective and literary fiction. 'Mulrooney has a real gift for dialogue, the words and phrases ring true and make her characters wonderfully real . . .