Book picks similar to
The Bearded Lady: From The Archer Files (A Vintage Short) by Ross Macdonald
crime-fiction
mystery
noir
short-story
Deadly Moves (From the Tales of Dan Coast Book 7)
Rodney Riesel - 2016
But when he returns to pick up his new ride, he gets an unwanted surprise. In Deadly Moves, the seventh installment in the Tales of Dan Coast Series, we also see the return of Officer Mel Gormin. Join Dan, Red, Mel, and Skip as they do their best to solve the murder of an elderly couple while working as bodyguards to a young starlet who is visiting Key West.
The Northminster Mysteries Books 4-6
Harriet Smart - 2019
Here, young Scottish surgeon Felix Carswell and Chief Constable Major Giles Vernon are tasked to uncover the truth in three complex tales of murder and detection set in Early Victorian England. The Hanging Cage Summoned to the bleak market town of Whithorne in the midst of a winter storm, Major Giles Vernon and police surgeon Felix Carswell are embroiled in another challenging investigation. A beautiful young heiress has been found dead in her bed, and although suicide seems the most likely cause, the circumstances soon point to a tangle of illicit relationships and painful secrets. As Major Vernon pursues the truth behind Annabella Barker's death, further shocking events soon unfold, including another suicide At the same time, called in to deliver a son and heir, Carswell is drawn into the affairs of the eccentric Yardley family at Whithorne Castle, but it is no distraction from his anxieties about his troubled relationship with Sukey Connolly. Major Vernon, for his part, unexpectedly encounters an old acquaintance and is forced to question both his past and his future. When a partial skeleton is found in a culvert, events begin to take a still darker turn, and Vernon and Carswell must pursue an unimaginable evil. As November floods threaten the bridges of Northminster itself, dangerous enemies emerge close to home and the struggle for justice becomes a matter of life and death. The Hanging Cage is the fourth Northminster Mystery, featuring early Victorian detectives Vernon and Carswell. The Ghosts of Ardenthwaite Something is amiss at Ardenthwaite. Ghostly apparitions have been seen, so terrifying that the mistress of the house and the servants have deserted the place. Colonel Parham, the tenant, asks his landlord Felix Carswell and Major Giles Vernon to determine what is going on. But their investigations soon takes an unexpected turn, leaving them in confusion and doubting their own sanity. Shortly afterwards, a man dies in Northminster Infirmary, the victim of a brutal and systematic attack which seems to point to dangerous criminal forces hitherto unknown in the city. Vernon has his suspicions as to who is behind it, and with Carswell's assistance he begins to unpick a complex network of alliances and enemies. Yet, as their best witnesses meet brutal fates, they are forced to face the grim possibility of failure. Having been forced into unpleasant compromises to gain access to the truth, Giles is further unsettled by the return of Emma Maitland to Northminster, now engaged to another man. As she assists him with the case, he begins to realise all that he has lost. For Felix Carswell, a bizarre and other-worldly encounter with a beautiful, spirited young woman throws up the possibility of an extremely advantageous marriage. Eleanor Blanchfort is an heiress and Lord Rothborough's ward. Has destiny brought them together as she suggests, and can Felix find the will to resist such a dazzling temptation? The Echo at Rooke Court Felix Carswell returns from his blissful wedding journey and is at once called to the bedside of a young man fighting for his life.
Final Whistle
J. Jackson Bentley - 2010
As Alex Carter tries to deal with the death of his friend he finds himself inextricably drawn into a world of ‘in play’ betting corruption that threatens everything he holds dear. Can he recover from injury and overcome depression quickly enough to save himself, his family and the game he loves? Only time will tell. J Jackson Bentley’s fast paced soccer thriller is authentic and absorbing as it races along at the speed of light, it is told in around 95,000 words.
THE DCI BLIZZARD MURDER MYSTERIES: Books 4 to 6
John Dean - 2019
A super value boxset! Comprising the fourth, fifth and sixth books in the Detective Chief Inspector John Blizzard series: THE SECRETS MAN, BREACH OF TRUST and DEATH LIST. THE SECRETS MAN Whilst detective John Blizzard looks into a series of drug-related deaths, his nemesis, gangland thug Morrie Raynor, is released from prison. Blizzard becomes convinced Raynor is linked to a new crime spree, but with little evidence other than the ravings of a sick, delirious man, the detective's colleagues suspect his personal feelings are clouding his judgement. A BREACH OF TRUST A corrupt industrialist is found dead. When his family shed crocodile tears, DCI John Blizzard turns the screw. But when their alibis check out, can his team track down the real killer among a long list of likely suspects? DEATH LIST An undercover detective is shot in his home. Later, police officers on a routine patrol are fired at. Someone has a big problem with law enforcement. DCI Blizzard starts a crackdown on his city’s most notorious gangsters. But is he in danger of rubbing the wrong people up the wrong way? Or is he already on the killer’s list? All three of these books are also available separately on Kindle and in paperback. This box set is available FREE with Kindle Unlimited. The first three books in the series, THE LONG DEAD, STRANGE LITTLE GIRL and THE RAILWAY MAN, are also available individually on Kindle and in paperback and as a box set on Kindle. If you enjoy mysteries that have you guessing until they end, you’ll love these books about hard-hitting detective John Blizzard and his team.
A VERY MODEL MURDER: An Inspector Rudolph Riley Mystery
Jack G. Hills - 2017
But to add further angst to the growing list of gruesome killings is his boss’ decision to re-open the cold case involving the disappearance of a school boy in what has become an annual test of endurance… The Ten Tors Race. Unsure why a twenty year old case has suddenly come to the top of his in tray, his suspicions are aroused further when the murder victims all appear to have been school friends of the missing boy. Adamant that coincidences don’t exist in police work Riley sets about trying to find the link between Sam Haldane’s disappearance and the recent killings, other than the obvious connection of friendship. Added to his troubles, is the presence in the area of a fugitive, who has his own ideas about revenge and justice and an unscrupulous developer, who wants to buy the land surrounding his farm and turn it into a theme park, with scant regard for the history or the people who were thrown off their land prior to D Day. With the disappearance of the schoolboy and the final showdown all set around the infamous Fox Tor Mire, which was allegedly the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Grimpen Mire in the Hound of the Baskervilles, the murderer is finally revealed but not without one final twist of the plot. But in all the blackness and soul searching there is one ray of brightness for Riley, and its one that will bring him a little closer to his brother and shows a different side to the curmudgeonly detective.
Animal Instincts
Chloe Kendrick - 2015
Literally. He talks to animals to see clues other people would overlook. Like when the proud owner of a pair of Scotties goes missing, Griff knows foul play has to be involved, because the dogs tell him there’s no way she’d leave her pampered pooches alone in the winter. But when he shows too much interest in what the Scotties have to say, an attractive police detective takes the wrong kind of interest in him. Viewing him as a possible suspect, she digs up secrets about Griff he would have preferred left buried. And that’s not even his biggest problem—taking the dogs into his home has made him a target of the victim’s abductor. This makes him scurry to solve the case, because as an expert on animal behavior, there’s one thing Griff knows to be true: the most dangerous animal is the human animal.
Murder in Disguise
Frances Lloyd - 2018
His face is smashed to an unrecognizable pulp.Most of the guests on that fatal evening are in costume, making the detectives’ task even more difficult.But the most baffling aspect for Detectives Harry Montague and Gavin Jones is that only one person staying in the new wing had registered under a genuine name and address.HOW CAN YOU CATCH A KILLER IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHO THE SUSPECTS REALLY ARE?Then another corpse is discovered.It will take some inspired sleuthing to catch the killer...WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FRANCES LLOYD“There are some unexpected twists in the plot and a few laughs along the way and the reader is kept guessing until all is revealed in the end.” Annie“A great book that you won't want to put down.” Alan“This murder mystery is a real page turner, I was hooked from start to finish. The descriptions of the Greek island were so vibrant I felt I was actually there.” AngelaALSO BY FRANCES LLOYDTHE DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JACK DAWES SERIESBook 1: THE GREEK ISLAND KILLERBook 2: THE BLUEBELL KILLERBook 3: THE SHETLAND KILLERBook 4: THE GALLOWS GREEN KILLER
Night Train: The Freeman Files Series: Book 9
Ted Tayler - 2020
Lines of Duty: Deputy Corus Mystery #1
Mark Hazard - 2019
The series you didn’t know you’ve been missing.
From lauded author Mark Hazard comes a new off-beat crime series about a man with one name, a hidden past, and an uncontrollable urge to root out villainy.
Mere weeks after returning from his final deployment, Corus is a cadet at an elite police academy in Seattle. While doing grunt work at a local precinct, he comes across a set of diamonds taken from the scene of an unsolved hit-and-run. Not only did the diamonds go unclaimed, but the still-living victim is nowhere to be found. When the diamonds turn out to be fakes, it’s one too many oddities in an attempted murder with no suspects.
Instincts forged in covert action plunge Corus headlong into criminal ranks, but taking the fastest route to answers runs roughshod over the delicate procedural approach he’s supposed to be learning. Corus knows he’s threatening his new life and career in the process, but putting the mission before self-preservation is the hardest habit of all to break.
The one man who can help Corus sort through his issues is the least likely of all. Albert Chu is a cheery and childlike cadet who's failing the academy but has a knack for getting into Corus' head. In trying to rein Corus in, he ends up proving his mettle, and together they fight to prevent multiple murders and foil a kidnapping plot, even while the eye of the law they hoped to serve is turned on their actions.Can Corus unite the lines of duty pulling him in different directions, or will he end up another casualty of the war he brought home?Through Corus’ journey runs a cracking mystery/crime story with humor, thrills, and a cast of well-drawn side characters, from small-time gangsters and rodeo riff-raff to Corus' wife who grapples with her own grifter impulses. The Deputy Corus series is precisely the blend of action and depth that readers of James Patterson and Lee Child are looking for.What readers are saying about the series:
“…Nuance of character development that is often lacking these days. - especially with books that deal with military or police.”
“A heck of a caper that'll make you laugh a lot more often than most crime novels.”
“Not at all the same cookie cutter outline that most crime writers follow for their main character. It's much more complex and enjoyable.”
"Exactly the story I was waiting for!"
"In Lines of Duty, Hazard paints a scene with his words that transported me into a new world and created thought-provoking and enticing dilemmas. This story is entertaining and engaging. I recommend Lines of Duty 100% to anyone who loves a good mystery."
"If you’re looking for a paint-by-numbers procedural, this isn’t the book for you, but if you crave deeply human crime drama with a fair share of thrills and humor, then this is a must-read."
“This series is as enjoyable as Lee Child’s Reacher books.”
Alien Disclosure: Experiencers Expose Reality
Lon Strickler - 2019
Earth’s evolving primate was selected by the Gods to be transformed into a being of their own design. There was no clear reason as to why this was occurring, but it would profoundly influence mankind into the present day. Over the past decade, it had become increasingly apparent to me that we are not alone as a single intelligent species in the cosmic ocean. But it has also become apparent that our Earth and overall humanity have attracted the attention of non-terrestrial entities over many millennia. Our history is intertwined with extraterrestrial beings. I truly believe that humans are a genetic extension of otherworldly races. I also believe that most of the alien entities that people encounter are biologically enhanced and evolved humans from our past and future. But we must always keep in mind; they do have an agenda. I believe that agenda is eventual technological and biological singularity. Human experiencers are providing us with actual accounts of alien abduction and close encounters. Their stories are important; giving us a real sense of this global phenomenon. My premise may become more understandable as you read this book. The experiences described in the accounts are brutally forthright. Some readers may be shocked by the details. But then again, I don’t believe that you would want me to present the information in any manner that isn’t consistent with the experiencers' actual encounters.
Umbrellas and Undertakers (An Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Book 21)
Diana Xarissa - 2022
Twelve Days of Trauma
Jasper Joshua West - 2019
They are on their way to visit his parents for Christmas, but they never arrive.Tim has an unshakable feeling that something will go horribly wrong even before they set off. What happens is far worse than he could have imagined.The tragedy that occurs sees grief-stricken Tim back in his investigator role, seeking justice.
She’s Only 15 part 2
Shameek Speight - 2018
After being gunned down during the opening of the center honoring her daughter’s memory, Yvonne awakes alive and more determined than she’s ever been to have the persons responsible for her pain and suffering brought to justice. Relentless in her quest to help other girls that find themselves in situations similar to Sophia’s and to bring attention to her cause, she’s gains an enemy in the Cartel; who are just as determined to eliminate the threat she’s become. Willing to risk it all, Yvonne continues in her fight, regardless of the cost; but will she pay with her life?
Hidden: Missing Moore
Celeste Granger - 2018
Did she have a family? Siblings? What were her parents like? All the questions any child being raised in another family would ask. Of course, Samantha tried to keep moving forward in her life; going to school, earning a degree, attending counseling to deal with the mixed emotions she had about actually finding the people who gave her away. Yet, she felt disconnected; and because of that, struggled to connect, even with the man who claimed to love her. Despite all the challenges, Samantha never stopped. She never gave up the search to find out who she really was.