Book picks similar to
DETECTIVE JACK DAWES BOOKS 1–5 five gripping crime mysteries full of twists by Frances Lloyd
thrillers-mysteries
z-i-england
1-shelved
crime
We'll Meet Again
Elise Darcy - 2020
A resident with a secret past. A woman starting over, unsure what the future holds.Working as an Occupational Therapist in a busy London hospital, Cassie loves her job but is looking forward to early retirement in five years when she reaches fifty. However, her husband has other ideas…Suddenly single, Cassie needs a fresh start. Responding to an ad for a live-in position, Cassie arrives at Fletchling Hall, a grand stately home, its corridors echoing with stories from the past.Her new position seems too good to be true, living in a cottage in the grounds, the commute into work a glorious stroll through the gardens to the imposing house in the Sussex countryside.In the cellar, a forgotten diary has languished undisturbed for nearly seventy years. When Cassie discovers the diary, she unravels the heartfelt story of two young souls from the war years, and a little boy called Ted, a young evacuee. It reveals the surprising connection Cassie, a Canadian, has to the house and its resident.An unforgettable tale of a secret spanning decades, love found, and the importance of belonging.
A Flicker in the Night
John Dean - 2005
Yet despite the culprit, Reginald Morris, being safely behind bars in a high-security mental hospital, a new series of attacks occurs. Blizzard is flummoxed. Has Morris found someone to do his bidding on the outside? Is this a personal vendetta? A copycat? The only clue to the killer’s identity is obscure poetry that is being sent to Hafton police station. But is it just the work of a deranged mind who enjoys taunting the police, or someone hell-bent on revenge? Will Blizzard piece together the puzzle before there is another flicker in the night? A FLICKER IN THE NIGHT is the seventh murder mystery by John Dean to feature hard-hitting crime solver John Blizzard. The full list of previous books is as follows: 1. THE LONG DEAD 2. STRANGE LITTLE GIRL 3. THE RAILWAY MAN 4. THE SECRETS MAN 5. A BREACH OF TRUST 6. DEATH LIST All of these books are FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback.
THE INSPECTOR RAVENSCROFT MYSTERIES six captivating historical murder mysteries
Kerry Tombs - 2020
Death's Disciple
James Whitworth - 2013
Mabel Downing has been brutally murdered.She has been strangled -- and her mouth filled with cassette tape and a copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been left next to her body.There is one obvious suspect - Charlotte Sanderson who discovered the body.But Miller has been having a relationship with Charlotte - and refuses to believe she could be guilty of such a terrible crime. But if not her, who is the killer?Is Miller allowing his personal life to interfere with the investigation?What is the connection to Dracula - the Victorian gothic masterpiece partly set in the Yorkshire coastal town? And will the murderer strike again?Miller has to find out - before it is too late. 'Death’s Disciple' is a gripping contemporary crime novel set in the North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. It is the first in a series featuring Detective Inspector Miller and is perfect for fans of Peter James and Ian Rankin. "An intricate, compelling crime story that kept me turning the pages." - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade-Off'. "You can taste the salt in the air...and the fear." - Robert Foster, best-selling author of 'The Lunar Code'. James Whitworth is a writer and cartoonist, Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
A Dear Abby Cozy Mystery Collection Books 1 - 3: End of the Lane, Be Still My Heart and The Last Ride
Sonia Parin - 2018
Instead of writing about the weekend bake sale, she has to give a statement to the police. It seems the small town of Eden is not the idyllic place she'd imagined it to be. There's a killer on the lose but the finger of suspicion is pointed at Abby. Be Still My Heart (Book 2) Abby Maguire is in a rut and in desperate need of a scoop, not another dead body, but that’s what she gets. After witnessing an altercation between two Eden Thespian rivals, Abby Maguire, the town’s new reporter, hopes the annual Eden picnic fundraiser will be the perfect venue for her to witness some fireworks. Everyone has turned up, and everyone is dressed in 1920s costumes, including the dead body she finds. The Last Ride (Book 3) A carousel. A body. An inheritance. Eden’s local café owner, Joyce Breeland, has issued Abby Maguire an ultimatum - the small-town newspaper reporter must find the identity of the Eden Bloggess or be banned from Joyce’s café. Functioning on limited coffee rations, Abby Maguire goes in search of this elusive blogger only to stumble upon a body and a mysterious inheritance. There’s a killer on the loose and he might be working his way through a list… I LOVE this book. The writing flowed, the story drew me in immediately and the characters were incredibly likable. Abby flies halfway around the world to start a new life as a small-town newspaper reporter in Australia. Her first assignment is supposed to be about cake, of all things, but instead she finds herself investigating the murder of her new boss. This is sincerely the perfect cozy mystery. It is fast-paced, lighthearted, fun and engaging. I will be keeping my eye out for more books by Sonia Parin. (End of the Lane) Amazon Reviewer A hilarious cozy!!! I love Doyle! A small town, a reporter and a dog. Throw in murder and stir with a lot of sugar Well written with a good story line (Be Still My Heart) Amazon Reviewer I love this writer and especially this series in Australia. The characters are real and funny. They relate to each other. There is consistency between the books. (The Last Ride) Amazon Reviewer
Up to No Good
Marsha Cornelius - 2016
Because she and her husband, Brian, work together, they have little to talk about. And the heat between the sheets has definitely cooled. Her only diversion these days seems to be the usual neighborhood gossip. She likes to think she's inquisitive. Brian says she's a snoop.Lately, her nosy nature has escalated. She's gotten it into her head that a house down the road might be used to make adult films. Her clues? The blinds are always drawn, and there are never any garbage cans at the curb. She’s determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, but if her snooping keeps uncovering unexpected dirt, it may very well be the last thing she ever does.
Slater and Norman Mystery Novels: Box Set One.
P.F. Ford - 2020
If this was a TV series, it would be the perfect Sunday evening drama. The books in this UK based series have accumulated hundreds of reviews, with almost 90% of reviewers giving 4 and 5 stars. This collection includes the first four books in the series (and you get them for the price of two!): Book 1: Death Of A Temptress Ruth Thornhill went missing six months ago. According to the evidence, she ran off with another man, so the Met closed the case. However, Slater’s enquiries soon find inconsistencies in the original investigation, and after a near-fatal encounter with a London bus, he realises the stakes are far higher than he imagined. An unlikely ally, in the form of fellow scapegoat DS Norman Norman, helps him uncover disturbing connections between the missing woman, a Chinese businessman, a glossy magazine, an online escort agency, a top London banker and senior officers from London’s Serious Crime Unit. The two uncover a mire of corruption, blackmail, deception and possibly the most cunning murder ever seen. The evidence stacks up against one particular suspect and Slater and Norman close in, but as with most things in Slater’s life, nothing is ever simple. Book 2: Just A Coincidence In the sleepy Hampshire town of Tinton, major crime is rare, and DS Slater and colleague Norman Norman find themselves with nothing to investigate except a flasher and an illiterate counterfeiter. Things are so quiet Slater even arranges to go on his long-awaited date with bombshell waitress Jelena. But things can change in a matter of seconds, and a dog walker’s discovery of a battered body near a local woodland sends Slater and Norman hurrying to the scene. Before they know it, they have three dead bodies on their hands, and the victims are all related. But with 15 years between the murders, is this just a bizarre coincidence, or could the murders be linked? With tensions rising within their close-knit team, can Slater and Norman keep it together to solve their latest mystery? Book 3: Florence When a little old man is found dead in his home, DS Dave Slater assumes he was simply the victim of a tragic accident. He lived alone, after all, and didn’t seem to have any living relatives. But after some strange occurrences at the old man’s home, Slater finds himself probing deeper. He soon discovers that someone seems to be looking for something, but what was the lonely old man hiding, and why is someone so desperate to find it? And then there’s Florence, a ghost-like figure who is occasionally spotted around town in the early hours of the morning. Slater can’t shake off the feeling she is linked, somehow. But how, and why? Book 4: The Wrong Man When Diana Woods is found stabbed to death in her kitchen, DS Slater and DS Norman Norman are plunged into another major investigation. The finger of suspicion quickly points at Diana’s estranged husband, Ian, a bully who regularly abused his wife. But as Slater learns more, he begins to wonder if everything is as it seems. When a new suspect appears on the scene, it seems that Slater’s instincts were right. But the evidence seems just a bit too convenient, and Slater and Norman have to face the possibility that their suspect is being framed, and they could be back to square one.
Clint Wolf Boxed Set: Books 4 - 6
B.J. Bourg - 2018
Ditching his paddle for a pistol, he rejoins the Mechant Loup Police Department, but this time as their chief investigator, and he works beside Police Chief Susan Wilson as they seek to solve the mystery in the canal. While it isn’t odd to find drowned bodies floating in the vast waterways of Louisiana from time to time, it is unusual to find a body with six bullet holes in its back. This first case back for Clint won’t be a walk in the park, but a blue truck and a single piece of paper might be the key to everything. The only problem? The truck has seemingly vanished into thin air and no one can find the piece of paper. BUT NOT FOR NAUGHT The only thing worse than being stabbed in the back is being shot in the back; and that’s exactly what happens to local bar owner Mitch Taylor. As Clint Wolf and Susan Wilson investigate, the list of suspects begins to grow and it includes the victim’s estranged wife. Just when it appears Clint is closing in on the killer, things takes a surprising turn and the entire complexion of the case is changed. As though the twist in the case weren’t enough, Clint finds an old photograph that turns his personal life on its head and sets him on a dual quest for answers. Not only is he interrogating suspects, but he also interrogates his mother, and he begins to wonder what will be more difficult—discovering the secret to his past or solving Mitch Taylor’s murder. One thing is certain…no one will be the same after this is over. BUT NOT FORBIDDEN The only thing Clint Wolf and Susan Wilson want to do is get married, but when a man is murdered in a most embarrassing way--shot to death while sitting on a porta potty--their wedding plans are placed in serious jeopardy. With only eight days to go until they say their vows, Clint and Susan go to work trying to find out who might want to kill the victim. There are a number of likely suspects and they all seem to have good reasons for wanting the man dead, but Clint and Susan must figure out who hated him the most. As they work their way through the evidence in search of the truth, they are unknowingly headed for a deadly confrontation. Before it's all over, bullets will start flying and people are going to die...and if they're not careful, one of them might not make it to the altar.
The Guernsey Novels :Books 1-3: (The Guernsey Novels Box Set No. 1)
Anne Allen - 2018
DANGEROUS WATERS - Tragedy seems to follow Jeanne Le Page around . . . Can she really go through it again and survive? She is lucky to be alive … at sixteen Jeanne was almost killed in a boating accident which brought heart-breaking family tragedy. Now, fifteen years later, Jeanne returns reluctantly to the island of Guernsey following the death of her beloved grandmother. Struggling for breath as the ferry nears the island; she is overwhelmed by a dark foreboding as hazy memories of that terrible day resurface… Only returning to sell her inheritance - her grandmother’s old cottage - Jeanne has no intention of picking up her old life. But the cottage holds a secret, dating back to World War II and the German Occupation, and Jeanne becomes drawn into discovering more. Then, soon after her arrival, a chance meeting with an old teenage crush leads her to thoughts of love. Jeanne is forced to face her demons, reliving the tragedy as her lost memory returns. When the truth is finally revealed, her life is endangered for the second time… FINDING MOTHER - Three women. Three generations. Sacrifices for love… Who is she really? Nicole is about to find out as she searches for her real mother; the woman who gave her away at birth. With her marriage in tatters, she sets out from England: travelling to Spain, Jersey and Guernsey before the extraordinary story of her real family is finally revealed. Nicole becomes an unwitting catalyst for change in that family. Two women are forced to reveal long-buried secrets. One going back as far as the Second World War. Lives are transformed as choices have to be made and the past laid to rest… GUERNSEY RETREAT - Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection… A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past. Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger - for them both. Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. Malcolm's journey is more complicated: conceived in Guernsey, his bereaved mother emigrates with him to Canada. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. This was his father's home and where he was killed at the start of the Second World War. At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice. Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing… REVIEWS "I regard Anne Allen's Guernsey novels as an indulgent treat: they're seriously easy to read, with some great characters and a brilliant island location which is used to full advantage: you really feel as though you're there. Allen has a subtle insight into the dynamics of dysfunctional families - the ones with quirks in their history - and the independent people they give birth to." Bookbag "The island of Guernsey is so vividly evoked, one feels as if one is walking its byways. An atmospheric and tantalising read." -- Elizabeth Bailey, author of The Gilded Shroud. "A sensitive, heartfelt novel about family relationships, identity, adoption, second chances at love… With romance, weddings, boat trips, lovely gardens and more, Finding Mother is a dazzle of a book,
Kansa: (Book 1 - The Killer Trilogy) The Professor Black Series
Prassant Kevin - 2017
Original. Spine-Chilling and a perfect start to the TRILOGY." OVER A SPAN OF TEN YEARS, HE KILLED FORTY PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEN VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE. AFTER FIVE YEARS OF SILENCE, HE IS BACK AGAIN, SEEKING HIS NEXT VICTIM. ONLY ONE MAN CAN STOP HIM - PROFESSOR BLACK. Maher was found unconscious in the middle of the highway and later, in the hospital, she revealed that she had escaped from a killer's house. All the details and patterns matched the serial killer 'Kansa,' who had disappeared five years ago after murdering forty pregnant women. ACP Saargi Desai was assigned to the case. She appealed to her department to bring back Professor Black to help her catch the killer. The Professor, who had a haunting past that had kept him away from the world of crime and investigation for several years, was not willing to take on this case. But the ACP managed to convince him to get on board just for this one last time. Soon after agreeing to help, the Professor realized that for the first time in his life, he had met his match. As he dug deeper into the case, everything got dirtier, the stakes went higher, and nothing was what it seemed.
Hunt Evil
Julia Derek - 2018
Not only is his mother an escaped prisoner out to kill him, but he also suspects that his precocious half sister, four-year-old Neera, has inherited their mom's psychopathic tendencies. When Neera's father suddenly dies from a heart attack, Shane's even more convinced that Neera is a budding psychopath; after all, she triggered the deadly heart attack. The authorities reject the idea that Neera tried to hurt her father on purpose, but Shane sees increasing signs that something is wrong. He refuses to give up on her, though, believing he can fix her by raising her right. Before he can get far, Neera suddenly disappears and it turns out their mother has kidnapped the girl. Why, he can't be sure, but it's hardly for a good reason. Will Shane be able to find them before it's too late?NOTE: HUNT EVIL is the final book in the Evil Trilogy. While the books are stand-alones, they are best enjoyed in order. So start with BORN EVIL.
The Essential Margery Allingham Collection: Sweet Danger, Traitor's Purse, The Tiger in the Smoke (The Albert Campion Mysteries)
Margery Allingham - 2017
And the rumours are true: Jack Havoc, charismatic outlaw, knife-wielding killer and ingenious jail-breaker, is on the loose once again. As Havoc stalks the smog-cloaked alleyways of the city, it falls to Albert Campion to hunt down the fugitive and put a stop to his rampage – before it’s too late… The Tiger in the Smoke can rank with any of the great thrillers in English literature. It conveys an understanding of goodness and evil more assuredly than any of them. More than an outstanding mystery, Margery Allingham has created a major novel. Traitor's Purse Celebrated amateur detective Albert Campion awakes in hospital accused of attacking a police officer and suffering from acute amnesia. All he can remember is that he was on a mission of vital importance to His Majesty’s government before his accident. On the run from the police and unable to recognise even his faithful servant or his beloved fiancee, Campion struggles desperately to put the pieces together while the very fate of England is at stake. Tightly plotted and perfectly drawn, Traitor’s Purse is an enduring classic of wartime fiction. Sweet Danger Nestled along the Adriatic coastline, the kingdom of Averna has suddenly – and suspiciously – become the hottest property in Europe, and Albert Campion is given the task of recovering the long-missing proofs of ownership. His mission takes him from the French Riviera to the sleepy village of Pontisbright, where he meets the flame-haired Amanda Fitton. Her family claim to be the rightful heirs to the principality, and insist on joining Campion’s quest. Unfortunately for them, a criminal financier and his heavies are also on the trail – the clock is ticking for Campion and his cohorts to outwit the thugs and solve the mystery of Averna.
The Witches of Wormwood Mysteries: Books 1 - 5
Ruby Loren - 2019
Lee. Not many people move to Wormwood. The witches aren’t welcoming. The fortunetellers are frauds. And the recent murder is only going to make things worse. Hazel Salem just wanted a story for her magazine. Instead, she finds herself at the centre of an investigation that’s about to turn into a witch hunt. If someone doesn’t solve this murder - and fast - it will be out of the cauldron and into the fire for Wormwood’s witches. If you love talking cats, smart mysteries, and snarky humour, you’ll love this series. Pick up these page-turning witch mysteries today!