Book picks similar to
Behind Closed Doors by Brian L. Porter


thriller
ripper
mayhem_mystery_mu<br/>rder
shelf-p-authors

Dragon Teeth


Michael Crichton - 2017
    Warring Indian tribes still populate America's western territories, even as lawless gold-rush towns begin to mark the landscape, and two paleontologists pillage the Wild West, hunting for dinosaur fossils while surveilling, deceiving, and sabotaging each other.Into this treacherous territory plunges William Johnson, a student who has joined world-renowned paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh on his latest expedition. But when Marsh becomes convinced that William is spying for his nemesis, Edwin Drinker Cope, he abandons him in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a locus of crime and vice.William joins forces with Cope and soon stumbles upon a discovery of historic proportions. With this extraordinary treasure, however, comes exceptional danger, and Johnson's newfound resilience will be sorely tested..

Jeff Edwards Military Thriller 3-Book Box Set


Jeff Edwards - 2018
    With the world hovering on the brink of war, a handful of U.S. Navy warships must track down and destroy a wolfpack of state-of-the-art submarines.The adversary is skilled in deception and incredibly lethal. Out-gunned, out-maneuvered, and out-thought, the U.S. Navy crews must throw the rulebook out the window, to become every bit as devious and deadly as their enemy.The Seventh Angel (Book #2) The world has forgotten the true nature of terror. It’s about to be reminded.A military revolt in southeastern Russia puts a former hard-line Soviet leader in command of a ballistic missile submarine and its arsenal of nuclear weapons. His goal: re-ignite the communist revolution and recapture the glory of the fallen Soviet Union. Without warning, Russia, Japan, and the United States become hostages in a scheme of international nuclear blackmail. When the warheads start falling and people begin dying, no one can pretend that it’s a bluff.As the earth rushes toward extinction, a lone U.S. Navy warship must penetrate the Siberian ice pack to destroy the submarine before it can destroy the world.It may already be too late.Sword of Shiva (Book #3) A single spark can ignite a war that consumes the world.Three Tibetan rebels attack a train carrying Chinese soldiers into the Tibet Autonomous Region. The insurgents escape across the Himalayas into India, unaware that the son of China’s First Vice-Premier lays maimed and dying among the burning wreckage of the train.As an escalating series of retaliations drive China and India toward outright war, hostilities spill over into the sea, and the Bay of Bengal becomes a crucible of naval warfare.The president of the United States orders a U.S. Navy strike group into the area as a stabilizing force, but the situation between the two nations has already deteriorated beyond any hope of peaceful resolution.With Asia sliding toward annihilation, a small force of U.S. warships must defeat the Chinese Navy to preempt the coming firestorm.The fuse has already been lit.

The Annie Szabo Mystery Series Vol 1-3


Meredith Blevins - 2016
    Now you can get Meredith Blevins’s entire 3-book Annie Szabo Mystery series— two of which were Library Journal’s TOP FIVE picks in two successive years-- at the irresistible price of $6.99! Freelance journalist Annie Szabo has a way of attracting… unusual experiences. Together with her pushy mother-in-law Madame Mina, the combination is as combustible as a Gypsy funeral. These two are as funny as they are clever, and their hilariously querulous relationship is the real fun of the supernatural cozy series.Once you marry into a Gypsy clan, just try to get out! Annie Szabo loved her husband, but after his death, she was only too happy to leave his outrageous clan behind, especially Madame Mina, tarot reader, psychic advisor, and philosopher – with her signature accessories: a man (or two) and her red pumps. Some might call them madcap, zany, eccentric; but really one word says it all: Gypsy. Well, that, and juicy: pulsing with the rhythms – and juices – of life, birth, and death, with the California wine country wind in your hair."Fascinating gypsy lore, unforgettable characters and a wicked sense of humor distinguish Blevins's highly unusual mystery debut... This stellar first, with its assured prose, will delight any mystery fan.” – Publishers Weekly in a STARRED REVIEW. THE HUMMINGBIRD WIZARD When her oldest friend and former brother-in-law, Jerry, turns up dead, Annie’s plunged back into the family she tried to leave behind. Annie knows Jerry’s murder was not the random street robbery the police believe it to be, but how is she supposed to prove it? As Annie turns amateur detective, THE HUMMINGBIRD WIZARD turns sexy. Truth to tell, it’s probably one of the sexiest mysteries you're ever going to read, but not because it's explicit--there’s just something about that…wizard. Lawyers, criminals, kink, aerial artistry, magic, and more murder mysteries, coupled with Blevins’s trademark humor, make for a delicious—and very funny-- supernatural cozy, with a healthy dose of romance. THE VANISHED PRIESTESS Annie is heartbroken when her neighbor and good friend, Margo Spanger, the owner-operator of a New Age circus that helps support a home for abused women, is murdered. She’s also frightened—her own daughter is an abused wife who’s a resident of Margo’s project. Along with Annie’s grandson.The plot thickens as quickly as a roux-- Margo's partner, Lili, goes missing the day of Margo's death, causing the shelter to fall into disarray, thus threatening its residents, and the detective team of Annie and Madame Mina swings into action!A fast, funny, and very original paranormal murder mystery. THE RED HOT EMPRESS Nudged by her Gypsy mother-in-law, Madame Mina, freelance journalist Annie Szabo writes an article about Jimmy Qi, an Asian boy with the power to heal through music, which is right down the Szabos’ paranormal alley. But their good intentions soon put the youngster in danger. Everyone, it seems, wants a piece of the rising star of San Francisco's Chinatown—including a shady evangelist, the FBI, the tongs, and a man who talks to dolphins. After two suspicious deaths, Annie and Jimmy go on the lam, not knowing whom to trust or why.

The Last Passenger


Manel Loureiro - 2013
    Assembling a team of experts and sparing no expense, he aims to precisely recreate the circumstances of the Valkyrie’s doomed final voyage. Little does Feldman or his team know that the ship has an agenda of its own. As the Valkyrie begins to weave its deadly web, Kate realizes that she must not only save herself, but the world as she knows it.

Her Last Breath


Hilary Davidson - 2021
    However, her sorrow turns to bone-chilling confusion when she receives a message Caroline sent days earlier warning that her death would be no accident. Long used to being a pariah to her family, Deirdre covers her tattoos and heads to Manhattan for her sister’s funeral.The message claimed Caroline’s husband, Theo, killed his first wife and got away with it. Reeling from the news, Deirdre confronts Theo on the way to the cemetery, and he reveals both his temper and his suspicion that Deirdre’s “perfect” sister was having an affair.Paranoid and armed with just enough information to make her dangerous, Deirdre digs into the disturbing secrets buried with Caroline. But as she gets closer to the truth, she realizes that her own life may be at risk…and that there may be more than one killer in the family.

The Devil Died at Midnight


Cheryl Bradshaw - 2017
    The original edition can be found here True crime writer Alexandria Weston has been keeping a deadly secret for twenty-five years. A secret she plans to take to the grave.When Alexandria is found murdered on the last stop of her book tour for The Devil Wakes, a story about the life and death of serial killer Elias Pratt, fellow writer Joss Jax steps in to investigate.Joss's search reveals disturbing details from Alexandria's past and a long list of enemies, each with a secret to hide. Just when Joss believes she has discovered the identity of Alexandria's killer, a detail about Elias Pratt rises to the surface, revealing the truth behind Alexandria's mysterious death.Enjoy books by Gillian Flynn and Sue Grafton? You'll love the creative mind of Cheryl Bradshaw.Readers are saying:"The ending was a surprise.""Bradshaw is an author I can always rely on to entertain.""If you love a good story, this is a must."

The Shut Mouth Society


James D. Best - 2008
    Their research launches them into a dangerous struggle with a secret society formed during Reconstruction. Before they can solve the mystery surrounding the Lincoln manuscript, a shocking murder forces them to run for their lives. As they race across the country, they discover a Civil War secret that could upset the balance of power in North America. Now Evarts and Baldwin must unravel the 150-year-old conspiracy before it’s too late … and before they are silenced for good.

Above the Bridge


Deborah Garner - 2012
    However, it's not long before her instincts tell her there's more than a basic story to be found in the popular, northwestern Wyoming mountain area. A chance encounter with attractive cowboy Jake Norris soon has Paige chasing a legend of buried treasure, passed down through generations.From the torn edge of a water-damaged map to the mysterious glow of an antler arch, Paige will follow clues high into the mountainous terrain and deep into Jackson's history. Side-stepping a few shady characters who are also searching for the same hidden reward, she will have to decide who is trustworthy and who is not.

A Cape May Diamond


Larry Enright - 2012
    I’ll never forget that day. The Vietnam War had ended with the fall of Saigon that April, and the world was mired in one of its worst recessions ever. Unemployment in the United States was nearly nine percent, inflation even higher, and leadership lacking. The Watergate scandal had cast a smear across American politics, resulting in Richard Nixon’s resignation in August 1974 to avoid impeachment, and his successor’s immediately pardoning him to close the book on an unhappy chapter in U.S. history.It was not a good time for anyone and a particularly hard time for the old Victorian town of Cape May. The crown jewel of the New Jersey shore had fallen into neglect and disrepair and was dying a slow death. Once the elegant summer home to presidents and kings, it had become the last refuge of the deposed.That’s where I met Tom Ryan. Tom was a king, or so he would have you believe, but unlike Richard Nixon, when Tom was dethroned, he wasn’t sent home with a slap on the wrist. He was sent to prison. He was a convicted draft dodger, but one of the lucky ones released early by President Ford as part of his mass clemency after Nixon’s pardon. The problem was, Tom had nowhere to go when he got out, so he took the money his dad mailed to him and spent it on a bus ticket to get as far away as possible to a place where nobody cared who he was or what he had done, a place where nobody cared about anything. That place was Cape May.As hard a time as it was for everyone, it was harder for me because that was the day I met Tom Ryan. I should have turned and walked away. I knew it when he first looked at me, but I didn’t, not my first mistake, but one that would make Monday, May 19th, 1975 the hardest day of my life. This is the story of how Tom Ryan and I met and how things never quite work out the way you think. You might find a love story in here somewhere. You might not. You might find a message hidden in one of the nickel pop bottles collected by the beachcombers from some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world. You might even find a little mystery, but life is a mystery, isn’t it?

Neighborly


Ellie Monago - 2018
    Minutes from the city, affluent without pretension, low crime with a friendly vibe—it’s everything Kat never had, and that she’s determined to provide for her infant daughter. Snagging a nice bungalow in this exclusive enclave was worth all the sacrifice. But everything changes overnight when Kat finds a scrawled note outside their front door.That wasn’t very neighborly of you.As increasingly sinister and frighteningly personal notes arrive, each one stabs deeper into the heart of Kat’s insecurities, paranoia, and most troubling, her past. When the neighbors who seemed so perfect reveal their open secret, the menace moves beyond mean notes. Someone’s raising the stakes.As suspicious as she is of every smiling face and as terrified as she’s become of being found out, Kat is still unprepared for the sharp turn that lies just ahead of her on Bayberry Lane.

The Missing Sister


Elle Marr - 2020
    The body of her estranged twin sister, Angela—the possible victim of a serial killer—has been pulled from the Seine. Putting what’s left of her life on hold, Shayna heads to Paris. But while cleaning out Angela’s apartment, Shayna makes a startling discovery: a coded message meant for her alone… Alive. Trust no one. Taking the warning to heart, Shayna maintains the lie. She makes a positive ID on the remains and works to find out where—and why—her missing sister is hiding. Shayna retraces her sister’s footsteps, and they lead her down into Paris’s underbelly.As she gets closer to the truth—and to the killer—Shayna’s own life may now be in the balance…

Sins of the Father: A Mafia Thriller (The Consentino Crime Saga Book 1)


Vincent B. Davis II - 2019
    They’ve led a powerful and influential Mafia Borgata for generations, but when trouble with another family begins to develop, Alonzo Consentino must make an impossible decision.In an attempt to save his children from a life of crime and violence, Alonzo sets sail with his family for The Promised Land: America. But peace and safety don’t follow them for long. Will Alonzo be able to forget his past and create a new life, or will old habits die hard? Will his boys be able to live a different life, or will they follow in their father’s footsteps? Set against the backdrop of prohibition and The Great Depression, flapper girls and gangsters, Sins of the Father, the first book in the Consentino Crime Saga, is a Mafia thriller sure to keep the pages turning.

Children of the Fog


Cheryl Kaye Tardif - 2011
    Choose! Sadie O'Connell is a bestselling author and a proud mother. But her life is about to spiral out of control. After her six-year-old son Sam is kidnapped by a serial abductor, she nearly goes insane. But it isn't just the fear and grief that is ripping her apart. It's the guilt. Sadie is the only person who knows what the kidnapper looks like. And she can't tell a soul. For if she does, her son will be sent back to her in “little bloody pieces.” When Sadie's unfaithful husband stumbles across her drawing of the kidnapper, he sets into play a series of horrific events that sends her hurtling over the edge. Sadie's descent into alcoholism leads to strange apparitions and a face-to-face encounter with the monster who abducted her son--a man known only as...The Fog.

Remember Me?, Book One


Ian C.P. Irvine - 2020
    A real page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very, last, line!Two teachers are murdered, with the first killing publicly played out before hundreds of horrified spectators, and the other victim found dead only hours later.Having just returned to duty from his recent suspension, DCI McKenzie (Say You’re Sorry & The Assassin’s Gift) quickly discovers he’s dealing with a sick but highly intelligent serial killer.With a school reunion planned for that same night, in a race against time, McKenzie and his small team of investigators must use all their skills to track down the killer before more depraved murders take place, and more teachers from the school die.But as the hours roll by and the death toll mounts, McKenzie finds himself facing a genius mystery criminal who is always one step ahead of the police and somehow anticipating their every move. In the days that follow, the school campus becomes a maze of rooms and tunnels where new murders are discovered, and the death toll mounts.With surprising twists and turns at every stage, this is a ‘classic whodunnit ‘ that will keep you guessing to the very end. Can you spot who the killer is, or will they get away with the perfect murders?Remember me? You’ll never forget it!Book One of Two Parts: Please note that Book One continues seamlessly into and is concluded in Book Two. This is an excellent way to introduce yourself to this new and exciting author!-If you enjoy Book One, to continue the story you may then choose to download Book Two. Alternatively, readers are recommended to purchase the full omnibus edition containing both Book One and Book Two. Readers may now borrow Book Two free with Kindle Unlimited.

No Cry For Help


Grant McKenzie - 2010
    No reason. No ransom. No cry for help.Bus driver Wallace Carver fears the worst when his family fails to meet him at the Bellingham, Washington mall. His anxiety is justifiably heightened when security cameras unexplainably show that he crossed the Peace Arch border alone. Now all Wallace wants to do is get his wife and sons back. But first he has to work out why they were taken and by whom.“Think Harlan Coben on speed with a heart breaking compassion that will literally have you biting your nails." - Ken Bruen, best-selling author.“A terrific little-guy-in-big-trouble thriller.” - Lee Child, #1 NY Time bestselling author