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A Long Shadow by H.L. Marsay
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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.
Precious Things: Some things are worth killing for.
Marie Reyes - 2021
Trouble at Clenchers Mill
Diana J. Febry - 2019
Then the attacks started.Detained in the hospital after an unusual accident, he dismisses the claim his new wife is trying to harm him. He’s convinced the property attacks are the childish pranks of locals annoyed by his plans for Clenchers Mill. As a successful property developer, he’s seen it all before. Mindful of Alicia’s reluctance to involve the police he instructs Kate and Simon to make discreet inquiries.Kate and Simon are keen to find the culprit, but are inexperienced and blissfully unaware they are dealing with a determined killer toying with their prey before they strike. Their first case may prove to be their last.
Played to Death
B.V. Lawson - 2014
When a former client bequeaths Drayco a rundown Opera House in a Virginia seaside town, he figures he'll arrange for a quick sale of the place while nursing his battered soul in a peaceful setting near the shore. What he doesn't count on is finding a dead body on the Opera House stage with a mysterious "G" carved into the man's chest. With hopes for a quick sale dashed and himself a suspect in the murder, Drayco digs into very old and very dangerous secrets to solve the crime and clear his name. Along the way, Drayco must dodge a wary sheriff, hostility over coastal development, and the seductive wife of a town councilman - before the tensions explode into more violence and he becomes the next victim. Want to read a Scott Drayco novella for FREE? Sign up for BV’s Mysteries in Crimetime newsletter at bvlawson.com and receive a FREE copy of "The Maltese Moon Rock"! Scott Drayco Thrillers in order: PLAYED TO DEATH (A Shamus Award Finalist and Best Mystery, Next Generation Book Awards) REQUIEM FOR INNOCENCE DIES IRAE ELEGY IN SCARLET
The Rock: Murders In The Sun
Robert Daws - 2012
Gibraltar. 1966. In a fading colonial house overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar, the dead body of a beautiful woman lays dripping in blood. The steel handle of a knife protrudes from her chest, its sharpened tip buried deep within her heart. The Rock. Present day. Detective Sergeant Tamara Sullivan arrives on The Rock on a three-month secondment from the London Metropolitan Police Service. Her reasons for being here are not happy ones and she braces herself for a tedious and wasteful twelve weeks in the sun. After all, murders are rare on the small, prosperous and sun-kissed sovereignty of Gibraltar and catching murderers is what Sullivan does best. It is a talent she shares with her new boss, Chief Inspector Gus Broderick of the Royal Gibraltar Police Force. He's an old-fashioned cop who regards his new colleague with mild disdain. But when a young police constable is found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment, Sullivan and Broderick begin to unravel a dark and dangerous secret that will test their skills and working relationship to the limit. "Elegant storytelling, an original location and a fine sense of place. Robert Daws is a very promising addition to the exciting canon of 21st Century crime writers" Peter James, No 1 bestselling author of the 'Roy Grace' crime novels.
Murder on Vancouver Island
Kathy Garthwaite - 2019
Detective Inspector William Gibson of the Vancouver Island police investigates… The victim is found by a maintenance worker on the university campus. Despite being brutally murdered, there is a little other evidence; just a blood-spattered baseball bat and a condom placed under the body. When the police discover that the victim, Robbie Spencer, was a closet homosexual, DI Gibson becomes convinced it was a hate crime. However, co-workers are apparently nonplussed by the events, regarding the investigating officers with suspicion and disdain. Is the perpetrator one of them? Gibson concentrates on a party held at the university the night before, one that he in fact attended. A fight had broken out between the guests. Can the two events be linked? MURDER ON VANCOUVER ISLAND is free with Kindle Unlimited and coming soon in paperback. The sequel, MURDER AT LAKE ONTARIO, also featuring DI William Gibson, will be available soon on Kindle. If you enjoy crime fiction by Melinda Leigh, Rachel Caine, and Kendra Elliot, you’ll love this atmospheric murder mystery set against the stunning backdrop of Canada’s west coast.
Am I the Killer?
Dan Petrosini - 2015
The victim bullied Peter throughout his youth, and, on the night of the murder, he discovered the bully stole his fianceé while Peter served overseas.Detective Luca leads the investigation but believes the marine's inability to recall events on the fateful night are injury related and not an attempt by Peter to hide the truth.As political pressure to solve the case rises, Luca pursues other leads but evidence points at Peter. Even his brother, Vinny, who dropped everything to help his injured brother recover, begins to question Peter's guilt.Peter's lawyers, faced with a client either unwilling or unable to assist in his own defense, recommend he cop a plea. Frustrated, Luca attempts to move on but is haunted by an old case that fuels his obsession to determine the truth about what happened that night.
The Holy City Murders
Ron Plante Jr. - 2019
Thrust into the case of a lifetime when the Vatican comes calling and hires Duke to find an invaluable relic. Charleston is also hit with the mysterious murders of a prominent priest of St. Patrick's Cathedral and a local cop. Duke is forced into a partnership with the presiding detective, Johnny Stampkin, to find the relic and solve the murders. The case takes a multitude of twists and turns as they navigate through Roman Catholic puzzles, Civil War secrets, and a Nazi Assassin.
Ulterior Motives
Mark O'Neal - 2008
Louis Wolves. His team got bounced out of the NBA Playoffs, so he decided to come back to Chicago to visit his family Mother's Day weekend. However, someone from his past wanted to make him pay, so his stepfather was kidnapped for a million dollar ransom. He had 48 hours to raise the money or else his stepfather was dead. Will Maurice rescue his stepfather, or will the two of them fall victim to this band of ruthless thugs?This is a reedited and reformatted version of Ulterior Motives; and it contains bonus chapters, a more in-depth background of the main characters, and an alternate ending for your enjoyment. Relive the action and suspense in Volume 1 of this spellbinding series.
Aztec Odyssey: Historical Action Adventure
Jay C. LaBarge - 2020
Wracked by plague and war, the majestic Aztec empire begins to crumble. As their beloved capital city falls to the ruthless Spaniards and hordes of vengeful tribes, the Aztecs make a last-ditch attempt to secretly save their heritage before it’s lost to the sands of time forever.Meanwhile in the modern day, a string of high-profile robberies lays waste to archaeological sites and museums across Mesoamerica, overshadowed by a brewing nationalistic fervor which threatens to topple already fragile countries. Rumors say the artifacts hold the secret to a legendary myth—The Seven Cities of Cibola—which has concealed countless treasures for centuries.Faced with unraveling the mysteries of both the present and the past, aspiring archaeologist Nick LaBounty embarks on a dangerous mission to solve a long-held family mystery and discover the truth behind the stolen artifacts.He soon finds his fate irreversibly entangled with a civilization from over five hundred years ago. But time is running out, and the future of both a fabulous treasure—and all Central America—teeters precariously in the balance.
Voodoo Daddy
Thomas L. Scott - 2012
A team of serial snipers are on the loose. Their killing ground is the city. Their victims chosen at random. Or are they?With no witnesses and very little evidence, it's up to Virgil Jones and his team to find out who is behind the on-going massacre and stop them once and for all...if they can. But Virgil has his own problems, both personal and professional. Among them, a backlog of cases that require his attention, the sudden reappearance of his long lost friend who is a convicted felon, a downtown bar he co-owns with his father, and he is in love with Sandy Small, one of the investigators in his unit. With the entire population of the city of Indianapolis at risk, it's up to Virgil and Sandy to explore the dark places of a past where nothing is quite as it seems. As the clues begin to fall in place they paint a portrait of betrayal, deceit, blood-lust, and greed, and in the midst of it all, Virgil and Sandy make a personal discovery so profound it will change their lives forever.Voodoo Daddy is a story of life, love, murder and mystery; one that examines the depths of human emotions and the dark places they often lead us all.
The House of Closed Doors
Jane Steen - 2012
Yet Nell is determined to elude the duties and restrictions of matrimony. So when she finds herself pregnant at the age of 17, she refuses to divulge the name of the father and even her childhood friend Martin is kept in the dark.Nell's stepfather Hiram sends Nell to live at the Poor Farm of which he is a governor, to await the day when her baby can be discreetly adopted. Nell is ready to go along with Hiram's plans until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced that the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and the incident prompts her to rethink her decision to abandon her own child to her fate. But the revelations to which her questions lead make her realize that even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby, she may have no safe place to run to.
Corktown
Ty Hutchinson - 2012
Detroit Metro Police recognize the handiwork of the serial killer known as the Doctor. But there’s a problem with that. They locked him up seven years ago.Because of her expertise with serial killers, former hotshot detective and now FBI agent, Abby Kane, is tasked with figuring out how this madman is able to kill again. When she visits The Doctor behind bars, he swears he’s innocent and not the psychopath everyone thinks he is. Oddly enough, Abby believes him.Corktown dives headfirst into the grit of Detroit, exposing the government corruption and deadly violence that has haunted the city for decades.
Fire in Bone (Jake Pettman #2)
Wes Markin - 2021
A suspected child killer from a bygone era. And a schoolgirl washed up on the banks of the River Skweda.A storm is coming to Blue Falls, Maine.An unprecedented storm. And in the eye of the storm stands ex-detective Jake Pettman. A man desperate for sanctuary and desperate for the truth. But in a place of undying and heinous secrets, such desperations become dangerous.Both to yourself, and the people that you love. Fire in Bone is an adrenaline-pumping crime thriller novel from the Amazon bestselling author of One Last Prayer for the Rays, and the DCI Yorke series. Perfect for fans of Chris Carter, James Patterson, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.
Scar Tissue
David Skivington - 2013
Transported to a dingy basement in Kolkata to identify the body of her murdered husband she has no explanation for his presence in India. As she searches for answers about who the man she married really was she finds his death surrounded by allegations of drug smuggling, child trafficking and murder. Unsure of what is true and who she can trust, Rachel has no idea of the danger her husband's hidden life has put her in.