Book picks similar to
SENTINEL by John Stanley


contemporary-fiction
mystery
a-pending-placement
crime-fiction

Abandoned


Lee Shepherd - 2015
    Drugged. Abandoned.A rural area in the north of England is put on edge as teenage girls start to go missing. The local authorities are stumped in their search for the one responsible.Charles Lee lives a very normal life, in stark contrast to his troubled past. Putting years of abuse, neglect and loss behind him, he has built a new life in the countryside with his beloved family and border collie. However, his past soon starts to haunt him as burned bridges are resurrected, old grievances resurface and a lust for revenge takes over.Will Detective Taylor and psychological profiler Georgina Riley suss out the clues and piece together the jigsaw in time to stop the disappearances?

Lore and Order


Steve K. Peacock - 2014
    The fire brigade have been doing their best, as have the other emergency services, but whoever is behind the fires has been systematically running them ragged. Whitehall is worried. Something doesn’t add up, so they’ve dispatched a warlock – a former illegal mage, pressed into service of the government to deal with matters of the arcane – to look things over. Jameson Parker is that warlock, and he’s pretty okay with that. His freedoms might be heavily restricted, and any unauthorised use of magic means he’ll be struck down dead instantly, but it could be worse. He gets more or less free rein to swan around Humberside like the big I am, and it gives him a way to atone for his less than stellar past. He’s better off without magic, and he knows it. But is magic better off without him? The warlocks of Humberside don’t seem to think so, and there are rumblings that, as well as the fires, something big is about to go down. Jameson is not best pleased.

Influence


Daniel Hurst - 2020
    But shortly after Ivy’s untimely death she is contacted by a secretive businessman who offers her the chance at the fame and fortune she so desperately craves.While Emily initially gets to experience the things she has always wanted, it soon becomes clear that her new employer had sinister motives for approaching her and it isn’t long before she discovers that the life of her dreams comes with the kind of conditions that are the stuff of nightmares. Social media isn’t life or death. It’s more important than that.

The Missing Ones


J.S. Donovan - 2017
    Donovan, author of "Kidnapped: A Small Town Mystery,” Roger Hayden, author of “The Abducted,” and James Hunt, author of “Deadly Webs and Stolen,” whose stories have collectively accumulated 400+ five-star reviews, come together in this SUPER BOX SET for the first time! That's FOUR BOOK SERIES totaling TWELVE NOVELS! Kidnapped – A Small Town Mystery Renowned Miami detective Anna Dedrick returns to her rural birthplace with hopes of leaving behind the vices of the big city. That dream shatters when the town’s pride--an African-American child prodigy--goes missing. As the only woman equipped for the job, Anna takes the case but soon discovers the town suspecting her estranged brother… and herself. Deadly Webs When a child goes missing the amount of resources that authorities use is substantial. Abduction cases are taken very seriously by all of the parties involved. None more so than by Chase Grant, a detective in Seattle’s eighteenth precinct. The clock starts the moment he gets the call from a parent, and the first twelve hours are crucial. Every move counts, and every choice matters. If he missteps, then a child might not come home. But today was different. He got a call about a missing child. And then another, and another, and another… Stolen- A Small Town Abduction Trust holds a small town together. When times are tough you know you can lean on your neighbor for help. But when a political movement splits the town of Barta, North Dakota in half, and a young girl goes missing, the trust is broken. Who took Kaley Hayes? The Abducted To solve a high-profile abduction, one former-police officer must confront a dark past.  A child’s abduction leads to a frightening pattern within a South Florida town where nothing is as it seems. Amidst the vast wetlands, suburban sprawl, and tropical heat, the Lee County police department knows what to expect on any given day. But when a serial child predator stakes his claim in the area, there is no knowing when and where he will strike. The parents of the latest victim are baffled to receive no ransom demands, given their wealth and influence. And the town is in an uproar as the girl marks the fifth child to vanish.

The Stages


Thom Satterlee - 2012
    When his beloved ex-girlfriend and mentor dies under odd circumstances and a priceless Kierkegaard manuscript goes missing, Daniel turns out to be the last person to have seen her alive. To clear his name, he must leave the safety of his books and venture out into the streets of Copenhagen.Reminiscent of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime, this mystery will keep readers guessing until the final page.

Uncommon Bravery (Tinker/Knight Adventures Book 1)


Jamie McFarlane - 2018
    An intrepid group of friends will stop at nothing to defend their home. A massive fleet of aliens arrived weeks back and have been battling it out with the combined fleets of mankind's most powerful nations. The war for humanity's very existence has begun and it's not going very well. With supremacy in orbit, the Kroerak empire has started the second phase of their invasion by sending in their armies. Lester Knight, Jeremy Tinker and Clara Daws have grown up in the sleepy little town, Elm Bluff on the western border of Iowa. Nothing much exciting every happens in Elm Bluff until suddenly it becomes a buffer between two armies. The town has only one chance of survival and that's if it can be cut off from the bugs. Read Uncommon Bravery and discover just how far a group of friends will go to protect their home.

A Marley the Witch Cozy Mystery Collection: Books 1-3


Amorette Anderson - 2020
    Marley Greene is an amateur witch who just wants everyone to get along.With her new retreat center up and running, she hopes to spread magic and healing to all who enter.What she doesn’t bargain for is how much trouble can go along with deep healing!Between mixing up mudbaths and arranging crystal grids, Marley finds herself trying to solve a mystery or two.After all, dead bodies are hardly good for business.Can Marley and her witch sisters keep everything under control?This paranormal cozy mystery boxset includes the first three Marley the Witch Mysteries.Book #1: The Strongman’s SpellBook #2: The Artist’s AlchemyBook #3: King Midas’ Magic

Comfort Cakes Cozy Mysteries, The Complete Series


Nancy McGovern - 2018
    So, ready for change and up for a challenge, she has decided to relocate to the beautiful coastal town of Swaddle, California to pursue her lifelong dream of opening her very own bakery! And, as a self-professed “Queen of Cakes”, she can’t wait to show the world what she can do! Sadly, not everyone shares her enthusiasm. While the majority of the locals are thrilled with her new Comfort Cakes Bake Shop, Rachel soon learns that the owner of a local café is determined to ruin her. Of course, business is business, and a bit of competition may even make things interesting! But when Rachel finds a dead body in her kitchen just before the Grand Opening and she is accused of the murder, she quickly realizes that this is more than a little friendly rivalry! Book 2, Guilt & Galaxy Cake: Rachel’s newest assignment is to create an enticing galaxy cake to celebrate the latest release from popular science fiction author, Stan Stickman. But when the legendary scribe is killed in a manner eerily reminiscent of a murder found in his own book, Rachel finds herself sucked into a vortex of mystery & deceit from which she seems unable to escape. Now, if she hopes to get out with her own life intact, she must figure out who is to blame for the deadly deed. And with a cast of suspects including an astronaut-turned-senator, an obsessed fan and even her own ex-boyfriend, she is in for a wild ride! Book 3, Strangulation & Strawberry Cake: When Rachel is hired to bake a special strawberry cake for Sheriff Scott’s grandmother’s 90th birthday, she works extra hard to make it as perfect as possible. After all, the sharp-eyed millionaire is known to have a hot temper & a short fuse. But, despite all of her hard work, there’s no way Rachel could have prevented this party from going awry. Not when someone is murdered right before dinner! Grandma Mallory’s accountant is the victim. It seems he’d learned something that someone wished to keep secret and, with nobody at the party other than members of the family, one of them must be the killer. Unless, that is, it’s the ghost in the attic… Book 4, Bodies & Bundt Cake: How exciting! Rachel is off to spend a weekend serving as a judge for a baking contest! She’s ready to fill her belly with delicious desserts and clear her mind of everything to do with work. But there’s just one problem… Someone has just been murdered, and one of the contestants just may be the killer! And there’s reason to believe that one of Rachel’s closest friends may be next on the criminal’s list! Now, all thoughts of selecting the most talented baker have been replaced by trying to catch the culprit before he or she strikes again! And the clock is ticking… Book 5, Weddings & Wine Cake: Rachel wants nothing more than for her father to be happy.

Facebook Stalker


John Meany - 2019
     The fan, twenty-five year old Lori Dalton, eventually, after chatting with the well-known author for six months, decides to leave her hometown in Seattle, to drive to Virginia Beach to be with her favorite writer. Lori shows up at Scott Howard’s doorstep, unannounced, excited to meet him, finally, in person. At first, author and fan hit it off, but soon, when Scott starts having a resurgence of feelings for his ex girlfriend Trixie, jealousy arises. And the deadly stalking begins.

Monument Road


Michael Wiley - 2017
    But when he learns that Bill Higby, the detective whose testimony helped convict him, is facing his own murder charge, Franky is torn. Should he help the man he hates more than any other, the man who remains convinced of Franky's guilt to this day?As Franky delves further, he comes to realize that in order to prove Higby's innocence, he must also prove his own. Unless he finds out what happened that fateful night eight years before, the night 15-year-old Duane Bronson and his 13-year-old brother were murdered, Franky will always be under suspicion, and the real killer will remain free. What really happened that dark, wet night on Monument Road? And is Franky prepared for the shocking truth?Will appeal to fans of GREG ILES and MICHAEL CONNELLY

Ashes Ashes


Murphy Morrison - 2020
    The streets of Chicago keep him busy and provide a respite from his family's chaos. But everything changes when his rescue squad is called to a house where female victims are found chained to a wall and burned alive. The terror becomes personal as the women are identified, leaving Charlie to reel over one haunting question: What have I done? Detective Jeff Foley is a private man with a past he's worked hard to keep in the dark. When a new assignment at the Chicago Police Department coincides with his estranged brother coming back into his life, his past suddenly becomes his present. Only this time, he's not just a kid on the street. He now has a life worth fighting for and a wife and daughter he'll do anything to protect. Talia Griffin is loyal to a fault. She puts her patients first and would do anything for her dad, the only family she has left. When he's pulled into an investigation that intersects with one of her patients at the hospital, she can't help but get involved. And when she does, she learns the hard way that no one is safe-that once you're in, there's no getting out. Ashes Ashes tells the story of family, love, secrets, and betrayal. We see firsthand how the person we think we know can be the most unfamiliar of all, how webs of evil can extend beyond just one point in time, and how our enemies can be closer, and far greater, than we ever imagined.

The Magpie


Marrisse Whittaker - 2021
    A detective who is out of control. Meet DSI Wilde. Wilde by name. Wild by nature. DSI Billie Wilde is on a mission to catch the killer responsible for a horrific showcase of murders, in order to prove that she’s still at the top of her game. But when hidden skeletons come out of dark corners, she is forced to confront her past and face the truth - that she is the ultimate target, now firmly in the executioner’s sights.As Billie grapples with her past, and learns she isn’t who she thought she was, she uncovers devastating childhood links to each of the victims. The past refuses to stay buried and Billie soon finds herself wondering if she knows who’s behind the brutal murders.But can Billie solve the case and unravel the mystery of her own past before it’s too late?

Exercises for the Brain and Memory : 70 Neurobic Exercises & FUN Puzzles to Increase Mental Fitness & Boost Your Brain Juice Today (With Crossword Puzzles)


Jason Scotts - 2013
    A lot of people today seek ways to retain and improve their memory and there is no better way to improve aside from these exercises. Just as the body needs physical exercises in order to function optimally, the brain needs to be exercised as well to prevent it from becoming sluggish. Get to know these fun and challenging exercises, do them and experience improved brain and memory function.

Cristina


Jake Parent - 2016
     Desperate to escape her past, Cristina Rodriguez moves into a picturesque hilltop home with an ocean view. The same place where, four years earlier, a young girl was kidnapped and murdered. Both the house and the scenic California beach town seem perfect. Fresh air. Fresh faces. And the ocean is just ten minutes away. But as Cristina and her daughter set about rebuilding their lives, they soon discover that the past is not about to let go so easily. A page-turning thrill ride, Cristina will grab you from the first page and keep you guessing until the very end...

The Treasure Huntress Archaeological Action Adventure Series: Books 1-3


Ryan Mullaney - 2018
    Book 1 - THE SERPENT'S FANGAn ancient Aztec dagger used in ritual human sacrifice - a simple relic, or a weapon of unfathomable power that must not fall into the wrong hands? Joining forces with the shady Clark Bannicheck, Simone digs into the mystery of The Serpent's Fang while working to uncover the mysteries of her past.Book 2 - THE TOMB OF SOULSSimone is tasked to locate The Fallen Star, a fabled relic with impossible healing abilities. With an unscrupulous Saudi prince, a ruthless weapons dealer, and a vengeful assassin all closing in, Simone finds herself in the most perilous quest of her life.Book 3 - FOLLOWERS OF THE STORMA fanatical religious cult has seized a mysterious Viking runestone, putting the life of one of Simone's closest friends in jeopardy. Vowing to return the runestone, Simone sets off on a journey that blurs the lines between ally and enemy, right and wrong, good and evil. THE TREASURE HUNTRESS SERIESThe Serpent's Fang The Tomb of Souls Followers of the Storm (Winter 2018) For more information, visit sunbirdbooks.org.