Book picks similar to
The Legend of Stuckey's Bridge by Lori Crane


first-reads
mystery
historical-fiction
historical

Juliet Saves the Groom (Mail Order Brides of Pine Ridge)


Susannah Calloway - 2019
    He was madly in love with his fiancée, but she died from a mysterious illness, and he couldn’t save her. He couldn’t save his parents, either, when they were injured in the crossfire during a bank robbery. Now he is alone, except for his sister Allie, who is about to marry and move to Montana. Juliet Monroe works in a dead-end, hateful factory job in Boston. She knows midwifery and herbal healing, but she was lured to the factory job with false promises of good money and golden opportunities. Allie doesn’t want to leave her brother alone in Colorado, so she secretly places an advert to get him a Mail Order Bride. Juliet answers the ad only to discover Tyler is completely in the dark about their impending marriage. Juliet fears she’s just traded one unbearable situation for something even worse…

A Fiery Love for the Reluctant Duchess


Fanny Finch - 2019
    But, sometimes, even the wrong path can lead to the doorstep of love. Thea Caulfield, daughter of an ambitious merchant, has no choice but to accept the deal made between her father and the Duke of Sandon. Away from her home and family, she finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage with a man she barely knows, and holding a title she never wished for. How will she ever survive this foreign, lonely new world of hers? An impulsive decision aimed to spite his overbearing mother, has led the Duke of Sandon to an impossible situation. Now, he has to find a way to melt the heart of a wife who seems to hate him and prove to his peers that he isn’t the pitiful joke they consider him to be. But is love possible for him? Or have his choices condemned him to a life of unhappiness? Two strangers, tangled in a web of duty and regret, will seek the path to understanding and trust, resisting a world that wishes them apart. If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “A Fiery Love for the Reluctant Duchess!” Buy “A Fiery Love for the Reluctant Duchess” and unlock the exciting story of Thea today!

Through the Eyes of a Blind Duchess


Patricia Haverton - 2020
    Blinded in the same fire that killed her mother when she was young, marriage is not even a thought for her. Until the day her father announces her engagement to a man she has never met.Donovan Harding, the Duke of Oakhampton, has suffered many losses, with his wife and his fortune sacrificed on the altar of an illness. With no good options left, he must marry again. But his new bride’s secret might be more than he can handle.Tied together by the strings of his son’s violin, their marriage is a precarious one. When a fire claims her childhood home and a constable brings news of a murder, the strings begin to unravel. A familiar voice, awakening memories of her past, threatens to tear away all that she loves, just as it had the fateful night she lost her vision and her mother.*If you like powerful Dukes, loving Duchesses and a marvelous depiction of the majestic Regency and Victorian era, then Through the Eyes of a Blind Duchess is the novel for you.This is Patricia Haverton's 14th novel, a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.Pick up "Through the Eyes of a Blind Duchess" today to discover Patricia's captivating story!

Songbirds


Christy Lefteri - 2021
    So early, so cold, the branches shone with ice. I'd returned to collect the songbirds. They are worth more than their weight in gold.Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected songbirds that stop in Cyprus as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the black market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and of marrying Nisha, who works on the island as a nanny and maid--having left her native Sri Lanka to try to earn enough to support her daughter, left behind and raised by relatives.But Nisha has vanished; one evening, she steps out on a mysterious errand and doesn't return. The police write off her disappearance as just another runaway domestic worker, so her employer, Petra, undertakes the investigation.Petra's unravelling of Nisha's last days in Cyprus lead her to Nisha's friends--other maids in the neighborhood--and to the darker side of a migrant's life, where impossible choices leave them vulnerable, captive, and worse.Based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus, Christy Lefteri has crafted a poignant, deeply empathetic narrative of the human stories behind the headlines. With infinite tenderness and skill, Songbirds offers a triumphant story of the fight for truth and justice, and of women reclaiming their lost voices.

The Longest Winter


Julie Harris - 1995
    In 1926, two years after the plane crash death of his best friend, he attempted a solo flight record in a refitted Curtiss Jenny. Then, with half the journey completed, his plane was caught in a storm, went down, and for seventeen years he was missing, presumed dead. "The Longest Winter" is a fictional biography of John Robert Shaw's life. His story is one of despair and courage, tragedy and triumph. Stranded on an uncharted rocky island, his body broken by the crash, John Robert is adopted into a tribe of Eskimos. In this amazing tale, the author captures the Native American culture and vividly depicts one man's struggle to retain his sanity in a harsh, heartless environment.

Bright Young Witches & the Restless Dead


Beth Byers - 2019
     With squabbling between the sisters, it takes them too long to realize that their new friend is being haunted. Now they’ll have to set aside their fight, discover just why their friend is being haunted, and what they’re going to do about it. Will they rid their friend of the ghost and out themselves as witches? Or will they look away? Join the Wode as they rise up and embrace just who and what they are in this newest historical mystery adventure. Book ONE in The Bright Young Witches Mysteries. Are you ready for the roaring twenties? For a set of other-wordly sisters and their journey to find their place in the world. If so, you’ll love Hester, Evanora, and Circe. For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, J. New, and Lee Strauss. A light, cozy mystery with a fun peek into life in the life of a bright young thing. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers.

The House of Closed Doors Boxed Set: Nell's Story


Jane Steen - 2017
    See why readers rave about the writing, the plot twists, and the characters. NELL LILLINGTON is a spoiled, headstrong 16-year-old when she finds herself pregnant after letting a flirtation with handsome Cousin Jack get out of hand. More willing to bear the consequences of an illegitimate pregnancy than marry, she refuses to name the father and agrees to give birth in a Poor Farm and give the baby up for adoption. At the Poor Farm she meets Tess O’Dugan, a woman the world calls an imbecile but who soon becomes the sister Nell never had. MARTIN RUTHERFORD, Nell’s childhood friend, only learns of baby Sarah when Nell seeks to escape from the Poor Farm—with the child. His own aversion to marriage stems from his dark, unhappy childhood, and despite his attachment to Nell he makes no objection to her plan to move to Kansas, away from prying eyes, with Tess and Sarah. Martin, now free of family ties, has his own plans—he wishes to build a grand department store in Chicago and become one of that growing city’s merchant princes. But Nell and Martin’s plans are steered off course by the secrets and lies of other people, and their paths to happiness are strewn with murder. Nell’s story will take you from the Illinois prairie, to frontier Kansas, and back to a Chicago teeming with opportunistic new Americans and ruthless hardmen.

The Glass Forest


Cynthia Swanson - 2018
    At twenty-one, she’s married to charming, handsome Paul, and has just given birth to a baby boy. But one phone call changes her life forever.When Paul’s niece, Ruby, reports that her father, Henry, has committed suicide, and that her mother, Silja, is missing, Angie and Paul drop everything and fly to the small upstate town of Stonekill, New York to be by Ruby’s side.Angie thinks they’re coming to the rescue of Paul’s grief-stricken young niece, but Ruby is a composed and enigmatic seventeen-year-old who resists Angie’s attempts to nurture her. As Angie learns more about the complicated Glass family, staying in Henry and Silja’s eerie and ultra-modern house on the edge of the woods, she begins to question the very fabric of her own marriage.Through Silja’s flashbacks, Angie’s discovery of astonishing truths, and Ruby’s strategic dissection of her parents’ state of affairs, a story of love, secrets, and ultimate betrayal is revealed.

Sherlock Holmes and the Boulevard Assassin


John Hall - 1999
     The bank is robbed by this mysterious stranger and his team led by the formidable James Moriarty. Holmes and Watson are summoned at once to catch the criminal but a more serious event changes their course – the president of France has been assassinated! Disguising themselves as two Frenchmen, the duo journey overseas to the crime scene where they encounter a bizarre group of detectives and investigators. With their help, Holmes and Watson identify the culprits as dangerous anarchists whose ultimate goal is to outsmart each other and receive the biggest bonus from their leader, Monsieur Constantine. In an attempt to expose the anarchists, the duo is captured and temporarily held hostage by an unknown individual who appears to be Monsieur Constantine himself. He promises to release them with the only condition being that they work for him dutifully and accomplish every task that is assigned to them. With no other options at hand, Holmes and Watson are obliged to side with and work for the most menacing criminals in Paris… Can the duo escape from the terrible situation? Will they be able to stop the rebels before they kill again? ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Boulevard Assassin’ is a sensational Sherlock adventure by John Hall. Praise for John Hall: 'A treat for any Holmes fan.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade Off'. John Hall spent many years in the civil service before becoming a professional writer specialising in crime fiction. His book ‘Death of a Collector’ won the Sherlock magazine’s competition for the best new fictional detective. He is also the author of ‘Sherlock Holmes at the Raffles Hotel’ and ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Hammerford Will’. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

Lord of the Rakes


Darcie Wilde - 2014
    It’s on the lips of a different lady every night…...So it’s no wonder he’s called the Lord of the Rakes. Rumor has it he’s the most dangerous seducer in the city, with quite the extensive list of conquests. Talk of his prowess as a lover and his ingenuity in the bedroom are enough to make even the most prudish of ladies succumb to temptation. But as of late, Phillip has found himself a bit bored. Until he sets his eyes on a fiery newcomer.New to independence and London, gorgeous heiress Lady Caroline Delamarre wants to make the most of her life. And when Phillip meets her gaze, she knows the perfect place to start: in his arms …and in his bed. But what begins as a long night of breathtaking passion leads to more than the two bargained for. Haunted by troubled pasts and inescapable family entanglements, each of them must decide if they can risk a gamble on what might be true love.

The Unexpected Earl


Philippa Jane Keyworth - 2012
    With her heart still hurting and, more importantly, her pride, Julia must chaperone her younger sister, fend off fortune hunters, orchestrate a fake engagement, and halt an elopement--all whilst keeping the man who jilted her at arm's length. But what Julia doesn't know is that this time, the Earl has no intention of disappearing, and this time, he has more than an explanation to offer....

Her Last Promise


Kathryn Hughes - 2019
    A surprising new beginning... Fall in love this summer with Her Last Promise, a gripping, heartwrenching story of how hope can blossom in the ruins of tragedy and of the redeeming power of love. From No. 1 bestselling author Kathryn Hughes. Tara Richards was just a girl when she lost her mother. Years later when Tara receives a letter from a London solicitor its contents shake her to the core. Someone has left her a key to a safe deposit box. In the box lies an object that will change everything Tara thought she knew and lead her on a journey to deepest Spain in search of the answers that have haunted her for forty years.Violet Skye regrets her decision to travel abroad leaving her young daughter behind. As the sun dips below the mountains, she reminds herself she is doing this for their future. Tonight, 4th June 1978, will be the start of a new life for them. This night will indeed change Violet's destiny, in the most unexpected of ways... Readers love the powerful novels of Kathryn Hughes: 'A wonderful, enthralling story'Lesley Pearse'Gripping'Good Housekeeping'A heartbreakingly powerful read'Sun

The Folly


Irina Shapiro - 2012
    Sir Henry is devastated by the loss of his young wife and heir to the estate, especially since there is no evidence, no witnesses, and no apparent motive. But nothing is what it seems, and the gruesome find is only one link in a chain of events that started long before. Forbidden love, family secrets, and betrayal have led to this moment, ending months of speculation and gossip and bringing it to a shocking conclusion.

Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History


Peter Houlahan - 2019
    Norco ’80 tells the story of how five heavily-armed young men—led by an apocalyptic born-again Christian—attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history, forever changing the face of American law enforcement. Part action thriller and part courtroom drama, Norco ’80 transports the reader back to the Southern California of the 1970s, an era of predatory evangelical gurus, doomsday predictions, megachurches, and soaring crime rates, with the threat of nuclear obliteration looming over it all. A group of landscapers transforms into a murderous gang of bank robbers armed to the teeth with military-grade weapons. Their desperate getaway turned the surrounding towns into war zones. When it was over, three were dead and close to twenty wounded; a police helicopter was forced down from the sky, and thirty-two police vehicles were destroyed by thousands of rounds of ammo. The resulting trials shook the community to the core, raising many issues that continue to plague society today: from racism and the epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder within law enforcement to religious extremism and the militarization of local police forces.

The Rhythm of Secrets


Patti Lacy - 2010
    Now a conservative pastor's wife in Chicago, she is skilled at hiding secrets--a talent birthed during childhood romps through the music-filled streets of New Orleans. But when the son she bore at the age of eighteen comes back looking for answers and desperate for help, her greatest secret--and greatest regret--is revealed. Eager to right past wrongs, Sheila's heart floods with memories of lyrical jazz music and a worn-out Bible. But when her husband learns of her shady history, Sheila is suddenly faced with an impossible decision: embrace the dream--and son--she abandoned against her will or give in to the demands of her safe but stifled life. As she struggles to reclaim both her son and her identity, Sheila soon realizes that God's grace spans both seas and secrets and that He is all she really needs.With dynamic writing that makes the reader feel the heartache of a teenage mother, struggle with the disillusionment of an abandoned boy, and revel in the idea of grace despite flaws, rising star Patti Lacy takes her fans on a journey they won't want to end--and won't soon forget.The 'secret' is out--Patti Lacy is easily one of the most gifted authors in Christian fiction today, and her stunning new novel, The Rhythm of Secrets is absolute proof. From the delicious jazz-filled streets of New Orleans to the seedy underworld of Bangkok, Thailand, embark on a journey that transcends the mere pages of a book to become a riveting life experience. No longer a 'well-kept secret, ' Patty Lacy is a master storyteller who speaks to the soul with a powerful and unique rhythm all her own, weaving a tale so rich with emotion that story and reader become one.--Julie Lessman, author of The Daughters of Boston series and A Hope UndauntedPatti Lacy weaves together another beautifully written and haunting story in The Rhythm of Secrets. I couldn't put it down!--Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of The Black CloisterPatti Lacy has written yet another absorbing novel with words as dazzling and rhythmic as the musical world that her characters live in. The Rhythm of Secrets is a stirring story of faith and endurance that will keep readers turning the page until every last secret has been revealed.--Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us and Rose HousePatti Lacy is known for riveting tales that span continents, decades, and lives. The Rhythm of Secrets is another great Patti Lacy story, this time of a woman whose past secret lives have caught up with her. Captivating, heart-rending and heart-expanding, The Rhythm of Secrets is a vibrant journey across time in search of the greatest truth of all: grace.--Tosca Lee, author of Havah: The Story of Eve and Demon: A Memoir