Book picks similar to
Fatal Deception by S.R. Burks


2-mystery
cowboy-ranch
environmental
murder

Till Death Do Us Part


J.J. Slate - 2015
    Spousal murder is never acceptable, but newlywed murder seems to be on a completely different level. It is unconscionable to think someone could stand in front of his family and friends, pledging to honor and cherish another person for the rest of his life, and then kill his spouse in cold blood just months, weeks, or even days later. It happens more than you'd think--and, contrary to popular belief, it's not always the husband who acts as the aggressor. In her third true crime book, bestselling author JJ Slate examines more than twenty true stories of newlywed murders, delving into the past of the victims and aggressors, searching for answers to the question everyone is asking: How does this sort of thing happen? These shocking cases of betrayal and murder might just make you think differently about those five sacred words, "till death do us part."

Kit: Finding Freedom and Love


Katherine St. Clair - 2017
    She’s had a bit of schoolin, and now she works at the local cannery. Her friend Letty dreams of marriage and a family of her own. Kit could choose that life, but she wants more. But it’s 1895 in North Carolina, and her options are limited. In the newspaper, she sees an advertisement calling for young women to go and work for the Harvey Company – a growing chain of restaurants - that serves hungry railway passengers traveling to the untamed west. But the interview is miles away in Raleigh…does she dare? Will she leave her family and the life she knows, and risk everything for independence and adventure? Yes, she will! But it’s not easy. Leaving home is only the first of many challenges for Kit, from facing her own doubts, to proving herself, and standing up to the judgment of others – including her closest new friend. With hard work and an instinctive knowledge of how to bring out the best in others, Kit progresses in her career, until she gets a message from home. Racing back across the country to the bedside of a loved one, Kit begins to question what will make her happy. When it looks like love will be a better choice, Kit is tempted to leave her life out west behind. Are fate, friendship, determination, and good advice enough to keep Kit on the right path? Can she have a successful career, and also the love and respect of a good man? Is there a man out there who is strong enough to value her, and give her wild heart a home? Read on to learn Kit’s fate, and discover the famous Harvey Girls, whose hard work and courage helped build a restaurant empire like no other.

Wrong Bride for the Billionaire


Danica Jackson - 2017
     David Pierce has taken over his family business, but his womanizing and partying are threatening to drive it into the ground. As a successful real estate tycoon, he's got more money than he knows what to do with, but risks losing everything after yet another scandal lands him in the tabloids. As handsome as he may be, Imani Jones finds herself repulsed by the crass businessman who treats women like objects. In need of money, she reluctantly agrees to work as his translator and accompanies him to the Ukraine. He's searching for a bride, believing a wife will convince the public that he's settling down and help restore his battered reputation. Imani finds that things may not be what they appear with David, however, and that there may be a good guy buried under his rough exterior. He's smitten with his beautiful translator, and although she tries to fight it, she soon finds herself developing feelings for him as well. Will she be able to resist the advances of the man she once viewed with such disdain? Things take an unexpected turn when jealousy rears its ugly head and a scorned redhead throws a monkey wrench into things. Will David and Imani find a way to make it work, or will another scandal be the end of their budding romance? **** This is a standalone full length BWWM romance novel with an HEA. ****

Alpha Billionaire's Bride: The Complete Novel


Mia Caldwell - 2015
    This is the complete novel version--no cliffhangers. Billionaires don’t date real women like Jada ... they marry them. Jada Howarth doesn’t believe in fantasies, unlike her sister who dreams of being swept into happily-ever-after in the sculpted arms of a handsome billionaire. Jada knows the truth, that rich men want supermodels, actresses and heiresses. They don’t want women from small towns with smaller bank accounts, women who lead normal, ordinary lives like Jada. Then the day arrives when Jada awakes to find a swarm of reporters outside her house. They want the scoop on her secret marriage to Ian Buckley, one of the wealthiest, most sought-after bachelors in the country. Jada is dumbfounded. She has no idea what they’re talking about, but no one’s listening to her. Ian Buckley, billionaire and man-in-charge, couldn’t be more surprised when he’s told that a marriage license was leaked to the press proving he married someone named Jada Howarth. He’s never heard of her, and he definitely doesn’t remember marrying her. Either he’s lost his wits, or someone’s out to make a fool of him. When Ian sees the disheveled, lovely Jada on TV, peeking out her door in horror at the press crushing her lawn, he’s confident she’s not behind the scam. He’ll have to meet her to be certain. Men should probably meet their wives, anyway, shouldn’t they? It’ll be fun getting to the bottom of this fiasco. Whodunnit? Perhaps spending time with his bride at Ian’s lakeside estate will solve the mystery.

The Monkey's Raincoat / Free Fall / Lullaby Town


Robert Crais - 2003
    The search for Ellen's errant husband leads Elvis into the seamier side of Hollywood. He soon learns that Mort Lang is a down-on-his-luck talent agent who associates with a schlocky movie producer, and the last place he was spotted was at a party thrown by a famous and very well-connected ex-Matador. But no one has seen him since - including his B-movie girlfriend. At the same time the police find Mort in his parked car with four gunshots in his chest - and no kid in sight - Ellen disappears. Now nothing is what it seems, and the heat is on. It's up to Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike to find the connection between sleazy Hollywood players and an ex-Matador. FREE FALL Read by James Daniels (Sandra Burr, Jill Sovis) Elvis Cole is just a detective who can't say no, especially to a girl in a terrible fix. And Jennifer Sheridan qualifies: Her fiance, Mark Thurman, is a decorated LA cop with an elite plainclothes unit, but Jennifer's sure he's in trouble - the kind of serious trouble that only Elvis Cole can help him out of. Five minutes after his new client leaves his office, Elvis and his partner, the enigmatic Joe Pike, are hip-deep in a deadly situation as they plummet into a world of South Central gangs, corrupt cops, and conspiracies of silence. And before the case is through, every cop in the LAPD will be gunning for a pair of escaped armed-and-dangerous killers - Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. LULLABY TOWN Read by James Daniels (Joyce Bean, Russell Byers) Hollywood's newest wunderkind is Peter Alan Nelson, the brilliant, erratic director known as the King of Adventure. His films make billions, but his manners make enemies. What the boy king wants, he gets, and what Nelson wants is for Elvis to comb the country for the airhead wife and infant child the film-school flunkout dumped en route to becoming the third biggest filmmaker in America. It's the kind of case Cole can handle in his sleep - until it turns out to be a nightmare. For when Cole finds Nelson's wife in a small Conneticut town, she's nothing like what he expects. The lady has some unwanted - and very nasty - mob connections, which means Elvis could be opening the East Coast branch of his P.I. office . . .at the bottom of the Hudson River.

The Knights Templar: The True and Surprising Story Of Histories Most Secretive Order


Patrick Auerbach - 2016
     The order of the Knights Templar was founded by Hugh de Payens, a French nobleman from the Champagne region, along with eight of his companions, in Jerusalem around 1119. They originally consisted of a group of knights who protected Christian pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land against attack from brigands and Saracen pirates, after the crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099. The order's full name was the "Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon". They were given quarters next to the temple and adopted their distinctive uniform – white tunics with an eight-pointed blood-red cross. In 1129 they took monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and pledged themselves ready to die for their faith. They were gradually transformed into a chivalric order of warrior-monks who fought with distinction in the Crusades. Scroll to the top of the page and click Add To Cart to read more about this extraordinary chapter of history

We Could Be Amazing


Tressie Lockwood - 2012
    A routine drop off and kiss good-bye should have gone smoothly, but her son pretends to be ill so Kiona will spend the night under the same roof as her ex. Kiona’s plans go south, and Ridge invites her to spend the holidays with him and his family on Bainbridge Island. The only problem with that aside from the fact that she still loves him is Ridge’s snooty mother hates Kiona—and the feeling is mutual—and one mustn’t forget the presence of the slut that caused them to get divorced in the first place.

The Chronicles of Engella Rhys


Paul Ian Cross - 2018
    The first few chapters are available as 'The Chronicles of Engella Rhys (Preview).' Would you sacrifice your future to save your past? Engella Rhys is alone, adrift and on the run. Pursued by a secret agency, known only as the Hunters, she must stay ahead to stay alive. As she travels through space-time using dangerously experimental technology, she only has one wish: to be reunited with her lost parents. After a close shave with a Hunter on the streets of New Shanghai, Engella escapes to find herself on a deserted beach. When she meets a kind stranger, who offers her food and shelter, Engella feels safe and protected for the first time in years. But who is this woman? And why did their paths cross at the most convenient of times? Engella soon discovers their lives are intertwined in more ways than she could ever imagine.

The Tycoon's Heart


Falon Gold - 2017
    from the heart. Tired of waiting and unwilling to take the first step down the path that her heart is determined to lead her down, and maybe lose an exceptional job under an exceptional man if he doesn't feel the same, Malisa flies away on vacation to Vegas, needing a drastic change and major overhaul in her world. She'll get exactly what she wants and some things that she doesn't when Apollo decides he needs a vacation in Vegas as well. A sweet love story that becomes drama-filled when two hearts realize just how much they don't really know each other... or their families.

Churchill and the Avoidable War: Could World War II Have Been Prevented?


Richard M. Langworth - 2015
    Churchill, 1948: World War II was the defining event of our age—the climactic clash between liberty and tyranny. It led to revolutions, the demise of empires, a protracted Cold War, and religious strife still not ended. Yet Churchill maintained that it was all avoidable. Here is a transformative view of Churchill’s theories, prescriptions, actions, and the degree to which he pursued them in the decade before the war. It shows that he was both right and wrong: right that Hitler could have been stopped; wrong that he did all he could to stop him. It is based on what really happened—evidence that has been “hiding in public” for many years, thoroughly referenced in Churchill’s words and those of his contemporaries. Richard M. Langworth began his Churchill work in 1968 when he organized the Churchill Study Unit, which later became the Churchill Centre. He served as its president and board chairman and was editor of its journal Finest Hour from 1982 to 2014. In November 2014, he was appointed senior fellow for Hillsdale College’s Churchill Project. Mr. Langworth published the first American edition of Churchill’s India, is the author of A Connoisseur’s Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill, and is the editor of Churchill by Himself, The Definitive Wit of Winston Churchill, The Patriot’s Churchill, All Will Be Well: Good Advice from Winston Churchill, and Churchill in His Own Words. His next book is Winston Churchill, Urban Myths and Reality. In 1998, Richard Langworth was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by HM The Queen “for services to Anglo-American understanding and the memory of Sir Winston Churchill.”

The Evidence Against You


Gillian McAllister - 2019
    Izzy English has every reason to feel conflicted - he's the man who gave her a childhood filled with happy memories. But he has also just served seventeen years for the murder of her mother.Now, Izzy's father sends her a letter. He wants to talk, to defend himself against each piece of evidence from his trial. But should she give him the benefit of the doubt? Or is her father guilty as charged, and luring her into a trap?People can't get enough of Gillian McAllister's psychological thrillers . . . 'Perfection' Clare Mackintosh'Gripping and thought-provoking' B A Paris'I was totally swept up' Fiona Barton'Truly original' Paula Daly'Compulsive and unforgettable' Jane Corry'Ingenious' Louise Candlish'Brilliant' Claire Douglas

The House of the Wicked


D.M. Mitchell - 2011
    It is an isolated Cornish fishing community, largely untouched by the modern, developing Victorian world, hanging onto its old traditions, superstitions and beliefs – a community that lives with a disturbing secret. So too does Denning. He is a reluctant visitor, and though he is supposedly joining his one-time artist friend Terrance Wilkinson to form an artists’ colony it is circumstances that force him there. Denning is still haunted by the brutal death of a young woman in Brittany, and shouldering guilt for the fact that he covered up for Wilkinson when he suspects the man of having been been involved with the murder. But Porthgarrow is haunted by its own demons and secrets. He learns about the savage murder of a woman by her husband Jowan Connoch thirteen years previously, and of Jowan’s son who has returned to Porthgarrow to uncover the truth and to clear his father’s name. Yet it is far from over. Before long three more people are destined to die in Porthgarrow before the village gives up its sinister secrets, and Stephen Denning will learn of his own family’s mysterious involvement. The house of the Wicked is peopled with larger than life characters – the powerful businessman Gerran Hendra and his beautiful daughter Jenna; the Reverend Biddle who collects photographs of the dead; Benjamin Croker, the journalist; and Tunny, the village wise man and healer. From its atmospheric Gothic undertones to its shocking and unexpected end, ‘The House of the Wicked’ is D. M. Mitchell at his darkest and most imaginative best. Some secrets will not stay buried...

The Gentlemen's Club, Vol. 1


Erika Rhys - 2015
    A billionaire playboy. Can she trust him with her heart?A woman down on her luckBig city success is Ilana’s lifelong dream. But when a tough economy derails her plans, she needs to find work fast—to stay in New York, finish her MBA, and pay for her mother’s surgery. With her bank account sinking and her desperation rising, Ilana takes a job at Manhattan’s most exclusive gentlemen’s club—as a high-end stripper.A man who never expected to love againNotorious for seducing an endless stream of women, billionaire Nick Santoro locks his heart behind a wall of money and charm. He’s handsome, he’s persuasive, and he always gets what he wants. When Nick meets Ilana at the club, sparks fly between them, and he makes it his mission to win her over. Given Nick’s history, can Ilana trust him? And when his past comes back to haunt him in ways that threaten to destroy them both, can their newfound relationship survive? Is he the man of her dreams—or the biggest mistake of her life?

A Body in the Bargain


Charlotte Moore - 2016
    She writes, paints watercolor landscapes and reads Jane Austen over and over. Kylie’s been married since she was 19, has twin boys and loves hunting for bargains and selling her crafts on-line. Kate and Kylie have been best friends since third grade at River Valley Elementary School. When Kate inherits her grandmother’s old house and decides to move back to peaceful River Valley, she finds there’s anything but peace in the Valley. First, she arrives to find that all her late grandmother’s old furniture has been stolen. Kylie comes to the rescue, and just a few days later the two of them are right in the middle of a murder investigation. Through it all, with Kylie’s help, Kate’s turning the old house into her own home with yard sale and thrift shop bargains and getting to know two very different men. From the author of the Hunter Jones mystery series, A Body in the Bargain is about people you might know and one or two you might just want to avoid.

Imposter: A Billionaire Single Dad Romance


J.J. Bella - 2017
    I just didn’t realize how tangled up it would become with the one man I was supposed to avoid at all costs… Ashley: Working for an eccentric boss in his mansion while I’m trying to finish college? It’s a piece of cake. But I never expected my new boss to be my best friend’s ex-fiancé—the one man who dumped her and left her hurt and broken. I’m prepared to hate him. I’m prepared to be cold to him. What I’m not prepared for is a man who is the complete opposite of what I’d always expected. He loves his daughter with all his heart. He’s warm. He’s caring. He’s sinfully sexy. And he’s interested. Suddenly things are not as easy as they seem—especially when a certain situation has us pretending to be a couple, and I’m no longer able to fight the temptation… Scott: Personal assistants are supposed to be bland, no-nonsense nerds. They’re not supposed to be pretty, sweet ladies that distract you beyond your wits’ end. My personal assistant is gorgeous. Efficient. Fierce. And forbidden. She’s my ex-fiance’s best friend. She’s too young for me. She’s a complication I don’t need. Except she’s the one complication I can’t seem to resist…