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


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The Girl in the Leaves


Robert Scott - 2012
    AND THE GIRL WHO ESCAPED WITH HER LIFE. In the fall of 2010, in the all-American town of Apple Valley, Ohio, four people disappeared without a trace: Stephanie Sprang; her friend, Tina Maynard; and Tina's two children, thirteen-year-old Sarah and eleven-year-old Kody. Investigators began scouring the area, yet despite an extensive search, no signs of the missing people were discovered. On the fourth day of the search, evidence trickled in about neighborhood "weirdo" Matthew Hoffman. A police SWAT team raided his home and found an extremely disturbing sight: every square inch of the place was filled with leaves and a terrified Sarah Maynard was bound up in the middle of it like some sort of perverted autumn tableau. But there was no trace of the others. Then came Hoffman's confession to an unspeakable crime that went beyond murder and defied all reason. His tale of evil would make Sarah's survival and rescue all the more astonishing--a compelling tribute to a young girl's resilience and courage and to her fierce determination to reclaim her life in the wake of unimaginable wickedness.

A Killer's Touch


Michael Benson - 2011
    . .Denise Amber Lee was a 21-year-old happily married mother of two little boys. She had her whole life ahead of her. . .until an intruder broke into her Florida home. Within a few short hours she was savagely terrorized, murdered, and buried naked in a shallow grave near a desolate swamp.A DEPRAVED KILLER . . .Michael King, a 38-year-old out-of-work plumber, was a ticking time bomb. For years, neighbors called the police on King, complaining that, among other things, he'd thrown battery acid in their pool and slashed their tires. Denise's fate was far worse. In a horrifying act of cruelty, King bound her with duct tape, raped her repeatedly, then shot her dead.A TRAGIC FAILURE. . .Incredibly, Denise managed to call 911 twice during her abduction. Eyewitnesses and her distraught husband also called, but a slow, inefficient system tragically failed her. As a result, Florida passed the Denise Lee Law, setting voluntary standards for 911 systems. King was sentenced to death. But for Denise and her loving family, it was too late.Includes 16 Pages of Shocking Photos

Love, A Foot Above the Ground


Anna Celeste Burke - 2014
     For fans of the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery Series, the story is narrated by the amateur sleuth in that series, Jessica Huntington. The love story is Bernadette's--Jessica's confidant and sidekick. A tragic, but ultimately uplifting story of love, lost and found again. In Bernadette's words, "it's a real happily ever after story." Her story is not so different than that faced by anyone who takes that leap of faith into love. A love that lifts us up about a foot above the ground, leaves us vulnerable to loss, but can push us toward something more lasting.

The Cottage: A True Haunted House Story


Jess Breitling - 2017
    But before long they can’t deny something is very wrong with their new residence, and they find themselves trying to make sense of the unexplainable. After a year of coping with disembodied voices, flying objects, phantom footsteps, and apparitions of red eyes, the family moves away. But things will get even stranger at their new house. The Cottage details the true paranormal experiences of a real family in Southern California. If you enjoy The Cottage, please look for its sequel, The Bungalow.

Muleshoe (Mike Bishop #1)


Jess Butcher - 2011
    When Mike Bishop arrives in Muleshoe seeking a legendary cache of rare gold coins, he enlists the aid of local Sheriff Laura Moss. The Sheriff cautiously joins Bishop’s search and together they discover a link between the gold and an unexplained series of grisly murders spanning more than a century. But others are racing to recover the treasure as well. The line between good and evil blurs as Bishop and Laura struggle to survive a murderous local legend … a legend that promises to turn the Kansas prairie black with blood.

Becky: The Heartbreaking Story of Becky Watts by Her Father Darren Galsworthy


Darren Galsworthy - 2016
    As her father Darren discovered the horrific details of what happened to his darling girl, his world fell apart.Writing about his darkest hours and unbearable pain, Darren uncovers what Becky’s relationship with her step-brother Nathan, a child he had raised as his own son, was really like. He recalls the devastation of discovering the truth about the depravity with which Becky was torn from him in the safety of her own home. And he recounts the torment of the legal battle to see his step-son sentenced to life behind bars.But, at its heart, Becky is a poignant personal story, a chance for Darren to pay tribute to his darling daughter, to celebrate her life and take back control of how she is remembered.Darren recalls with enduring love the daughter he fought so hard to get custody of after she was taken into foster care as an infant; the happy child who completed his life; and the innocent schoolgirl who brought joy and happiness to all her knew her.Both heartfelt and haunting, searingly honest and unflinching, this is the ultimate story of a family tragedy.

Executive Actions


Gary Grossman - 2004
    The instant he pulls the trigger, the outcome of the election is irrevocably changed. But Democrat Teddy Lodge, an upcoming media sweetheart, isn't killed. His wife is. As a result, Lodge emerges as the man to beat and the greatest threat to the incumbent President, Morgan Taylor. Under a specific directive from the President, Special Service Agent Scott Roarke delves into the case and begins to unravel a deadly plot that incubated for more than 30 years; designed to alter America's allegiances in the Middle East. From the very first page, Executive Actions culls events from today's headlines intersecting with a scenario that's shockingly real: An insidious plot hatched in the old days of the Soviet Union continues to grow to fruition in the hands of a power hungry Middle East heir to the throne. At its core, a sleeper is awakened to take a prominent role in American Life. Executive Actions is a tense political thriller; an election year page-turner, where both the Presidency and the Constitution are at stake.

Amarillo


Bill Durham - 2009
    Joe Wagner is a violent man, dangerous both to family and friends. As Max builds his defense case for murder, he reveals a reason for Joe's violence. But is it a justification? The characters whom Max meets during the course of his investigation include Smith Dixon, a career criminal trying to change the course of his life; Carl Puente, a gambler desperate for a big score; Carl's brother-in-law Freddie Odom, a family man drowning in alcoholism; legendary police detective Champ Phillips; Angel, a pool hall owner who both frightens and attracts Max; and Bailey, a wolf-dog hybrid who is the bouncer at the pool hall.

Racecar: Searching for the Limit in Formula SAE


Matt Brown - 2011
    With fewer people and resources than any of the top competitors, the only way they were going to win was to push the limit, go for broke, and hope for more than a little luck. By the time they got to the racetrack, they knew: In the fog of fierce competition, whether you win or lose, you learn the hardest lessons about engineering, teamwork, friendship, and yourself.

Obsession


Linda Verji - 2019
    She’s everything he wants in a woman; gorgeous, generous, warm and she makes him smile every time he sees her. Unfortunately, she’s also his best friend’s little sister aka seriously off limits. He can’t have her. That is until heartbreak and drinking together leads to one unforgettable night of passion. Lex has an empire to run and a friendship to keep… so why can’t he get Freddie off his mind. She’s the one woman he shouldn’t want… so why can’t he forget how right she feels in his bed? Or how much he wants her there, not just for one night but forever? Being together might be against the rules… but being apart is impossible.

Crush


A.C. Amaryllis - 2018
    She's fine with working, hanging out with her friends, and fulfilling her dreams page after page; after surviving an abusive relationship, a guy didn't fit into that picture, and she was fine with it, but Kaito Nakamura disagreed. Skye learns to open her heart again to someone who truly deserves it, and never looks back.

Logan


B.J. Wane - 2017
    He's the man she's always wanted. Will the threat of a killer finally get them on the same page? Logan Lemaster drew Melanie Barnes under his protective wing the moment he rescued her from a fall off her bike. She was six and he thirteen, and his over-protectiveness never abated over the next twenty years. When a good friend ends up murdered on the family’s private island following one of Logan’s BDSM weekend parties, Melanie insists on being there to comfort him. Only, he hadn’t counted on the grown woman’s tenacious determination to worm her way past his defenses and into his bed. He has spent the past eight years – since Melanie reached adulthood and made her interest in expanding on their friendship known – refusing to jeopardize their special bond by introducing her to his kinky preferences. But he is only human, and when her grief over an assault on a co-worker leads him to comfort her, his good intentions fall to the wayside under her responsive body. As he and his cousins plan to hold another BDSM party to feel out their friends for hints about which one betrayed them in the worst way, Logan tutors Melanie in his sexual preferences so she can join him. But as they grow closer, so does the killer, and when her life is threatened, Logan knows he will stop at nothing to protect her and make her his in every way. Publisher’s Note: This murder mystery romance is intended for adults only. It contains elements of power exchange and BDSM, including explicit sexual scenes and anal play. If any of these offend you, please do not purchase.

The Other Daniel


John Hardy Bell - 2014
    His horrendous crimes went unchecked for four years before FBI profiler Camille Grisham finally caught him. In the stories that followed, she was labeled a hero. In her own mind, she was anything but.The events of that day traumatized Camille in ways the world never knew. And while resigning from the Bureau has done little to ease the pain, she has taken comfort in knowing that she will never have to share that pain with the world.Then she meets a true-crime reporter named Jacob Deaver, and the trauma she hoped to keep hidden suddenly becomes all-too-public.The unforeseen turn that follows will thrust Camille into the harrowing wilderness of the past while revealing a terrifying new menace that threatens to destroy the post-FBI life she is working so hard to build.The arrest of Daniel Sykes was the darkest chapter in Camille Grisham’s life.But a much darker chapter is soon to be written.

In the Shadows (Tip of the Spear Book 1)


Julie Mellon - 2015
    Now on the run from her ex-boyfriend, will she have to give up everything in order to survive? Jason Powell has everything he ever wanted. After years in the military, he lives life on his own terms. Now a partner in a private investigation firm, his job allows him to travel to exotic places and he has his pick of women – what more could he ask for? Then he meets Jessica and his world is turned upside down. Can Jason protect Jessica from her ex-boyfriend while also accepting his feelings for her? Can Jessica trust her growing feelings for Jason, or is she convinced that they exist because he is her savior? Will these two live to see a happily ever after, or will the danger hiding in the shadows take everything away?