Book picks similar to
Ravel (Lake Haven, #2) by D.M. Simmons


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Unparalleled


D.S. Smith - 2018
    His pregnant wife is missing, but his only living relative, his brother, is incapable of substantiating his claim. Lost in a world of confusion that is spiralling out of his control, Stuart finds temporary salvation in a psychiatrist assigned to his case. Meanwhile, peculiar events across the world lead a team of Oxford scientists to develop top secret technology that will change the future of humanity. Betrayed by double agents, the race to control this technology endangers the lives of all involved, which unwittingly includes Stuart and his psychiatrist. This enthralling journey takes Stuart to the edge of sanity, culminating in an unparalleled climax of kidnapping, betrayal and murder.

Back To You


Steve Bates - 2021
    But Eddie sees through the disguise, takes an unexpected ride, and demonstrates it to his boss at a failing cable TV network. Through a series of adventures, the time machine becomes damaged, friends become stranded, and history gets changed in many ways—some dangerous, all humorous. Two romances—one quite unconventional—blossom along the way. Back to You is a hilarious science fiction romp in the tradition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Virtual Mirrors: First Journal


Crystal Raven - 2019
    The one thing missing was what she desired the most—a male counterpart equal to her in every way. Unfortunately for Gem, the world she was born into had a shortage of the alpha male she was dreaming of. Gemma lived in a time of restricted freedom and self-determination, which sadly for her also included an almost total lack of privacy and sexual liberty. The type of man she was looking for was completely out of fashion and possibly extinct. For a woman with a seemingly unquenchable libido, the laws and moral attitudes that repressed the natural interaction between men and women made her miserable. If she couldn’t find the man she wanted the old fashioned way, then perhaps the technology of the day would provide a suitable alternative. So began Gem’s quest for personal gratification. On the invitation of her platonic best friend, Gemma went underground to an exclusive sex club. Avoiding the eyes of the law, this was a place where virtual reality sex, and even artificial humans, were designed to provide almost any pleasure imaginable. Even still, Gemma's’ basic needs were not met. She hatched a new plan: if the man she really wanted didn’t exist then she would just have to make one.

Crossroads and the Himalayan Crystals


C. Toni Graham - 2012
    A modern-day saga of four young teens who find themselves trapped in another realm-"The Otherworld"-where they must abide by an evil druid's bidding or risk endangering the lives of their loved ones and the magical beings they have befriended.

Toe to Toe


Deborah Leblanc - 2015
    After losing her job when the Garmin factory shuts down, Nonie is left with major money issues—as in, she has none. Desperate, she has to turn to the one place she’s avoided working since dropping out of college--her family’s funeral home.It wasn’t that Nonie feared the dead. In fact the opposite was true. She sees them—literally, and had been seeing the dead ever since she can remember. She tried telling her parents about it when she was a child, but they’d vehemently dismissed it to imaginary friends, so she’d stopped talking about it. There were only two people who actually knew Nonie’s secret and knew she was the real deal. One was Buggy Mouton, her best friend since kindergarten, and the other was Guy Skinard, whom Nonie considered her one true love since the day she’d laid eyes on him in high school. Buggy now worked at MeeMaw’s Café off of Main in Clay Point, and Guy, as usual, remained ever at her side—the only difference being he’d died in a freak boating accident nine years ago. Still the prankster even in death, Guy loved causing chaos, especially with men Nonie occasionally dated. She could only imagine what mayhem he might stir up while mirroring her at the funeral home and mingling with the newly departed.Only hours into the first day of her new job, pandemonium engulfs the funeral home, and much to Nonie’s surprise, it has nothing to do with Guy. It’s brought on by the family they’re serving. Seventy-two–year-old Dover Fontenot, the Major of Clay Point, dies in a car accident after indulging in a little extra-curricular activity—only the activity wasn’t with his wife , Hazel. And when Dover’s mistress, Anna Mae Turner, shows up at the funeral home for the visitation hell’s gates rip open and Broussard’s Funeral Home suddenly turns into a geriatric war zone.Amidst the flying hairpieces, canes and curses, Nonie’s best friend, Buggy, decides to drop by the funeral home with news she can’t wait to share. A cable network in New Orleans wants to put together a paranormal investigation team and have them check out purported haunted locations in Louisiana. For every location with solid filming potential, each member of the team gets a five hundred dollar pay check. And Buggy knows without question that if anyone can sniff out the ‘restless’ dead, it’s Nonie.Knowing nothing about paranormal investigation, but lured by the sound of the adventure and the dollar signs circling through her head, Nonie agrees to become part of the Boo Krewe, the name Buggy has formally given the makeshift team.The lure of money may be one thing, but what Nonie doesn’t realize is that occasionally the dead, so excited that someone can actually see and hear them, decide to follow her home, into her bed—the bathroom—the shower. And adding to this new-found frustration, Nonie barely finishes her first investigation when she gets a visit from Anna Mae Turner—the mayor’s former mistress—now dead, as well, and harassingly insistent that Nonie bring her killer to light.Nonie quickly learns that the ‘gift’ she’s carried since birth is really a giant wart on the butt of life—and no amount of Compound W is going to make it go away!

Uncovering Love


J.J. Sorel - 2021
    She moves to a secluded mansion in a small English coastal village working for the reclusive billionaire, Daniel Love, whose wife has disappeared under mysterious circumstances.Scarlet soon forms a connection with her troubled but handsome younger boss, and together they descend into a torrid relationship. The deeper they delve into each other the more insatiable they become. The problem is if she breaks from her undercover role her ex, a rogue policeman, will find her. But if she stays, after winning the trust of this guarded and damaged man, the deep bond they’ve formed will be shattered.

Double Cross (Cross Your Heart and Die, #2)


Diane L. Kowalyshyn - 2021
    Despite working twelve-hour days, she serves paperwork on her latest pro-bono case, a copyright dispute with Torrence Publishing. Aiden Torrence, owner of Torrence Publishing, is impressed by Susan's spunk. He promises restitution for her client and delegates the discovery to a long-standing business associate who, unknown to him, is possessed by a creature of the otherworld. Aiden and Susan can't deny their attraction and dive into a whirlwind romance. But Susan fears someone, or something, is after her. When Aiden fails to disclose pertinent contracts, she slaps him with a class-action lawsuit, forcing him to slog through a twisted conspiracy of blackmail and murder to rescue her from the heinous entity hell-bent on destroying her.

Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes


M.R. Noble - 2020
    Her police internship would never prove more useful. Hoofing it through the wilderness, she makes it to her university dorm, disheveled but delightfully deflowered.Enter a full vampire: one wielding dark magic and a ride out of Canada. A fugitive from the law, Karo complies with his demands to escape, unsure whether his requests are bewitched. She vows to clear her name and avenge her mother's death, but Karo's family secrets aren't so easily left behind.

All Dreamers Go to America


Ana Ingham - 2009
    Niko Salazar, a carpenter from Malta, is frustrated with his life. He makes an impetuous and life-changing decision-travel to America to find the love of his life, Ms. Parker, an American psychologist who recently visited his village. But Niko's wanderlust and heart-lust take him on a serendipitous and hilarious journey. This Mediterranean dreamer finds Saratoga, New York, Ms. Parker's hometown, a snow-ridden wonderland. Not to mention the fact that Ms. Parker is not returning any of his phone calls. Niko will go through some extraordinary experiences and meet a collection of charismatic characters while searching for his love-a Iroquois woman, a retired Vietnam vet, and an idealistic filmmaker-all dreamers searching for their own destiny. Will Niko find his Ms. Parker or will his dream of love and America be transformed into an unimaginable possibility? Ingham's novel is a delicious and mischievous romp with characters that come to life. Her sharp, observant voice makes a subtle, social and amusing commentary on the complexities of life, love, and the never-ending pursuit of happiness.

Twentymile


C. Matthew Smith - 2021
    But Tsula Walker, Special Agent with the National Park Service’s Investigative Services Branch, isn’t so sure.Tsula’s investigation will lead her deep into the park and face-to-face with a group of lethal men on a mission to reclaim a historic homestead. The encounter will irretrievably alter the lives of all involved and leave Tsula fighting for survival – not only from those who would do her harm, but from a looming winter storm that could prove just as deadly.A finely crafted literary thriller, Twentymile delivers a propulsive story of long-held grievances, new hopes, and the contentious history of the land at its heart.PRAISE FOR TWENTYMILE:"[A] taut, page-turning thriller . . ." --Atlanta Journal-Constitution"In C. Matthew Smith’s engrossing novel Twentymile, a park service biologist turns up dead in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and discord regarding annexed land fuels a treacherous chase....a disturbing, potent thriller about ownership and trespassing, as well as unrealized dreams and aggression." --Foreword Reviews"Twentymile is packed with everything I love: A strong, female character; a wilderness setting; gripping storytelling; masterful writing. . . I loved every word. A beautiful and brutal and extraordinary debut." --Diane Les Becquets, bestselling author of Breaking Wild and The Last Woman in the Forest"Original, intelligent. . . Twentymile is an accomplished first novel from a talented and fully-formed writer." --James McLaughlin, Edgar Award winning author of Bearskin“Twentymile is a moody, atmospheric tale of family, vengeance, and anger too-long held, all set in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Ultimately, it is the story of reaching for- discovering and recovering- home, and how such a complicated yearning can play out on both sides of the law." --Steph Post, author of Miraculum, Lightwood, and A Tree Born Crooked​"Smith’s spellbinding debut takes readers on a murderous journey through the backwoods of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. . . A thrilling and evocative tale." --Scott Graham, National Outdoor Book Award-winning author of Canyonlands Carnage"A highly enjoyable read suited best to those who like their thrillers to simmer for awhile before erupting in a blizzard of action and unpredictability with a future promise of grander adventures." --Kashif Hussain, Best Thriller Books"C. Matthew Smith's gripping tale centers around the history of our public lands and the people who use and protect them. Twentymile is a tremendously entertaining first novel from a writer who knows how to spin a good yarn." --Rob Phillips, bestselling author of The Cascade Killer, Cascade Vengeance, and Cascade Predator

The Eden Paradox


Barry Kirwan - 2011
    A new habitable planet is discovered within reach, but the first two missions have failed to return. This is the story of the third mission to Eden. What really awaits the crew of four as they make the long journey to this supposed uninhabited virgin planet, and what is the link to the secret 900 year old sect known as Alicians back on Earth? While Blake leads the Eden mission, a young researcher named Micah discovers a terrible truth that threatens the very existence of humanity. Editorial Reviews: A science fiction thriller with terrific images and revelations. SF Author Gary Gibson The reader is pulled into an all too real future, with memorable characters, leaving the reader craving more. Lydia Manx, Piker Press Amazon Reviews: ★★★★★ Superb, well-crafted, quality Scifi. I immediately bought book two in the series! ★★★★★ This is Orson Scott Card quality scifi at half the price! ★★★★★ Best science fiction of the year ★★★★★ Masterful science fiction, refreshingly original ★★★★★ I lost sleep over this book! ★★★★★ A breath-taking and truly epic series ★★★★★ A fabulous four-book set, full of imaginative new ideas ★★★★★ Six stars…brilliant…this series is addictive If you loved Dune, Foundation or Ender's Game, you'll love the first novel in this epic, galaxy-spanning series.

The Apprenticeship of Nigel Blackthorn


Frank Kelso - 2017
    The story relates the adventures of a thirteen-year-old English boy whose missionary parents came to convert the wild heathens to the way of Christ.Comanches slaughter Reverend John Blackthorn and his family before he preaches one word. Nigel survives by following his mother’s instructions to hide in a hollow tree. Pascal LeBrun, a roaming muleteer, rides to the smoke of the burning wagons to find Nigel, the lone survivor.Plump, lazy, and spoiled, Nigel enters an unwelcome new world–work or starve. He finds survival is the way of life on the prairie. Worse yet, English is a little used third language. Two hundred miles later, when the mule train reaches the first white settlement, Pascal gives Nigel a choice: enter an orphanage, or enter an apprenticeship on the mule train for a piddling wage.Years later, Nigel wonders if the orphanage would have been easier.

Westwind Secrets


Marilyn Dalla Valle - 2021
    Left by her estranged grandmother, the Second Empire Victorian mansion on Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay is thirty years past prime condition. The estate has no money for maintenance and repairs. Stuck, with meager means and no place to go, Mysti stays, despite rumored ghosts. When a drifter, Harry Pearson, shows up during a severe thunderstorm, she agrees to let him live in the carriage house in exchange for work. Soon, the tumbledown, brick fortress, springs back to life with mowed lawns, tended gardens, rebuilt porches and painted trim, but invisible evil shrouds the property. Broke, and heartbroken by her failed marriage, Mysti abandons a romance novel to write a mystery, using reality for inspiration. Oblivious to danger and driven by an unexplainable force, she delves into her grandmother’s accidental death and squandered assets with skeptical eyes. Bodies drop to protect guilty secrets, some buried for generations. Walking a tightrope to stay alive and protect her dog, Mysti Wade exposes deceit, greed and murder. Justice is served!

Iola O


G.M. Monks - 2019
    Iola meets Jim Lewis, who never served in the war but contributed in his own way to the war effort. They marry in post-war Philadelphia and raise a family against the backdrop of the paranoid era of McCarthyism. Their differences and a need for fulfillment propels them away from each other. Illicit liaisons and grief bring them life-changing insights.

Jeremy and the Witches’ Medallion: The Witch Hunt


Randy Gauthier - 2020
    While combining modern day narrative and medieval times, there is magic, witchcraft, talking animals and English history to take a reader on a thrilling adventure that they will never forget.