Book picks similar to
Initiation by Phil M. Williams


young-adult
sports
fiction
slice-of-life

The Last Teacher


Alan Lee - 2015
    After a successful but destructive career as a high-profile California homicide detective, and then a less successful and even more destructive stint working for a church, he has moved to Virginia to start over as a teacher. The only thing he's bringing with him is Kix, his infant baby boy. He plans for peaceful living with his son, but trouble soon finds him as his new co-workers begin showing up dead outside of his classroom. The Sheriff's Office is stumped, the teachers are scared, and hidden rifts within the county begin surfacing. The town turns to August for help, which he is compelled to provide after learning that evidence suggests he will be the next victim. August must survive entanglements with the small-time police force, a local drug dealer, and the young and aggressive brunette teaching across from him if he is to stop the mysterious killer.

Sabotage


Dale Wiley - 2015
    Without warning of where or when they will occur. Big cities, small towns, and rural back roads. Sinister messages appear on computer screens across America, and that message is clear. No one is safe… - Not disgraced FBI agent Grant, awaiting his call back to the big time; - Not rapper Pal Joey, an international sensation; - Not savvy beauty Caitlin, the ultimate “Sin City” party girl; - Not even Naseem, the would-be martyr who helped plan the attacks. An unhinged mastermind paralyzes a nation, and unlikely heroes must put aside their differences and forge an alliance to stop the attacks before the passing hours bring down a Nation. All roads lead to Las Vegas. Can four people, united only by their hatred of a common enemy stop … Sabotage?

Hard Blow


Stella Lang
     I’m a physical therapist ordered to help him recoup after a hard blow. I should stay away from him, because he’s a player. But I’m willing to take one for the team. He’s hot, cocky, and good with his mouth. Now I find myself wanting to give him a hard blow.

Next Christmas in Girouette (Adventures in Girouette Book 1)


Michael Welch - 2011
    This book will appeal to people of all ages—nine to ninety-nine—who want to share a classic, heart-warming literary adventure at Christmastime. Next Christmas in Girouette is the story of a brother and sister—Autry and Oxana Quinn—who find themselves stranded in a Girouette, a virtual ghost town, from Thanksgiving through Christmas when their father is taken seriously ill. Their grandfather, a Marine Captain long retired, plus an eccentric old café proprietress, a Blackfeet Indian horse trader who once served as the town’s mayor, a couple who published the local newspaper and an ancient deaf-mute trapper are the only remaining inhabitants of Girouette. These self-styled, “diehards” all seem to have one thing in common. Thanks to a mysterious event 60 years earlier, they still believe in Santa Claus. Girouette features something for everyone: carefree cowboys who race their horses over snow covered country road, a team of wolves trained to pull a dogsled, a stroll that nearly turns tragic on a buffalo jump, a serialized newspaper story titled “The Adventures of Rocky Mountain Santa,” a desperate attempt to escape from an abandoned copper mine, a night-time journey through the mountains on a frozen river and the miracle that delivers wayfaring strangers to Girouette during a storm on Christmas Eve. The book revels in the solitary beauty of winter in Big Sky Country, the enduring wisdom of the elderly citizens of Girouette, the excitement of frontier history coming to life, the inspiration of a family healing itself and the magic of an old-fashioned western Christmas. Read Next Christmas in Girouette with your family this year, and you’ll want to revisit it for years to come at holiday time.

The Bedwarmer's Son


Caryl McAdoo - 2016
    And the dead white man is his half-brother. Once his lily-white lawyer lady learns the truth, everything changes. Can she save him from swinging? Will the bedwarmer murder the one she’s been bought to serve? From the antebellum South, come travel the dusty trails of Jim Crowe Dalton, Georgia with slave and master, saint and sinner. See if God is really big enough, if He truly cares about His children. McAdoo has done it again, this time in a brand new way. A delightful morsel for the palates of Christian readers world round.

Beautifully Tainted


A.M. Guilliams - 2014
    Perfectly boring. Which is how I preferred it to be. Trust didn't come easy and for good reason.When I ran into the new detective in town, I knew the second our eyes locked, he'd be my downfall. He had too many questions. Pressed too hard for me to let him in. And they were both the dangerous combination neither of us could afford.

Fractured Eden


Steven Gossington - 2015
    Aaron Rovsing, Family Practice Physician, is fired from his medical practice in Connecticut because of alleged incompetence. After he flees and starts over in a town in East Texas, he discovers that things are not as they first appear, and soon Aaron must combat the deranged and addicted minds of the townspeople.Events take an even deadlier turn when he finds himself the next chosen victim of a serial killer who plans to add the doctor to his collection of skeletons. In this town of insanity and with a serial killer waiting to strike, how can Aaron manage to stay sane . . . and alive?

The Dogs of Mexico


John J. Asher - 2011
    Broken by the destruction of his family, he agrees to one last job—this time for the other side. When a "straightforward" diamond smuggling operation goes south—literally—Bohnert finds himself trekking through Mexico, pursued by killers, including, a cross-dressing hit man, a psycho meth addict, and a fellow operative who was once a close friend. An unlikely love story complicates his flight when the woman who defects from his pursuers becomes the one person who might offer him salvation. The question becomes, ultimately, will they make it out of Mexico alive, and does the canister really contain diamonds, or is Robert being used to import an unimaginable horror into the U.S.? “…(K)ill a few hours enjoying the suspense and human drama.” — Publishers Weekly

Better To Give Than Deceive: Grifter Trilogy - Book 1


Kobrinica Press - 2014
    But with an unpredictable cop on the take, a double-cross in the works, and a hitman dispatched to recover the money, time is a luxury the trio of grifters cannot afford to waste by trying to figure out who's double crossing whom if they hope to have any chance of recovering the money and staying alive.And before they lose what little leverage they have, Jared and Chance make a bold and daring move to rig Frank's trial and execute a plan that sets in motion events that lead to a dramatic verdict, unforeseen consequences, and the wisdom that it would have been better to give than deceive.Genre: Crime Fiction, Courtroom DramaThis book is also available in a profanity-free Alternate Edition. (ASIN: B00REN1UFK)

Talk to Me


Clare James - 2014
    The young, handsome, high-scoring player quickly became a fan favorite. He had everything going for him: fame, fortune, a promising career, and his pick of women. But when he made an abrupt exit from the NHL last spring, everything changed and he’s been in hiding ever since.Casey Scott plans to find out why.After interning for free all summer at the top television station in the Twin Cities, Casey lands an on-air gig. Trouble is, the new role is Sports Girl—which means reporting from local bars and tailgating parties to create excitement for the hometown heroes. All while wearing tiny team jerseys that are so tight they leave little to the imagination.But she has a plan. Uncover the biggest sports mystery of the decade, and she’ll be on her way. Question is, how far will she go to get the story?*Caution: This story contains explicit sex scenes with an alpha hockey player … who gives an entirely new meaning to the term Body Checking. *

Avenue of Regrets


R.J. Piñeiro - 2018
    . . Worthy of Hitchcock." --Publishers Weekly Your spouse and infant son died in a tragic accident, or so you thought.And on the same night you were accused of a crime you can't remember committing. "A Superb Psychological Thriller." --Douglas Preston"Rife with suspense." --Kirkus Reviews Yet, you were exonerated, somehow. And you even found the strength to go on, to try to make amends by starting a shelter for battered women. You think, hope--even pray--that by helping those abused, those living in fear, that your dark days will be behind you, allowing you to emerge from this long avenue of regrets. "A hard-hitting examination of regrets, atonement, and acknowledging sins committed and those imagined." --Midwest Book Reviews But on the seventh anniversary of that terrible night, you learn that everything that happened seven years ago--everything--was not as it had seemed. "Greed, violence, and the hope of redemption are the defining themes of Avenue of Regrets, a non-stop action thriller." --Foreword Reviews This revelation propels you into a world of corruption and violence you never knew existed. Still, you won't stop--can't stop. How could you? Someone killed your family, and you must search for the truth . . . no matter the cost. "A riveting crime thriller." --Cheryl Kay Tardiff HAUNTED BY THE PAST. SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH.AVENUE OF REGRETS.

What We Saw


Ryan Casey - 2012
    As the story twists and turns towards a shocking conclusion, the secrets of the seemingly sleepy community begin to unravel…What We Saw is a touching and thrilling British mystery novel with elements of comedy, friendship, fear and loss. Told from the innocent perspective of a child, it poses the ultimate question: if you stumbled upon a shocking discovery as a child, how would you react?

Falling for the Best Man


Joanne Dannon
    When he’s asked to be the best man at their wedding, should he speak up, or forever hold his peace? Lifestyle hacker Kaylah Westwood’s engagement brings her a step closer to the kind of life she’s dreamed of, full of love and family. Her fiancé is a good guy. It’s a shame it’s his brother who’s the one who makes her pulse rate skittle. Jonah would never betray the brother who’s always been there for him. With just two days to go before the wedding, can he let the woman he loves marry his brother? But when Jonah confesses his feelings to Kaylah, a mind-blowing kiss has her rethinking her commitment. She thought she’d fallen for the right man. But is he the best man for her?

Intrusion


Mary McCluskey - 2016
    While Scott throws himself back into his law practice in Los Angeles, Kat is hesitant to rejoin the workplace and instead spends her days shell-shocked and confused, unable to focus.When an unwelcome face from Kat’s past in England emerges—the beautiful and imposing Sarah Cherrington—Kat’s marriage is thrown into a tailspin. Now wealthy beyond anything she could have imagined as a girl, Sarah appears to have everything she could need or want. But Sarah has an agenda and she wants one more thing. Soon Kat and Scott are caught up in her devious games and power plays.Against the backdrops of Southern California and Sussex, in spare and haunting prose, Mary McCluskey propels this domestic drama to its chilling conclusion.

The Cure


Parker J. Cole - 2017
    Yet, when Savannah’s niece is injured in a serious accident, the one man she can’t trust is the one she needs. Micah can barely contain his satisfaction when he sees Savannah’s message pleading for him to come to her side. Her disloyalty nearly cost his career and he’ll never forgive her for leaving him at the lowest point in his life. Despite her efforts to remain aloof, Savannah keeps seeing glimpses of the Micah she once loved behind his cool exterior. Micah fights an ongoing battle to not succumb to the sweetness of the woman he once cared for beyond anything else. But Savannah and Micah’s hearts remain sick with the pangs of betrayal. What, if anything, is the cure?