Book picks similar to
Down Home by Gail Roughton


shelfari-romance
suspense
free-reads
4444-stars

Messy Jessie


Norman Everhart - 2013
    Then the science teacher partners him for a project with Messy Jessie, an outcast and object of ridicule by the students because of the frumpy clothing she wears and her timid nature. He soon learns that people are not always what they appear to be on the surface and his world goes out of control. Will he discover what matters most in life in time to make the difficult decisions he will face?

Double or Nothing


Donald Wells - 2009
    From Donald WellsThe author of The Fix-It Man & The Reynolds Family SagaDOUBLE OR NOTHINGDavid Manning suddenly realizes that he's being watched.The woman, not much more than a girl really, appears to be homeless.David tries to ignore her but the girl soon follows him wherever he goes and so David decides to confront her.What happens next will send his life spiraling out of control in ways that he could never have imagined and, that in the end,will either unite him with his soul mate, or send him to an untimely and violent death.

Conspiracy (Maple Valley Book 3)


Rebecca Deel - 2021
    To unmask the culprit before he succeeds, Blair accepts the help of a Navy SEAL turned cop with a dark past and deadly skills.Deputy Sheriff Elliot Montgomery has avoided a distracting Blair Hoffman for two years. But when someone places a target on her back, Elliot’s protective instincts override his common sense. After he becomes Blair’s personal bodyguard, the threats escalate. But Elliot never backs down from a fight. With danger looming, he’ll need every ounce of cunning and courage to save himself and the woman who refused to leave him alone in the darkness.

The First Witness


Todd Easterling - 2013
    Southern California Novelist Todd Easterling, discovered by New York's Jay Garon-Brooke Agency (of John Grisham fame), weaves a well-written, character-rich story with cinematic potential.With a topic right out of today's headlines, this story follows Tom Lassiter in a fast paced race to separate facts from propaganda, and ends in a heart stopping glimpse of the new world we live in and threats posed by rogue states set on nuclear weapons development.On his journey, Tom finds friendship and loyalty with his sidekick from The Washington Post, and unexpectedly develops a romantic interest while interviewing key players behind the scenes.The book might be compared to an early Tom Clancy type story (such as The Hunt for Red October) or Harrison Ford type thriller movie involving espionage and covert government actions (Air Force One), yet relationships and suspense play a stronger role in The First Witness. Never delving too deep into technical details to avoid a pure military thriller, the story focuses on uncovering clues, determining who is involved and trying to avoid capture before getting the story out. In the end, Tom Lassiter finds himself and the United States in a mission to fix what he admittedly and inadvertently help set in motion.

Dakota Peace


Megan Kinney - 2020
    Her peace is short lived when a flat tire strands her on the other side of South Dakota with nothing but her high heels and a speeding ticket. State Trooper Travis Wilkins offers to keep her company while she waits for a new tire, but the quick fix turns into an overnight stay which turns into an extended stay. She soon finds herself in the middle of a foster child’s kidnapping case helping the handsome law man. His presence doesn’t quite settle her anxious heart. With the support of her new friends and her blossoming relationship, Natalia starts to believe she could finally experience a peaceful life … until an armed madman threatens it all.

The Threat


Jonas Saul - 2011
    Things go bad fast. During the deal on the fourteenth floor of an apartment building, the dealer disappears, and Drake is stuck in the apartment with a dead woman.The police are at the door. He has nowhere to go.On the run from the police and the maniacal killers intent on framing Drake for murder, he must uncover the truth before it is too late.There is a reason behind the madness that has become his life. That information takes him back twelve years to when he was hospitalized with a concussion and his fiancée went missing.The only way out is to clean up someone else's mess. The only way out is murder.Drake Bellamy didn't want to break the law, but now he is out for blood.

Murder Goes to Church


C.D. Jarmola - 2011
    Kool-Aid and kids. Will the stains on the carpet ever come out? Is it contagious? But the most desperate thought churning through Chrissy Chronister’s mind was a hysterical mantra of “Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die.” But she did anyway.When Chrissy Chronister agrees to help in her small community church’s vacation Bible school she knows that it will be a hectic week of making crafts, telling stories and singing songs. However, she never expects it to land her in the middle of a murder investigation with her friends, fellow church members and possibly even herself being the prime suspects.Chrissy is a spunky, petite blonde (all adjectives she hates) mother of eleven-month-old, Lukas, along with her husband, Luke, living in south Georgia.As the newest church member Chrissy is stuck with the team teacher from hell, Ramona Snyder, a self-centered thorn in the flesh at United Community Church. However, she also is the richest woman around and her tithe is all that keeps the church solvent.The theme for the week is “God’s Beautiful World,” emphasizing saving our ecology. Thus, everyone has his/her own labeled eco-cup to be used each day during snack time. Day one Chrissy is already hearing Ramona making threats that she will be withholding her money from family members and causes if things do not change to her specifications.By the end of the second day Chrissy is holding a dying Ramona in her arms.The evidence shows that Ramona’s eco-cup has been poisoned. The only people with access are fellow members of UCC including Bro. Michael, the pastor accused of embezzling, his wife Melanie, John, whose farm Ramona foreclosed on, his pregnant teenage daughter Peggy, who Ramona disdained, Scott the youth minister, who Ramona had accused of having inappropriate relations, Emilie Anne the church secretary, Deacon Melvin, Ramona’s own children, Suzanne and Rick, and her husband Max.Chrissy is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. She tries to distance herself, but motherhood forces her back where she unintentionally finds clues through the help of her mischievous son. Due to Lukas’ baby monitor, blankie, tipping over trash cans, getting into ladies’ purses, crawling places he shouldn’t and destroying the story of Abraham and Isaac from his storybook, Chrissy finds skeletons that her fellow parishioners thought were deeply buried.Will Chrissy and baby Lukas solve the crime before the uncovered secrets tear their little church apart?

Never Surrender


Susan Vaughan - 2013
    When Rick finally has a lead in Maine, his suspect goes underground and the sister refuses to cooperate. Beautiful Juliana Paris’s quick wit and loyalty draw him but he can’t afford involvement with his suspect’s sister. With no way backBecause Juliana’s father suffered injustice that led to his early death, she intends to find her troubled younger brother and ensure the law treats him fairly. She’s determined not to fall for the sexy agent, even if he is dedicated and honorable. Threats by the cartel, who plan to use her to lure out her brother, force her to accept Rick’s protection. The only choice is . . . surrenderJuliana wants no charmer like the men her mother keeps marrying, and Rick wants no strings. Although attraction sparks between them, the two are at odds and their personalities are polar opposites, but they must work together while evading the thugs. Their hunt for the brother and the cartel’s American connection leads them into each other's arms and into deadly danger.

Lie Catchers


Rolynn Anderson - 2012
    Treasury agent Parker Browne is working undercover in Petersburg, Alaska to investigate a money scam and a murder. His prime suspect, Liv Hanson, is a freelance writer struggling to save her family’s business. Free spirited, full of life, and with a talent for catching liars, she fascinates Parker. Trying to prove she’s a legitimate writer who cares about Petersburg’s issues, Liv pens a series of newspaper articles about an old, unsolved murder. When her cold case ties in with Parker’s investigation, bullets start to fly. Parker understands money trails, and Liv knows the town residents. But he gave up on love two years ago, and she trusts no one, especially with her carefully guarded secret. If they mesh their skills to find the killers, will they survive the fallout?

Turn the Page


Allie K. Adams - 2015
    Until he met her.It's twenty years later - Kane Dennon, son of Kade Dennon and Kathleen Turner, is now twenty-six and following in his father's footsteps in every sense of the word. He's estranged from his family and living in Seattle, has more regrets than friends, and doesn't expect to live to see twenty-seven. His latest job isn't exactly going as planned, thanks to a sexy, yet nosy neighbor catching him piggybacking on her Wi-Fi and interrupting him before he can finish the hack. Just as he leaves to confront her, shots erupt, shredding his apartment. Kane races next door, expecting to find his neighbor curled into a ball, screaming as bullets whistle by. Instead he finds her shooting back.If it weren't for bad luck, she'd have no luck at all. That's CSI tech Eleanor Rigby's motto. Make that ex-CSI tech. After being fired for stealing evidence from a crime scene, she can't get another job to save her life. If she doesn't find some way to make money, she can add homeless to the list. Leave it to her to have the proverbial tall, dark, and gorgeous man living next door--and he turns out to be a criminal. When she's literally caught in the crossfire, she ends up on the run with him, dodging more bullets while doing everything in her power not to fall for his charm.Everything about Ellie draws Kane in--from her fiery red hair to her amazing eye for detail. He could use her specific set of skills to figure out what his latest employer is up to and has her help track the evidence. When they discover the hack is part of a much bigger plan, one that involves them both, they must find a way to stop it before it's too late.Sometimes life isn't about the choices we make, but how we handle the consequences.This story can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the "Kathleen Turner" world created by Tiffany Snow. However, it's best served with a heart-racing helping of the other stories in the series on sale now.

The Docent


Tom Kenny - 2018
     A pair of the city’s most prominent lawyers takes on the task of defending an acerbic tycoon accused of fleecing his niece and nephew of their interest in the family business empire. As the court proceedings take a decided turn against their unforgiving client, defense counsel turn to insidious means in a desperate attempt to avoid a catastrophic judgment. They scheme to besmirch and derail the trial judge through the manipulation of her law clerk. Unknowingly, the clerk provides information that could involve Her Honor in the disappearance of the priceless museum paintings. The story unfolds in both posh and hardscrabble neighborhoods of Boston and its suburbs as its players succumb to greed, power and love, without concern for those left in their backwash.

The Venus Shoe


Carla Neggers - 1984
    Alone with her memories, she picks wild blueberries on a quiet island. As she starts to dip into the cool water for a refreshing swim, she discovers she isn’t alone after all. A man is asleep on her little island. Artemis doesn’t believe his story about why he’s trespassing, but the truth is even more complicated. She is convinced this rugged stranger and his secrets are the key to finding out what really happened to her parents. She’s playing a dangerous game, not only with her life…but with her heart.

Bagels & Salsa


Lara Reznik - 2018
    As the Son of Sam and a scorching heat wave plague New York City, Laila Levin, a Jewish sociologist from Long Island, meets Dr. Eduardo Quintana while giving a speech on the epidemic problem of teenage pregnancies. Laila is relationship-shy after a disastrous marriage, and Eduardo has never completely recovered from his high school sweetheart’s desertion. He is finishing up a residency in New York City and plans to open a family practice near his hometown in New Mexico.The unlikely pair share strong family values and an interest in helping prevent teen pregnancy. Their mutual passion is so intense it stuns them both. After a brief courtship, Eduardo persuades Laila to accompany him to his family ranch near Española, New Mexico, a rural area with one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in North America.  Once in New Mexico, Laila is blatantly rejected by Sylvia, Eduardo’s controlling mama. Sylvia desperately wants Eduardo to marry Violet, his high school sweetheart. Violet has just returned to New Mexico after a failed flight attendant career, and a walk on the dark side of Hollywood. Her mama and Sylvia cook up a plan to get rid of Laila and reunite their children. The Quintanas hold a large pig roast and invite a menagerie of tattooed cousins, rodeo stars, and mariachis, where the drop-dead gorgeous Violet makes a grand entrance.In the midst of the pandemonium that results, a shocking family secret is revealed, and Laila and Eduardo’s love for each other is severely tested. Can their relationship survive the fierce clash of cultures, the murderous intentions of a Son of Sam copycat who has stalked Laila from New York City, and their own uncertainties about the upheavals that their union will cause in their lives?

Close to Home


Suzanne Ferrell - 2012
    I’m Lorna Doone. Yep, spelled just like the cookie and I own the Peaches ‘N Cream Café here in Weston. You might think nothing much happens in a small mid-western town, but as my friend Harriett says, things aren’t always what they appear. Take our girl Emma for example…”Emma Lewis has a lot on her plate. The single mother of two precocious twin boys and an aging mother who is having trouble getting through each day, the last thing Emma needs is a man in her life, especially a doctor. So when the town’s doctor goes on vacation and his handsome nephew takes over, Emma is shocked to not only find him standing in her bedroom, but accusing her of being a neglectful parent.Clint Preston came to Westen for the year to fill in as the town doc while his uncle took a long needed vacation. Clint also needed a sense of peace and calm to try to find his passion for medicine burned out by long shifts in an urban hospital’s ER. Angered to find two boys in his clinic with broken wrists and no accompanying parent, he is determined to confront their mother. The feisty redhead he meets quickly dispels his belief that she’s a neglectful mother, but he can see her situation is more critical than she wishes to face and finds himself volunteering to help care for her sons and the remodeling of her home.As Emma and Clint forge a relationship among the slightly off-beat characters that inhabit Weston a menace from Emma’s past threatens her and her sons. Clint and Emma join forces to prevent the loss of either boy and the love they’ve discovered in each other’s’ arms.

Night Stalker


Carol Davis Luce - 1990
    She had finally gotten her life back together again. She’d moved to a wonderful secluded house on a mountainside in Reno, her paintings were beginning to sell, and there was even a hint of romance on the horizon. Then things began to happen. Little things. Anonymous phone calls full of heavy breathing. A broken tree branch outside her bedroom window. Her cat, Winnie—gone without a trace. A moving shadow above the skylight. Surely it was all her imagination…Then one day she picked up the phone and there was somebody there—somebody who knew her childhood nickname. In the background she could hear a scratchy record—an old song that brought dark memories out of the shadows. That night something woke Alexandra out of a sound sleep. This time, the heavy breathing wasn’t coming from the telephone. Someone was in the house with her. And she was at his mercy. In this spine-tingling thriller, Alex and Justin 's steamy relationship adds spice to the electrifying plot.