Book picks similar to
Focused on Murder: A Spirit Lake Mystery by Linda Townsdin


mystery
amatuer-sleuth
mysteries-thrillers
mystery-series

The Sinister Seminar


Sara Robbins - 2013
    She helped launch the Aspen Valley Inn and now she is getting her own story. She operates Enchanted Events which is getting the reputation that they host events to die for. It was a simple writing seminar booking. First someone tries to kill one of the students and next they come after Charlotte. Nothing can stop Charlotte from getting to the bottom of this because this time it's personal. Spend some time with the characters you loved in the Aspen Valley Inn Series and you'll also get to know more about Charlotte in this first book of the Events to Die For Series.This is a novella of approximately 25, 200 words.

Point of Honor


Maurice Medland - 1997
    A master storyteller." - Clive Cussler Two men separated by a strict code of honor locked in a lethal game of international terror . . . Jorge Cordoba has schemed and murdered his way to the top of a Colombian drug cartel intent on bankrupting the industrialized nations of the world. But when the freighter delivering the goods that will secure the cartel's - and Cordoba's - future goes missing, he's thrown into a life or death struggle to recover it. Enter Navy Lieutenant Daniel Blake, a former merchant marine officer who's just been ordered to lead a boarding party of seven men and one woman onto an abandoned freighter. In the hull of the freighter are thirty tons of cocaine, $350 million in cash - and half a dozen corpses with their tongues cut out. Separated from his own ship with a typhoon rapidly approaching, Blake and his team are plunged into a battle of terror against not one, but two treacherous enemies - Cordoba's strike force racing to the scene and a savage murderer who is still aboard. At the heart of this electrifying novel are two very different men, separated by their morality and strict code of honor, bound together in a deadly game of power and survival that each must fight to the very end.

Sloane Monroe Series Boxed Set: Books 1-6


Cheryl Bradshaw - 2015
    At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than a skiing accident, until the medical examiner discovers poison coursing through Charlotte's body.Audrey hires Sloane Monroe, a sassy, headstrong private investigator. As Sloane gets close to solving the case, a second body is found. With the killer aware that Sloane will stop at nothing to find him, he tracks her every move. Will Sloane uncover the truth before he strikes again?MURDER IN MIND: Sloane Monroe has solved every case except one -the brutal murder of her sister Gabrielle.Three years have passed without a trace of the killer until today, when a young woman's body is discovered in front of the local supermarket. Now Sloane is faced with the most difficult challenge of her life - finding the man who is a master at concealing his identity before he strikes again.If you love exciting mysteries, Murder in Mind will keep you reading until the very last page.I HAVE A SECRET: Doug Ward has been running from his past for twenty years.But after his fourth whisky of the night, his steely resolve has started to crack, and he doesn't want to keep quiet -- not anymore.When blood is found on the deck where Doug was last seen, private investigator Sloane Monroe goes in search of the truth and uncovers the biggest secret of them all.STRANGER IN TOWN: Six-year-old Olivia Hathaway tiptoes down the center aisle of Maybelle's Market, stopping to make sure her mother isn't watching.But Mrs. Hathaway is too preoccupied to notice her daughter has slipped away. Minutes later, a frantic Mrs. Hathaway runs up and down the aisles, desperately searching for her missing daughter. But Olivia is already gone. Will PI Sloane Monroe find her before it's too late?A New York Times bestselling series, and a Shamus Award finalist for best PI mystery.BED OF BONES: Sometimes even the deepest, darkest secrets find their way to the surface.Thirteen-year-old Willie Compton and his younger brother Leonard stumble upon a mine shaft while hiking the hills of Park City, Utah. A Slinky Leonard's been flipping back and forth between his hands slips through his fingers. Leonard bolts forward and reaches out to grab it, but he slips, then he falls into the shaft.Bed of Bones tells a tale of murder, shining a big, bold light on Park City's tragic past. A past that's about to revisit the present.HUSH NOW BABY: On a crisp, fall night, Serena Westwood wakes to the faint stirs of her crying baby.Bottle in hand, she tiptoes to the other side of the house, sneaks up to the crib, looks in. A wave of panic grips her as her real nightmare begins. Inside the crib, there is no baby.

Secrets in the Snow: A Collection Of Riveting Haunted House Mysteries


J.S. Donovan - 2019
    Anna Hall arrives in Sebring, Maine with her two teenage boys and a bold dream. Investing her late husband's life insurance policy into the classy yet nearly forgotten motel, Club Blue, the ambitious single mother hits the much-needed reset button on her troubled life. However, when peculiar guests arrive and strange sounds leak through the oddly thick walls, Anna quickly finds her lifelong dream plummeting into a short-lived nightmare.The Haunting of Meade MansionEmily thought she was leaving her money troubles behind when she inherited an old house from her great aunt who went missing the previous year.When she and her husband Jesse arrive at the house, they discover Aunt Matilda was murdered--and the culprit is still at large. Guided by the ghosts of Matilda and the orphans she raised, Emily and Jesse must catch the criminal and save themselves before it's too late.

A Parcel of Rogues


Joyce Lionarons - 2019
    But Rownt has problems of his own: a gang of child-thieves is terrorizing the quiet neighborhood in which he lives, and his neighbors want protection. Then the Fox, head of London’s criminal underworld, becomes involved, and a deadly situation becomes deadlier when one of the Fox’s men stabs the wrong boy. In a world where violence and theft seem everyday occurrences, Rownt searches for justice among A Parcel of Rogues.

Bed and Breakfast and Murder


Patti Larsen - 2017
    Instead, I forced myself to smile and swallow and remind myself the elbow length yellow rubber gloves grasping the handle of the standard issue plunger were all that stood between me and Pooageddon.Suck it up, Fee. Big girl panties and adulting and all that."At what point," I waved the dripping plunger, wincing as droplets of yuck flew, "did I think owning a bed and breakfast was going to be glamorous and romantic?"Fiona Fleming hasn't lived in Reading, Vermont in over a decade, her escape from small town living leading her to New York City and a life of adventure. An adventure that has left her with no career, an ex who cheated on her and zero plans for the future. Her grandmother's death grants her a new chance--inheriting Petunia's, Iris Fleming's bed and breakfast, seems like the ideal fresh start. But when Fee finds out ownership of the property Iris willed her might be in question, she's drawn into the seedy underbelly of the cutest town in America after being singled out as the main suspect in a murder.

Victorian San Francisco Mysteries Books 1-4: Maids of Misfortune, Uneasy Spirits, Bloody Lessons, Deadly Proof


M. Louisa Locke - 2016
    This Boxed Set of cozy historical mysteries is the perfect gift for readers of any age and is a welcome companion to Pilfered Promises, the fifth book in the series. Maids of Misfortune (over 1400 reviews, 4.2 stars) introduces Annie Fuller, a young widow who runs the O’Farrell Street boarding house and supplements her income by giving financial and domestic advice as Madam Sibyl. When one of Madam Sibyl’s clients dies in mysterious circumstances, Annie goes undercover as domestic servant to find out the truth about his death. Against his better judgment, Nate Dawson, the Voss family lawyer finds himself drawn into helping in her investigations, alternatively fascinated and frustrated by Annie’s independent nature. Uneasy Spirits (over 600 reviews, 4.3 stars) finds Annie Fuller and Nate Dawson, assisted by the boarding house maid, Kathleen, delving into the world of 19th century Spiritualism in order to expose a fraudulent trance medium. She will soon find there are as many secrets as there are spirits swirling around the séance table. Some of those secrets will threaten the foundation of her career as Madam Sibyl and the future of her relationship with Nate Dawson, and, in time, they will threaten her very life itself. In Bloody Lessons (over 350 reviews, 4.4 stars), Annie Fuller has been called in by her beau, Nate Dawson to find out who has been sending poison pen letters about the teachers of San Francisco. The case becomes personal when they discover that Nate’s sister, Laura, may be one of the teachers under attack. In Deadly Proof (over 350 reviews, 4.3 stars) Annie helps her fiancé, Nate Dawson, with a troubling case—defending a female typesetter who is accused of killing her employer. Complicating matters, Nate’s sister decides to take the investigation into her own hands.

After the Execution


James Raven - 2012
    He's lost everything - his wife, his dreams, his future. He finally enters the death chamber at the famous 'Walls' prison in Texas. He's strapped to a gurney and given an injection of lethal drugs in front of witnesses. Minutes later he's pronounced dead. But that's not the end of it. After the execution comes the shocking revelation - Jordan is still alive. And to stop him talking he has to die all over again - before he brings down the entire American justice system.

One Spoonful of Trouble


Nic Saint - 2015
    Suddenly the small town of Happy Bays is confronted with a crime wave the likes of which she’s never seen. The main culprit seems to be big shot reporter Rick Dawson, and soon the two are at daggers drawn.Rick actually came down to Happy Bays to work on a tell-all article exposing villainous billionaire Chazz Falcone. Rick just lost his job because of the exposé, and he’s determined to nail the real estate tycoon to the wall. He soon discovers that trouble has followed him from New York City. Though she pretends to be a baker, he has a sneaking suspicion Felicity Bell is really working for Falcone, trying to get her hands on his article.Before long, Felicity and Rick find themselves in a reluctant partnership fighting the crime wave that has hit Happy Bays, and the shady billionaire who seems to be behind all the trouble.

Dark Path


Melissa F. Miller - 2017
    But death keeps finding him. After solving a series of unexplained deaths and exposing a sordid political scandal, Bodhi retreated from the limelight. Permanently, he thought. But now he's called out of early retirement to help investigate a death cluster on a private island in the Florida Keys. Healthy residents of a ritzy assisted living facility are dying in the middle of the night ... their faces frozen in terror. Bodhi arrives on Golden Island to find a community gripped by fear. And beneath the surface, conflict simmers, threatening to boil over. The charismatic leader of the Golden Island Church, the dying Cuban-Americans, and the local Catholic priest all have secrets to protect.It's up to Bodhi to bring the truth to light ... before another resident dies.
Dark Path is the first book in an intriguing, engrossing new forensic thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Melissa F. Miller. Lonely Path (Book 2), Hidden Path (Book 3), and Twisted Path (Book 4) are available now!What Readers Are Saying:"[A] very enjoyable read--a forensic thriller crossed with cozy mystery, with a cast of entertaining characters confined in a remote location. ... [I]n Miller's books there are always interesting themes alongside the thrill of a fast-paced plot, and 'Dark Path' is no exception.""I fervently enjoyed the twists and turns as one by one, the clues to the puzzle are discovered.""[A]n excellent, tightly woven tale that hooked me quickly and kept me reading until the conclusion.""Melissa Miller's writing is strong, with good character development, lots of action and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end."Other Thriller/Mystery Series by Melissa F. Miller:The Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller SeriesThe Aroostine Higgins Thriller SeriesThe We Sisters Three Mystery Series

Cristina


Jake Parent - 2016
     Desperate to escape her past, Cristina Rodriguez moves into a picturesque hilltop home with an ocean view. The same place where, four years earlier, a young girl was kidnapped and murdered. Both the house and the scenic California beach town seem perfect. Fresh air. Fresh faces. And the ocean is just ten minutes away. But as Cristina and her daughter set about rebuilding their lives, they soon discover that the past is not about to let go so easily. A page-turning thrill ride, Cristina will grab you from the first page and keep you guessing until the very end...

The Angel of Death


Blair Babylon - 2014
    When a massive call-out down by the Mexican Border reveals a terrorist cell and turns into a standoff, Angel’s youngest brother, the lost soul of her family, texts her that he is inside that barricaded house, and her orders are to shoot anything that moves.

Marigolds and Murder


London Lovett - 2017
    With her pet crow Kingston and a tabby cat named Nevermore, she is settling right into her new life in the small coastal town of Port Danby. With a flower shop opening soon and a full cast of quirky neighbors and friends, her new digs are exactly what she's been looking for. Away from the hectic hustle and bustle of the city Lacey has found peace and happiness. However, her heightened sense of smell proves to be of use once again when a Port Danby neighbor turns up dead. Lacey finds herself caught up in an unexpected murder investigation alongside the handsome local detective, James Briggs. She’s determined to find the killer and solve the murder mystery before any more bodies turn up.Book 1 of the Port Danby Cozy Mystery Series. 1. Marigolds and Murder2. Carnations and Chaos (October 15, 2017)3. Mistletoe and Mayhem (November 2017)Full-length novel ~50,000 words.

Burning Justice (Callie Justice Mystery)


Leighann Dobbs - 2015
    murder." Private Investigator Callie Justice wants nothing to do with a client who she suspects is lying right to her face, but when that lie turns deadly, Callie is compelled to do what she does best ... seek justice. It should be easy, since the victim practically predicted her own death and all the clues point to one person ... or do they? Aided by her hunky robotic housekeeper who spends most of his time avoiding his household duties and her elderly amateur sleuth neighbors, Callie soon finds herself navigating a sea of lies in a twisty plot where no one can be trusted.

Godfather of the Bride


Laura Durham - 2019
    But never drama with "the family." When a member of the mob shows up on her elderly neighbor's wedding day, Annabelle is surprised. But she's even more surprised when she learns the truth about Leatrice's past. To add insult to injury, Annabelle is one of the bridesmaids and everyone keeps asking her about her wedding plans. With wise guys on the loose, colorful hairdresser Fern dressed as a priest, and guests dropping from the heat, suddenly bridezillas don't seem so bad! Can Annabelle and her crew get the bride down the aisle before someone sleeps with the fishes?Godfather of the Bride, a novella, is the 14th book in Laura Durham's hilarious Annabelle Archer Wedding Planner Mystery series. If you like larger-than-life characters, madcap capers, and an insider’s look at glamorous society weddings, then you’ll love this award-winning cozy series.