Book picks similar to
Sexton Blake versus the Master Crooks by Mark Hodder
mystery
pulp
sexton-blake
short-story-anthologies
Lines of Duty: Deputy Corus Mystery #1
Mark Hazard - 2019
The series you didn’t know you’ve been missing.
From lauded author Mark Hazard comes a new off-beat crime series about a man with one name, a hidden past, and an uncontrollable urge to root out villainy.
Mere weeks after returning from his final deployment, Corus is a cadet at an elite police academy in Seattle. While doing grunt work at a local precinct, he comes across a set of diamonds taken from the scene of an unsolved hit-and-run. Not only did the diamonds go unclaimed, but the still-living victim is nowhere to be found. When the diamonds turn out to be fakes, it’s one too many oddities in an attempted murder with no suspects.
Instincts forged in covert action plunge Corus headlong into criminal ranks, but taking the fastest route to answers runs roughshod over the delicate procedural approach he’s supposed to be learning. Corus knows he’s threatening his new life and career in the process, but putting the mission before self-preservation is the hardest habit of all to break.
The one man who can help Corus sort through his issues is the least likely of all. Albert Chu is a cheery and childlike cadet who's failing the academy but has a knack for getting into Corus' head. In trying to rein Corus in, he ends up proving his mettle, and together they fight to prevent multiple murders and foil a kidnapping plot, even while the eye of the law they hoped to serve is turned on their actions.Can Corus unite the lines of duty pulling him in different directions, or will he end up another casualty of the war he brought home?Through Corus’ journey runs a cracking mystery/crime story with humor, thrills, and a cast of well-drawn side characters, from small-time gangsters and rodeo riff-raff to Corus' wife who grapples with her own grifter impulses. The Deputy Corus series is precisely the blend of action and depth that readers of James Patterson and Lee Child are looking for.What readers are saying about the series:
“…Nuance of character development that is often lacking these days. - especially with books that deal with military or police.”
“A heck of a caper that'll make you laugh a lot more often than most crime novels.”
“Not at all the same cookie cutter outline that most crime writers follow for their main character. It's much more complex and enjoyable.”
"Exactly the story I was waiting for!"
"In Lines of Duty, Hazard paints a scene with his words that transported me into a new world and created thought-provoking and enticing dilemmas. This story is entertaining and engaging. I recommend Lines of Duty 100% to anyone who loves a good mystery."
"If you’re looking for a paint-by-numbers procedural, this isn’t the book for you, but if you crave deeply human crime drama with a fair share of thrills and humor, then this is a must-read."
“This series is as enjoyable as Lee Child’s Reacher books.”
MESSAGE in the BOX: A Psychic Murder Mystery (Messages of Murder Book 5)
Dawn Merriman - 2021
Unexplained, Unsolved, Unsealed Mysteries of the World : Strange Disappearances, Paranormal Activities, Cold Murder Cases, Abnormal Occurrences
Gerald Burns - 2021
Unreal Part II (Unreal Crime Thriller #2)
Riley Moreno - 2017
But the battle is far from over. A year ago, Julie Edwards and her best friend, Kimberly Beyer, were kidnapped by two brutal sex traffickers. Julie survived. Kimberly did not. Haunted by the horrific abuse and the loss of her best friend, Julie clings to her savior, the tortured Ethan Graff. Just as she is beginning to adjust to her new normal, Julie is called upon to testify at the trial of the men who kidnapped her. Despite her own feelings, Julie is determined to take the stand. But someone is desperate to keep her from testifying. Someone who will stop at nothing to silence the survivor. The nightmare isn’t over yet. In fact, it’s about to get much worse.This book is for mature audiences only. It deals with topics such as abuse and murder and is recommended for readers 18 and older.
Blue Steele - Box Set #2
Donald Wells - 2013
Blue Steele 8
After three more bounty hunters fall victim to the serial killer, Blue's boyfriend, Gary, begs her to go into hiding. Meanwhile, Blondie proves herself worthy.
Blue Steele 9
Someone is stalking Blue, as a serial killer hunts for victims, and after she and Blondie save the day, they have a disagreement that threatens their friendship.
Blue Steele 10
After one of Blue's oldest friends go missing, it's feared that the serial killer has struck again. Meanwhile, Blondie gets in over her head and even Blue can't help her.
Blue Steele 11
After being saved by an unexpected ally, Blondie and Blue make up, but Blue soon has reason to distrust Blondie, when she learns disturbing news from a reliable source.
Blue Steele 12
Blue and Gary's relationship is in turmoil, and Blue must make a life-altering decision.And when the serial killer's identity is revealed, Blue faces a showdown with tragic results, and later finds herself in deep despair.For more BLUE STEELE go to : bluesteelebountyhunter.com
Umbrellas and Undertakers (An Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Book 21)
Diana Xarissa - 2022
Partners in Crime: Five Bestselling Crime Thrillers
Rebecca Forster - 2014
Josie, once a hot-shot criminal defense attorney, left the fast track behind for a small practice in Hermosa Beach, California. But Hannah Sheraton intrigues her and, when the girl is charged as an adult, Josie cannot turn her back. But the deeper she digs the more Josie realizes that politics, the law and family relationship TO SPEAK FOR THE DEAD (Paul Levine): A doctor in love with his patient's wife...
A fatal mistake during surgery...
Accident? Malpractice? Or murder?
Defending a surgeon in a malpractice case, linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter begins to suspect that his client is innocent of negligence...but guilty of murder. Add a sexy widow, a deadly drug, and a grave robbery to the stew, and you have the recipe for Miami's trial of the century. AN INNOCENT CLIENT (Scott Pratt): A preacher is found brutally murdered in a Tennessee motel room. A beautiful, mysterious young girl is accused. In this bestselling debut, criminal defense lawyer Joe Dillard has become jaded over the years as he's tried to balance his career against his conscience. Savvy but cynical, Dillard wants to quit doing criminal defense, but he can't resist the chance to represent someone who might actually be innocent. His drug-addicted sister has just been released from prison and his mother is succumbing to Alzheimer's, but Dillard's commitment to the case never wavers despite the personal troubles and professional demands that threaten to destroy him. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES (Sheldon Siegel): Meet Mike Daley. Ex-priest. Ex–public defender. And as of yesterday, ex-partner in one of San Francisco's most prominent law firms. Today he's out on his own, setting up practice on the wrong side of town. Then his best friend and former colleague is charged with a brutal double murder, and Daley is instantly catapulted into a high-profile investigation involving the prestigious law firm that just booted him. As he prepares his case, Daley uncovers the firm's dirtiest secrets. It doesn't take long for him to discover that in this trial, ambition, friendship, greed, and long-standing grudges will play just as important a role as truth and justice… BUYING TIME (Pamela Samuels Young): Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he's about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems. In Waverly's new line of work, he comes to the aid of people in desperate need of cash. But there's a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they can collect a dime.
The Unlucky Wedding Guest: A Clara Fitzgerald Mystery (The Clara Fitzgerald Mysteries Book 23)
Evelyn James - 2021
The Heathcliff Lennox Series: Books 1 - 2: (The Heathcliff Lennox Series Boxset Book 1)
Karen Baugh Menuhin - 2020
Major Heathcliff Lennox, ex-WW1 war pilot, six feet 3 inches, unruly dark blond hair, age around 30 - named after the hero of Wuthering Heights by his romantically minded mother - much to his great annoyance. Murder at Melrose Court is the first book in the Heathcliff Lennox series. It's 1920 and Christmas is coming. Major Lennox finds a body on his doorstep - why on his doorstep? Was it to do with the Countess? Was it about the ruby necklace? Lennox goes to Melrose Court home to his uncle, Lord Melrose, to uncover the mystery. But then the murders begin and it snows and it all becomes very complicated.... The Black Cat Murders is the second book in the Heathcliff Lennox series. Who killed Sir Crispin Gibbons? A wedding invitation and news of mischief that could be murder, takes Lennox to the Earl of Bloxford's country pile. He soon finds himself in a world of purloined artworks, forgeries and a priceless Bloxford Beauty. But who are the Bloxford Beauties? And why are they the focal point around which swirls death?Lennox must confront life-long friends, unscrupulous artists and dealers to finally unravel a plot so complex that even his old adversary, Chief Inspector Swift of Scotland Yard, is befuddled.
Detective Michael Angel: Books 8-14 (Yorkshire Murder Mysteries #8-14)
Roger Silverwood - 2021
That is, until his body is found floating in the River Don. Who killed him and why?BOOK 9: THE MISSING THIEFTwo victims. One ultra-glamorous thief spotted fleeing the scene. Who is the mystery woman in the raincoat? And what is she running from? It’s up to DI Angel to piece it all together before the killer strikes again.BOOK 10: FIND THE LADYCan Angel find the lady in the blue dress? She’s already killed once. Witnesses swear they saw her at the grisly scene. But Angel knows that’s not possible. His prime suspect is in a portrait. And it’s over sixty years old.BOOK 11: THE MISSING MODELWigmaker Peter Wolff is found dead in his workshop. The place has been burned, leaving no clues, no DNA and no motive. Can Angel unravel the mystery of Wolff’s murder before anyone else pays the ultimate price?BOOK 12: MURDER IN BARE FEETMillionaire Charles Pleasant is shot dead in a scrapyard. Near the spent handgun shells, Angel finds one crucial clue: a print left by a bare foot. Who killed the playboy millionaire? And why ever weren’t they wearing shoes?BOOK 13: THE MISSING HUSBANDWealthy Selina Line marries a man she hardly knows. Then she vanishes. Who stands to gain from her demise if not her new husband? There’s just one complication. As Angel soon realises, Selina’s husband never existed.BOOK 14: THE CUCKOO CLOCK MURDERSA writer is murdered on a lonely retreat. In his bed, the killer left a shocking something . . . And that’s not all. Wherever Angel goes, there’s a cuckoo clock. An unlikely coincidence or a threat he shouldn’t ignore?
The Northminster Mysteries Books 4-6
Harriet Smart - 2019
Here, young Scottish surgeon Felix Carswell and Chief Constable Major Giles Vernon are tasked to uncover the truth in three complex tales of murder and detection set in Early Victorian England. The Hanging Cage Summoned to the bleak market town of Whithorne in the midst of a winter storm, Major Giles Vernon and police surgeon Felix Carswell are embroiled in another challenging investigation. A beautiful young heiress has been found dead in her bed, and although suicide seems the most likely cause, the circumstances soon point to a tangle of illicit relationships and painful secrets. As Major Vernon pursues the truth behind Annabella Barker's death, further shocking events soon unfold, including another suicide At the same time, called in to deliver a son and heir, Carswell is drawn into the affairs of the eccentric Yardley family at Whithorne Castle, but it is no distraction from his anxieties about his troubled relationship with Sukey Connolly. Major Vernon, for his part, unexpectedly encounters an old acquaintance and is forced to question both his past and his future. When a partial skeleton is found in a culvert, events begin to take a still darker turn, and Vernon and Carswell must pursue an unimaginable evil. As November floods threaten the bridges of Northminster itself, dangerous enemies emerge close to home and the struggle for justice becomes a matter of life and death. The Hanging Cage is the fourth Northminster Mystery, featuring early Victorian detectives Vernon and Carswell. The Ghosts of Ardenthwaite Something is amiss at Ardenthwaite. Ghostly apparitions have been seen, so terrifying that the mistress of the house and the servants have deserted the place. Colonel Parham, the tenant, asks his landlord Felix Carswell and Major Giles Vernon to determine what is going on. But their investigations soon takes an unexpected turn, leaving them in confusion and doubting their own sanity. Shortly afterwards, a man dies in Northminster Infirmary, the victim of a brutal and systematic attack which seems to point to dangerous criminal forces hitherto unknown in the city. Vernon has his suspicions as to who is behind it, and with Carswell's assistance he begins to unpick a complex network of alliances and enemies. Yet, as their best witnesses meet brutal fates, they are forced to face the grim possibility of failure. Having been forced into unpleasant compromises to gain access to the truth, Giles is further unsettled by the return of Emma Maitland to Northminster, now engaged to another man. As she assists him with the case, he begins to realise all that he has lost. For Felix Carswell, a bizarre and other-worldly encounter with a beautiful, spirited young woman throws up the possibility of an extremely advantageous marriage. Eleanor Blanchfort is an heiress and Lord Rothborough's ward. Has destiny brought them together as she suggests, and can Felix find the will to resist such a dazzling temptation? The Echo at Rooke Court Felix Carswell returns from his blissful wedding journey and is at once called to the bedside of a young man fighting for his life.
Night Train: The Freeman Files Series: Book 9
Ted Tayler - 2020
Murder in Disguise
Frances Lloyd - 2018
His face is smashed to an unrecognizable pulp.Most of the guests on that fatal evening are in costume, making the detectives’ task even more difficult.But the most baffling aspect for Detectives Harry Montague and Gavin Jones is that only one person staying in the new wing had registered under a genuine name and address.HOW CAN YOU CATCH A KILLER IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHO THE SUSPECTS REALLY ARE?Then another corpse is discovered.It will take some inspired sleuthing to catch the killer...WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FRANCES LLOYD“There are some unexpected twists in the plot and a few laughs along the way and the reader is kept guessing until all is revealed in the end.” Annie“A great book that you won't want to put down.” Alan“This murder mystery is a real page turner, I was hooked from start to finish. The descriptions of the Greek island were so vibrant I felt I was actually there.” AngelaALSO BY FRANCES LLOYDTHE DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JACK DAWES SERIESBook 1: THE GREEK ISLAND KILLERBook 2: THE BLUEBELL KILLERBook 3: THE SHETLAND KILLERBook 4: THE GALLOWS GREEN KILLER