Book picks similar to
Killing Her Softly by Barb Warner Deane
ny-upstate
romantic-suspense
stupid
netgalley
RomeAntically Challenged
Marina Adair - 2020
Helena Vineyard series that fans of Emily Henry, Jen DeLuca, and Kate Clayborn will adore. Growing up the lone Asian in a community of WASPs, Annie has always felt out of place. Her solution? Start a family of her own. Not easy when every man she’s dated, including her ex-fiancé, finds “his person” right after breaking up with Annie. Even worse than canceling the wedding eight weeks beforehand? Learning the “other woman” plans to walk down the aisle wearing her wedding gown. New plan—find a fresh, man-free start. Too bad her exit strategy unexpectedly lands her working at a hospital in Rome, Rhode Island, rather than Rome, Italy, and sharing a cabin with a big, brooding, and annoyingly hot male roommate. Home on medical leave after covering a literally explosive story in China, investigative photojournalist Emmitt embarks on his most important assignment—cementing his place in his daughter’s life. Three men and a baby might work in the movies, but with a stepdad and devoted uncle competing for Paisley’s attention, Emmitt has lost his place at the family table. Then there’s the adorably sexy squatter in his cabin, who poses another problem, one he’d very much like to solve up close and personal. But he can’t win—Annie has sworn off men, Paisley’s gone boy crazy, and Emmitt’s estranged father reappears with a secret that changes everything. Annie and Emmitt are about to discover love comes in many forms, and sometimes the best families are the ones we make.
Nature Of The Lion
T.M. Clark - 2018
Clark.
Hiding from the law, they never expected to be caught in the crosshairs of a hunter…
After relocating to South Africa on the heels of scandal five years ago, Chloe and her invalid father, Mike, once wealthy Zimbabwean landowners, now have little. Away at university, Chloe has had to rely on her father's best friend Enoch and his son Xo to watch over Mike. When a violent confrontation puts Chloe in danger, Enoch steps in to help – with inadvertent fatal results. With increasing pressure from a right–wing group on the police to charge Enoch, this mismatched family have no choice but to flee back to Zimbabwe. But crossing the border will be dangerous and near impossible with their route taking them amid warring dissident armies and landmines, and their every footstep is stalked by a shadowy ring of hunters – whose trophies are taken from more than animals...Only with help from Nick, formerly a soldier under Mike's command, now a professional game ranger, will the fugitives have a chance of making it home. But Nick has long struggled to come to terms with his fellow soldiers' choices before their unit was abandoned. Will his past demons put them all at risk?
All The Colours In Between
Eva Jordan - 2018
Her once angst ridden teenage daughters, now grown and in their twenties, have flown the nest, Cassie to London and Maisy to Australia. And, although Connor, Lizzie’s sulky, surly teenage son,is now on his own tormented passage to adulthood, his quest to get there, for the most part, is a far quieter journey than that of his sisters. The hard years, Lizzie believes, are behind her. Embracing her new career as a writer; divorce, money worries and the constant battle to weather the stormy complexities of the blended family, are all but a distant memory. It’s time for Lizzie to focus on herself for a change. Stepdaughter Maisy is embracing life down under and daughter Cassie is working for a famous record producer in London. Lizzie’s only concern, albeit a mild one, is for the arrested development of her Facebook-Tweeting, Snapchatting, music and mobile phone obsessed, teenage son. With communication skills, more akin to an intermittent series of unintelligible grunts, conversation is futile. However, Lizzie is not particularly perturbed. With deadlines to meet and book tours to attend, Lizzie has other distractions to concentrate on. But all in all, life is good. Life is very good. Only, things are never quite as black and white as they seem… A visit to her daughter in London leaves Lizzie troubled. Cassie is still the same incessant chattering Queen of malaprops and spoonerisms she ever was, however something is clouding her normally cheery disposition. Not to mention her extreme weight loss. And that is just the start. Add to that an unexpected visitor, a disturbing phone call, a son acting suspiciously, a run in with her ex husband and a new man in her life who quite simply takes her breath away; Lizzie quickly realises life is something that happens while plans are being made. Harsh but tender, thought provoking but light-hearted, dark but brilliantly funny, this is a story of contemporary family life in all its 21st century glory. A story of mothers and sons, of fathers and daughters, of brothers and sisters, and friends. A tale of love and loss, of friendships and betrayals and a tale of coming of age and end of life. Nobody said it would be easy and as Lizzie knows only too well, life is never straightforward when you see all the colours in between.
The Other Gloria
L.A. Villafane - 2019
There is another who harbors her unspeakable secrets. Meeting her is where the danger lies. On a dark January night in 2019, Gloria finds herself behind the wheel of a car, beaten and covered in blood. She has no idea where she’s coming from, or where she might be headed. After pulling to the side of the road, she begins to fade out of consciousness. The next thing she experiences is waking in bed next to a man who should be her beloved fiancé, Rick. However, she soon discovers it is her dangerous ex-husband, Charles, whom she thought she had escaped two years earlier, in 2017. She eventually finds that the year she was woken to is 2003, and she is living her life with this abusive man all over again. Due to the abuse she endured, Gloria suffers from dissociative disorder, which has stolen the memories of her two young daughters growing up. There is another who holds these memories; the Other Gloria. She thinks maybe God has given her a do-over, and she might be able to do better, stay present, and recover the lost memories of their childhood. She knows, to do this, she must escape Charles once again. Gloria’s plan for escaping this time around includes finding Rick, who doesn’t know she exists in 2003, but she soon comes to the realization that meeting Rick will not be enough. She knows she must do the one thing she never wanted to do – meet the Other Gloria and finally discover the unspeakable secrets she holds. For those who enjoyed The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors, or The Wife Between Us. Villafane has managed to write that type of story that keeps the readers on their toes the whole time and, just when they think they have figured out what’s going on, bam! An amazing twist shocks them out of their comfort zone. Just brilliant! Brunella Costagliola, Best Selling Ghost Writer
The Korean Woman
John Altman - 2019
Married with children and living the good life in New York City, she has waited seven years to activate the mission she was trained to do: infiltrate America's financial infrastructure. She prays the call from her handlers will never come, because she loves her husband and kids and affluent New York lifestyle.But the call does come. During volatile negotiations between the White House and Pyongyang, Song is hurled back into a reality she had hoped to leave behind forever.Unbeknownst to her, the CIA has already broken her cover. Working with "retired" Israeli operative Dalia Artzi, they track the Korean agent as she relentlessly executes her mission. Langley is pulling strings behind the scenes, confident of its advantage in this high-stakes game--until an unforeseen wild card from within its very ranks hijacks the operation for an unthinkable purpose.Dalia realizes that Song has been the unwitting catalyst for the disaster now unfolding, and that she alone can stop it from engulfing the world.
The Woman, the Mink, the Cod and the Donkey
Margerie Swash - 2021
It's warm and safe in here, which you will have guessed already because it's about a human and three animals. You might not be able to remember the animals or the order they fall within the title, but that doesn't matter. The pictures will remind you that the story is about a woman, a mink, a salmon and a donkey. COD, not salmon, sorry - it's a cod.The woman is embarking on an important journey. She does not know her destination, but she knows what she'll find when she gets there: an open pub. It has been a long time since she has been in one due to a strange, sad region of yester-year called 'Lockdown'. On her travels she bumps into the mink, the cod and a donkey who inexplicably resembles Donald Trump, and together they discuss their most valued life lessons, such as the value of travel insurance, and why it's always important to wear breathable pants.
All the Lies We Tell
Megan Hart - 2017
They’d grown up on a remote stretch of Quarry Street, where there were two houses, two sets of siblings, and eventually, a tangled mess of betrayal, longing, and loss. Tragedy catapulted Allie and Ilya together, but divorce—even as neighbors—has been relatively uncomplicated.Then Ilya’s brother, Nikolai, comes home for their grandmother’s last days. He’s the guy who teased and fought with Allie, infuriated her, then fled town without a good-bye. Now Niko makes her feel something else entirely—a rush of connection and pure desire that she’s been trying to quench since one secret kiss years ago. Niko’s not sticking around. She’s not going to leave. And after all that’s happened between their families, this can’t be anything more than brief pleasure and a bad idea.But the lies we tell ourselves can’t compete with the truths our hearts refuse to let go…
A is for Abigail: Sixpenny Cross Series Book 1
Victoria Twead - 2016
Abigail Martin has everything: beauty, money, a loving husband, and a fabulous house in the village of Sixpenny Cross. But Abigail is denied the one thing she craves... A baby. When a gypsy offers to change her life, will Abigail accept? Can she deal with the shattering consequences that threaten to send her world spinning out of control?
Assassins
Mike Bond - 2016
Based on the author’s experiences in the Middle East, Assassins lives this unending conflict from the viewpoints of an American commando, a French woman doctor, an Afghani warlord, a Russian major, and a British woman journalist. Drop by parachute into the deadly mountains of Afghanistan, fight door to door in the bloody cities of Iraq and the lethal deserts of Syria, Sinai and Africa, know the terror of battle inside a Russian tank, feel the power of passion and love when at any moment you both can die – it’s all there, all real, in Assassins. Did the Saudi government finance 9/11? Did the Bush administration let Osama bin Laden escape Afghanistan and then lie about Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq? Did President Obama’s decision to leave Iraq in 2011 lead to the rise of ISIS and its worldwide fanaticism? It’s all there, all real, in Assassins.
Entanglement
Katy Mahood - 2018
As Charlie locks eyes with Stella across the platform, a brief, powerful spark of recognition flashes between them. But they are strangers … aren’t they?Plunging back thirty years we watch as, unknown to them all, the lives of Stella and John, and Charlie and his girlfriend Beth, are pulled ever closer, an invisible thread connecting them across the decades and through London’s busy streets.For Stella, becoming a young mother in the 1970s puts an end to her bright academic career in a way John can’t seem to understand. Meanwhile Charlie gambles all future happiness with Beth when his inner demons threaten to defeat him.In rhythmic and captivating prose, Katy Mahood effortlessly interweaves the stories of these two families who increasingly come to define one another in the most vital and astounding ways. With this soaring debut, she explores the choices and encounters that make up a lifetime, reminding us just how closely we are all connected.
Daughters of Bad Men
Laura Oles - 2017
Well deserving of earning a place as a Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist, Daughters of Bad Men is a solid tale, well told, and a promise of more to come from Jamie Rush." Killer Nashville "Compelling and deeply moving, Daughters of Bad Men is a study of the tangled family ties that bind. An absolute page-turner." Gretchen Archer, Bestselling author of the Davis Way Crime Capers. Jamie Rush understands what it takes to disappear because her parents taught her that long ago. Leveraging her knowledge of why and how people run from their own lives, Jamie has built a business based on bringing those in hiding back to answer for their actions. She takes pride in using her somewhat shady skills to work both inside and outside the law. When her estranged brother, Brian, calls and says his daughter is missing, Jamie initially turns down the case. Kristen has always been a bit wild, frequently dropping off the grid then showing up a few days later. But Brian swears this time is different, and even though Jamie vowed years ago to keep her conniving sibling at arm’s length, she can’t walk away if Kristen could be in real trouble. As Jamie begins digging into Kristen’s life, she uncovers her niece’s most guarded secrets. Uncovering the truth will put a target on Jamie’s back and endanger the lives of those she loves.
A Perfect Mother
Jo Crow - 2020
As the lonely days stretch into weeks with no reappearance or body resurfacing, the stay-at-home mom accepts a photography job from a former sorority sister, and current Instagram sensation, and returns to her Milwaukee roots—and the trauma she thought she’d escaped.Her college days left her with scars no camera can capture, and Laurie’s old OCD coping mechanisms creep in as she navigates the frightening new life of single motherhood. But becoming a personal photographer to a popular Instagram-Mom is helping Laurie provide for her daughter like any good mother should. She just never expected her daughter to become the center of so much attention.As the world of celebrity influencers feed her insecurities, Laurie realizes she’s not only lost her husband but now is losing the love of her only child. Arguments ensue. Accidental injuries surface. Allegations of neglect and endangerment are flung her way. But when Laurie’s daughter goes missing, a twisted scheme thrusts the past into the glaring light of the present.And this time, her daughter’s life is at stake.
Tragic Deception
M.A. Comley - 2016
For important background information, please read the novella CLEVER DECEPTION first. "Seek liberty, Foxy, and you'll find me."Sergeant Alexandra Fox came to America to find the man who had brutally murdered her sister. A man the press called The Escape Artist. Could a British Sergeant fit in with the NYPD? Not if Commander Patterson had anything to do with it.Suspended with only two friends in America-- Chief Brown, a long time family friend, and retired Sergeant Matt "Nobby" Adams, Alex has seven days to find three kidnapped babies, or look for a new job.Her investigation leads her into a world of deception, that turns tragic before it even begins, and a helping hand from the one person she hated the most--The Escape Artist.
Murder in the Piazza
Jen Collins Moore - 2020
She's taken a job offering painting instruction to well-heeled travelers and her boss-a rather unpleasant English lord-has turned up dead in his penthouse. Maggie's left with a palazzo full of suspicious guests, a valuable painting her boss might have stolen, and a policeman who's decided she's the prime suspect. Now Maggie must keep the tour up and running while she tracks the killer and works to clear her name.
Kings of the Castle
Naleighna Kai - 2019
It's time to discover The Castle. Fate made them brothers. Protecting the Castle, each other, and the women they love will make them Kings.When their mentor and founder of The Castle ends up on the business end of an assassination attempt, Grant, Alejandro, Shaz, Mariano, Vikkas, Jai, Daron, Kaleb, and Dwayne are snatched from their daily lives and successful businesses in order to right old wrongs and track down the men responsible for the attempt on his life. However, The Castle, which was built on humanitarian purposes and has amassed a substantial amount of wealth, is now overrun with dirty politicians, the Russian mafia, American crime lords, and businessmen with their own sordid agendas. They have every intention of keeping the current state of things intact. Even if they have to increase Chicago’s body count to do so. Calling in his former students and two outsiders is the beginning of a series of dangerous challenges that will alter the path of their lives forever. Not to mention, it will also draw the ire and deadly intent of current Castle members who wield major influence across the globe. Powerful men unexpectedly brought together by their pasts and current circumstances will become a force to be reckoned with.This world was brought to you by: Naleighna KaiS.L. JenningsMartha Kennerson J.L.CampbellLisa WatsonKaren D.BradleyJanice M. AllenLondon St. CharlesMarZe Scott.If you like romance, suspense, or contemporary fiction, it's past time for you to visit The Castle.