Book picks similar to
Violet and the Mystery of Tiger Island by Harriet Whitehorn
mystery
summer-reads
the-butler-did-it
children-and-young-adult
Flying Into the Sun
Paul Ogier - 2018
Cows, burros, dead animals or broken-down cars might be just around the bend—even bandidos. Tonight, the danger is crazed, drug-running gringos flying down the mountain, blowing past anything threatening their rhythm.”~Flying Into the SunIn 1979, a Mexican army truck and a small U.S.-registered airplane race toward each other on a remote airstrip in southern Mexico. Their game of chicken marks the end of a young surfer’s true-life smuggling odyssey involving midnight powwows with indigenous Zapotecs of Oaxaca, paddling kilos of marijuana across the Rio Grande on surfboards, learning to fly, and a stint in the Oaxaca State Penitentiary.Narrated by the main character, Flying Into the Sun is not just a true-crime adventure memoir. It is an introspective, coming-of-age tale that weaves through a secret Mexico and chronicles the fast-changing 1970s in the U.S. with its emergent culture of long hair and drugs, rebellious youth versus hostile law enforcement, and the music and pop themes of the times.The author worked his way up through general aviation to become a pilot for American Airlines, where he flew twenty years and retired as captain. Previous literary endeavors include publishing the insubordinate aviation tabloid Houston Air News, as well as writing stories for national and regional publications such as General Aviation News, the Portsmouth Herald and the Texas Flyer.Chapters* Prologue (Chicken)1 Mexico2 El Salvador (Bandidos)3 Costa Rica (The Brotherhood)4 Oaxaca (The Zapotecs)5 The Rio Grande6 Solo Run7 Oil Initiative8 Learning to Fly & Rainbow Weed9 Saga of the El Camino10 A New Era11 Pop12 La Carcel (Jail)13 Kilos14 La Casa Grande (The Big House)15 Escape16 Kilos Again17 The Judge18 You Will Be Free19 Disco Sucks20 What’s Your Purpose?21 Southbound with Our Ears On22 Cocaine All Around My Brain23 Volcan Orizaba24 Flying Home* Epilogue* Thanks* About the AuthorPRAISE FOR FLYING INTO THE SUN“This is fantastic!! It's going to be BIG! I see a movie!”~Chris Cantara, pilot & owner of Seaside Aviation, LLC“So many great parts in the book. Magical Mystery Tour down the mountain was excellent. The book reveals a Mexico that tourists never see.”~Eric Knight, semi-pro surfer“F****** awesome!!!!!!!!!!!”~Dave Bicknell, guitarist and software engineer“I think it's great. You are a very accomplished storyteller. As a US expat living in Mexico I found the Mexican details to be quite accurate.”~Tom Bailey, retired expat living in the Yucatán, Mexico"I just finished this book. It’s killer. I loved it. 5 stars. A true story about some wild, crazy times in the 70’s. I really felt like I was there with you. I got a bit nervous a few times. Great Read. Hate that it ended."~Sandi Syndergaard, moderator of the Original Over the Hill Hippies FB groupYup, I love books. And I'm always happy to find out about a surf/ travel book that takes me back to places I've been to, or back to a time I've missed. Flying into the Sun is a mix of both...a time before smartphone navigation in rental cars or even planes, and what more a surfboard can be used for than just riding waves...Worth a read.~thefreesurfer.com
The Window
Kevin Wignall - 2012
The job is simple, to kill a man and get out of town immediately. Why would he stay? He hates Christmas, and hanging around after the crime could be dangerous, but a stranger's compassion forces him to question everything he's always believed, tempting him to stay just another day longer... First published in the Christmas edition of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (Jan, 2004), this story was subsequently reviewed in Mystery Scene, which described it as "bordering on the magnificent". (Please note - this is a short story of approximately 45 Kindle pages.)
One Christmas Night
Hayley Webster - 2019
One street. And a secret behind every door.Christmas is ruined on Newbury Street, Norwich.Presents have been going missing from resident's homes. There are rumours going around that it's one of their own who's been stealing from the neighbours. Festive spirit is being replaced with suspicion and the inhabitants of Newbury Street don't know who to trust. The police presence isn't helping matters, especially when they all have something to hide.But Christmas is a time for miracles... and if they open themselves up to hope and look out for each other, they might discover the biggest miracle of all.An uplifting novel about love, friendship, connection and community, for readers who love Joanna Cannon, Ruth Hogan and Libby Page.
The Getaway
Isabelle Broom - 2021
. .Most people travel to Croatia for its endless sunshine, pebbly beaches and crystal clear sea.Kate goes there to disappear.She needs to escape from a life that has fallen apart in spectacular and public fashion, and no one on the beautiful island of Hvar knows who she is or what she's running away from.Until she meets another lonely soul.Alex is different to any man Kate has ever known, yet the connection between them is undeniable. She soon begins to open up in ways she never has before - not even to herself. But Kate is not the only person in Hvar hiding secrets. And, as she is about to discover, it is always only a matter of time before the truth catches up with you . . .
Take a Chance on Me
Beth Garrod - 2019
Meg had a disastrous first kiss she would rather forget, but this is the summer she puts it behind her. This is the summer she has a perfect, swoony, just-like-in-the-movies kiss with a hot boy - and what better setting than the sun-drenched Greek island she's holidaying on? But with three very different boys vying for her attention, this mission to reset her first kiss may be more complicated than she bargained for...
Witching in a Winter Wonkyland
Jeannie Wycherley - 2019
Unless you’re Alfhild Daemonne that is. This year she’s been so looking forward to the Yule time festivities, but wouldn’t you know it, the wattle-and-daub walls of her ancient wonky inn are ringing to the sound, not of sleigh bells, but of sick ghosts. Who knew ghosts could catch the flu? And let’s not forget there’s been a murder in Whittle Forest. Some of the locals are convinced there’s a demonic Beast on the loose, and naturally they’re pointing the finger at Alf and her guests. Factor in a homeless reindeer, a grumpy faery who detests Christmas, along with Alf missing her beau, and there’s plenty here for lovers of Christmas murder novels with added humour. Witching in a Winter Wonkyland is a standalone Christmas cozy mystery that complements the Wonky Inn series as a whole. You’ll love this crazy cast of witches, wizards, faeries, ghosts and pantomime villains. And not forgetting Mr Hoo of course. This new Wonky Inn Christmas mystery is best served with a glass of your favourite tipple and a heart full of love.
The Visitors
Caroline Scott - 2021
Esme Nicholls is to spend the summer in Cornwall. Her late husband Alec, who died fighting in the war, grew up in Penzance, and she’s hoping to learn more about the man she loved and lost. While there, she will stay with Gilbert, in his rambling seaside house, where he lives with his former brothers in arms. Esme is fascinated by this community of eccentric artists and former soldiers, and as she gets to know the men and their stories, she begins to feel this summer might be exactly what she needs. But everything is not as idyllic as it seems – a mysterious new arrival later in the summer will turn Esme’s world upside down, and make her question everything she thought she knew about her life, and the people in it.Full of light, laughter and larger-than-life characters, The Visitors is a novel of one woman finally finding her voice and choosing her own path forwards.
The Haunting of Charity Delafield
Ian Beck - 2011
With only her kindly nurse, Rose, and her cat Mr Tompkins for company, she knows very little of the outside world - or of her own family's shadowy past. What she does know is that she is NEVER to go outside unsupervised. And she is NEVER to over-excite herself, because of the mysterious 'condition' that she has been told she suffers from.But Charity has a secret. All her life, she has had the same strange dream - a dream of a dark corridor, hidden somewhere in the house. Then, one day, Charity stumbles across the corridor. It leads to a door . . . and suddenly she realises things are not quite what they seem.
Footprints In The Snow (Wyoming Christmas Book 1)
Vivian Sinclair - 2016
After his longtime girlfriend marries another man, Tom Gorman, owner of a large ranch in southeastern Wyoming, thinks there will never be a happy ending for him. To avoid people’s knowing stares and nosy questions, he rarely comes to town and then only briefly. Working on his ranch and taking care of his two siblings becomes his life. As a favor to an old friend, he invites a young widow with her two little boys to stay at his ranch. Lottie Donovan grew up as an orphan raised in foster care, and she has been alone for most of her life. Now at thirty years of age, she is alone again after her husband Wyatt, a police officer, is killed during a bank robbery. She struggles to take care of her two boys from her income as a schoolteacher. When her house sells faster than she expected, she has no place to live. Tom Gorman offers her temporary shelter at his ranch and Lottie wants to pay him back by transforming his house into a home and making his family happy. The approaching Christmas celebration is a great opportunity to bring his family together. If only she could ignore the attraction she has felt for Tom ever since they were in high school when Tom was the high school quarterback. Lottie was secretly in love with him then, while Tom had eyes only for his beautiful girlfriend Faith Parker. Will the magic of Christmas bring together these two lonely people who are so much in need of true love?
The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures: a joyful and heart-warming novel you won't want to miss
Holly Hepburn - 2022
With her only connection to London broken, she moves home to York to be near her family and to begin to build a new life. Taking a job at the antique shop she has always admired, she finds herself crossing paths with two very different men. Will, who has recently become the guardian to his niece after the tragic death of her parents. And Ciaran, who she enlists to help solve the mystery of an Egyptian antique. Two men who represent two different happy endings. But can she trust herself to choose the right man? And will that bring her everything she really needs?The brand new novel from Holly Hepburn, author of Coming Home to Brightwater Bay. ~*~Praise for Holly Hepburn~*~ ‘…treat yourself to a feel-good hit of warm fuzziness from Holly Hepburn. This enchanting novel tells the story of a grieving widow who finds herself ready for love again.’ – S Magazine, Daily Express ‘This book has everything from a beautiful setting to romance…and even a fascinating Egyptian mystery!’ – My Weekly ‘Uplifting’ – Bella Magazine 'A fresh new voice, brings wit and warmth to this charming tale of two sisters' Rowan Coleman 'Warm, witty and laced with intriguing secrets! I want to pull up a bar stool, order a large G&T and soak up all the gossip at the Star and Sixpence!' Cathy Bramley 'The Star and Sixpence sparkles with fun, romance, mystery, and a hunky blacksmith. It's a real delight' Julie Cohen 'Like the dream pub landlady who always knows exactly what you want, Holly Hepburn has created the most delightful welcome to what promises to be a brilliant series, in the first Star and Sixpence. The sisters are warm and intriguing, the neighbours are (mostly!) friendly and the gossip is utterly addictive. I was very sad when it was time for last orders, and am already looking forward to the next round. Especially if a certain blacksmith happens to be at the bar...' Kate Harrison 'Warm, witty and utterly charming, Snowdrops at the Star and Sixpence is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter's day. It left me with the most wonderful happy glow' Cally Taylor 'A super sparkling star of a story and I can’t wait for part two’ Alexandra Brown
Gift of Hope (Gifts of Christmas Book 2)
Shanna Hatfield - 2019
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When his affections are spurned by the girl he plans to wed, Graydon Gaffney rides off in the swirling snow, determined to stay far away from fickle females. Then a voice in the storm draws him to a woman and her two sweet children. Despite his intentions to guard his emotions, all three members of the DeVille family threaten to capture his heart. Giavanna DeVille holds the last frayed edges of her composure in a tenuous grasp. In a moment of desperation, she leaves her sleeping children in her cabin and ventures out into a storm to release her pent-up frustrations where no one can hear her cries. Much to her surprise, a man appears through the blinding snow. He gives her a shoulder to cry on and something even more precious. . . hope. Can the two of them move beyond past heartaches to accept the gift of hope for their future? Gift of Hope is the second book in the Gifts of Christmas series, a collection of heartwarming, wholesome historical romances, featuring precious gifts given straight from the heart. ˃˃˃ Gifts of Christmas Series Gift of Grace - Book 1Gift of Hope - Book 2Gift of Faith - Book 3
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The Great Cat Conspiracy
Katie Davies - 2011
When he brings in the head of the vicar's expensive Koi carp, Anna's Dad is so cross he locks the new cat out of the cat-flap. Tom argues for the cat to be let back in, but the flap is left shut overnight and now the cat has disappeared altogether.
Curse of the Werewolf Boy
Chris Priestley - 2017
But when somebody steals the School Spoon and the teachers threaten to cancel the Christmas holidays until the culprit is found, our heroes must spring into action and solve the crime!But what starts out as a classic bit of detectivating quickly becomes weirder than they could have imagined. Who is the ghost in the attic? What's their history teacher doing with a time machine? And why do a crazy bunch of Vikings seem to think Mildew is a werewolf?Hugely funny, deliciously creepy and action-packed by turns, this brand new series from Chris Priestley is perfect for 8+ readers who like their mysteries with a bit of bite. Fans of Lemony Snicket and Chris Riddell will love Curse of the Werewolf Boy.
Nancy Parker's Diary of Detection
Julia Lee - 2015
But she soon discovers there are plenty of suspicious occurrences going on beneath her very nose . . . Time for Nancy to set to work not just with her mop but also with her Theory of Detection!
Frankie and the Creepy Cute Critters
Caitlin Rose Boyle - 2020
Is Frankie really that scary? And if she is—is that really a bad thing? Maybe her creepy crawly friends can help her figure it out!