Book picks similar to
Paydirt by Paul Levine
mystery
suspense
fiction
ebook
The Last Innocent Hour
Barbara Taylor Sissel - 2000
It lurks at the periphery of Beth's vision. Her husband Charlie can't help, if she could even remember him; he's doing time for a murder he didn't commit. The small child Beth was found with, whom she doesn't know either, was taken to foster care. There isn't much time now. If Beth doesn't recall the hideous events that stole her memory soon, the killer will strike again, and someone else will die.
Don’t Trust Me
Jessica Lynch - 2017
Population: 192.You can't find it on any map, GPS or directions site. A small village tucked between a mountain and a valley, Hamlet is the sort of place where everyone knows everyone -- and their business, too. There's no television. No phones. Only one way in and, for the locals, barely any way out. The sheriff is the law, the only doctor moonlights as the coroner, and outsiders rarely come to town.Murders are even rarer.A treacherous storm, a flat tire and a touch of serendipity causes Tessa Sullivan and her husband Jack to stumble upon the narrow strait that leads into Hamlet. It was supposed to be a one night stop until the rain let up and Jack could figure out how to fix the tire -- until Tess lands herself in the local jail cell overnight and Jack is found dead in their hotel room the next morning. There's no doubt it was murder, but with his gentle wife having an airtight alibi, the sheriff has to wonder: who had any cause to kill the outsider?And was he only the first victim?Dr. De Angelis doesn’t think so. Neither does Deputy Walsh. With Tess looking more and more like the killer’s next target, both men take the time to comfort and protect the young widow. But only one of them is sincere. The other just wants her to himself now that her husband is out of the way.Alone and afraid, who can she trust?
Russian Roulette
Mike Faricy - 2011
OR SO DANGEROUS... PI Dev Haskell wakes up one morning in dire need of an asprin, a cup of coffee, and an hour in the sauna. It seems he's just spent a wild night with his beautiful bombshell of a client, Kerri, and she's left him a note. A smart and sly man who fancies himself just a little more savvy and debonair than reality confirms, Dev thinks he's got it made. But he has absolutely no idea what he's getting into when he agrees to track down Kerri's sister Nikki. Turns out both women are involved in an elaborate human trafficking ring with Braco the Whacko, a notorious Russian mobster, at the helm. Soon Dev finds himself at odds with local police, Homeland Security, and an FBI task force, as well as in and out of the hospital thanks to a gunshot wound and a bit of shrapnel in the rear, not to mention on the run from a neurotic underworld boss and a psychotic killer: it must be love... In a bizarre but compelling mixture of crime and offbeat comedy, Dev proceeds to messily balance both sides of the law in a wacky tale that will keep you on your toes while laughing out loud.
Crossed
C.J. Graves - 2012
After dodging bombs in Iraq as an MP, cheating husbands and insurance fraud seem like a walk in the demilitarized zone. But when a young girl is found murdered at a local Christian rock concert, Jayden's military instincts kick in, and any hope for peace and quiet blows up in her face.The case plunges her into the midst of a powerful church family. Hirshel Lightner, the head pastor, tries to crush her investigation. Even worse, Jayden finds herself attracted to Hirshel’s son-in-law, Adam--a man who could be the killer. If Jayden isn’t careful, she might be the next victim.
A Single Deadly Truth
John Urban - 2010
(And that doesn't even count the shark.)" Author Frank Cook.Urban sets the story on the waters of Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay and gives the reader a rewarding blend of adventure, seaside escapism, and maritime history. Fans of Clive Cussler, Peter Benchley, and Randy Wayne White will find a new hero in Steve Decatur.
Drop By Drop
Keith Raffel - 2011
Casting about to find meaning in the ruins of his life, he accepts an offer to come to Washington , D.C. to work for the Senate Intelligence Committee. What Sam wants out of his stint in D.C. is revenge for the death of his wife. What he gets is danger and betrayal. Secret documents are showing up on his doorstep. Russians are trying to poison him. A renegade CIA asset is strewing nuclear materials up and down Interstate 95. Sam finds allies among a savvy Kentucky senator, a billionaire investment banker, his wife's old rabbi, and the president's national security advisor. Too often, he finds himself thrown together with his counterpart on the other side of the aisle, the whip-smart, six-footer Cecilia Plant. Mourning still for his wife, Sam steels himself against Cecilia's appeal and remains suspicious of her motives.
Bleeders
Anthony Bruno - 2014
At the same time serial killer Gene Lassiter has been on an obsessive twenty-year search for the daughter of his first kill. If she finds him, justice can at last be served. If he finds her, one man’s reign of terror can continue unabated. In a stunning life-or-death final act, the hunter and the hunted go head-to-head, with a shocking ending that bleeds justice dry.
GUILTY OR ELSE
Jeff Sherratt - 2009
But Jimmy's shining star obviously has some strings attached. When a prominent state senator's attractive assistant is murdered, the cops arrest a Mexican gardener. The DA's case is slam-dunk. It's all wrapped up nice and tight. Maybe a little too tight. Something's not right in Downey! It's 1972 and the Mob is heavy into politics. From the track at Del Mar to the neon strip of Las Vegas and back to Beverly Hills, this novice criminal lawyer finds himself climbing into the pockets of judges and fending off the threats of a garbage mogul. How much did the assistant really know about the senator's powerful backers? Enough get her killed?
Rock & Roll Homicide
R.J. McDonnell - 2008
The widow, who inherits $5 million, is the San Diego Police Departments number one suspect. She hires Jason Duffy, a 27-year-old PI and former musician, in his first year of private practice. Jason learns that the victim was in the middle of an acrimonious renegotiation with the record company at the time of his death. He also finds that the record company has a very unhealthy tie to the Russian Mafia. As an inexperienced detective, Jason does not yet have the contacts within the police department to gather vital information. He is forced to mend fences with his estranged father, an opinionated ex-SDPD detective. While Jason investigates the record company, he also takes a close look at the three surviving members of the victims band. One is an alcoholic/drug addict drummer, on the verge of being kicked out of the group. The second is a bass player who camouflages his rock star status by living in an ordinary house in a lower middle-class neighborhood. Third is a lead guitarist and writer of half of the bands songs, who lives well beyond his means. Jason has not yet become hardened to the very real dangers of his new profession. We experience his inner conflict as his girlfriend, staff, and family are drawn into the danger zone. After Jasons part-time employee is severely beaten during a stakeout, he sells the story of the Russian Mafias involvement in the record business to a tabloid journalism TV show in a misguided effort to protect his employer and coworker. This serves to drive the case to new heights of danger and suspense. Jason goes behind the industry veneer of sex & drugs & hedonistic lifestyles. He shows us how the 21st Century world of downloads, file sharing, and image demographics need to be considered in a case of Rock & Roll Homicide.
First Degree Innocence
Ginger Simpson - 2010
Her arrest comes on the day she’s called in sick and stayed inside, so she can’t explain how an eye-witness describes her in great detail, down to the make and model of her car.A terrible mistake has been made, and her insistence of innocence falls on deaf ears. Even her fellow inmates don’t believe her as it’s a claim they all make. Alone in the world, she has no one to turn to for help, and not a single soul to campaign for her freedom…at least until she makes a valuable friend. In the meantime, a plan for retribution is brewing, and naïve Carrie finds herself smack dab in the middle of an evil scheme concocted by the prison bully. A ten year sentence seems mild when she’s threatened with death for refusing to participate. Can Carrie find a way out of this horrible nightmare, or is she destined to spend her days locked in terror, isolation, and the cold gray interior of prison walls?
Angels Mark
Natalie Buske Thomas - 2011
Serena Wilcox is on the run from the law, for reasons that involve three American presidents, a woman in Iran, and a false church headed up by two deranged brothers. ANGELS MARK is a fast-paced novel of suspense, justice, mystery, and humor that will keep you guessing to the very end -- and beyond ANGELS MARK is set in a little town of about 4,000 people, Cannon Falls, Minnesota, which coincidentally was the surprise location of one of President Obama's recent stop-overs in the Midwest. More information about the Serena Wilcox Mysteries, Natalie Buske Thomas, and "Angels Mark" can be found at the author's web site: http: //www.nataliebuskethomas.comReviews for ANGELS MARK: "Evocative storytelling spins into fast-paced political thriller, leaving readers not knowing whom to trust.Natalie steps on all the right toes... Whilst weaving a crafted story that is every conspiracy theorist's worst nightmare or apocryphal dream." --James Micheal Emery & Shepherd BlackThis book was absolutely fantastic Action, suspense, mystery-I could not put it down once I started. I felt like it was taking me too long to read each page, because I wanted to get to the next one I recommend it whole-heartedly. -MikiAbout the Author: Natalie Buske Thomas started her career with the Serena Wilcox Mysteries -- her first book was in print before she was 30. She then penned "The Magic Camera," co-authored four books with major publishers, met then-Gov Jesse Ventura, made Oprah.com's online mystery readers' pick, and took a break from books to write plays and choreograph musicals for local theater groups and amateur indie films.Now she's back with a new book ANGELS MARK, a mystery/suspense novel. She's a decade older than she was when she started her career, and has matured as a writer. She hopes to scare and delight readers with her new book, book 4 the Serena Wilcox mysteries, that stands-alone (no need to read the previous titles first). For more information about Natalie Buske Thomas: http: //www.nataliebuskethomas.com Natalie on Twitter as writernbt, Facebook as Natalie Buske Thomas, or read her blog at http: //nataliebuskethomas.blogspot.com
A Real Piece of Work
Chris Orcutt - 2011
As a former FBI agent with experience in the field and the lab, Dakota combines the wit and grit of PIs Marlowe and Spenser with the ratiocination of Sherlock Holmes.However his Watson is anything but. A Ukrainian-American chess champion with runway legs, predator eyes and fluency in seven languages, SVETLANA KRÜSH brings worldly panache to their cases, or, as Svetlana would have you believe, she “solves the crimes and handles the money.”
By Reason of Insanity
Randy Singer - 2008
In an effort to aid the investigation, she shares them with her confidential source—a detective working on the case. Catherine's intimate knowledge of the crimes immediately makes her a prime suspect. When scientific evidence corroborates her guilt, she's arrested and charged with murder. As she begins to doubt her own innocence, Catherine turns to Las Vegas lawyer Quinn Newberg, a high-priced specialist in the insanity defense. Quinn believes in justice, Vegas-style. But he doesn't believe in the supernatural, or that Catherine's dreams are anything other than the result of a fractured personality disorder. "Who can understand the human mind?" Quinn knows that insanity cases are unpredictable, but nothing had prepared him for "this!" To win, or even survive, Quinn will need more than his famed legal maneuvering and biting skepticism. On this case, he needs a miracle.
Mass Murder
Lynn Bohart - 2012
As a veteran New York police detective, he's been faced with some of the worst humanity has to offer. In fact, he moved to this small town in Southern California to get away from the dirt and crime of New York after a shooting nearly killed him. But he has a bad feeling about this case. Soon, his suspicions are borne out when a second body is found buried on the property, and days later, one of the monks is found floating face down in the duck pond. To complicate matters, the specter of a young boy who committed murder and then suicide back in the 1940s, appears to be communicating a message of some sort. But what is it? And does this decades-old murder have anything to do with Salvatori's current investigation?