Book picks similar to
The Hidden Hand of Death by Lawrence J. Epstein


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The Pinebox Vendetta


Jeff Bond - 2020
    The Yale University class of 1996 had one of each, and as the twenty-year reunion approaches, the families are on a collision course.Owen Gallagher is coasting to the Democratic nomination for president.Rock Pruitt – the brash maverick whose career was derailed two decades ago by his association to a tragic death – is back, ready to reclaim the mantle of clan leader.And fatefully in between lies Samantha Lessing. Sam arrives at reunion weekend lugging a rotten marriage, dumb hope, and a portable audio recorder she'll use for a public radio-style documentary on the Pruitt-Gallagher rivalry – widely known as the pinebox vendetta. What Sam uncovers will thrust her into the middle of the ancient feud, upending presidential politics and changing the trajectory of one clan forever.The Pinebox Vendetta is the first entry in the Pruitt-Gallagher saga: a series that promises cutthroat plots, power grabs, and unforgettable characters stretched to their very limits by the same ideological forces that roil America today.

Ties That Bind


Carolyn Arnold - 2011
    The rest of the world thought she was going crazy—until it was too late.When Laura Saunders is found strangled in her home with a man’s necktie, Detective Madison Knight is assigned the case. Her sergeant at the Stiles Police Department wants her to conclude it was an isolated incident and move on with the investigation, but Madison’s not the type to cave under pressure. She’s haunted by certain unexplainable clues at the crime scene, including the presence of a mysterious photograph. Madison believes the picture may somehow tie into the murder, but before she can dig into it, another woman’s body is discovered in a local park. Heather Nguyen was also murdered with the same brand of necktie that had been used on Laura.On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be anything beyond the way they were killed that connects the women. But as Madison delves into the lives of the victims, she unravels a web of deceit and betrayal and lays bare decades of deadly family secrets. Edging closer to the truth, Madison’s quite sure at least one more woman is slated to die. But can Madison piece together all the clues in time to save her?A gripping crime thriller full of heart-pounding twists. Perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, J.D. Robb, and Lisa Regan.Readers love Ties That Bind:“Arnold has written one of the best female cops that I’ve ever read… Madison is just one of those characters that will stay with you.” –Harlie’s Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“A good detective story with lots of twists and turns and an unexpected ending.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“This is one heck of a mystery!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“Brace yourself for the ending! I didn't see that one coming.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“I loved Madison Knight and her sassy dialogue.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“I found myself unable to stop reading this book.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“A must-read for the mystery fan.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“So many twists and turns I never saw the ending coming!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“A solid police procedure mystery.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“If you like true suspense, this is a book to read.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“Like watching an award-winning police drama in my mind.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“Intriguing, suspenseful, and full of surprises!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“Well-written and researched on police procedures.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“It was very difficult to set this book aside to do something else.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“From the moment I began reading this book, I was hooked.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Last Gasp


Robert F. Barker - 2015
    Now they want him to do it again, only this time the 'victim' is a Dominatrix. As if he hasn't enough on his plate: there's a brutal killer poised to strike again, shadows of the past that still haunt his dreams, an investigation under mounting pressure to succeed, and a beautiful woman whose bizarre lifestyle may be the key to finding the killer. That's not counting the young girl whose life he's trying to save from ruin, or the ambitious colleague scheming to bring him down. As the kill-count mounts, signs point to a link with Carver's first serial killer case - that of the notorious Escort Killer, Edmund Hart. But Hart is dead, having hung himself in prison, so how can that be? This is just one of the mysteries Carver must solve in this gripping first outing for the detective who knows his reputation as, "The UK's Foremost Serial Sex Crime Investigator" is built on sand. And when the killer strikes at the heart of the investigation, he knows that in order to protect those closest, he must confront what he most fears - his own failings. The first in the DCI Jamie Carver Series, and Book One of The Worshipper Trilogy, LAST GASP is a novel of murder, deception, sexual intrigue, and human weakness. It is a story about one man's struggle to put the past behind him, and save those he loves. ROBERT F BARKER is a former, British Senior Police Detective. LAST GASP is the first in a series of gritty crime thrillers set mainly in and around England’s Northwest featuring his resourceful but sometimes conflicted murder detective, DCI Jamie Carver.

The Good Life Crisis


E.M. Smith - 2018
    Even the dead. A murder interrupts Special Agent Victor Loshak's vacation in Santa Fe -- a middle-aged man executed in his garage. The forensic details make it seem like a professional job, but the local police seem hell bent on pinning the killing on the dead man's wife anyway. The story doesn't quite add up. Loshak gets swept up in the hunt for the truth, even if he's still dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and sandals. The agent digs through the seedy underworld of New Mexico, finds it populated with colorful characters who may or may not be playing it straight. The details of the case grow increasingly bizarre. Everyone seems to have a different description of the dead man in the garage -- his personality, his passions, his hopes and dreams all vary wildly depending on who is telling the story. If Loshak can find out who the victim really was, he can solve the case. If not... Grab this short sequel to Beyond Good & Evil! Praise for the Victor Loshak series: "Was hooked from the 1st page and stayed up all night to finish it. Jaw dropping edge of your seat action packed thriller." - Mary Palmer "There is a terrifying serial killer in this book. And the story is riveting...I really enjoyed getting to know Loshak better. I love the way he consciously reads people and uses his knowledge of human behavior to function in everyday life, not just as a detective. I love his self awareness. I love his measured, experienced approach to life and his job and I love his honesty with himself and other people." - Melanie "I felt that adrenaline rush tingling down my spine. You’ll be left wondering did I lock the back door?...I began reading this book, and didn’t stop until I was finished at 3:00am." - C. Awbrey "This was a wonderful, well written (with all their great details), sinister crime story." - C. Munger "Great read. Mystery, thrills, suspense and the grim horror of what true crime sounds, feels, looks, and smells like. A must read whether you have or haven’t indulged before in this series." - Indiquinn

Carbon-14: The Shroud of Turin


R.A. Williams - 2020
    Only one test says otherwise—the carbon date performed in 1988. A serial killer with a fetish for fire targets the faithful of Tucson, Arizona. Homicide detective, Pete Johnston, works to catch the killer before more clergy are killed, before more churches are burned. His daughter, Amari, is a criminal justice major at the University of Arizona. When the Shroud is carbon dated at her university, the results reveal that the relic is a medieval forgery. Amari investigates this ancient cold case file for a class project and makes a shocking discovery that could alter the fate of Christianity. She teams up with Dr. Kevin Brenner, a brilliant young experimental physicist, and together they gather evidence so they can plead their case to the Vatican—unless the killer can stop them first. Her father desperately tries to protect her and catch the killer before she becomes his next victim. If Ted Dekker and Christy Barritt collaborated on a mystery/suspense novel, it would read like this. .

Revelation


Jo Fenton - 2020
    Manchester, 1989A student, Rick, is found dead in halls of residence.His friends get caught up in the aftermath: Dan, who was in love with Rick; and Becky, who is in love with Dan.Their fraught emotions lead them into dark places – particularly a connection to a mysterious Kabbalistic sect.Will Becky discover who killed Rick in time to save her best friend?

Forests of the Night


David Stuart Davies - 2005
    His dreams of fighting for his country, however, are cut short after he loses an eye in rifle training. Invalided out of the army and offered a desk job with the police, John sets up as a private investigator in London instead, hoping for excitement and danger.In the autumn of 1940, John is engaged to investigate the mysterious death of a young woman. What is the connection between her brutal murder and the fading film actor Gordon Moore? Johnny also becomes involved in the plight of a runaway boy who may have witnessed something terrible.Told with wit and humor, while evoking an atmospheric picture of the home front during the dark days of the Second World War, Forests of the Night is an impressive U.S. debut for David Stuart Davies.

Ethan Justice: Origins


Simon Jenner - 2012
    By the evening, he’s struggling to survive. John Smith’s risk avoidance policy just expired! Waking up beside the gorgeous Savannah Jones, John is shocked to learn she was for hire, and he can’t pay the price - a thousand pounds or broken legs. In desperation, he turns to best friend, Mark, for the money. Only one problem - Mark has a dagger in his back.John and Savannah are plunged into a dangerous world where wits and adrenaline are their only weapons and trust in each other their only certainty. As the body count mounts, they discover Mark wasn’t the person John thought, and his terrifying invention may well end up killing thousands, John and Savannah included. A race to recover the missing invention pits the unlikely pairing against ex-SAS psychopath, Gregory Fisher, a man who will stop at nothing and kill anyone in his way to wreak revenge against the Government who stole his livelihood.When Smith and Jones team up, the result is explosive.This is a fast-paced, action-packed, character-driven thriller, guaranteed to make you laugh out loud, cringe, cry and cheer. This book contains a few violent scenes, a dash of sex and the odd bit of bad language, so please don't buy it if you are easily offended.

Marked by Darkness


Dawn Merriman - 2020
    . Two years ago, Detective Maribeth Johansen’s family was murdered by the killer she hunted. Maribeth now lives alone in the woods with her grief, the ghosts of her family in her mind. . Her solitude is shattered when a young woman, bearing a striking resemblance to Maribeth’s dead daughter, is murdered and left in the woods for Maribeth to find. The woman’s chest bears the same mark the killer carved into the chests of his victims. . But that killer has been dead for two years. . Is the ghost of a serial killer after her, or is there a new threat hunting her in the woods? An emotionally intense thrill ride!

Small Town Shock


Issy Brooke - 2015
     Except for Penny May. She’s tired of the stress of her job in London, and it’s time for an early retirement. In an effort to reclaim the exuberance of youth that she once had, she gets a funky hair style, a classic motorcycle - and a dog with “issues”. Dog ownership is harder than she expected, but she won’t give up. To avoid postmen, people in hats, people with bags and all the other dogs in the world, she has to walk in lonely places at lonely times … it’s almost inevitable that she stumbles across a dead body, really. It might not be the most conventional way of settling into a new community, but the locals open up to her, and soon she’s involved in the investigation. But her need for justice brings her into conflict with Drew, the local blacksmith who’s been helping her with dog training, and Cath Pritchard, the detective constable. Is her need for friendship stronger than her need to find the killer? And will she ever be able to walk her dog in daylight? This is a clean read suitable for all; it’s a standalone novel with no cliffhanger, and the mystery is fair-play and solved. “Some Very English Murders” can be enjoyed in any order but you may prefer to follow them chronologically.

Racing From Evil: A Nikki Latrelle Mystery Novella; The Prequel


Sasscer Hill - 2016
    Tony Ryan Best in Racing Literature awards.RACING FROM EVIL What happens to orphaned Nikki Latrelle after she flees from her pedophile stepfather through the streets of Baltimore and climbs the razor-wire fence into Pimlico Racetrack? Nikki’s drawn to horses, knows how to ride, and dreams of being a jockey. But how can a runaway with no ID, no family, and no income survive?“Could Sasscer Hill be the Dick Francis of her generation? Count me among those who would vote yes.” Margaret Maron, New York Times Best Selling Author and Winner of Edgar Best Novel, Edgar Grand Master, Agatha, Anthony & Macavity Awards

True-Life Adventure


J. Paul Drew - 1985
    It wasn’t much, but it would keep Spot the cat in Kitty Queen tidbits.But then somebody poisoned Jack in Paul’s own living room. A day that begins with a body in your house really ought to get better, but next comes burglary and after that, assault-by-cop. And Paul’s got a feeling that’s just the beginning. There must have been something someone didn't want him to know in one of those client reports. But what?The wise-cracking, funny, but slightly depressed ex-journalist better become an ace private investigator in about two seconds—or end up like his detective mentor.Birnbaum's last report concerned a kidnapped child, so Paul begins there. The trail leads him to the laboratory of a Nobel laureate geneticist, and then to San Francisco City Hall, where an extremely nasty surprise awaits. But there’s an upside—lovely witness Sardis Kincannon. Nothing like falling in love while you’re running for your life!

Dead Pretty


Candy Denman - 2013
    As a part-time police doctor, she has seen more than most. And it was hardly unusual for her to be called in to a reported drugs overdose. Her work as a forensic physician in Hastings has led her to see a fair few of those.But the corpse of the young woman that she is now examining isn’t surrounded by the typical drug paraphernalia; the room lacks the squalor she might expect to see. What the corpse does have, is a faint mark around the neck. It might easily have gone unnoticed, but once she’s seen it, Dr Callie Hughes can’t get the idea out of her head that she is looking at the victim of a strangling.Hughes returns to her other job as a local GP, but after she discovers on the grapevine that the victim was in fact murdered, her curiosity gets the better of her. Unfortunately, the local police do not take kindly to her interest. And she can’t help but think that the victim being a prostitute has something to do with their lack of concern.Soon Hughes will be called to another victim killed in similar circumstances. Her medical knowledge will give her unique insight into the killer, but convincing the police of her input’s value will be a challenge. And her naturally inquisitive character may well lead her into danger.Can Hughes hunt down a killer terrorising local women, or will her curiosity make her a victim?

Soul Catcher


Anthony M. Strong - 2016
     A murdered billionaire. A priceless statue. A reclusive cult. In New York City, Homicide Detective John Decker arrives at a brutal crime scene. A man has been tortured and murdered in his own house, a sprawling mansion on the Upper East Side. But this is no ordinary home invasion. Nothing has been taken, and there appears to be no motive. Until beautiful Egyptologist Emma Wilson shows up with an enigmatic letter penned by the victim. Soon Decker is thrust into a shadowy world of ancient beliefs, fanatical cults, and the quest for a priceless artifact – a rare statue of the Egyptian god Anubis. Now, with their lives in grave danger, Decker and Emma must solve the mystery of the statue, and stay one step ahead of a cult with one thing on their minds, the return of their god, and the judgment of all mankind. Soul Catcher is part of the John Decker series of novels, however, each book is a standalone story and does not require you to have read the other books in the series.

Tahoe Deathfall


Todd Borg - 2001
    Now, at the ripe old age of 14, Jennifer has come to believe that her sister's death was not the accident that everyone says. When McKenna investigates, he uncovers a long-buried secret that is still driving a murderer to kill. McKenna is desperate to catch the killer before he strikes again because McKenna believes that Jennifer is next to die...