Book picks similar to
Quita's DayScare Center by Gina West


urban-fiction
urban
african-american
first-in-series

The Red Hunter


Lisa Unger - 2017
    Now, looking for a fresh start with a home restoration project and growing blog, Claudia takes on a crumbling old house--one that unbeknownst to her has an ugly history and may hide long buried secrets.For Zoey Drake the defining moment of her childhood was the horrific murder of her parents. Years later, she has embraced the rage that fuels her. Training in the martial arts has made her strong and ready to face the demons from the past--and within.Strangers to each other, and walking very different paths in the wake of trauma, these two women are on a collision course--because Zoey's past nightmare and Claudia's dreams for her future take place in the same house. As Zoey seeks justice, and Claudia seeks peace, both will confront the terrifying monsters at the door.

Gone to Dust


Matt Goldman - 2017
    The ultimate cover-up. How do you solve a murder with no useable evidence?Private detective Nils Shapiro is focused on forgetting his ex-wife and keeping warm during another Minneapolis winter when a former colleague, neighboring Edina Police Detective Anders Ellegaard, calls with the impossible.Suburban divorcee Maggie Somerville was found murdered in her bedroom, her body covered with the dust from hundreds of emptied vacuum cleaner bags, all potential DNA evidence obscured by the calculating killer.Digging into Maggie’s cell phone records, Nils finds that the most frequently called number belongs to a mysterious young woman whose true identity could shatter the Somerville family--but could she be guilty of murder?After the FBI demands that Nils drop the case, Nils and Ellegaard are forced to take their investigation underground, where the case grows as murky as the contents of the vacuum cleaner bags. Is this a strange case of domestic violence or something with far reaching, sinister implications?

24690


A.A. Dark - 2016
    Contracts and laws weave the web of our culture together. Our Masters walk amongst us. They can be our friends, or the ones to make us disappear forever. Where I once had found peace within my existence, it all ended with the death of my cruel, yet caring owner. My world shattered and I was taken back to the one place I had hoped to never see again—the cells of Whitlock—a subterranean fortress for slaves who await their new placement. Now I have no rights. I have no say. My feelings and wellbeing are meaningless. Escape is impossible, but I have nothing left to lose. To stand any chance of survival, I must give my life as collateral to the highest bidder: Soul for Sale. slave 24690 ***********WARNING*********** This book contains EXTREMELY disturbing situations, explicit sexual content, and very graphic language. This book EXCEEDS the dark genre and has been classified as PITCH BLACK. May contain triggers for some. Read at your own risk!!READING ORDER:24690White Out27001 (Welcome to Whitlock 2.1)27009 (Welcome to Whitlock 2.2)27011 (Welcome to Whitlock 2.3)Black OutThe novellas 27001, 27009, 27011 can be found individually or in the complete set book titled, Welcome to Whitlock. They MUST be read before Black Out to understand the story completely.

Mercy


John W. Mefford - 2019
    He can't deny it. But in what form will the pressure erupt? Cooper Chain isn't just down on his luck -- he's almost down for the count. The mob wants a piece of him, and he sees no way out. It's a special week for Willow Ball, a woman who's survived her own tribulations to reach this milestone in her life. Through fate -- or a temporary misalignment of the stars -- Willow and Cooper cross paths for the first time since college. Will an unexpected spark re-ignite the flame? A shattering discovery changes everything for Willow and Cooper. The murder is unlike any other. But what will the cops do about it? Attacks ensure, chaos ruptures a family . . . Through it all, how can Willow and Cooper find the killer? But it's not over. As the bodies pile up, a pattern develops and it rocks Willow and Cooper to the core. And then someone emerges after a three-decade disappearance. Could he be connected to this string of murders? The past might provide the breadcrumbs to end this nightmare. But Willow and Cooper may not live long enough to see it through. Will mercy save a life or end many?

Everywhere That Mary Went


Lisa Scottoline - 1993
    It's just a matter of time. Mary has been slaving away for the past eight years trying to make partner in her cutthroat Philadelphia law firm. She's too busy to worry about the crank phone calls that she's been getting-until they fall into a sinister pattern. The phone rings as soon as she gets to work, then as soon as she gets home. Mary can't shake the sensation that someone is watching her, following her every move. The shadowboxing turns deadly when her worst fears are realized, and she has to fight for something a lot more important than partnership -- her life.

The Girl in the Attic


Jon Athan - 2021
    He justifies his actions by claiming he's protecting her from a cruel world while homeschooling her. But when a new neighbor moves into the house next door and their teenage son, Seth, interferes with his plans, Frederick begins to tighten his grip on Sydney—and Sydney starts fighting back. Discipline and homeschooling quickly turn into abuse and lessons of violence.Can Sydney survive her father's wrath? Can Seth rescue her before it's too late?Jon Athan, the illustrious author of 'The Abuse of Ashley Collins' and 'Grandfather's House', brings you his 50th novel with this story of family and tragedy, discipline and abuse, and good deeds and bad consequences.WARNING: This novel contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Expecting The Plug's First Child


Timkeia - 2020
    

Death in the English Countryside


Sara Rosett - 2014
    Afraid that Kevin has slipped back into some destructive personal habits he struggles with, Kate travels to England to salvage Kevin’s and the company’s reputation before word gets out that he is missing. Things go from bad to worse when Kate arrives in Nether Woodsmoor, a quaint village of golden stone cottages and rolling green hills, only to find no trace of Kevin except his abandoned luggage. Even the rumpled, easygoing local scout they consulted, Alex, doesn’t know where Kevin might be. Increasingly worried about Kevin and with an antsy director waiting for updates about the preproduction details, Kate embarks on a search that includes a pub-crawl and cozy cottages as well as stately country manors. But Kevin remains missing, and she begins to suspect that the picturesque village and beautiful countryside may not be as idyllic as they seem.

Flipped for Murder


Maddie Day - 2015
    After paying a visit to her Aunt Adele, she fell in love with the tiny town of South Lick. And when she spots a For Sale sign on a rundown country store, she decides to snap it up and put her skills as a cook and a carpenter to use. Everyone in town shows up for the grand re-opening of Pans ‘n Pancakes, but when the mayor's disagreeable assistant is found dead, Robbie realizes that not all press is good press. With all eyes on her, she'll have to summon her puzzle-solving skills to clear her name, unscramble the town's darkest secrets, and track down a cold-blooded killer--before she's the next to die...

Behind Your Back


Chelsea M. Cameron - 2015
    I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.She’s just a girl.A tool to get what I want.When I’m done with her I won’t think twice about walking away.At least, that was what I thought.Until I met her.

Ruthless


Michelle St. James - 2015
     But all of that changes the night she’s kidnapped. Thrown into a windowless room, Angelica is positive there’s been some kind of mistake — until she meets Nico Vitale. Gorgeous and frightening, Nico became the boss of New York City’s Vitale crime family after the execution style murder of his parents two years earlier. Since then he’s turned the old-school mob into a sleek, modern army of ruthless men who understand that physical violence — while always an option — isn’t the only way to get what you want. Now Angel is forced to face the truth; Her father is not the man she believed him to be. Nico Vitale is dangerous, possibly lethal. She is falling in love with Nico Vitale. This is not your mother's mob. ★★★★★ "Nail-biting, heart-pounding romance!”★★★★★ "Everything a mafia romance should be."★★★★★ "Nico is not your daddy's mob boss… the kind of serious bad boy you can't help but root for." ★★★★★ "Written flawlessly and hotter than sin!" ★★★★★ "Perfect for readers who like their romance steamy with a shot of adrenaline and intrigue!" ★★★★★ "Nico could kidnap me any day!" ★★★★★ "The kind of mob boss I love to read about." ★★★★★ "The tension and chemistry between the two were off the charts... I could not put these books down."

Live and Learn


Niobia Bryant - 2007
    It's 24/7 money to burn, it's fancy houses, designer clothes, and luxury cars. It's leaving no-pay jobs and crumbling projects to have everything mad cash flow. And best friends, Alize, Dom, Moet, and Cristal will do anything to get the glamorous life - and put the past in the rear-view mirrors of their brand new whips. A savvy and smart business major, Alize had her childhood shattered by the divorce of her parents and is determined to never fall in love and risk being hurt. Dom learned early to use her sizzling-hot body to make much bank - and find an eascape from her too dark looks and drug-addicted mother. Disillusioned by the faith and strict parents she grew up with, Moet figures hooking up with powerful men is now the real way to heaven. And streetwise Cristal has a master plan to get the security she never to knew as foster child. To make these dreams come true, these sistahs will go after the East Coast's biggest movers-and-shakers - superstar rappers, mega-successful moguls, and powerful thugs-for-life. But between the wild times and wilder men, one of them is going to gamble one time too many, one will play a player too far, one will take a dangerous chance, and one will face a hard real-deal choice. To survive, they'll have to depend on each other and remember who they truly are to learn that the good life doesn't cost a thing...

Impossible [The Original Trilogy]


Julia Sykes - 2013
    Monster, Traitor, and Avenger, available in one collection! My life was irrevocably changed that night. The night I was taken. I saved a man's life, but at what cost to myself? Can I convince him to save me in return? I hate him for what he's done to me. But the longer I'm trapped with him, the harder it is to cling to that hatred. He is an enigma of a man, one who is shockingly arrogant, sweetly contrite, and frighteningly aggressive by turns. And the pain in his eyes is a mirror for my own. The longer I remain in his grip, the more confused I become. Is my freedom worth betraying him? This collection includes all three original Impossible novellas: Monster, Traitor, and Avenger. Note: This series contains strong language and scorching sex scenes involving light BDSM.

Scot On The Rocks: How I Survived My Ex-Boyfriend's Wedding With My Dignity Ever-So Slightly Intact


Brenda Janowitz - 2007
    Okay, so maybehe's not exactly her fianc�, but they're living together in his apartment, so she'll be getting the ring any minute, right? Wrong.After a fight leaves her without a boyfriend (much less a fianc�)just days before the wedding, Brooke faces the ultimate humiliation ofattending her ex-boyfriend's nuptials alone. Desperate to find a replacement tofill Douglas's kilt, Brooke concocts an outrageous plan to survive the weddingand win the man of her dreams, all with her dignity ever-so-slightly intact.

Tart of Darkness


Denise Swanson - 2018
    This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She’ll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.