Book picks similar to
Grendel's Game by Erik Mauritzson
first-reads
mystery
thriller
tried-and-failed
Badge Of Evil
Craig Horowitz - 2015
Badge of Evil is the first novel in a bold new thriller series from the writing team of private investigator Bill Stanton and award-winning journalist Craig Horowitz.All eyes are on New York City’s police commissioner Lawrence Brock after his hands-on role in a raid on a potential terrorist cell that turns into a blazing shootout. There’s even talk that he may be headed to Washington to take over Homeland Security.Investigative journalist A. J. Ross wants to expose the ruthless opportunist behind Brock’s heroic image. Freewheeling private investigator Frank Bishop is hired by the family of the lone surviving suspect, desperate to prove the young man’s innocence. A. J. and Bishop hate each other at first sight, but they’ll need to learn to work together quickly if they want to take down the commissioner—because Lawrence Brock will do anything to ensure the dark secrets of his past remain hidden.Badge of Evil introduces a dynamic new voice in thriller fiction, in the spirit of such bestselling authors as Harlan Coben and David Baldacci. It is a novel of our times and for our times—an all too familiar story of corruption and abuse at the highest levels, and how the lust for power can drive men to commit the most shocking acts.
Point of Control
L.J. Sellers - 2016
She’s exactly the right person to get it done. In her personal life, Bailey works hard to control her sociopathic tendencies. But on the job, her cold logic comes in handy.The agent soon suspects that a rare-metal shortage may be the link between the disappearances and that the motive is far more dangerous than she imagined. With the tech market in turmoil and prices sky-high, electronics companies and their power-hungry CEOs are ready to do anything—even kill—to keep production lines going.When a third scientist disappears, Bailey throws caution aside to track the crimes to their source. But the clock is ticking on the scientist’s life, and when the bureau pulls its support, Bailey is on her own to stop the meltdown.
Welcome to Cooper
Tariq Ashkanani - 2021
Like Detective Thomas Levine’s career has. But when a young woman is found lying dead in the snow, choked to death, her eyes gouged out, the disgraced detective is Cooper’s only hope for restoring peace and justice.For Levine, still grieving and guilt-ridden over the death of his girlfriend, his so-called “transfer” from the big city to this grubby backwater has always felt like a punishment. And when his irascible new partner shoots their prime suspect using Levine’s gun, all hope of redemption is shattered. With the case in chaos, and both blackmail and a violent drug cartel to contend with, he finds himself in a world of trouble.It gets worse. The real killer is still out there, and he’s got plans for Detective Levine. And Cooper may just be the perfect place to get away with murder.
Some Dead Genius
Lenny Kleinfeld - 2014
Their hunt for a slippery serial killer is complicated by interference from their superiors, and the FBI, and a ruthless City Hall fixer, and a brutal Mob boss. Because this is a story about how Chicago works, and the marketing of fine art.
Nothing To Lose
Thomas Waugh - 2016
When he murders Martin Pound, a corrupt politician, he considers it to be just another job. His days are spent drinking, reading and visiting his late wife's grave. Devlin has nothing to live for. Then he meets Emma, "a good Catholic girl". Everyone deserves a second chance. But the hunter is about to become the hunted. The Parker brothers, the criminal family who put the hit out on the politician, want to tie-up loose ends. Devlin must kill or be killed. Nothing To Lose is a literary thriller, set in South London. Thomas Waugh has created a hero (or anti-hero) who will seem human to some readers and inhuman to others. You decide.
Repent
Lisa Fink - 2013
But when his life begins to unravel—he loses his dog, his girlfriend, his job, and his house in quick succession—he suspects that it’s more than a joke: someone is attempting to systematically destroy him.Desperate and alienated, he turns to Annelie, his old flame. In the midst of his despair, he realizes that with her, he could rebuild his life again. But just as he sees the light at the end of the tunnel, he discovers that his tormenter isn’t done with him yet. Will he discover who is behind the plot before the psychopath’s suggestion of suicide turns to murder?
The Frozen Child: A Riveting Kidnapping Mystery
Robert J. Walker - 2022
Measure of Danger
Jay Klages - 2013
Forced to adapt to a sedate civilian existence, he’d all but given up on a life of service. That is, until opportunity—and an FBI agent—knocks on his door.The FBI believes Kade’s unique talents make him their best candidate to infiltrate AgriteX, an agricultural biotech company suspected of involvement in organized crime. Kade jumps at the chance to redeem himself and serve his country again. But he soon learns that AgriteX is invested in far more threatening pursuits—the company is secretly funding The Chapter, a high-tech militia plotting a savage attack on the United States.Can Kade stop The Chapter before it’s too late? And now that he’s on the inside, will he ever escape their shadowy network?
The 15th Star
Lisa Grace - 2012
She is indentured to Mary Pickersgill who teaches her the skill of sewing flags and standards. Yet Grace is hiding a terrible secret, one men will murder for even hundreds of years later.In the present, Keiko Zorben is finishing her master's degree by working as an intern at the Smithsonian Institute. While archiving mislabeled letters, she finds a clue to the whereabouts of the missing star from the Star Spangled Banner. For over two hundred years its location has been a real-life mystery, until now.Keiko asks the handsome Dr. Julian Lone Wolf, the head of the American Indian Studies Department, to join her on her search for the missing star.When a docent is murdered and an attempt is made on their lives, Keiko and Julian realize finding the missing star and the secret it holds, is their only key to survival.Great Story - Drama, Mystery, Action, History, Humor and Romance "This is one of the most fun stories I've read in a long time. I could not put it down and it all in one day. I loved how the author mixed present day with the past." Five Star Zon Reader Review"The 15th Star" has been described by readers as a mix of "National Treasure" meets "1776."Lisa Grace is also the author of the popular teen Angel Series.Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 and Angel in the Storm, Book 2 are currently in movie development through Motion Picture Pro Studios, which has been involved with five academy award winning movies. The author can be reached at: lisagracebooks@yahoo.com For more information on Lisa Grace and her upcoming releases: http://www.lisagracebooks.com Genres: History, Mystery, Contemporary Romance, New AdultAdditional locations and historical people of note mentioned in the story: Fort McHenry, Flag House, Claggett's Brewery, Paul Jennings, Grace Wisher, White House, Francis Scott Key, President James Madison, Dolley Madison, Major George Armistead, Louisa Armistead, Napoleon Bonaparte, King George, Baltimore, and Washington D. C.
The Caretakers
Amanda Bestor-SiegalAmanda Bestor-Siegal
. . bold and brilliant. -ELIZABETH MCCRACKEN Set in a wealthy Parisian suburb, an emotionally riveting debut told from the point of view of six women, and centered around a group of au pairs, one of whom is arrested after a sudden and suspicious tragedy strikes her host family--a dramatic exploration of identity, class, and caregiving from a profoundly talented new writer.Paris, 2015. A crowd gathers outside the Chauvet home in the affluent suburban community of Maisons-Larue, watching as the family's American au pair is led away in handcuffs after the sudden death of her young charge. The grieving mother believes the caretaker is to blame, and the neighborhood is thrown into chaos, unsure who is at fault--the enigmatic, young foreigner or the mother herself, who has never seemed an active participant in the lives of her children.The truth lies with six women: G�raldine, a heartbroken French teacher struggling to support her vulnerable young students; Lou, an incompetent au pair who was recently fired by the family next door; Charlotte, a chilly socialite and reluctant mother; Nathalie, an isolated French teenager desperate for her mother's attention; Holly, a socially anxious au pair yearning to belong in her adopted country; and finally, Alena, the one accused of the crime, who has gone to great lengths to avoid emotional connection, and now finds herself caught in the turbulent power dynamics of her host family's household.Set during the weeks leading up to the event, The Caretakers is a poignant and suspenseful drama featuring complicated women. It's a sensitive exploration of the weight of secrets, the pressures of country, community, and family--and miscommunications and misunderstandings that can have fatal consequences."A deep, enthralling pleasure, as wise as it is lovely. I read it voraciously, desperate to discover the fates of its unforgettable characters . . . Magnificent." - ROBIN WASSERMAN
Social Death
Tatiana Boncompagni - 2014
They have deadlier secrets.A beautiful socialite is brutally murdered in her exclusive New York City apartment building. A financier's trophy wife and the night doorman are the last two people to see her alive. There's no sign of forced entry. No known motive. Just a neighbor's account of overhearing a heated argument outside the victim's apartment on the night of the murder. Clyde Shaw has built a career covering brutal crimes for the FirstNews network, but this story may be more than the top news producer can handle. The murder victim, Olivia Kravis, is the daughter of FirstNews's mogul founder-and Clyde's best friend since childhood. As a high-stakes network ratings war begins, Clyde's own privileged yet troubled past comes back to haunt her, and she's forced to choose between finding her best friend's killer and losing everything-her job, her reputation, even her life. Long-guarded secrets. Millions at stake. And only Clyde holds the key to unlocking the truth. PRAISE FOR SOCIAL DEATH"A breathless thriller that takes the reader deep inside the worlds of television news and glitterati New York. This is great stuff. " Stuart Woods, New York Times Bestselling author of Unintended Consequences
The Road King Chronicles: Blue Ridge Run
Harry Harrigan - 2015
After twenty-three years and three combat tours with the 75th Ranger Regiment, he’s got a Silver Star, a titanium knee and a plan to see America on his Road King motorcycle. No more patrols, no more firefights. Nothing more dangerous than passing the old work van rumbling along in front of him as he rides toward Hunter-Stewart and the sunset of his career in the Army. But just as he twists the throttle to pass, a woman’s bare foot smears a bloody print on the van’s back window. Roman turns back to help, triggering a chain of events that puts his brother Virgil and two old friends in the crosshairs of a murderer. Saving them sends Roman on a desperate ride from Savannah to DC, where he discovers that the past he has been trying to forget has not forgotten him. It’s been waiting patiently, holding his secret like a time bomb.
Lynchpin: The Best Laid Schemes of Mice and Men
Siddharth Maheshwari - 2021
A sinister plan, of a shrewd calculating mastermind, has set the wheels of doom in motion. He is now pulling the lynchpins across the country and making it fall into disarray. He is using everyone in his path to achieve his goals. Within thirty days he intends to control the nation’s soul. As chaos grips the country, it’s a race against time for DSP Ranbir Roy of the Intelligence Bureau and Inspector Vikram Aditya Singh to stop him before anarchy dooms the country. The pieces are set, the board is laid out but what happens when your own pawns move against you? What will be the end game?
Outsourced
Eric J. Gates - 2012
It's not long before he realises what it represents will change his life... with deadly consequences. Others want the package's contents too, including a high-tech Intelligence agency who will stop at nothing to obtain it. ...and the sender wants it back! The new fast-paced SUSPENSE THRILLER from Eric J. Gates will make YOU question your Destiny!
Since She Went Away
David Bell - 2016
But when Jenna arrived late, she found that Celia had disappeared—and hasn’t been seen again. Jenna has blamed herself for her friend’s disappearance every single day since then.The only piece of evidence is a lone diamond earring found where Celia and Jenna were planning to meet, leading the national media to dub Celia “The Diamond Mom.” And even though Jenna has obsessively surfed message boards devoted to missing persons cases, she is no closer to finding any answers—or easing her guilt.But when her son’s new girlfriend—who suddenly arrived in town without a past—disappears, a stricken Jenna begins to unwind the tangled truth behind Celia’s tragedy. And as long-buried secrets finally come to light, she discovers how completely lives can be shattered by a few simple lies.