Book picks similar to
Dead Cereus by Kira Seamon


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The Summerland


T.L. Schaefer - 2001
    Sheriff Bill Ashton's life is good, quiet, until the bodies of five women are discovered in the remote foothills and all hell breaks loose. Then another woman disappears, leaving her estranged sister's stolen car and half a million in cash behind as their only clues. Air Force Captain Arden Jones hasn't spoken to her sister in years, but Samantha's disappearance galvanizes her, sending her to small-town America in search of the black sheep of the family. Thrown together by circumstance, Bill and Arden explore Samantha's disappearance and her probable connection to the murdered women. Neither expects, nor welcomes, the attraction that surges between them, or the fact that setting aside long-held beliefs may be the only way to stop a madman bent on creating the perfect woman, the one true goddess central to the Wiccan religion, Diana.

Dragonfly


Resa Nelson - 2015
    Broken. Lost.Trusting and naïve, Greeta knows she’s different. All she has to do is look at herself. She’s tall and pale, but lives among people who are small and dark. Although she remembers nothing of her origin, Greeta knows she possesses the blood of Northlanders, fierce and mysterious warriors decimated years ago by gods. Betrayed and devastated by those she loves, Greeta abandons the peaceful village that once welcomed her. After enduring travels that leave her lost and alone, Greeta meets Finehurst, the man who could be her true love – until she learns his dark and disturbing secrets.Secrets that give him the power to place the entire world under his spell.Can Greeta warn the village she fled before a new danger destroys them all?

Antihero


C.J. Pinard - 2016
    She's trying to stay clean and walk a straight path. Is the chemistry storming between them enough to keep them together? Ellis I did my time, both on the streets and in the Marine Corps. Now that I’m out, I’m feeling sort of lost. I need to find a job and get past this disability the ugliness of war has left me with. The only thing that makes me feel grounded and stable is Talia Logan. She’s a red-haired breath of fresh air when I feel like I’m drowning in nightmares and responsibilities. So why can’t I just commit to her – make her mine? Because I’m jacked up and no good for anyone. Especially her. Talia The only part of my past I’m proud of is how I beat the addiction that almost killed me. I’m on the right path to a clean life, a college degree, and new friends. Ellis Anderson keeps coming over to worship my body and whisper sweet things in my ear that keep me hanging onto him. But he’s bad for me. A guy with too many demons that I don’t have the time or energy to deal with. So why can’t I just tell him to get out of my life? Because I’ve traded one addiction for another, that’s why. Antihero is book 1 in the Imperfect Heroes series. For readers 18+. Reading order: Antihero (Imperfect Heroes 1) Above Protection (Imperfect Heroes 2) Beneath Broken (Imperfect Heroes 3) Beyond Love (Imperfect Heroes 4, releasing in Spring 2017) Each book can be read as a standalone, however, this is the recommended reading order.

Chased


Felicity Brandon - 2021
    Brutal, Ruthless and Charming.Chase Benedict takes pleasure in inflicting suffering on enemies and observers alike.Cambridge graduate, leader of the largest criminal organization in Britain, calculating lawbreaker, he doesn’t take no for an answer.Until me.I won’t bend to his will.I won’t be manipulated by his menace.He’ll discover what it means when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

Moon Bitten


C.S. Churton - 2020
    When she got bitten, everything changed. Jade’s not ready to accept her new reality, but she had better come to terms quickly, because it’s her only way out.There are rules at the shifter academy.They’ll keep her locked up if needed.Facing the realities of her new life, her strange powers, and the fact that she’s more prisoner than student, Jade has some tough decisions to make. What she doesn’t know, though, is that there's something sinister going on.People are in danger.Another gets bitten.The adventure has just begun.

Gored of the Rings


Elise Sax - 2020
    The three years have been quiet, filled with marital bliss and absolutely no murder. Without a mystery to solve, Gladie has grown bored, even as she has exceled as a matchmaker with more than a little psychic ability. Now, her Grandma Zelda has decided to expand the family business to wedding planning, and Gladie is going to be in charge of it. * Her first customer wants a wedding with all the trimmings, including an axe-throwing room, a tractor parade, and a longhorn bull instead of a limo to the ceremony. When one of the wedding party winds up dead, a freak accident is blamed. But Gladie’s murder antennae are up, and she’s determined to prove that it’s murder and bring the killer to justice. * Gored of the Rings is the first book in the Matchmaker Marriage Mysteries, the continuing adventures of Gladie Burger with all of the regular characters from the Matchmaker Mysteries. It’s perfect for fans of Miss Fortune, Stephanie Plum, and small-town, funny mysteries. * Matchmaker Marriage Mysteries…sometimes love comes with a few dead ends. * “Sax will make you laugh. Her larger-than-life characters jump off the page and make crazy seem like a fun place to hang out.”—New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig * “With quirky characters reminiscent of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and a small-town heroine redolent of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse” --RT Book Reviews

Kiwi To My Heart (The Soul Mutts Series Book 6)


Lori R. Taylor - 2021
    But if she can't find a way to bring more money into the struggling shelter, the sacrifices she's made will all be for nothing.Then her brother leaves her with an inheritance, with two stipulations: she must work with her estranged mother to host a successful charity event and find a loving home for Peter's dog, Kiwi.But Leslie's not sure she can forgive the woman who cowered in a corner while Leslie's father hit her.Kiwi was severely abused before Peter adopted her. No matter where Leslie places Kiwi, the nervous cockapoo keeps showing up on her doorstep. She seems determined to stay with Leslie, no matter what.Even though Kiwi is terrified of everything, the sweet little dog makes Leslie feel braver. With Kiwi by her side, can Leslie save the shelter, face down the demons of her past, and take the risk of forgiving the mother who let her down when Leslie needed her most?The Kiwi To My Heart is the sixth and final book in the Soul Mutts series, heartwarming stories of lost dogs finding new homes with the humans they were born to heal.

Deadly Secrets


Leeann Burke - 2008
    The grandfather he never knew existed dies. Throughout his own investigation, Philippe learns that his family has kept secrets from him, deep, ugly secrets. A killer is murdering the men in his family. First his father then his grandfather have succumbed at the hands of another. This murderer is trying his utmost to keep secrets buried. Bereft, Roxanne St-Clair is left to manage a restaurant when the only person who ever mattered to her, her foster parent and mentor, is murdered. She puts her life on hold to find his killer and bring him to justice. Thrown together by circumstance and a mutual goal, Philippe and Roxanne fight their attraction and team up to find the killer, bring him to justice and unearth the truth. To stay alive, they must keep one step ahead of the assassin in order to prevent him from killing his next target, Philippe. Will they succeed in bringing to justice this killer before Philippe becomes his next victim? Will they be able to deal with the truth behind all the secrets?

The Handyman Homicide (Reckless Camper Cozy Mysteries Book 1)


Libby Howard - 2022
    

Cream Puff Murder


Sandi Scott - 2016
    Her French sweets catering company has finally landed a major job, making Ashley grateful for all that is going right – her business, her work partnership, and reconnecting with an old friend Ryan. All that changes when Ashley overhears one of the guests arguing with a strange man in the bathroom. Things get worse when the woman is found dead the next day, poisoned by one of Ashley’s cream puffs. Ashley must solve the mystery to save the reputation of her nascent business. She is thrust into the lives of people from her past who all have something to hide. Is the murderer a jealous lover? An out-of-towner with business interests? A local hero turned criminal? Teaming up with her old friend Ryan and her loyal dog Dizzy, Ashley sets out to solve the crime. Will she be able to solve the murder before her business reputation is completely ruined? BONUS: Recipe included.

Shadow of the Sun


Laura Kreitzer - 2010
    As a supernatural specialist, and far more intelligent than anyone her age, she has always been ignored by her peers. Because of the isolation she has always felt, she put her life and soul into her job. Being a supernatural specialist hasn't given her the divine intervention she always longed for, until one day a shipment arrives from Italy containing three dead bodies with an uncanny ability to regenerate. Gabriella is frightened and intrigued, but not as scared as she becomes when a dark creature attacks her.As the bodies come back to life, the plot takes an unexpected twist that you won't see coming. The supernatural world only begins to unfold before her as angels appear, her dreams start to haunt her, and the very past she has forgotten comes back with startling clarity. Romance blooms, escape plans are made, an assassin is out to kill her, and death is only around the corner. But what is more terrifying than all of it is the fact she is the chosen one, the Illuminator, the one who will save them all.

Mollie McQueen is NOT Getting Divorced


Lacey London - 2018
     Her marriage to Max was the first thing to come under scrutiny and on one sexless night in May, Mollie decided that their relationship was over. However, when a grouchy divorce lawyer convinces Mollie there’s a chance she could bow out of this life being eaten alive by a pack of cats, she starts to search for an alternative. Opening the can of worms that is her marriage makes Mollie realise she might not be as blameless as she initially thought… Will Mollie be able to rescue her marriage or has the lure of a life without wet towels on the bed turned her head? One thing is for sure… Mollie McQueen is NOT getting divorced. Praise for LACEY LONDON... "One of my favourite books of the year!" "An eye-opening, thoroughly enjoyable and very relatable read." "I honestly couldn't put this book down!" "Entertaining, sometimes desperately sad, very often uplifting and hugely life-affirming." "Another magnificent achievement for Lacey's remarkable pen. I'll never forget it." "A highly addictive roller coaster ride!"

Murder at the Snowed Inn (Claire Andersen Murder for All Seasons Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)


Imogen Plimp - 2020
    She knew her fresh start would be exciting, but she never expected it to be tinged with enthralling adventure, romance that’s sweet as sweet can be … and murder!Adorable and resilient, former NYC chef Claire Andersen is no stranger to second chances. She and her stock trader husband George had decided long ago to trade in their life of ambition for one of quaint & quiet adventure—by opening up a cozy neighborhood coffee shoppe on the ground floor their Brooklyn brownstone. He was the coffee-connoisseur, she was the baker extraordinaire. Claire was so happy, she could just die. But fate had other plans—it came for her husband instead.After George’s passing, Claire decides (with a nudge from her doting foster daughter Al) to trade in her life of brews and baked goods for breakfast—bed and breakfast, that is! And what better setting in which to start over than Galway, Maryland—a charming, snowy mountain town (and favorite cross-county ski destination of Claire’s youth).All is well in Claire’s new B&B venture—and with her new oven constantly in use, it’s mouth-watering, even—until her first guest is murdered in-house. It’s not long until one of the suspects Claire questions about the murder winds up dead, too. Suddenly, Claire finds herself starting over yet again—and trading in her hostess hat (she’d just dusted it off, too!) for a secret life as an amateur sleuth.But it’s not all B&B business and bodies: Claire also finds herself in the throes of not one, but two potential romances—each more toe-curling and butterflies-in-the-stomach inducing than the other.Alongside her trusty new pal Evelyn (who’s feisty enough to make anyone blush) and her faithful bloodhound Rupert, Claire races the clock to get to the next victim—before the killer does. And she knows she’d better hurry. Because if the killer catches her first, she might run out of second chances.Author's Note: This book contains a non-binary character whose preferred pronouns are they/them. If the notion of a non-binary character (and its resultant use of grammar) is offensive, then this book is not for you!

A Perfect Mess


Zoe Dawson - 2012
    He was always the unpredictable one, the one who would be brash enough to make it big self-publishing horror novels on the internet. He promised never to tell, but everyone knows you can never trust an Outlaw.Then a year later, in the middle of the night, she receives a phone call at Tulane. Her aunt, who took her in after her mother’s death, is in a coma under suspicious circumstances. Now she has to face that one person who knows all about what she did that summer—sexy Booker. Returning to Hope Parish to be with her aunt, stirs up all those ugly memories. When Aubree starts getting threats, she can’t help but wonder if what she did last summer was tied to her aunt’s “accident.” Afraid, she turns to the only person who knows the truth and Booker doesn’t hesitate to offer his broad shoulder for her to lean on. But Booker has a secret of his own that could crush their fledgling relationship.As the hot, sultry summer days move on, she finds that even a perfectly smart girl can lose her heart to a perfectly bad boy. What is she going to do when someone starts asking questions Aubree doesn’t want to answer? She’s knee deep into a terribly dangerous, wholly life changing, who-can-she-really-depend-on perfect mess.A Perfect Series: Three perfect girls, three perfect secrets, one unholy trinityA Perfect Mess, Book #1 – the girl most likely to succeed, an unpredictable Outlaw, and a dangerous secret that could be the death of her.A Perfect Mistake, Book #2 – A preacher’s daughter, a reckless Outlaw, and a secret that will change her life forever.A Perfect Dilemma, Book #3 – The town’s poor little rich girl, a sweet-talking Outlaw, and a secret that will ruin all that she holds dear

Hell Inc.


Dick Wybrow - 2018
     Allowed to have three strangers help him on his quest, he's got just days to scour the planet and find the four interlocking pieces. Once assembled, the lamp could save the dying Carissa. But, does the Devil have secret, dark plans for the lamp? (hint: uh, yeah! I mean... Devil, right?) Hell inc. is a laugh-out-loud thrill ride and paranormal adventure about love, friendship and never giving up. Listen, I need a favor. So, remember how that doctor with the wonky eye broke the news about Carissa? He said there was nothing they could do to save her. They couldn’t save her. Yeah, I guess he said twice because I’d gotten a bit distracted. Wasn’t sure he was talking to me. Because, you know, the eye. Okay, the favor. I sorta made a bet with someone, might be the Devil, and if I find this ancient lamp for him, he’ll save Carissa. She’ll be okay. This lamp he wants was busted up centuries ago and spread all over, so we’ll be sorta flying all around the planet for days on end. After we steal a plane, of course. And find a pilot. It’ll be real, real dangerous. Possibly death, then kinda downhill from there. But you’ll get the miles.