Book picks similar to
Dead on Arrival by Kiki Swinson


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The Darwin Affair


Tim Mason - 2019
    Was Victoria really the assassin’s target? Are those closest to the Crown hiding something? And who is the shadowy figure witnesses describe as having lifeless, coal-black eyes?Soon, Field’s investigation exposes a shocking conspiracy in which the publication of Charles Darwin’s controversial On the Origin of Species sets off a string of murders, arson, kidnapping, and the pursuit of a madman named the Chorister. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows, and the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden. Tim Mason has created a rousing page-turner that both Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would relish and envy.

A Simpler Life


The School of Life - 2022
    That explains why what many of us long for is simplicity: a life that can be more pared down, peaceful, and focused on the essentials.But finding simplicity is not always easy; it isn’t just a case of emptying out our closets or trimming back commitments in our diaries. True simplicity requires that we understand the roots of our distractions – and develop a canny respect for the stubborn reasons why things can grow complex and overwhelming.This book is a guide to the simpler lives we crave and deserve. It considers how we might achieve simplicity across a range of areas. Along the way, we learn about Zen Buddhism, modernist architecture, monasteries, psychoanalysis, and why we probably don’t need more than three good friends or a few treasured belongings.It isn’t enough that our lives should look simple; they need to be simple from the inside. This book takes a psychological approach, guiding us towards less contorted hearts and minds. We have for too long been drowning in excess and clutter from a confusion about our aspirations; A Simpler Life helps us tune out the static and focus on what properly matters to us.

Deadweight


Paul Forster - 2019
    Eat what you want, when you want, who you want. Millions of people from desperate teens, to pop stars, to brides and successful businessmen are attracted to the cure for fat. One which allows them to eat anything they want and still lose weight. Quickly it passed between the users and those around them, even a kiss shared the microbe that would condemn the affected. Silently over weeks tens of millions of people were infected. No corner of the Earth would escape the carnage. The lucky ones became mindless beasts, looking for their next taste of human flesh, the hunger taking over everything they were until they exist purely to feed. A few unfortunate souls suffer with the hunger of the dead but the mind of the living, they're neither dead nor alive but something in between, something far more dangerous to the surviving humans. The government have given up on their citizens having been unable to contain or destroy the plague that is destroying humanity. Everyone wants something from you, whether it’s your bottle of water or the flesh off your body. Where the dead haven’t ravaged, the army have destroyed in a desperate attempt to stop the spread. In the South East of England a Police officer, soldier, executive and IT geek are amongst those trying to make their way in the new dead world. Unsure of their place in it or how long they’ll last until they become a feeders next meal. In the world of the dead, what will the living have to do in order to survive?

The Streets Have No King


JaQuavis Coleman - 2017
    But instead of diving back into the drug game, he’s teaching a college class, infusing business principles with his signature ruthless edge he developed in the streets. When a student—and heavy heroin dealer—named Basil catches Kane’s eye, Kane takes him on as a protégé and together, they build the biggest, smartest drug trafficking business the state has ever seen. But when Basil meets Moriah, Kane’s only daughter, lines get crossed and their dominant business union becomes a deadly rivalry. Welcome to a world where the kings meet their end and no one stays at the top for long. The crown always lies heavy on he who commands the streets—and Kane and Basil will fight to claim their rule, before power is toppled again, in The Streets Have No King by New York Times bestselling author JaQuavis Coleman.

Midlife Crisis (Loyalty Series)


La Jill Hunt - 2019
    She and her handsome husband, Garrett, are the epitome of success: an immaculate house of their dreams, a beautiful and talented 17-year-old daughter, flourishing careers, and nearly twenty years of perfectly wedded bliss. Just as they are making plans for their vow renewal celebration, a call in the middle of the night interrupts their picture-perfect lives. Now Sylvia has to deal with the reality of Garrett’s dead mistress, a love child she never knew about, and the fact that the man she’s been married to for the past twenty years may not be the man she knows at all.Unlike her sister Sylvia, when it comes to love, Janelle Hudson can take it or leave it. Her on again, off again, noncommittal, stress-free friendship with Jarvis Baldwin is fine with her. But her life becomes complicated when she is faced with choosing between a sure thing with a good man or what feels right with the wrong one.Bestselling author LaJill Hunt is back with Midlife Crisis, an emotion-packed story of love, betrayal, and family loyalty. When lies are unveiled and secrets are revealed, can love be strong enough to forgive, even when you can’t forget? An abbreviated version of this novel entitled Jaded was previously published.

The Bitter End


Ann Evans - 2018
    Paul finally has his life back on track. After losing his wife, Helena in a horrific car crash, he has found love with Sally and moves into her country cottage.    As a former high-ranking Naval Officer, Paul now works as Head of Security at MI5.Paul has no memories from before he was ten years old. An accident left him in a coma for 9 months.  But was it really an accident?Soon Paul starts to have flashes of childhood memories, all involving his childhood friend, Owen.Sally introduces him to her friend, Juliet, the owner of a craft shop. Paul is shocked when he meets Juliet’s partner, his old friend Owen.Flashes of memories continue to haunt Paul, particularly the memory of his first wife Helena burning in the car crash. As dark things start to happen, and local people begin dying in horrific accidents, Paul must face his past and will end up fighting for his life.

In the Company of My Sistahs


Angie Daniels - 2006
    Lisa Miller has a wonderful life while her sister and their friends have been searching for love in the wildest of places. She invites them to join her in Jamaica where she plans to share heart-wrenching news, and hopes the pain in her life will give them a reason to stop taking theirs for granted. Renee Moore is a best-selling author with an insatiable appetite for men. She plans on spending her vacation, engaging in a fling that will give her reason to exhale. Unfortunately, she soon finds out it’s not always sunny in paradise. Attorney Nadine Hill has been living in denial for far too long. By the end of the trip, she needs to decide if she’s going to continue to live for everyone else or take a chance at her own happiness no matter the consequences. Kayla Sparks has always dreamed of being a preacher’s wife. When a handsome minister walks into her life, she thinks God has answered her prayers. Only his wife would probably disagree. **this book was originally published in 2006**

These Toxic Things


Rachel Howzell Hall - 2021
    When her latest client, Nadia Denham, a curio shop owner, dies from an apparent suicide, Mickie honors the old woman’s last wish and begins curating her peculiar objets d’art. A music box, a hair clip, a key chain―twelve mementos in all that must have meant so much to Nadia, who collected them on her flea market scavenges across the country.But these tokens mean a lot to someone else, too. Mickie has been receiving threatening messages to leave Nadia’s past alone.It’s becoming a mystery Mickie is driven to solve. Who once owned these odd treasures? How did Nadia really come to possess them? Discovering the truth means crossing paths with a long-dormant serial killer and navigating the secrets of a sinister past. One that might, Mickie fears, be inescapably entwined with her own.

Slayer


Cyndi Friberg - 2020
    His one and only concern is curtailing the power and influence of the ruthless Sarronti elite. Still, the human female working with him lingers in his mind and fuels his imagination.Though Kara O'Leary has been attracted to Malik since they first met, she never dreamed he returned her feelings. One kiss ignites a hunger neither can deny, but the timing couldn't be worse. Hostilities rapidly escalate and new threats are revealed. How can Malik and Kara bring freedom to the "world below" when all they can think about is each other?Note to Readers: This book contains detailed descriptions of sizzling passion only suitable for mature readers.

Fancy


Vanna B. - 2012
    She lives an amazing life. At least that's what she's led everyone to believe. Fancy goes to great lengths to keep up a facade of perfection, but when a series of unfortunate events rattles her world, everything begins to fall apart. She's always been taught to use what she's got to get what she wants but deep down inside Fancy knows there is truly more to her than just a beautiful face and perfect body. Will she abandon the superficial lifestyle she's come to know or succumb to the temptation of the almighty dollar? Fancy chronicles the life of a woman torn between the person she is and the person she wants to be. This iconic story will resonate with readers who, like Fancy, have battled issues within, as well as outside influences, while struggling to find themselves amidst a world of chaos. "This urban drama tells the all too familiar story of Fancy, a gorgeous tastemaker who has always used what she has to get what she wants. For today's women who struggle to keep up the illusion of their superficial lifestyles, Fancy hits home like no other." - Shabe Allah-Cleare, Source Magazine "I recently read Fancy by Vanna B. If you have not copped a copy, WHY? I absolutely love this book! With my busy schedule, I usually take a week to read a book. I read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down for anything." - Daja Marie Greer, Hype Magazine "The author did an excellent job the first go around with the potential to only climb in her career." - Readers With Attitude Book Club "Everything and everyone are not what they appear...Fancy experiences a series of dramas that inspires great change for her life." - Vanessa Irvin Morris, StreetLiterature.com "I loved that the main character was a Latina, however, every female can relate to this tale." - Bad Girl of Urban Lit

All The Lonely People


Mike Gayle - 2020
    . .Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?From bestselling author Mike Gayle, All the Lonely People is by turns a funny and moving meditation on love, race, old age and friendship that will not only charm and uplift, but also remind you of the power of ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference.

Diary of a Mistress


Miasha - 2006
     Monica counts her blessings -- she has a husband who is not only devoted to her but is also committed to being a strong, caring father to their twin sons. When Carlos surprises her with an unforgettably romantic getaway, Monica knows her husband is still very much in love with her -- and she with him. But an unexpected package threatens to change everything Monica's ever believed about her husband. Angela has adopted a sex-them-and-leave-them attitude toward the married men she's bedded over the last five years. Then she met Monica's Carlos. Now she will stop at nothing to get him for herself -- even if that means destroying her own life and another woman's family.

Real Monsters


Liam Brown - 2015
    The lines are now so blurred, no one knows who the real enemy is anymore.Reeling from the terrorist attack that killed her father, Lorna lurches through an inebriated adolescence until she finds redemption in a young soldier called Danny. However, her dream of a stable life is shattered when Danny is called to serve in war overseas.Danny is lost in the desert. Most of his unit is dead – victims, it would seem, of a brutal ambush. With their equipment destroyed and food running out, the small band of men stumble through the sand and shadows, desperate to find salvation. As their hope fades, they begin to turn on each other, until finally it becomes clear that only the truly monstrous will survive.Brown creates a compelling and gripping experience alternating between the soldier and home narrative. Cleverly employing letters and unique voices we are drawn completely into the raw desert while being left with a thought-provoking and graphic view of modern warfare.What Reviewers and Readers Say:'Beautifully written, smart and punchy'. Sam Mills, author of The Quiddity of Will Self'A memorable and moving portrait of the futility of 21st century conflict'. Benjamin Myers, author of Pig Iron and Beastings

Is the Bitch Dead, Or What? (The Ritz Harper Chronicles Vol. 2)


Wendy Williams - 2007
    Playing a clever trick of her own, Williams left her heroine on the brink of death at the end of the novel. Now the second installment of the chronicles reveals what Williams’s readers are dying to know: Is the Bitch Dead, or What?The drive-by shooting that brought her down forces Ritz to look back on her climb to the top and the people she loved, lost, used, and abused along the way. There’s the brief dalliance with Tracee, her best friend, and the romance with a man with some secrets of his own; the loss of her beloved Aunt M; and the recent appearance of the father who abandoned her and is now demanding a financial payoff and fifteen minutes of fame. At the heart of it all is Ritz’s need to figure out where the real-life Ritz ends and the radio bitch begins.For the huge audience hooked on The Wendy Williams Experience and readers itching to find out what happens to the over-the-top star of Drama Is Her Middle Name, Is the Bitch Dead, or What? is packed with all the irresistible shocks and insider dish that make Williams the hottest voice in America today.

The Grace Kelly Dress


Brenda Janowitz - 2020
    Three generations of women. A lifetime of love. In Paris, 1958, Grace Kelly’s royal wedding dress is still all the rage in fashion circles. Rose, a seamstress at a famous atelier, has just been entrusted with sewing another gown in its image. An orphan, she needs her job to survive. But when Rose finds herself in love with the bride’s handsome brother, she must decide what matters most: love or security.Sixty years later, Rocky is thrilled to be marrying the love of her life. He truly is her perfect fit. But there’s just one problem: her family’s heirloom wedding dress isn’t. Rocky knows this admission will break her mother’s heart. What she doesn’t know is why her mother is so set on the dress—or about the shocking secret that changed her mother’s life decades before, as she prepared to wear the dress herself. As the wedding day approaches, the mother-daughter pair will finally confront long-buried heartaches, and it might just be the dress that brings them closer than ever.Life-affirming, heartwarming and timeless, Brenda Janowitz’s The Grace Kelly Dress is about the importance of tradition, new and old, and the power of a dress to fulfill even the most impossible of dreams.