Book picks similar to
One For The Road by Robert Dietrich
pechorins
pulp-noir
crime-fiction
hard-boiled-a-e
Dead Man's Walk: An Unofficial Inspector Morse Mystery
Antony James - 2018
Set in 1971, Detective Sergeant Morse is confronted by two deaths along Dead Man’s Walk, which he’s sure are connected to the Oxford Martyrs of the 1550s. There are clues and red-herrings aplenty as Morse uses his detective skills to be metaphorically furlongs ahead of the field, albeit on the wrong racecourse. For Morse there is romance, an unpleasant academic with which to contend, beer in copious quantities, opera, a crossword-type clue, and even an appearance by a boy named Dexter, but above all there is a murder mystery puzzle, set against the backdrop of 1970s Oxford, which only he can solve. For those who love Oxford, the iconic Inspector Morse or even just a good old mystery, Dead Man’s Walk is a taut, entertaining tale of intrigue and delight. Antony James is a British author. A pseudonym for Antony Richards, he is the chairman of the Inspector Morse Society and was a close friend of the late Colin Dexter. He is also an actor with the Irregular Special Players, who regularly produce Sherlock Holmes-based plays.
The Protectors: Vigilante Justice
Bernard Lee DeLeo - 2012
Bradwick snaps when he and James bust in on a kidnapping ring, enslaving children for pornography. He brutally executes the three kidnappers, stunning James. He sets up the scene to pass for self-defense with Ellie James cooperation. Their ruse succeeds, triggering a two cop crackdown on crime the city of Oakland’s leaders scurry to stop. Dedicated to end ‘look the other way’ crime suppression tactics, ending in destruction and death for the common people in Oakland, Bradwick and James decide it’s time to go on offense.Connor explains it this way after they rescue the kidnapped children, “The kids made me start thinking about how I want folks to look at us. I don’t care anymore to visit someone to tell them we found the people who broke into their business or house and robbed them blind. I want them to wave at us from their house or business as we go by because we prevent the gangbangers, drug dealers and thugs from terrorizing them.”The crime war takes on different meaning when they bust an MS-13 El Salvadoran gangster’s illegal alien processing center. Connor and Ellie run headlong into a corrupt politician on the gangster’s payroll, and the terrorists behind him. Soon, everyday crime fighting busts become a fond memory. (Taken from Amazon.com)
The Cold Light of Dawn
Graham Ison - 1990
In the search for her identification the French police pass her picture to the CID at Scotland Yard, and it is from there that an enquiry spirals into action. As the facts come in slowly but surely, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Tipper and his assistant, Charlie Markham, begin to form a picture of the dead woman and her life, and it's a very strange one at that; provoking sympathy on the one hand and revulsion on the other. When the occupation of the redhead comes to light, suddenly the case shifts to a more serious crime. As part of the enquiry, Markham spends considerable time bouncing between the people who once knew her. As the number of interviews grows, Markham finds himself getting more a more confused… leaving each interview with more questions than when he started. Surely this redhead wasn’t as complicated as she sounded? The investigation deepens, and the enquiry eventually leads to Whitehall and the highest echelons of the Diplomatic Service, causing the CID to call upon the powers of Special Branch, and even MI5, in their bid to unravel all the strands of this compelling mystery. A few things seemed to ring common amongst those who knew her: she was always broke, and she was full of surprises… But one of these people had something to hide, and Markham was determined to figure out which one... Graham Ison has produced a stunning first novel, showing the painstaking thoroughness of a murder enquiry and the logical assembly of evidence. The Cold Light of Dawn is a chillingly real tale that will absorb its readers. Graham Ison was born and brought up in Surrey where he still lives. The son of an artist, and grandson of a composer, he served in the army for five years before joining the police. After spending some time with the CID at Scotland Yard he transferred to the Diplomatic Protection Group and between 1967 and 1971 was Personal Protection Officer to Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. In 1981 he moved back to Scotland Yard as Detective Chief Superintendent. He retired at this rank in 1986.
Making Her Bones (Stephanie Chalice Thrillers Book 8)
Lawrence Kelter - 2021
Wee Rockets
Gerard Brennan - 2011
A gang of fourteen-year-old hoods rampage through West Belfast, indulging in violent street crime and mugging pensioners to pay for cider, cigarettes and sweets. Branded scum by a shocked community and pursued by a dogged local vigilante, the young gangsters’ antisocial behaviour soon escalates into something much worse.
The Double Take
Roy Huggins - 1946
Bailey investigates the woman in an attempt to stop the extortion, and as the story unfolds, there are many twists and turns. Following The Double Take, Huggins turned his attention to creating memorable TV shows such as “Maverick,” “The Fugitive,” “City of Angels,” and “The Rockford Files.” Huggins passed away in 2002 at age 87.
No Good from a Corpse
Leigh Brackett - 1943
She was never successful in this, but her Chandler-influenced novel No Good From a Corpse was so impressive in its hard-boiled dialogue that Howard Hawks insisted its author, unseen, be brought in to work on the screenplay adaption of The Big Sleep (together with a fella by the name of Faulkner.) Though Hawks was stunned to discover that Leigh was a woman, she got the job, and worked on what was probably the best film adaptation of a Chandler novel. No Good From a Corpse offers hard-boiled private eye Ed Clive, who gets involved with a dead girl, and suspects every one of her boyfriends--an ex-husband, a playboy, a blackmailer and a brute. There's a woman suspect as well, and a long chase through Sunset Strip.
Last Dance (Sam Carver, #2)
Jeffrey Fleishman - 2020
No marks, no bruises. The suspects are many: spies, hit men, a gunrunner, and one of Hollywood's most powerful and mysterious film producers. Detective Sam Carver becomes entangled in a perilous reignited Cold War between Moscow and Washington. He chases leads from Europe to Africa.But Carver faces other demons, too. He is haunted by Dylan Cross, a killer who got away a year earlier. She knows his secrets, whispers to him in his dreams. His obsession with Dylan threatens his new case and his relationship with Lily Hernandez, a uniform cop who wants to work as his partner.Last Dance explores dangers within and without, and how we reconcile the damage, love, and things lost, in a Los Angeles that is as tempting and alluring as it is cruel and sinister.
Already Gone (A Detective McDaniel Thriller Book 4)
Axel Blackwell - 2021
It's a tense arrangement not helped by Jayda’s drug use and her new boyfriend’s frequent visits. One Friday night, an argument turns physical and the tensions boil over into bloodshed.The following morning, a neighbor finds the front door ajar, the house trashed, and a puddle of blood soaking into the bedroom carpet. Detective Darren McDaniel and his partner, Brent Vanderwyk, quickly determine it’s a case of domestic violence turned deadly. But both Levi and Jayda are missing – as is the little girl.As the detectives plunge into the hunt for a suspect, a body and a missing toddler, the case becomes increasingly bizarre. The couple have ties to money laundering, drug trafficking, organized crime, and even darker secrets. As much as Levi and Jayda hated each other, plenty of other people had reason to want either or both of them dead.With their suspect list steadily growing, and the missing toddler’s time slipping away, McDaniel and Vanderwyk race against the clock, piecing the puzzle together, hoping to save little Cami before her time runs out.
Coastal Breeze
Ed Robinson - 2019
A three million dollar yacht is his for the taking, but there are strings attached. He’s sent to Panama to repossess the vessel from its current captain, who becomes an unlikely ally during a mission to Colombia. He desperately wants to get home to Florida, but the return trip is fraught with problems and complicated by the uneasy relationship with his passenger. Any attempt to come to terms with the loss of his lover must wait for the completion of the journey. A new life awaits if he can stay alive long enough to realize it.
A Turning of the Tide (An Irish Family Saga, #3)
Jean Reinhardt - 2015
Friendship and loyalty draw the Irish fisherman into a world he would rather stay away from. Choices must be made that could bring the wrath of an old enemy upon James's head. How many fresh starts should a person have to make in their lifetime? Why is it that just when you think your boat has reached the shore, the tide turns and sweeps you back out to a stormy sea? As these questions torment James McGrother, two members of his young family must deal with distressing events that will change their lives forever.
Death and Taxes
David Dodge - 1941
Often compared to Dashiell Hammett, David Dodge's urbane writing style stands the test of time. His novels still show the hallmarks of being fresh, fast-paced and witty. Whit Whitney is the last person you’d want to meet. The taxman is no one’s best friend. But in 1940’s San Francisco, there’s a price to pay for murder, romance, and heavy drinking, and the taxman turned detective is coming to collect. Hilarious and twisty, Dodge’s first novel is among his best, and makes for a terrific introduction to one of last century’s greatest talents in mystery.
Murder on Oxford Lane
Tony Bassett - 2022
All that whilst fighting off the intentions of an increasingly desperate suitor.Who had it in for the budding chorister? And is Roy tough enough to break down the defences and prejudices of Middle England?
Sunflower Dog: Dancing the Flathead Shuffle
Kevin Winchester - 2020
Detective Hillary Greene #1-3
Faith Martin - 2020
YOU GET THREE MASSIVE BEST-SELLING MYSTERIES IN THIS BOX SET These are books 1-3 of the Hillary Greene series. BOOK 1: MURDER ON THE OXFORD CANAL DI Hillary Greene is a policewoman fighting to save her career. Not only has she lost her husband, but his actions have put her under investigation for corruption. Then a bashed and broken body is found floating in the Oxford Canal. It looks like the victim fell off a boat, but Hillary is not so sure. Her investigation exposes a dark background to the death. Can Hillary clear her name and get to the bottom of a fiendish conspiracy on the water? BOOK 2: MURDER AT THE UNIVERSITY A pretty French student is found dead in her room at an exclusive Oxford college. Everyone thinks it is another tragic case of accidental drug overdose. But Detective Hillary Greene has a nose for the truth. She quickly discovers that the student was involved in some very unusual activities. With a shocking cause of death found, the case becomes a high-profile murder investigation. BOOK 3: MURDER OF THE BRIDE DI Hillary Greene is called out to attend a suspicious death at Three Oaks Farm in the picturesque village of Steeple Barton. The large farmhouse is filled with music and revellers, but when she steps into the farm’s large cowshed, Hillary finds a dead bride. Dressed in a sumptuous white wedding gown, the young, beautiful redhead had clearly been strangled. But not everything is what it seems, and the victim turns out to be at the centre of a web of jealousy and intrigue in the close-knit village. Many of the villagers have a motive for murdering her but they’re not giving up their secrets easily. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, Betty Rowlands, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell. What readers are saying about FAITH MARTIN “A great story and a great read. Likeable and interesting characters and I hope to read more about DI Hillary Greene and her team.” Nerys Roberts “This book is a real page turner and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.” Barbara “Drew me in from first pages, an excellent mystery.” Rhonda “DI Hillary Greene is a force to be reckoned with.” Ray George “I like Hillary and her team and love the Oxford setting.” Hannelore “I’ve got to say, Faith Martin is becoming one of my favourite authors. . . Move over Inspector Morse, make way for D.I. Greene.” Carole DISCOVER ONE OF THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE DETECTIVES DI HILLARY GREENE SERIES BOOK 1: MURDER ON THE OXFORD CANAL BOOK 2: MURDER AT THE UNIVERSITY BOOK 3: MURDER OF THE BRIDE BOOK 4: MURDER IN THE VILLAGE BOOK 5: MURDER IN THE FAMILY BOOK 6: MURDER AT HOME BOOK 7: MURDER IN THE MEADOW BOOK 8: MURDER IN THE MANSION BOOK 9: MURDER IN THE GARDEN BOOK 10: MURDER BY FIRE BOOK 11: MURDER AT WORK BOOK 12: MURDER NEVER RETIRES BOOK 13: MURDER OF A LOVER BOOK 14: MURDER NEVER MISSES BOOK 15: MURDER AT MIDNIGHT BOOK 16: MURDER IN MIND