Book picks similar to
Bull's Labyrinth by Eric Witchey


historical-fiction
mythology
suspense
travel

The Crinkle Crankle Wall: Our First Year in Andalusia


Sabina Ostrowska - 2020
    As soon as they drive across Andalusia, they fall in love with its rugged beauty, whitewashed villages, red geraniums, giant aloes, and endless olive trees. After weeks of visiting ruins and dilapidated sheds advertised as homes, they find a little stone cottage in a mountain valley in the middle of nowhere. Equipped with everything that a romantic soul desires: a patio shaded by grape vines, an ancient bay leaf tree, and a formidable oak in front of a long driveway, they fall in love with this property and decide to reform it into a guest house. With little foresight or planning, they exchange cushy expats lives for a life in the sun.Quite quickly, however, they find themselves battling cowboy builders, no electricity, a dry well, torrential rain storms, and a freezing cold winter without a roof over their heads. Through all these adventures, they develop relations with their neighbours who had lived in the valley for many generations. Puzzled by the strangers’ behaviour, the neighbours teach them about olive picking, and the cultivation of local vegetables. But primarily, they offer their endless generosity and insight into life in rural Andalusia.As they begin to settle in, financial problems confront our somewhat naïve couple. Without steady pay checks and construction bills piling up, their idea of the good life starts to fall apart. Written with a wry sense of honest humour, this story is filled with twists and turns that take the reader on a journey from a life where every day was monotonously repetitive to a place where every day presents a new challenge.

The Summer Solstice


Irina Shapiro - 2017
    Scared, confused, and unable to communicate, Cory must rely on his wits and hidden talents to find a way out of his predicament, or he will remain trapped in the past forever.

Sherlock Holmes and the Rosetta Stone Mystery (The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes 1)


Linda Stratmann - 2021
    With his intense stare and unorthodox methods of doing things, Holmes has already gained a reputation as an eccentric but brilliant man.When suspected intruders are sighted at the British Museum, Holmes is called upon to give his opinion of what happened.But before he can come to any conclusions, something horrifying happens – one of the great treasures of the world, the priceless Rosetta Stone, is stolen from the museum.The thieves have left a note demanding a ransom. And if it is not fulfilled they threaten to cast the Stone into the ocean so it can never be found again.With the police on the wrong track, it is down to Holmes to solve the complex case. And when the burglary case turns into a murder investigation, it becomes a race against time before more victims are killed.

Samurai's Apprentice


David Walters - 2011
    All this seems far removed from Kami, a boy who quietly goes about his everyday life in his farm village until one day he trips over the unconsious body of a warrior hidden in the long grass.That discovery will lead him on an adventure across the warring kingdoms, facing assassins and enemy soldiers as he journeys to the capital to face the new Shogun. Through his travels he aspires to become a samurai, and in his many challenges he eventually comes to understand what it means to be one.

The Crash of 5201


Denny Allen - 2011
    However on it's flight to Eilson air force base in Alaska the flight was anything but routine. Plagued with one problem after another the plane was finally forced down in a mountainous region in Northeast Alaskas interior.. For three Airmen that survived the crash now found themselves alone in a very wild and hostile land. They survived the crash, but now can they survive the great Alaska wild. After giving up any rescue, the three Airman knew their only chance of survival was to walk out on their own. They had no idea how this was going to turn out..They new if thy didn't Find help by the winter they wouldn't survive the up to minus 50 degree temperatures, and without weapons.they couldn't defend them selfs. Also, starvation was a big concern. The author of this book did a lot hunting moose and caribou in this part of Alaska, so he knows first hand how wild and unforgiving this land can be.

Where Butterflies Dream (Exit Unicorns, #5)


Cindy Brandner - 2020
    The map is worn at the folds--sometimes right through--and so place names are missing first letters or last or have a hole through the middle. We carry those maps with us always, and this map is mine--an island on the edge of the world and beyond it a place of dragons and sunken cities with bells that still ring a thousand years on... So begins Where Butterflies Dream, the fifth book in the award-winning Exit Unicorns series. The story opens in the winter of 1978 when Casey Riordan returns from three years in exile to find the world he left behind has changed. With little knowledge of his past, he fears the secrets which might well bring danger to his family, and the question he must answer for himself--whether a man can ever truly return home when he is no longer the man he once was. Pamela Riordan has grieved her lost husband for three long years but has forged a new life for herself in his absence. Still scarred from the violence which has so recently visited her, she wants only to keep her family safe and to find an oasis of peace in which to raise them. But in Northern Ireland peace always comes at a price. Jamie Kirkpatrick is forced to deal with the ghosts of his past in order to save his present, and the fragile happiness he has only just found. Casey's return forces all three to confront the ideas of what love means, what makes a family and how one copes with a history that weighs heavily upon the future. Even as they navigate the new territory of their personal lives, history keeps moving onward and all will be drawn into the the political maelstrom of the Irish Troubles. The storm will spread beyond the boundary of family to a new generation caught up in the tides of history, their fates rushing toward a merciless shore. Where Butterflies Dream is the story of a family, a people, a country and of that most mysterious territory of all--the geography of the human soul.

The Protected Witness: An Alex Booker Thriller


Al Macy - 2018
    Alex is reluctant to expose the crime until he's analyzed the heck out of it, but at the urging of his less-cautious assistant, he brings his discovery to the FBI.When Alex's life is threatened, he's placed into an experimental witness protection program. As a guinea pig for a risky scientific procedure he is changed in ways he never thought possible. That's when things start going wrong.If Alex can't overcome his cautious nature and fight the president while maintaining his anonymity, the United States will be forever changed.

Gallagher’s Prize: An Historical Adventure Novel in the Age of Sail (Gallagher's Age of Sail Adventures Book 1)


Joseph O'Loughlin - 2015
     How did America prevail against such odds? With ships, guns and the fierce desire for freedom that lived in the hearts of American sailors. Many of these men were not even Americans yet. Some came from Ireland, including Jack Gallagher. “Gallagher's Prize” begins in southern Ireland when English law breaks up an Irish Catholic family's farmland and a young man longs for the sea. During his many adventures, Jack visits Portsmouth (England), Dublin, Tenerife, Recife, Boston and New Orleans. He learns about square sailing, naval gunnery and ship’s tactics, makes interesting new friends and acquaintances, repairs long-standing enmity with his brother, rescues his family from debt, defeats a powerful and dysfunctional adversary, and experiences sex and love.

Weaponsmith


Mike Crawshaw - 2013
    Seven years of the worst war in history – so far – have turned the region into a wasteland where only the sword rules, and only the rats and the bankers grow fat. Roger Hawken, seventeen-year-old Englishman, black sheep of a family of minor landed gentry, leaves his Wiltshire home to take service with a free company of mercenary soldiers based in the Netherlands. Roger’s indiscretions have resulted in his being apprenticed as blacksmith in place of a more gentlemanly occupation, and as a smith he joins the company. Pitchforked into the bloody conflict of the siege of Breda, he finds there is more to his job than shoeing horses and forging short-swords, and starts to make his name as a fighting soldier…

The Adventures of Charlie Smithers


C.W. Lovatt - 2012
    Make way for Charlie Smithers.The time is the nineteenth century. The place, the Serengeti Plain, where one Charlie Smithers – faithful manservant to the arrogant bone-head, Lord Brampton (with five lines in Debrett, and a hopeless shot to boot) – becomes separated from his master during an unfortunate episode with an angry rhinoceros, thereby launching Charlie on an odyssey into Deepest Darkest Africa, and subsequently into the arms of the beautiful Loiyan…and that’s where the trouble really begins.Maasai warriors, xenophobic locals, or evil Arab slavers, the two forbidden lovers encounter everything that the unforgiving jungle can throw at them."A truly engaging read that will keep anyone’s attention from the hilarious beginning until the last word. I highly recommend this 5 star novel." ~ Chapters & Chats

Grandma's Wedding Quilts: The Prequel


Kate Cambridge - 2017
     One year ago Hannah Quinn scored her dream job, and now the fate of the museum she loves will rise or fall on her next exhibit. But wait... there's a problem. She doesn't have a clue what her next exhibit will be! When a trunk with two quilts is donated to the museum, Hannah's boss thinks she's wasting her time chasing down the history of the quilts, regardless of their beauty; but Hannah persists. She knows there's something special about these quilts, and a story that demands to be told. Little does Hannah know, her friend Callum, a researcher and consultant, plays an unexpected a role in her investigation that leads to questions and discoveries that threaten the foundation of all she holds most dear. Will her desperation to discover the story of the quilts cause her to lose the very thing she loves the most - or will the secrets she uncover lead her to more than she ever dreamed? This Prequel sets the stage for the Grandma's Wedding Quilts Series, and hints at the power of love and strength sewn into each and every quilt. A true Legacy of Love. You'll want to enjoy the love stories of all the siblings and cousins in this series - eleven in all! Watch for the entire Grandma's Wedding Quilts Series, coming in January and February 2017: #1: Grandma's Wedding Quilts - The Prequel by Kate Cambridge (Yes, THIS book!) #2: Kizzie's Kisses by Zina Abbott #3: Jessie's Bargain by Kate P. Dawson #4: Meredith's Mistake by Amelia Adams #5: Monica's Mystery by Kate Cambridge #6: Pleasance's First Love by Kristin Holt #7: Zebulon's Wife by Patricia PacJac Carroll #8: Ione's Dilemma by Linda Carroll-Bradd #9: Josie's Dream by Angela Raines #10: Chase's Story by P. A. Estelle #11: Gloria's Song by Kathryn Albright #12: Tad's Treasure by Shanna Hatfield GRANDMA'S WEDDING QUILTS: Twelve Sweet Western Historical Romance Novellas and Novels from Eleven USA Bestselling, Amazon Bestselling, and Award-winning Authors. Grandma Mary's traditional gift to each of her grandchildren: hand-pieced and hand-stitched quilts. Made with love and woven with memories, wisdom, and a family legacy of enduring love. For more information about this wholesome and clean western historical romance series, visit: SweetAmericanaClub.com

Non-Combatants (Andy Holt Naval Thrillers #2)


Alexander Fullerton - 2006
    Though the outward journey may be perilous, it’s the homeward trip where the real danger lies: U-boats prefer their victims deep-laden and full of cargo.There have been heavy losses off Norway and Dunkirk – the vital priority is for escorting destroyers to counter the invasion threat. Odds are against any individual ship getting over 'the pond' and back.Which will not do. Because Holt must get back to Britain in time to marry his girlfriend Julia, before the baby is born… Non-Combatants is the gripping sequel to Westbound, Warbound , and a perfect read for fans of Jack Higgins or Philip McCutchan.

Matt Helm: The War Years


Keith Wease - 2013
    He is the star of 27 novels written by Donald Hamilton from 1960 through the 1990s. Although a cold-blooded killer, Matt Helm has a superb sense of humor, a sharp opinion on just about everything, and is quite capable of falling in love (or lust) during his missions. This book is about his WWII experiences, from his initial recruitment into the agency, his training, and his missions during the war.This book is a pastiche authorized by Donald Hamilton's son, Gordon Hamilton.

The Allan Quatermain Series: 15 Books and Stories in One Volume (Unexpurgated Edition) (Halcyon Classics)


H. Rider Haggard - 2009
    Rider Haggard's Quatermain series, including 'King Solomon's Mines' and 'Allan Quatermain.' Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.Contents:King Solomon's MinesAllan QuatermainAllan's WifeMaiwa's RevengeMarieChild of StormAllan the Holy FlowerFinishedThe Ivory ChildThe Ancient AllanAllan and the Ice-GodsMagepa the BuckA Tale of Three LionsHunter Quatermain's StoryLong OddsHenry Rider Haggard (1856-1925) was an English writer of adventure novels set predominantly in Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. Haggard is most famous as the author of the novels KING SOLOMON'S MINES and its sequel ALLAN QUATERMAIN, and SHE and its sequel AYESHA, swashbuckling adventure novels set in the context of late 19th century Africa. Hugely popular KING SOLOMON'S MINES is one of the best-selling adventure books of all time.This unexpurgated edition contains the complete text, with minor errors and omissions corrected.

The McCandless Mecca: A Pilgrimage to the Magic Bus of the Stampede Trail


Ken Ilgunas - 2013
    The Magic Bus is becoming a national shrine, a holy pilgrim site, a modern-day Mecca. And I was determined to see it, too." So writes author and adventurer Ken Ilgunas, who, in the summer of 2011, moved up to Alaska and, like thousands before him, embarked on pilgrimage to explore the storied bus of the Stampede Trail, the very bus in which Chris McCandless of "Into the Wild" died twenty years before. What was supposed to be little more than a "literary tour" to a bus from a book that Ilgunas had "merely enjoyed" would become a humorous, enthralling, and, at times, treacherous journey, leading him to the very heart of Alaska.