Book picks similar to
The Wasp Factory / The Bridge / Espedair Street by Iain Banks


collections-and-bind-ups
dark
literary
mystery-and-thriller

The Witchdoctor and the Man


Pat Holliday - 2011
    He gives important information to church about how to defeat Satan! Revival is raging in Ghana West Africa because he taught ministers to pray and how to engage in spiritual warfare! Astonishing!

The Ellie O'Conner Suspense Series: Books 1-4


Jack Hardin - 2019
    But when news of a horrifying murder shocks her sleepy fishing community, she’s compelled by a deep sense of justice to help track down the killer. And when an old friend offers her a chance to do it from behind a badge, she goes all in. Ellie’s investigation gets off to a rapid start, leading her into a hidden underworld of drugs, murder, and lies, where she quickly discovers that some of the locals may not have the cleanest of hands. Meanwhile, as deep pain continues to linger from the recent death of her father and a gaping hole left by a previous mission gone terribly wrong, Ellie discovers that it’s not so easy to outrun your past. SHALLOW BREEZE When a plane loaded with illegal drugs crashes into an iconic pier, the locals begin to wonder if any other secrets are about to fall out of the sky. After going to Tampa to search out a possible link between Hawkwing Enterprises and the dead body of a young boy, Ellie suddenly becomes entangled with an elusive drug lord and the former Navy SEAL working with him. On Pine Island, a local and beloved business owner is blackmailed into moving cargo that goes against everything he believes in, bringing his world crashing down around him as he begins to live a sinister lie. BITTER TIDE When local Matlacha artist Jean Oglesby confides to Ellie that her son may be in some trouble, Ellie steps in to help and is sent down a winding trail that leads her into deep and unexpected waters. A Category 4 hurricane has Pine Island in its crosshairs, and as the winds whip the mainland, it forces Ellie to make a choice: flee for safety or stay and hunt down the weapons smugglers that have kidnapped and tortured an innocent man. And when a friend from the past suddenly appears with unexpected news, she begins to wonder if the truth is even out there and if she will be forced to finally bend the rules. VACANT SHORE Ellie has encountered setback after setback, and this time is no different. When a former adversary comes back for revenge, Ellie discovers the crosshairs cover more than she ever could have imagined and locks her into a deadly battle that has already claimed far too many innocent lives. As she gets ever closer to unmasking the lies running rampant over her community, Ellie finds corruption at the highest levels of government, forcing her to reexamine everything she knew to be true. In this nail-biting conclusion to an investigation that began in Broken Stern, Ellie’s pursuit of justice takes her to the very threshold of death’s door, and what she finds leading up to it is nothing short of terrifying.

Preacher's Corner


Bruce G. Bennett - 2016
    The door opens and you find a man holding a book. That book is called “Preachers Corner: Gunfighter of the West Book 1,” and the owner tells you this is the latest western bestseller from Bruce G. Bennett. You are stuck in Cheyenne for the day—you sit down and you start to read. Why is railroad magnate, Leonard Green, suddenly so interested in sleepy little Preacher’s Corner? Find out in this action packed story about the Wild West when it was really wild. Are Apaches behind burning out and murdering settlers or is some insidious plot afoot? It’s going to take cavalry Major Gabriel Torrent and a host of colloquial characters to figure out the puzzle. Throw in renegade Apaches and you have a great mix of Americana reminiscent of Zane Grey. Be there when the moment of truth is revealed in Preachers Corner. Filled with action-packed drama, great gunfights and the writing of Bruce G. Bennett you will not be able to put down “Preachers Corner.” Stake your claim now, and spend your hours with one of the best western books of the year.

Arizona Gunman


G. Wayne Tilman - 2020
    An Arizona lawman who rides rough country, often going up against dangerous men and gangs alone. Dealing with bank robbers, kidnappers and rustlers with his fast gun. Much of his tracking ability comes from his Scottish father, who served as an Indian scout. Valuable experience as a Rough Rider with Teddy Roosevelt, then as an Arizona Ranger.Outlaws and corrupt government tend to stand in Duncan’s way, but he manages to overcome all obstacles with integrity and really fast guns.

High Noon For A United States Marshal: Black Pearls, Blue Diamonds and Bullets / U.S. Marshal / The Long Trail Nowhere


Paul L. Thompson - 2017
    These are the stories of the Old West written by bestselling Western author Paul L. Thompson. Matt was one of Shorty’s best friends, they had worked on ranches’ together back in their teen years and were as close as any brothers. Shorty told his partner Buffalo he may be gone for months, but will write when he can. That night he cleaned and oiled his guns. As the sun came up the next morning, he was miles closer to Big Spring, Texas in U.S. Marshal U.S. Marshal Shorty Thompson is on the case again when a young English girl and her brother are robbed of their precious family jewels they are trying to safely get to San Francisco. Outlaws abound, all trying to get their hands on the loot, but they have a bit of a surprise when they come face to face with scrappy young Margret, backed up by Shorty. Plenty of bullets are shot both ways, but will the bad guys win? Excitement, shoot-outs, and life or death situations ensue, all over some black pearls and blue diamonds. This is Black Pearls, Blue Diamonds and Bullets from Paul L. Thompson. And in “The Long Trail Nowhere” Ronnie Cox slowly saddled his horse, stowing all of his traveling gear and tying it tightly. Walking to the main house, he knocked on the door. Jack Johnson opened it with a smile. “Come on in, Ronnie.” Ronnie stood with hat in hand. “Mister Johnson, I’s needing to draw my pay, as I’ll be taking up the trail after a bit.” Little did he know, this trail to nowhere was going to lead to a whole lot of trouble, and he was slowly riding that way. These three exciting stories are now together in this new collection from action-packed bestselling Western author Paul L. Thompson. These are three of the most powerful Western adventures in town waiting for your Kindle!

Sand & Sea : Footprints in the Sand


Ann D’Silva - 2019
    They say love and soulmates exist no more, Yet they breathe an unseen air to live for sure. Not every story begins in the here and now. Some transit through time never ending. If time were to cease, then some things would live forever… It began in the garden beneath which rivers flow, the place where the Sand and the Sea were born before creation ¬– the first soulmates, the two halves of one whole, the two parts of the eternity sign. A part Koli, East Indian Catholic, Hannah lives in Mumbai where the Sea always watches over her. Yet her dreams are haunted by a voice that calls to her through the breeze… True love walks beside her in another life, yet she is unable to find a way back in time. Riddled with disappointment and distressing heartbreak, she is hopelessly drawn to the path the Universe has laid before her feet. Drawn to Istanbul, she finds part of the puzzle in the Ezan of the Blue Mosque. Could the man from her dreams be real? What could an Indian woman and a Turkish Imam have in common? Will Hannah find what she searches for? Only those who believe will pass the test. Everyone has their own journey; some get on to the path and to some, the path comes calling. This is the tale of the Sand and the Sea, Hanging on the edge of wait, watch and let’s see.

The Day After My Funeral


Nikhil Kushwaha - 2019
    There is child plan, medical plan, retirement plan but what about the one after it?What about death and after it? What if we’re not destined to live a long life? What if we die tomorrow?Death, as like life, is a truth and one day or another, it will come for us and we cannot do anything about it but we sure can plan for the journey after it, the journey of the afterlife.This book is a story of Arpan who has no belief in Karma or the afterlife. It’s the journey of his soul in the afterlife where he finally comes to know the truths which are still unknown for most of us.

Gideon Johann


Duane Boehm - 2018
     Gideon Johann is a man tortured by his past. Staying on the move is the only thing that keeps his demons at bay. As Gideon tries to outrun his past, he arrives in the rough and tumble cow town of Ellsworth, Kansas. He takes a job as a deputy and finds he has his hands full dealing with all the mayhem in the town and a young woman that could change his life. Will the love of a woman bring Gideon peace or will his demons keep him running? Duane Boehm has written another western novel with enough humor, heartbreak, love, and outlaws to keep you turning the page.

Corruption of the Son (The Alardyce Series Book 2)


Heather Atkinson - 2015
    Her eldest son, Robert, has come of age and with it has come a violent desire to hurt and cause pain. After his attack upon one of the maids, his true character is revealed to her in horrifying clarity, yet a mother's love is a powerful thing. As Robert continues to descend into the darkness that claimed his now-deceased biological father, Matthew, Amy fights to save his very soul. The increasing distance between Robert and his stepfather Henry threatens the peace of her loving marriage and Amy has to face a stark choice - denounce her son as the monster he is or protect him from the consequences of his lethal actions. However Amy too has a secret, one she prays Robert never finds out, fearing it might turn his deadly urges on her. Contains scenes of sex and violence. Please note this book is part of a series and is not a stand-alone novel.

Soaked in My Tears: An Unforgettable Love (A Standalone)


Tyanna - 2017
    That love that gives you butterflies. In Deja Simmons' case, her first love has turned into a nightmare. Have you ever loved someone wholeheartedly to the point that you were confused, blinded by love and painful abuse! Were the signs there? Did she ignore the signs? Deja thought when she laid eyes on Jace McCray he would be it for her. At eighteen, she met him and he was everything she imagined in a Prince Charming. For years, they were the perfect couple to those who knew them. Now at the age of 23, things had gotten worse, and Deja didn’t know what to do. They always say enough is enough. Can that be the case with Deja? Or will she die at the hands of the man she loves? Jace is your average dope boy trying to get the streets booming with the ring of his name. Being in the game he was destined to be the man. That was, until he had to sit down. With his world crumbling down, he uses and abuses any woman in his corner. Everything he’s going through, from losing friends to losing his credibility in the streets, has him going crazy. When you’re deep in a depression within yourself, your mind tells you to hurt the weakest around you. Will Jace continue to sink in his own depression? Or will he try to change his ways to be a better man to get back on top? No one said love was easy, but in matters of the heart we play the fool all too well. Before it's too late, can Jace be forgiven? Will Deja make it out of this dangerous love affair, after being soaked in her tears for many years. Follow Deja on this ride full of drama and emotions.

The Gunsmith's Boy: A Western Adventure


Dave Sebeslav - 2018
    Four years ago, his father had handed him a box containing both guns, completely disassembled, and told him he could have them, when and if he could put them back together. It took him a week, but he did it. He didn’t do it to please his father, whom he hated, nor his mother, whom he loved. He did it to prove to himself that he could, and as a result of hours of practice at the back of the property, he rarely missed with either gun, and he could draw and fire the pistol in a split second.

The Handler


Vi Carter - 2021
    I'm an assassin, not a detective.I'm handed a black-haired beauty who spits lies. I need to uncover the truth she is hiding in order to find the other assets.There's only one problem—HER.Everything about her calls for me to take her, but she is pure—untouchable. A highly valued asset to the mafia.One taste of her could cost me my life. EvieI was ten when I was stolen Snatched by the seaTaken to a world where virgins are put on pedestals—untouchable Until they are soldWhen six of the girls are taken and our private security team slaughtered, The Handler is called in to find them.He's dark and dangerous. Not a man I should trust.But I have to trust that he can find them, and I'm willing to do anything it takes to get them back.Once he finds them, I will make sure he sets them free, even if it costs me everything.

Nothing But Blue Sky


Kathleen MacMahon - 2020
    But when his wife Mary Rose dies suddenly he has to think again. In reliving their twenty years together David sees that the ground beneath them had shifted and he simply hadn't noticed. Or had chosen not to.Figuring out who Mary Rose really was and the secrets that she kept—some of these hidden in plain sight—makes David wonder if he really knew her. Did he even know himself?Nothing But Blue Sky is a precise and tender story of love in marriage—a gripping examination of what binds couples together and of what keeps them apart.

Winter Loon


Susan Bernhard - 2018
    As the wait for his father stretches unforgivably into months, a local girl, whose own mother died a brutal death, captures his heart and imagination, reminding Wes that hope always floats to the surface.When buried truths come to light in the spring thaw, wounds are exposed and violence erupts, forcing Wes to embark on a search for his missing father, the truth about his mother, and a future he must claim for himself—a quest that begins back at that frozen lake.A powerful, page-turning coming-of-age story, Winter Loon captures the resilience of a boy determined to become a worthy man by confronting family demons, clawing his way out of the darkness, and forging a life from the shambles of a broken past.

Slip & Fall


Nick Santora - 2007
    He needs money. Fast.Desperate, he approaches his wiseguy cousin Jackie with an insurance scheme--a way for the Mob to collect from guys who owe but can't pay, and a chance for Robert to use his law degree to make a few quick bucks when he needs it most.Robert thinks it will be a one-time thing. It isn't. The scheme works well--too well. The money flows, the violence escalates, and Robert soon learns that getting out of a deal with the Mafia isn't exactly easy...especially when the FBI is onto you.