Book picks similar to
Not My Thing by James Hadley Chase
james-hadley-chase
novels
mystery
noir
A Perfect Murder
Jeffrey Archer - 1991
Each story is different and each ends with a surprising twist.
The Black Dahlia
James Ellroy - 1987
The victim makes headlines as the Black Dahlia—and so begins the greatest manhunt in California history. Caught up in the investigation are Bucky Bleichert and Lee Blanchard: Warrants Squad cops, friends, and rivals in love with the same woman. But both are obsessed with the Dahlia—driven by dark needs to know everything about her past, to capture her killer, to possess the woman even in death. Their quest will take them on a hellish journey through the underbelly of postwar Hollywood, to the core of the dead girl's twisted life, past the extremes of their own psyches—into a region of total madness.
Junkie
Robert P. French - 2011
Once a rising-star detective, he has one friend left from his old life. When he finds him dead, his former colleagues rule it a suicide. Cal is determined to prove them wrong and sets himself on a chilling path he never could have imagined.If you like heroes who struggle with their demons, gritty urban police detectives, and clues you won’t see coming, get Robert P. French’s compelling debut novel and follow Cal’s wild ride from the drug infested streets through the worlds of drug gangs, big business and the super-rich to its stunning conclusion. Junkie will keep you guessing to the very last page.
Fun & Games
Duane Swierczynski - 2011
His latest gig comes replete with an illegally squatting B-movie actress who rants about hit men who specialize in making deaths look like accidents. Unfortunately, it's the real deal. Hardie finds himself squared off against a small army of the most lethal men in the world: The Accident People.It's nothing personal-the girl just happens to be the next name on their list. For Hardie, though, it's intensely personal. He's not about to let more innocent people die. Not on his watch.
Armchair Safari
Jonathan Paul Isaacs - 2013
. .Armchair Safari is more than a computer game to Oklahoman college student Megan Evans. It’s her livelihood. Her in-game exploits pay for her tuition, rent, and food. She usually plays solo, but when a group approaches her about a chance to find treasure beyond imagining, it’s an offer she can’t refuse.Armchair Safari is Derek Callahan’s livelihood, too, but he’s not a gamer. A former Marine turned businessman, he’s starting a new job as Netertainment’s Chief Financial Officer and just needs to make the numbers work. But when millions of dollars mysteriously disappear from the company coffers, it's a race against time to solve a problem that puts the entire company at risk.Little do Derek and Megan realize how their paths will cross in a battle between hackers, the FBI, and organized crime that is not confined to the virtual world and will leave very real casualties . . ."An action-packed adventure with a full cast of characters." - San Francisco Book Review
Silent Tide
Alex Scarrow - 2021
A sinking boat is spotted a few miles off the south coast.Waiting onboard, is a grisly discovery.DCI Bill Boyd - recently relocated from London to Hastings - is now with the East Sussex CID and his first case is that of a local business man and his new young wife, missing in the English Channel.All that remains of them is a grisly discovery aboard their half-submerged yacht and a digital trail that could put Boyd and his daughter, Emma, in danger.Silent Tide is the first in a brand new crime series from Alex Scarrow
Blood Oath
David Morrell - 1982
But when they murder the woman he loves, he'll turn from hunted to hunter.And swearing a blood oath of vengeance....Tracking down his ruthless tormentors, he'll discover a truth he could not imagine...and could possibly destroy him.
Young Americans
Josh Stallings - 2015
A Firebird transports a crew of glitter kids away from the city. Forget the trunk full of cash and illegal firearms. Forget the disco heist and sea of felonies left in their wake. They are five friends happily rolling down thunder road with no horizon in sight. They are YOUNG AMERICANS.
No Escape (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #13)
Julie Moffett - 2021
But unfortunately for Lexi, things don’t always turn out as she planned.Meeting the in-laws is a daunting task even for those who are outgoing and socially capable. Since I’m neither, the prospect of meeting Slash’s parents has me scared to death. Somehow, he convinced me it would be easier meeting my in-laws for the first time at his brother’s wedding during Christmas in Italy instead of at our own church wedding in the spring. He also suggested bringing my parents along to meet them, too. That way it would reduce the chance of any unnecessary drama at our nuptials. Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong.When Slash got busy at work, I inherited his responsibility of planning some activities for the wedding party. A mysterious Italian castle, located on an island not far from the wedding venue, and supposedly filled with puzzles and challenges no one has ever been able to solve, caught my eye. Despite being built by a highly reclusive Italian billionaire who rarely permitted anyone other than carefully selected individuals to participate in the castle challenges, my impromptu request for the wedding party to visit the island was accepted.So, off we go to Italy with my parents in tow. I’m hoping everyone will be too busy talking to each other and enjoying the castle activities to notice me much. But the castle is not all that it seems to be, and suddenly the stakes are a lot higher than expected. Will we survive the challenge as a family, or will there be no escape?
Someone Is Bleeding
Richard Matheson - 1953
But Peggy has a past full of abuse and terror—and she’s involved with Jerry, a lawyer with mob connections and an old rival from Dave’s college days. Soon, Dave finds himself caught in a love triangle with Peggy and Jerry, desperate to win her affections. But when corpses begin to pile up in Peggy’s wake, Dave must face the truth that either Jerry is a mass murderer—or Peggy is.
Short Shockers: Collection One
Peter James - 2013
Funny, sad, but always shocking, each tale carries a twist that will haunt readers for days after they turn the final page . . .This 25,000 word collection, available exclusively in this ebook edition, includes:12 Bolingbroke Avenue (First published in 1998)Number Thirteen (First published in 2010)Just Two Clicks (First published in 2004)Dead on the Hour (First published in 2006)Virtually Alive (First published in 1997)Meet Me at the Crematorium (First published in 2009)Venice Aphrodisiac (First published in 2011)Time Rich (First published in 2013)Christmas is for the Kids (First published in 1993)
Night Squad
David Goodis - 1961
When a cop goes bad, he can always become a crook. When a crook goes bad--that's when the Night Squad wants him.David Goodis's irresistibly readable study of corruption is a masterly portrait of a man clawing his way back from betrayal--and betraying countless others along the way.