Book picks similar to
In the Shadow of a Hero by Anna Mayle
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Demolished
Astrid Amara - 2013
He fulfills all of Cal’s deepest fantasies, allowing him to fully embrace the wanton side of his sexuality. But Cal’s fantasy shatters when he realizes Felix was the driver in a fatal accident that killed Cal’s best friend back in high school.Forgiving Felix his past digressions is hard, but when Cal’s young cousin Robby becomes entangled in a dark and dangerous affair, Cal realizes there’s more to both their stories than what meets the eye. As a journalism major, Cal has a duty to not only shed light on the sinister world young Robby has stumbled into, but also to uncover the truth about Felix’s accident so many years before.But those they fight have power, and ways of making them and their families suffer. Cal and Felix have to be willing to sacrifice everything to stop these horrors from happening again. But this wasn’t what either signed up for. This was supposed to be a casual sex hookup anonymously scheduled online. Can they truly trust each other enough to bring the crimes of the past to light, or will their budding relationship be demolished in the process?
Forget I Told You
Tanya Chris - 2019
Except he’s beginning to suspect that none of that is true. If he has a wife, why can’t he remember marrying her? And why does trying to remember make his head hurt?Deron knows he shouldn’t be in Seattle. Giving into his need to check on the man who once belonged to him could put a complicated cross-agency investigation at risk. All he wants is one little peek. He didn’t expect Jay to recognize him or for the two of them to get shot at on the streets of Seattle.Jay’s suffering from a case of amnesia only he can cure and is at the heart of a mystery only he can solve. Too bad he doesn’t know any of that. But there’s one thing he does know: Deron. His memory may have been removed, but his soul will never forget its mate. Can he remember everything else in time to save both their lives and possibly an entire country?Content warning: mention of suicide, gun violence
The Prayer Waltz
K.Z. Snow - 2010
Desperate for emotional closure, Steve makes a journey he's put off for years: he travels to the town that was once an integral part of his late lover's life. Steve hopes his pilgrimage will help him better understand Frank, serve as a final farewell, and allow him to move on. His visit to St. Jerome's Church one snowy, silent night proves more consequential than he'd ever anticipated. Evan McAllister, an unassuming man still grieving over the death of his son, befriends Steve. As their bond grows, they both make startling discoveries-not the least of which, for Steve, is that he's ready to love again.
At a Stranger's Mercy
Brittany Cournoyer - 2019
As an accountant, he craved structure and routine. What he hadn’t anticipated was being part of a real-life murder mystery with him cast in the starring role. Death and sorrow were part of Max Donohue’s job description, leaving the detective hardened after years on the job. On his latest case, he’s the one stuck protecting the only witness in a sadistic homicide. One death becomes two… then three. And soon Max and Bradley find themselves playing a deadly game of cat and mouse. Can Max save Bradley from the clutches of a serial killer? Or will the killer finish what he started? At a Stranger’s Mercy is the first installment of a continuing series featuring the same two characters. It’s a suspenseful murder mystery that depicts detailed crimes, strong language, and adult situations. While this series will include a romance, it’s a slow burn that develops throughout the series.
Life Lessons
Kaje Harper - 2011
Between his profession, a few good friends, and plenty of books, he's content with his quiet life. Then the murdered body of another teacher falls into the elevator at his feet, and Tony's life becomes all too exciting.Jared MacLean is a homicide detective, widowed father to a young daughter, and deeply in the closet. But from the moment he meets Tony's blue eyes in that high school hallway, Mac can't help wanting this man in his life. Mac's not out ― can't afford to be out ― but Tony makes him want the impossible.Mac isn't the only one with their eyes on Tony, though. As the murderer tries to cover their tracks, Mac has to work fast or lose Tony, permanently.(This is a rerelease of the 2011 original with light editing.)
Somebody to Love
April Wilson - 2019
Women just don't do it for him, and he can't contemplate any other option. So, loneliness it is. Ian Alexander has met the man of his dreams, but the guy's in complete denial of his sexuality. Ian's not giving up on Tyler, though. Tyler's a domineering, controlling force of nature... just what Ian has always craved in his bed. When a serial killer sets his sights on Ian, Tyler will do anything to protect the much younger man. For the first time in his life, Tyler has experienced desire, and it's for another man. How much will it take for him to become the man he was meant to be?
Prince of Killers
Layla Reyne - 2019
No collateral damage. No unvetted targets.These are the rules Hawes Madigan lives by. Rules that make being Fog City’s Prince of Killers bearable. Soon, he’ll be king—of an organization of assassins— and the crown has never felt heavier. Until the mysterious Dante Perry swaggers into his life.Dante looks like a rock god and carries himself like one too, all loose-limbed and casually confident. He also carries a concealed weapon, a private investigator’s license, and a message for the prince. Someone inside Hawes’s organization is out to kill the future king.In the chaos that follows the timely warning, Hawes comes to depend on Dante. On his skills as an investigator, on the steadiness he offers, and on their moments alone when Hawes lets Dante take control. As alliances are tested and traitors exposed, Hawes needs Dante at his back and in his bed. But if the PI ever learns Hawes’s darkest secret, Hawes is sure to get a knife to the heart—and a bullet to the brain—instead. There’s no shortage of twists and turns in this new romantic suspense trilogy from Layla Reyne. Prince of Killers is book one of three. Fair warning: buckle up, cliffhangers ahead!
The Slayer's Apprentice
Zathyn Priest - 2009
Things become complicated when Detective Paul Somerset, who’s been on the trail of Australia’s notorious serial killer “The Crucifix Slayer,” sets his sights on Phoenix.Convinced that Phoenix Love is the killer, Detective Somerset pursues him single-mindedly. As evidence, and Phoenix’s behavior, point toward Somerset being right, Daniel must protect their fledgling love affair, his own heart and his lover while deciphering whether or not Phoenix actually is the killer.Is Phoenix Love a victim or is his love affair with Daniel doomed to fall at the whims of a monster?
Memories Erased
M.E. Reid - 2008
Ewyn Kelley Calderone is a mob brat. Both work for the government, at the same agency, yet they have never met. One fateful night, Ewyn walks into the Silver Fox Bar and Grille, a regular haunt of Devin's, and Devin takes a risk to save him from an abusive lover. The attraction flares, instantaneous, and Devin takes yet another risk and makes Ewyn his own.But Ewyn has secrets. Dangerous secrets that create a conflict of interest for Devin, test his loyalty to Devin, and perpetuate murder. When Devin chooses to ignore the danger, their mutual attraction quickly turns to love. Then Ewyn's world explodes around them, becoming deadly at every turn. People are dying, people close to Ewyn, and Ewyn is the prime suspect.Devin thinks the perpetrator is eliminating all traces to himself, in preparation of one fatal strike at Ewyn. And what Ewyn knows, Ewyn won't tell. Despite Ewyn's lack of faith in him, Devin races against time to find the killer, before Ewyn becomes the next victim.
High Concept
Whitley Gray - 2013
Now his career hinges on his ability to work with the man who shut down his advances two years ago.After last parting ways with Beck, psychiatrist-turned-FBI profiler Zach Littman never anticipated seeing the detective again. Being sent to Denver to work on a series of killings that have continued after the only suspect died is bad enough. Discovering the detective in charge is Beck leaves Zach gritting his teeth and girding his loins.The last thing either of them needs is romantic entanglement with a fellow investigator, but danger is a powerful aphrodisiac. The case heats up, and friction between them ignites a fire neither can ignore, first at work and then in the bedroom. As they zero in on the plot behind the murders, the crosshairs zero in on Beck and Zach.
Hidden in Darkness
Alice Winters - 2018
It has to be better than where he came from, but he has no idea what he’s signed up for. Lane is depressed, rude, and difficult to be around. It doesn’t help that Felix is clearly not qualified for the job, especially since he can’t even make oatmeal right. But Felix is trying to make his life better, so he’ll put up with the man even if it requires some unconventional methods. Felix’s humor soon pulls Lane out of his depression, and Felix feels like things are finally going right in his life.That is, until he’s attacked by someone who wants to keep Lane quiet. It’s clear that Lane isn’t who he’s pretending to be, and Felix should probably walk away. But Felix has finally found a place where he belongs and he’s willing to go to great lengths to stay by Lane’s side. Even if it involves kidnapping, stealing, and Felix’s overwhelmingly bad ideas, Felix will do just about anything because Lane is there for him unlike anyone else has ever been. Felix might be out of his element, but one thing he is sure about is that he doesn’t want to leave Lane… even if it costs him his life.Hidden in Darkness is 90k words of snark, car chases, and morally questionable choices.*Newly edited with an updated cover.
The Trust
Shira Anthony - 2012
Then Trace Michelson recruited him into The Trust, a CIA-backed agency whose "executives" eliminate rogue biotechnology operations. Trace was everything Jake ever wanted in a man: powerful, brilliant, and gorgeous. But Jake never admitted his attraction to his mentor, and Trace always kept Jake at arm's length. Now Trace is dead and Jake is one of The Trust's best operatives, highly skilled and loyal to the organization. But the secret agent has his own secret: six years ago, before he was assassinated, Trace designed a Sim chip containing his memories and experiences-and now that chip is part of Jake. It's just data, designed to augment Jake's knowledge, but when Sim becomes reality, Jake wonders if Trace is still alive or if Jake really is going crazy like everyone claims. He doesn't know if he can trust himself, let alone anyone else. To learn the truth about Trace and the chip, Jake embarks on a dangerous mission-except he's not the only one looking for the information. Some of the answers are locked in his head, and unless he finds the key, he'll be killed for the technology that's become a part of him. Now, more than ever, Jake wishes Trace were here to guide him. Too bad he's dead... right?
Undercover Sins
Hayley B. James - 2011
So when he goes into deep cover as a male prostitute named Ty, he intends to do everything in his power to see his case to an arrest. He seduces his mark, Demetrius Prado, the second most powerful man in Las Vegas and a human trafficker, but the man is nothing like he expected.The more Gabriel learns about Demetrius, the more twists and turns are thrown his way in the convoluted case leading to Demetrius’s rival, Arden, and beyond. It’s a case of mistaken identities and layer after layer of trumped-up cover stories, and Gabriel is sure there’s no way he’ll ever be able to trust Demetrius with his life… much less with his heart.
Morning My Angel
Sue Brown - 2016
Used to working in sole charge of his well-honed team, he clashes heads with the handsome, but pompous Cal, his UK co-operator and superior. Josh’s gut tells him something is wrong. He’s being kept out of the loop and Cal’s agenda is running on a different path.He also has a personal issue to deal with. He’s involved in a cyber-relationship with “Charlie”, an unknown man who connected with Josh by accident. Their banter has led to deeper respect and a sexual interest, but now Josh is faced with a growing attraction to Cal. Between this conflict and the tension of the mission, Josh’s heart and head are overworked and confused. Things can’t get much worse.Then Josh discovers the enemies he’s seeking have a new target: him.
Slasherazzi
Daniel A. Kaine - 2014
Mutilated corpses are showing up across Tampa, and when the team discovers the newest victim was tortured alive, Alex becomes more determined than ever to stop the crazed serial killer before the horrific stabbings escalate further.With the return of Alex’s ex-boyfriend and journalist, Vince, the investigation takes a dangerous twist: the killer starts showing a personal interest in Alex. Can he stop the murders and salvage his relationship with Vince, or does he risk letting both men get away?