Book picks similar to
Murder for Emily's Sake by Larry Timm


fiction
christian-fiction
christian
suspense

Bagels & Salsa


Lara Reznik - 2018
    As the Son of Sam and a scorching heat wave plague New York City, Laila Levin, a Jewish sociologist from Long Island, meets Dr. Eduardo Quintana while giving a speech on the epidemic problem of teenage pregnancies. Laila is relationship-shy after a disastrous marriage, and Eduardo has never completely recovered from his high school sweetheart’s desertion. He is finishing up a residency in New York City and plans to open a family practice near his hometown in New Mexico.The unlikely pair share strong family values and an interest in helping prevent teen pregnancy. Their mutual passion is so intense it stuns them both. After a brief courtship, Eduardo persuades Laila to accompany him to his family ranch near Española, New Mexico, a rural area with one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in North America.  Once in New Mexico, Laila is blatantly rejected by Sylvia, Eduardo’s controlling mama. Sylvia desperately wants Eduardo to marry Violet, his high school sweetheart. Violet has just returned to New Mexico after a failed flight attendant career, and a walk on the dark side of Hollywood. Her mama and Sylvia cook up a plan to get rid of Laila and reunite their children. The Quintanas hold a large pig roast and invite a menagerie of tattooed cousins, rodeo stars, and mariachis, where the drop-dead gorgeous Violet makes a grand entrance.In the midst of the pandemonium that results, a shocking family secret is revealed, and Laila and Eduardo’s love for each other is severely tested. Can their relationship survive the fierce clash of cultures, the murderous intentions of a Son of Sam copycat who has stalked Laila from New York City, and their own uncertainties about the upheavals that their union will cause in their lives?

Scinegue: The Scinegue Conspiracy


S.R. Booth - 2013
    What kind of power does it take to command that kind of privacy? What secrets is it trying to hide? Billy Roth doesn't know and doesn't really care. His blue collar job collecting garbage for the company pays very well. The last thing he wants to do is risk his position by asking questions, but his coworkers start disappearing and things get really strange, really fast."Invited" into the company by a couple of thuggish looking bodyguards, Billy is awed by the high level of security and rather impressed to learn the company's motto: Make every person the best they can be. That sounds like a pretty noble objective, but Billy soon realizes that motto might not be one hundred percent correct. Eliminate every person who's not the best they can be is starting to sound much more accurate.Christian Thriller and Suspense with a touch of the Supernatural.The Scinegue SeriesThe SecretThe PledgeThe Forestand Bradley and Nicole, a novella best read after The Pledge and before The Forest.

No Place Like Home


Morris Fenris - 2017
    She’s been the lead singer of pop/rock band Jericho for the past seven years, and she’s tired. Tired of the games. Tired of the parties. Tired of writing empty music. Logan James is a former football star who has always secretly admired Jerricha’s tremendous gift. But when he was in high school, he’d been bound by the best friend motto and not allowed to act on his feelings. Now, she’s back and this time, no restrictions are being placed on his heart. But Logan’s been hurt before and he doesn’t want a repeat performance. He takes things slowly, but then Jerricha needs him to come to her rescue and they spend more time together, he can’t stop thinking about what a future with her might be like. Jerricha is at a crossroad and needing to make some life-altering decisions. Will one of those decisions include Logan? Come along to the sleepy little town of Warm Springs, Wyoming. Will Logan and Jerricha get their problems all figured out, or compound them? Is there a future out there for both of them, or is that only a silly dream? Is home just any place where you take your hat off at the end of the day, or is more? Find out in Jerricha and Logan’s story. There really is no place like home at Christmas. If you enjoy heartwarming Christian romance with a focus on love, faith and family, be sure to check out other books by Morris Fenris. Scroll up to the top of this page and hit the orange ‘Buy now with 1-Click’ button to grab a novel you won’t want to put down!

Listen


Rene Gutteridge - 2010
    . . until the residents begin seeing their private conversations posted online for everyone to read. Then it’s neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, as paranoia and violence escalate. The police scramble to identify the person responsible for the posts and pull the plug on the Website before it destroys the town. But what responsibility do the people of the town have for the words they say when they think no one is listening? Life and death are in the power of the tongue.

Smile for Me


Jan Thompson - 2016
    He is uptight. Never the twain shall…kiss? A deadline-driven workaholic assistant school principal who meticulously plans his schedule months in advance meets an easygoing art teacher and studio potter with no sense of time, living her life as the seasons come and go. When they cross paths again at the Summer by the Sea Day Camp sponsored by his church in Nassau, Bahamas, how can they get along if they cannot see eye to eye? Byron’s Burden… This is what I’ve always wanted, right? Then why does this assistant headmaster position hem me in? I feel constricted, restricted, afflicted. I fear I have taken a wrong turn in my career. What is God’s will for my life? And what does Tina think about— Tina? What does she have anything to do with my career decisions? Tina’s Turn… Go to the Bahamas, they said. It will be fun, they said. Well, arriving in Nassau, I feel I could enjoy myself if Byron’s not around. I made it, right? I’m here! That’s good enough for me, but apparently it’s not good enough for Mr. Uptight. Why does he bother me so? I don’t need his approval— Oh yes, I do. As a volunteer art teacher at the day camp, I have to answer to Byron for four weeks. Well, thank God it’s only for four weeks. And then I’m outta here, and he’ll be out of my hair.

Targets: A Vietnam War Novel


Don McQuinn - 2017
    I read it in one sitting and lost a night’s sleep over it. The novel is that good." -Walter F. Murphy, author of The Vicar of Christ From retired Marine Don McQuinn comes Targets. A Vietnam War novel unlike any other, this story will take you inside the counter-intelligence efforts in Saigon and give you a rare glimpse at the iconic conflict. Landing in Saigon in 1969, Marine Major Charles Taylor is faced with a city ravaged by decades of war. Its streets and alleyways teem with refugees, soldiers, and corruption. Soon after arrival, Taylor is recruited into a secretive counter-intelligence operation. His covert pursuit of a Viet Cong collaborator thrusts him deep into the dangerous underbelly of Saigon. He must quickly learn more about the tangled web of the Vietnam War than he ever thought possible. His survival depends on it. Can Taylor find his target and leave a mark on this impossible war without sacrificing his honor - or his life? Available in print and ebook for the first time since its original publication, Targets has been heralded as one of the best novels of the Vietnam War. The story will give you an intimate look at the lives and struggles of those involved, American and Vietnamese alike. Read Targets Today

Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations Box Set (1-3): Deadly Hunt, Deadly Intent, Deadly Holiday


Margaret Daley - 2015
    But when a wounded stranger stumbles into her isolated cabin in the Arizona mountains, Tess becomes his lifeline. When Shane Burkhart opens his eyes, all he can focus on is his guardian angel leaning over him. And in the days to come he will need a guardian angel while being hunted by someone who wants him dead. Deadly Intent: Texas Ranger Sarah Osborn thought she would never see her high school sweetheart, Ian O'Leary, again. But fifteen years later, Ian, an ex-FBI agent, has someone targeting him, and she's assigned to the case. Can Sarah protect Ian and her heart? Deadly Holiday: Tory Caldwell witnesses a hit-and-run, but when the dead victim disappears from the scene, police doubt a crime has been committed. Tory is threatened when she keeps insisting she saw a man killed and the only one who believes her is her neighbor, Jordan Steele. Together, can they solve the mystery of the disappearing body and stay alive?

Atonement for Emily Adams


Susan R. Lawrence - 2014
    Knowing she cannot undo this tragedy, Emily hopes to atone for Isaiah's death by good deeds and community service. However, the more she does, the more her life falls apart. With her job on the line, her volunteer efforts fruitless, and her marriage in jeopardy, the final blow comes when Isaiah's grieving parents file a wrongful death suit. For them, this will be justice and closure, but for Emily this is final proof she will never be forgiven. Not by Isaiah's parents --- not by God. Where do you turn when I'm sorry isn't enough?

Her Amish Man


Erin Bates - 2012
    Then she is framed for a murder she didn’t commit, and she needs somewhere to hide until she can clear her name. Confident no one would think to search for her in an Amish community, she heads for her grandmother’s home in Illinois. A safe haven is all Leah is looking for, but she soon finds herself entranced by the simplicity of the old-fashioned lifestyle. What she doesn’t expect is to find a man there who stirs her heart. When John Miller left his Amish village to attend college and join the military, he never thought he’d return. After the horrors he witnessed in war, however, he longed for a tranquillity he knew that he could find only among his own people. Working as a craftsman, making beautiful furniture, John has found in the soft warmth of the wood the peace he feared might be lost forever. But his world is soon turned upside down when he falls for the “English” woman who has come to be reunited with her kinsfolk. When danger follows Leah, John must not only protect her but decide if her love is worth the risk of being “banned” forever.

Celilo's Shadow


Valerie Wilcox - 2017
    No matter how much time has passed, it’s always there, ready to punch you in the chest when you least expect it. All it takes is something ordinary—a brief glance, a certain food, or a melody on the radio—and regret strikes hard and fast. For Odessa Feldman, the trigger is a Pacific Northwest storm. When the muddy bones of a murder victim buried over fifty years ago are discovered in the storm’s aftermath, Odessa overcomes her long struggle with guilt to finally reveal the truth. But her overdue confession comes with a difficult price—reliving her role in the tragic summer of 1956 and worse, betraying the best friend she’d ever had. Dessa and Ellie Matthews were both fourteen-years-old when they met that summer. Ellie’s father was a foreman at the dam under construction on the Columbia River. At least that’s what he said. But, like murder and the motives behind it, some things in life are rarely as they seem.

Nadia's Hope


Lisa Buffaloe - 2012
    Memories won’t heal. Nadia must make a choice.Nadia Minsky fled Israel to escape her past, but she can’t outrun her nightmares. The throbbing scars along her hip and stomach are cruel reminders of shattered dreams. Even though surgeons mended her body, her spirit still bleeds. Friends claim only God can heal her. For Nadia, trusting a God who allowed her to suffer is inconceivable. Can close friends, a wild roommate, and a handsome medical student help Nadia learn to trust? Or will her past forever cripple her future?

Hush / Lady Luck / Ruin


Adam Nicholls - 2016
    Detailing the high-octane hunt for three sadistic serial killers, Volume 1 includes: Hush, Lady Luck, and Ruin. Hush (Book 1): Two years ago, Mason Black was a detective, a husband, and a father... until obsession with a killer drove him further from his family. That life was left behind, until today. Now a part-time PI, a familiar string of murders is pulling him back into the cycle. Mason must choose between bringing the killer to justice or remaining a humble family man. With his marriage on the line, the police seek his knowledge of the unsolved case, to help identify and track down the psychopath. But now he's too close to the Lullaby Killer, who is driven to have a little fun... at Mason's expense. Lady Luck (Book 2): It’s been a year since he last saw a murder spree, but now there’s a new killer in town… Mason Black is just settling into his new life as a part-time PI, when a body is delivered to the SFPD. With his name carved into the body’s torso, a psychotic motive begins to unravel. People keep turning up dead, each with a new message. The ruthless killer – who goes by the name of Lady Luck – seems all but determined to pin it on Mason, and see to it personally that he suffers. Time runs short, and Mason must find this psychopath and discover why he was chosen. Because if he can’t bring her to Justice, he will have no choice but to take the fall for her crimes… Ruin (Book 3): Most killers have a motive. Not this guy. Now living a balanced life, Mason Black – a private investigator with a troubled past – finally has time for the people he loves. For the first time in years, everything is going well. Until he meets Chris Healy. Three women have gone missing, and Mason is hired to find them. But when one of their severed heads is found with a message, Mason discovers that the two remaining girls are being held by a man known as Anarchy. Anarchy – the newest killer in town – soon grows bored of the girls and seeks a deeper challenge, setting Mason in his crosshairs. It seems he will stop at nothing, as he forces the PI into playing his twisted game.

Opal's Story


Phyllis H. Moore - 2015
    At the center of the tragedy is Opal Evans. Over fifty years later, terminally ill, Opal's only desire is to forgive herself for the unspeakable aftermath resulting from the chaos. She wants to face the person who betrayed her trust and let him know he separated her from her faith. With the support of her brothers, their families and an unlikely former student, Opal discovers the forgiveness and the faith she thought she left behind in her twenties, while her niece, Joy, discovers a tender love story she never expected as she learns that decisions to "protect" family from information may deprive them of the opportunity to demonstrate the depth of their emotions. Set in a small town in west Texas, the fictitious, Jordanville, embodies most small towns in the late forties. The lifestyles and attitudes that shaped the community defined the values and the prejudices that could condone and precipitate acts of bullying and intimidation. Harold sat watching Opal recall the house. He never expressed his opinion about his parent’s need to maintain a social presence. It didn’t sit well with him. In fact, it irritated him. He thought the need to have material things and be seen in the community as law-abiding, church-goers was the root of their problems. Opal saw the family one way, and he recalled their existence in a different way. He supposed it was a gender thing. Opal liked the silver, china, bridge-playing, choir-singing. He, on the other hand, didn’t feel those things were necessary. He didn’t mind attending church, but he saw duplicity there. The boys tended to be out on the town, observing the men of the church in the pool hall, courting women, not their wives, gambling, and telling irreverent jokes. He knew their father was one of those men, living one way in view of his family and church, and living another way when they weren’t looking. Harold knew the gambling was a problem and caused the financial problems they discovered after Billy Mack’s death. Harold’s memory was not as flattering to his father. Sometimes he thought his mother’s desire for silver and china was the reason their father turned to gambling. He wanted to blame someone, but he wasn’t sure . . . I’ll let Opal have her pleasant memories. No sense upsetting her at this stage of the game. What’s gone is done. Nothing we can do about it now. She may not even know about the financial problems. Opal may have been in the hospital when we discovered that. I can’t remember. No harm done keeping that away from her. She had enough to worry about. Nothing anyone could do about it anyways.

Lindsey's Angel (Cuyamaca Mountain Series, #1)


Katina Gavin - 2016
    Her husband’s death had broken her; her life for the past eight years had been void of emotion. Her family and her job as a Park Ranger were the only things that had kept her going, but sometimes that wasn’t enough. The peaceful mountains had recently been tainted with a double homicide that occurred not far from her cabin. Lindsey knew there would be an investigation, but she never thought the handsome DEA agent would ask her to be his guide. Angel Running Deer was working his last undercover assignment for the DEA. He wouldn't have taken the risks he did if he'd had a family. He had never been in a relationship with a woman, because his code wouldn’t allow it. Now he was ready to settle down and start a family, he just hoped it wouldn’t take ten years to find the right woman. The sizzle they both felt upon their first handshake could not be denied. Angel is certain he’s found the perfect woman. Lindsey feels the connection, but has doubts about the possibility of finding love for a second time in her young life. Strong subplots.

Tested by Fire


Pat Patterson - 2011
    Consumed with rage he hunts down Sid Drake’s killers and renders his own form of justice. But soon Jim finds himself lost, tangling with a vicious street gang and its ruthless warlord, William “J-Rock” Jackson. And so it begins, a long dark journey that pushes Jim deep into his own personal world of bitterness and revenge, and ultimately to the brink of disaster. Haunting nightmares ensue. Endless nights. A brutal biker gang nearly kills him. An angry detective wants him behind bars. And Jim’s girlfriend, Dr. Valerie Vick, the only woman he’s ever truly loved, has just made a painful announcement: She’s leaving. Suddenly Jim’s entire world seems to be falling apart, but through the leadership of two remarkable men he finds a new relationship with the Lord and new purpose for his life. But Jim’s enemy hasn’t forgotten him. J-Rock is out for blood…and Jim is his prey. J-Rock’s trap is both elaborate and cruel, and when Jim falls into it, he ends up in a hospital bed with a bullet in his spine, his willpower broken, and his proud spirit crushed. He finally reaches his lowest point and in a moment of quiet desperation cries out to God. And his prayers are heard. But Jim’s ultimate fight is yet to come—a fight to the death on the deck of a sinking boat with Valerie secured in the hold below. Will he succeed? Can he defeat J-Rock once and for all? Can he save the beautiful love of his life from a cold drowning death, and carry the gospel back to the ghetto street where his best friend died? He must, but to do so will require strength he never knew, the kind of God-given power known only to a man who has truly been…Tested By Fire. NOTE: the author uses strong language (in the opinion of some) in this story - words and phrases like, "Oh, Jesus" "My God" "God,help me." and "He was a fighter and damned proud of it."