Book picks similar to
Dead Game by Gerald Hammond
mystery
thriller
digital
crime
Don't Close Your Eyes
Lawrence Kelter - 2005
The first is a teenage girl whose asthma suffocates her while sleeping. The second is a man shot on the tram that connects Roosevelt Island to Manhattan. Lying next to the man is the real puzzle: a woman who might appear to have died of natural causes if not for the handwritten note stuffed in her mouth that simply reads "Look back." Murder mystery thrillers are often driven by tough, fast-talking, streetwise detectives with a sad story about their past and a penchant for nabbing perps. The cop on the case in "Don't Close Your Eyes" is all these things and more. Meet Stephanie Chalice. She's a smart, beautiful, 28-year-old NYPD homicide detective whose acerbic repartee is like an arsenal of nuclear missiles--it convinces her male colleagues that she means business. Behind all the bluster, though, is a young woman with fierce passions who shows the same tremendous dedication to her ill mother as she does her job. Chalice is an excellent detective, but it comes at a cost. She suffers recurring nightmares, and obsesses that the diabetes that killed her father and weakens her mother will one day come for her. When a second woman is found dead with a rag in her mouth and another cryptic note nearby, Chalice realizes a serial killer stalks Manhattan's Upper East Side. Her detective work combines intelligence, persistence, a skilled partner, and well-connected friends. Secret allies also work on her behalf to thwart dangers that lie just beyond her periphery. As she follows a trail of clues and corpses to the murderer, she also pursues her own demons, uncovering startling truths about who she really is.
Climbing the Coliseum (Monastery Valley Book 1)
Bill Percy - 2014
High on the cliff called the Coliseum stands a man, deciding whether to live or die. In the valley below, Grace Ellonson, fourteen, will be abandoned by her mother. Where has Grace’s mother gone, and why has she left her daughter behind? A rancher will be seduced into a racist and anti-government conspiracy—who’s leading the conspiracy and what are his plans? Depressed psychologist Ed Northrup and Monastery Valley newcomer deputy sheriff Andi Pelton struggle to unravel these mysteries before they explode in a violent collision. And amid the chaos, Ed, Andi, and Grace must face the most formidable decision of their lives.
Jet Sweep (Burnside Series # 12)
David Chill - 2021
Burnside is lured into a scheme involving a star football player he had once recruited out of high school, he tries to turn the tables on the perpetrator. But when shots are fired on a darkened L.A. street, he is plunged into a mystifying case where nothing is as it seems – where even murder could be an illusion. The story leads Burnside into the world of startup companies, and the money-hungry people who run them. By pushing his way through a riveting set of clues, he finds a twisted trail of age-old grievances and shocking betrayals. And it wouldn’t be a Burnside mystery if he didn’t manage to also upstage the police, as his investigation is always a step ahead of theirs, creating yet another thorny path for him to navigate.As Burnside races to tie the details together before any more carnage is done, he also gains further insight into his own sketchy history and begins to grasp how his checkered past has led him to where he is now – for better and for worse. His remarkable journey parallels the story and creates depth and texture to one of modern crime fiction’s most irreverent heroes.Jet Sweep is the latest installment of this classic Southern California noir mystery series. With razor-sharp dialogue and sardonic humor, this well-honed thriller is set against a backdrop of an increasingly hot Los Angeles summer. It is a story that comes loaded with high drama, as well as some unexpected surprises!
Salt in the Wounds
Mark Richards - 2020
Going back to his old life.The one that cost him his wife…Michael Brady was a high-flying detective, working on a high-profile case.And much too close to the truth.Someone arranged a hit-and-run.But they missed Brady. And hit his wife.And after six months sitting by her bed, he took the only decision he could take. He turned the machine off.Now he’s back home in Whitby. Trying to rebuild his life. And be a good dad to his teenage daughter.But when his best friend is murdered Brady – unwillingly at first – is drawn into the investigation.And when the only people he has left are threatened, he finds there’s only one answer.Going back to his old life…
Sweet Revenge
Maisy Morgan - 2019
What she didn’t plan on was bringing Tripp, her less than thrilled fourteen-year-old grandson with her. Soon after their arrival, things start happening fast. First, Tripp gets attacked by a cat named Sweet Feet. Then the town reveals some of it’s deep, dark secrets, and, to Mary’s surprise, Preston, a local police officer, asks her out on a date. But, halfway through their date, they get interrupted…by a murder. And it wasn’t just any murder…it was the beloved local pastor. Turns out Mary and Preston make quite the detective duo. Even Tripp gets in on the detective work. But now he’s in danger. Who would want revenge on the local pastor? And will Mary be able to get to Tripp before he becomes the next victim? And how does Mary get that rainbow cake to taste so darn good?
Death's Door: A Palm Court Detectives thriller
David Reichart - 2015
But he’s not a regular guy. He’s an elite warrior, battle tested to the max in Iraq and Afghanistan, first in Marine Special Ops and later as a Navy SEAL. When he finally decides to walk away from the military, Yates isn’t planning on making further use of his extreme training and lethal skills. But somebody else is. Palm Court Detectives, a skyrocketing new agency run by a laicized Jesuit priest in a refashioned vintage motel, needs a guy exactly like Yates to add clout to its roster. His first assignment for the detective agency based in Mobile, Alabama, takes Yates under cover at a trucking company that has been targeted by hijackers. Jesse’s civilian naiveté allows him to be drawn quickly into a turf war between hijackers who he likes, outlaw bikers who like him (or what he can do for them), and a drug cartel renegade who has a severe Jesse Yates problem and a chilling plot in the works. Joining the eclectic, fun-loving team at Palm Court Detectives as a private investigator in training turns out to be everything Yates had hoped for and more—more excitement, more camaraderie, and more chances to die.
The Judge: Part One
Ian R.B. Morris - 2018
Bobby has been brutally murdered, and someone had tried to cover it up. But who, and why? Peter cannot rest until he knows the truth. And so begins a rollercoaster ride for him and his on-off girlfriend Naomi, that will see him pitted against some powerful enemies, and everyone he ever knew or cared for in mortal danger. Set in 1990’s London at the peak of Blair Brittania, Peter is forced to turn detective in order to find Bobby Black’s killer, and he has to break all the rules to do it. Forced to go on the run, a desperate Peter plays a terrifying game of cat and mouse to the bitter and surprising end.
Chasing Shadows (Drew Patrick)
Jason Richards - 2018
When Tina Ross and her friends witness a brutal murder they make a pact to keep what they saw to themselves. The teens think silence equals safety. But the killers have another idea. Concerned mother Bonnie Ross hires private investigator Drew Patrick to find out where her daughter is sneaking off to at night. What appears to be a simple case of a rebellious teen leads to some of Boston's darkest corners. Drew quickly finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation and needing to protect Tina. But when she and her friends go missing, it is a race against the clock to save them from murderous thugs. Chasing Shadows is a prequel novella to the Private Detective Drew Patrick series of suspenseful crime thriller novels. Includes a preview of Shattered, the first novel in the series. Read Chasing Shadows today and begin the pulse-pounding adventure. If you enjoy books by Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, and James Patterson, then you will enjoy this new detective crime thriller series by Jason Richards.
The Greatest Good
Craig N. Hooper - 2018
Which should be easy, given his assignment is a routine protection detail for Stanley Tuchek, the California Governor’s son. But on the first morning of protection an intruder breaks into Chase’s home. When the cops arrive and discover Chase’s unusual collection of weapons, he’s taken to the local police station for questioning. By the time Chase catches up with the governor’s son, Stanley gets shot, and Chase starts to suspect this might all have something to do with his own murky black-ops past. Though he’s pulled off protection, and ordered to stay away from Stanley, Chase won’t let the case go. Desperate to figure out what’s going on, Chase begins an unofficial investigation that takes him from a bullet ridden confrontation with a government hitman to a conspiracy that reaches to the highest level of American intelligence. With no-one to trust, and the line between good and evil becoming increasingly blurred, Garrison Chase must do everything in his power to uncover the truth, stop the conspiracy, and bring down the players involved.
The One You Love
Paul Pilkington - 2011
Her fiancé vanishes, leaving the battered and bloodied body of his brother in their London apartment. Someone is stalking her, watching her every move. And her family are hiding a horrifying secret; a secret that threatens all those she loves. In a desperate race against time, Emma must uncover the truth if she ever wants to see her fiancé alive again. The One You Love is a fast-paced suspense mystery, full of twists and turns, following in the tradition of writers such as Nicci French and Sophie Hannah.
The Violet Hour
Daniel Judson - 2009
A natural problem-solver, he earns good money as an off-the-books auto mechanic, working side-by-side with his friend Lebell in a Bridgehampton garage owned by a wealthy businessman named Eric Carver. But Cal’s idyllic existence is turned upside down when dark forces target the pregnant friend he is sheltering. And when his two closest friends are revealed to be more than what they claim, Cal’s innate survival skills are put to the test. Forced to do battle with a sudden onslaught of enemies that include a brutal thug, an abusive and powerful ex-husband, and a well-funded female assassin seeking her own personal redemption, Cal’s only hope is the darkness that has always dwelled within him—a darkness he must now unleash if he is to save the one life he has sworn to protect. Set over the course of three days—Mischief Night, Halloween, and the Day of the Dead—The Violet Hour is a powerful and unrelenting thriller in the tradition of such classics as The Postman Always Rings Twice and Marathon Man.
Witness for Wendy
M.K. Turner - 2021
A bored writer. A matter of life and death when their stories collide……Actress Wendy Knight thought her life was finally turning around. But when her ex came back into the picture, he wanted to take all of that away from her and more…and then she disappeared.Scriptwriter Angie Bearing longs to write something deeper than daytime soaps. When the plot for a new thriller comes to her, she doesn't question it. At least until she discovers an uncanny resemblance between her story and the unsolved disappearance of an actress named Wendy. Angie begins to investigate. As she retraces Wendy's footsteps, she doesn't realise that someone is watching her. Someone who would do anything to keep the awful truth buried for good…Witness for Wendy is the captivating first book in the Bearing Witness series
The Fulcrum / The Power of Three / Unchained
J.C. Ryan - 2019
Sometimes they fly by us in a blur or a series of blurs, barely marked or remembered. But every so often, a moment comes along that is so forceful, it becomes a fulcrum that sets us on a new course. Such an event happened for Rex Dalton on March 11, 2004 at Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain. Power of ThreeRex Dalton was sent on a mission to Afghanistan to gather information about the opium trade. His mission brief was to find out who were the key players, the trade routes, and to follow the money trail from the producers, distributors into the coffers of Taliban and other terrorist organizations. Before long he had opened a can of worms revealing spine chilling deceit and corruption that reached into the highest hallways of power in Afghanistan, America, and Europe. His submissions to his superiors to take action to wipe out the drug stores, labs, and the drug lords, fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the deliberate inaction and ineptness of US politicians drove Dalton to take unsanctioned action and it stirred a hornet's nest which even he, one of the world's most lethal assassins, might not survive. UnchainedRex Dalton and his new friend, the military dog, Digger escaped from Afghanistan and made their way into India where they started a new life. Within a few weeks, Dalton had a new name, a new passport and no worries about money. He and Digger were on their way to Kapal Mochan, India, where Rex intended to dip his hand into a sacred spring.But then Digger started shifting around in the front passenger seat and looking at him as if to say, "So, when are you going to stop and give a dog a chance to go to the toilet?"
Building Empires
Sherryl D. Hancock - 2017
After the devastating loss of her little brother, the gang leader decides to turn her life around and starts playing for the other team. As the head of a new anti-gang task force, FORS, she dedicates her life to bringing down those who tore her life apart. Along with former gang leader and best friend, Joe Sinclair, FORS works to break some of the toughest gangs around. But the road is a dangerous one and there are enemies at every turn. Building Empires is a tough business when you’re not the only one building them…
Under Cover of Daylight
James W. Hall - 1987
Hall’s haunting debut novel first introduced the rugged character Thorn and the breathtaking South Florida landscape where he lives. Thorn’s past includes a savage act of revenge on the drunken hit-and-run killer of his parents. Now, fifteen years later, Thorn still cannot escape that moment, or the darkness he took into his soul that night. Not even his best friend, Sugarman, knows the truth. Not even Sarah Ryan knows the depths of her lover’s pain. Then suddenly, the nightmare begins again as Thorn’s foster mother is found slaughtered. Thorn can almost taste the rage as he stalks her killer and waits. "An exciting, well-crafted first novel that smoothly places complex, believable characters into an action-filled plot."—Washington Post "It starts good and stays good, right to the end."—Chicago Tribune