"An exquisite series launch. A tight and often violent tale of intrigue. Spy fiction fans will revel in this dark, witty story." Publishers Weekly Ex-British spy John Smith is nearly broke, has bad teeth, is lousy in bed, and drinks too much. But he's no fool. He's a man who knows his own limitations and works within them. He blackmailed his way out of the secret service years ago and is barely making a living as a London private eye when his ex-wife comes calling and asks him to follow her philandering husband. But that sleazy, all-too-common job leads to some uncommon trouble...and Smith is thrown like a chunk of raw meat into a lion's den of international espionage, betrayal, and killing. His only hope of surviving is to outwit his clever and brutal adversaries at their own deadly game. "Very astutely plotted, with many surprising twists and a sharp bite" The New York Times "There's nothing ordinary about this adventure. It's big league intrigue." Kirkus Reviews "A deadly, cold, serious drama of counter-espionage." Atlanta Constitution "A witty spy story in the anti-James Bond tradition." The Cedar Falls Courier This novel was originally published under the title private I and was adapted into a feature film The Spy Killer starring Robert Horton, Jill St. John and Sebastian Cabot.

     Zach Turner is a dedicated search and rescue cop. The only wife he needs is his work wife, Aiden O'Connell, and his K-9 partner, Harley. That doesn't mean he's not into the ladies, because he totally is, but he doesn't want anything serious. Casually dating is more his speed, that is until he meets Erica Cruz through Aiden's girlfriend. Something about her intrigues Zach, but she wants nothing to do with him because of his playboy ways and lack of faith. Erica Cruz has a great life. She enjoys spending time with her best friend, Lindsay, serving at church with the junior high kids, and working as a dental assistant. The only thing missing is a good, Christian man in her life. She's tried all the different ways of finding one from the church singles' group to online dating, but she's had nothing but bad luck. The worst of the worst is Zach, who she has avoided since she met him through Aiden, Lindsay's husband. He's done nothing but hit on her since they first met. All she wants to do is stay away from him, but fate has a different idea. Erica never knew her father, so when he dies and leaves everything to her, she's surprised. But when she finds out her inheritance is worth billions, surprise turns into shock as her world turns upside down. To make matters more complicated, she starts receiving threats against her life. As she digs into her father's corrupt past, she realizes that money isn't the only thing she's inherited. She's also gained a massive list of her father's enemies and one of them is willing to kill her to set things right. Erica decides to reach out to her friends on the Clear Mountain Police Department, but the only person able to bodyguard her and go with her to Amsterdam to find out the truth, is Zach. Can they find a way to get along for the sake of Erica's protection? Will they find out who is trying to harm her and why before it's too late? And will they finally give into the attraction that has been secretly simmering just below the surface? *** The Lawkeepers is a multi-author series alternating between historical westerns and contemporary westerns featuring law enforcement heroes that span multiple agencies and generations. Join international bestselling authors Jenna Brandt, Lorana Hoopes and many others as they weave captivating, sweet and inspirational stories of romance and suspense between the lawkeepers -- and the women who love them. The Lawkeepers is a world like no other; a world where lawkeepers and heroes are honored with unforgettable stories, characters, and love. ** Note: Each book in The Lawkeepers series is a standalone book, a mini-series of sorts, and you can read them in any order.

    Clara Harlow is perfectly content with her life as a teacher of art and French at the Miss Masters Finishing School, so nothing startles her more than to discover that the school is far more than it seems, and its purposes more complicated than anything she could have imagined. She finds herself accepting an assignment from the highest powers in England to use her talents for a particular mission: to impersonate the ward of the late Duke of Kirklin, gain access to the estate, and to discern how a strip of the Kent coastline there is being used against the security of England.The present Duke of Kirklin, George Russell, better known as Hawk, does not know what to make of the appearance of the former ward of his late uncle, but he is captivated by her. Her skills in art are unlike anything he has ever seen, and her company grows more agreeable with every passing day. His boring, bachelor life grows less and less appealing, and the company within his walls more perfectly suited for the place than he ever dreamed.What could possibly go wrong?

    He stumbled on a conspiracy that extended to the upper echelons of the US government—and wrote a legal brief to kill for… After a long and prestigious career, Congressman Max Southland is ready to retire, and as a member of his staff, Mattie Mathis is on hand to help her uncle wind down his career. When Mattie receives a cryptic call from her boyfriend and fellow staffer Craig, she’s left with more questions than answers: an interesting bit of research by a young law student has surfaced that could have national consequences. A copy is on its way to her. Before she can process this information, Craig is dead . . . and Mattie will be next. There is only one person who can help Mattie: Jack Summers, a cop whose sense of duty stems not only from his assignment but from his growing feelings for the woman he’s bound to protect. As the pair runs for their lives, it is clear that a violent cover-up has been plotted—and they must unravel the conspiracy if they hope to survive.

    

    A HANDSOME STRANGER.After a bad break-up, Nicole Alexander is ready for a change. When she inherits a house on Starfish Island from a grandmother she never knew, it seems like the perfect opportunity for starting over. But soon after moving in, Nicole receives a cryptic message warning her to leave immediately.Determined to get to the bottom of the hauntings, Nicole starts an investigation. When things get hot and heavy with one of the island's most charismatic residents, Michael Edwards, Nicole begins to suspect his amorous attention might be a cover for dark motives.Will Nicole discover the reason for the island's hostility before it's too late? Can she fall for a man she doesn't exactly trust?STARFISH ISLAND is best-selling author Deborah Brown's first romantic suspense novel. If you love the charm and fast pace of her popular Paradise series, then you'll love this engrossing romantic mystery.

    The last thing Dan needs is trouble, after his time spent in jail. Can they let go of their pasts to defeat a killer in the harsh outback desert? Jenna Montrose is on the run from the man who killed her father. Alone and always moving from town to town, Jenna trusts no one, not even the cops. She arrives in remote Smokey Creek, outback West Australia, where she takes a job as a jillaroo on a cattle station. Perhaps this time her archenemy won’t be able to find her. Dan Simmonds has demons of his own to conquer, having spent two years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. He needs to keep this job to re-build his reputation. But he can’t seem to shake the protective instinct Jenna awakens when he sees through her lies to her desperate vulnerability. She’s so full of contradictions, he’s not sure she’s worth figuring out. When they become trapped together in the desert, Dan admits she provokes emotions he thought buried deep. Jenna is drawn to Dan’s courageous heart and welcoming smile, but desperate not to reveal her secret, will she revert to her habit of running away when the murderer reappears? Or will she let him help her, and turn the hunter into the hunted? Suzanne Cass’s rural suspense abounds with peril, passion and murder, set in the magical outback desert of Western Australia. Get Shadows in the Dust today if you love an intriguing thriller with romance at its core.

    But when Wade's bodyguard is attacked and nearly killed, agency owner Olivia Edwards must step in and fill the gap. Olivia's skills are about to be tested to the limit as Wade's stalker moves from leaving innocent gifts at his door to threatening those closest to him--including Olivia. But in her mind, even more dangerous than the threats to her life is the hold her handsome client has on her heart.

    But that job looks more like a nightmare when she meets her new boss—aka the billionaire jerk.When private chef Camila Lopez meets billionaire James Benton for the first time, he ends up with egg yolk on his diamond-crusted cufflinks. It was an accident on both parts, but James’ cruel date makes sure Camila pays a price by losing her swanky clientele over the mishap.Luckily, Camila is offered a month-long job at a beachside villa. She’s certain it will give her career the boost she’s been praying for. But what happens when she finds out she’ll be working for none other than James Benton—the guy with the cufflinks who ruined her life?James Benton has one strict rule: No getting personal with the people who work for him. But when he escapes to deal with his brother’s tragic death, rescue comes in the face of his beautiful private chef. Never has breaking a rule looked so good.Will it lead James to the love of his life or leave him with another lesson learned and a broken heart?

    When he lands an internship at a large metropolitan church, he quite literally stumbles his way through as he learns to baptize and bury, visit and marry the faithful flock. Think Ferris Bueller Goes to Church with a side of Holden Caulfield thrown in for good measure. The cast of characters filling the pews at First Church keep him on his toes and more than a little bewildered at times. The salty widow who serves up a homemade pie with a surprise ingredient. The quirky single adult with a heart as big as Elvis who deems himself quite the ladies man. The larger-than-life music minister who pulls more than a few punches along the way, and even an old church janitor with a few ancient secrets of his own. Woven throughout Elmo�s adventures is a hundred-year-old mystery he'�s determined to solve and even a chance at true love along the way. Elmo�'s story pulls back the sacred curtain and allows the reader to examine the inner workings of a mega-church with all its warts and wonders. Ride along and watch as Elmo's cynicism slowly transforms into hope.McMillian's Moody fast-paced novel will bring a smile to even the most backslidden amongst its readers.

    At 24, she has only been a PI for three years, but in that time she has never found a case she couldn't solve, or a person who could trick her. So when she's asked to investigate an embezzlement case at a nearby factory, Rhea doesn't think twice. What Rhea doesn't know is that the events that will take place on this case will snowball into a life decision. And what starts out as a humdrum investigation, filled with seemingly chance encounters, will change her life forever.

    Jordan Scott needs is to fall in love.Jordan thought she knew her boyfriend better than anyone…until a Detective Riley Donovan confronts her with the truth about her brother’s death. His murder was no random act of violence. And Caesar is the prime suspect, which puts her directly in the path of danger.Imperfect by Christy Barritt:A book signing in the mountain town of Perfect seems just like what novelist Morgan Blake needs to revive her creative juices. Her trip there takes a wrong turn when she’s involved in a hit and run—she’s hit a man, and he’s run from the scene. Before fleeing, he mouthed the word “help.” Once in town, she searches for answers about the man’s identity. But the deeper she digs, the more she suspects she was lured to town for an ulterior purpose. Only one man can help her . . . if he survives in time to reach her.The Unrelenting Tide (Islands of Intrigue: San Juans #1) by Lynnette Bonner:Widowed former-Hollywood-actress Devynne Lang has been living a quiet life in the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest. For years, she's hoped her fabricated death would keep her identity safe from the public, and more to the point, from the stalker who forced her into hiding. But strange things have been happening around her place and this time, with a daughter to protect, she can’t afford one mistake – even if it means letting Carcen Lang get close enough to help.Saving Grace (Madison Falls #1) by Lesley Ann McDaniel:When an obsessive fan forces opera singer Tracy Fontaine to change her name to Grace Addison and go into hiding in a small Montana town, the last thing she wants is to get to know the locals. Now, not one but two men have worked their way into her daily routine, much to the chagrin of a jealous local girl, who insists on prying into Grace’s past and stirring up deadly trouble. Will Grace find love in Madison Falls…or will her stalker find her?Prey (Denver FBI #2) by Lisa Phillips:Mark Heyland is on the run with a flash drive of information...and his sister. His past is catching up, and they need the help of the sibling they've never met.Samantha Kurter is a sheriff's deputy in Buckshot, Colorado. But even being a former Marine isn't going to help when a dangerous criminal abducts the sheriff's long lost brother.Lives are on the line and loyalty is tested as Samantha's daughter is put in danger. How will they survive a night being hunted as prey?Identity Theft by Alana Terry:After a devastating accident stole her fiancé and robbed her of a normal life, Lacy does what she can to move on. It’s hard enough living in Glennallen, Alaska with its negative-fifty-degree winters and mosquito-ravaged summers. Things get even more complicated when she meets Kurtis, an Alaska state trooper, and his delightful four-year-old daughter who would love nothing more than to make Lacy her new mom.A traumatized past makes it hard for Lacy to commit to this new relationship, especially since she can’t shake the nagging suspicion that her fiancé isn’t dead like the police reports claim. All she wants is closure, but as she seeks out real answers, she discovers how deadly the truth can actually be.HOMECOMING HOMICIDE by Virginia Vaughan:When a case of mistaken identity has Kim Clarkson accused of a crime she did not commit, she must rely on her newfound faith and the investigative skills of her husband, homicide detective Mike Clarkson, the man whose heart she broke—and hop

    Sure as sweet tea on a hot afternoon." Words from Willa Muir's sketchy childhood haunt her dreams and color her days with longing, regret, and fear. What do the words mean? Willa is far from sure. When Hale Landon places a ring on her finger, Willa panics, feeling she can't possibly say yes when so much in her past is a mystery. Bent on sorting out her history, Willa returns to Rockwall, Texas, to the Muir House Bed & Breakfast, a former funeral home. But the old place holds her empty memory close to itself. Willa's mother utters unintelligible clues from her deathbed, and the caretaker of the house keeps coveted answers carefully protected. Throw in an old flame, and Willa careens farther away from ever knowing the truth. Set in a growing suburb of Texas, The Muir House explores trauma, healing, love new and old, and the life-changing choices people make to keep their reputations intact.

     Charlotte Vaughn and her sister, Megan, couldn’t be any more different. When Charlotte shows up at a bartending job to cover for her free spirited sister, she discovers that Megan is deeply involved in a secret, criminal life. If that isn’t shocking enough, Megan is now missing and Charlotte will be forced to fill in for Megan within the business until Megan is found. Charlotte has no choice but to team up with D, a menacing but charismatic gangster, and immerse herself in this brutal criminal underworld to look for her sister. Will she find Megan? Does Megan want to be found?

    Nowhere to hide.Can they get off the mountain alive?Desperate to find her missing teenage brother, Maya Gallo ventures into the Colorado Rockies expecting rough terrain—not deadly treasure hunters. But when she’s caught in their crosshairs, ruggedly handsome mounted patrolman Alex Trevino comes to her aid. The deputy sheriff knows what these bandits are capable of, so getting Maya—and her brother—home safely may be his hardest mission yet