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

Body on the Shore


Diane M. Dickson - 2020
    Yet they will struggle to establish the identity of the victim, let alone the killer.Leading the inquiry on his first murder case, DI Jordan Carr must marshal a somewhat motley team to build a picture of what happened one grim day on the Mersey. Like footprints in the sand, in time the clues will disappear.With a victim who has clearly concealed her own identity, it will require a journey into Liverpool’s underworld to shake loose the facts.But once they have their man, the police still need to know why the woman was killed. And answering that question will be DI Carr’s biggest challenge.BODY ON THE SHORE is the first book in a new mystery series by Diane Dickson. She is the author of many crime fiction titles, including the bestselling DI Tanya Miller series set in the Midlands and Oxfordshire.

God Save the Spy (Operation TINKER #1)


John Ellsworth - 2020
    He begins passing KGB secrets to the Brits. It is 1962, and Nikolai smuggles Russian war plans for Cuba. President Kennedy needs the plans immediately, must talk.The Russians discover his deception and kidnap him back to Moscow. But the British have a plan, terrible as it is. For they can save him and his wife, or him and his daughter, but not both. He must decide, does he escape with his wife or with his one-year-old? The KGB will murder whichever one he leaves behind. The choice is made in a way no one expects. Britain's escape plan is activated, and the wheels begin to turn.Colonel Viktor Bucharov of the KGB falls in behind them. Bucharov is the KGB’s best and most violent. A desperate attempt to shake Bucharov from their tail, as they jump from buses, change moving subway cars, dash into malls, and underground passageways. Then they head for the escape rendezvous, with Bucharov minutes behind.Get ready to stay up late tonight.

The Man from Murmansk


Trevor Scott - 2017
    On a cold February night, while flying a drone, he takes video of a missile on a transporter erector launcher being loaded aboard a merchant ship. This could be a violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by Reagan and Gorbachev. Karl is recalled to America, but not for long. The Agency wants him to continue with his mission, which brings him to a tumultuous South American country. As the U.S. Navy tracks the Russian ship across the Atlantic, it soon becomes clear that a new Cold War could turn hot, bringing the two superpowers to the brink of war. With Karl being the son of legendary CIA officers Jake Adams and Toni Contardo, he definitely has the DNA to complete this mission. But in the cat and mouse spy game, nobody is safe.

Lethal Dose


Robert McCracken - 2016
    Terry Lawler had exposed the secrets of powerful people and apparently got his comeuppance.But when DI Tara Grogan digs further, she makes a startling discovery. Within the victim’s home are details about dozens of missing women. Details that might only be known to the last person who saw them.Just what was his connection to these disappearances in Belfast and Liverpool? Has Grogan stumbled upon evidence of a serial killer who someone else has got to first?In which case, exactly who is Grogan hunting for? And does she really want to find them?

Break Of Dawn


Marie Reyes - 2021
    Her parents will not be at her wedding.They still live in the commune where she was raised - the commune she refuses to return to. Her fiancé convinces her to go and visit the commune to invite them. She'll regret it if she doesn't, right?When she gets there, her father is still struggling with substance abuse and her mother is nowhere to be found. Dawn has no choice but to stay and try to find her mother but being back there is causing her mental health to backslide as memories she buried deep bubble to the surface.Fighting demons both past and present, Dawn needs to get out before it's too late.Content warning: This book explores sensitive themes such as mental health, drug use, and abuse. Includes some coarse language.

Mint


S.R. Wilsher - 2021
    It’s the summer of 1976, and after nine years in prison, James Minter is home to bury his mother.A history of depression and a series of personal issues has seen her death ruled as suicide.His refusal to accept that conclusion means he must confront his violent stepfather, deal with the gangster who wants his mother’s shop and, of course, face the family of the boy he killed.But will his search for the truth in the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small seaside town, and the unpicking of the peculiar relationship his mother had with the Stonemason next door, put his own life in danger?

The Hour of Her Death


Rebecca Rane - 2020
    But the horrific crime has gone unsolved for thirty years when a mysterious stranger begs a true crime podcaster to investigate.Kendra Dillon hosts The Cold Trail Podcast. She’s made it her mission to uncover new clues in old mysteries. She’s shocked that this brutal display of evil against an innocent nun has gone unchecked for decades. No suspects. No arrests. No justice.With police and church officials refusing to reopen the investigation, Kendra believes someone’s hiding a vile conspiracy. But right as Kendra gets close to the disturbing truth, another shocking crime derails her investigation. The Cold Trail may be leading Kendra straight into the path of a serial killer. With every podcast episode, Kendra gets closer to waking an evil that’s been lying in wait.And Kendra isn’t alone. A stalker is following her every move, ready to ensnare her in his own twisted fantasy.Can Kendra catch the culprit and serve up justice before she’s silenced forever?The Hour Of Her Death is the first book in the suspenseful Kendra Dillon Cold Case Thriller series. If you like engaging female sleuths, unexpected twists, and cold case crime podcasts, then you’ll love Rebecca Rane’s pulse-pounding tale.Enter the world of a true crime podcaster on the hunt for a serial killer!

Dead Wood


Dani Amore - 2011
    A disgraced ex-cop turned private investigator is hired by the dead woman’s father and immediately becomes the target of a violent ex-convict. An enigmatic music star performs damage control on her links to the dead woman. And a professional killer who idolizes Keith Richards is brought into town by a mysterious employer. Dead Wood is what great mysteries are all about: love, hate, faith and vengeance, all wrapped up in an explosive story that simply refuses to let up.

Tinplate


Neville Steed - 1986
    Faced with threats from their owner, he sets out to recover them but finds himself up against far more than the greed of unscrupulous collectors.He’s in way over his head but at least the prospect of a countryside dig to excavate the remains of a crashed Spitfire can provide a little solace. Yet even this isn’t easy, and a growing resistance to the dig is being led by a local, indignant landlord.When rather more than the plane and its pilot are unearthed, Marklin finds himself up to his neck in skeletons from the past — skeletons that lead to attempts on his life …

All That Was Left Unsaid


Jacquie Underdown - 2021
    She strives to uncover who is behind the notes, and why, but finds no answers. Until, one gloomy night, she catches a familiar face watching her through her bedroom window.Maddison remains in her loveless marriage for the sake of her two young children. Still wearing the mental scars her husband inflicted after his years of betrayal, she uses alcohol and prescription drugs as a crutch. This starts her on a rapid ride to rock bottom.Approaching forty, Isabelle marries for the first time. Life couldn’t be better, except her husband is still on good terms with his ex-wife. Isabelle doesn’t like his ex, especially when she starts making trouble for the newlyweds.When a vicious murder is committed on a quiet street in this small, blue-collar town, the three women are caught in the riptide of an investigation. Two are suspects. One will lose everything. And someone is lying.A tangled lattice of manipulation and deceit must be unravelled to discover who the true culprit is.

The Fortuna Coin


Karen Ann Hopkins - 2021
    A family heirloom takes her back in time to the beginning of her relationship with her eventual killer where she’s given the magical opportunity to change the future and stop her family's tragic ending. But she isn't aware that she's reliving a tortured life. With only glimpses of the future, Wendy struggles to survive present day, unaware that a bloody and unforgiving destiny awaits her.The Fortuna Coin is a haunting psychological thriller about second chances…but will the truth really set Wendy free?

Steel and Shadows


Stuart Field - 2019
    What at first appears to be the work of a serial killer soon turns out to be a deeper level of darkness and deceit, with relentless mercenaries, a shadowy informant and ghosts from the past for both McCall and Steel all involved.As unexpected alliances and Steel’s personal mission reveal a complex web of treachery, will he and McCall find a way to work together and solve the case?

The King Tides


James Swain - 2018
    And that of strangers, too. Wherever she goes, she’s being watched. Each stalker is different from the last, except for one thing—their alarming obsession with Nicki.Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Nicki’s father is turning to someone who can protect her: retired private detective and ex–Navy SEAL Jon Lancaster. Teaming up with FBI agent and former abduction victim Beth Daniels, Lancaster can help—his way. He’s spent most of his career dispatching creeps who get off on terrorizing the vulnerable. Unlicensed, and unrestricted, he plays dirty…But this case is unusual. Why so many men? Why this one girl? Does Nicki have something to hide? Or do her parents?Trawling the darkest depths of southern Florida, Lancaster faces a growing tide of secrets and deception. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes that finding the truth won’t be easy. Because there’s more to this case than meets the eye.

Once Upon A Crime


Nolon King - 2022
    Now, the Grimm Reaper does.New detective Chelsea Sullivan is partnered with a maverick famous for closing cases and infamous for how he does it. He has a target on his back and a chip on his shoulder. Not exactly how she hoped to kick off her first homicide case.Jim McPherson doesn't mind showing an up-and-comer the ropes, but he does mind when she keeps putting herself in harm's way. Especially since her innocence is exactly the trait the serial seems to be targeting. Unless they're missing a crucial detail. And he can't help but think his new partner knows what it is.He has no idea she fears her father might be the murderer.The body count is rising and the Grimm Reaper is after Chelsea. If they can't catch him before he catches her, there will be no happily ever after.Once Upon A Crime is the first book in Nolon King's new Once Upon A Crime Trilogy. Start reading your favorite new series today!