Book picks similar to
The Whole of the Moon by Kevin McManus
fiction
02k-stand-alone
randomthings
genre-mys-thrill-act
The Diagnosis is Murder (A Dr. Valorian Mystery, #1)
Steven Gossington - 2017
Laura Valorian is an emergency room physician who, because of severe emotional trauma after a missed diagnosis, vows to perfect her diagnostic skills and, as a result, detects subtle evidence of foul play in a surgeon who is declared dead in her ER. When she cannot let go of her suspicions and eventually convinces a private investigator of the possibility of a crime, she begins a relentless quest for suspects and evidence. Now, with angry suspects to deal with, an attempt on her own life, and her struggle with personal demons, she must fight to salvage her self-respect and her professional reputation while pursuing her mission to get at the truth.
The SW19 Club
Nicola May - 2015
‘This book will twang your funny bone – and your heartstrings. I totally loved it. Nicola May is a talent to watch!’ Milly Johnson‘A funny and fast-paced romp … thoroughly enjoyable’ Deborah Hughes, Woman‘The kind of special book that only comes along once in a while’ Miranda DickinsonWhat would you do if you were told you could never have children?Faced with this news, Gracie Davies is at an all-time low. But with the support of some new Wimbledon friends, an unorthodox therapist, her hippy-chick sister Naomi and Czech call-girl Maya, she sets up The SW19 Club and begins her rocky journey to inner peace and happiness. Add in a passionate fling with handsome landscaper Ed, a fairytale encounter with a Hollywood filmstar and the persistence of her adulterous ex, life is anything but predictable…
Train to Anywhere
David George Howard - 2010
Late one evening he witnesses a local businessman committing a murder. His life is spared, but he will be killed if he talks to the police. Everything he has worked for falls apart as he becomes caught between rival criminal and legal organizations.
Absolute Sunset
Kata Mlek - 2012
She didn’t invite the raven into her nightmares, with his riddles of suffering and death. She didn’t ask, at six years old, to be responsible for saving her family. But fate chooses us, and Hanka can either play the raven’s game, or watch her family die. The question is, will the raven play by the rules? Or is Hanka his final victim?For fans of dark psychological thrillers.Warning: Absolute Sunset is an intense novel, with serious themes including mental illness and abuse. Not appropriate for young or sensitive readers
The House on Poultney Road : based on a true ghost story
Stephanie Boddy - 2014
How do you put such terror into words when the words I choose need to be real, not just a fabrication of a well educated imagination. I know that you may have your doubts and conclude with your own presumptions; and with no hard-evidence to offer, I am asking for you to explore and consider your deepest beliefs. I am unable to refer to this as a story, it goes much deeper than that of a progressive tale with happy ever afters. What you are about to read is real; the feelings and emotions described have actually been lived. The fear felt. This is a narrative of the events which took place across almost a century, 1903 to 1983, in a house which stood closely among others and for many years shared the usual comforts of home. This house was once safe, it was a comfortable place to spend time but over time, it evolved into a dark emptiness which the house of Poultney Roads’ residents would never forget. It was hidden away from what it once was and over time had emerged as a building of strong, solid bricks which concealed more secrets than some members of my family wish to remember. I am not writing this in an attempt to scare you but yet to inform you of what exists, whether you choose to believe it or not. This is not a fictional novel, created to shock and leave you in suspense but is instead a retelling of what happened to several generations of a family who had lived their lives as any other but who were, quite literally, introduced to another world. I guess you could consider this a warning, that perhaps you should believe your instincts instead of living your life creating explanations and judgements. Seeing is believing some might say but learning about the house on Poultney Road could prepare you for something you may one day come face to face with and perhaps prevent you from the pain that that this house bought to so many. Safe in your own home; sit back in a comfortable chair and turn on the side light. The beam will comfort you through this roller-coaster of memories which have left their mark on everyone who entered The House on Poultney Road. 'This book awakens those lost or hidden fears that its predecessors seemed to smother.' Horror Honey (http://www.horrorhoney.net) 'I felt a fear I've never felt before from a book, I had shivers and my hairs standing up on my arms.' Amazon review. 'What a Fantastic novel, Stephanie Boddy pulled me in by the end of the first chapter, I had read it by the end of the day.' Beverley Aspinall, Horror Inside the Box Amazon no.1 Bestseller : Ghosts / Unexplained Mysteries / Supernatural
Smokescreen
Tom Meitner - 2016
Now, he's out of prison and back to work... as a homicide detective. But while he tries to make the transition from convict to cop again, he can't stop thinking about how he wound up in jail in the first place - because he thinks it was no accident. He has no idea how deep it goes. In this new vigilante series from debut author Tom Meitner, watch Charlie solve murders while he unlocks the gripping mystery of who set him up... and why. This pilot episode is a free murder mystery and suspense story that introduces you to the main players and lays the groundwork for the conspiracy that follows Charlie in his new, "normal" life.
A Kind of Woman
Helen Burko - 2017
Barder does not return alone: with him is his new wife, Rachel, a beautiful blonde woman whom he met in Warsaw shortly after the war - a Jewish survivor who lost her entire family and remained alone in the world. Jacob fell in love with her and brought her to the states. Now he will defend her in the biggest battle of her life.
A Jewish lawyer’s wife is accused of committing Nazi war crimes
One evening, in a Broadway theater, Rachel is attacked by a woman who accuses her of being Matilda Krause - a German SS officer who served at the Nazi concentration camps. Rachel’s arrest and police investigation open the way to a sensational trial that will be written in the pages of history. With no one willing to protect a Nazi officer, Barder decides to defend his wife himself. Why would a Jewish survivor speak for a Nazi in the court of law? Barder is called to make an impossible case in the name of his beloved wife, and that of humanity altogether. The jury, the judge, and the readers will be astounded by what he has to say.
The Professor: Book 0
Alexandria Clarke - 2016
Can Nicole crack the case of her missing professor and finish her thesis paper, or will Nicole herself crack under the pressure?
Fire in Bone (Jake Pettman #2)
Wes Markin - 2021
A suspected child killer from a bygone era. And a schoolgirl washed up on the banks of the River Skweda.A storm is coming to Blue Falls, Maine.An unprecedented storm. And in the eye of the storm stands ex-detective Jake Pettman. A man desperate for sanctuary and desperate for the truth. But in a place of undying and heinous secrets, such desperations become dangerous.Both to yourself, and the people that you love. Fire in Bone is an adrenaline-pumping crime thriller novel from the Amazon bestselling author of One Last Prayer for the Rays, and the DCI Yorke series. Perfect for fans of Chris Carter, James Patterson, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.
Blast
David Hodges - 2017
But her dreams are cruelly shattered by a bomb blast that leaves her badly scarred. Suddenly her career’s in ruins and her long-term boyfriend is gone. Plagued by the paparazzi, she flees to Cornwall where she meets and falls in love with her handsome neighbour, blind crime novelist, Alan Murray. As a new life starts to fall into place, her former boss threatens to tell Alan about her past indiscretions unless Lynn agrees to become one of his porn stars. She refuses and is miraculously saved from exposure when her boss ends up taking a dive off a cliff. Relief doesn’t last long though as a series of unsettling incidents, leads Lynn to suspect that her novelist lover may not be all he claims to be … David Hodges’ latest crime thriller, Blast, again delivers the gritty realism that only an experienced ex-copper can provide. Praise for David Hodges… 'Extremely well-written and passionately described crime-scenes' - Mid Somerset Series 'Hodges uses the experience of 30-plus years in the job as an anvil of solid fact to beat out pacey tales of "canteen culture" cops' - Cheddar About the author: David Hodges is a former superintendent with Thames Valley Police, and is a prolific writer and the author of eight other crime novels, plus an autobiography on his life in the police service. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth, on the edge of the Somerset Levels where he can fully indulge his passion for thriller writing. He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, The Crime Readers’ Association, The Society of Authors and International Thriller Writers Inc.
Girl at the Window
Declan Conner - 2017
Only this family’s past is darker than most18-year-old Clara is trapped in an abusive life by her Pa who is hiding a dark secret. Home schooled and with no outside social contact – constantly on the move – she wishes him dead.After they move to a small town, local youths vie for her attention against his wishes. When her Pa is found murdered by the town sheriff, the circumstances point firmly to Clara as the guilty party. Assigned to the case, a personal conflict causes Detective Alana Bossé to dig deeper. As her suspect list grows, it looks as though there is a slim chance that Clara could be innocent.But is everything as it seems? Or should they lock Clara up and throw away the key?
A Blessing in Disguise
Pamela Fudge - 2015
She has an enviably comfortable life in a lavish house with her husband, Phil, having shared twenty-five years of blissful marriage together. The only thing missing is a relationship with her in-laws. The family can’t even seem to survive one dinner without arguing, and Pete’s father, Randy, seems to harbour nothing but feelings of hatred towards his son. However, the couple’s otherwise idyllic lifestyle is turned upside-down when Alex discovers that she’s pregnant. Surely it’s far too late for them to have children and, having spent the last twenty-five years child-free, do either of them really want to upset the balance of their relationship by involving a baby? Alex seems to have made up her mind – it’s far too risky. But the more she ponders over her growing belly, the more she begins to wonder whether this is the last chance she’ll ever have to experience motherhood and become a real family. Perhaps now was finally their time to begin a new chapter… But it soon becomes clear that Phil has been doing some thinking his own. Despite his increasing pressure on her, Alex just can’t bring herself to go through with the termination he so desperately wants. Then Phil delivers the ultimatum she has been dreading: their marriage, or the baby. With her relationship now hanging in the balance, and her doubts that she is remotely fit for motherhood growing every day, Alex soon begins to realise that love is often found in the most unexpected of places… A Blessing in Disguise is a heart-warming tale of redemption, with unexpected twists that will keep you glued until the final page. Praise for Pamela Fudge ‘A well-written book that holds one’s attention from the first page with twists and turns until the final outcome.’ –
The Woman Writer
‘A deeply moving novel, Pamela Fudge has done it again!’ – Holly Kinsella ‘A light, easy read and I happily tripped through it in one sitting when I was sorely in need of something relaxing. You can always rely on Pamela Fudge.’ –
The Bookbag
‘The reader is left wondering, right to the end, what the outcome will be.’ –
The Daily Echo
Pamela Fudge, born in Poole, Dorset is an author, ghost writer and speaker, whose love of poetry initially led her to further explore her talent for creative writing. Having now developed a substantial portfolio of widely-published romance novels, Pam shares her talents with other aspiring writers, tutoring Writing For Pleasure And Profit classes for the local Adult Education Service. She is also a member of Wessex Writers, The Romantic Novelists’ Association, The Society of Women Writers and Journalists and The Society of Authors.
A Confusion of Murders
Marina Johnson - 2017
A brother obsessed with his looks, a dog that thinks it’s human and a happy though, dull routine. Until that is, her father starts talking nonsense and she makes a shocking discovery about herself. Not to mention the strange events occurring in Frogham – a missing person and a case of dog-napping. And then, on top of everything Louise finds romance in the unlikeliest place....
The Dark Lake (Free Preview - Prologue & First 5 Chapters)
Sarah Bailey - 2017
Even back then, she was a mystery that I wanted to solve. The lead homicide investigator in a rural town, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is deeply unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, her body floating in a lake. And not just any classmate, but Rosalind Ryan, whose beauty and inscrutability exerted a magnetic pull on Smithson High School, first during Rosalind's student years and then again when she returned to teach drama. As much as Rosalind's life was a mystery to Gemma when they were students together, her death presents even more of a puzzle. What made Rosalind quit her teaching job in Sydney and return to her hometown? Why did she live in a small, run-down apartment when her father was one of the town's richest men? And despite her many admirers, did anyone in the town truly know her? Rosalind's enigmas frustrate and obsess Gemma, who has her own dangerous secrets--an affair with her colleague and past tragedies that may not stay in the past. Brilliantly rendered, THE DARK LAKE has characters as compelling and mysteries as layered as the best thrillers from Gillian Flynn and Sophie Hannah.
Killer Dress
Nancy McGovern - 2017
After years of living the fast life as a photographer in LA, she's heading back home to Innocence, California, with nothing but her old camera, a laptop, and $40 to her name. It’s time to pick up the pieces…
Thankfully, there is one bright spot in her life. Her sister, Caroline, is about to be married and she’s asked Dani to photograph the event. It’s the perfect way to jumpstart into her future.
Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan.
The groom-to-be’s ex-girlfriend is found dead the day before the wedding. And, between their bitter history and the fact that the victim is somehow wearing her wedding gown, Caroline immediately becomes suspect #1.
Can Dani do something to help her sister? The sheriff is confident it is an open & shut case against Caroline and doesn’t see the need to dig much deeper. But, of course, Dani knows she’s innocent. And, for some reason, she has a nagging feeling that there is something in the wedding photos that can clear Caroline’s name. Something that is hiding in plain sight.
If she can only figure out what it is…
Find out what happens in Killer Dress, the first book in Nancy McGovern’s new cozy mystery series, “Shot & Framed”!
Nancy McGovern is also the author of the popular culinary cozy mystery series, “A Murder In Milburn” & “Slice of Paradise Cozy Mysteries”, featuring delicious recipes and even tastier whodunits, as well as the witch-based paranormal cozy mystery series, “Bluebell Knopps Cozy Mysteries”. Follow the link in ANY of Nancy's books to join her mailing list and receive a FREE COZY MYSTERY just for signing up!