Book picks similar to
Deadly Deceit by Karen Randau


mystery
thriller
fiction
can-t-find-at-library

Social Death


Tatiana Boncompagni - 2014
    They have deadlier secrets.A beautiful socialite is brutally murdered in her exclusive New York City apartment building. A financier's trophy wife and the night doorman are the last two people to see her alive. There's no sign of forced entry. No known motive. Just a neighbor's account of overhearing a heated argument outside the victim's apartment on the night of the murder. Clyde Shaw has built a career covering brutal crimes for the FirstNews network, but this story may be more than the top news producer can handle. The murder victim, Olivia Kravis, is the daughter of FirstNews's mogul founder-and Clyde's best friend since childhood. As a high-stakes network ratings war begins, Clyde's own privileged yet troubled past comes back to haunt her, and she's forced to choose between finding her best friend's killer and losing everything-her job, her reputation, even her life. Long-guarded secrets. Millions at stake. And only Clyde holds the key to unlocking the truth. PRAISE FOR SOCIAL DEATH"A breathless thriller that takes the reader deep inside the worlds of television news and glitterati New York. This is great stuff. " Stuart Woods, New York Times Bestselling author of Unintended Consequences

A Journal of Sin


Darryl Donaghue - 2014
    A troubled priest is brutally murdered, leaving behind a journal of the resident's confessional secrets; secrets certain people would prefer he took to the grave. As word spreads, the pressure rises as the eyes of the town watch her every move. With no forensic team, no support and a savage killer hiding in a turbulent town, is PC Sarah Gladstone up to the task?

Murder So Wrong (Muckraker Mysteries #1)


Ted Clifton - 2017
    It is a very disturbing beginning for Tommy Jacks on his first day as a 1960s newspaper reporter, hired to cover politics. He soon encounters an eclectic group of characters who bring to life a different world at a different time: Taylor Albright, legendary gossip-monger and discredited columnist; Ray Jacks, Tommy’s father, an infamous political leader now in state prison; Joe Louongo, slimy lawyer of questionable ethics; Steve Marsh, sportswriter and former famous football star; J.H. Gilmore and his son, Robbie, wealthy and conniving owners of a competing newspaper; Tracy Clark, beautiful TV reporter; and Judy Jackson, gorgeous past playmate of Tommy’s. A story of the ’60s, full of intrigue, love, and tragedy—Tommy Jacks: Muckraker.

Winter Wind


J.R. Rain - 2015
    But he will find you, one way or another. And with a killer at large, and people disappearing from his city, Lee must must unravel his most baffling case yet... Before the killer strikes again. FROM THE BACK COVER Five years ago, Lee Jordan was nearly killed on the job. Now blind, deaf and mute, he’s recovered enough to live a routine but silent life. However, now, LAPD needs him back... When the cases of many missing persons are tied together with the same M.O., this remarkable deaf and blind ex-cop is called in to help locate people who seemingly walked away from their everyday lives. But did they? When one of them surfaces, the forensic evidence makes it clear that this man did not stay gone as willingly as he disappeared. Lee's only assets are his guide dog, fourteen years of experience as a homicide detective—and an intriguing American Sign Language translator named Rachel. Just as Lee begins to discover something remarkable about himself, he must engage in a battle of wits with a murderer he can't see or hear. With no weapons but his own mind—and a guide dog with a heart of gold—he sets off alone in Los Angeles to investigate the disappearances. It’s only a matter of time before more people may die under nefarious circumstances. And the manner of death could put the entire city at risk from…something even more dangerous. Lee Jordan knows there is more to fighting crime than meets the eye, or ear, or voice. But will he survive his courageous solo pursuit of a twisted killer on the mean streets of L.A.? And can he really stop a madman by himself? ABOUT WINTER WIND WINTER WIND is a suspenseful and poignant crime thriller by bestselling author J.R. Rain, whose repertoire includes novels and stories in many genres. He has captivated millions of readers with standalone novels such as the acclaimed smash hit and ghost mystery, THE BODY DEPARTED, and SILENT ECHO, starring a detective whose death is imminent. As well, J.R. Rain has authored many mystery and urban fantasy series, with and without paranormal twists, such as VAMPIRE FOR HIRE and JIM KNIGHTHORSE. Readers are in for a heart-pounding treat in WINTER WIND, which takes readers into the brilliant mind of a detective whose surface weaknesses become his inner strengths. WINTER WIND is the first standalone novel from J.R. Rain since his mystery thriller, SILENT ECHO, hit #1 over all on Amazon Kindle. WINTER WIND continues to establish Rain's standard for unique mysteries and thrillers, richly-layered characters, exciting plots, big questions and even bigger answers - answers that keep readers thinking long after the final page.

Three Days to Die


John Avery - 2011
    but he did.HE ONLY HEARD A FEW WORDS ... but he heard too much.HE RAN ... but he was followed -- a mistake that would turn thirteen-year-old Aaron Quinn's, and his beautiful, courageous, single mother, Ashley's, worlds upside down.THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING ... when Aaron is stolen from his mother by a psychotic killer and thrust headlong into a dark underworld of armed robbery, prostitution, and death. Will Aaron lose his mind as he's forced to participate in a deadly crime spree and witness first hand the horror of cold-blooded murder?THE WALLS CLOSE IN ... on Ashley when she listens to a tape recording left on her pillow by the killer, giving her two choices:1) Call the police and risk being responsible for her only child's death ...2) Offer herself as a sacrifice in exchange for his life ...WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE HER?---A CRIME THRILLERAn ACTION MOVIEA LOVE STORYIn THREE DAYS to DIE, debut author John Avery takes you on a perilous journey unlike any suspense thriller you've read before.From the opening sequence to the smashing ending, THREE DAYS to DIE moves at lightning speed, introducing the world to an exciting new hero, a beautiful and plucky heroine, and a truly frightening villain."John Avery opens Three Days to Die with a bang and then sprints toward the finish line ... taking thriller lovers of any age on a heart-pounding, pulse- tingling ride, and he does it with style. Five Stars!" – Jill Allen, Foreword Review"I truly got lost between the pages of this wonderfully told story - though I did cringe and even cry sometimes and wanted to hit someone at other times, which is totally against my nature. It just goes to show how totally absorbed I was in the world John Avery created in Three Days to Die." - N. Budden - Amazon Top Reviewer---*** Adapted from the original screenplay, THREE DAYS to DIE, by John Avery - Shortlisted for Hollywood's prestigious 2010 - PAGE International Screenwriting Awards ***Approx 225 pagesRecommended for adults 16+

Sandman


Morgan Hannah MacDonald - 2012
    . .FOREVER.A serial killer on the loose, a woman being stalked, and a homicide detective who must find the connection between the two before she becomes his next victim.He collects women. He imprisons them, plays with them, tortures them. Until they bore him. Then he removes a souvenir. They call him the Sandman.Meagan McInnis is being plagued with late night calls, yet when she answers, no one is there. Then one night she makes a grisly discovery in her own backyard.The caller is silent no more.Homicide Detective, J.J. Thomas, realizes Meagan is the key to finding the Sandman. Now not only must he protect her, but he must find the connection between Meagan and the killer before she becomes his next victim.DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP MORE SPINE TINGLING THRILLERS FROM MORGAN HANNAH MACDONALD. SPIRITS IN THE TREES- THE SPIRITS TRILOGY #1AND SPIRITS AMONG US- THE SPIRITS TRILOGY #2AVAILABLE NOW!

Serenity


Craig A. Hart - 2016
     A woman dies in his arms...a drug dealer offers him $10,000...a gunman is determined to kill him. And then everything goes to hell. Shelby Alexander is an aging ex-boxer and retired fixer, whose activities often flirted with the wrong side of the law. Looking for a little peace and a slower pace of life, he moved to Serenity, the small Michigan town where he grew up. But trouble follows men like Shelby, and he finds himself embroiled in an underworld of drugs and violence that may prove to be his undoing. The first book in the new Shelby Alexander Thriller Series, Serenity is an action-packed read with a lovingly rendered cast, witty dialogue, and a main character who doesn't know when to quit.

Vow of Silence (The Jill Shannon Murder #2)


Chris Patchell - 2018
     Five years after the brutal slaying of her husband, software executive Jill Shannon is ready to take the next step in her life. But with her wedding to prosecuting attorney Conner Manning just eight weeks away, her future father-in-law’s political ambitions for her fiancé threaten all her hopes. Jill’s past holds dark secrets. Secrets she can’t afford to have exposed under the relentless lights of a political campaign. When Phoenix Detective David Shaw turns up at Jill’s door asking questions about a reporter's murder, he has no idea what a lethal Pandora’s Box he’s just opened. Was the womanizing reporter killed by a jealous husband, or was it related to his drug use? Or did it have something to do with the secret expose the reporter was working on? Jill Shannon looks like a dead-end lead but Shaw can’t shake the feeling the beautiful widow has secrets she’s not sharing. Jill is caught between the sins of her past and the shattered hopes for her future. Shaw finds himself drawn deeper into a twisted labyrinth of lies and danger. One thing is clear: some vows are made out loud in front of witnesses. But some vows are made in silence, and witnesses can’t be left alive.

Sleeping Roses


RaShelle Workman - 2009
    Sick of her dangerous marriage, Sophie leaves her husband, determined to start a new life. But her husband isn't going to let her go that easily. If he can't have her, no one can. It's hunter versus hunted."It's strange, mysterious, and down right cool! It made me wonder if this really happened." - Jek Jamison"A suspense/thriller where nothing is as it seems." - Heartsong ReviewsIf you love Nicholas Sparks novels, including Safe Haven, then pick up "Sleeping Roses," and be swept away.

Interference


Brad Parks - 2020
    That, it turns out, is not quite true: Matt has been prodding the mysteries of the quantum universe, with terrible repercussions for his health. And perhaps even for humanity as a whole.Then, in the midst of another seizure, Matt disappears. When foul play is feared, there is no shortage of suspects. Matt’s research had gained the attention of Chinese competitors, an unscrupulous billionaire, and the Department of Defense, among others.With Matt’s life in clear danger, Brigid sets out to find him. Will Matt be killed before she reaches him, or could the physics that endangered him actually be used to save his life?

Crooked Man


Tony Dunbar - 1994
    His clients are all renegades from the asylum, including a transvestite entertainer with curious medical issues, a buxom deadbeat blonde, a doctor who refers his own patients to a malpractice lawyer, and the driver of a Mardi Gras float shaped like a giant crawfish pot. He also has his hands full with an ex-wife and three teenage daughters, who are experts in the art of wrapping Tubby around their little fingers. And somehow, between work and family, Tubby finds time to sample the highs and lows of idiosyncratic Crescent City cuisine, from trout meuniere amandine and French roast coffee with chicory to shrimp po-boys and homemade pecan pralines. Tubby is asked to take on a new client: Darryl Alvarez, the manager of a local nightclub, who has been caught unloading fifteen bales of marijuana from a shrimp boat. At their first meeting, Darryl entrusts Tubby with an ordinary-looking blue gym bag. But when Darryl is later found shot at the nightclub, Tubby realizes he must tighten his grasp on the gym bag - and its million-dollar contents. Tubby can't just give up the cash. But if he gets caught, he'll be in jail. And if the wrong people catch him, he'll wish he was.

Either Side of Midnight


Tori de Clare - 2013
    I rate this book as a ten-star and expect to see it as number one on the best selling list for many, many weeks.” Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers'Favorite.WHAT IF THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE TURNED INTO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE?When nineteen-year-old Naomi Stone is snatched from her husband at knifepoint on the night of their wedding and taken to a deserted cemetery, she knows her life is finished. Drugged and disorientated, she loses consciousness as she lies in an open grave with a gun to her head. But the following day, she mysteriously awakes to find herself unharmed and secured to a bed. She's in a beautiful bedroom in a secluded cottage in open countryside. Only one person knows she’s there – the man in the balaclava who’s holding her, feeding her, revealing nothing. Naomi senses the unfolding of a plan. She should be on honeymoon in the Caribbean. Instead, she’s trapped with an emotionless psycho with no hope of escape . . . And his voice is chillingly familiar.Who is he? What does he want? What's happened to her husband? Where is she? Will anyone find her before it's too late?

What We Found


Kris Bock - 2012
    She’ll have to stand up for herself in order to stand up for the murder victim. It’s a risk, and so is reaching out to the mysterious young man who works with deadly birds of prey. But with danger all around, some risks are worth taking.

Rope Enough


Oliver Tidy - 2012
    Newly promoted Detective Sergeant Joy Marsh is shipped out to Dover on the Kent coast to work under Detective Inspector Romney, a copper with a reputation as a cantankerous man but good at his job.On her first night as his sergeant, a brutal crime in the town starts a chain of events that will test the grit, the resolve and the detective in both of them.

Justification for Murder


Elin Barnes - 2013
    He’s handed a hit-and-run that quickly reveals itself as a brazen attempted murder—exactly the kind of case he was trying to avoid. Why would anyone want Saffron Meadows dead? An unexpected desire to protect her forces Lynch to stick with the case. Meanwhile, seasoned Detective Erik Sorensen and his intern work a string of bizarre suicides with too much in common to be a mere coincidence. What could drive these people to carve their own flesh out? As mysterious murders and suspicious suicides stack up in Silicon Valley, Lynch and his colleagues must connect the dots between the cases before more people die and panic spreads. Could all this be part of a cover-up? Is this just a hit man crossing names off of a list, or has one Valley startup gone too far?Could there ever be a justification for murder?