Book picks similar to
Hideaway Hall by Jennifer Hayden


romantic-suspense
supernatural-mystery-suspense
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mystery-suspense

Dangerous Love


Alexa Verde - 2018
    Each book features one of the childhood friends in the group nicknamed the Danger Girls, and each story is a complete romance. Color of Danger, Taste of Danger, and Touch of Danger were also published as solo books.Welcome to Rios Azules, a small south Texas town, where rivers and emotions run deep, and the secrets are deadly. Book 1: Color of Danger Life as the sister of a serial killer is never easy, especially when a former runaway Mari Del Lobo becomes a target herself. A recent crime has her late brother's signature and MO, what Mari finds highly unusual, as she still blames herself for her only sibling's death. Soon Mari encounters an unexpected - and a very attractive - ally in Dr. Luke Goodman. Luke couldn't save his fiancée from the Smiling Killer, but he'll do anything to prevent more murders, even ask help from the serial killer's sister. Finding a kindred tortured soul in Mari, Luke is determined to keep her alive, but it's not easy to protect the stubborn ex-rebel. Can Mari survive to solve the mystery, renew her faith, and find love and redemption? Book 2: Taste of Danger Small-town librarian Soledad Sokolova has three days to find a hidden Russian treasure - or she and her father will die. Out of options, she turns for help to a hunky stranger, private investigator James O'Hara. But she knows better than to let a ladies' man break her heart for the second time. Bound by his word to Soledad's father, James is ready to protect her at all costs. However, once betrayed, he's reluctant to fall in love again. Will James and Soledad escape danger and find treasures of faith, love, and hope? Book 3: Touch of Danger Rookie cop Ivan Vargas blames small-town accountant Julia Morrison for his brother's suicide, as claimed in the note. When Julia is attacked, Ivan wonders if she's right about the suicide being staged. He's determined to find his brother's killer and keep Julia safe but reluctant to lose his heart to the stubborn beauty who's known to break them...Hurt in the past, Julia has avoided letting men too close. But she needs Ivan's help to uncover traumatic secrets someone would kill to keep hidden. Can she stay alive long enough to learn to love and trust again?

Retribution (Witness, #2)


Christine Kersey - 2016
    The following book description contains spoilers for the first book.After confessing to the police that she witnessed a murder, college student Courtney Hartford has relocated to what she hopes is a safe place. Hanging over her head is her commitment to testify against Dylan, the gang member she witnessed killing a man, as well as Baldy, a gang member who tried to kill her to keep her from testifying.In addition, her budding relationship with Tyler, who was beaten because of her, has been interrupted. Missing him, but worried about putting him in danger, she wars with herself over whether to convince him to move to where she is now living, or to stay far, far away as his parents advise him.Will Courtney be able to move past the fear she's been living with, or will the gang members track her down and silence her for good?Retribution does not contain any profanity or sexual content.

Hollywood Shifters Complete Box Set


Zoe Chant - 2016
     Hollywood Bear. A curvy stuntwoman + a movie director bear shifter + Hollywood hijinks = one blockbuster romance! Hollywood Dragon. A sultry singer + a billionaire music mogul dragon shifter + shifter battles and sizzling passion = one blockbuster romance! Hollywood Tiger. A curvy investigator + a maverick reporter tiger shifter + a sinister Hollywood studio = an explosive blockbuster romance! A Hollywood Shifters' Christmas. Three hot Hollywood shifters+ three curvy mates = three holiday romances in one sizzling story!

Unravel


Annie Miller - 2021
    He was the star football player, who turned every girl’s head and even some boys’, but he had eyes only for her. He was her first in everything but he was also her last. When she found out she was pregnant and he was leaving for the Army right after graduation, she knew they were going to grow apart. She decided to not get the abortion they agreed on, deciding to raise her most cherished gift Matt left her, their son Caleb.
 Matt Davis, aka Gunny, loved being in the Army’s special forces. As a Ranger Sniper, he earned his moniker with his love of armory, any kind or sort; new or antique; legal or illegal, it made no difference in his collection. And just like his cache of dangerous weapons, he lived his life to the fullest and never looked back. There wasn’t a girl he didn’t like or a job he wouldn’t take on. His fast-paced life, however, came to a halt when he opened his front door to Evie, his first and only genuine love. The shock of seeing her turned into dismay when he discovers she did not get the abortion they agreed on and instead he is now the father to an eighteen-year-old boy who has gone missing from his senior spring break in Cancun, Mexico.
 Together Evie and Gunny will embark on the most important mission of Gunny’s life, and the most heartbreaking for Evie. Will they find their missing son? Will Gunny forgive her for keeping this secret for twenty years, and will Evie be able to tell Gunny the true story behind her decision to keep their son?

Covington Investigations: 3-Books Private Security Series


Clara Kendrick - 2017
    Lots of suspense, mystery, and romance. No cliffhangers! Book 1: When private investigator Oliver Covington meets mysterious, beautiful Nora Thomason at a party, they have an instant, undeniable connection. Though they part without getting each other’s names, neither one of them can stop thinking about what happened between them. Little does Oliver know that his next job will involve solving the puzzle that will unlock Nora’s painful, dark past. He is assigned the task of following her by her fiancé, and when she is attacked in an alley one day, Nora becomes curious of Oliver’s real identity and does some investigating herself. She flees when she finds out that he is an investigator, afraid that he has been sent to find her by the people who are after her from her past. Oliver follows, and together he and Nora are forced to face the man who is trying to destroy her life while they fight their growing attraction for each other. Book 2: Charlotte Covington doesn’t know exactly what to expect when she is hired by handsome artist Sam Kensington to investigate the murder of his socialite father, Roger. She is hesitant to take the job—Sam is much too charming for her, something that she knows is a dangerous trait in a man. She is drawn in by him and the undercover nature of the job, and poses as his fiancé for a week at an exclusive artists’ retreat in the countryside. Things grow heated between Charlotte and Sam as they investigate the death of his father, though she tries her best to resist his charms. When a tragedy strikes at the retreat, Sam’s innocence is thrown into question, and Charlotte is forced to confront her feelings for him despite the danger he might pose to her. Book 3: Aiden Covington enjoys a challenge, so when he is given the challenging case of tracking down the necklace of a former Hollywood starlet, Olivia Darling, he is more than willing to take on what he’s told will be a hard case to solve. What he isn’t willing to do is fall for Olivia, though from the moment he meets her he feels himself unraveling under her charms. Aiden tries his best to fight the simmering tension between himself and Olivia, especially when he finds out that she’s not exactly the person he thought she was. While Aiden and Olivia unwrap the mystery of a dangerous secret society known as the Celestials, Aiden tries to keep his distance from Olivia, who finds it hard to take no for an answer when it comes to the sexy private detective.

JP Investigations


Lola Silverman - 2017
    5 books and NO cliffies! Book 1: Micah Lexi is everything a man like me should steer clear of. Mostly, that means she’s too good for someone like me. But when I realize that her brother is missing because of something that happened in my club, there’s really nothing for me to do but help her out. Something isn’t right around here and I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been a little blind to some stuff that was right under my nose. Lexi has woken me up in so many ways and I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same again. Book 2: Aaron I’m in Boston for one reason, to chase down a lead on my boss’s missing son. Joshua is the owner and CEO of Joshua Pettit Investigations and he tells me where to go and when. But it’s always up to me to find the best way to crack a case wide open. Of course this is the first time that my main informant in any case turned out to be a prostitute. For the moment she and I have mutual goals. But the more time I spend with Johanna, the more time I realize that there’s a lot more to her than anyone has ever given her credit for. Book 3: Zandry Coming to Denver in search of some runaway teens that might or might not be my boss’s kid is about the vaguest assignment I’ve ever had. Now I’m following runaway teens all over town and watching them pull off panhandling schemes that would make an experience thief green with envy. Something isn’t quite adding up here and it has nothing to do with the carnies coming to town. Of course hanging out with pickpockets occasionally means you get accused of doing the deed yourself. Fortunately for me there is a super hot cop that doesn’t mind coming to my rescue. Book 4: Liam Finding the bodies of dead runaway in a hole in the desert isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen, but it does come close. These kids are young and their lives had promise. But now I’m here in Albuquerque to see if my boss’s kid might be one of the unfortunates. I’m hoping not because the CEO of JPI is not the type of man who will take the murder of his son lightly. Fortunately for me I’ve happened onto a woman who is up to her ears in the business of runaway teens and also happens to look like an exotic angel come to take my poor Irish butt to heaven. Book 5: Joshua Beth is probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Of course that probably makes me an idiot for constantly telling her that we can’t be a couple. The problem is that I shouldn’t be sleeping with employees. And of course my kid ran away and I’ve been tapping all of my resources trying to find him. Now I’m in New Orleans with Beth following one last lead. Of course this also happens to bring my ex wife out to help. Between her theatrics, a sarcastic local cop, and a voodoo priestess who can’t keep her nose out of other people’s business, all I can hope for is a happy ending that doesn’t end with a permanent stay in one of the Big Easy’s famous crypts.

Grave Secrets


Linda Trout - 2012
    But six months later, time is running out and Sara turns to the one man she shouldn't--insurance investigator Morgan Daniels. Dangerously attractive, he's a threat to more than just her heart, and if she isn't careful, he'll unearth secrets better left buried. Proving Sara murdered her husband is Morgan's top priority. Helping her find her child is the perfect opportunity to get the proof he needs. But when he starts to think of her as a woman rather than a suspect, she slips under his armor. He can't trust her. Worse, he can't trust himself around her. All evidence points to Sara as a murderer, but Morgan's gut tells him the evidence is wrong. Is his obsession with her blinding him to the facts? Or is the real murderer still out there--stalking Sara? This is a new release of a previously published edition.

Night Vision


Maggie Shayne - 2019
    She sees a beautiful man, and hears a woman's voice, say, "Break the curse. Save his life." A gift given... She's had visions since childhood, but her father called her a liar and her mother said they came from the devil. They both tried to punish her sins away. No one believed her when she said her father would drive drunk one too many times. And when he died, just as she'd said he would, she was blamed. And not just by others. She blamed herself. She knew it would happen, but she couldn't stop it. She had failed. A gift withdrawn... The visions were muted after that. Oh, she'd know who was calling, or where to find a parking spot, but nothing important came anymore. Her deepest wish was that one day, she'd have a vision she could use to do something good. Something important. Something big. The dream, though, that never faded. That lived on. Back with a vengeance... Now her gift has returned with a terrifying vengeance. And when she gets pulled over for speeding by a cop who looks just like the man in her recurring dream, she knows it's all connected. He's Sam Sheridan, the man she's supposed to save. She's being given another chance to do something important with her gift. Another chance to save a life. But it's only going to work if she can convince Sam to believe her. Break the curse. Save his life. She intends to do both those things, and maybe fulfill her destiny. But she never imagined that she might be saving Sam's life at the cost of her own. Includes an extended excerpt of Maggie's new thriller Girl Blue.

Queenie's Castle


Lena Kennedy - 1994
    The incident ends in murder and Joe is accused - of the real villains there remains not a trace.But his memory of that fateful night, and a clue to the identity of the murderers, helps him through his time in prison and fuels his desire to uncover the truth. His quest leads him back to the East End and to the Ship and Castle pub, run by the mysterious and formidable Queenie . . .

Delta Force Heroes Box Set One #1-4


Susan Stoker - 2018
    One evening is all the enigmatic man can give her, and Rayne greedily takes it, despite suspecting it will never be enough. Heading home after another extreme mission, Keane "Ghost" Bryson hadn't planned to seduce someone during his layover, but Rayne is too sweet to resist. Being a Delta Force member means lying to protect his identity, which is unfortunate, considering Rayne seems made for Ghost, right down to the tattoo on her back. For the first time in his life, regret fills him as he slips away the following morning. Both are shocked when, months later, they meet again—under the worst possible circumstances. Seems fate has given them a second chance…if they can survive the terrorist situation they're in. Rescuing Aimee: Aimee O’Brien has harbored a not-so-little crush on her school’s new first-grade teacher since the beginning of the year. Tall, muscled, with long hair and a beard, and a penchant for wearing silly ties to amuse his student. No one is more surprised than Aimee when Tony makes his interest clear. Tony Santoro’s time in the military directly influenced his new choice of career—and his choice in women. He’s looking for someone of substance, and Aimee has far more to offer than just her adorably disheveled look. He can’t wait to see what’s hiding under those sweatpants and tees—but he might have missed his chance. The very day he finally works up the nerve to ask Aimee out, is the day unspeakable violence explodes in the school. Trapped in the gym, Aimee and Tony will have to work together to get out with their lives…and the lives of the dozens of students trapped with them. Rescuing Emily: Renting out the apartment over his garage shouldn’t be a life-changing decision, but when Delta soldier Cormac “Fletch” Fletcher meets Emily Grant, he feels an instant connection. He can’t stand the thought of Emily and her young daughter living anywhere unsafe. Offering cheap rent is a small price to pay for their safety…and Fletch’s peace of mind. Being a single mother is difficult at best, but renting the extremely affordable space from Fletch makes Emily’s life a lot easier…until it doesn’t. Suddenly all the money she’s saving thanks to Fletch’s generosity is going into the hands of a blackmailer. When miscommunication has Emily assuming Fletch is in on the blackmail, he not only has to gain her trust, but also deal with a man holding a grudge against Fletch and his entire Delta Force team. A task made more difficult when the dangerous man gets his hands on Emily and Annie... Rescuing Harley: Video game coder, Harley Kelso, thought a tandem skydive would help her make her latest game more realistic. Instead, it literally put her in the arms of the sexiest man she’s ever seen. Geeky to the core, Harley is the polar opposite of big and burly Beckett, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to play more carnal games with the sexy soldier. When Beckett “Coach” Ralston offers to fill-in at a friend’s skydiving club, he doesn’t suspect he’ll meet a woman who will change his life—and he definitely doesn’t expect her to save it. But that’s exactly what happens when an accident mid-air forces Harley to land them both safely.

Fighting for Amanda


T.L. Reeve - 2021
    Every case brings her one step closer to ending the nightmares for those families who are left with more questions than answers. When a young girl goes missing in Tarpley, Texas she hopes this is the case that will finally close the cold case she’s been assigned. What she doesn't expect is the help of a rugged firefighter who awakes emotions long buried.
Two things happen to Michael "Big Mack" McEvers that change his life from simple to complicated—he begins full-time work with Bandera County and Tarpley VFD, and Amanda arrives in town. He's not looking for love but if she'll have him, he's all hers.Racing against the clock they must work together to catch a killer. Can they save the girl and each other, or will one have to be sacrificed?

Controlled Chaos


Kate Allenton - 2020
    My secret precognitive abilities warned me so. There is no changing my fate, no matter how hard I try. When I take a gunshot wound to the chest, my final resting place will be a shallow grave. If only I knew who will pull the trigger. My lifetime of running won’t help me now. It’s too late for that. There is no walking away from this moment or from the man I was destined to love for the rest of my life, no matter how little time I may have left. Porter Anderson I needed the help of the one woman who is avoiding me at all cost. This is just my luck. This is personal, and long-overdue where answers are on the line. Getting her to agree is going to be impossible, especially when we met and I discovered that she sees only her impending demise in my eyes. I’m going to have to get creative in convincing her to help solve my case and, more importantly, figuring out how to keep her alive.

Chasing Whispers: Women's Fiction Romantic Suspense


Jennifer Youngblood - 2021
    

Moonshine Hollow Box Set


Kathleen Brooks - 2019
     Moonshine and Murder: Zoey Mathers had everything going for her until one night she lost her biggest client, her job, and her reputation. Leaving her life up to fate, Zoey closed her eyes and pointed. She would serve out her career exile in the small mountain town of Moonshine Hollow where moonshine flowed as freely as a mountain stream. Giving up the law to become a baker in Moonshine Hollow turned out to be the best thing Zoey had ever done. She was happy and enjoying life in her new small town. But Zoey should have learned the first time . . . one night can change your whole life. After unknowingly crashing a battle between witches, Zoey accidentally becomes a witch herself. That’s all before Zoey stumbles over a murder victim and the town’s sheriff becomes involved. Now she’s trying to find a murderer, stop two old witches from playing matchmaker, and learning she’s way more than a mere accidental witch. And that’s all before fate turns up one more sexy hunk of a twist . . .   Moonshine and Malice: What was an accidental witch to do when fate sends a sexy witch on a motorcycle, only to find out he might be there to kill her? Zoey Mathers was adjusting to life as a witch— a real finger wiggling, magic casting, talk to spirits witch who was thrown into the middle of a war between good and evil. And now Slade, fate’s sexy twist, was asking her out on a date and talking about her part in an ancient prophecy. It was up to Zoey to decide if she could trust Slade not to kill her. She also has to discover the reason for her particular powers. And then there’s that little thing about her possibly being the key to ending the War of the Witches. Ah, the quiet small town mountain life. Now, if only she could only avoid losing her heart, and more importantly her life to Slade.   Moonshine and Mayhem: Zoey Mathers was a witch. Not on purpose. It had happened accidentally. But as Zoey was finding out, maybe this had been her fate all along. Luckily the potential witch hunter, Slade, had turned out to be on her side and had found a place in her heart. With the War of the Witches heating up, it’s not just Zoey’s life on the line, but all the witches fighting for good. But fate wasn’t done with Zoey yet. There was a reason she’d become a witch when others wouldn’t have. And that answer was going to change her life even more. Now Zoey was falling in love, fighting for good, and defending the sweet small town of Moonshine Hollow. All while the humans were completely unaware of a war around them. But that was nothing compared to the fight to end the war—the one the prophecy said was up to her. Only one witch was going to survive and she just hoped fate knew what she was doing because Zoey’s life was in the balance.

Governor's Road: A Novel of Southern Proportions


Laurie Byrne Smith - 2012
    This beautifully written book will keep you up all night. There are plenty of clues and there are a lot of hints, but even when you put them all together, it will be close to impossible to puzzle your way to the ending. If you are looking for a book, you can't put down, then Governor's Road is just right for you. Excitement, frisky loving, a mystery of epic proportions and traditional southern pathos make this book a fun and rewarding read. The terrorized children of Governor’s Road grew up without resolution or closure to the most devastating event of their young lives. Their friend, a child their age, disappeared one afternoon and somehow, they never seem to learn what happened. Saddened parents decide to protect their children and the obvious fear recedes in the face of the calm that settles back over the neighborhood. But, fear never really disappears until it's confronted. As adults, JoBeth and Billy set out to discover what happened to little Petey Shiner. The answer brings them to conclusion that there is no perfect childhood, even in a perfect town in a perfect decade. Every town hides its secrets and puts on a good face, even at the expense of its residents. Along the way, JoBeth and Billy discover love and romance. Their kindling of love takes you to places you can only want to return to…and their future makes you happy. It’s their past that is so hard to reconcile. As well as a lot of fun, a dark mystery and hot southern romance, JoBeth and her friends also encounter the harsh reality of Alzheimer’s and aging. Sometimes, a loved one can be lost more than once. The malevolent specter of mental illness surfaces when the reader meets Lucius Sifer and begins to understand the unusual existence the boy leads. The ending is grim but satisfies that need everyone has for justice. The most humble people can achieve heroism without fanfare or acknowledgment. As always, enjoy your adventure into the south...and remember, thoughtful book reviews are welcomed with open arms. Please see Observations of a Transplanted Southern Belle for more of Laurie Byrne Smith's work.