Book picks similar to
The Desert Waits by J. Carson Black


mystery
j-carson-black
mystery-thriller-suspense
romance

Swamp Ghosts


Marcia Meara - 2014
    Johns River of central Florida drew him like a magnet. EcoTour boat owner Maggie Devlin knew all the river's secrets, including the deadliest ones found in the swamps. But neither Maggie nor Gunn was prepared for the danger that would come after them on two legs. On a quest to make history photographing the rarest birds of them all, Gunnar hires the fiery, no-nonsense Maggie to canoe him into the most remote wetland areas in the state. He was unprepared for how much he would enjoy both the trips and Maggie’s company. He soon realizes he wants more than she’s prepared to give, but before he can win her over, they make a grisly discovery that changes everything, and turns the quiet little town of Riverbend upside down. A serial killer is on the prowl among them.

The Dream Jumper's Promise


Kim Hornsby - 2012
    Months after signing the death certificate, she pulls herself from the emotional wreckage and trades mourning for saving her Maui dive shop from bankruptcy. When war hero, Jamey Dunn, walks back into Tina's life, things take a strange turn. Lifelike dreams have the dive instructor questioning her sanity and leaning heavily on Hank's best friend, Noble. Jamey and Noble clash at every turn, both desperate to help Tina. When the dreams uncover clues to Hank's disappearance, Jamey must reveal his strange ability to enter dreams. But for Tina, trusting the man who betrayed her years before, doesn't come easily, and the decision to let Jamey enter her subconscious has a price she isn't sure she can pay. As Noble, Tina and Jamey get closer to solving the mystery of Hank's disappearance, grave danger sets in to reveal that one person is flirting with insanity, one is a traitor, and one is an impostor.

The Diary: The Complete Loving a Killer Serial


Julia Derek - 2014
    TERRIBLE SECRETS.Happily married Lexi Woods thought losing a child would be the worst thing that could ever happen to her. She was wrong. It turns out that life has more ugly surprises for her. When she is finally through the heavy depression of losing her newborn, she finds her husband’s diary. As she reads it, she learns that he’s been unfaithful to her. He’s not at all the man she thought he was. Unfortunately, that’s not the worst part. Not only has the love of her life gone behind her back -- but it also looks like he killed his mistress... What else could he be hiding?NOTE: This edition contains all three novellas of the Loving a Killer serial. The first is entitled The Diary, the second The Other Woman, and the third Guilty. It has some sexual content.

Secrets


Kristen Heitzmann - 2004
    What happened all those years ago, and what is it she so desperately needs him to find? The old villa in Sonoma holds the answers, but it is now owned by a young woman who neither knows nor cares about his mission. But Rese Barret is a force to contend with, and her own impending storm could sweep him up as their sparring creates a fierce and uncomfortable attraction. From bestselling author Kristen Heitzmann.

Bubba and the Dead Woman


C.L. Bevill - 2010
    His ex-fiancee is deader than a door nail and everyone thinks he dun did it. His house is haunted. His mother is running an illegal gambling ring. His dog likes to bite people too much. And he's got to find out who really did it before the sheriff throws him in jail...again.

Unspoken Fear


Hunter Morgan - 2006
    . . In a sleepy little rural town in Delaware, someone is stalking the residents, murdering them for sins they thought were committed in secret. Seeking Redemption . . . After serving five years for vehicular homicide while driving drunk, Noah Gibson has just been released from prison. He's lost everything: his job as parish priest, his wife and his home. He's also blacking out and can't account for his time when the murders were committed. Unspoken Fear . . . Rachel Gibson has done her best to forget her ex-reverend husband, but she begins to fall in love with him all over again--seemingly against her will. Now she wonders if her new-found love is responsible for the brutal deaths of former friends and neighbors, killed to "pay" for their sins. From The Publisher: Hunter Morgan creates chilling suspense with romantic elements in small town settings. Fans of Melinda Leigh, Loreth Anne White, Skye Jordan as well as Mary Burton will enjoy this and other Hunter Morgan romantic suspense stories. Other Titles By Hunter Morgan: She'll Never Tell She'll Never Live She'll Never Know What She Can't See Unspoken Fear Are You Scared Yet Don't Turn Around

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!

Indigo Fire


Vickie McKeehan - 2016
    Their sister has gone missing along with her husband and two kids. But the mystery only deepens when they learn a visitor to the town has also disappeared. Are the two cases related? And, if so, what are the people in their hometown hiding?

The Profiler


Chris Taylor - 2014
    . . Federal Agent Clayton Munro, a criminal profiler with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), has been called upon to assist in hunting down a vicious murderer who is intent upon carving up his victims while they’re still alive. Guilt-stricken over his wife’s suicide, Clayton’s forced to set aside his personal issues in order to focus on the case. Detective Ellie Cooper is also no stranger to heartache. Pregnant and abandoned at the altar by a fiancé intent on pursuing a career with the AFP, her opinion of the elite body of officers is anything but favorable. Angered when her boss orders her to partner with the Fed, she’s determined not to cut him any slack. But women are dying on the streets of western Sydney and the pressure is mounting to find the person responsible. Will Clayton and Ellie be able to put aside their animosity and work together to catch a killer before it’s too late? And what about the special fascination the killer seems to have with Ellie . . .

Dark Desires


Eve Silver - 2005
    Damien Cole. Ignoring the whispered warnings and rumours that he's a man to fear, she takes her position at his eerie estate, where she quickly discovers that nothing is at it seems, least of all her handsome and brooding employer. As Darcie struggles with her fierce attraction to Damien, she must also deal with the blood, the disappearances ... and the murders.With her options dwindling and time running out, Darcie must rely on her instincts as she confronts the man she falling in love with. Is he an innocent and misunderstood man ... or a remorseless killer who prowls the East End streets?Note: All books in the Dark Gothic series can be read as stand-alone novels.

A Honeybun and Coffee


Sam Cheever - 2008
    Picturing a frail, helpless old Englishman, Angie rushes to warn him. There's only one, small problem, Alastair Honeybun is six foot two inches of yummy man, who's perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But when the thugs show up while Angie's still there, they soon figure out they'll need to take care of each other.

Remix


Lexi Revellian - 2010
    When shabby but charismatic Joe and his dog turn up on her roof terrace, she is reluctantly drawn into investigating a rock star’s murder from three years before – an unsolved case the police have closed. Which, as her best friend James says, is rather like poking a furnace with a short stick…Oracle, AMAZON VINE VOICE REVIEWER, wrote: “This is a highly addictive novel, a good old-fashioned murder mystery with a dash of 21st century celebrity glamour. I struggled to put it down. Lexi Revellian is great at crafting a plot that moves at speed but her biggest talent is in creating characters that the reader can really care about, characters that seem like old friends as the novel draws to a close. Overall, Remix is great fun, extremely entertaining and - dare I say it - would make an excellent transition to the small or big screen.”Full length novel: 75,000 words, by the author of REPLICA.

Buried Secrets


Emme Rollins - 2010
    But Nick is dead, found murdered in their local cemetery, and Dusty simply can’t rest until she finds out who–or what–has killed her brother.Sure the local authorities aren’t being straight with her–or anyone else–about what’s been going on in their little upper Michigan town, Dusty delays going off to college for a semester, defying her father and stepmother and taking a job in the local bar to start doing some digging.Her focus soon fixes on Shane, her brother’s best friend and the town bad boy. The tension and rivalry between Dusty and Shane has always been palpable and sparks fly as the two collide. Dusty finds herself sinking in deeper with Shane and the mystery of what happened to her brother–and a lengthening list of victims–grows even stranger.When everything comes to a head, Dusty focuses on one thing: What happened the night her brother was killed in the cemetery? She’s sure Shane is keeping a secret and she’s determined to find out what it is, one way or another.

The Choice


Lorhainne Eckhart - 2011
    Marcie is crazy in love with Dan who has been using her and promising his love in return. And she'll do anything for him, which is fast becoming a one way ticket to trouble. But in a freak accident she loses her memory landing in the path of sexy DEA Agent Sam Carre. Two Men...For DEA Agent Sam Carre when this attractive stranger lands in his path he just can't resist helping her, even though he's haunted by a past that gives him no peace. But as the sparks fly so do questions of what she's really involved in.And a choice that could kill her...This complex case pushes them both to explain the unexplainable bringing them face to face with generations-old evil and a haunting question. Sam's forced to make a choice: walk away from the attraction connecting them or risk losing everything.

I Kill Rich People


Mike Bogin - 2012
    The killer has disappeared without a trace. Long Island’s summer season shuts down as the body count mounts. No more yachting, dinners on the terrace, or charity galas. The Hamptons are empty. Having immense wealth suddenly isn’t fun, not while a silent and capable sniper is on the hunt. He isn’t seeking attention. He isn’t after ransom. His motives are unknown. The only insight is found on index cards which show up in the mailrooms of major news stations saying “I KILL RICH PEOPLE”. The donor whales scream at New York’s Mayor, Congressmen, and Senators for protection. But money and power won’t stop the shooter. As the killing continues, a fan club grows for the shooter; the rich are suddenly the enemy, thanks mainly to Emerson Elliot, the radio shock jock who fans the flames. Elliot’s program exercises a populist voice that, to the ultra-rich, makes Elliot as threatening as the shooter.While New York’s richest hide or die, a dozen law-enforcement agencies scramble for answers. Each agency is grabbing for newly-released federal funds and every one of them pursues its own agenda. Only Owen Cullen, NYPD’s lead detective, puts his life on the line to stop the shooter simply because that is the job. His job is to catch the killer, even as he is losing his own home to foreclosure. His family and friends might not understand, but Owen can’t afford to have second thoughts about saving billionaires. He has to do it; the job is who he is.Owen and the select inter-agency unit around him begin to see some success while thousands of others are failing, but their momentum presses them toward a collision that some of them may not survive.***Note: Be sure to skim over official documents: autopsies, death certificates. These do not offer critical details so don't get bogged down in them.