Book picks similar to
Hellyer's Trip by Philip Prowse


espionage
fiction
fiction-espionage-thriller
genre-mys-thrill-act

In Search of Vindication


Ethan Westfield - 2020
    Deputy Marshal in Kansas for a great deal of his life. As soon as his brother Tommy stops answering his letters, he gets extremely alarmed and decides to take matters into his own hands. When he puts a plan in place to travel to Texas, little does he know that a shattering surprise awaits him there; his brother has been found dead, next to the body of one of the most powerful ranchers in town. Will Lee manage to unravel the truth behind these enigmatic and shocking deaths?While Lee is still aghast, the local sheriff declares Tommy's death a suicide, and also accuses him of attempting robbery and murder. On the spur of the moment, the case is considered closed, which makes Lee highly suspicious. Feeling that they drag Tommy's name through the mud, he decides to defy the law and seek vindication. Will he succeed in this lonesome yet risky mission? How will he solve this demanding riddle and clear his brother's name?Lee's hazardous quest begins, having Susan Marsh and Ki'Somma, a young Cherokee medicine man, on his side. Doubts, lies, deceits, serious injuries as well as many other roadblocks will derange their endless undertaking. Will they manage to join forces triumphantly and complete this challenging mission? Or will Tommy always be remembered as a ruthless criminal?

Smith: A Detective Jason Smith Thriller


Stewart Giles - 2014
    It is Christmas Day in York. A woman is found dead in her bed. A suicide note is found on her chest. It reads ‘I am so sorry Martin’. Hours later the police are called to a house a few miles away. A mother and her daughter have been brutally attacked; the mother is dead and the daughter is barely alive. The father is found shaking uncontrollably in the corner of the room. He is covered in blood but he is unharmed. His name is Martin Willow. Detective Sergeant Jason Smith is put in charge of the investigation. After reaching dead end after dead end, Smith starts to put the pieces together and figures out that Martin Willow is innocent and the killer is still out there. The little girl who was attacked on Christmas Day wakes from her coma and gives Smith a clue about the attacker; a piece of a song she heard directly before the attack. Smith then finds himself in a race against time to find this maniac before he kills again.

Unwound


Jonathan Baine - 2007
    Chronicling the sordid world of a teenage prostitute, it was the biggest bestseller of the year. It broke conventions, inspired a cult following, and made Peter Robertson rich, admired...and scared. There, on the edge of the crowd, he always sees her. She not only looks like Angel, she embodies the desperate creature he created. Everywhere Peter goes, she goes, obsessed with everything about him. What could she possibly want? Soon, curiosity will get the best of him. So will the girl with the haunted eyes. Because what she's really after is something that will explode Peter's world.

Deadly Requests


Terri Reid - 2017
    She was sure of it. But with no bodies and no missing persons reports, who would believe her? The profile photos attached to the friend requests Police Officer JJ Victory received were disturbing. The women were posed to look relaxed, but their unseeing eyes told another story. Was she going to have to solve this mystery on her own, or would she receive help from a unlikely source? A man who had a great deal of experience with the dead.

Let Bhutto Eat Grass


Shaunak Agarkhedkar - 2022
    India tested a nuke just months earlier, and Pakistan is desperate to acquire a few for themselves. Unfortunately for Bhutto, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, his scientists are nowhere close to building a nuclear weapon.Capt. Sablok, an intelligence analyst, is convinced that the Pakistani agent in Europe is passing sensitive weapons technology to back to Pakistan.But his evidence is weak. His inexperience and reputation for alcoholism conspire against him, and his Section Chief declines to authorise an operation.Sablok, however, has finally found a sense of purpose after two miserable years, and he will not give up without a fight. The only other person he trusts in R&AW is a washed-up Case Officer who was an outstanding field agent once.But can the two of them rein the ISI in before Pakistan steals all the technology it needs?

Credible Dagger


Gregory M. Acuña - 2013
    Four Belgrade University students are enjoying the time of their lives. Fresh with a wad full of foreign currency and few worries, their innocence is suddenly shaken when Field Marshal Göring’s Luftwaffe bombers strike the city at daybreak in “Operation Punishment.” The four students, Josef Kostinic, Celeste Bowman, Dick Vojovoda, and Penelope Mitchell take refuge and flee the city, only to have their rescue hopes dashed as Axis aircraft strafe the Adriatic coastline, sealing off their exit and forcing them in different directions. Two years later, with the United States formally entered into the war, the four students are unknowingly reunited once again. This time, British and U.S. intelligence services combine forces and infiltrate a team into Yugoslavia to determine the true credibility of Chetnick resistance leader Draza Mihailovich, code named Credible Dagger. The young companions must not only survive the harsh conditions in the field, but also Partisan guerrilla attacks, Communist double agents, and the ruthless tactics of SS counter-intelligence chief Hans Flosberg, who is constantly on their trail. Despite all these challenges, the operatives uncover information so crucial that the Allies keep it a secret for almost sixty years. About the Author: Gregory M. Acuña was a former U.S. Air Force pilot. He grew up in San Diego and now lives in Northern California. This is his second novel and he is currently writing the sequel to The Balkan Network.

The Variant


John August - 2009
    But when a terrified woman falls through his bathroom ceiling, he's forced back into a life of gunfights, double agents and paranormal research. The secret he's been keeping for nearly four decades might reunite him with his lost love, or kill millions.This new short story by John August falls into the genre of paranoid "spy-fi" popularized by writers like Jorge Luis Borges and shows like The Prisoner and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.== What Others Say =="I really dug the story. Gave it a glance just to see, got totally hooked, and blazed on through to the end."-- Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, The Yiddish Policemen's Union) "The Variant" is both a good, fun, smart story and an interesting experiment in indie self-publishing for fiction."-- John Gruber, daringfireball.net== About the Author ==An excerpt of The Variant is available at johnaugust.com/variant About the AuthorJohn August is the screenwriter of eight feature films, including Go, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride. He wrote and directed the 2007 movie The Nines.He can be found on Twitter, @johnaugust

Out of the Shadows


Tim Jopling - 2015
    Akira is a dangerous man, a man who has lost everything and has nothing to lose. Fuelled by the death of his beloved wife Madeline and desperate to seek revenge on those who took her from him, Akira is on a mission, a mission to rid the world of the corrupt West and everything it stands for and he has one man set in his sights. Thomas Deane, a fiercely loyal MI6 agent and one half of an elite partnership he is everything Akira despises - a patriotic man devoted to the service of his country, no matter what the cost. Assisted by the brave S.U.C.O. agents (Special Undercover Covert Operations) the elite MI6 team, are completely unaware of what lies ahead. Will they succeed in bringing Akira out of the shadows?

The Pennwood Haunting


S.K. Zurcher - 2016
    Even the high cost of tuition can’t damper her enthusiasm. Luck continues to be on her side when she finds the perfect place to live, a beautiful house that is close to campus and within her meager budget.But when Shelly moves into the large Victorian house at 1020 Sycamore Lane, strange things begin to occur. Unexplained noises that wake her up at night and a flowery odor that fills her bedroom at odd times. When she sees a frightening apparition emerge from her basement, she finally concedes that it is not her imagination playing tricks on her. It isn’t long before Shelly realizes her dream of attending Pennwood has become a nightmare. She turns to the only person who can help, Dr. Larry Barnett, Pennwood University’s only parapsychologist. Together they embark on a journey to discover the identity of the spirit haunting Shelly’s house. But as the haunting escalates and events turn violent, it soon becomes apparent that it will take more than Shelly and Dr. Barnett to put the spirits at 1020 Sycamore Lane to rest.

The Trinket Box


John Kaden - 2014
    His memory has been slipping, and he worries that soon he won’t remember her at all.When he finds a vintage cigar box hidden in June’s old dresser, he begins to obsess over the odd collection of knick-knacks contained inside it — but his journey to remember the past will take a horrifying turn for the worse.

Almost a Queen: A Three Graces Novella (The Three Graces Trilogy #1)


Laura Du Pre - 2016
    Youngest sister, Marie is trapped in an unhappy arranged marriage with her cousin, Henri, Prince de Conde. Determined to make the best of her situation, she awaits the wedding of the King of Navarre in Paris. Paris of 1572 boils with religious war, and few will make it out of the wedding celebrations alive. Those that do survive face an impossible choice: convert or die. Will Marie and Conde make the decision to abandon their Protestant faith in order to save their lives? Will it cost them their souls? Along with the threat of death comes a change for true love with the king's younger son, the Duc d'Anjou. Yet Marie promised to love honor and cherish her husband till death did them part. Will death part them soon? Is it possible to find love in the midst of tragedy? Based on a true story The Cleves sisters' story starts with Marie, the youngest sister introduces you to the world of court politics in France of the 1500s. Like most great noble families of the period, the web of intermarriages and alliances made enemies out of blood relatives. It also meant that the stories of the people who served the Valois monarchs were as intertwined and as complicated as their marriages. Led by the ever-vigilant Catherine de Medici, Queen Mother of France and a force of nature, the members of the court shaped the political and religious future of France of the Sixteenth Century. In upcoming novels, you'll meet the often- derided Charlotte, Madame de Sauve, and enough royal mistresses to satisfy your need for scandal. ˃˃˃ Don't miss out! Marie's story is one for the ages, and one that needs to be told. So don’t wait, scroll up and grab your copy today. You'll instantly be front and center at the world of the Valois court, and all of the danger and splendor of Renaissance France! Review “A beautifully written book!” About the Author Reading historical fiction was my guilty pleasure when I was a kid. I think I learned more about history from reading Jean Plaidy's novels. It wasn't a big surprise when I decided to go to graduate school and get my own degree in history. Before I became a writer, I worked full time as an archivist. I spent 40 hours a week talking with full time academics and researchers, secretly envying them for being on the other side of the table. Eventually, I got tired of handing historical documents to other people and decided to write historical fiction full time. Man, am I glad I made that switch! In school, I researched the Gilded Age and the 1920s of the American South, so French history really wasn't part of my curriculum. I ran across some stories about my ancestor, who I was shocked to learn had a “French sounding last name.” While I researched her and her Huguenot ancestors, I ran across the people of the Valois dynasty. I really never left their era, so you're looking at my refusal to leave. The Three Graces Trilogy continues with eldest sister, Henriette and will conclude with middle sister Catherine's story.

Banquo's Ghosts


Rich Lowry - 2009
    With the assistance of his most trusted agent, Robert Wallets, Banquo recruits Peter Johnson, a dissolute, morally bankrupt liberal news journalist, to travel to Iran. Johnson poses as a sympathetic reporter writing a piece on the country’s nuclear facilities. His mission: to kill the scientist. Like many elaborate plans, Johnson’s assassination attempt fails. The journalist falls into Iranian hands and is tortured to confess—a staggering security crisis for the United States. Aided by Wallets and the battle-hardened Marjorie Morningstar—the CIA operatives who trained him—Johnson escapes from Iran.Now back in the United States, Johnson helps Banquo and his CIA cohorts lead a team of federal agents and New York City officials in tracking down a group of suspected Iranian terrorists in New York who are planning to commit nuclear terrorism by dispersing a highly radioactive material throughout the city streets and subways. When Johnson’s only daughter is kidnapped by the Iranians, he and Banquo must race against time to save her...and the City of New York.

The Mother Keeper


Paula Scott - 2017
     Shawn Klein has it all. The beautiful girlfriend. The scholarship to play football at Vanderbilt after he graduates high school. At eighteen, he leads worship at his father’s prosperous megachurch. His life is perfect. So why isn’t he happy? Everything changes when Shawn’s parents bring Ellie into their home to care for her until she gives birth. It’s the life with a real family that Ellie has always dreamed about, and the kind of future Shawn never knew he wanted, until Ellie’s past threatens to destroy everything. Jenny McBride has lost her faith and her reason to live in a terrible accident in Colorado Springs, but meeting the pregnant teenager, Ellie just might turn things around. When Jenny arrives in Tennessee to adopt Ellie's baby, only one thing is certain. A baby will be born, along with a crime of passion, and a desperate struggle to bury the truth.

Guest Of Honor: A Novelette


Mark S.R. Peterson - 2013
    Parties, booze, boys--you name it, she does it. Her parents don't care what she does, and when she is home they ignore her. Their attitude started over a year ago when Megan's older brother was tragically killed in a car accident. Then, when her parents die on the same road that took her brother, Megan decides to start over and move far away. She auctions off her parents' property, a country home in northwestern Minnesota, and heads down to the Twin Cities. Megan knows hitchhiking is dangerous, but lately has become a way of life. And this time is no different. She gets picked up by Bart Simms, an attorney from Minneapolis, who agrees to take her where she needs to go. But only after he conducts a bit of estate planning business. The Engels are a farming family who live not far from Megan's old place. They revel peacefully in their secluded backwoods sanctuary, and have a strong desire to keep as much of the government away from their family's farming legacy. Hence the reason they sought the impecable skills of Bart Simms, who has a deep reputation for saving many family farms from unwanted death and estate taxes. But Megan has a problem with the Engels. She has never heard of them, and she's lived in the area all of her life. When she explores their home, she finds more that is out of sorts. She discovers a picture of a teenage girl. A girl who resembles that of a recent murder victim from Minneapolis. Is there more to this backwoods family than meets the eye? This suspenseful story was inspired by the gruesome real-life tales of Ed Gein and the Master of Horror himself Stephen King. Also included in this are two bonus materials: a serial killer short story titled "Hatchet Harry" and an excerpt of Mark S. R. Peterson's thriller novel (published August 2013) titled BEHOLDER'S EYE.

The World of Adam Dunne


Tobor Eichmann - 2016
    He has a secret locked inside of him and only he holds the key. Horrifying visions haunt him day and night. As Adam unravels the mystery surrounding his past, he discovers that the world around him isn't what it seems.