Book picks similar to
Teach Yourself Treachery by John Burke


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Evil Minds


Tim Kizer - 2017
    The battle of wits begins and only the most devious mind will survive.  HITCHHIKER, a suspense novelette  ------------------AN EVIL MIND, a suspense novel  How do you stop a serial killer who can escape from any prison?On December 11, fifteen-year-old Helen Hinton is brutally murdered in an abandoned house.Her killer, Edward Phillips, is caught and sentenced to death. Helen's blood was on Edward's clothes and shoes, the murder weapon has his fingerprints on it.Edward claims he's innocent. He's telling the truth.Two months after Edward Phillips is transferred to death row, a murder similar to Helen's occurs in another city. The victim is eighteen-year-old Laura Sumner.On an October morning, Mark Hinton, Helen's father, visits Edward in prison to talk about Laura Sumner's case. Edward tells him that he knows who really killed Helen.What he doesn't tell Mark is that the real killer is the most dangerous criminal on the planet.------------------MANIA, a suspense novelRichard Brower has killed a dozen people. Now someone is trying to frame him for the murders committed by another serial killer.Serial killer Richard Brower buried his cheating wife, Mary, in the woods on Saturday.On Monday, Mary calls her brother's girlfriend.A few days later, she calls her mom.Then Mary bumps into her friend at a mall.Are all these people lying or has Mary actually come back from the dead?Richard has no idea, but he will get to the bottom of this. Or at least he'll try.

Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery: Books 10-12


Kathi Daley - 2015
     Christmas Cozy - Christmas in Ashton Falls is always a magical time of year. The first big snow has arrived, the tree in the town square has been decorated, the window displays completed, and Hometown Christmas is just around the corner. Zoe finds herself knee deep in holiday shopping and Children’s wishes as she and Zak play host to nine year old Scooter Sherwood and his friend Alex. Although a bit hectic, the magic of Christmas is in full bloom and things couldn’t be more perfect until Zoe finds the body of history teacher Holly Jolly in the Ashton Falls High School Christmas Tree lot run by best friend Levi Denton and is pulled into a dangerous holiday investigation. Alaskan Alliance - Zak and Zoe fly to Alaska after Zoe is asked by her dog trainer friend Peter to fly to Moosehead Alaska to deliver a search and rescue dog to a team who is desperate for some canine help after their own dog is injured during a rescue. Within twelve hours of arriving in the isolated little town, Zoe stumbles onto a murder scene where everything must be questioned because nothing is exactly as it seems. When a second body is found and a five year old cold case is reexamined, things go from complicated to bizarre. Meanwhile Levi and Ellie are home in Ashton Falls dealing with complex emotions as they solve their own thorny mystery.

Under the Legend


Carolina Carter - 2016
    This is an alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B01FRGK8EO.Find yourself on a secret island where dead celebrities live… And see if you make it out alive.Pilot and investigative reporter Nola Mitchell is on the assignment of a lifetime when she stumbles into a story more sensational than anything she’s ever covered.Forced to crash-land on an uncharted island in the South Pacific, she discovers a hidden paradise, a last resort for those wealthy enough to leave the world behind—forever.Actors and aristocrats, politicians and musicians… All supposedly dead, all very much alive, and all under the protection of an elite security force that will do anything to protect their shared secret.But Nola can’t let her mother live with the heartbreak of her imagined death, and she searches for an escape through unlikely allies as desperate as she is.When she starts falling for the man who must kill her if she tries to leave, she’s faced with an impossible decision: turn her back on true love, or face a menacing director hell-bent on exterminating her.

Keeper of the Well


Steve Kaide - 2017
    The one thing that lets him escape the monotony is writing his fantasy novel, Keeper of the Well. Until he discovers something about his book that leaves him terrified, something impossible. Jack’s normal life is thrown into chaos, and he finds himself wrapped up in an adventure wilder than anything he could have written himself. An ancient order from another world threatens to destroy Earth, and mankind will be defenseless without his help. Soon, Jack will realize he must bear the weight of destiny upon his shoulders. Keeper of the Well is a thrilling, unique take on modern fantasy that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Hand of Strange Children: A nerve-shredding mystery thriller


Robert Richardson - 1993
     Details trickle in: the house belongs to wealthy merchant banker Charles Stansfield; present are well-known news editor Richard Barlow and members of his family. But the victims identities are withheld. Who are they? Why has a family gathering exploded into violence and death? Through their individual voices the lives of Richard, Tim and Naomi Barlow and their mother, Florence, unfold and a shocking crime comes to light - one that has gone undetected and unpunished, culminating in a double-killing a quarter of a century later. The Hand of Strange ChildrenPraise for Robert Richardson ''With this, his first novel, Robert Richardson makes a most impressive debut as a writer of the classical English detective story… He knows how to create suspense and an atmosphere of incipient evil; he provides us with a genuine puzzle, his characters are believable people, and the motive of his murderer is psycho-logically credible.” P D James “Skilful rerouting and the taste of real tears” The Sunday Times “Eccentrics, suspects and witty writing abound” The Times “Here is a book to be missed only at your own peril” Armchair Detective “Elegantly written, beautifully characterised, suspenseful and oddly moving” Mystery Reader’s Journal “Grand entertainment, deft handling and suave wit” Publishers Weekly Robert Richardson is a journalist and editor who lives in England.

Murder At The Fourth: A Forest Pines Mystery


Duncan Whitehead - 2016
    That is until local businessman, Donald Sands, is found murdered on the local golf course. Young and inexperienced Sheriff, Steve Calder, needs help and turns to Jenny to assist him in his investigation. Suddenly Jenny is plunged into a mystery unlike any other she has encountered and faces a multitude of suspects who all have a reason to rejoice the victim's death. It isn’t going to be as easy as Jenny thought, as she tries to find out who killed the most unpopular man in town. A string of mistresses, a jealous husband, a shady realtor as well as a down on his luck store owner, who couldn't repay a debt, are just some of the suspects as the plot thickens, and twists abound. Meanwhile, skeletons from Jenny's past are rattling their unwelcome bones. The truth contorts to a climax that will leave readers breathless.

The Mushroom Mystery


Agnes Lester Brown - 2018
    Mayor Riley has hatched a hare-brained scheme to turn the tranquil, picturesque village into an garish theme park, much to the disgust of the Whitewood Witches. Fortunately the Mushroom Convention arrives in town, buying them time to stop their crazy mayor. But then a famous mushroom expert is murdered at the convention, and it's up to feisty Lori Whitewood and her inventive family of witches to use all their magic potion prowess to catch a dangerous, unpredictable killer and save Fennelmoore from imminent destruction. In between Lori has trouble coping with the advances of the handsome but enigmatic Matt. What does he know about the murder that he's not sharing with her? Will she solve the mystery before the killer escapes from Fennelmoore?

Death on D'Urville: A Claire Hardcastle Mystery


Penelope Haines - 2019
     When Claire’s routine flight to pick up regular passenger, Jorge, from a remote island turns into a homicide investigation, she is excited to discover she may hold a clue to the crime! A growing attraction to investigator Detective Sergeant Jack Body, and a desire to help solve the murder, leads Claire into a world of disputed Maori history, artefact smuggling and child abuse. Death on D’Urville is the first novel in the Claire Hardcastle Mystery series set in New Zealand, following Claire’s adventures as a commercial pilot, flying instructor and accidental detective.

The Gypsy Hill Murders


P.J. Thurbin - 2012
    J. Thurbin, a new writer to the fictional crime scene. He has a unique and fast moving style that will appeal to the reader who likes mysteries that are in the genre of those by John Grisham and M.C. Beaton. His book has all the ingredients that one would expect to find in a classic murder mystery. It is centered on an ivy covered Victorian house set within the campus of a modern University just outside London. A group of five academics find themselves embroiled in a series of vicious attacks that are linked to incidents that took place 100 years earlier. The main character, Ralph Chalmers, a Professor of International Business, attempts to unravel the links between a 100 year old skeleton found on the site and a series of recent attacks in the University, while at the same time courting an old flame from his days as a student at Cambridge University. Inspector Linham and his Sergeant Wilson also strive to apprehend the villains and lend an air of authenticity to the investigations. As the plot thickens, various members of the academic staff are seen to have motives that would also implicate them in the events that unfold. The atmosphere of jealousy and mistrust is stimulated by the character of the head caretaker, Jack Welsh, a retired army Master at Arms who has compelling reasons for wanting to unravel the mystery. The book is fast moving in that the plot moves to Australia, France, Monte Carlo, and the world of diamond trading, while delving into the backgrounds and lives of the main characters. A final twist will leave the reader surprised at how greed and desperation can result in tragedy. Thurbin manages to entertain by depicting the frailties of his main characters in all too familiar ways, while at the same time adding just enough intrigue to keep the reader turning the pages. This novel is for anyone who likes the thrill of a good mystery with plenty of action coupled with the element of surprise. -------------------------------

The Cabin: A Riveting Kidnapping Mystery


Robert J. Walker - 2021
    A thirty-year-old cold case. A kidnapper with nothing to lose.When a middle-aged man returns to a small town claiming to be a teenager abducted by a cult thirty years prior, a former detective steps out of retirement to uncover the truth. But picking at old wounds tends to make them bleed.

Hell's Mouth


A.P. Bateman - 2017
    An unthinkable crime that somebody has attempted to cover up. Tasked with investigating, he soon finds himself immersed in a world of deception, police corruption and organised crime. O’Bryan has his own dark secrets too. In a place where he has no alliances and is viewed with suspicion, it is only a matter of time before he is found out. For so many years the dramatic and rugged coastline of Cornwall had been the scene to smuggling, deception and murder. Now, O’Bryan will find out how little has changed.

Shifters of Twisted Rock


Sofia Westlake - 2019
    As Alice pokes around looking for answers, she finds a surprising fellow mystery lover in the pastor of the local Twisted Rock Church of the Holy Cross. Pastor Joe is surprisingly good looking, shockingly difficult to rattle, and might even be understanding of the supernatural world. If the supernatural world doesn’t decide to do away with Pastor Joe before he can do something dramatic, like an exorcism on a certain cursed necklace. Part 2: The Serpent’s Shadow Shapeshifter Lacey Bostick is absolutely thrilled when local boy Silas Beardley brings a jade serpent’s head brooch into the antique shop. Although, Lacey is more interested in handsome Silas than his brooch. He swears that his great, great grandmother found the thing in a pharaoh’s tomb in Egypt. As soon as the brooch is sent away for authentication a series of mysterious mishaps start plaguing Silas. It is up to Lacey to find out whether or not the brooch is haunted, or if it really is the most effective good luck charm ever. It might even bring Lacey and Silas to the best moment of their lives. Part 3: One Man’s Trash Daphne loves dolls. When she finds a treasure trove of antique dolls just sitting in a box on the curb waiting for trash day, she cannot resist stopping to save the poor things. But when Daphne brings the dolls to Vaguely Vintage, Clara tells her that she’s stumbled onto a box of dolls that carry a horrible curse. Some poking around leads Daphne to the doorstep of local journalist Archie Rawlins. The truth is that Archie is pretty sure his crazy ancestors used the dolls to torment their neighbors. Ever since then, the dolls have been haunted. When strange things start to happen at Daphne’s house, Archi is determined to keep the sweet doll lover from being the next victim. It will take all of Daphne’s wits as a budding witch to put this supernatural story to bed and win the heart of the handsome hero. Part 4: The Story of Vintage Emily Alden is a half fairy. That means she has some unusual talents. When someone donates a box full of dusty old tomes to the local elementary school, Clara Bostick sends Emily to go and have a look. Unfortunately for Emily, science teacher Wade Orson got there first. Wade’s scientific certainty is on full display as he tries to decode the mathematics in the books. Emily doesn’t have the heart to tell him that it’s fairy math. But when strange things start happening at school, Emily realizes that she’s going to have to figure out who at the elementary school is reading those magical books with enough knowledge to put the incantations to use. Fortunately for Emily, Wade isn’t about to let fairy math carry the day. The two are going to need every bit of their considerable intelligence and a good dose of old fashion toughness to solve this mystery. Part 5: All that Glitters Shapeshifter Clara Bostick has almost resigned herself to being a spinster. It will be a chance to spend her life searching out the strangest and most cursed antiquities that the Eastern United States has to offer. Then Sawyer Hollander shows up at Vaguely Vintage with a glittering gold belt buckle he claims is cursed by the cowboy who died trying to win the buckle. Clara has had a crush on Sawyer all her life, but he’s never been a guy she could trust. Soon Clara finds herself twisted up so many threads of gossip in Twisted Rock, that she can’t possibly see how they all fit together. But as the tapestry begins to reveal itself, Clara sees one thing very clearly. Sawyer Hollander is in Twisted Rock for avery specific reason.

Salford Murders


Bud Craig - 2016
    Three books in one!With the atmosphere of urban decline and inner-city violence, these three murder mysteries are set in the metropolitan area of Salford, Manchester - one of the most deprived areas in England.Ex-rugby player turned social worker Gus Keane is a man who, faced with the disinterest of the Police, becomes a private investigator in order to find out who murdered his boss. Not surprisingly, law enforcement don't want someone meddling in the case, but increasingly they turn to Keane's local knowledge to bring the culprit to justice.Three related detective mysteries in one bumper volume on KindleAs reviewers have remarked, these books form a trilogy but each can be read on its own, without having read the others. This is partly because Gus Keane is an immediately likeable detective: he has his faults, and is always getting into trouble; but he has a way of getting the truth out of people and, hardened to the rough world of Salford, his local knowledge is key.THE THREE BOOKS IN THE TRILOGYTACKLING DEATH: A pacey pulp Private Eye thriller set in a northern English townEx-rugby football player turned social worker Gus Keane is getting ready for retirement when his boss gets murdered. Finding himself under suspicion, Keane turns private detective to find out the truth. But when he closes in on the killer will Keane come out on top or fall victim to the murderer’s desperate moves?DEAD CERTAINTY: Social worker turned Private Eye Gus Keane returns in this gripping murder mysteryIf something happens in Salford, Manchester, it is generally bad news and when two dead bodies turn up within a few hours of one another, it is no exception. With the local force stretched to the limits and firing blanks ex-rugby player Gus Keane is asked to step in to help find the culprits. What follows is an ever thickening plot as Keane gradually begins to unravel a mystery from Salford's shady past.FALLING FOUL: Private investigator Gus Keane is back with a difficult new case to solveWith his ex-wife appearing back on the scene and relations with his girlfriend Marti troubled, the murder of one of Gus Keane's colleagues comes at a really bad time. Yet when his friend Jimmy is accused of the murder, he really must step up to the plate. With his knowledge of the local area, and a healthy suspicion that nothing anyone says is true, private investigator Keane must find the killer before Jimmy is convicted.These books are also available as individual titles on Kindle and are FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

The Villagers


A.J. Griffiths-Jones - 2016
     Olive & Geoffrey are happier than ever. After moving to the countryside to bring up their three young children, they are welcomed with open arms by the friendly and helpful residents of the chocolate box village. But beyond the veil of rhododendrons and net curtains, there is something more. Just as Olive is settling in and starting to integrate with the community, she finds out that all is not as it first seemed. As her discoveries become more and more sinister, Olive begins to fear for her own sanity. With her husband doubting her, Olive is faced with choices that will decide the fate of her family. The Villagers paints an intriguing picture of a 1950s English country village, where not everyone is who they first appear to be. Praise for THE VILLAGERS: "Reminds me of the late great Maeve Binchy." -Amazon Review- "A very entertaining read."-County Woman Magazine-

Never Say Goodbye: A True Story


Robert Anstey - 2016
    While this evil war has torn half the world apart, it has also pulled half the world together. Soldiers both men and women, under American and British flags, gather on the coast of England just days before D-Day. Four friends become brothers and face their greatest fears together. With the coastline packed with ships, and the sky full of planes, hundreds of thousands of soldiers prepare to stand in the crossroads of history. In an impossible moment in time, a young British woman meets an American soldier as he prepares to embark on his treacherous journey. He promised to return and she promised to wait. Join these courageous young men and women as they struggle to find the courage they never knew they had and the future they feared they'd never see.