Book picks similar to
Teach Yourself Treachery by John Burke


suspense-thrillers
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mystery-thrillers-suspense

This Lonely Town


Josh Griffith - 2014
    Nora Lord, a rock superstar whose reckless, self-destructive actions were as famous as her music, is found dead in the bathtub of her suite at the hipster boutique hotel, The Sunset Club, from an overdose of Xanax and red wine. Jason Chance, a lonely, haunted LA Sheriff's homicide detective, as passionate about rock and roll as he is dedicated to his job, grabs up the case. On the surface, her death looks like an accident or possible suicide. But Jason isn't buying it. As he digs deeper into the last tragic days of Nora's life, he follows a bloody trail that takes him from the raucous Sunset Strip to dark East Hollywood alleys, and on to the protected enclaves of Newport Beach and Pasadena, clashing with his partner and his bosses, and uncovering a web of obsession, corruption, blackmail, and murder.

The Center of Excellence


Michael Banas - 2014
    Michael’s Hospital. Here the young doctor and his colleagues are introduced to the reality of community medicine, in a bucolic valley replete with provincial character. Phil draws the coveted assignment to the Tuckett Orthopedic Institute, a self-proclaimed Center of Excellence, where joint replacements are performed under the direction of the renowned Dr. Ian Tuckett. Dr. Tuckett is a local prodigy, having garnered fame in the development of the Tuckett Cup, a revolutionary surgical implant for hip replacement surgery. Phil is immediately awed by the grandeur and spectacle of the Institute, seemingly awash with good fortune, or so it seems. The young doctor soon becomes involved in the complex social web of the valley, privy to disturbing information concerning Dr. Tuckett and his ex-wife, Anastasia. News of a popular socialite gone missing triggers Phil’s deeper involvement into a series of troublesome events, highlighted by the peculiar arrival of a powerful United States Senator. The sudden disclosure of Phil’s developing relationship with a nursing student ignites a firestorm that rapidly spreads throughout the rural community. In short order Phil Drummer is compelled to make decisions that will affect the rest of his life, fully aware that something is not only amiss in the valley, but also at the great Tuckett Orthopedic Institute. The Center of Excellence is book two of a trilogy following Doctor Philip Drummer through his surgical training. It is the sequel to Pennsylvania’s Finest, which chronicled Phil’s internship year.

Diary of a Wickedly Cool Witch 3: Perfect Ten


Kate Cullen - 2017
    Lily the good witch is totally confused. Is she being set up at the annual cheerleading competition by one of the district's meanest bullies, or does a boy finally have a crush on her? In a bid to win the cheerleading championship for her school for the first time, Lily encounters disaster after disaster on their scramble up the leader board. There are so many catastrophes, it seems to be a little bit more than just bad luck, and Kaitlyn, Lily's team mate and friend, is convinced Chantelle, the bully from the leading team is behind it all. Will they make it to the finals, and more importantly, will they survive the competition without losing their dignity?

Tread


Clayton Lindemuth - 2014
    Soon he stumbles onto a packet of photos showing Governor Virginia Rentier lustily paired with three high-ranking women in state government. Though Cinder and the Governor clashed sixteen years before when his wife died in a car accident, Cinder prefers to keep his dislike of Rentier focused on her politics. He's too busy blaming himself for his wife's death, fighting his way back into his son's life, and leading a crew of lazy secessionist misfits to become involved in an intrigue about the Governor's sex partners. But when the bullets fly, Nat asks questions, and learns that his sudden war with the Governor traces back sixteen years. And that the photos were put in his path by a provocateur who knows Nat Cinder's a rough-hewn rebel with enough weaponry cached across Arizona to start a revolution, and that the secret at the bottom of his wife's death will turn him into a powder keg. TREAD is what fans of Clayton Lindemuth's "thrilling, visceral, and unsparing" prose (Publishers Weekly) have been waiting for: a novel that pairs his lean noir voice with the explosive tempo of the modern political thriller.

The Hawaiians: by Steve Stelle


Steve Stelle - 2014
    When a group of young Americans jump ship and start the first surf camp in a downtrodden and practically deserted Waikiki, Head Missionary Hiram Bingham becomes apoplectic with rage. A cast of memorable characters fill this novel with many plot twists and ideas that are as relevant today as they were almost two hundred years ago. In 1824 sixteen year old, orphaned William Goode was put aboard ship in New Orleans as an apprentice seaman against his will. A young man with unique abilites, he began an adventure that took him to Hawaii, forging friendships and making enemies along the way. Spanning more than a decade, this fast paced narrative is written in a blend of James Michener and James Patterson, full of accurate history and a rousing ensemble of characters presented in a page turning style. The Calvinist missionaries want to make sure no one is having any fun while William and his friends just want to work their little farm of taro patches and fish ponds and go surfing free from religious oppression. From the beaches of early Waikiki to the chilly winters of Boston, this novel moves back and forth, around the Horn and across the vast Pacific, with enterprising surfers, a beautiful Hawaiian princess, runaway slaves, and a renegade priest. You will fall in love with Hawaii, fall in love with the characters, and see Hawaiian history in a whole new way.

Where There's Smoke: Charlie Walden's First Case


Peter Murphy - 2017
    But he soon finds himself struggling to keep the peace between three feisty fellow judges who have very different views about how to do their job, and about how Charlie should do his.And as if that’s not enough, there’s the endless battle against the ‘Grey Smoothies’, the humourless grey-suited civil servants who seem determined to drown Charlie in paperwork and strip the court of its last vestiges of civilisation.No hope of a quiet life then for Charlie, and there are times when his real job – trying the challenging criminal cases that come before him – actually seems like light relief. If you like Rumpole of the Bailey, you'll love Walden of Bermondsey Praise for Walden of Bermondsey 'No one writes with more wit, warmth and insight about the law and its practitioners than Peter Murphy. He has no equal since the great John 'Rumpole' Mortimer' - David Ambrose'Though his exasperation is sometimes palpable, what triumphs over everything is his sense of humour. And it is the humour that makes Walden of Bermondsey such a delightful read. Think of him as what Rumpole would be like if he ever became a judge, and you get some idea of his self-deprecating wit and indomitable stoicism. Add a dash of Henry Cecil for his situation and AP Herbert for the fun he has with the law, and you get a sense of Peter's literary precedents' - Paul Magrath

Hunters Moon


Lynda Renham - 2017
    Adam’s career in politics has taken a turn for the better and the only thing left to complete the couple’s happiness is a baby. Flora believes the new home will help her overcome a recent miscarriage but she soon realises the house is not all it seems. What are the villagers of Penlyn hiding and does Hunters Moon hold a dark secret? Flora soon finds herself entrapped in a web of deceit with no one to turn to. Her dream home becomes her nightmare as Flora fears for her life.

The Adrian Hell Series: Books 1-3


James P. Sumner - 2016
    (Just copy and paste the website into your browser.) The first three books in the bestselling series that fans are saying is "a must-read for fans of Jack Reacher..."! With 100's of 5* reviews, and over 1,000 pages of action-packed, pulse-pounding thrills, this boxset includes Adrian's debut outing, TRUE CONVICTION, the blockbuster sequel, HUNTER'S GAMES, and the slick revenge thriller ONE LAST BULLET, together for the first time in one incredible collection. Plus, for a limited time, it now also includes the bonus prequel novella, A HERO OF WAR! *** MEET ADRIAN HELL. A deadly, unorthodox assassin who is plagued by the guilt he carries with him over the death of his family. Operating to his own moral standards, fueled by a passionate sense of what's right and wrong, he travels the country, taking out people he believes deserve his bullets. In TRUE CONVICTION, he takes a job in Heaven's Valley, Nevada, where a local crime family wants to send a message by killing a businessman who has gone back on a deal, costing the mob boss millions of dollars. But when Adrian arrives and tracks down his target, he quickly discovers a much larger threat looming in the shadows, and it isn't long before he finds himself in the crosshairs of multiple adversaries. With help from his best friend, Josh Winters, he uses his skills to learn more about the other players in this dangerous game. But when the stakes are raised, he’s pushed beyond his limits as he fights to prevent a terrorist attack that would act as a catalyst for another world war. In HUNTER'S GAMES, he travels to San Francisco, commissioned to take out a government official who’s found himself on the wrong side of the wrong people. The job goes as planned, but before Adrian can leave the scene, he’s taken into custody by the FBI. Grace Chambers, a straight-talking special agent, asks him to help bring down a terrorist known as The Shark, who's responsible for several recent attacks on the city. But things aren't what they seem, and when the truth behind Adrian's involvement is revealed, so too is the full extent of The Shark's horrifying plans. Forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse, our unlikely hero goes bullet for bullet with an unseen enemy, as the fate of thousands of innocent people hangs in the balance. With time running out, and the body count rising, Adrian must do whatever it takes to stop his adversary before it's too late. In ONE LAST BULLET, he decides it's finally time to go after the man who took away everything he ever loved. Having lived with the guilt over the death of his family for over a decade, he feels he must put his demons to rest and seek the closure he so desperately craves. But from the moment he arrives in Pittsburgh, his increasingly reckless attempts to destroy everything Wilson Trent has built only leads to further suffering. With his best friend by his side, and blinded by his thirst for vengeance, Adrian must take on Trent's entire criminal empire in order to have his revenge. BONUS CONTENT: A HERO OF WAR - The year is 1990, and an eighteen-year-old Adrian Hughes has joined the army. Showing a natural talent for combat, and for disobeying senior officers, this exciting novella documents Adrian's initial training, and his eventual involvement in the Gulf War. But his story is only just the beginning.

River Rocks: A West Virginia Adventure Novel (A Josh Baker and Eddie Debord Series Book 1)


Steve Kittner - 2014
    Always searching for a good adventure, one day they find one! Inside an old red milk can they discovered down by the river, is a relic from the past. A document that will send them on an adventure of a lifetime! They will make new friends and new enemies and will find themselves drifting downriver, biking down old railroad beds, exploring hidden hollows and finding hidden secrets, all in search of a long lost jewel from the past; a pile of Confederate gold that went missing in 1903. They will cross paths with a belligerent Sheriff, an attentive Mayor, an inquisitive librarian, and a menacing mountain man while trying to connect the dots to this age old mystery. Suspicion, danger, and sheer terror are around every turn and they must be careful! It could cost them much more than just a couple weeks of their summer vacation. Be careful wishing for big adventures....one may find you!

Tell Me When It Hurts


Christine M. Whitehead - 2009
    A magna cum laude graduate of Smith College, with a law degree from Columbia, Archer has a great husband, a wonderful daughter, and a fulfilling career. Add to that a slot on the U.S. Equestrian Team and Archer can almost forget her mysterious past, her violent history. Almost perfect. But nothing stays at equipoise forever. When Archer's daughter, Annie, is murdered, her life shatters and deadly skills, long dormant, emerge as highly relevant. As Archer embarks on her own path to salvation, she snips all ties with the past. Love is now an extravagance, no longer affordable for her.At her darkest ebb, Connor McCall, Harvard-educated financial baron turned Wyoming rancher, stumbles into Archer's life and presses her to start reconnecting the dots. It's an edgy blend of La Femme Nikita, The Horse Whisperer, and something else.In Tell Me When It Hurts, memories can sustain or sink you, all in the same night and all the same memories*READERS FAVORITE HONORABLE MENTION AWARD8

The Castle


Jason Pinter - 2017
    And nobody survives a war with Rawson Griggs.For fans of Vince Flynn and Harlan Coben comes an unputdownable new thriller from internationally bestselling author Jason Pinter that will have you reading long into the night.Remy Stanton is a young, ambitious corporate strategist who intervenes in an armed robbery one night, saves two lives, but is nearly killed in the process. And when he wakes up in the hospital, Remy learns that one of the intended victims was Alena Griggs, the daughter and sole heir of Rawson Griggs, a brilliant, brash billionaire - and one of the most powerful men in the world. Suddenly Remy finds that he has become an overnight celebrity - and he receives an offer he can't refuse.Rawson Griggs is about to announce an unprecedented run for President of the United States, and he offers Remy, the man who saved his beloved daughter's life, a position in his campaign. Suddenly Remy is thrust into the maelstrom of the most controversial Presidential election in history, where buried secrets and stunning acts of violence rock the nation. And as his own star grows brighter, Remy finds himself drawn to the intelligent yet down-to-earth Alena Griggs, whose marriage is strained by the relentless pressures of fame and politics.Yet as the revolutionary Griggs movement builds steam, shocking events cause Remy to suspect a dark undercurrent running beneath Rawson's campaign. And when he discovers the full, disturbing truth, Remy will have to make a choice: stay the course, or jeopardize everything he cares about. And possibly lose his life in the process."Jason Pinter takes the traditional thriller in bold new directions." -- New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen

Dead of Night


Paul J. Teague - 2019
    A freak accident. A violent pursuit. Now they must try to stay alive until daylight ... When Jack and Lucy hit a man in their car whilst driving through fog, they think it's just a random accident. But when cars pull up and an armed manhunt begins, they know that they're running for their lives. With a marriage that's on the rocks and a new baby who's driven a wedge between them, the couple are hanging on to their relationship by their fingertips. But thrown into the deadly world of industrial espionage, they must fight to keep each other alive and rescue their child, whose life is in peril. As Jack and Lucy hurtle towards the abyss they will find that the real enemy was among them all the time. Paul J. Teague has also written a trilogy of thrillers. Book 1 is Don't Tell Meg, Book 2 is The Murder Place and Book 3 is The Forgotten Children.

Fired and Inflamed (The Otto Viti Mysteries Book 2)


Jen Carter - 2017
    An employee from a local business is found strangled to death, and now everyone in the small community is worried about local law enforcement finding the killer. Jill can’t stop thinking about what happened, but she knows it’s best to leave the investigation to the police. This time, she’s not getting involved. Well, not on purpose at least.

The Blue Hallelujah


Andy Straka
    When Rebecca died of cancer in prison—branded as a disturbed vigilante after killing one of his murder suspects—Jerry knew he needed to put the truth in writing to set the record straight.Now, as an old man nearing his own demise, Jerry is unsure whether to share his narrative about Rebecca with the world. But when his eight-year-old granddaughter Marnee disappears, Jerry learns she’s been taken by someone close to the killer depicted in the pages hidden in his dresser drawer.It’s time for Jerry to finish the story—by confronting an evil that threatens Marnee’s life and the lives of everyone around her. And by placing his faith in a higher power to redeem the love for Rebecca in his heart.

Haunting Me (Haunting Me #1)


Nikki LeClair - 2016
    Getting engaged is just the honey in her tea! Then she gets run over by a hot dog cart, wakes up with a concussion and the ability to see ghosts. Well, one ghost. A loud, obnoxious woman who claims to have been murdered for her vast fortune. Soon, Phoebe is solving a mystery that not only threatens her relationships, but her career as well. As she begins to battle feelings for the ghost’s handsome nephew, she realizes quite a few people in her life are not as they seem. Slowly, Phoebe uncovers the secrets and lies around her, learning that in order to solve this mystery and be free of the ghost, she must lie herself. The only catch? The secrets Phoebe has kept from the people in her life could ruin everything for her, and her ghostly companion, in the end.