Book picks similar to
Maneater by Jon Athan
horror
disappointments
brutal
borrow-from-wanda
Hillary: Tail of the Dog
Angel Gelique - 2012
Naked on a bed in an unfamiliar, empty room, she is unable to move her limbs. Worse, she cannot remember who she is. Panic-stricken, Hillary desperately searches her mind for answers, but finds nothing more than fear and confusion.A man enters the room—a stranger to Hillary. He introduces himself as Dr. Morrison. Seemingly benign, he informs Hillary that she is there for her own good…that she is under his care until she regains her memory. Hillary cannot remember anything, but her instincts warn her not to trust this man who claims to be her doctor. She can only hope that someone will come looking for her…that someone will find her before it is too late. Several weeks later, Hillary’s situation has grown even more dismal. Still unclothed, coarse ropes bind her limbs to the bed while she is fed intravenously. Two new strangers have entered her life—Monica, Dr. Morrison’s wife, and Dr. Bentley, who claims to be her psychiatrist. Yet they are more evasive than forthcoming. Her questions remain unanswered. She is trapped, with no hope of escaping…left to piece together the mystery of her miserable existence.Abused and neglected, Hillary knows that with each passing day, her chance of survival diminishes. She spends her long days wasting away, growing depressed…growing angry. When all hope seems lost, a cruel twist of fate provides the opportunity she has been waiting for. With renewed hope and an unrelenting will to survive, Hillary does whatever it takes to escape. She yearns for her freedom more than anything in the world.Hillary just wants to go home….
The Devil's End
D.A. Fowler - 1992
In Sharon Valley, at teen slumber parties and around campfires, the story is told. Seventy years ago, on Halloween night, Nathaniel and Myrantha Ober made a pact sealed by bloody human sacrifice...a pact with the devil himself. THIS HALLOWEEN, EVIL WILL RETURN... Nancy Snell is the most popular girl in high school. She is beautiful and wealthy, and she has discovered the key to unlimited power. The occult force that was summoned to this sleepy town decades ago. She has already chosen the perfect victim needed to perform the ritual: the new girl in town, Lana Bremmers. THE DEVIL'S END Once again the town of Sharon Valley will be the doorway to the legions of darkness. And the devil will have his payment in blood, on an even more terrifying Halloween night.
In The End: Their Fight for Survival is Only the Beginning
G.J. Stevens - 2018
So when his New Year's Eve attempt to unwind descends into chaos, he's the first to realize it's no joke. After Logan and his friends miss the evacuation transport, he's given a choice: lead the group to safety or watch all of his friends come back from the dead…When Logan discovers the military and government have no interest in saving them, making it to sanctuary alive may be their only hope. And after he learns his party of survivors might hold the key to a cure, the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders. But saving his species could mean sacrificing himself…Can Logan stave off the end of the world or will one wrong decision doom humankind?In The End is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic zombie thriller. If you like nightmarish settings, reluctant heroes, and action-packed adventures, then you’ll love GJ Stevens’ spine-chilling novel.
Roak
Jake Bible - 2016
Solid professionals that take jobs based on the credits the bounties afford. They follow the letter of the law so they can maximize those credits. Licensed, bonded, legal. Then there's Roak. Deadly, unstoppable, invisible. No criminal or military records. No files or folders with his name on them. No cybernetic implants to track. No proof he even exists except for a reputation for getting the job done. Roak is the bounty hunter called when someone is looking for the opposite of licensed, bonded, legal. Now someone has ignored his reputation and made a very big mistake. Double-crossed and left to die, Roak survives and sets out to exact vengeance and get paid what he is owed. But he's not unreasonable. While his fee may have just gone up, the bloody, brutal revenge is on the house.
Alex
Adam J. Nicolai - 2011
A bereaved father. Alone with his loss, Ian Colmes has driven away everyone he loves. But when he begins to see his dead son again, is it because the boy is reaching out from beyond? Or has Ian's anguish finally given way to dementia?With a masterful hand, suspense newcomer Adam J Nicolai paints a picture of grief, madness, and the furious strength of a father's love for his son.
Truck Stop
John Penney - 2011
Over the years, it has been the setting of unspeakable acts of horror that have gone undiscovered. It is the hunting ground for a serial killer who disposes the bodies in the junkyard behind the rambling, rundown complex. But the long dead victims are not going quietly-- Their spirits haunt the dingy hallways, sleeping rooms, gift shop and repair garage, seeking out someone who can solve their horrific deaths. Seeking someone who is a sensitive that can hear their cries for vengeance…That someone turns out to be Roger Dalton, a young rock guitarist, traveling with his seven year old daughter, who stops one rainy night at the haunted compound. What begins as a routine stop on his trip to Salt Lake City turns into a horrific nightmare when his daughter suddenly goes missing.As Roger and the handful of truck stop employees desperately search for his daughter, Roger is haunted by the long-dead mutilated victims, all trying to warn him of the serial killer who is in their midst. The tension ratchets higher when deteriorating weather isolates the truck stop and Roger makes a grisly discovery that causes the serial killer to go on a final, desperate killing spree.In the end it all comes down to Roger, racing to find out where the serial killer has taken his daughter before the killer can get to him.
One Kick
Chelsea Cain - 2014
Abducted at age six in broad daylight, the police, the public, perhaps even her family assumed the worst had occurred. And then Kathleen Lannigan was found, alive, six years later. In the early months following her freedom, as Kick struggled with PTSD, her parents put her through a litany of therapies, but nothing helped until the detective who rescued her suggested Kick learn to fight. Before she was thirteen, Kick learned marksmanship, martial arts, boxing, archery, and knife throwing. She excelled at every one, vowing she would never be victimized again. But when two children in the Portland area go missing in the same month, Kick goes into a tailspin. Then an enigmatic man Bishop approaches her with a proposition: he is convinced Kick's experiences and expertise can be used to help rescue the abductees. Little does Kick know the case will lead directly into her terrifying past…
Under Rotting Sky
Matthew V. Brockmeyer - 2019
Brockmeyer, the award-winning author of
KIND NEPENTHE.
In "Mine" a child hangs precariously between the isthmus of innocence and evil, shedding his humanity for the altar of a wolf pup.A horrifying and ancient legend reveals itself with a shocking new twist in "A Dirty Winter Moon.""Have a Heart" teaches us that nature always prevails over the follies of man, sometimes in an extremely gruesome manner.In "Rumpelstiltskin" the troll under the bridge is very real, and wants your children for unspeakable deeds.In "The Gym Teacher" a boy's obsession with serial killers leads him to discover the true nature of a monster.These twenty stories traverse the outskirts of society to reveal the brutality of humanity in all its gory glory.
Slush
Glenn Rolfe - 2014
A sweet romance ends in a shallow grave to be revisited again and again. A girl's field hockey team exacts revenge on their coach and her dreaded 'whistle of the damned'. Parker Stephens discovers that some paths are not safe to walk after sunset.In these twelve dark and powerful tales, Glenn Rolfe, author of The Haunted Halls and Boom Town, welcomes you to the dark side. Take his hand and slip into the shadows...Edited by Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi Cover Art by Jason Lynch, Cover design by Glenn Rolfe
This Little Piggy
Craig McGray - 2012
From the AuthorI use my wife as a sounding board, and sometimes she just looks at me with an I-love-you-but-now-I'm-kind-of-scared-of-you look. I definitely received that look more than once for this story. That usually means I got it right. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Flawed
Kate Avelynn - 2012
For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact...
The Road Rebels Motorcycle Club Box Set
Savannah Rylan - 2018
I love my woman as much as I love my motorcycle club. Now I just have to figure out how to keep them both safe. The Road Rebels Motorcycle Club Box Set includes all of The Road Rebels MC books! You get Hawk, Talon, Snake, and Fox all in one steamy set! Hawk She was supposed to be mine forever. But the night our father's were killed, Sydney decided this life wasn't for her. So she ran. She left me, and our club behind. I never expected to see her on my doorstep six years later. With our child. She looks different, but she's still as beautiful as ever. Those hips, her sultry smile, I can't get over her. But she didn't leave the life, and she's got a DEA agent on her tail. I have to keep her safe, and my daughter too. I'll do anything to protect them. Even if I have to lie to my club about her. Talon Never touch another club members sister. It's one rule in the MC I'll never understand. That means Gemma is off limits. Too bad I don't listen to rules very well. I'll make Gemma see that she's the only woman for me. On my bike, in the clubhouse. She'll be mine. The Devil Saints are on our heels though, so I won't get to take my sweet time with her. And that's all I want to do. If I have to kill somebody to be with her, so be it. Those bastards have no idea what it really means to be the devil. I'll show them. Snake She's the one I tried to forget. But I can't get her out of my head. I'm no prisoner. And I'm no coward. I won't stay locked away at the clubhouse hiding from those @ssholes, The Devil Saints. So I go to a bar, away from my brothers. I need a break from all the chaos. Until drama walks right through the door. Laiken. The one who got away. Or I pushed away, I can barely remember. She's looking fine in that police uniform. I wonder if she'd let me use those cuffs on her. But we can't be together. A patched member and a cop? No. Laiken and me? I'm not supposed to want her. But you know what they say. The heart wants what it can't have. And my heart is achin' for trouble. Fox They say don't sleep with your target. But we won't be doing much sleeping. I have a job to do, for my Club. To get information on the indictment of our rivals, the Devil's Saints. I’m going to find out how to put away those @ssholes for good The Club didn’t give me the nickname Fox for my good looks. The mission changes when I meet Harlow Carmichael. Getting involved with her is a bad idea, but I can’t get my mind off her lips, or those curves. I don’t care if she’s the daughter of the man working for the enemy. When her life is threatened, I have to decide who to save. Her or my Club.
Gilded Needles
Michael McDowell - 1980
With her daughters and grandchildren, Black Lena led a ring of consummate female criminals - women skilled in the art of cruelty.Only a few blocks away, amidst the elegant mansions and lily-white reputations of Gramercy Park and Washington Square lived Judge James Stallworth. He was determined to crush Lena's evil crew, and with icy indifference he ordered three deaths in her family.Then, one Sunday, all the Stallworths receive individual invitations - invitations to their own funerals. Black Lena has vowed a reign of revenge. Can even the Stallworth fortune and awesome power save them from her diabolical lust for revenge?
Mr. X
Clarissa Wild - 2014
X is ready for you, but are you ready for him?USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR Clarissa Wild brings you Mr. X, a dark Romance thriller, which is a stand alone without cliffhanger.*Author Note: This is not your average romance story. Some people will kill for love.*He’s come to kill me.I’m a user and abuser of my own body. In my darkest hour I sold my soul to the devil and now I must pay the price. With his gun to my head I have no choice but to listen and obey, but I refuse to go down easily. Nothing is stronger than the will to survive. My instincts kicked into full gear the second he stepped into my motel room.Except when I look at him I see my own heart staring back at me. A history tainted by blood.I don’t know his name, but I know he wants me. To save myself I’ll sacrifice my sanity. My body. My soul. Something tells me the x-shaped scar that marks his eye is the only escape I have. He is Mr. X: the man who comes to claim my life. Can I save myself before he demands my heart?WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, strong language, drugs and alcohol, and graphic violence.No Cliffhanger. Complete at 90800 words. Stand Alone.
Broken Shells
Michael Patrick Hicks - 2018
Broke and recently fired, he knows the winning Money Carlo ticket that has landed in his mailbox from a car dealership is nothing more than a scam. The promise of five thousand dollars, though, is too tantalizing to ignore.Jon Dangle is a keeper of secrets, many of which are buried deep beneath his dealership. He works hard to keep them hidden, but occasionally sacrifices are required, sacrifices who are penniless, desperate, and who will not be missed. Sacrifices exactly like DeWitt.When Antoine steps foot on Dangle’s car lot, it is with the hope of easy money. Instead, he finds himself trapped in a deep, dark hole, buried alive. If he is going to survive the nightmare ahead of him, if he has any chance of seeing his wife and child again, Antoine will have to do more than merely hope. He will have to fight his way back to the surface, and pray that Jon Dangle’s secrets do not kill him first.