Sidekick to Deadline by John Sandford


Dave Eagle - 2014
    If you have not yet bought Virgil Flowers Deadline, make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial Sidekick. Welcome to Trippton, Minnesota, where life moves at a leisurely pace ... until your dog gets stolen, someone decides to start cooking meth next door, or the school board votes on a motion to murder you. Sandford’s beloved sleuth takes on three intertwining mysteries in Deadline, a fun and intriguing addition to the Virgil Flowers series. With this Sidekick, you’ll: • Discover some fascinating hidden gems and trivia about the novel • Spend some more time with the characters you’ve come to know and love • Learn what you might have missed on your first read • Explore possible alternate endings and imagine ideas for sequels • Get a chance to discuss the book with other readers on our Facebook forum Sidekicks are entertaining and insightful reading companions, filled with delightful commentary and thought-provoking questions. Readers have raved that Dave Eagle’s Sidekicks "really put you in touch with the many layers of the novel," "keep you entertained," and are "perfect if you want a vivid understanding of the story." Designed to be read side by side with the novels they complement, they’ll give you even more reasons to love some of today’s best books.

London Large - Bound by Blood (Detective Hawkins #2)


Roy Robson - 2016
    Inspector Harry ‘H’ Hawkins, only just back at work after a mental and physical breakdown, investigates the crime in the only way he knows how; he embarks on a full-blooded search for the truth. But the truth can be brutal As the murder investigation gathers pace H discovers his own son has been sucked into the dark world of organised crime. A traumatized young man; and a traumatized father H's hard-boiled instinct is to fight, to protect the things he loves. But when his son becomes his enemy his world view is shattered. How can son be turned against father? H’s gripping mission is no longer a search for a killer; but a quest to save his boy, and exact a terrible vengeance against the man who has corrupted him. And his search is a search for a deeper truth, a truth that will stretch family loyalty - and the love of a father for his son - to its very limits. Blood Is Thicker than Water…Or Is It?

The Preacher: Aces and Eights: A Preacher Thriller


Ted Thackrey Jr. - 2017
     The Preacher, the ex-priest and Vietnam vet turned professional gambler, is playing in the highest stakes poker game ever dealt. His opponents are mobsters, arms dealers and terrorists. The jackpot is an atomic bomb. And if he loses, the entire city of Las Vegas will be dealt the Dead Man's Hand. "The Preacher is distinctive and unique...with doses of subtle and sarcastic humor." Bookgasm "This is a book that has a lot going for it. It has a noirish sensibility and some darn good writing." Bill Crider, the Anthony and Derringer Award-winning author of Outrage at Blanco

A Fiery End


Diana J. Febry - 2020
    The driver is at the wheel, oblivious to the inferno surrounding him.There is no explanation for why the vehicle was on the road or why the quiet tradesman was murdered in such a macabre way. The only witness to the fire, claims she saw nothing. Whatever she did see goes to the grave with her when she is brutally strangled. Frustration grows when the driver’s daughter disappears.With time running out to find the daughter alive, Fiona is drawn into a web of powerful men determined to keep their deadly games secret. Juggling a family crisis and a growing suspicion her boss is corrupt, her judgement is hampered by her attraction to the man central to everything.

Abandoned


Lee Shepherd - 2015
    Drugged. Abandoned.A rural area in the north of England is put on edge as teenage girls start to go missing. The local authorities are stumped in their search for the one responsible.Charles Lee lives a very normal life, in stark contrast to his troubled past. Putting years of abuse, neglect and loss behind him, he has built a new life in the countryside with his beloved family and border collie. However, his past soon starts to haunt him as burned bridges are resurrected, old grievances resurface and a lust for revenge takes over.Will Detective Taylor and psychological profiler Georgina Riley suss out the clues and piece together the jigsaw in time to stop the disappearances?

Trouble in Paradise


L.T. Vargus - 2021
    And an old flame to complicate the trip.Check out this beach-y Violet Darger short featuring Darger, Loshak, Owen, and Spinks.When 17-year-old Micaela Tolliver goes missing during her beach vacation, FBI profiler Violet Darger heads to Curacao to investigate. The case vexes local law enforcement, with plenty of suspicious characters around and comparisons to Natalee Holloway aplenty.Red herrings. False starts. People who will go great lengths to protect the island's long held secrets.Further complications emerge due to someone else entangled in the case -- Darger's old friend and former lover, private investigator Owen Baxter. They're working together for the first time after a bad breakup. The tension is palpable, and Darger begins to question the knot of conflicts in her own heart.Corruption. Death. Sand. Romance.Once again, Violet Darger shines her light into the shadows. And what she finds there in the darkness will change her.

Bhoot, Bhavish, Bartaman


Mehool Parekh
    The usual suspects are arrested by the Police until an odd-ball amateur sleuth starts to investigate. Something about the murder does not sit right with him. To start with, the victim – Rupali, a regular housewife living in marital bliss. But is that the truth? Why would someone murder her and why did she meet such a gruesome end? Who, in reality, was she? Introducing Major Bartaman Bhowmick, Southern Command of the Indian Army. Peace-time army life and supportive seniors allow Major Bhowmick to indulge in his hobby and passion – crime detection. His sharp investigative talents are highly valued by his cousin, an ACP in Pune. Robin Chowdhury is a city crime reporter, whose combination of keen intellect, attractive looks and affinity for all things tech, makes her a great sidekick for the Major. This book is as much about Rupali’s astounding story as her murder and Major Bhowmick and Robin’s investigation into the murder with its surprising conclusion. About Author: A finance professional, Mehool has, over time, worked as a management consultant, equity research head and a fund manager. He ran a successful venture capital fund and is currently a private equity investor in growth companies. In between these, he has dabbled in film finance and production and owns a well-known media company. He lives in Mumbai with his family.

Breaking Bones


Robert White - 2018
    A ruthless criminal gang. A law unto themselves. Detective Jim Hacker has watched The Dogs grow from thuggish youths to psychotic criminals and seems to be the only cop in town with the determination to see justice done. Meanwhile Jamie Strange, a young Royal Marine, finds himself embroiled in the lives of the gang when his girlfriend, Laurie Holland, cuts off their engagement... to be with the most dangerous of The Dogs: Frankie Verdi. Strange knows right from wrong, but when Verdi begins to target Jamie's family, he makes an enemy of a man, more dangerous than even he could imagine. Crisp, slick and often terrifyingly violent, this 1980's crime thriller will appeal to the readers of Ian Rankin, Martina Cole and Stephen Leather.

Down Among the Jocks (Hardman Book 5)


Ralph Dennis - 1974
    They're back in the fifth adventure in the beloved and acclaimed series that influenced generations of crime writers. Retired pro football star Ed Cross did most of his scoring between bed posts with other player's women, including Hump's ex-girlfriend. That was bad enough. But, just to rub it in, Cross sends Hump an x-rated birthday skin flick of him celebrating in bed with two women. Hump goes looking for blood... and finds it. Cross is murdered and Hump becomes the prime suspect. Hardman works to clear Hump and discovers there's plenty of murderous hate for Cross out there...from the top of the sports world to the pits of Atlanta's illegal gambling scene... and revealing it could get them both killed. This new edition includes an Afterword from Ben Jones, the Dukes of Hazzard actor and former U.S. Congressman from Georgia. PRAISE FOR THE HARDMAN NOVELS "Like Chandler and Hammett before him, Dennis was trying to do something different with what was thought of as throwaway literature.” Joe R. Lansdale, New York Times bestselling author of the Hap & Leonard series “The Hardman books are by far the best of the men’s action-adventure series.” Mother Jones Magazine “Among the best series books around.” Philadelphia Daily News

Wild Horses / 10lb Penalty


Dick Francis
    

Mama's Madness


Billy Ray Chitwood - 2018
    Some of the details in this fictional penning are true. Some of the details are exaggerated and are simply the work of the author's imagination. What is clearly evidenced in this novel is the coldness of a mother's heart and the madness of her cruelty. The mind cannot comprehend lives the children depicted here were forced to endure: from black punishment closets of hell, kitchen tables used for crudely performed operations, to a high sierra execution by fire. The terror is real. The pain is vicariously felt. Unbelievable? Yes, it is unbelievable that such depravity, such MAMA'S MADNESS exists in our world. Accept the embellishments with the truth.Let this novel be a 'silent siren' to be ever alert in your environment - children and adults alike!

The Monkey's Raincoat / Free Fall / Lullaby Town


Robert Crais - 2003
    The search for Ellen's errant husband leads Elvis into the seamier side of Hollywood. He soon learns that Mort Lang is a down-on-his-luck talent agent who associates with a schlocky movie producer, and the last place he was spotted was at a party thrown by a famous and very well-connected ex-Matador. But no one has seen him since - including his B-movie girlfriend. At the same time the police find Mort in his parked car with four gunshots in his chest - and no kid in sight - Ellen disappears. Now nothing is what it seems, and the heat is on. It's up to Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike to find the connection between sleazy Hollywood players and an ex-Matador. FREE FALL Read by James Daniels (Sandra Burr, Jill Sovis) Elvis Cole is just a detective who can't say no, especially to a girl in a terrible fix. And Jennifer Sheridan qualifies: Her fiance, Mark Thurman, is a decorated LA cop with an elite plainclothes unit, but Jennifer's sure he's in trouble - the kind of serious trouble that only Elvis Cole can help him out of. Five minutes after his new client leaves his office, Elvis and his partner, the enigmatic Joe Pike, are hip-deep in a deadly situation as they plummet into a world of South Central gangs, corrupt cops, and conspiracies of silence. And before the case is through, every cop in the LAPD will be gunning for a pair of escaped armed-and-dangerous killers - Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. LULLABY TOWN Read by James Daniels (Joyce Bean, Russell Byers) Hollywood's newest wunderkind is Peter Alan Nelson, the brilliant, erratic director known as the King of Adventure. His films make billions, but his manners make enemies. What the boy king wants, he gets, and what Nelson wants is for Elvis to comb the country for the airhead wife and infant child the film-school flunkout dumped en route to becoming the third biggest filmmaker in America. It's the kind of case Cole can handle in his sleep - until it turns out to be a nightmare. For when Cole finds Nelson's wife in a small Conneticut town, she's nothing like what he expects. The lady has some unwanted - and very nasty - mob connections, which means Elvis could be opening the East Coast branch of his P.I. office . . .at the bottom of the Hudson River.

The Unlucky Wedding Guest: A Clara Fitzgerald Mystery (The Clara Fitzgerald Mysteries Book 23)


Evelyn James - 2021
    

Unravelling: A Damaged Mind can be Dangerous (Anglesey Mysteries #3)


Conrad Jones - 2021
    Beautifully crafted into a warped and gripping story that I didn't want to end.★★★★★ Unravelling is a standalone novel that will shake you to the core.A gripping tale of betrayal and brutal revenge. Sergeant Ernie Metcalfe is a family man, changed by his experiences in Afghanistan. He has a wife, Naomi and three beautiful daughters, aged 7, 8 and 10. When he finds out his wife is having an affair with a fellow officer, his mind begins to unravel. His life begins to spiral out of his control and he can't allow that to happen. Detective Inspector Alan Williams and his team are already struggling to cope with a series of attacks on a group of men accused of historical abuse. The attacks appear to be connected to a recent case but all is not what it seems. Damaged minds are dangerous and revenge can be brutal.★★★★★ What an edition to the series! One of the best series you will read..If you like gripping and violent, the Anglesey books will enthrall you.★★★★★ One word for this. Outstanding!★★★★★ A powerful and gritty read, not for the faint hearted. This author will drag you into the story and rattle your very being until the last page.

Jack's Back: Murder returns to Whitechapel (Jack Tyler, #1)


Mark Romain - 2018
    This is only the start. Jack’s Back…’The chilling message, left by the killer on a wall near the body, and written in the victim’s own blood, catapults the detectives into a race against time as they strive to discover the New Ripper’s identity and stop him from striking again.With his every move being closely monitored by the media, and the top brass at the Yard breathing down his neck to get a quick result, Tyler begins to worry that if he doesn’t catch the elusive killer soon, the case will be taken away from him and his career will be left in tatters.The investigation isn’t helped by the interference of rookie reporter, Terri Miller. When fate throws her a lead, all she sees an opportunity to scoop the opposition and bag herself a major exclusive, but by following the tantalising clues that the sadistic killer has taken to leaving her, is she merely playing into his hands?Jack’s Back is a gritty, fast paced roller-coaster of a crime thriller with an explosive finale. Full of twists and turns, it will keep you eagerly turning the pages until the very end.What readers are saying: Only an ex-murder detective could have written with the kind of passion and detail that I found in these pages. I could not put it down! Amazon.co.uk reviewer. A fantastic read from beginning to end! Well written, gripping plot, brilliantly intriguing 5/5. Amazon.co.uk reviewer. Brilliant book, really good police procedural, probably the best I’ve read and I’ve read hundreds. Can’t wait till the next in the series. Amazon.co.uk reviewer. Fantastic read, what a thrill ride. Loved the depth of the characters. Amazon.com reviewer.Tyler’s adversary is a ruthless serial killer with a fascination for black magic; a cunning psychopath who is convinced the original Ripper murders were a series of sacrificial rituals designed to bring power and influence. Just like his namesake, the man the media soon dubs ‘The New Ripper’ plans to kill five women and then disappear. Can Tyler stop him, or will the other women who have been earmarked for death suffer the same gruesome fate as the first victim?Grab a copy of Jack’s Back and start enjoying Mark Romain’s page turning debut today. But be warned, this is not a book for the squeamish!