Book picks similar to
Dusk Corners by Dan Padavona


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Healer's Ruin


Chris O'Mara - 2015
    As the Ten Plains King lays siege to the mysterious kingdom of the Riln, the Healer realises that if he is to survive, he has to think and fight like a soldier. But Chalos isn't a soldier. He doesn't even own a sword. To make matters worse, the famed Wielder of Aphazail, a mage of extraordinary power, has come to the aid of the Riln... and is slaughtering the invaders in droves. Empires clash, gods walk, kingdoms tremble and sorcery carves a bright and blazing path across an ancient and mysterious land... a path that leads to HEALER'S RUIN.

Divine Assistance


L.G. Estrella - 2017
    The gods were supposed to preside over Creation with unmatched wisdom and knowledge. Well, that was the idea. But what is Death – a god of terrible majesty and splendour – supposed to do when his daughter asks for a pony? Is he really supposed to just go out and get a mortal one? Like that’s going to work. It’ll keel over and die in a couple of decades. No, his daughter deserves something better, a pony truly worthy of her divine heritage, which means he’s going to have to get a little bit creative. And then there’s Bureaucracy. The Supreme Mother and Supreme Father might have given rise to Creation, but Bureaucracy is the one who has to keep everything running smoothly. But that’s easier said than done when there are hundreds of gods and countless mortals to consider – none of whom understand the importance of filing paperwork in triplicate. Luckily, not even gods can escape the awesome power of divine paperwork. And let’s not forget gods like Mayhem, Mischief, and Rabble. Their names speak for themselves. When the three of them take a holiday in the mortal world at the same time, trouble is right around the corner. Divine Assistance is a collection of fourteen short stories about the gods and their attempts to manage Creation. There are souls to claim, mortals to woo, and even the occasional city to smite. After all, what’s life without a little divine assistance?

New Girl in Town


Elle Gray - 2021
    A guy that’s although competent, is the exact opposite of her in every way.She must act fast to catch the person terrorizing the once serene town.In Belle Grove, the truth is elusive, and the mysteries here have a way of remaining hidden.As more children go missing, and the stakes to find the culprit grow higher than ever.Olivia Knight is about to find out what it really means to be the new girl in town.

Burke's War


William F. Brown - 2015
    Whether or not anyone believes him, Bob Burke isn’t the kind of guy to let a thing like that rest. He knows what he saw, and it isn't going to end well for the men responsible.Mild-mannered and slight of build, this telecommunications company executive is easily dismissed as the "phone guy." But after four tours running ‘special operations’ missions in Iraq and the rugged mountains of Afghanistan as an Army Ranger and Delta Force commander, he's one of the most lethal killers the US government ever produced.Over the next three days, Bob Burke finds himself butting heads with the Chicago mob, crooked suburban cops, an overzealous US Attorney, a psychopathic doctor, and his own vindictive soon-to-be-ex-wife, who is trying to take his company away from him. But as his big, muscular, Delta Force sergeants will readily admit, whether he’s carrying a .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle, a tactical knife, or just his bare hands, he’s the one you don’t want to meet in a dark alley.His new combat zone might be a glittering high-rise office building, a suburban tract house, or a wooded Chicago Forest Preserve District park, but when the bodies start falling and a young woman needs help, The Ghost doesn’t hesitate.After all, they started it, and he intends to finish it. And if he does need a little backup, he knows just the guys to call down at Fort Bragg. After all, it wouldn't be fair to leave them out of the fun, would it?

The Yacht Party


Tasmina Perry - 2021
    But Laura believes Sandrine and Jonathon were both murdered and that the key to the motive lies onboard Pandora.What secrets are hidden onboard Menzel’s yacht? What deals were brokered that are worth killing for? And can Laura get to the truth before she herself becomes just another inconvenient guest at the party?

Islands


Gwyn G.B. - 2022
     Jersey born, Katherine, is a successful business woman living and working in London. She’s estranged from her husband and family and hiding from the pain of failed motherhood. When a major murder and child abuse investigation launches in Jersey, the news shocks the island and brings the world’s media to its idyllic shores. As the island of Jersey faces up to its hidden past, Katherine is forced to face up to hers. A letter arrives from the dying mother of her teenage friend – the friend whose death Katherine caused 32 years before. She knows she must return home and tell the truth; but Katherine isn’t the only one with secrets… Will the truth heal or destroy her? Will she ever come to terms with what drove her away from the man she loved and the sister that needs her?

Surrogate


Tim Adler - 2014
     The police are helpless. No law has been broken - the baby belongs to their surrogate. And Hugo has a secret he's keeping from his wife that makes their search even more desperate. Now Hugo and Emily must find their missing daughter... even if it costs them everything they own.

The Killing Pit


Wes Markin - 2021
    A corrupt chief of police. A merciless drug lord. And a missing child. Running from a world which wants him dead, ex-detective Sergeant Jake Pettman journeys to the isolated town of Blue Falls, Maine, home of his infamous murderous ancestors. But Jake struggles to hide from who he is, and when a child disappears, he finds himself drawn into an investigation that shares no parallels to anything he has ever seen before. Held back by a chief of police plagued and tormented by his own secrets, Jake fights for the truth. All the way to the door of Jotham MacLeoid. An insidious megalomaniac who feeds his victims to a Killing Pit. And the terrifying secrets that lie within. The Killing Pit is an adrenaline-pumping crime thriller novel from the Amazon bestselling author of One Last Prayer for the Rays, and the DCI Yorke series. Perfect for fans of Chris Carter, James Patterson, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.

I Want Never Gets


Tracey Waples - 2018
    OBSESSION. REVENGE. Years after she fell out with her best friend, Laura remains terrified of the past coming back to haunt her… Laura, the only child of doting parents, is at the centre of what seems a perfect family. Daughter of a well-known television personality, she spends her time between their idyllic Northumberland farmhouse and summers on the Amalfi coast. New girl, Evelyn, arrives at Laura’s prestigious boarding school desperate to escape her miserable home life. The two quickly become friends, inseparable, and Evelyn relishes the chance to become close to Laura’s family. But when Laura discovers her friend has betrayed her and her family she calls an immediate end to their friendship with devastating consequences. Decades later, Laura is forging a successful career as a journalist, happily married and keen to leave the past firmly behind her. Evelyn, however, filled with resentment and blighted by their estrangement, believes she paid a price that should have been shared… It’s time to settle the score.

To Probe a Beating Heart


John B. Wren - 2011
    She was last seen talking to a man as the clouds opened and a rain began. Th e only witness is an elderly woman whose description of the possible kidnapper could fi t any number of people. As police, friends and family search the immediate area for Annette, she is taken farther away and becomes one of the predator's early victims. Over the course of the next several years, along the interstate 90 corridor between Toledo, Ohio, and Albany, New York, a number of young girls disappear without a trace. Jim McLarry, Annette's cousin and a rookie cop with the Cleveland Heights police force, pursues his own investigation of the missing girls in hopes of finding his cousin. As he feeds information to the detectives assigned to the case, McLarry demonstrates his ability as an investigator. Years earlier, a boy, born and raised in difficult circumstances, determined that he will kill his adoptive mother and sister. Each summer a new victim is another rehearsal for his intended goal. As he plans and executes his annual killings, he leaves virtually no clues. Only little mistakes, the dogged determination of the Cleveland Heights cop and the intervention of Annette's extended family, the Clan, lead to Averell's downfall. To Probe a Beating Heart is a fi ctional, but realistic study in the creation of a killer. Th e monster that Averell has become must be stopped and if the authorities cannot make that happen, the Clan will.

The Quickening


Fiona McIntosh - 2014
    In this superb trilogy, Fiona McIntosh weaves a gripping story of action and intrigue.

Travers Security


Evie Nichole - 2017
     FIVE full-length books. Guaranteed NO CLIFFHANGERS. A ranger, two navy seals, an idealistic young man and a man who grew right out of the mountains. These mountain men might not be perfect, but they get the job done… Book 1 Sadie Bradshaw smiles as hot celebrity Peter Dailey flirts with her. He's too clean and neat for her tastes though, not unlike Marcus Black who is a man's man in every sense of the word. She and the former navy-SEAL-turned-security-agent could have had a great thing going for them, except for that one night that ruined everything. But one hard, bloody knock to the back of the head later, Sadie realizes that she has to rely on Marcus to keep her safe from a deranged fan who will stop at nothing to lock her object of affection - even if it means eliminating the competition. Book 2 It all started on a cold, rainy day for Nate Colvin and Angelina Masters - and not under the best of circumstances either. There is no denying the chemistry between the two, despite all the miserable water and muddy roads getting in the way. But when a crazed serial killer comes into the sleepy town of Blossom Hill to track his prey, both Nate and Angelina must find a way to guard each other's back lest they become the latest victims of the Rainy Day Slasher. Book 3 Rosa always had a weird effect on Grant. He thought he could take it nice and slow in their sleepy town of Blossom Hill, where gossip reigns supreme - except Rosa's mysterious past finally caught up to her. Now both Grant and Rosa need to escape the clutches of a crime lord hell-bent on claiming what is his, even if it means stepping over the bodies of all who gets in his way. Book 4 Constantly dodging the paparazzi, pressure to churn out that next big hit, always putting a show for the fans - Joy Casey just wanted to get away from it all. That's why she went incognito to rest and recharge in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It helps that her new next-door neighbor, Billy, is as hot as they come. Billy is more than meets the eye, though, and he might be all that stands between her and a deranged animal looking for more challenging prey to play with. Book 5 Cade Travers can't believe it: he's a father! The bad news, however, is that his son was stolen from him even before he knew he had a son. Now he's torn between pursuing his lost child and keeping his men safe in one of their most dangerous assignments. His decisions will either save him and the people he calls family - or damn them all together when a far-reaching drug lord sets them firmly in his sights.

Arrival (The Tyr Trilogy, #1)


Richard Fox - 2021
    He left the violence behind for a life of science, raising a family far from the bloodshed of the Corporation. With his wife, Sarah, and son, Michael, he studied the alien Tyr for years, hidden among their complex societies. Their mission should have ended with the arrival of a replacement team. Instead, the Clays’ corporate overlords choose a death sentence: an invasion fleet to conquer the Tyr.This first contact will destroy the Tyr, and only Daniel Clay and his family can help fight back against the drug-fueled conscripts and military might of the invaders. The Clays must help the Tyr from the shadows or be killed by the Tyr who fear them...or by the Corporation they’ve betrayed.But the Clays aren’t the only hidden power.If you like Avatar or V, you’ll love The Tyr Trilogy, a series that combines the wonder, excitement, and drama of top-notch sci-fi.

Harvey Bennett Thrillers: Books 1-3


Nick Thacker - 2016
    Harvey Bennett is an unassuming everyman, the kind of guy who likes to be left alone. But when a bomb goes off at his park, he can't help but get involved. Grab the first three books in the series for one low introductory price! With over 1,200 reviews on Amazon (4.5-star average), these books are being compared to Dan Brown, James Rollins, and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Jump in and discover the next great series in armchair travel and adventure. Books in this box set: The Enigma Strain The Amazon Code The Ice Chasm The Enigma Strain: When a bomb goes off at Yellowstone National Park, threatening the stability of the world's largest active volcano, the reclusive park ranger Harvey "Ben" Bennett is startled to realize that the blast itself wasn't the only threat: the bomb released a virus into the air, and the outbreak is beginning to infect and kill more and more people.  Ben teams up with Juliette Richardson, a driven CDC agent working inside the newly-formed BTR (Biological Threat Research) team, to find the people behind the act of terrorism. When the attacks get personal, Ben and Julie take it upon themselves to seek out and destroy the threat before it's too late. A race across the United States, chasing terrorists, dodging bullets, and escaping the threat of a deadly virus outbreak and military apocalypse... The Amazon Code: When her company discovers a remarkable hidden message in the dreaming brains of her subjects, Dr. Amanda Meron unknowingly invites disaster unto her company. She enlists the help of some old friends to find out what the clues are pointing her toward, but they seem to be pointing her to one of the remote places on the planet.  The Amazon Rainforest.  When Harvey "Ben" Bennett gets a hint that the nefarious organization he's been searching for has turned up in Brazil, he and his new girlfriend Juliette Richardson race to the jungle to discover what they're after - and hopefully stop them.  From the myth of the lost city of El Dorado to emerging science technology, The Amazon Code has it all: action-packed adventure, an exotic setting, and characters you'll fall in love with.  The Ice Chasm Near the McMurdo Station on the continent of Antarctica, a signal is seen and intercepted by a telecommunications company. They don't understand what the signal means, but whoever sent it is illegally using the company's restricted technology and satellites.  Harvey "Ben" Bennett and Juliette Richardson are approached to join an expedition to Antarctica to find the source of the signal, and bring back whatever technology is hidden there. After trekking through the Amazon Rainforest and narrowly escaping death at Yellowstone National Park, Ben has little interest in yet another dangerous mission, but there is one reason he accepts the job:  Draconis Industries, the company that was behind the mass genocide at Yellowstone and the heinous crimes in the Amazon.  Together, Ben and Julie, joined by new teammates Reggie and Joshua Jefferson, must visit the coldest continent on Earth to uncover what Draconis Industries is trying desperately to keep hidden.

Stone Cold


Jenny Hilborne - 2013
    When a scandal threatens to ruin his company, he is determined to identify the culprit and handle it his way. Mara Mann has other ideas, and her own reasons for bringing him down. Then the murders of two senior corporate executives stun the Oxfordshire community. Mara's hatred for Dean leads her into the dangerous and twisted world of Vice President, Reid Dalton, and to the discovery of a forgotten grave. As she uncovers more truths about her boss, and learns the secret he has kept hidden, she is drawn deeper into the mind of a killer and puts her own life at risk.