Collection of Two: Panic | Departed


Nick Stephenson - 2013
    Silent. DeadlyLeopold Blake, expert criminology consultant for the FBI, had his weekend all planned out - and it didn't involve dealing with a murdered senator, a high-profile kidnapping, and at least three near-death experiences. Three politicians have been murdered in as many weeks, all expertly dispatched, and only Leopold can get to the bottom of it. Unfortunately, as all hell breaks loose on the streets of New York City, he soon finds himself the next target of a powerful enemy who wants him silenced. Permanently.Against the backdrop of political corruption and murder, Leopold and his team must fight for their lives to uncover the truth before it's too late. Panic is the first novel in the Leopold Blake series of thrillers, which can be read and enjoyed in any order.Book Two - Departed: A Leopold Blake ThrillerPlaytime's over...Expert criminology consultant Leopold Blake is having yet another bad week. While tracking a psychopathic serial killer through the streets of London, the reclusive investigator realizes with chilling certainty that history is about to repeat itself - with devastating consequences. Where Scotland Yard and MI5 have failed, Leopold must find a way to hunt down and apprehend a ruthless maniac before he strikes again. And the clock is ticking. Now Blake and his team must face their greatest challenge yet: an unseen force, intent on wreaking havoc throughout the city, is hunting on its home turf - and Leopold is about to realize that the good guy doesn't always win.

Shadow Kill


David Caris - 2021
    Betrayed by his employer and left for dead, Kovac decides to lie low in Tokyo.His plan? Revenge...But when a young woman asks him to protect her from the yakuza, Kovac feels duty-bound to help. She’s a victim of abuse, and long experience tells him if he doesn’t step in tonight she’ll be a corpse before dawn.As Kovac works to uncover the truth of his last job, he finds himself drawn into a conspiracy which goes well beyond the yakuza to a new and terrifying multinational cartel. One that will stop at nothing to control the global drug trade.The kingpins are certain they’ve covered all bases. They're well-funded and utterly ruthless. But they’ve failed to account for one man – John Kovac.SHADOW KILL is the first in a fast-paced, unflinching thriller series that won't in any way shortchange you on action. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Mark Greaney and Mark Dawson.

Promises, Promises


Keiron Cosgrave - 2018
     A dark and chilling story of a family torn apart by abuse, greed and betrayal. Boarding school pupils, Kate and Rose, plot revenge and ambush their abuser and brutally mutilate him. Now an adult, Kate’s family is tearing itself apart. Her wealthy father, James, reveals a disturbing secret that has cursed his marriage to their mother, Mary, for decades. After a string of sordid affairs, James and Mary agree to divorce. James has changed his will, bequeathing all of his wealth to Kate’s elder sister, Samantha. When James is found dead at the family’s Spanish villa, doubt hangs over the circumstances of his death. Is it simply an open and shut case for the Police, or something far more sinister? Then, as other family members disappear or are found murdered, DI Alan Wardell, faces a race against time to solve the crimes and catch the mysterious serial killer before the whole family is wiped out. A dark psychological thriller that will keep you guessing till the end...

A VERY MODEL MURDER: An Inspector Rudolph Riley Mystery


Jack G. Hills - 2017
    But to add further angst to the growing list of gruesome killings is his boss’ decision to re-open the cold case involving the disappearance of a school boy in what has become an annual test of endurance… The Ten Tors Race. Unsure why a twenty year old case has suddenly come to the top of his in tray, his suspicions are aroused further when the murder victims all appear to have been school friends of the missing boy. Adamant that coincidences don’t exist in police work Riley sets about trying to find the link between Sam Haldane’s disappearance and the recent killings, other than the obvious connection of friendship. Added to his troubles, is the presence in the area of a fugitive, who has his own ideas about revenge and justice and an unscrupulous developer, who wants to buy the land surrounding his farm and turn it into a theme park, with scant regard for the history or the people who were thrown off their land prior to D Day. With the disappearance of the schoolboy and the final showdown all set around the infamous Fox Tor Mire, which was allegedly the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Grimpen Mire in the Hound of the Baskervilles, the murderer is finally revealed but not without one final twist of the plot. But in all the blackness and soul searching there is one ray of brightness for Riley, and its one that will bring him a little closer to his brother and shows a different side to the curmudgeonly detective.

Disruption


Clair M. Poulson - 2021
    But when he returns home from an evening out with his older sister, Lilia, Timmy is faced with his greatest challenge yet: the house has been ransacked, and their parents have disappeared without a trace. With the help of two detectives who take a special interest in the case, Timmy and Lilia embark on a unique investigation guided by Timmy’s photographic memory and relying on one subtle clue from the night of their parents’ disappearance: the unusual presence of an old Ford Bronco. Using that single piece of information, Timmy and Lilia are drawn into a deadly conspiracy spanning the globe and are staying just ahead of a mysterious foe who has no patience for their meddling. The success of this unlikely team of investigators rests with Timmy’s intrepid problem-solving skills as the siblings race to find their parents before time runs out.

The Kurt Vetter Trilogy (The Reluctant Hero)


William Esmont - 2014
    With Amanda's help, he uncovers a rogue CIA plot to detonate a nuclear bomb in Moscow. Meanwhile, the assassins who killed his brother launch an all-out hunt to silence him and anyone else who may thwart their plans.In a frantic sprint across Europe, Kurt and Amanda must stay one step ahead of the killers while racing against the clock to prevent the bomb from incinerating millions of innocent people.Book Two: PressedBruised and battered from a recent mission, ex-CIA analyst Kurt Vetter is pressed into service once again when hackers launch a devastating cyber-attack on the United States Strategic Early Warning System, nearly triggering a nuclear confrontation.When Kurt and his partner Amanda Carter investigate the security lapse, they discover that elements of a Russian sleeper cell have compromised the integrity of the National Military Command Center. To further complicate matters, Kurt and Amanda also learn that a Chechen arms dealer with a stolen nuclear warhead is about to start selling suitcase nukes to the highest bidder.With membership in the nuclear club poised to explode and the United States effectively blinded to the threat, Kurt and Amanda are the last line of defense before the world descends into anarchy.Book Three: Blood in the StreetsA routine trip to China turns disastrous for intelligence agent Kurt Vetter when a deadly series of attacks on civilian targets plunges the country into anarchy. Trapped in a disintegrating nation, Kurt and his team take to the war-torn streets of Beijing to locate a Chinese double agent who may know the truth behind the source of the violence.As the politicians in Washington struggle with how to respond to the imminent collapse of the United States' largest trading partner, the responsibility falls on Kurt to prevent the destruction of the modern global economy.When the conflict begins to spread beyond China's borders, Kurt and his team learn the threat is larger and more insidious than anyone could have imagined. If they don't act fast, the entire region, and perhaps the entire world may be draw into a conflict unlike any seen before.

Class Dismissed: As if college wasn't hard enough...


Mark Petry - 2011
    Five students have survived, although they remember nothing. Chase a local hero cop in Austin, from catching the "Sorority Killer" a few years earlier, is on the case. He's trying to locate Bill the professors teaching assistant who has disappeared, especially now that it seems he's still assisting by killing off the remaining five students. It's a race against the clock to find Bill, and the visits to Professor Holland in jail aren't helping anyone but him. Chase won't be the only one surprised at how it will end.

The Delphi Chronicle, Bundle Book 2 & 3 - The Tortoise and the Hare, and Phoenix Rising


Russell Blake - 2011
    This bundle of book 2 & 3 continues the saga of NY private eye Michael Derrigan, as he comes into possession of a manuscript that will change the world order if its secrets are aired. Clandestine factions of the U.S. government will do anything to keep the story buried, & a trail of butchery follows Derrigan as he races for his life in a chase that takes him from New York, to Mexico, to Havana. A roller-coaster ride of a thriller, The Delphi Chronicle's unflinching & often disturbing twists and turns question the nature of reality & of the integrity of our governments in a post-modern world of lies, deceit & betrayal.+++Questions & Answers with bestselling author Russell Blake.Question: The Delphi Chronicle posits a troubling & plausible conspiracy. Where did you get the idea?Russell Blake: The idea stemmed from the title. I was originally going to call the trilogy The Pegasus File, & I'd conceptualized a cool cover, so I Googled it to confirm there weren't any other books with that name. The original conspiracy was much tamer than what I wound up with. I had the idea of a literary agent getting a manuscript detailing a shocking scheme, but I hadn't defined what it was, exactly. From that search came this conspiracy, & I have to admit I considered toning it down a lot, because it scared even me. So readers? This is fiction, OK? And U.S. government? No need to send a wet team after me. We all understand it's fictional. As in, an invention, not real. That's my official position. Readers can decide how plausible theinvention is for themselves. Some will hate it, as it portrays the U.S. government in a negative light. Can't please everyone.Q: Why write it as a trilogy?RB: It would have been a long single volume if I'd tried to squeeze it all into one book. Given the success I saw with the Zero Sum trilogy, I wanted to do another one, & this was just naturally written in three volumes, although I think most will get the first one, & then buy the specially-priced bundle of Books 2 & 3 if they're interested in following the story to its thrilling conclusion (wink wink).Q: How do your novels compare to the work of your peers?RB: I think they're faster paced than most. I try to catapult readers through a series of twists & turns at such aggressive velocity they're left gasping by the end. And I dislike books where I can see the ending coming a third of the way through. Just hate that. I try to write racing, intelligent thrillers that don't pander & aren't formulaic. All have gotten raves, so I'm fooling at least some of the people most of the time...Q: Part of Delphi unfolds in Mexico. Any particular reason?RB: I live in Mexico. Have for almost a decade. Modern Mexico is very different than as portrayed by the U.S. media. Many parts are indistinguishable from medium sized cities in the U.S. Strip malls, high rises, melting-pot racial integration, etc. It's not cactus & sombreros. One of the things I find fascinating is how different it is than what my expectations were when I moved here, & I try to impart that. Most novels set in modern Mexico I've read are caricatures of the truth. Mission bells, white-garbed peasants, stereotypical characters. I try to imbue my fiction with reality, not a Hollywood portrayal based on a snapshot from the 1950s. I think readers will find that distinction interesting.

Stone Investigations (Stone Series Book 4)


Bob Blanton - 2021
    

Requiem for a Patriot (Captain Harry Tennant Mystery Book 2)


David J. Oldman - 2018
     It’s an Arctic January day, one of the coldest winters on record. A man on a deserted East Anglian beach strips naked, neatly folds his clothes and wades into the icy waters. Walks to his death. His final moments are watched by Harry Tennant. The ex-copper has been assigned to observe his target by British Intelligence. The dead man is Joseph Wolff. He is a Russian Jew. He is also a professor of mathematics at Oxford University. All Harry knows is that Wolff had been doing some sort of secret work during the war. So when Wolff waded into the sea and drowned himself, he could not make sense of it. Back in the hotel room where Woolf was staying, Harry discovers an unfinished note hinting of betrayal. Harry can’t resist following a trail of unanswered questions buzzing in his head. It’s a long and tortuous trail that leaves him just staring in the ever more inscrutable face of British Intelligence. David J Oldman’s compassionate and compelling Requiem for a Patriot offers a fictional version of what was happening in Britain during and immediately after of the Second World War as East and West drew closer and closer to head-on collision. It explores a shocking secret. Thoroughly researched and based on actual events, the novel succeeds in combining all-too-human stories with political intrigue, spy rings and cold-blooded murder. It paints a frightening picture of the helplessness of the individual when faced by the monolith that is the state. Born into the austerity of post-war Britain, David J. Oldman began writing in his early twenties. Frequently humorous, and often moving, his books are an examination of ordinary people caught up in life-changing events beyond their control. He presently lives with his wife in the New Forest in the south of England pursuing his deep interest in history, writers and writing. Also published by Endeavour Media is Oldman’s The Unquiet Grave.

The Short Cut (Western Murder Mystery)


Jackson Gregory - 2007
    Has he sighted something? Who is the dead man? Is there a threat to her very life?Jackson Gregory was an American teacher, journalist, and writer. Gregory authored more than 40 fiction novels and a number of short stories. Several of his tales were used as the basis of films released between 1916 and 1944, including the 1917 film titled "The Man from Painted Post."

Hidden: Part One


Linda Berry - 2019
    His parents are estranged, his rodeo legend father is an invalid, and the family ranch is nearing bankruptcy. The county is in an uproar. Thieves have been striking neighboring ranches, stealing champion horses, and disappearing into the desert like ghosts. While recovering, Sully attempts to make peace with his abusive father. The dark secrets that destroyed his parent’s marriage slowly come to light. Though furious, Sully is forced to live and work with his father for the survival of the ranch. Sully’s only refuge is the mother of a young marine recently killed in action. Despite their age difference, he begins to connect with her in a way he never thought possible. When Sully’s close friend is killed by the horse thieves, he and his Paiute companion decide to track the renegades themselves. What awaits in the high desert will sorely test their courage and survival skills—skills neither of them thought they’d ever use on American soil.

The Tide Washed Her Away (Jessica Carter Mysteries Book 1)


J. Moriarty - 2015
    Some remembered her as the innocent daughter of a local minister, while others whispered rumors about a recent lascivious turn. Was she really the 'other woman' who came between her friends' engagement? Is it true she convinced someone to give up a life of crime? Did she really spend time in jail for a DUI? After failing to maintain a blogging career, Jessica Carter must return to her home town of Hampton, New Hampshire. The place is nice enough: a beautiful summer destination with sandy beaches, a touristy boardwalk and a cozy, small-town atmosphere. But Jessica knows coming home means owning up to her mistakes and mending relationships with everyone she left behind. Corinne's death brings Jessica closer to her former friends, but as she digs into Corinne's life, she exposes dark secrets her friends wish would remain hidden. Caught between her investigation and her friends, Jessica seeks to answer the one question everyone else seems content to leave unresolved: who knew the real Corinne, and why would someone want her dead?

The TANNER Series - Books 4-6


Remington Kane - 2015
     THE LIFE & DEATH OF CODY PARKER - A TANNER NOVEL - Book 5 In the town of Stark, Texas, Tanner faces ghosts from his past, as he tries to keep history from repeating itself. War - A TANNER NOVEL Book 6 Tanner returns to New York City intent on killing Sara Blake and ending her threat, but a new ally convinces both of them to come to terms and to end their conflict.

Too Many Secrets (Roxanne Boudreaux Trilogy #1)


E.B. Corbin - 2017
     Roxanne Boudreaux never knew her Aunt Roxy existed until notified of the woman’s death. Named as the sole heir to her aunt’s estate, the Pittsburgh tax attorney finds herself in a world of danger she never anticipated.  Intent on securing a partnership in her law firm, Roxanne dismisses her inheritance as irrelevant. But after an abrupt end to a serious relationship, she travels to Oilville, PA and reluctantly accepts help from DSS Agent John Callahan. They encounter several deadly obstacles including a member of the Irish Republican Army sent to retrieve money hidden years ago. Roxanne has no idea what to do with her small-town legacy when a shocking revelation from her mother adds to Roxanne’s confusion. As the chaos in her life grows, can she overcome both the threats and turmoil? Will she let Callahan defend her or go it alone?