Book picks similar to
Skeletons in the Mist by Jennifer Hayden


romantic-suspense
romance
ebook
first-in-a-series

Pitch Black


Elise Noble - 2015
    Forced to abandon everything she holds dear - her home, her friends, her job in special ops - she builds a new life for herself in England. As Ashlyn Hale, she meets Luke, a handsome local who makes her realise just how lonely she is.Yet, even in the sleepy village of Lower Foxford, the dark side of life dogs Diamond’s trail when the unthinkable strikes. Forced out of hiding, she races against time to save those she cares about. But is it too little, too late?  Please be aware that although one story arc is concluded in this book, Diamond’s full story is told over books 1-3 in the Blackwood Security series.

The Watcher


Jo Robertson - 2011
    Working with a single-minded tenacity, she sets out to prove it.Deputy Sheriff Ben Slater hides his personal pain behind the job, but Kate's arrival in his county knocks his world on its axis. He wants to believe her wild theory, but the idea of a serial killer with the kind of pathology she proposes is too bizarre.Together they work to find a killer whose roots began in a small town in Bigler County, but whose violence spread across the nation. A Janus-like killer, more monster than man, he fixates on Kate. The killer wants nothing more than to kill the "purple-eyed girl again."

Bad Medicine


J.D. Faver - 2012
    Rafael never gave up hoping for Chloe’s return. She inherits her father’s shrimp boat and irascible crew, enabling her to make a living. Rafael’s passion breaks down her emotional barriers, but her impetuous nature draws her into a cruel vortex where she runs afoul of old and new enemies. Previous rivalries emerge, pitting Rafael against the heir-apparent to a crime dynasty. With the body count rising, Rafael and Chloe battle an infatuated but vicious drug lord, kidnappers, and a twisted curandero (Mexican healer). Will they survive the violence and be able to forge a life together?

While You Were Dead


C.J. Snyder - 2011
    To be qualified to earn the coveted prize, a book (published in 2011), must score higher than 8.0 on twenty questions provided to six randomly selected reader judges. This year's winners were the best of the best!NEW FORMATTING!Lies have consequences…Twelve years ago, Max Crayton had no choices. Honor bound to hunt a traitor, the government declared him dead to the outside world. He completed his mission, but lost the only woman he ever loved and a child he never knew existed.And so does breaking a woman’s heart…Max was her life, her very heartbeat. After his death, alone and haunted by a dangerous past, Kat Jannsen made the ultimate sacrifice to keep their daughter safe.When Kat discovers Max is alive her carefully constructed jigsaw puzzle life is torn to pieces. But an old enemy has been watching…waiting to strike. As the danger mounts, she has nowhere to turn but to Max. She can trust him with her life, but does she dare trust him with her heart?

A Honeybun and Coffee


Sam Cheever - 2008
    Picturing a frail, helpless old Englishman, Angie rushes to warn him. There's only one, small problem, Alastair Honeybun is six foot two inches of yummy man, who's perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But when the thugs show up while Angie's still there, they soon figure out they'll need to take care of each other.

Raylan


Lindsay Cross - 2015
    He spent his youth sowing his oats and living life for the moment. Then he met Amber and after one incredible night, Raylan was ready to give up his wild ways. But then a call from his ex turned his world upside down. Raylan sacrificed his tender new feelings and left town to raise a son he’d never even known existed. All the while, dreams of a beautiful brown haired girl haunted his dreams. Amber Atkins had given everything to Raylan. Her virginity and her soul. Convinced she could tame the notorious bad boy, she was devastated when he left without a word. Now six years later, Raylan has returned to Mercy to convince Amber that they can’t live without each other. But can Amber find the strength to trust again? As a stalker grows bolder, Amber’s life is in danger and she’s forced to turn to one man for help – Raylan Wilde. In order to survive, she must trust the man that nearly destroyed her with her body and soul.

Always a Suspect


Susan Vaughan - 2019
    Tormented by threatening phone calls and desperate to prove her innocence, Claire hires a P.I. But her attraction to the rugged investigator poses an even greater threat. She can't risk losing someone she cares about... not again. Never again.Two tragic losses cause federal agent Michael Quinn to submit his resignation, but he's forced into one last gig--spend Christmas investigating the widow's connection to her last husband's drug smuggling. Uncovering this lovely, mysterious woman's darkest secrets should be just an assignment, but her gentle soul and passion break down his walls and make him long to believe in her innocence.The frozen Maine landscape, deadly attacks, and shocking revelations test Claire and Michael at every turn--but it's the blazing desire between them that threatens their very lives. >Romantic Suspense>Contemporary Romance>Thriller>Suspense

Frozen Past


Richard C. Hale - 2012
    Eliana is his whole world and for someone his age, the burden is immense. You see, Eliana is being stalked. Stalked by a madman who wants nothing more than to see her dead. The madman knows things that no one should know and sees things that no one should see. He tells them if they say a word to anyone, they will both die. And Luke can’t let that happen. Eliana’s past is catching up with her and Luke must do anything to save her. Anything.

Either Side of Midnight


Tori de Clare - 2013
    I rate this book as a ten-star and expect to see it as number one on the best selling list for many, many weeks.” Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers'Favorite.WHAT IF THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE TURNED INTO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE?When nineteen-year-old Naomi Stone is snatched from her husband at knifepoint on the night of their wedding and taken to a deserted cemetery, she knows her life is finished. Drugged and disorientated, she loses consciousness as she lies in an open grave with a gun to her head. But the following day, she mysteriously awakes to find herself unharmed and secured to a bed. She's in a beautiful bedroom in a secluded cottage in open countryside. Only one person knows she’s there – the man in the balaclava who’s holding her, feeding her, revealing nothing. Naomi senses the unfolding of a plan. She should be on honeymoon in the Caribbean. Instead, she’s trapped with an emotionless psycho with no hope of escape . . . And his voice is chillingly familiar.Who is he? What does he want? What's happened to her husband? Where is she? Will anyone find her before it's too late?

Brutal Obsession


Kennedy Layne - 2016
    That was six years ago and he's finally ready to ease off the accelerator. A unique opportunity to work for a top-shelf security and investigations firm in Florida is right up his alley.Ashlyn Ellis had everything she'd ever wanted--a high-profile career as a federal prosecutor, an upscale apartment in the city, and a beach house for when she needed to decompress from all the stress that accompanied the job. All three are threatened when she realizes someone has been following her every move for a very long time.When Ashlyn comprehends the lengths her pursuer is willing to take things, she calls in a favor. She never expected her plea for assistance to materialize in the form of Keane Sanderson--the one man who had every reason to revel in her misfortune. She's finally given the chance to rekindle the flames of desire she never should have extinguished, just in time for it all to be taken away when the stalker takes his obsession a step too far.Series Description: Safeguard Security & Investigations (SSI) is owned and operated by Townes Calvert, a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant who returned home to the States a bit more damaged than he'd care to admit. Not that anyone could tell outside of a very select group of former active duty buddies. It had taken Townes quite a while to acclimate to civilian life and he'd kept himself busy in the interim working in treacherous situations with even more dangerous friends. The final result is a close-knit unit of highly trained former military men who have the experience to protect the innocent, investigate crimes on the gritty edge, and aid local law enforcement when justice has taken a back seat to political correctness. Follow along as Kennedy Layne conveys each of their gripping stories as they work together on investigations that lead them down perilous paths of passion, intrigue, and suspense...

More Than Memories


Kristen James - 2011
    She meets Trent Williams, a Ridge City police detective, and something else definitely sparks. Not only does he know her, Trent takes on her case and promises to do everything he can to solve it. He wants to know why she left town, with her parents, but without a word to anyone. She doesn’t remember that life. She can only tell him she knew her parents briefly before they died . . . or were murdered, she’s not sure. She hopes regaining her memory will help answer that question. Trent has his own secrets, but they have a mystery to solve. As they work together, and Molly meets their old friends, she realizes her relationship with Trent went deeper than memories. In fact, she grew up in Ridge City, even though her parents had said they lived there just a few years. How could she have forgotten her lifelong friend and love? Has he really been looking for her—waiting for her—for the last four years? Can she love him again if she doesn’t remember him? There’s also the possibility that she did something awful –and maybe that’s why she’s afraid to remember her old life. Molly knows she wants Trent now, but the truth might destroy their love.

Tender Deceit


H.Y. Hanna - 2014
    Now he could be the man who wants her dead. Leah Fisher returns to her childhood home of Singapore after her father dies in mysterious circumstances and finds that the boy she once loved has become a dangerous, attractive stranger. Who is Toran James and what exactly is he hiding? Suddenly, she discovers that the past holds more secrets than she realised. Was her father's death really an accident? Someone is out to silence Leah - and that someone might be the man she is rapidly falling in love with...again. "a classic romantic suspense mystery in the style of Mary Stewart..." Fast-paced, action-packed romantic suspense filled with intrigue and sizzling tension. The exotic locale and tropical atmosphere of cosmopolitan Singapore adds up to a perfect escapist read.* This is the first part of Leah & Toran's story, which continues in TENDER TREACHERY (Book 2)Books in this Series:TENDER DECEIT (Book 1)TENDER TREACHERY (Book 2)TENDER BETRAYAL (Book 3)Alternate cover edition for 9780992315368

His Desire


Sheila Kell - 2014
    She’s independent. Together, desire will determine their future.Hamilton Investigation & Security leader, Jesse Hamilton, swears never to love again. The risk of losing his heart is too painful. Burying himself in work and caring for his daughter, he doesn’t expect strong-willed FBI Special Agent Kate Ross to break down his carefully constructed walls.When Kate is injured, Jesse pulls the full force of HIS into action to protect her. He refuses to be the reason behind another senseless death. Making a decision that could cost Kate her life, Jesse must decide just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman his heart desires.***HIS DESIRE is the first book in the HIS romantic suspense series.

Chosen for Power


Kathleen Brooks - 2014
    As the CEO of a corporate conglomerate, Elle is used to fighting off challengers. However, this new threat comes at a time when she finally lets her guard down to meet Prince Charming. And it’s unlike anything she’s been up against before. Drake Charles’s work on mobile technology has made him a wealthy, powerful man. But he quickly sheds the fame and publicity for a more private life, which earns him the label as a man of mystery. Drake adds to that mystery every year when he hosts a masquerade ball for charity. It’s also his best chance to find the one thing he really wants . . . true love. Having met behind masks of anonymity, Elle and Drake enjoy a whirlwind night of romance that leaves them both wanting more. But Elle must question everything and everyone as she battles to save her life and career. Can Elle trust Drake to help get her life back or will she lose everything?

Castle Cay


Lee Hanson - 2010
    Who could have killed rising artist Marc Solomon, and what does Castle Cay, the Solomon's mysterious Caribbean island, have to do with it? Before long, Julie's sixth-sense pulls a hidden string that unravels a deadly conspiracy...and her own troubled past.