Book picks similar to
Tide of Lies by Sarah Ballance


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Root of All Evil


Jennifer Hayden - 2013
    Her family's car plummets into the dark, murky depths of the river on the way home from a funeral. When she recovers from the accident, she realizes she is being held at the hands of a greed driven maniac. A greed driven maniac who wants money she knows nothing about. Her will to live is shattered when she learns that her husband and daughter did not survive the accident...or didn't they? For three years, surrounded by lies and betrayal, Kate is forced to dig deep inside herself for the will to go on. And then, with the help of an unlikely ally, she finally escapes. In search of the truth, she finds her way back home. But she quickly realizes that life has gone on for the husband and daughter who were left behind that dark night, in depths of that seemingly endless river. Luke Garrison has spent three years mourning the wife who supposedly drowned the night he nearly lost his own life. He's been raising their daughter alone and dealing with deeply rooted grief ever since then. But when Kate suddenly reappears, he's not sure what to think. The once vibrant woman he married has been beaten down into a person he barely recognizes. Her story of that stormy night and the past three years is almost too unbelievable to fathom. Luke quickly realizes she didn't leave him on her own; she was taken from him. And the maniac who took her is still on her tail. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants...including murder.Updated Cover

The Jury / Sweet Revenge / Lethal Justice


Fern Michaels - 2008
    For years, Paula Woodley has suffered the broken bones and shattered self-esteem caused by an abusive marriage. But what can she do? Her high-profile, Washington power-broker husband is not a man to be crossed. Or so he thinks. The Sisterhood may not be an organization found in any of his memos, but he’s about to take a meeting with them—and they’ll be setting the agenda.… Sweet Revenge Isabelle Flanders’ former colleague, the conniving Rosemary, did everything in her power to ruin Isabelle, from framing her for a terrible drunk driving accident to stealing her husband and her architecture firm. Now, Isabelle’s formerly lovely life is in tatters while Rosemary scoops up the spoils. It’s enough to make any friend’s blood boil. Rosemary may think she’s flying high, but she’s about to tangle with the Sisterhood. Lethal Justice Alexis Thorn, once a successful securities broker, spent a hellish year behind bars for a crime she never committed. Now she has her freedom, but she’s left with haunting memories of being hauled from her office in handcuffs…of the cell door clanging shut behind her…of her pleas going unheard. Alexis dreams of getting even. The legal system failed her, but the Sisterhood won’t.

Out of Darkness


Erynn Newman - 2017
    . . if the CIA, international arms dealers, and her best friend don’t stand in the way.Elisabeth Allen gave her heart to Jesus as a little girl and to Drew Marek as a teenager. When their wedding day finally arrives, it’s the happiest day of her life—until a bomb transforms her dream come true into a living nightmare.As Best Man at the wedding, Gabriel Di Salvo promises Drew—his best friend and CIA partner—he’ll look after Elisabeth, but he never dreams it will become necessary so soon. As Elisabeth struggles to put the pieces of her life back together without Drew, Gabe becomes her rock, and as they share their grief and begin to heal, their friendship gradually deepens into something more.Three years later, Gabe and Elisabeth are planning a future together when he receives a shocking call from the one man who can upend his happiness: Drew. Suspecting someone at the CIA is behind his abduction, Drew refuses to come home. Instead, he asks Gabe to bring Elisabeth to him. Now Gabe just has to figure out how to let her go.Drew and Elisabeth race across Europe, dodging international arms dealers and attempting to reclaim what was stolen from them. But years of captivity and torture have left their mark on Drew. He is no longer the same boy Elisabeth fell in love with, but he is still Elisabeth’s husband, and she is determined to build something new and not allow her relationship with Gabe to come between them.When their enemies close in and the threat of a terrorist attack escalates, Gabe may be the only person they can trust. Drew, Elisabeth, and Gabe are thrown into a fight for their lives—one that will test their loyalties to God, country . . . and each other.

Words of Conviction


Linda J. White - 2014
    Can the message be decoded in time?When Zoe, the five-year-daughter of a powerful Senator, is abducted, the FBI brings in Special Agent MacKenzie Graham, a forensic psycholinguist, to analyze the written threats of the vengeful kidnapper. An expert at what she does, Kenzie probes criminal minds more accurately than she does her own heart.Working alongside fellow FBI agent John Crowfeather, Kenzie refuses to acknowledge her mysterious attraction to John, and continues to build walls she believes will protect her not only from men but God as well. John is no fan of hers, either, but they have little time to dwell on it as the case grows more dangerous.When the perpetrator begins posting messages on the Internet, the race is on to save Zoe. Can Kenzie and John rescue the girl before it's too late? Or will their misguided convictions cost a little girl her life?

Paper Dolls


Cory Toth - 2014
    The beloved girl's best friend and childhood crush, Landon, is the only key to unlock the mystery of what happened to her. When Landon is found wandering in a daze far from his home after the disappearance, he is clueless as to the events that took place or the whereabouts of Emily. The only thing keeping him from knowing what happened to his best friend, and girl of his dreams, are the memories which have hidden themselves far within the folds of his brain. He must delve deep within his mind to remember the events of that fateful day so that he can hopefully be reunited with her, but at the same time he is scared to death of what role he played in her disappearance. As Special Investigator Carter VanDusen races against time to learn the truth, Landon can only pray that the greatest danger is not within himself.

Deadly Gift / Deadly Harvest / Deadly Night


Heather Graham - 2010
    Brought to Newport, Rhode Island, from her native Ireland to nurse ailing millionaire Sean O'Riley, she's living a life few can imagine. But money can't hide the tension between O Reily s trophy wife, his paranoid daughter, the eccentric aunt in the attic and the staff members who run the house. When O Riley s business partner goes missing, family friend Zach Flynn arrives. Determined to help him solve the case, Caer becomes enmeshed in a mystery that weaves together the sins of the past with one family s destiny and a spirit that watches the mansion, possessing a deadly gift.DEADLY HARVESTWhen a young woman is found dead in a field, dressed up as a scarecrow with a slashed grin and a broken neck, the residents of Salem, Massachusetts, begin to fear that the infamous Harvest Man is more than just a rumor. But out-of town cop Jeremy Flynn doesn t have time for ghost stories. He's in town on another investigation, looking for a friend s wife, who mysteriously vanished in a cemetery. Complicating his efforts is local occult expert Rowenna Cavanaugh, who launches her own investigation, convinced that a horror from the past has crept into the present and is seducing women to their deaths. Jeremy uses logic and solid policework. Rowena depends on intuition. But they both have the same goal: to stop the abductions and locate the missing women before Rowena herself falls prey to the Harvest Man s dark seduction.DEADLY NIGHTAidan Flynn, a private investigator and eldest of the Flynn brothers, scoffs at the haunted-house rumors--especially since Kendall Montgomery, a tarot card reader who has been living in the mansion, is the one to tell him the tale of a woman in white. But when he finds a human bone on the grounds, and another by the river, Aidan delves into the dark history of the Flynn plantation. Forced together to uncover the truth, Aidan and Kendall realize that a serial killer whose victims seem to vanish into thin air has long been at work and that their own fates are about to be sealed forever unless they believe in the unbelievable.

Retribution (Witness, #2)


Christine Kersey - 2016
    The following book description contains spoilers for the first book.After confessing to the police that she witnessed a murder, college student Courtney Hartford has relocated to what she hopes is a safe place. Hanging over her head is her commitment to testify against Dylan, the gang member she witnessed killing a man, as well as Baldy, a gang member who tried to kill her to keep her from testifying.In addition, her budding relationship with Tyler, who was beaten because of her, has been interrupted. Missing him, but worried about putting him in danger, she wars with herself over whether to convince him to move to where she is now living, or to stay far, far away as his parents advise him.Will Courtney be able to move past the fear she's been living with, or will the gang members track her down and silence her for good?Retribution does not contain any profanity or sexual content.

Stealth Ops Series Box Set: Books 1-3


Brittney Sahin - 2019
    But when a critical mission gets botched by a member of an iconic Hollywood family, he'll have to fight to protect his team's identity, as well as keep himself from falling for the woman who's turned his life upside down.Eva Sharp's the writer and co-producer for the hit TV series SEAL Security. While on break from filming, the last thing she expects is to end up in the middle of a real-life action scene--one that puts her life on the line. At first, she's not sure if she can trust this stranger in the mountains, even if he has military written all over him. But the more time she spends with him, the harder it is to fight the pull of attraction, without also jeopardizing his op.They'll soon realize not everything is as it seems, and Luke will be forced to discover how far he's willing to go to find his mark.Finding Justice:They say the truth will set you free--if it doesn't bury you first.As a Navy SEAL for a covert special ops team, Owen York has no time for relationships. But when he's forced to go on vacation, he finds himself falling for a sexy stranger, a woman who turns out to be linked not only to his latest assignment but to his past. Owen's spent years searching for his brother's killer, but now that he has a chance at revenge . . . he'll have to see how far he's willing to go for justice.After losing her fiancé a decade ago, Samantha McCarthy lives and breathes her job at the Intelligence Committee. She puts everything, especially love, aside--until one day her world flips upside down, and she finds herself at the center of a massive government cover-up. Turning to Owen York for help is her only hope. What she doesn't count on is for him to knock down the walls around her heart.Thrown together on a mission that's as personal as it is dangerous, Owen and Samantha will face their toughest challenge yet--and risk falling for each other in the process.Finding the Fight:Their well-kept secrets are about to unravel.Former CIA officer Jessica Scott and Navy SEAL Asher Hayes have worked together for years as part of a black-ops team for the president, but Jessica's close encounter with death is about to change everything between them . . .As the team hunts down her abductor and tries to prevent an impending attack, Asher will stop at nothing to protect the woman he cares about. But will his actions push Jessica, aka the Ice Queen, further away; or will he knock down her impenetrable walls?With their pasts coming back to haunt them, and their insatiable desire for one another pushing them to the brink, Asher and Jessica will find themselves faced with impossible choices--ones that could topple their very world.In this high-stakes mission, will they be able to find the fight inside of them to win--or will this be one mission that hits far too close to home?

Black Silk


Metsy Hingle - 2006
    Mere hours before her wedding, the fiancee of real estate mogul JP Stratton is found strangled in her penthouse. New Orleans homicide detective Charlotte "Charlie" Le Blanc views the crime scene, finding a black silk stocking draped casually beside the body--a chilling calling card from the killer. The dramatic clue leads Charlie to a world of privilege and wealth, and before long she singles out a suspect whose identity creates a furor in the city: Cole Stratton, JP's estranged son. But what she doesn't know is that Cole has been set up, and while she sets out to prove his guilt a real killer is on the loose--a man who now has Charlie in his sights, a man with yet another black silk stocking.

A Summer of Surprises: (Little Duck Pond Cafe, Book 16)


Rosie Green - 2021
    Having been through a traumatic time, it’s a joy to be working for Ellie, and now all Ruby wants is to lead a quiet life and support her mum in getting the help she needs.But life, it seems, has other plans for Ruby.Working alongside the bafflingly rude Hudson Holmes would be bad enough – but then odd things start happening. It seems that someone is out to sabotage the café and bakery, and to her horror, Ruby finds the finger pointing at her.Desperate to prove her innocence, she teams up with the most unlikely person in order to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Tailing suspects and hiding in bushes isn’t something she ever imagined she’d be doing, although her partner in mystery-solving seems the perfect man for the job. Can they clear Ruby’s name by discovering the real culprit?With all the drama afoot, at least there’s no time for romance. Because that’s the very last thing on Ruby’s mind these days. Or is it…?

Gold Team Box Set 1 (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)


Riley Edwards - 2019
    One look at her scarred flesh tells the tales of her time in captivity. But it's not only her skin that bears the marks of her failures, doubt and a healthy dose cynicism now clouds her vision. She's also mastered the fine art of deception. In her line of work it is a necessity. Former Navy SEAL Brooks Miller is living the good life working as a mercenary. Employed by the highly sought-after Z Corps, a private, special-ops company, there are no shortage of contracts sending him around the world. When the Gold Team's latest mission takes them to Bahrain, Brooks thinks it will be a quick in and out. That's until he walks into a shitstorm and comes face to face with the woman who's about to turn his world upside down. There was something working behind her intelligent eyes, and it looked a lot like pain. Not the physical kind, the emotional aftermath of heartache. It will take more than the Gold Team to bring down a Saudi Prince out for blood. Their only hope is the one and only, king of all things cyber, John "Tex" Keegan. Can Tex get a search and rescue team to them in time, or will it be a recovery mission? THADDEUS- There had been a time, I’d been happy—blissfully happy—then a single act of brutality tore Thaddeus Bench from my life. But not from my heart. I never thought I’d see him again. But I did. In a cantina in Mexico. And when he looked over at me with so much hatred in his stare, it pulverized what was left of my heart. Emerson Pierce was my own personal hell. The agony of her betrayal still as sharp as it was the day I’d come home and found her gone. I’d spent years doing whatever I could not to think about her. To stop myself from wondering where she was and why she’d left me. Now my team needs answers from her to stop a criminal mastermind and I can’t trust a damn thing that comes out of her pretty mouth. Emerson’s no longer the sweet girl I fell for, she’s the girlfriend of a notorious drug runner and dog fighter. Or at least that’s what I thought until her lies unravel and the truth explodes. Nothing about Emerson was what it seemed. Nothing about our latest mission was easy. But one thing is for sure...I will save Emerson Pierce, even from herself. KYLE- Anaya Baker knows pain—she got her first taste when she was orphaned and put into foster care. Then it was forever embedded into her soul when she was sold to a sex trafficking ring. Since being rescued, Anaya has dedicated her life to helping others, yet no amount of good she’s done has lessened her anguish. While on an assignment with the Peace Corps she learns of brothel posing as an orphanage and she cannot turn her back. Anaya has one mission: save the young girls for the horrors she herself had suffered. Kyle Smith couldn’t say no. Not when the beautiful woman with haunted eyes asked him and his teammate to escort her to a remote island to save a bunch of children. Her plan was crazy. The island was overrun with rebels and the unrest was at an all-time high. There was no stopping the woman, she was resolute and Kyle was just as determined to keep her safe. He had no business falling in love—but was helpless against her bravery and strength. But when the threat closes in and one of their lives hangs in the balance, Kyle has to make a choice. And the wrong one could mean death.

Slanted


H.L. Wegley - 2019
    When she finds an orphaned girl, Sam, hidden in some bushes along the Rogue River, in an instant, a bond is formed. AJ quickly learns that Sam's and her guardian's lives are in danger from a team of hired killers. But AJ commits to helping eight-year-old Sam. A competitive athlete, AJ Scott isn't one to quit, give up, or do anything halfway, not even when she and Sam end up in a road race with killers in pursuit.When Hunter Jones's cousin dies, he becomes eight-year-old Samantha Wilson's guardian and sets aside any pursuit of personal happiness. Sam becomes his lot in life, and he loves her dearly. But Hunter, a big data analyst, will soon release a research report proving that the largest Internet search engine in the world is being used by its owners to influence American political thought with the intent of controlling elections. He hints at his findings in a radio interview and the news goes viral. Within hours, a team of hired killers attacks Hunter and Sam, intending to eliminate them and steal his research findings. Hunter hides Sam and eludes the killers. But when he returns, Sam is gone. Enraged, Hunter Jones will storm the gates of Hades to get her back, and whoever took her will pay a steep price.Set in Southern Oregon, Seattle, Washington DC, and Eastern Oregon, near Paulina Lake, Slanted is a gritty, high-action, romantic suspense adventure about commitment, sacrifice, love and faith.

The Cove / The Maze / Eleventh Hour


Catherine Coulter - 2004
    Into The Cove comes Sally Brainerd, daughter of murdered Amory St. John of Washington, D.C., seeking sanctuary, and FBI Special Agent James Quinlan who's undercover and after her. He's got a murder to solve, and he believes she's the key. But is she really?The Maze (Susan Ericksen, Ruth Bloomquist, Jill Sovis): Lacey Sherlock's life is forever changed when her older sister's body is discovered in an abandoned warehouse. She is the fourth victim of the String Killer, the name given by the media to a murderer who leads his victims into a maze with a ball of twine. Seven years after Belinda's death, Lacey, now an FBI agent, is paired up with computer whiz Dillon Savich, who has developed a predictive program to aid in the apprehension of serial killers. When the String Killer strikes again, Lacey spots his handiwork, resulting in his capture. The suspect confesses, but maintains that he did not kill Belinda. No sooner does Lacey confirm his innocence of that crime, than an attempt is made on her life. Suspecting her attacker is the same person who murdered her sister, Lacey and Dillon know they must solve the mystery - before they become the killer's next victims.Eleventh Hour (Sandra Burr, Ruth Bloomquist, Mike Council): When FBI agent Dane Carver's twin brother, Father Michael Joseph, is brutally murdered in his San Francisco church, husband-and-wife agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich take a personal interest in the investigation. Then Nicola "Nick" Jones, a homeless woman and the only witness to the shooting, is scared out of her mind because she is trying to hide from her own monsters - who are drawing closer and closer. The chase goes from San Francisco to the Premiere Studios in Los Angeles and its new television hit, a show all about murder.

Three Seconds to Rush


Danielle Stewart - 2016
    She’s positive she’s a good mother and hard worker. So why is she in an alley with a needle in her arm? Waking up in the hospital without her son is terrifying. Being told she can’t have him back nearly crushes her. With her memory spotty and the circumstances incriminating, Tara must fight to learn the truth and wrestle with the idea that maybe her son is better off without her. Reid Holliston defends guilty people for a living and it's slowly killing him. He’s certain there is no such thing as a truly blameless client anymore. When his phone rings with a voice from his childhood his jaded views make him certain Tara is just one more criminal claiming innocence. But even his skepticism isn’t enough to keep him away. Best friends from a lifetime ago, the two must find a way to trust each other again in spite of how the years apart have changed them. Can a promise made in childhood be enough to save them both?

Prior Sins


D.J. Gross - 2011
    Understanding the dark impulses that drive men to maim and kill comes easily to him. When he temporarily swaps teaching positions with a University of Michigan colleague, Hadrian assumes he’ll be on a sabbatical from crime. Then a series of disturbing assaults occur on campus and the Ann Arbor police ask him to consult on the case. Pursuing a link between the perpetrator and ancient mythology leads Hadrian to Sarah Roth. His reaction to her challenges his long held assumption that emotional intimacy is beyond him. She believes she’s a monster University of Michigan Classics Professor Sarah Roth dreams of blood and death. Her mother warned her to never share her dreams or she’d be locked away. Sarah pours her passion into teaching as a relationship is out of reach. When Hadrian approaches her for information, she is shocked by her attraction to him. Hadrian is dangerous to her but the demons inside her like to live dangerously. As Sarah struggles to keep her distance from Hadrian, her dreams become more vivid and violent. The real monster is hunting her Someone on campus is secretly obsessed with Sarah. He is recreating the Labors of Hercules, violent feats of power and strength, to prove worthy of her love. Once he’s completed his quest, Sarah will be his forever. Praise for the Novels of DJ Gross:“I was super glued to my Kindle for two days...The balance between the suspense-filled action and romance is spot on." The Romance Reviews on Stolen Justice "Seriously top-notch." Romance Junkies on Stolen Justice "DJ Gross made it so you just had absolutely no idea what would happen next!" Shameless Romance Reviews on Stolen Justice"For anyone who enjoys Romantic Suspense - this is a must read." The Book Pimp Blogs on Stolen Justice