Book picks similar to
Idle Playgrounds by Sheralyn Pratt
lds-fiction
lds
mystery
fiction
The Mist of Quarry Harbor
Liz Adair - 2005
. . . Cassie lay listening to the creaking timbers of the old hotel, and tears slid down her face.It doesn't matter what answers I find, she thought. Nothing will ever be the same.It was in that twilight between wakefulness and sleep that she wondered how she could find any answers when she didn't even know the questions. * * * Cassie Van Cleeve is thirty-two years old, single, and comfortably settled into a demanding career that leaves little time for romance. Suddenly faced with two unexpected proposals of marriage, she finds herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions with a vital choice to make. Her decision takes Cassie on an adventure she could never have imagined as she seeks to solve a deadly puzzle and uncover the mysterious past of her new husband. Author Liz Adair has shown herself to be a wonderful storyteller, and in The Mist of Quarry Harbor, she has crafted another fast-paced novel that will satisfy even the most avid mystery lovers. Set in the starkly beautiful Sonora Desert and the picturesque islands and waterways of Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, this romantic novel provides a visual as well as an emotional feast. It is a book whose intriguing characters, startling plot, and exciting scenes will stay with you long after you have closed the book.
Vanished
Lynn Gardner - 2004
In Maggie McKenzie's case, the saying is not only true, but the starting point for a troubling--and deadly--mystery.Maggie has just begun her first job as a full-fledged newspaper reporter. It’s a dream come true. But soon the young journalist finds she is captivated by what should be old news – a girl who vanished years ago – who looks amazingly like her. Intrigued by what she has heard about the missing girl, Maggie takes advantage of her travels for another assignment to try to solve the mystery of Alyssa Lawson’s disappearance. While on her cross-country quest, Maggie meets psychologist Dr. Flynn Ford, who is interested in helping her solve the puzzle--and in getting to know Maggie better. But as the pair inches closer to the truth, witnessed begin turning dead. And it appears Maggie and Flynn could be next. Could the woman Maggie thinks might be her sister be trying to kill her?
The Survivors
Gregg Luke - 2006
A plane crash causes two unlikely survivors to depend on each other to get out of the jungle alive and find their families.
Cover of Darkness
Sian Ann Bessey - 2002
While Fran spends her days sketching the majestic Welsh mountains, castles, and the picturesque sea, Megan explores the historical sites and landmarks that dot the countryside. The two women soon discover that there are other Americans staying at their hotel. Initially, Joe Marks and Richard Garrett come across as perfect gentlemen. But soon, it will become terrifyingly obvious to both Megan and Fran that appearances can be deceiving. Sian Ann Bessey follows her best-selling novel Forgotten Notes with a breathtaking story about an innocent vacation that becomes the adventure of a lifetime. Filled with international intrigue, action, espionage, faith, and prayer, Cover of Darkness is a page turning thriller that you will not be able to forget.
Conviction
Robbin J. Peterson - 2018
And in an instant, a peculiar encounter with the wrong people changes everything. Dragged from his apartment in the dead of night, Neal is taken to prison and charged with the theft of a priceless museum piece. As days turn into weeks, he is thrown into a world of uncertainty where he must rely on the only person he can trust—the Savior. And as his Russian slowly improves within the prison walls, he begins preaching the gospel in the last place he imagined proselytizing. But when civil unrest erupts in Ukraine, the now-familiar routine of imprisonment is over. Neal is trapped in the chaos, and with his life on the line, his only hope of survival is escape. Yet he learns too late that there is as much danger awaiting him outside the prison walls as within. Someone has gone to great lengths to incriminate the young missionary, and they will stop at nothing to silence him forever.
The Perfect Token
Cathryn Tew - 2011
Charming, handsome, and perfect, he's everything she's ever wanted. But her plans go awry when she finds out John may already be planning to propose - to another girl Filled with humor and a touch of sass, this book reminds you that finding love is a journey of self-discovery.
Love to the Highest Bidder
Rachel Ann Nunes - 1998
Jared is a buyer for an exclusive New York gallery. Sparks fly as the two come head to head in a bidding war for a hideous but very expensive Indian Buddha from the Kushan period. Each is determined to win the statue, but others also want the Buddha—at any cost. Thugs, art forgers, the FBI, or Jared’s beautiful and alluring boss . . . who will end up with the statue? During a string of hair-raising exploits, Cassi and Jared are forced to develop a tentative friendship that deepens into romance. Will they survive long enough to see it through? Best-selling author Rachel Ann Nunes has crafted a wonderfully intriguing and romantic drama in this fast-moving novel, bringing two idealistic young people together from opposite edges of the continent and allowing them, in their own way, to find an unexpected connection. In the end, their very lives depend on the trust they’ve developed. If you love romance and excitement that you're not embarassed to share with your daughter or your mother, you’ll be captivated by A Bid for Love.
The Guy Next Door
Kate Palmer - 2012
The small-town kindergarten teacher is set to wed ambitious lawyer Sean Langley, and their plans for a dream wedding are well underway. Eva accepts that she will soon live life in the spotlight as a member of the prestigious Langley family, but can she overlook her fiancé’s tendency to dominate the details of her life and push the limits of her standards?Mere weeks before the wedding, Eva is thrown into a traumatic, life-changing event that changes her view of family commitment and creates a sharp contrast between her ideals and Sean’s. With her engagement to Sean in jeopardy, Eva finds herself relying on the support and encouragement of Peter, her kind and attentive next-door neighbor. Faced with a choice between her penitent fiancé and the increasingly mysterious Peter, Eva is unprepared for the consequences—and peril—that come with her decision.
Sadie
Rebecca Belliston - 2011
Terrified, Sadie flees her boyfriend's wrath, two FBI agents, and her "perfect life." Lost in a Montana snowstorm and desperate for refuge, she's taken in by four quirky guys on their annual holiday ski vacation. As her physical wounds heal, Sadie wonders if she will ever be able to escape the clutches of her wealthy and determined boyfriend. But just when her heart settles, she finds herself abandoned for a religion she doesn't understand. She must discover who has her best interests at heart and who she can trust…before it's too late.
Finding Faith
Terri Ferran - 2007
She loves her family and is content with her life in California. That is, until her parents decide to move to Utah, the land of Mormons. New surroundings and culture shock do nothing to help Kit's social life. It is only with the help of Janet, a new friend, that Kit begins to adjust to life in Utah, as well as to the Mormon culture. Janet's older brother, Adam, is more than happy to befriend Kit, but when their feelings begin to go beyond friendship, Kit is torn. Does she really want to devote her heart to a boy who is going to leave her for two years to serve a mission for his faith? Can she support him when she doesn't even believe in his religion? As Kit looks deeper, she realizes that it isn't Adam's faith she needs to come to terms with - it's her own.
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.
Deadly by Design
Paige Edwards - 2020
When he witnesses a crash at the first international grand prix of the season, Jack makes a shocking discovery. His design is on a competitor’s car.To keep Davis Racing LTD, his British Formula One employer from closing its doors, Jack goes undercover for MI6 to ferret out the company saboteur. When the investigation interferes with his and Gillian Buchanan’s blossoming romance, Jack can’t extricate himself from the web of deceit. But he’s not the only one with something to hide. Gillian too carries secrets. With time running out for Davis Racing, the evil which walks its corporate halls turns in Jack’s direction and threatens all that he holds dear.
The Inn at Ocean's Edge
Colleen Coble - 2015
She showed up a year later at the same hotel, with a note pinned to her dress but no explanation. Nobody knows where Claire spent that year—and until now, Claire didn’t even know she had ever been missing.But when Claire returns to the Hotel Tourmaline for a business meeting with her CEO father, disturbing memories begin to surface . . . despite her parents’ best efforts to keep them forgotten.Luke Rocco lost his mother under equally mysterious circumstances—at the same time Claire disappeared. After a chance encounter reveals the unlikely link between them, Claire and Luke set out together to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful year.With flashbacks swimming just beneath her consciousness and a murderer threatening her safety, Claire’s very life depends on unscrambling her past . . . even if her family refuses to acknowledge it. Someone—maybe everyone—is hiding something from Claire Dellamare, and it will cost her everything to drag the truth out into the light.
Reasonable Doubt
Marcia Argueta Mickelson - 2007
The only suspect - her fianc???????? - has been apprehended. And as a defense attorney, it is Julia's job to prove that Mick is innocent. Julia believes he is guilty. No stranger to the crimes that men commit against women, Julia can easily believe that rich, talented, spoiled Mick did indeed kill Avery. Both were basketball stars at the University of Utah, and both were popular; yet everyone - except Mick's family and Julia's boss - believes that Mick is the murderer. As the evidence against Mick mounts, Julia stumbles across a secret Avery had kept hidden from everyone, even Mick. Julia realizes that perhaps she may have more than just reasonable doubt to support Mick's case - if she can face her past and reveal her own secret. Meanwhile, Pablo, Julia's new co-counsel, becomes convinced that Mick did not murder Avery, but can he convince Julia? Guilty or innocent? With Pablo's help, Julia may be able to overcome her own fears and uncover the truth.