Book picks similar to
The House by the Sea by Patricia Aspinall
in-english
already-read
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Silently and Very Fast
Catherynne M. Valente - 2011
Valente takes on the folklore of artificial intelligence in this brand new, original novella of technology, identity, and an uncertain mechanized future.Neva is dreaming. But she is not alone. A mysterious machine entity called Elefsis haunts her and the members of her family, back through the generations to her great-great-grandmother—a gifted computer programmer who changed the world. Together Neva and Elefsis navigate their history and their future, an uneasy, unwilling symbiote.But what they discover in their dreamworld might change them forever . . .
Poison Orchids
Sarah A. Denzil - 2019
Denzil and Anni TaylorYoung backpackers Gemma and Hayley arrive at a remote mango farm, out of money and desperate for work. The farm's owner, Tate Llewellyn, welcomes them in with open arms. An enigmatic, wealthy chemist, Tate spends his days running his hobby farm and cultivating rare orchids in his greenhouse.The weeks go on, a blur of fruit-picking with the other international backpackers, parties, campfires and wading beneath waterfalls in the nearby hot springs. Tate calls the girls his orchids...his pretty orchids... Until the night the girls find themselves on a dark highway, bruised and bloodied.How did paradise turn so ugly?Senior Detective Bronwen McKay and psychologist Megan Arlotti question the terrified girls. But Hayley and Gemma are telling two very different stories of what happened to them over the past three months.Which story is the truth and what are the girls covering up?
The Good Widow
Liz Fenton - 2017
Or at least she thought it was…until two police officers showed up at her door with devastating news. Her husband of eight years, the one who should have been on a business trip to Kansas, had suffered a fatal car accident in Hawaii. And he wasn’t alone.For Jacks, laying her husband to rest was hard. But it was even harder to think that his final moments belonged to another woman—one who had left behind her own grieving and bewildered fiancé. Nick, just as blindsided by the affair, wants answers. So he suggests that he and Jacks search for the truth together, retracing the doomed lovers’ last days in paradise.Now, following the twisting path of that fateful road, Jacks is learning that nothing is ever as it seems. Not her marriage. Not her husband. And most certainly not his death…
When You Are Mine
Michael Robotham - 2021
When she responds to a domestic violence call, she finds the victim, Tempe Brown, trying to protect her abuser, a married man named Darren Goodall, a decorated Scotland Yard detective afraid of no one. As Philomena pursues the case against him, she not only encounters resistance from her police force colleagues but also becomes dangerously entangled with the victim—who is not at all whom she appears to be—much to the increasing endangerment of herself and Henry, her fiancée. Complicating matters is Philomena’s estranged father Edward McCarthy, a powerful man who has built a criminal empire along with his brothers. Philomena has long tried to pursue her career as a police officer without her father’s involvement, but as she falls under suspicion of stalking and harassing Goodall, her father becomes involved. As the situation escalates, Tempe’s sinister maneuvers further entangle Philomena in a web of secrets, corruption, and murder, putting Philomena’s impending marriage, career, and very survival in jeopardy… Spellbinding, suspenseful, and filled with complex characters that could be heroes or villains, Robotham has crafted a smart and propulsive thriller that’s impossible to put down.
The Perfect Family
Shalini Boland - 2018
The front door is open. And her six-year-old daughter has disappeared. Frantic with fear, Gemma starts a nail-biting search for her little girl. After what feels like forever, her mother-in-law Diane finds Katie wandering lost a few streets away. Relieved to have her youngest child back in her arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, Gemma thinks the nightmare is over. But then her perfect family starts to fall apart. And she realises it’s only just beginning… From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door, this completely addictive psychological thriller of secrets, lies and betrayal will make you gasp out loud at the heart-stopping final twist. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Sister this book is for you.
My Week With Marilyn
Colin Clark - 2000
The film united Britain's leading actor, Laurence Olivier, with Hollywood's most glamorous sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe - and clashes between them entered film legend.For one glorious week, the world's biggest star sought comfort in the arms of the set's most junior employee. This is the frank, fresh and comic story of how Clark came to share Monroe's confidences - and her bed!This edition combines Colin Clark’s acclaimed 'The Prince, the Showgirl and Me' (191995) and his 'My Week with Marilyn' (2005).'More illuminating than the millions of words and pictures pumped out to expose or dish the dirt on the Monroe legend.' - Sunday TelegraphClark’s extraordinary experiences on and off set have now been turned into a major film starring Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh and Dominic Cooper.
All Systems Red
Martha Wells - 2017
Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
The Devil's Teardrop
Jeffery Deaver - 1999
After an early morning machine-gun attack by a madman called the Digger leaves dozens dead in the Washington, D.C., subway, the mayor’s office receives a message demanding twenty million dollars by midnight or more innocents will die. It is New Year’s Eve, and with the ransom note as the only evidence, Special Agent Margaret Lukas calls upon retired FBI agent and the nation’s premier document examiner Parker Kincaid to join the manhunt for the Digger --- or for hundreds, the first moments of the new year will be their last on earth.
The Wreck
Landon Beach - 2019
The beach is warm, the water is cool, and the sea breeze is blissful--perfect conditions for rekindling their strained relationship.However, on a morning stroll along the beach, Nate finds an unusual gold coin half-buried in the sand. Where did it come from? Are there more?Teaming up with reclusive ex-Coast Guard Officer and Great Lakes master of the deep, Abner Hutch, Nate dives for clues to the treasure's origins. But when word leaks that there may be a fortune hidden under the waves, they find themselves hunted by mega-rich residents up the coast who are willing to do anything to advance their extravagant lifestyles.Will the Martins change their family's fortunes, or will the summer vacation end in a tragedy?Put on some sunscreen, unfold a beach chair, and get ready to discover The Wreck."The Wreck has tons of fun stuff, like the log of a long-dead lighthouse keeper and flooded caves. Great underwater scenes, with a real sense of place and an action-packed climax that will make you jump out of your reading chair." - Paul Kemprecos, New York Times Best-Selling Author"For a fun, exciting twist on the greatest mystery in Great Lakes maritime history, The Wreck by Landon Beach is an excellent summer read! Beach has crafted a story full of colorful characters; the bad guys are really bad and the good guys are really great. The Michigan summer cottage experience is perfectly captured, and then enhanced by a gripping adventure aboard boats, on shore, and best of all, underwater. Because the tension builds unbearably, the reader will not be able to turn away from the book and should take care when reading on the beach because of the danger of forgetting to re-apply sunscreen! We're looking forward to more terrific Landon Beach Great Lakes novels!" - Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, Hall of Fame scuba divers, maritime historians, founders of Seawolf Communications, Inc., and co-authors of The Wreck of the Griffon: The Greatest Mystery of the Great Lakes "What a great summer read for me! I have not seen much of the great lakes but this book made them sound amazing in a thriller and suspenseful way. Which I have to say for me was great! Treasure hunting, shipwrecks and so much in this book. It was fast paced and a great book! I enjoyed it very much! 5/5 Stars" - Aly from What is Life without Books Blog "At the heart of this entertaining and suspenseful thriller is one of Michigan's great historical mysteries that has gone unanswered for more than three hundred years. The author has done his research and cleverly woven that mystery and the solving of it as the engine that drives this novel of adventure." - Tom Powers from Michigan in Books Blog
Dear Daughter
Elizabeth Little - 2014
A change of clothes. A wig. An inconspicuous sedan. We doubled back once, twice, then drove south when we were really headed east. In San Francisco we had a girl who looked like me board a plane to Hawaii.Oh, I thought I was so clever.But you probably already know that I'm not.LA IT girl Janie Jenkins has it all. The looks, the brains, the connections. The criminal record.Ten years ago, in a trial that transfixed America, Janie was convicted of murdering her mother. Now she's been released on a technicality she's determined to unravel the mystery of her mother's last words, words that send her to a tiny town in the very back of beyond. But with the whole of America's media on her tail, convinced she's literally got away with murder, she has to do everything she can to throw her pursuers off the scent.She knows she really didn't like her mother. Could she have killed her?
The Cornish Retribution
Amanda James - 2018
Her husband Adam was everything to her. But at least the home they shared together in Cornwall provides her with some security. Or does it?Upon returning from a school reunion in Sheffield, where Sam met her old friend, Penny, and an old flame from her school days, Dan, she discovers that Adam had invested money unwisely and she is now penniless.When Penny and Dan, who are now married, arrive in Cornwall to visit Sam, Dan comes up with a way in which Sam can keep the house. He suggests she turns it into a writing retreat. And he is willing to invest.Despite his wife's reservations, Dan gets his way but at what price? Why is Dan so keen to help? Has Sam put herself in harm's way?Amanda James is the best-selling author of Another Mother, Rip Current and The Calico Cat. The Cornish Retribution is a chilling thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like Cara Hunter, Louise Jensen and Greer Hendricks.
The Ninth Configuration
William Peter Blatty - 1966
A Marine Corps psychiatrist with a crisis of faith encourages his patients to enact their fantasies as part of their therapy. However, he proves himself to be more deeply disturbed than at first appears and finally sacrifices himself to save one of his patients.
The John Milton Series: Books 10-12
Mark Dawson - 2018
This digital box set contains the tenth, eleventh and twelfth thrillers: Blackout: John Milton’s life is about to change. The former government assassin follows a lead to Manila that he hopes will change his life. But he never expected to wake up in an unfamiliar hotel room beside a murder victim. And, unfortunately for him, Milton doesn’t remember a thing about the night before. The Alamo: John Milton has finally found a place to escape the bloodshed: off-season Coney Island. No tourists. No special ops. Just peace and quiet. But when a local boy witnesses a grisly murder, Milton can’t resist investigating Redeemer: John Milton is visiting an old friend in Rio who runs a close protection business guarding the city's elite. Milton offers to stand in when one of his bodyguards doesn’t turn up for work. The job? Take the wife and daughter of an anti-corruption judge to a school recital and bring them back again. Simple? Not so much... What Critics Say About Mark Dawson --“Mark Dawson’s John Milton books are sharper than a stiletto. If you’ve run out of Lee Child books, Mark Dawson is your man. Absolutely brilliant.” - Matt Nixson, Books Editor, Mail on Sunday --"A literary sensation." - The Daily Telegraph --"Dawson writes the kind of thrillers I love. Non-stop, grab-you-by-the-throat tales of doing the right thing no matter the odds. Simply excellent." - USA Today bestselling author Brett Battles --"It’s impossible not to think of Lee Child’s super-selling Jack Reacher." - The Times --"Mark Dawson has all the skills. A great thriller writer on the top of his game." - Sunday Times bestselling author Steve Cavanagh --"Dawson maintains the reader’s interest throughout and the pages turning. It is easy to see why he has found such a big readership. He deserves it." - Crime Fiction Lover
Last One to Lie
J.M. Winchester - 2020
Now it’s a nightmare.
Her little girl was supposed to be at day care when Kelsey arrived to pick her up. But they have no record of her daughter ever being there. And to make matters worse, her husband is missing too—he won’t pick up his phone, and the school he supposedly works at says he never accepted their job offer.Detective Paul Ryan knows something’s up with Kelsey’s story. Kelsey’s husband might be involved in their daughter’s disappearance, but the deeper the detective digs, the more inconsistencies he finds.As Detective Ryan tries to uncover the truth, what he finds are more deeply buried secrets that someone clearly never wanted found.