Book picks similar to
Outlaws by George V. Higgins


fiction
crime
dnf
mystery-detective-crime

Crime Fiction: Private Eye Thriller


B.A. Savage - 2016
    When he finds, Coleman's dead he may be pursuing the wrong suspect. Shallow Grave When Stone is hired to pick up a jar of face cream from a Frenchman named Lorenzo Carlos, he thinks it's going to be a quick one thousand bucks, but faith has its own plans. Stone's life is threatened by a cosmetic company owner that has a soft voice but an itchy trigger finger, leading to an explosion that rocks the foundation of the case. All this for a jar of face cream? There's something wrong in Central City, and it's Stone’s job to find out the truth. Wishful Thinking When a carnival employee hires Randall Stone to investigate his girlfriend, a girl is murdered in a fire accidentally blowing a secret wide open. Cold Fury When Stone meets a beautiful woman in the Lake View Bar, she shows him a clipping out of the Personal columns of the newspaper. An attorney wanted to know the whereabouts of Mary Patton, wife of the late, Ben Patton, who died seven years ago in the Philippine Islands. Mr. Patton left a legacy of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for his wife. She hired Stone to claim her inheritance and he meet a man with his code of vigilante justice and Randall Stone’s on the top of his list.Die to Be Rich When Stone's hired to pick up an envelope for Mellissa, it's supposed to be a simple case, but nothing is as it seems when you’re a private eye. On the way back from the pickup, Stone is covered by two thugs that use him as a punching bag. Now Stone carries out his own brand of justice on the streets of Central City. You’re Going to Die Mr. Stone When a Puerto Rican man walks into Stone’s office and tells him; he’s going to die Stone’s asked to deliver a letter to the man who’s trying to kill the Puerto Rican. A guy just released from prison named Tony Ramirez. And when two men are murdered, Stone tries to find the link between the dead men and lottery racket in the Northpark area. It’s Called Murder Scott Braga has one wish, to talk to his son before he leaves Central City and has 12 hours before he goes. He hires Randall Stone to find his son on Fifth Street one of the most dangerous areas in town. When a murder happens, Stone tries to identify the real culprit. Sweet Letters of Death When a man hoping to find a companion or even a soul mate gets taken for a considerable amount of money through a mail order bride he hires Randall Stone to get his money back. Stone races to expose them before it happens to someone else. Tales of: Detective, Police Detective, Police, Murder, Investigation, Death, Violence, Blood, Shootout, Police Officer, Shot to Death, Corpse, Revenge, Fight, Gun, Murder Investigation, Gunfight, Husband Wife Relationship, Fistfight Neo Noir, Interrogation, Police Investigation, Deception Blood Splatter, Gangst

The Missing Gun (Hawker of the Yard Book 1)


W.H. Oxley - 2014
    Hitler has just conquered Poland, but life in London continues much as it did in peacetime, albeit a little more restricted since the introduction of petrol rationing. No bombs have been dropped on the city as yet, but the population go about their daily business under the constant threat of German air raids, and a blackout remains in force at night. For Scotland Yard and the criminal fraternity, however, it is business as usual. When a pawnbroker’s assistant is wounded by a gunman wearing a gasmask, it appears to be a straightforward case of a bungled armed robbery, but as Hawker proceeds with his investigation, the more facts he uncovers the more confusing the affair becomes. A red-headed soldier, a missing gun, a dead cat, an empty violin case and a damaged violin are only a few of the threads that have to be unravelled before he can wrap up the case – with a little help from Sherlock Holmes.

The First Lady


James Patterson - 2018
    has gone rogue."President Tucker is caught up in a media firestorm. The scandal of his affair has sent shockwaves through his re-election campaign, and threatens to derail everything he has worked for. To win the vote, he needs the First Lady to stand by his side.But Grace Tucker has a mind of her own.After years of compromise, unfulfilled promises, deception and betrayal, Grace refuses to give in to her husband's demands. Escaping the city and her Secret Service agents, she is officially off the radar.But did the First Lady run away? Or is she in far greater danger than anyone could have imagined?

Bhoot, Bhavish, Bartaman


Mehool Parekh
    The usual suspects are arrested by the Police until an odd-ball amateur sleuth starts to investigate. Something about the murder does not sit right with him. To start with, the victim – Rupali, a regular housewife living in marital bliss. But is that the truth? Why would someone murder her and why did she meet such a gruesome end? Who, in reality, was she? Introducing Major Bartaman Bhowmick, Southern Command of the Indian Army. Peace-time army life and supportive seniors allow Major Bhowmick to indulge in his hobby and passion – crime detection. His sharp investigative talents are highly valued by his cousin, an ACP in Pune. Robin Chowdhury is a city crime reporter, whose combination of keen intellect, attractive looks and affinity for all things tech, makes her a great sidekick for the Major. This book is as much about Rupali’s astounding story as her murder and Major Bhowmick and Robin’s investigation into the murder with its surprising conclusion. About Author: A finance professional, Mehool has, over time, worked as a management consultant, equity research head and a fund manager. He ran a successful venture capital fund and is currently a private equity investor in growth companies. In between these, he has dabbled in film finance and production and owns a well-known media company. He lives in Mumbai with his family.

Widespread Panic


James Ellroy - 2021
    He was a rogue cop, a sleazoid private eye, a shakedown artist, a pimp--and, most notably, the head strong-arm goon for Confidential magazine. Confidential presaged the idiot internet--and delivered the dirt, the dish, the insidious ink, and the scurrilous skank. It mauled misanthropic movie stars, sex-soiled socialites, and putzo politicians. Mattress Jack Kennedy, James Dean, Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson--Frantic Freddy outed them all. He was the Tattle Tyrant who held Hollywood hostage, and now he's here to CONFESS."I'm consumed with candor and wracked with recollection. I'm revitalized and resurgent. My meshugenah march down memory lane begins NOW."In Freddy's viciously entertaining voice, Widespread Panic torches 1950s Hollywood to the ground. It's a blazing revelation of coruscating corruption, pervasive paranoia, and of sin and redemption with nothing in between.Here is James Ellroy in savage quintessence. Freddy Otash confesses--and you are here to read and succumb.

Fire in Bone (Jake Pettman #2)


Wes Markin - 2021
    A suspected child killer from a bygone era. And a schoolgirl washed up on the banks of the River Skweda.A storm is coming to Blue Falls, Maine.An unprecedented storm. And in the eye of the storm stands ex-detective Jake Pettman. A man desperate for sanctuary and desperate for the truth. But in a place of undying and heinous secrets, such desperations become dangerous.Both to yourself, and the people that you love. Fire in Bone is an adrenaline-pumping crime thriller novel from the Amazon bestselling author of One Last Prayer for the Rays, and the DCI Yorke series. Perfect for fans of Chris Carter, James Patterson, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.

Dead in the Water


Peter Tickler - 2015
    He doesn't tell the police that he knows who it is, and when he is hired to investigate the dead man, matters get very complicated. Mullen is used to tracking down cheating husbands, not ruthless killers. The victim turns out to have been playing a complex game of deception with more than one woman. As Mullen gets closer to tracking down the killer, he finds himself in grave danger. Unless he can crack the case, Detective Inspector Dorkin may pin the crime on him, or those with secrets to hide may put him out of circulation. Mullen fights for his life as this fast-moving mystery reaches its stunning conclusion. DEAD IN THE WATER is the first in a new series of detective thrillers featuring Doug Mullen - ex-army, ex-runaway, struggling human being - and recently set up as a private detective, with his only work coming from tracking down cheating husbands.

Cop Hater


Ed McBain - 1956
    But when his partner becomes victim number two, it looks like open-and-shut grudge killings. That is, until a third detective buys it.ED MCBAIN'S FIRST 87th PRECINCT NOVEL

Money Shot


Christa Faust - 2008
    THEY THOUGHT WRONG.It all began with the phone call asking former porn star Angel Dare to do one more movie. Before she knew it, she'd been shot and left for dead in the trunk of a car. But Angel is a survivor. And that means she'll get to the bottom of what's been done to her even if she has to leave a trail of bodies along the way...

Lies We Bury


Elle Marr - 2021
    At twenty-seven, Marissa’s moved beyond the trauma and is working under a new name as a freelance photographer. But when she accepts a job covering a string of macabre murders in Portland, it’s impossible for Marissa not to remember.Everything is eerily familiar. The same underground lairs. Sad trinkets and toys left behind, identical to those Marissa had as a child. And then there is the note meant just for her that freezes Marissa’s blood: See you soon, Missy.To determine the killer’s next move, Marissa must retrieve her long-forgotten memories and return to a past she’s hidden away. But she won’t be facing her fears alone. Someone is waiting for her in the dark.

The Moonshine War


Elmore Leonard - 1969
    Because when it came to shooting, fighting, and outsmarting the Big Boys, Son Martin wasn’t just good. He was bad... dangerous... and deadly.

Three Ways to Die


Lee Goldberg - 2009
    But Monk knows that danger -- like dirt -- lurks everywhere. Look at Helen Gruber, the rich tourist who took a fatal blow from a coconut. The police say it fell from a tree, but Monk suspects otherwise. His assistant, Natalie, isn't exactly thrilled about Monk's latest investigation. It was bad enough that Monk followed her on vacation, and now it looks as though the vacation is over....Smooth-talking TV psychic Dylan Swift is on the island and claims to have a message from beyond -- from Helen Gruber. Monk has his doubts about Swift's credibility. But finding the killer and proving Swift a fraud -- all while coping with geckos and the horror of unsynchronized ceiling fans -- may prove a tough coconut to crack....

The Shark-Infested Custard


Charles Willeford - 1993
    Eddie Miller is an airline pilot who's studying to get his real estate license. Don Luchessi is a silver salesman who's separated from his wife but too Catholic to get a divorce. Hank Norton is a drug company rep who gets four times as many dames as any of the other guys. They are all regular guys who like to drink, play cards, meet broads, and shoot a little pool. But when a friendly bet goes horribly awry, they find themselves with two dead bodies on their hands and a homicidal husband in the wings—and acting more like hardened criminals than upstanding citizens.

Never Saw it Coming


Linwood Barclay - 2010
    At least, that's what she passes herself off as. The truth is, Keisha's real powers have more to do with separating troubled families from their money than actually seeing into the netherworld. Keisha watches the news for stories of missing family members. She gives it a few days, then moves in, tells these families she's had a vision, that she may have some clue to where these missing people are. And by the way, she charges for this service, and likes to see the money up front.Keisha's latest mark is a man whose wife disappeared a week ago. She's seen him on TV, pleading for his wife to come home, or, if she's been abducted, pleading with whoever took her to let her go. Keisha knows a payoff when she sees one. So she pays a visit to our troubled husband and tells him her vision.The trouble is, her vision just happens to be close enough to the truth that it leaves this man rattled. And it may very well leave Keisha dead...

Tom Rob Smith Trilogy


Tom Rob Smith - 2011