Book picks similar to
Vanished by Karen Lewis
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mystery-suspense
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1-fic-thriller
Shadow Kill
David Caris - 2021
Betrayed by his employer and left for dead, Kovac decides to lie low in Tokyo.His plan? Revenge...But when a young woman asks him to protect her from the yakuza, Kovac feels duty-bound to help. She’s a victim of abuse, and long experience tells him if he doesn’t step in tonight she’ll be a corpse before dawn.As Kovac works to uncover the truth of his last job, he finds himself drawn into a conspiracy which goes well beyond the yakuza to a new and terrifying multinational cartel. One that will stop at nothing to control the global drug trade.The kingpins are certain they’ve covered all bases. They're well-funded and utterly ruthless. But they’ve failed to account for one man – John Kovac.SHADOW KILL is the first in a fast-paced, unflinching thriller series that won't in any way shortchange you on action. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Mark Greaney and Mark Dawson.
The Justice Game
Randy Singer - 2009
Following the victim's funeral, her family files a lawsuit against the gun company who manufactured the killer's weapon of choice. The lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant--Kelly Starling and Jason Noble--are young, charismatic, and successful. They're also easy blackmail targets, both harboring a personal secret so devastating it could destroy their careers. Millions of dollars--and more than a few lives--are at stake. But as Kelly and Jason battle each other, they discover that the real fight is with unseen forces intent on controlling them both.
Hollywood Assassin
M.Z. Kelly - 2014
Okay, so her ex-husband cheated on her and the DVD of his indiscretions made the rounds of the entire department, she’s broke and living above an appliance store with her canine partner Bernie who is a sexual predator, her British friend Natalie has a vocabulary that would make Howard Stern blush, and her mother is hallucinating about having sex with a dead president. But things could be worse . . . like Kate could be stalked by a sadistic serial killer while she tries to solve a thirty year-old murder and save the life and reputation of a cop wanted for the crime. Come to think of it, maybe things couldn’t get any worse because this is Kate’s life. Can Kate Sexton elude the killer, solve the cold case, keep Bernie's sexual wanderlust in check, keep her best friend under control, save a cop from death row, and find love again? Only time, loads of trouble, and tons of laughs will tell. Hollywood Assassin has more twists and turns than a car chase on Sunset Strip with a Hollywood starlet at the wheel. WARNING: The Hollywood Alphabet Series contains adult language and laugh out loud situations not for the faint of heart! If you think you can handle Kate Sexton’s crazy life . . . order Hollywood Assassin today. Hollywood Assassin is the first book in the Hollywood Alphabet Series. Other books include Hollywood Blood and Hollywood Crazy.
A Lesson In Deceit
Gillian Larkin - 2016
She has the unfortunate habit of finding murdered people. In this story, Julia travels to Edinburgh University to visit her son, Sam. It’s not long before she stumbles upon a dead body. Julia is happy to leave the murder investigation to the police – until her son becomes one of their suspects. Julia has no option but to get herself involved, despite the danger she puts herself in.
The Vanishing (Detective Dean Cornell, #1)
David J. Delaney - 2015
Grab a copy now.
Detective Dean Cornell is investigating the murder of a young woman when he and his partner stumble across a second brutal murder. Hunting for the killer through the streets of Sydney he discovers another young girl has vanished, leaving a distraught father holding onto whatever hope he can. Dean and the detectives of Sydney homicide desperately try to unfold the mystery of the dead and the missing. Can they find the killer before another life is lost
What people have said about the Author “David J Delaney mixes suspense and emotion to put you on the edge of your seat. You’ll have a blast reading his books.” J. Thorn, author of The Portal Arcane trilogy "Good luck putting down one of David's books. He'll have you biting your nails and turning pages for hours." Zach Bohannon, Amazon Top 100 Author of the Empty Bodies series “David has the ability to grab hold of you with his voice and never let go. The sense of place he firmly puts you in is remarkable, evoking every sense, every feeling of that moment. As a fan of David's work I know when I begin to read one of his stories I'll be reading late into the night, because putting it down isn't an option. If you're interested in a great read, you cannot go wrong with anything written by this talented author. I, for one, can't wait for his next story, and the next, and the next...” Sue Coletta, Crime Writer
The Body Man
Eric P. Bishop - 2021
And he's vanished without a trace.In a town that's obsessed with dark secrets, where the currency of power is information, The White House has kept a huge one for decades. Charged with the task of protecting and defending the Office of the Presidency from threats both outside and in, the keeper of secrets-the Body Man-has been in the shadows since the 1960s.The Body Man has been a unique protector of American presidents ever since a previous well-known president used the first Body Man to usher women, diplomats, and other heads of state into the White House via a secret tunnel. The Body Man is drawn from the Secret Service, but he isn't on the classic protective detail, and he reports to no one. Once his term is over, he's given a huge payout and a one-way ticket to anywhere on Earth.With a CIA conspiracy buff named Zed and The Body Man's aged neighbor Rose, former US Army Ranger and FBI Special Agent Eli Payne and his new probationary agent Kat Stone must find the Body Man before it's too late-and the trail may lead directly to the Oval Office itself.
Cold River
Liz Adair - 2011
She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. With the river rising and death a real possibility, will she find a reason to stay and chance the odds? Part romance, part cozy mystery, part thriller, Cold River, like many of Liz Adair’s books, is a novel about family ties and second chances. From The Deseret News: "Cold River" is a light read, with emphasis on romantic entanglements and small-town politics…Readers expecting a complex thriller or a dark suspense book may be disappointed with "Cold River," but those looking for light afternoon entertainment will enjoy it. The content is family friendly, with no sexual issues beyond a few kisses and a frank discussion about reasons not to let physical intimacy progress. While there is danger and some potentially violent situations, these are neither graphic nor overly threatening. The family relationships are well done. Especially entertaining is the sibling banter between Mandy and her young sister, who joins her in the backwoods and also falls in love ... not with a boy, but with bluegrass. From Alice Wills Gold’s blog: I’m so Funny (Sometimes): Sometimes I wonder where my brain is. It wasn't until I sat down to write this review that I realized how the title Cold River reflects the subject of the book. I swear I am blonde sometimes. The gist of the story-line in Cold River is a gutsy gal takes a job as a superintendent of schools in the small town in the upper mid-west of the US. She has never lived in such a small town and so when she ends up renting a house right on the river, the river and its surrounding landscapes are a comfort to her as she acclimates to the small town life. The river also has significance in one of the main plots, but I hate to give away spoilers in the reviews I write, so you will just have to read the book yourself. I fell in love with the male co-leads, if that's what we can call them. There are three cousins that are completely different yet equally hunky and mysterious. Once the story got going it was fast paced and intriguing and the suspense and romance only grew my interest up until the very end. I loved how the relationships all twist and intervene with one another; the mere idea is so consistent with small town living, especially because everyone is related in one way or another. I didn't guess the villain of the story until they were revealed and that is not easy for an author to do...I always guess what's going on, so I appreciated the surprise. It was a great surprise and I love when an author can get me shaking my head at myself for not guessing what was really going on in the story-line. I am personally connected to the three subplots of music in schools, literacy, and gaining emotional maturity and I agreed with the viewpoint of the author on them all and enjoyed how Adair wove them into the greater story. The end of the story was magnificent. I have a real hard time giving a book a good review if I don't think the end was spectacular. It has to be not only spectacular but real to life and feel-good. I know that limits me, but I don't think I am going to change now, so all you authors out there, write good endings.
Forgotten
Heleyne Hammersley - 2016
The doctor names her Kai, the Thai word for fever.Unable to recall what led her to end up at the bottom of a cliff, Kai’s only clue to her identity is a diary. Stuck in a foreign land with no memory, she begins to unpick the truth about her past. And she will discover who she and why she is in danger…This is Kai’s story.
Caribbean Moon
Rick Murcer - 2011
The couple’s exotic getaway begins in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico, by attending the June wedding of a fellow Lansing police officer, followed with an incredible week-long Southern Caribbean cruise on the glamorous Ocean Duchess. Tropical paradise appears to be a perfect recipe for desperately needed R and R...until the first dead body. A bizarre, seemingly random murder in their posh San Juan Hotel, and the heinous cruise ship deaths of two of Lansing’s law enforcement family, brings Manny, and his unique skills, out of cruise mode and head-long into the FBI-led investigation. Manny soon discovers that in this killer’s twisted perception nothing is off limits, prompting a race against time that could cost him everything. If you like edge-of-your-seat thrillers laced with humor, you'll love this!Caribbean Moon: "A new standard has been set for thrillers. In Rick Murcer's debut novel, Caribbean Moon, he's mixed the perfect ingredients to lock in readers, starting with the opening witty banter between Manny and Sophie. From there, the book takes off like a run-away roller coaster. Murcer knows just when to slow the pace and when to hit the gas. He's created a twisted mystery, with infectious characters and an unfathomable ending. Manny Williams might be the new Jedi of investigators, and Murcer is a Spielberg-like creative powerhouse. Caribbean Moon is absolutely magnetic!" John W. Mefford, Best-selling suspense author of COMMITTED
Killing Me Softly
Bianca Sloane - 2012
Her body was discovered days later, her beautiful face bashed in with a rock. Police determine her brutal death to be a mugging gone wrong and drop the matter into their cold case files.Over a year later, Tracy’s sister, Sondra, still can’t come to grips with what happened. She throws herself into her work as a documentary filmmaker to try and forget the cruelty of her sister’s death. However, a chance encounter with a man from Tracy’s past rips the wound open and sends Sondra on a desperate search for answers about the secrets from her sister’s life that may have led to her death.As Sondra struggles to uncover what happened to Tracy, she’s launched into a tangled web of deceit and danger that put her on a collision course with life and death…
The Protectors: Vigilante Justice
Bernard Lee DeLeo - 2012
Bradwick snaps when he and James bust in on a kidnapping ring, enslaving children for pornography. He brutally executes the three kidnappers, stunning James. He sets up the scene to pass for self-defense with Ellie James cooperation. Their ruse succeeds, triggering a two cop crackdown on crime the city of Oakland’s leaders scurry to stop. Dedicated to end ‘look the other way’ crime suppression tactics, ending in destruction and death for the common people in Oakland, Bradwick and James decide it’s time to go on offense.Connor explains it this way after they rescue the kidnapped children, “The kids made me start thinking about how I want folks to look at us. I don’t care anymore to visit someone to tell them we found the people who broke into their business or house and robbed them blind. I want them to wave at us from their house or business as we go by because we prevent the gangbangers, drug dealers and thugs from terrorizing them.”The crime war takes on different meaning when they bust an MS-13 El Salvadoran gangster’s illegal alien processing center. Connor and Ellie run headlong into a corrupt politician on the gangster’s payroll, and the terrorists behind him. Soon, everyday crime fighting busts become a fond memory. (Taken from Amazon.com)
Mystery Box Set - (Davenport Mysteries - Loose Ends, Perfect Crime and Wrong one)
V.S. Vashist - 2016
But, a serial killer is back in town, and Jake has to follow his trail. The only clue left behind is the dying words of the three victims. And, before he could have asked Kiara's help, she is sucked into a high political game that is spread across continents. Will they be able to solve the cases without each other's help and that too using their new, inexperienced partners? Book 2 - Perfect Crime The daughter of one of the most influential man in New York falls for a struggling investment banker. After a torrid affair, they finally get married. Everything seems to head towards a life of joy when the wife vanishes into thin air and the husband becomes the prime suspect. As Agent Kiara Davenport is about to get hold of him, a ransom call is made from overseas. And, as she is about to catch the caller, someone else confesses to the crime. She knows something is amiss and as she is about to get to the bottom of it, all the suspects start getting killed one by one. Everyone is a suspect and each suspect is more influential than the other. Will Kiara find the real culprit or become a pawn in the cat and mouse game? Book 3 - Wrong One When Kiara invited Jake to a family wedding, he had not thought that it will be different from any other wedding. However, he started sensing something wrong with everyone in the wedding party. Is Jake going to find out anything or is it a mere hunch? Or Kiara's fear of Jake creating a trouble in the marriage will come true?
Making Her Bones (Stephanie Chalice Thrillers Book 8)
Lawrence Kelter - 2021
Codename: Chandler Collection - Three Short Prequel Novels
J.A. Konrath - 2013
Trained by the best of the best, she has honed her body, her instincts, and her intellect to become the perfect weapon.CODENAME: CHANDLERHIT:The world's deadliest assassin just met her match...Before special operative Chandler was forced to FLEE, she executed the most difficult missions--and most dangerous people--for the government. So when she's ordered to eliminate a crooked corporate CEO in a manner that looks like natural death, it's a regular day at the office... until she discovers she's not the only assassin hunting this particular prey, and her competition is aiming to make this hit into a political statement that will shake the nation.EXPOSED:Death is in her blood.Before special operative Chandler was forced to FLEE, she executed the most difficult missions - and most dangerous people - for the government. So when she's tasked with saving a VIP's daughter from human traffickers, Chandler expects the operation to be by the numbers...until she uncovers a secret that will endanger the entire population of New York City, and possibly the world.NAUGHTY:You have nothing to fear but fear itself. And her.Before special operative Hammett became a mercenary, she executed the most difficult missions--and most dangerous people--for the government. When one sanction turns into half a dozen dead, the agency Hammett works for realizes she's gone rogue. And there's only one way to deal with rogues; eliminate them with extreme prejudice.But this target has other ideas...HIT, EXPOSED, and NAUGHTY combine for a total of over 100,000 words or roughly 400 pages.