Book picks similar to
Angel's Flight by Lou Cameron


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type_classic-crime
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Honeysuckle Lane


Squid McFinnigan - 2015
    Next door to the O’Sheas, the Murphys are a young and upwardly-mobile couple whose marriage is thrown into ruins by Martha Murphy’s instant attraction to their sexy new neighbor.Across the street from the Murphys, the Sweenys’ abusive patriarch, Pat, has finally pushed his wife, Mary, to the breaking point. Their teenage daughter, Angie, finds escape whenever possible in the company of her boyfriend, Tony, whose life is in danger when the neighborhood creep sets his eyes on Angie.As the residents of Honeysuckle Lane’s stories collide, their secrets spill out for the world to see . . .

Death in the Fifth Position


Edgar Box - 1952
    man Peter Sargent is hired by a ballet company on the eve of a major upcoming performance.   Handling the press seems to be no problem, but when a rising star in the company is killed during the performance—dropped from thirty feet above the stage, crashing to her death in a perfect fifth position—Sargent has a real case on his hands.  As he ingratiates himself with the players behind the scenes (especially one lovely young ballerina), he finds that this seemingly graceful ballet company is performing their most dramatic acts behind the curtain.  There are sharp rivalries, sordid affairs, and shady characters.  Sargent, though, has no trouble staying on point and proving that the ballerina killer is no match for his keen eye and raffish charm.

Thunder Storme (Wyatt Storme Mystery #5)


W.L. Ripley - 2020
    Wyatt and Chick save the woman and are swept into a violent battle for control of a new casino and all the riches and power it will bring. The Kansas City mob, the Dixie Mafia and the local syndicate have them out-numbered and out-gunned but it's the gangsters who should be worried. There's a deadly storm coming...and his name is Wyatt.

Black Friday and Selected Stories


David Goodis - 1954
    January cold coming in off two rivers. Hart is broke, freezing, looking for a place to lay low from the cops. If he can't find somewhere soon he might do something rash - like steal an overcoat and accept a wallet containing $11,000 from a man dying from gunshot wounds in the street. Whoever killed him might have a bed, though, even if that means hanging out with a bunch of thieves and drifters while the heat blows over. Lucky for Hart he's handy with his fists. And if he can use his looks and smarts to get in with the gang, maybe he can ride this out and score big on his own. Originally published in 1954, Black Friday is one of David Goodis's leanest, meanest melancholy thrillers. In the character of Hart, it features one of his classic, tortured romantic heroes, a man who becomes mired in circumstances from which there is no escape. In this edition, Black Friday is combined with short stories, unpublished since they were first written for pulp magazines in America over 50 years ago.

The Hackman Blues


Ken Bruen - 1997
    Find a white girl in Brixton. Piece of cake. What I should have done is doubled my medication and lit a candle to St Jude - maybe a lot of candles. Add in a lethal ex-con, an Irish builder obsessed with Gene Hackman, the biggest funeral Brixton has ever seen, and what you get is the Blues like they've never been sung before.

Bloodshed in the Bayou


Leslie Langtry - 2015
    Life is good until the father who abandoned her as an infant turns up dead in the swamp. Who else can help her but Ida Belle, Gertie and Fortune? And they've got their work cut out for them as they try to solve two mysteries - who Hugo Ancelet really was, and who killed him?

The Lost Island - Free Preview (first 11 chapters): A Gideon Crew Novel


Douglas Preston - 2014
    When his mysterious employer, Eli Glinn, gives him an eyebrow-raising mission, he has no reason to refuse. Gideon's task: steal a page from the priceless Book of Kells, now on display in New York City and protected by unbreakable security. Accomplishing the impossible, Gideon steals the parchment--only to learn that hidden beneath the gorgeously illuminated image is a treasure map dating back to the time of the ancient Greeks. As they ponder the strange map, they realize that the treasure it leads to is no ordinary fortune. It is something far more precious: an amazing discovery that could perhaps even save Gideon's life.Together with his new partner, Amy, Gideon follows a trail of cryptic clues to an unknown island in a remote corner of the Caribbean Sea. There, off the hostile and desolate Mosquito Coast, the pair realize the extraordinary treasure they are hunting conceals an even greater shock-a revelation so profound that it may benefit the entire human race . . . if Gideon and Amy can survive.

Death and Taxes


David Dodge - 1941
    Often compared to Dashiell Hammett, David Dodge's urbane writing style stands the test of time. His novels still show the hallmarks of being fresh, fast-paced and witty. Whit Whitney is the last person you’d want to meet.  The taxman is no one’s best friend.  But in 1940’s San Francisco, there’s a price to pay for murder, romance, and heavy drinking, and the taxman turned detective is coming to collect. Hilarious and twisty, Dodge’s first novel is among his best, and makes for a terrific introduction to one of last century’s greatest talents in mystery.

High Heels Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. III


Gemma Halliday - 2015
    And who is in danger of taking their final bow next! Homicide in High Heels - book #8 It's springtime in California, which means baseball season in Maddie Springer's house. But when the girlfriend of the L.A. Stars rookie MVP winds up dead at a chic Beverly Hills salon, it's suddenly up to fashion designer Maddie Springer to track down the "Tanning Salon Killer." Deadly in High Heels - book #9 When fashion designer Maddie Springer is invited to help style contestants in the Hawaiian Paradise Beauty Pageant, she jumps at the chance! But trouble follows her to paradise when one of the beauty queens winds up dead. With the televised crowning approaching, the danger escalating, and a killer on the loose, this is one beauty pageant that's about to turn ugly. Also available: High Heels Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. I (books 1-3) High Heels Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. II (books 4-6) High Heels Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. III (books 7-9) Books in the High Heels Mysteries series: Spying in High Heels - book #1 Killer in High Heels - book #2 Undercover in High Heels - book #3 Christmas in High Heels - short story Alibi in High Heels - book #4 Mayhem in High Heels - book #5 Honeymoon in High Heels - novella Sweetheart in High Heels - short story Fearless in High Heels - book#6 Danger in High Heels - book #7 Homicide in High Heels - book #8 Deadly in High Heels - book #9 REVIEWS: "A saucy combination of romance and suspense that is simply irresistible." —Chicago Tribune "Stylish... nonstop action...guaranteed to keep chick lit and mystery fans happy!" —Publishers’ Weekly, starred review "Maddie Springer is like a cross between Paris Hilton and Stephanie Plum, only better. The dialogue is snappy and the suspense beautifully interwoven with Ms. Halliday’s unique humor. This is one HIGH HEEL you’ll want to try on again and again " —Romance Junkies "It's rare to find a romantic mystery that's so funny, but this is certainly one of them. Maddie Springer (is) a ‘Versace’ Nancy Drew everyone can appreciate." —Press & Sun Bulletin

The Firm / The Chamber


John Grisham - 1995
    He's young. He's bright. He's ambitious. Mitch could have the pick of the big firms in New York and Chicago, but he's chosen the Memphis tax firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke. They're selective. They pay outrageous salaries. They have a turnover rate of zero. And Mitch is about to find out why.Several events fuel Mitch's growing suspicions: two of the partners die in a suspicious diving accident off Grand Cayman; the senior partners seem unduly proud of the fact that no one has ever resigned; and security measures at the office are, even for a company with billionaire clients, more than a little extreme. Then Mitch makes an explosive discovery: The firm is owned and operated by the most powerful organized crime family in Chicago. Even as Mitch discovers the truth, he finds himself caught between the FBI, who wants an informant inside the firm, and the firm itself, which will make him a very rich man—or a very dead one.The ChamberAdam Hill is in his first year at a top Chicago law firm. He volunteers for the toughest assignment any lawyer could ask for. His prospective client doesn't want Adam or his law firm. He is an unrepentent and outspoken racist with a violent past. He is on Death Row for the murder of two Jewish children in a horrific bombing in 1967.Why would he take on Adam, a complete novice, to defend him? And why would Adam want his case so desperately? The answer lies in the past, in a twenty-year-old secret buried in the madness of another time...

The Will Trent Series 6-Book Bundle: Triptych, Fractured, Undone, Broken, Fallen, Criminal


Karin Slaughter - 2013
    And when Slaughter created detective Will Trent she broke the mold. While displaying an uncanny knack for reading people, solving puzzles, and cracking cases at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Detective Trent navigates the varied relationships with the women in his life: vice cop Angie Polaski, supervisor Amanda Wagner, partner Faith Mitchell, and Dr. Sara Linton. This gripping eBook bundle contains six novels in the Will Trent series, including:  TRIPTYCHFRACTUREDUNDONEBROKENFALLENCRIMINAL  Praise for Karin Slaughter and her Will Trent thrillers   “One of the best crime novelists in America.”—The Washington Post   “Crime fiction at its finest.”—Michael Connelly   “Slaughter writes with a razor. . . . Better than Cornwell can ever hope to be.”—The Plain Dealer   “Slaughter will have you on the edge of your seat.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer   “Slaughter’s gift for building multilayered tension while deconstructing damaged personalities gives this thriller a nerve-wracking finish.”—USA Today, on Triptych   “Heart-pounding . . . Trent and Mitchell, a pair of complex and deeply flawed heroes, will leave fans clamoring for the next installment.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review), on Fractured   “A complicated spider web of secrets and tangles.”—Los Angeles Times, on Undone  “Addictive . . . Slaughter is a terrific writer, and she keeps the emotional tension high throughout.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Broken  “An absolute master . . . Slaughter creates some wonderfully complex and mature female characters, a distinctive achievement in the world of thrillers.”—Chicago Tribune, on Fallen   “[A] hold-on-to-your-hat, nail-biting story . . . What raises Slaughter way above the sensational is her wonderful way with characters.”—The Washington Post, on Criminal

One More Lie


James Scott Bell - 2011
    He buys his suits in Beverly Hills and wins his cases in court. But one day he's approached by a friend to handle the split with his wife. That's the day things start to go very wrong for Andrew Chamberlain . . . up to and including murder."James Scott Bell is at his best in One More Lie. Fast paced, this novella will leave you breathless to the unforeseen end. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Novel Rocket and I give it our highest recommendation. It's a must read!"Ane Mulligan, V. P./Sr. EditorNovel RocketPLUS, three stories full of the suspense twists James Scott Bell is known for:"A Great Man" - The Reverend Mike Rickland was not expecting one of New Jersey's most notorious mobsters to pay him a visit. All Angelo Scapelli wanted was to offer Mike's church ten million dollars. On one condition."Some Hero" - Garth Himmelfarb, middle aged and paunchy, was only trying to work off a few pounds by jogging in his neighborhood. He didn't expect to help a woman in distress, a beautiful woman, a woman he could be a hero for. He didn't expect to step in to a situation that could get him beaten up or killed. But he did."How to Make Living as a Freelance Writer" - A struggling author, once popular, now on the way out, comes up with a last attempt to make enough money to live on as a writer . . . . and actually finds it. Let's just say it's not the "traditional" route."James Scott Bell is a master storyteller. In a few short words he can make you care about a character, cause you to wave your hands in warning as they speed toward disaster, or root for them to win the day." - Susan May Warren, bestselling authorJames Scott Bell is the #1 bestselling author of Plot & Structure (Writer's Digest Books) and numerous novels and stories of suspense. Among these are Watch Your Back and Try Dying. Writing as K. Bennett he is also the author of the zombie legal thriller Pay Me in Flesh.

Selected Novels and Short Stories


Patricia Highsmith - 2010
    For the reader uninitiated in the deadly world of her canon, this collection offers the first serious introduction to her remarkable range and psychological insight.With an introduction provided by Joan Schenkar—author of the acclaimed biography The Talented Miss Highsmith—Patricia Highsmith: Selected Novels and Short Stories continues the remarkable renaissance of this literary master. Even with her first novels, Highsmith tore at the very fabric of 1950s middle-class society, revealing the stark emotional brutality that lurked beneath the sunny facade of Eisenhower suburbia.Chosen by Joan Schenkar, the selections in this book—two iconic American novels and a trove of her most representative short stories—char the virtuosic range of Highsmith's voice, as she deftly leaps from suspense to horror, from biting social satire to deeply moving psychological drama. In Strangers on a Train (1950)—Highsmith's debut novel about the inspiration for the classic Hitchcock film—a casual conversation between acquaintances devolves into a tangled web of murder, desperation, and manipulation. This thriller provides as thorough an examination of guilt and obsession as can be found in contemporary literature. Highsmith's second novel, The Price of Salt (1952), is a seductive tale of sexual obsession that demonstrates the astounding versatility of Highsmith's insight into human nature, and has only recently begun to receive commensurate literary recognition. Written during the intensely creative period of her late twenties, The Price of Salt blends Highsmith's richly figured language with the then scandalous subject of lesbian love. The accompanying thirteen short stories demonstrate Highsmith's mastery of the short story form and reveal her to be as fine a craftsman as any American twentieth-century novelist.This volume introduces a new generation to the haunting fiction of one of our most underappreciated literary geniuses.

Nothing Personal


Jason Starr - 1998
    The Sussmans live in a posh building on the Upper East Side. When Joey DePino loses his job and is threatened by his bookies and loan shark, he involves the Sussmans in a sick, desperate plan to pay off his gambling debts. But ad exec David Sussman has his own problems trying to stop his suddenly psychopathic mistress from ruining him, and he won't go down without a fight. As the lives of the DePinos and the Sussmans become increasingly intertwined, Joey and David plunge their families into an amoral world where anything is possible and nothing is personal. Part crime novel, part unflinching satire of compulsive gambling, eating disorders, and cold-blooded evil, Nothing Personal firmly establishes Jason Starr as one of the most exciting young noir novelists around.

Hidden in the Dark (Harper Flagg Book 1)


Alyson Larrabee - 2017
    He's been getting away with it for years. How has he kept his identity a secret? What will it take to stop him?No one knows.He hides in plain sight, and his current obsession is high school golden girl, Harper Flagg.When she was two years old Harper was the only witness to her mother's murder. She's eighteen now, and she's no ordinary teenager. She has spent the past sixteen years preparing for a confrontation with her mother's killer. And her wish is about to come true."Wow, this book had me biting my nails and obsessively turning the pages to see who and what the killer was. It had a Silence of the Lambs feel to it." -Emmie"A different type serial killer story that will keep you awake at night." - Fran