Book picks similar to
The Popcorn Girl by Michael J. Vaughn
fiction
mystery
contemporary
abandoned
The Golden Icon
Janet Pywell - 2013
She was born to sing Puccini’s Tosca and is determined to earn the right to perform again on the world’s most prestigious and celebrated stages. But her fight for the future she craves is derailed when her ex-husband embroils her in a cynical blackmail plot. She is forced to take possession of a solid gold icon, part of a secret hoard of art treasures stolen by the Nazis - that dangerous men are prepared to kill for. As well as determining the fate of the Golden Icon, Josephine must come to terms with her past, and fight for her own life. If only her choices were simple...
Taking the Fall
Laney Monday - 2014
Now, she’s just burned out—and burned by love. She’s ready to retire from competitive judo and pursue a new dream in a new town, with her biggest supporter, her recently divorced little sister, Blythe. But on their first day in town, Blythe falls for local sleaze-bag reporter, Ellison Baxter, and their small-town welcome is stained by Baxter’s murder. The weapon—Blythe Battle’s hair brush. In this fast-paced, fun cozy mystery, Brenna, the proud new owner of the building that formerly housed Bonney Bay’s lone recreational opportunity for kids, Little Swans Ballet, is ready to turn tutu-clad powder-puffs into little warriors by opening a judo school for kids in its place. But now she must clear her sister’s name and save her new dream from ending even more disastrously than her Olympic hopes. Brenna must deal with one crazy member of the local police force, who’s determined to see the sisters pay—and another cop, whose deep brown eyes just might drive Brenna crazy—in a way her battered heart just can’t take.
Courage Begins: A Ray Courage Mystery Novella
R. Scott Mackey - 2015
Until Tiffanie is killed in a suspicious accident. Neither the police nor the insurance investigators can prove she was murdered and the case turns cold. Two years later the insurance company asks an intern—former college professor turned private eye Ray Courage—to reopen the investigation. He uncovers little new evidence to support suspicions that Garrett killed his wife for the insurance money. Garrett has the perfect alibi—hundreds of witnesses that place him more than two hours from the scene of Tiffanie’s death. Ray knows he’s missing something. But what? As his search for the truth unfolds, Ray’s life is put in jeopardy and he realizes his adversary is someone who’ll kill before he’ll be caught. In this prequel to Courage Matters, Ray Courage begins his private investigation career, displaying the skills, abilities and sense of humor that have made him a fan favorite around the world.
The Family Dictionary
Lisa Walker - 2013
Quiet, that is, until threatening notes show up to disturb the peace. Trying to discover who is sending the notes leads them to investigate long-dead relatives and a family heirloom, the dictionary passed down through generations. Connie and Rebecca rush to figure out the secrets enclosed in the family dictionary with the help of local cop, Brad Hamilton. But will they find the clues in time?
The Gated Trilogy
Matt Drabble - 2017
Their lives are complete when Emily falls pregnant, however their dreams are shattered one cold winter night by a car accident that robs them of their happiness.To overcome their loss they up stick and move to Eden Gardens, a US gated community that offers "Heaven on Earth and Twice as Nice". The people are warm and friendly and welcome them with open arms. The town is a beautiful throwback to a bygone age, where the sun always shines and the sky's always blue.As they settle into their new perfect lives, the circle is complete when Emily falls pregnant. The town is perfect, the weather is perfect and their lives are perfect. But are the stares from their neighbours a little too intense, is the town a little too interested in their happy news, and is Eden all that it seems.They are about to find out that paradise comes at a cost, and when you sign a lease, you should always check the fine print.
Book 2."GATED II: Ravenhill Academy"It has been 10 years since the events in the small picturesque town of Eden. Lives were forever altered as two newcomers found the courage to peek behind the curtain and bring Tolan Christian's reign to a violent end as the town burned around them.No-one was more affected than Sarah-Jane Mears. The once bubbly ball of good nature is now a shadow of the former woman she used to be. After travelling to try and find a new home she has eventually settled in Northern England. She has taken a teaching position at Ravenhill Academy, an exclusive private school.But now there is a new student who has just transferred. A young American boy who is strangely familiar and oddly charismatic. As the school breaks for the Christmas holidays the harsh winter weather has cut them off from the outside world. Sarah is starting to learn that Ravenhill is an old building seemingly with a life and an energy of its own, one that is slowly stirring.She is going to realise that not all lessons are learnt in the classroom and that some secrets won't stay buried.Book 3."GATED III: Election Day"It was the chance of a lifetime for Avery Grant, the opportunity to run an election campaign for a candidate that seemed like the real deal.Christian Tolanson has risen through the ranks of British politics. A man with a unique ability to inspire those around him to almost cult like levels of devotion. He has lived many lives down through the ages from his humble beginnings as a child preacher. But now his life force is finally starting to fade and time is running out pushing him to desperate levels. A man consumed by his own destiny and ready to burn the world to get what he wants.Avery will discover the path that many have walked before her and never returned from. A realization that anything that seems too good to be true, will likely get you killed.
An Event to Remember. . .or Forget
Melissa Baldwin - 2014
Her days of slaving away at Carrie’s Classic Events and More are numbered as she is on the brink of launching her own event planning company. Her relationship with Luke Price is headed in the right direction and they are approaching their one-year mark. The future is looking bright and she knows that life could not get any better . . . That is until her perfectly planned world is thrown upside down by the unexpected arrival of someone from Luke’s past. She receives the shock of her life on the night of the biggest event of her career. Sienna will now have to pull it all together without a list or a plan. The question is, can she do it?
Reign of Terrier (The Soul Mutts Series Book 2)
Lori R. Taylor - 2021
Mourning her loss and desperate to move forward, Tessa must prove she can handle the pressures of working in a real-life clinic before she can start her new life.Princess doesn't mean to be high maintenance, but trust comes hard to the broken-hearted, and her near-constant anxiety makes her practically unadoptable. Tessa is the only human who's ever made Princess feel safe enough to come out of her shell.When a mysterious illness breaks out at Pretty Paws, can this heartbroken dog and grieving human team up to save the shelter's sick dogs?Reign of Terrier is the second book in the Soul Mutts series, heartwarming stories of lost dogs finding new homes with the humans they were born to heal.Read less
Mercy
Richard Turner - 2016
His unexpected arrival in Williamstown is met with a mix of anger and suspicion. With gangs of demobilized Confederate soldiers roaming the woods, Cooper is quick to realize that his job may be harder than first expected. Yet, the terror that plagues the farms and plantations around Williamstown cannot be easily explained away. Something is in the woods waiting for night to fall and the truth may be more terrifying than can be imagined.
Project Mnemosyne
Kim Frauli - 2017
There, she and her best friend Declan work on medical advancements to benefit the world outside. Everything they do is dictated by the rules of the New Regime. When Guardian Costma, the leader of the New Regime, summons them to assign a new project, Julianna has serious objections to the nature of the project. With Declan’s help, she devises a plan to get them out of the Scholars Compound and live a life of their own making. However, they are blindly entering a world about which they know very little, and Guardian Costma will not let them go without a chase. Will they be able to find freedom they seek? Are their family members still out there waiting for their return? Or will the truths they learn be too much to handle?
Like
Bart Hopkins - 2014
His tweets are re-tweeted a hundred times and thousands follow his blog.Then there’s Paul, who stumbles on an old crush while Facebooking. Through research of her online habits, he arranges a “chance” meeting so they can fall in Like with each other.Martin is a cancer survivor with renewed purpose in life thanks to a supportive social media family.It’s a tapestry of people and events woven together with this era’s most abundant thread: social media.“With one Like I can say hi to a friend, support them during a crisis, share in a joke, make someone happy, or reinforce a person’s self esteem. I make myself part of their world. It’s like I stopped by for coffee. But, by Liking, I can also avoid talking to all the people I don’t want to waste time on. Or I can check to see what my ex girlfriend is doing seven or eight times an hour. It’s a double-edged mouse click.”- Anonymous
A Storm of Stories
K.B. Jensen - 2016
Swerving to avoid a hitchhiker out in a whiteout storm, Julie’s car ends up wedged in a snow bank. With the inches piling higher on the dark road, she can’t escape a man who makes little sense. Stranded in the freezing cold, the two tell stories to pass the time. From the Midwest to India, Denmark and Canada, they offer visions of lives and loves from young to old, far and wide. But as the hours blur together, and the snow and ice set in, it becomes less clear how their own story will end. A tale of love, craziness and impossibility.
The Sister Wife's Secret
Anya Mora - 2021
I’ve even started my own home business.Things are looking up … until I find my friend murdered.I know my ex-husband did this to get back at me. He’s been looking for me since I fled Garden Temple. He wants control — over me and our children.For the last year I’ve been acting the part of a suburban mom, hiding from my past. But it’s catching up to me.I have no choice.I was the sweet sister wife long enough. Now it’s time to be the woman who fights back.The Sister Wife’s Secret is the first book in a new suspense series.
Murder Goes to Church
C.D. Jarmola - 2011
Kool-Aid and kids. Will the stains on the carpet ever come out? Is it contagious? But the most desperate thought churning through Chrissy Chronister’s mind was a hysterical mantra of “Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die.” But she did anyway.When Chrissy Chronister agrees to help in her small community church’s vacation Bible school she knows that it will be a hectic week of making crafts, telling stories and singing songs. However, she never expects it to land her in the middle of a murder investigation with her friends, fellow church members and possibly even herself being the prime suspects.Chrissy is a spunky, petite blonde (all adjectives she hates) mother of eleven-month-old, Lukas, along with her husband, Luke, living in south Georgia.As the newest church member Chrissy is stuck with the team teacher from hell, Ramona Snyder, a self-centered thorn in the flesh at United Community Church. However, she also is the richest woman around and her tithe is all that keeps the church solvent.The theme for the week is “God’s Beautiful World,” emphasizing saving our ecology. Thus, everyone has his/her own labeled eco-cup to be used each day during snack time. Day one Chrissy is already hearing Ramona making threats that she will be withholding her money from family members and causes if things do not change to her specifications.By the end of the second day Chrissy is holding a dying Ramona in her arms.The evidence shows that Ramona’s eco-cup has been poisoned. The only people with access are fellow members of UCC including Bro. Michael, the pastor accused of embezzling, his wife Melanie, John, whose farm Ramona foreclosed on, his pregnant teenage daughter Peggy, who Ramona disdained, Scott the youth minister, who Ramona had accused of having inappropriate relations, Emilie Anne the church secretary, Deacon Melvin, Ramona’s own children, Suzanne and Rick, and her husband Max.Chrissy is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. She tries to distance herself, but motherhood forces her back where she unintentionally finds clues through the help of her mischievous son. Due to Lukas’ baby monitor, blankie, tipping over trash cans, getting into ladies’ purses, crawling places he shouldn’t and destroying the story of Abraham and Isaac from his storybook, Chrissy finds skeletons that her fellow parishioners thought were deeply buried.Will Chrissy and baby Lukas solve the crime before the uncovered secrets tear their little church apart?
Teacher Beware
Charlotte Raine - 2014
Two years later, she moves to Murray, Virginia to get a new lease on life. On her first day of substitute teaching, her new life is nearly cut short when she finds herself in the middle of a shooting that leaves a married couple dead. Luckily, she is saved by Sam Meadows, a cardiologist, but the shooter has disappeared by the time the police come around. When the shooter tries to kill Grace again, Sam and Grace realize that the killer won’t stop until she is dead. With a killer who has nothing to lose, the question isn’t if the killer will attack again, but when and who will be in the crosshairs. A romance/murder-mystery wrapped in the aspects of life: love, family, forgiveness, danger, and death.
The Interview
Eric Weule - 2012
The drunk guy was not part of the plan. But the guy pushed. Kelly pushed back. Now, Kelly’s life is about to get complicated. A cop, a killer, and a businessman are suddenly very interested in Kelly Jenks. They want something from him, and Kelly is about to find out that these folks get what they want. Let The Interview begin . . .