Book picks similar to
The Fragile Hour by Rosalind Laker
historical-fiction
historical
romance
mystery
The Bungalow
Sarah Jio - 2011
In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.A timeless story of enduring passion from the author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.
The Butterfly and the Violin
Kristy Cambron - 2014
Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.
Coming Home
Holly Kerr - 2014
Liking them is the hard part. After her cheating husband destroys her career, Brenna has nowhere to go but home. Home means her four sisters in the tiny Northern Ontario town with no Starbucks and well-meaning townsfolk who know her every move. Every mistake.And Brenna is making more than a few mistakes. From falling asleep at the local bar to hooking up with her niece’s boyfriend, Brenna’s life is giving the town a lot to talk about.Her sister Cat wants nothing to do with her. Content living in the family home with the ghost of their mother, Cat’s left a trail of broken hearts and failed marriages on the road to Brenna’s ex, Seamus Todd. Brenna’s return brings back old insecurities and unanswered questions for Cat. Sibling rivalries, old grudges and a least one knock-out, drag-down kitchen fight ensue as Brenna and Cat are forced to live under the same roof.And to make it worse, Brenna’s not the only one coming home.
The Secret Letter
Debbie Rix - 2019
Germany, 1939: Thirteen-year-old Magda is devastated by the loss of her best friend, shy and gentle Lotte, cruelly snatched from her and sent to a concentration camp – the Star of David sewn on her faded, brown coat. As the Nazi’s power takes hold, Magda realizes she’s not like the other girls in her village - she hates the fanatical new rules of the Hitler Youth. So Magda secretly joins The White Rose movement and begins to rebel against the oppressive, frightening world around her. But when an English RAF pilot lands in a field near Magda’s home she is faced with an impossible choice: to risk the lives of her family or to save a stranger and make a difference in the war she desperately wants to end. England, 1939: Fifteen-year-old Imogen is torn from her family and evacuated to the Lake District, a haven of safety away from the war raging across Europe. All she has to connect her to the bombs and the battles are the letters she writes to her loved ones. Little does she know, on the other side of the enemy line, her fate rests on the actions of one girl who will change her life forever…
White Rose, Black Forest
Eoin Dempsey - 2018
In the years before the rise of Hitler, the Gerber family’s summer cottage was filled with laughter. Now, as deep drifts of snow blanket the Black Forest, German dissenter Franka Gerber is alone and hopeless. Fervor and brutality have swept through her homeland, taking away both her father and her brother and leaving her with no reason to live.That is, until she discovers an unconscious airman lying in the snow wearing a Luftwaffe uniform, his parachute flapping in the wind. Unwilling to let him die, Franka takes him to her family’s isolated cabin despite her hatred for the regime he represents. But when it turns out that he is not who he seems, Franka begins a race against time to unravel the mystery of the airman’s true identity. Their tenuous bond becomes as inseparable as it is dangerous. Hunted by the Gestapo, can they trust each other enough to join forces on a mission that could change the face of the war and their own lives forever?
Olive Park
C.J. Booth - 2011
One of the most intensive investigations in California history fails to find any trace of the killer and the case goes cold.15 years later - the newly formed Ongoing Investigation Division, charged with closing cold cases, is handed as its very first case – the Olive Park Murders. Detectives Stan Wyld and Jake Steiner, together with assistant Mallory Dimante, reopen the Olive Park case and find nothing new, until their examination of the original burial site turns up one chilling piece of evidence that proves Olive Park is no longer just a cold case about three dead children.The truth is much worse.For the twisted killer of Olive Park has never stopped and has already chosen its next victim. And no one will be able to protect her. No one.
The Viscount’s Mistress
Claire DuLac - 2016
To save his family from financial ruin, he needs the help of his closest childhood friend, Violette. They must work together so he can gain the hand of her wealthy but spoiled heiress cousin and make a mutually beneficial marriage—a sound business arrangement for them both. In return for her help, Lawrence offers Violette the one thing she covets most—freedom. With his help, she can leave England and her cruel family behind. But there is a vital flaw in this near-perfect plan. Violette Pélet de Castelmarou is secretly in love with Lawrence and has hidden it for years. Yet now she finds herself feeding him lines and coaching him through sticky social situations in order to win over her cousin. But when emotions get involved, hearts become inextricably entangled. When the time comes, will Lawrence be able to say goodbye to Violette or will he compromise her virtue and make her his forever? If he cannot have her for his wife, then he’ll make her his mistress…
The Light in the Ruins
Chris Bohjalian - 2013
1943: Tucked away in the idyllic hills south of Florence, the Rosatis, an Italian family of noble lineage, believe that the walls of their ancient villa will keep them safe from the war raging across Europe. Eighteen-year-old Cristina spends her days swimming in the pool, playing with her young niece and nephew, and wandering aimlessly amid the estate’s gardens and olive groves. But when two soldiers, a German and an Italian, arrive at the villa asking to see an ancient Etruscan burial site, the Rosatis’ bucolic tranquility is shattered. A young German lieutenant begins to court Cristina, the Nazis descend upon the estate demanding hospitality, and what was once their sanctuary becomes their prison. 1955: Serafina Bettini, an investigator with the Florence police department, has her own demons. A beautiful woman, Serafina carefully hides her scars along with her haunting memories of the war. But when she is assigned to a gruesome new case—a serial killer targeting the Rosatis, murdering the remnants of the family one-by-one in cold blood—Serafina finds herself digging into a past that involves both the victims and her own tragic history. Set against an exquisitely rendered Italian countryside, The Light in the Ruins unveils a breathtaking story of moral paradox, human frailty, and the mysterious ways of the heart.
Death Report
Erik Racker - 2019
And hers is just the beginning. The killer wants to be noticed, he wants his handiwork in the spotlight, and he needs his name known. The man’s motivation is something only a fractured mind could imagine. For Sergeant Braun, each step closer to his culprit pushes the killer another step closer to the edge. The man is already capable of murder, so what can possibly happen if he’s pushed too far?
Ante Up
Caroline Lee - 2019
Augustus King. He's got the brains and the muscle to keep the townspeople cowed, so no one stands up to him.Except The Black Ace.This masked vigilante swoops out of the hills with six-guns blazing, protecting the town from Mr. King's machinations and economic ruin. He's a local hero, a folk legend, and everyone—including Regina Vickers, the daughter of the town doctor—would love to know is identity.With her father under King's control, Regina is the only doctor available when Hart's grandfather falls ill. At his ranch outside of town, he's handed the opportunity to spend more time with the woman he's always loved.But between King's suspicions, a sick grandfather, the arrival of a mysterious child, and Hart's midnight masquerades as The Black Ace, there's not going to be anything "typical" about this courtship at all. If Hart wants to play such a dangerous game, it's time for him to ante up!******The Black Aces series is the sequel to the Sunset Valley series. If you've been anxious to discover all you can about this mysterious vigilante, you're in for a wild ride!
Someone Else's Daughter
Linsey Lanier - 2011
Independent. Skeptical.Thirteen years ago her abusive husband stole her baby and gave it up for adoption.She comes to Atlanta to find her daughter.THE PIWade Parker.Ace detective.Wealthy owner of the Parker Investigative Agency.The most eligible forty-four-year-old bachelor in Atlanta.Still mourning the death of his socialite wife, he must solve a disturbing murder case.Before the killer strikes again.THE MURDERERA serial killer strangling young girls in a bizarre ritual.Why?She doesn't need a man.He needs to find a killer.Together, can they save a thirteen year old girl?
A Court of Contempt
Rebekah Lee Jenkins - 2018
Win the war. Cora Rood, Canada’s first female lawyer and prominent suffragette, gets handed an impossible case. Represent Adeline Pitman in divorce court. Any lawyer who dares stand up to Toronto’s most notorious crime boss, Eli Pitman, ends up dead. Faced with no other alternative, Cora tries and fails. Threats and intimidation drive her home to where she’s presented with yet another heart-wrenching divorce case. Defeated and disillusioned, she refuses to be dragged back to the front lines of the battle for equality. In 1904, the stakes are too high; she cannot watch the courts destroy another woman. As the clock ticks and a life hangs in the balance, the community of Oakland, Manitoba comes together to help Cora recover her true purpose in life. If there is a spark of hope in Oakland that will heal Cora, they are determined to fan the flame. The women’s rights movement and the desperate need to obliterate a shocking double standard in Canadian court depends on one woman recovering her voice — and raising it.
Where the Desert Meets the Sea
Werner Sonne - 2008
When she learns that he has died, she tries to take her own life in despair.After awakening in the hospital, Judith learns that Hana, a Muslim Arab nurse, has saved her life by donating her own blood. While the two women develop a fragile bond, each can’t help but be drawn deeper into the political machinations tearing the country apart. After witnessing the repeated attacks inflicted on the Jews, Judith makes the life-changing decision to join the Zionist fight for Jerusalem. And Hana’s star-crossed love for Dr. David Cohen, an American Jew out of his element and working only to save lives, will put her own life in danger.Then the political situation worsens. When tensions erupt, a shocking act of violence threatens Judith and Hana’s friendship—and the destinies of everyone they love.
Frozen Butterflies
Simona Grossi - 2018
But some truths can only be found in the harsh light of day…Susan is tormented by her hidden history. Driven by dark thoughts and sleepless nights, she forges a bond with a blogger who has troubles of his own. But when they discover a compelling, mysterious journal, sharing the excerpts with the world unleashes a dangerous attraction…Following the writer’s complex trail of clues, Susan and her accomplice unearth secrets about the enigmatic author and themselves. But when her own demons resurface, her relentless quest could push her to the edge of sanity. Will Susan’s revelations unlock a brighter future or simply magnify the darkness of the past?Frozen Butterflies is a surreal work of literary fiction. If you like provocative prose, troubled characters, and heart-wrenching twists, then you’ll love Simona Grossi’s suspenseful novel.
The Memory of Us
Camille Di Maio - 2016
But when she learns of a blind-and-deaf brother, institutionalized since birth, the illusion of her perfect life and family shatters around her.While visiting her brother in secret, Julianne meets and befriends Kyle McCarthy, an Irish Catholic groundskeeper studying to become a priest. Caught between her family’s expectations, Kyle’s devotion to the church, and the intense new feelings that the forbidden courtship has awakened in her, Julianne must make a choice: uphold the life she’s always known or follow the difficult path toward love.But as war ripples through the world and the Blitz decimates England, a tragic accident forces Julianne to leave everything behind and forge a new life built on lies she’s told to protect the ones she loves. Now, after twenty years of hiding from her past, the truth finds her—will she be brave enough to face it?