Book picks similar to
Pride of Lions by Jullian Scott
mystery
first-in-series
genre-myst-thrill-susp
tbr
The Vision
Wendi L. Wilson - 2020
Determined to break out of my reclusive shell and move past the trauma of my father’s unexpected death, I take a job at Camp Shadow Lake, a place where nothing is what it seems.Every counselor is beautiful and aloof, including Levi Kass—who is as hot as he is hostile. I don’t know what I did to make him hate me, but he seems to want to eat me alive. How can someone so gorgeous be so menacing?But hot-as-hell Levi, with his dark stares and spine-tingling glances, is the least of my worries. A year ago, someone or something killed my father, and the more time I spend at Camp Shadow Lake, the more clues I find.They say it was a bear attack. Bear attack, my ass. Something much more insidious killed my father, and it might be hiding out near Shadow Lake.When I go looking for answers, I experience a shocking vision—one that shows me my days are numbered.Someone is going to kill me, and I need to figure out who before it’s too late. Will Levi save me or will I have to save myself… from him?If you love The Twilight Saga and The Vampire Diaries, you’re going to have a great time at Camp Shadow Lake. Don’t piss off the counselors—they’ll eat you for breakfast.Shadow Lake Vampire Society contains scenes with violence and some mild language.
Tides of Time
Luna Joya - 2019
Or at least as normal as a life in a family of witches can be. She can’t tell her sisters about her violent ex. Or that she broke the first rule of magic to “harm none.” When her youngest sister asks for help unraveling the death of a 1930’s star abused by those she loved, Cami can’t say no. A reformed bad boy who doesn’t know his own family’s secrets…Sam lives for his restaurant and coveted screenplay expertise of Hollywood history. He avoids the entanglements of relationships since even his own parents didn’t want him. But when the enchanting Cami needs his help to crack an unsolved mystery, he can’t resist. The closer they come to finding a killer, the more they crave each other. But someone is determined to stop them.Can they solve the mystery before history repeats itself?
Snatched
Michael Arches - 2021
She survived, but barely. Now, she lives quietly in Durango, Colorado—until a frantic pregnant woman at a gas station shoves a card into Athena’s hand.The card reads: Over forty women and girls—mostly pregnant—held prisoner! Five dead already. About an hour east of Durango. Call the FBI. Sheriff’s office corrupt. PLEASE HELP US!A looming thug with a poorly hidden pistol hustles the pregnant woman and her female friend away. Athena fights a scream and follows. Unfortunately, she can’t do much. Even with the help of a cane, she can barely walk.With panic rising in her throat, Athena takes down the license number of the thug’s Suburban. But what if the plate is fake? Athena follows in her pickup and begs for help from the US Marshal’s Office and the FBI.Both agencies turn her down. Athena keeps following the Suburban, racking her brain for a plan that could save the women's lives without getting herself killed. Unfortunately, the greedy bastards who run the secret prison already have blood on their hands. They won’t hesitate to kill Athena, too.
Killer Bait
Martina Dalton - 2019
Much to the chagrin of her brother, Zen, a homicide detective, Clarity throws caution to the wind and jumps into the investigation with both feet. Zen’s ultra-handsome detective partner, Hunter, encourages Clarity to learn self-defense—especially since she’s getting closer to discovering who the killer is. Using her social media sleuthing skills, she sets out to bait the murderer. Is she clever enough to entrap the killer? Or will she end up as the catch of the day?
Cast A Long Shadow
Kwen D. Griffeth - 2018
He was a man, who by his own definition, limited his concentration to no more than eight seconds at a time. The time required to ride a bull or saddlebronc and win. He’s tough, independent, shallow and always looking for a good time. Then his father is murdered. Sheriff Robert Trent, longtime chief law enforcement officer of Lodge Pole County Montana. He was stern, fair, honest and dependable. He tried to see the best in people, and always ready to give them one more chance. Ambushed, shot dead at the side of the road. Set up by someone he knew. Now, rumors claim the sheriff wasn’t all that he claimed. Rumors claim he was dirty; paid off by persons’ unknown. Slapped by reality, Bobby is determined to investigate the killing. He’s set on finding the one who did this. Only one problem, he doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing.
Waltz Back to Texas
M.J. Fredrick - 2012
After growing up in a dying town, with only two restaurants, no movie theater, and no future, waitress Cassidy Simon wants out. For once, luck is on her side when the oil boom comes to South Texas. She’s determined to use it for her advantage, starting up an RV park for the oilfield workers to add to her escape fund. She’s never been out of Texas, and she’s itching for adventure. Grady McKenna couldn’t get away from his family’s ranch fast enough when he was a teenager, but a tour in the Air Force in the Middle East is enough to convince him there’s no place like home. He’s seen the world, had his adventure. Now he’s ready to contribute to his family’s legacy in Evansville. Naturally, the woman who draws his attention is the one intent on slipping through his fingers. How can he convince her life with him will be all the adventure she needs?
Dowser Series: Box Set 1
Meghan Ciana Doidge - 2016
Dowser 1, 2, and 3 complete the first of three trilogies in the Dowser Series. The magic and mayhem continues in books four to nine.The customer looked familiar, like maybe he'd been in the bakery a few times before. The vampire, however, was new. - Dowser 1Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (Dowser 1)If you'd asked me a week ago, I would have told you that the best cupcakes were dark chocolate with chocolate cream cheese icing, that dancing in a crowd of magic wielders -- the Adept -- was better than sex, and that my life was peaceful and uneventful. Just the way I liked it. That's what twenty-three years in the magical backwater of Vancouver will get you -- a completely skewed sense of reality. Because when the dead werewolves started showing up, it all unraveled ... except for the cupcake part. That's a universal truth.Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic (Dowser 2)Three months ago, I lost my foster sister, Sienna, to the darkness. As in blood magic and chaos and general mayhem. No one saw it until it was too late, but I should have. Now, I have a wounded heart and soul that I can't even reveal to anyone around me, because I'm supposed to hate Sienna with the fiery passion of the justified. And I do. I just wish I didn't feel so lost without her, so unsure of the path I thought I had carved for myself, and so outclassed by the powerful Adepts constantly by my side these days. I'm not even sure if they're with me for my own protection or because my shiny new powers are rare and valuable. Assuming I ever figure out who or what I am, and how my magic actually works.Even chocolate can't save the day every time ... just most of the time. At least I've got that going for me.Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic (Dowser 3)I hadn't set foot in the human world for more than a few hours in over three and a half months. Sure, I was stronger and faster than I'd ever been before, and I had a shiny new sword, but I was seriously chocolate deprived. I don't recommend quitting cold turkey. And the new sword was a problem -- to my mind, anyway. It represented all the expectations of a powerful father and a new otherworldly life. A life that wasn't the one I'd worked so hard to build. It also represented the responsibility I had to bring my foster sister Sienna to ... what? Justice? I didn't know if that was even possible. What I did know was that Sienna wouldn't stop, and that I couldn't just leave everything up to fate and destiny ... or maybe I was. Maybe I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. If you believed in that sort of thing.I just hoped that before the chaos and mayhem renewed, I'd manage to get my hands on some chocolate. It didn't even have to be single-origin Madagascar. I was utterly prepared to lower my standards.
The Smuggler's Gambit
Sara Whitford - 2015
When 17-year-old Adam Fletcher is forced into an apprenticeship, he unwittingly becomes a pawn in a smuggling war. Soon, he’s forced to make a tough decision. Will he agree to become a spy performing a civic duty to the Crown? Or will he risk everything—possibly even putting his own family in danger—to protect his new master? Secrets will be revealed, loyalties will be questioned, betrayals will be uncovered, and a young man’s character will be put to the test in ... The Smuggler’s Gambit.
Thread of Hope
Jeff Shelby - 2011
Now he’s been brought back to San Diego by the news that this friend has been arrested for beating up a teenage girl—a girl not much older than Elizabeth would be now.Joe is convinced Chuck Winslow is innocent, but Chuck is in a coma and can’t explain what happened. And the more Joe hears about what Chuck’s been up to in the years he’s been gone, the less Joe recognizes his old friend. To find out the truth, he will have to face his ex-wife, his former bosses, and a hometown full of wealth, lies, and illicit privilege. When Chuck’s accuser goes missing, Joe must decide where his loyalties truly lie.
San Bravado Billionaires' Club Box Set: Books 1 - 10
Layla Valentine - 2019
Filled with steamy, enthralling tales of the gorgeous billionaires of San Bravado, it’s a sweet and spicy trip to the most romantic city in America. Second Chance Twins: All he wants is a second chance with the one that got away, But there’s not one, but two bundles of joy to meet first! Nanny For Hire: I’ve broken the heart of every nanny I’ve recruited. Can I keep my hands off my latest hire? The Baby Bargain: The billionaire needs a baby. He's about to get a whole new family instead... Accidental Triplets: One night of red-hot passion, Two eager lovers, And three accidental babies! Because what else do you give the man who has everything? Take My V-Card: I never thought I’d see him again The would-be lover who left me waiting… Now, he’s back, And this time, he’s gonna take my V-Card Bought By The Boss: She was meant to be a one-night fling, But then she tried to steal from me. I’m going to make my mark on her, She’s going to learn who’s boss… Four Secret Babies: He has billions of dollars But he doesn’t have a baby Well guess what? That’s going to change – four times over! My Brother’s Best Friend: Five years have gone by since that fateful night, When the red-hot 19-year-old burst onto the San Bravado scene. She was the hottest new thing in town. Not Marriage Material: I made a deal with the devil: play the fake girlfriend to the drop-dead-gorgeous billionaire. But now it’s getting all too real… The Single Daddy Situation: He’s an irresistibly handsome single dad, My former lover, and my soon-to-be boss. Oh, and did I mention that he’s a billionaire? Welcome to my single daddy situation…
Storm Island
Linda Watkins - 2018
A second-year-resident in surgery, she thinks she has her life under control. But a curious conversation overheard while taking a catnap launches her on a descent into a world filled with nightmarish visions that cause her to doubt her own sanity.Sent to Storm Island to rest and recuperate from an apparent breakdown, Kate is forced to come to grips with memories of the summer her mother died as well as new terrors that plague her mind. Even the blossoming of an unexpected romance with islander, Jeremy Bradshaw, cannot keep her fears at bay for long.The discovery of a strange little silo, hidden deep in the woods, spurs Kate to action as she tries to unravel its mysteries. But is the silo real or just another illusion created by her tortured mind? Storm Island, A Kate Pomeroy Mystery, is the first book in a series of mysteries taking place on Storm, a remote island off the coast of Maine.
Book Of Secrets
D.F. Hart - 2019
The gripping first installment of the Vital Secrets Series.They survive a nightmare – but they don't escape unscathed.A harrowing ordeal puts FBI profiler Nathan Thomas and girlfriend Bella Amsel face to face with pure evil.Little do they know – it’s only the beginning.The psychopath obsessed with Bella isn’t giving up that easily.Will Nathan sacrifice everything he stands for to keep Bella safe?
The Anonymous Source
A.C. Fuller - 2015
BREAK THE STORY. STAY ALIVE.ONE YEAR AFTER the 9/11 attacks, Alex Vane--a brilliant, fitness-obsessed reporter for The New York Standard--wants nothing more than to break into the flashy world of TV news. But when he uncovers the scoop of a lifetime, his tightly controlled world is rocked: his editor buries his story, a source turns up dead, and Alex finds himself at the center of a violent media conspiracy.AS HE RECEIVES TIPS from a mysterious source, Alex enlists the help of a captivating professor, Camila Gray. Aided by an Internet genius, a billionaire's sexy widow, and a washed-up sports reporter, Alex and Camila discover a $500-million secret that could derail the largest media merger in history.IT'S A SECRET THAT unearths dark memories from Alex's past. It's a secret that leads back to the morning of 9/11. And it's a secret that could get them both killed.IN HIS DEBUT MEDIA THRILLER, A.C. Fuller brings you a young journalist chasing the biggest story of his career--from the courtrooms of New York City to the beaches of Hawaii, from a crowded newsroom to a lavish boardroom at the top of a media empire.
His Hand In the Storm
Ritu Sethi - 2018
Daphne du Maurier Suspense Finalist.
A MAN COPES ANY WAY HE CAN AFTER KILLING HIS ONLY SON.
His team believes he’s calm and Zen. His boss finds him obsessive. Suspects think him gorgeous but dangerous. They’re all right.
Chief Inspector Gray James is sculpting the remembered likeness of his small son when he receives the call – a faceless corpse is found hanging by the choppy river, swirls of snow and sand rolling like tumbleweeds.
Montreal glitters: the cobbled streets slippery with ice, and the mighty St. Lawrence jetting eastward past the city. One by one, someone is killing the founders of a booming medical tech startup – propelling Gray into a downward spiral that shatters his hard-earned peace, that risks his very life, that threatens to force him to care and face what he has shunned all along: his hand in the storm.
From the prize-winning author comes a psychological, page-turning mystery with all the elements one needs on a rainy night: a complex murder, a noble yet haunted detective, and an evocative setting to sink into.
Scroll up to get to know Gray and download, His Hand In the Storm.
Lost Secret
Emily Reed - 2019
She’s dead. After months of fighting, Megan finally...I hadn’t felt it though. Wouldn’t I know if the only person I ever loved—I stumbled out of bed, tangling in my blankets, then raced to her room. Empty. The sheets were folded aside. She must be close. I moved down the hall toward our shared bathroom. The door stood open, but Megan wasn’t there. Backtracking, I checked the living room with its slouchy couches, and the kitchen with its worn countertops. No Megan. I pushed through the French doors out onto our balcony. The music district of Crescent City, a night owl’s paradise, lay still in the soft morning light. Megan’s flowers overflowed their boxes, spilling riotous colors down the wrought iron rail. I stood alone, a gentle breeze lifted a lock of my hair, and tears stung my eyes. Megan was gone.The police assumed she left of her own free will—there was no evidence of a break-in or struggle. "Maybe she was done fighting and couldn't tell you," the detective said, his brown eyes sympathetic."You didn't know her, she would never give up.""Often when people go missing, the loved ones they leave behind come to realize," he paused and took a breath, "that they didn't know them as well as they thought. Everyone has secrets, Darling," his voice drawled over my name. "Megan could barely walk," I ground out. "Somebody must have taken her.""But who would kidnap a dying young woman? How did they leave no evidence? Why didn't you hear them?" He asked. I didn't have any answers.It didn’t make sense. Nothing did anymore. Strange, exhilarating dreams began haunting my nights. A new hunger, an unquenchable thirst that felt almost…dangerous...ruled my days.Scared and alone, I couldn’t imagine the dark secrets my hunger hid. They’d been lost for so long—locked away, buried by time, and twisted by whispered lies—but when Megan was stolen everything began to unravel… Before it did, before I saw the dead rise, witnessed vampires feed, or visited the warlocks’ library, before I held a life at the edge of my lips, I was just Darling Price—a musician like so many others in this vibrant city. I struggled to pay bills, practiced with my band, and grieved for my missing sister. I was innocent and naive.I’d barely even been kissed. **Beware: This series is for adults who enjoy steamy paranormal romance with strong urban fantasy vibes and who don't mind a few f-bombs.**