The Gingerbread Man


Maggie Shayne - 2001
    When the FBI takes over the case, Vince agrees to take time off. Traveling to a small upstate New York town, he meets Holly Newman--a fragile woman whose sister was abducted and killed years ago. Convinced that Holly's sister's death is linked to the recent murders, he attempts to unearth clues hidden deep in Holly's mind.

The Meaning of Night


Michael Cox - 2006
    A story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obsession and ambition.The atmosphere of Bleak House, the sensuous thrill of Perfume, and the mystery of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell all combine in a story of murder, deceit, love, and revenge in Victorian England."After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper."So begins the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver--booklover, scholar, and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness. A chance discovery convinces him that he was right: greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. Overwhelmed by his discovery, he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he knows is rightfully his.Glyver's path to reclaim his prize leads him from the depths of Victorian London, with its foggy streets, brothels, and opium dens, to Evenwood, one of England's most beautiful and enchanting country houses, and finally to a consuming love for the beautiful but enigmatic Emily Carteret. His is a story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obsession and ambition. And at every turn, driving Glyver irresistibly onward, is his deadly rival: the poet-criminal Phoebus Rainsford Daunt.The Meaning of Night is an enthralling novel that will captivate readers right up to its final thrilling revelation.

Sweet Damage


Rebecca James - 2013
    In my dreams it's as if the house itself has sinister intentions. But in real life it wasn't the house that was responsible for what happened. It was the people who did the damage ...' When Tim Ellison finds a cheap room to rent in the perfect location in Sydney it looks like a huge stroke of luck. In fact the room comes with a condition, and the owner of the house, the mysterious Anna London, is unfriendly and withdrawn. When strange and terrifying things start happening in the house at night, Tim wonders if taking the room is a mistake. But then his feelings for Anna start to change, and when her past comes back with a vengeance, Tim is caught right in the middle of it.A thrilling rollercoaster of a story - read it with the lights on!

Half Broken Things


Morag Joss - 2003
    Damaged and fearful of life, they cannot survive alone for much longer. A mixture of deceit, good luck and misfortune draws them together to Walden Manor, a secluded and gracious country house that promises sanctuary and freedom from impending destitution. 

Out of an invented past they shape a beautiful present, full of hope and happiness. And, beguiled by the gentle passing of time itself, all three of them, for the first time in their lives, lose their dread of the future.If their sense of safety is built on a delusion, does it matter?
 When the idyll is threatened, Jean, Michael and Steph discover that because their lives are now worth living they are now also worth preserving, although at appalling cost.

Secrets of the Lost Summer


Carla Neggers - 2012
    She's transforming a historic home into an idyllic getaway. Picturesque and perfect, if only the absentee owner will fix up the eyesore next door.Dylan McCaffrey's ramshackle house is an inheritance he never counted on. It also holds the key to a generations-old lost treasure he can't resist; any more than he can resist his new neighbor. Against this breathtaking landscape, Dylan and Olivia pursue long-buried secrets and discover a mystery wrapped in a love story; past and present.

John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow


Mimi Matthews - 2021
    Darkness abounds, punctuated by odd bumps in the night, strange creatures on the moor, and a sinister silver mist that never seems to dissipate. And at the center of it all, John’s new employer—a widow as alluring as she is mysterious.Sixteen months earlier, heiress Bertha Mason embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Marriage wasn’t on her itinerary, but on meeting the enigmatic Edward Rochester, she’s powerless to resist his preternatural charm. In letters and journal entries, she records the story of their rapidly-disintegrating life together, and of her gradual realization that Mr. Rochester isn’t quite the man he appears to be. In fact, he may not be a man at all.From a cliff-top fortress on the Black Sea coast to an isolated estate in rural England, John and Bertha contend with secrets, danger, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness. Can they help each other vanquish the demons of the past? Or are some evils simply too powerful to conquer?

Haunting Adeline


H.D. Carlton - 2021
    Especially not when I plead for him to leave.He's always there, watching and waiting.And I can never look away.Not when I want him to come closer.The ShadowI didn't mean to fall in love.But now that I have, I can't stay away.I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.The way she undresses...I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.And once she is, I'll never let her go.Not even when she begs me to.While not required, it is highly suggested to read the novella, Satan's Affair, first.This book was previously banned on Amazon due to the trigger warning. Please read reviews or go to the author's website.

Black Angel


Graham Masterton - 1991
    Only when Lieutenant Larry Foggia is assigned to the case does the true horror of the killer's motive come to light.

House of Scorpio


Pat Wallace - 1975
    The fate of six sisters lies in the House of Scorpio, where they are brought together by forces beyond their control--written in the stars and over the human heart.Haven of Horror! Haven of Love! SCORPIO!The Sisters:ARA--the brilliant and regal tutor to the household of the handsome actor Solis finds she must act a part in a dangerous play where lives and love are at stake.VENA--the beautiful governess fights the demon warlock Chrion for the love and reputation of the dashing horseman, Ramo.CLAIRE--the dark and comely nurse's love for a famous architect leads her to a wild Saturnalia of unbridled lust and danger.CELENE--the stunning housekeeper is led into a perilous trap with the brilliant doctor Draco, where her wits and passion are her only weapons.MENI--the delicate artist tangles in a web of intrigue and suspense where the masterful ambassador Rigo and the arrogant secretary Miyan play a dangerous game for her life.CYBELE--the love Virgo is trapped in a mesh of deadly poison where everyone is a suspect--including the man she loves.

Jayne Ann Krentz Collection: Soft Focus / Lost and Found / Smoke in Mirrors


Jayne Ann Krentz - 2003
    She knows how to maximize her investments and cut her losses - in both her career and her personal life. So when she discovers that Jack Fairfax has deceived her, she's determined to end their relationship. Putting a stop to their budding romance is easy, but breaking up their business deal will be more difficult. Despite all her efforts, she has no luck disentangling herself from Jack's client company, Excalibur. But the situation becomes even more strained when a lethal act of sabotage threatens to put both their companies out of business for good.Lost and Found(Sandra Burr, Joyce Bean, Melissa Coates)Cady Briggs is very useful to Mack Easton - her expertise in art and antiques helps his shadowy, low-profile company, Lost and Found, find missing treasures for high-paying clients. But as Cady's beloved Aunt Vesta warns her, being useful to a client is one thing - being used is another. Still, Cady finds it hard to resist the magnetic pull Mack exerts, an attraction she felt from the first time she heard his voice on the phone. And as their work together puts them in an explosive situation, Cady wonders just how much she'd risk for the thrill of being with this man.Smoke in Mirrors(Aasne Vigesaa/James Daniels; Laura Grafton)A con artist and seductress, Meredith Spooner lived fast - and died young. Now it seems Meredith's last scam - embezzling more than a million dollars from a college endowment fund - is coming back to haunt Leonora Hutton. An email just arrived in which Meredith - in fear for her life - explains that the money is waiting for Leonora in an offshore account ... and a safe-deposit key is on the way. Leonora wants nothing to do with the tainted money. She's already been accused of being in on the theft by Thomas Walker - who, it seems, was a victim of Meredith's knack for both scams and seductions. Eager to prove him wrong, Leonora sets out to collect the cash and hand it over. But she discovers two other items in the safe-deposit box. One is a book about Mirror House - a mansion filled with antique mirrors, where Meredith engineered her final deception. The other is a set of newspaper stories about a thirty-year-old murder that occurred there - unsolved to this day.