Maids of Misfortune


M. Louisa Locke - 2009
    Annie’s husband squandered her fortune before committing suicide five years earlier, and one of his creditors is now threatening to take the boardinghouse she owns to pay off a debt. Annie Fuller also has a secret. She supplements her income by giving domestic and business advice as Madam Sibyl, one of San Francisco’s most exclusive clairvoyants, and one of Madam Sibyl’s clients, Matthew Voss, has died. The police believe his death was suicide brought upon by bankruptcy, but Annie believes Voss has been murdered and that his assets have been stolen. Nate Dawson has a problem. As the Voss family lawyer, he would love to believe that Matthew Voss didn't leave his grieving family destitute. But that would mean working with Annie Fuller, a woman who alternatively attracts and infuriates him as she shatters every notion he ever had of proper ladylike behavior. Sparks fly as Anne and Nate pursue the truth about the murder of Matthew Voss in this light-hearted, cozy historical mystery set in the foggy gas-lit world of Victorian San Francisco. Maids of Misfortune is the first book in M. Louisa Locke’s historical mystery series, see also, Uneasy Spirits, and Bloody Lessons, as well as the two short stories based on the characters from the novels, Dandy Detects, and The Misses Moffet Mend a Marriage.

Murder on the SS Rosa


Lee Strauss - 2017
    When the ship’s captain is found dead, Ginger is only too happy to lend her assistance to the handsome Chief Inspector Basil Reed.The SS Rosa delivers a convincing array of suspects - the wife, the mistress, a jealous crew mate. To Ginger’s dismay, her name has been added to the list! With a little help from Ginger’s dog Boss, Ginger and Haley navigate the clues (those wartime operative skills come in handy.) They must solve the case and clear Ginger’s name before they dock–and oh, whatever shall she wear!

Trust No One


Paul Cleave - 2015
    LEAST OF ALL HIMSELF.Most of the world knows Jerry Grey by his crime-writing pseudonym, Henry Cutter - a name that's been keeping readers at the edge of their seats for more than a decade. But now that he's been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at the age of forty-nine, Jerry's career is coming to an abrupt end.His twelve books tell stories of brutal murders, of a world out of balance, of victims finding the darkest forms of justice. As his dementia continues to break down the wall between his real life and the lives of his characters, Jerry confesses his most terrible secret: the stories are real. He committed the crimes himself. His friends, family, and caretakers insist that it's all in his head, just a side effect of the devastating disease - but is it?One of the most talented and trailblazing suspense writers at work today, Edgar-nominated author Paul Cleave takes us down a dark and clever path to determine the fine line between simple fact and dangerous fiction.

Moon Signs


Helen Haught Fanick - 2011
    Her sister Andrea has an altogether different point of view. When the sisters go to the Canaan Valley to search for paintings mentioned in a document found in an old hotel once owned by their grandparents—paintings that might be Monets—Andrea immediately becomes involved in tracking down a murderer. Kathleen would much rather be looking for the paintings, but she goes along with Andrea, since the victim was their hotel-keeper, murdered just down the hall from their room. The question is: Does the murder have something to do with the elusive paintings?There are many clues and many suspects, including hotel staff, valley residents, and the mysterious foreigners who come from the Eastern Seaboard for skiing. There are also many types of danger—icy roads, sub-zero temperatures, and a killer who doesn’t care how many people die in the attempt to make sure the right ones do.

A New Life


David J. Antocci - 2013
    She has no idea how she got there, and notices changes in herself that she cannot explain. Haunted by unsettling dreams of her past, she sets out to escape, joined by Eric, who finds himself in the same predicament. Standing in their way is a madman, and his band of willing followers, with a mind set on murdering their unwelcome visitors. An eccentric hermit who has been living there for years offers them refuge, but they must deny his generosity. Escape is their only option. Yet, they discover this deceptive paradise is harder to leave than they had ever imagined. One mystery leads to another, until their escape throws them into even greater danger as Abby’s frightening past finally catches up with her. Her escape is only the beginning.

A Critical Tangent


Reily Garrett - 2022
    George, VINE VOICEShe doesn’t trust cops.Can the detective trust his instincts?Keiki Tallerman’s life shatters on a remote mountaintop in Pennsylvania after witnessing her best friend’s bizarre execution. Experience dictates she keep her mouth shut, and when detectives knock on her door, she won’t hand over evidence until she’s identified the assassin. After all, police never found her parents’ killer. Detective Nolan Garnett investigates two disturbing crime scenes sharing a connection with a young tech prodigy. Unless he can coerce the only witness to talk, the body count will rise. Unable to piece the evidence together, he is torn between following the law and protecting the stubborn coed determined to clear her name. Fate decrees they work together before the killer claims his next victim. Keiki. Add snark and off-the-charts chemistry to watch sparks fly.

Blindsighted


Karin Slaughter - 2001
    But it's only when town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer's twisted work becomes clear. Sara's ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation -- a trail of terror that grows increasingly macabre when another local woman is found crucified a few days later. But he's got more than a sadistic serial killer on his hands, for the county's sole female detective, Lena Adams -- the first victim's sister -- wants to serve her own justice. But it is Sara who holds the key to finding the killer. A secret from her past could unmask the brilliantly malevolent psychopath .. or mean her death.

Madhouse


Miguel Estrada - 2017
     Faced with his parents’s divorce, eleven-year-old Lucas runs away from his house with the hope that his family will get back together to find him. On his way walking through the empty streets, he is picked up by a mysterious woman who offers to take care of him and provide him with a loving family. The boy then wakes up in shackles, confined to a bed in a decrepit house in the middle of nowhere and will have to face his deepest fears in order to survive in his new home. Join Lucas in a desperate attempt to get back to his family in Madhouse, the first published book from horror-thriller author Miguel Estrada.

Bad Games


Jeff Menapace - 2013
    Some fishing, some barbecue, some games...The Fannelli brothers are heading to Crescent Lake too. Some stalking, some kidnapping, some murder, definitely some games...though not necessarily the type of games the Lamberts had in mind. But it doesn't matter. The Lamberts are going to play whether they like it or not.An intense psychological thriller, Bad Games has the dark, mind-bending chills of The Bad Seed combined with the fish-out-of-water dread and suspense of Deliverance. So let Jeff Menapace's highly anticipated suspense thriller keep you up all night as it delves into the mystery of nature versus nurture when comprehending the evil in man, along with the will and determination an innocent family must summon to fight back against horrific odds.

Ali's Pretty Little Lies


Sara Shepard - 2013
    Boys wanted to date her, girls wanted to be her, and somebody wanted her dead. . . .It's the end of seventh grade, and Alison DiLaurentis and her friends are the girls of Rosewood Day. Ali runs her clique with an iron fist, and she's got enough dirt on Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Spencer to keep them in line. But Ali's hiding a dark secret of her own, something so huge it would destroy everything if it ever got out. She's desperate to keep the perfect life she's worked so hard to build, but in Rosewood deadly secrets have deadly consequences. . . .Set in the weeks leading up to Ali's murder, this special Pretty Little Liars tale is told by the prettiest little liar of all: Ali herself. For the first time ever, we see how the mystery began . . . and how Alison DiLaurentis's life ended.

Super Dark


Tanith Morse - 2013
    Ten years ago on Halloween night, grotesque creatures snatched her best friend Elliot and Sam narrowly escaped with her life. Now a decade on, the police investigation has ground to a halt and Elliot’s whereabouts remains a mystery. Traumatized by her ordeal, Sam finds it hard to make friends. She is mistrustful of authority and changed schools more times than she cares to remember. To her, the world is cruel and unforgiving. Then she meets the enigmatic Lee Weaver. With his gorgeous face and magnetic presence, he turns heads wherever he goes. Sam has never wanted anyone as much as she wants Lee, but there are things about the alluring stranger that don’t add up, leading Sam to ask unsettling questions about her past. Soon she discovers the boy of her dreams is keeping a terrible secret: one that threatens to destroy everything Sam holds dear . . .Super Dark is a seductive love story that will keep you guessing right until the final page ...

Kiss & Tell


Luke Murphy - 2015
    This is a time limited offer, so happy reading and hunting! With the death of her father… Officer Charlene Taylor has received her dream promotion—working Homicide with the LAPD. Her first case is the high-profile murder of Ken Anderson, a playboy UCLA professor with a haunted past. A mafia kingpin, billionaire tycoon, cheated wife and jaded lover are only a few on a long list of suspects, all with motive and opportunity. …all hope of reconciliation is lost. Not only does she feel the pressure from media and her boss to solve her first case, but Charlene must also deal with her father’s murderer, the “Celebrity Slayer,” a serial killer who enjoys baiting her with his knowledge of her life and routines. Can a rookie detective work two high-profile cases and still keep her sanity? Editorial Reviews: “Luke Murphy scores big with this deep psychological thriller. Just when you think you've got things pegged, Murphy serves up another twist. Fast paced and fun, you won't want to put this book down.” —Tim Green, New York Times bestselling author of Unstoppable “An intricately detailed and clever mystery featuring a tough minded but vulnerable protagonist with more than a few demons of her own. The twists and turns kept me guessing to the very end.” —Christy Reece, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing To Lose “Luke Murphy’s novel, Kiss & Tell, has lots of twists and turns, and police procedures where the good guy, in this case, Charlene Taylor, is not always good. The characters come to life with suspense, drama, explosive action, and an ending you never see coming.” —John Foxjohn, USA Today bestselling author of Killer Nurse “Luke Murphy’s Kiss & Tell is a character driven page-turner with an interesting plot. The main character, LAPD Detective Charlene Taylor, draws the reader into her world for a ride throughout the book. This is one definitely not to miss.” —Dianna T. Benson, bestselling author of The Hidden Son “Luke Murphy’s heroine, Charlene Taylor, is tough and tender. Kiss & Tell is a first-rate police procedural. Hang on. You’ll have fun.” —James Thayer, author of The House of Eight Orchids

The Darkest Thread


Jen Blood - 2016
    When Jack realizes the case shares haunting similarities with the murders of the missing girls’ aunts ten years before, it becomes clear that he and Jamie are dealing with much more than two girls who simply wandered off the beaten path.

The Saints Go Dying


Erik Hanberg - 2010
    Every two months, a new body turns up--and the world is left with one less good person.Against him is an unscrupulous reality TV show, whose sole premise is that the police are corrupt and incompetent. As the intensifying public reaction pushes all of Freeman's resources to the limits, he dusts off his old habits--computer hacking--to dig up evidence he couldn't find legally.But when he accidentally leaves a cyber-trail, he finds himself targeted by a member of his own department, who doesn't know the hacker she's tailing is in the office next door.It's a deadly cat-and-mouse game set against the lights of Hollywood.

Taken!


Donald Wells - 2012
    All twenty-three women shared the same look as Karen Ryan and now Karen Ryan is being stalked, hunted like prey by a man who will stop at nothing to possess her. Will Karen become victim number twenty-four? Or does the prey hide a secret that will bring her predator down?***************SPOILER ALERT*****SPOILER ALERT************Reading the descriptions of TAKEN! 2-6 may spoil the twist ending of TAKEN!TAKEN! 2 – Young BloodThere’s a killer at large in the Colorado community of Eagle’s Bluff, and the death toll is frightening. Three families have been brutally murdered, but what really sets the town on edge is the fact that the killer is one of their own. Gregory Michael Rouse, a seventeen-year-old loner, was on the outside looking in among the affluent residents. Gregory just never seemed to fit and was often the butt of cruel jokes. Now, no one’s laughing after Gregory surfaces as the prime suspect in the slayings. Criminal Profiler, Dr. Jessica White is called in to help capture Gregory, but she didn’t come alone. Her husband has also traveled to the town of Eagle’s Bluff to track down the killer. Dr. White knows that Gregory’s days of freedom are numbered, because the only thing more dangerous than the man they hunt, is her husband.TAKEN! 3 – RegretAfter Sandra Jenkins’ six-year-old daughter was taken, the young mother trusted the authorities to get her little girl back. But when the man who holds the only possible lead to her daughter’s whereabouts is set free, Sandra goes after him. Hours later, the man is dead and Sandra is following a trail that she hopes will lead to her daughter, Chrissie. As the young mother’s quest makes the news, it catches the attention of Dr. White and her husband. As the path to her daughter grows more dangerous, Sandra gains new allies and closes in on the men who have Chrissie. The odds against her are high, and when Sandra walks into a trap, her only hope of rescue is Dr. White and her husband. What comes next is a violent climax that forces husband and wife to break all the rules and, in the end, will leave them changed forever.TAKEN! 4 – Mirror ImageWhen Jeffrey Mitchell abducted eighteen-year-old Hanna Jones, he had every intention of killing her. But now, years later, as husband and wife they play games that have only losers. Dr. White and her husband share a similar past, but when these two couples collide, only one pair can come out on top.TAKEN! 5 – Young LoveCouples meet in many ways, but when beautiful, young, Jessica White awakened to find herself naked and tied to a bed, the last thing on her mind was romance. However, terror soon morphed into an intense fascination with her captor and her innate understanding of human nature allowed her to see past his actions and into his heart Meanwhile, Jessica’s father was being threatened by a serial killer with a personal grudge. But Dr. White is in luck, because his daughter’s made a new friend, and he may be the only thing deadlier than the man that stalks him.TAKEN! 6 – Red, White and BlueWhen Dr. Jessica White is taken captive by fugitive, Sebastian Rojo, her husband will stop at nothing to get her back. Aided by a sexy female bounty hunter named Blue Steele, and the ever-efficient Carly Zhang, he races against time as a winter storm threatens, and corrupt government officials plot his wife’s death.With time running out, and a dozen armed men against them, he’ll do anything to ensure his wife’s safe return, and in the end, Sebastian Rojo will learn the folly of abducting the wife of a man, who is quite possibly, the deadliest man alive.