Book picks similar to
China Star by Bartle Bull


historical-fiction
fiction
mystery
russia

The Client / The Firm


John Grisham - 1994
    Children's rights expert, Reggie Love knows the deadly threats hanging over Mark and his family. Together they must take on the might of the FBI and the wiles of a cold blooded killer.The Firm He was a young, hungry law student from Harvard, They were a small but well- respected firm who were prepared to offer him his dreams. But the dream soon becomes a nightmare of secret files, bugs and mysterious disappearances, from which Mitch has only one chance of escape.--front flap

The Guernsey Novels :Books 1-3: (The Guernsey Novels Box Set No. 1)


Anne Allen - 2018
    DANGEROUS WATERS - Tragedy seems to follow Jeanne Le Page around . . . Can she really go through it again and survive? She is lucky to be alive … at sixteen Jeanne was almost killed in a boating accident which brought heart-breaking family tragedy. Now, fifteen years later, Jeanne returns reluctantly to the island of Guernsey following the death of her beloved grandmother. Struggling for breath as the ferry nears the island; she is overwhelmed by a dark foreboding as hazy memories of that terrible day resurface… Only returning to sell her inheritance - her grandmother’s old cottage - Jeanne has no intention of picking up her old life. But the cottage holds a secret, dating back to World War II and the German Occupation, and Jeanne becomes drawn into discovering more. Then, soon after her arrival, a chance meeting with an old teenage crush leads her to thoughts of love. Jeanne is forced to face her demons, reliving the tragedy as her lost memory returns. When the truth is finally revealed, her life is endangered for the second time… FINDING MOTHER - Three women. Three generations. Sacrifices for love… Who is she really? Nicole is about to find out as she searches for her real mother; the woman who gave her away at birth. With her marriage in tatters, she sets out from England: travelling to Spain, Jersey and Guernsey before the extraordinary story of her real family is finally revealed. Nicole becomes an unwitting catalyst for change in that family. Two women are forced to reveal long-buried secrets. One going back as far as the Second World War. Lives are transformed as choices have to be made and the past laid to rest… GUERNSEY RETREAT - Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection… A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past. Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger - for them both. Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. Malcolm's journey is more complicated: conceived in Guernsey, his bereaved mother emigrates with him to Canada. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. This was his father's home and where he was killed at the start of the Second World War. At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice. Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing… REVIEWS "I regard Anne Allen's Guernsey novels as an indulgent treat: they're seriously easy to read, with some great characters and a brilliant island location which is used to full advantage: you really feel as though you're there. Allen has a subtle insight into the dynamics of dysfunctional families - the ones with quirks in their history - and the independent people they give birth to." Bookbag "The island of Guernsey is so vividly evoked, one feels as if one is walking its byways. An atmospheric and tantalising read." -- Elizabeth Bailey, author of The Gilded Shroud. "A sensitive, heartfelt novel about family relationships, identity, adoption, second chances at love… With romance, weddings, boat trips, lovely gardens and more, Finding Mother is a dazzle of a book,

Tangled Threads


Sandy Hill - 2011
    Can they reconcile or will death and betrayal mark their lives and the lives of their families forever? Delia O'Toole is determined to escape the nursing home that has become her prison. So when her lifelong enemy, Ruthann, begs her to return to their hometown in North Carolina, Delia realizes it's time to confront Ruthann. It's time to deal with “the accident.” “Tangled Threads,” vetted for accuracy by an expert on early mill villages, moves between the 1890s and the 1950s. Along the way, it explores the limits of forgiveness and the difficult choices that await us at the end of life. Book club discussion questions included.

A Liverpool Lullaby


Anne Baker - 1998
    Joseph Hobson is a bullying man and Evie isn't the only one who lives in fear of her father's violent temper. Then one day a bedraggled woman enters the shop and dies on the premises. Evie is shocked to discover she was in fact her mother, whom she had been told was dead. Why had her father lied to her? What secret was he trying to keep? One thing's for sure, Evie can't take much more from him and when she catches the eye of local lad Ned Collins they plan to run away to begin a new life together. But even when she has escaped and has started a family with Ned, Evie has a long way to go before her happiness is secured...

The Masada Complex


Avraham Azrieli - 2010
    – President Barack Obama calls America’s alliance with Israel “unshakeable.” The Masada Complex questions this assertion with a realistic political thriller taking place in Arizona, Washington and Jerusalem.The Masada Complex unveils a chilling scenario. Its hero is Masada El-Tal, a beautiful Israeli expatriate, currently an investigative reporter in Arizona. Her exposure of a bribe payment causes a disgraced U.S. senator to commit suicide. Angered by Israel’s supposed culpability, an angry Congress moves to terminate all military aid to the Jewish state. At the same time, someone repeatedly attempts to assassinate Masada, whose relentless investigation becomes a race against time, leading to a shocking discovery and a spectacular climax.

The Tightrope Men / The Enemy


Desmond Bagley - 2009
    But it is only the beginning of a hair-raising adventure in which Denison finds himself trapped with no way to escape. One false move and the whole delicately balanced power structure between East and West will come toppling down…THE ENEMYWealthy, respectable George Ashton flees for his life after an acid attack on his daughter. Who is his enemy? Only Malcolm Jaggard, his future son-in-law, can guess, after seeing Ashton's top secret government file. In a desperate manhunt, Jaggard pits himself against the KGB and stalks Ashton to the silent, wintry forests of Sweden. But his search for the enemy has barely begun…Includes a unique bonus - Desmond Bagley's pen portrait, written for the original publication of The Tightrope Men.

Shadow Kill


David Caris - 2021
    Betrayed by his employer and left for dead, Kovac decides to lie low in Tokyo.His plan? Revenge...But when a young woman asks him to protect her from the yakuza, Kovac feels duty-bound to help. She’s a victim of abuse, and long experience tells him if he doesn’t step in tonight she’ll be a corpse before dawn.As Kovac works to uncover the truth of his last job, he finds himself drawn into a conspiracy which goes well beyond the yakuza to a new and terrifying multinational cartel. One that will stop at nothing to control the global drug trade.The kingpins are certain they’ve covered all bases. They're well-funded and utterly ruthless. But they’ve failed to account for one man – John Kovac.SHADOW KILL is the first in a fast-paced, unflinching thriller series that won't in any way shortchange you on action. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Mark Greaney and Mark Dawson.

Ambush


Chris Bradford - 2017
    So he's the natural choice when a French diplomat seeks Guardian's services to protect his family on a safari in Africa. With no obvious threats at hand, it sounds like the vacation of a lifetime. But deep in the savanna, the safari turns to chaos when their convoy is ambushed by brutal gunmen seeking bloodshed and riches. Fleeing through the bush, Connor and those under his protection become the prey in a deadly hunt across the African plains. Combining pulse-pounding action, diabolical enemies, and an insider's knowledge of the tricks of the trade, the Bodyguard series is the perfect target for fans of Alex Rider, James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Bourne. Praise for the Bodyguard series: "Breathtaking action . . . as real as it gets."--Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl series "Bradford has combined Jack Bauer, James Bond and Alex Rider to bring us the action-packed thriller"--Goodreads.com "A gripping page-turner that children won't be able to put down"--Red House

The Hill


Leonard B. Scott - 1989
    Point man for his platoon. Jason is the favored one: a football hero picked for officer training school who leads his men into a slaughter ground from which most of them will never return. Ty and Jason -- Oklahoma brothers different in character, yet close in soul -- are about to meet in the Battle of Dak To, upon the blood-drenched sides of Hill 875.

Mac Travis Adventures: The First Four


Steven Becker - 2015
    Mac Travis is trying to live the Keys lifestyle: Fishing, diving and enough salvage work to pay his bills. But trouble has a way of finding him. Follow Mac in the first four full-length novels: Wood’s Relic, Wood's Reef, Wood's Wall and Wood's Wreck "Action & Adventure In The Florida Keys from the #1 Sea Adventure Series" *** Download the prequel “Wood’s Ledge” FREE by visiting woodsledgepromo.stevenbeckerauthor.com*** EDITORIAL REVIEWS "A riveting tale of intrigue and terrorism, Key West characters in their full glory! Fast paced and continually changing direction Mr Becker has me hooked on his skillful and adventurous tales from the Conch Republic!" - Amazon Review "Read this book in one day. The scenes move, and I mean fast. Anything goes in the Florida Keys, and this story captures the essence. Good descriptions, unique characters and a plot that could be taken from the news headlines. I'm a fan of Florida fiction and Steven Becker is now on my "to-read" list" - Ed Robinson - Author of Leap Of Faith/Quit Your Job And Live On A Boat ALSO BY STEVEN BECKER Mac Travis Adventures: Wood’s Relic Wood’s Reef Wood’s Wall Wood’s Wreck Wood’s Harbor Tides Of Fortune: Escape - Free Sample Pirate Wreck of the Ten Sail Will Service Eco Thriller: Bonefish Blues Tuna Tango

The Lost Tomb of Cleopatra


J.T. Osbourne - 2018
    Egypt is in mourning.Egypt, 30 BC. Roman soldiers storm a site rumored to be the final resting place of Egypt's Queen Cleopatra. Hiding in the shadows, a fierce patriot, Neferu watches the scene unfold. Despite observing the torture and murder of the site's priests, Neferu smiles - the soldiers will not find their coveted prize. His secret is safe. Maverick history professor Brook Burlington has devoted her life to locating the whereabouts of Cleopatra's tomb. But when Brook's ex-boyfriend Ali Rahman claims to have made a breakthrough in the case, Brook must swallow her pride and her feelings to join his expedition. In her quest to fulfill her lifelong obsession, she discovers a secret message left behind by a previously-unknown stone carver that she's convinced will help her unlock one of history's greatest mysteries: Find Me and You Will Find Him and Her.Tom Manor's Grand Tour wasn't supposed to end this way. The son of a hedge fund tsar, Tom made the decision to turn his back on the family business and Wall Street life to find his own way. Upon arriving in Egypt, terrorists raid his privately-hired felucca while it is sailing down the Nile and Tom is taken as a prisoner. When Brook's entourage crosses paths with the lost tourist, they each realize their lives have changed forever, but questions remain. Who is this beautiful adventurous professor who has taken him in and what has brought her to the desert? Who is this handsome young American, kidnapped, beaten and left for dead. And what is his connection to the Russian oligarch, Strelov, who has taken such a keen interest in her work? Find out why reviews have called The Lost Tomb of Cleopatra "An extremely entertaining combination of historical drama and action thriller" ,"Ambitious", "exciting" and "engaging".

No Peace (Steve Dancy Tales Book 7)


James D. Best - 2019
    He can hardly remember his days of wanderlust, and he’s grateful to have left behind the violence of a raw frontier. In a celebratory mood, Steve invites his mother to a meet her new grandchild in a chic resort in Monterey, California. With the delivery of a handwritten note, his world suddenly reverts to the savagery of his bygone days. There will be no peace.

A Plague of Dissent


Nic Taylor - 2012
    It paints a picture of the UK, where media companies hack into personnel communications at will, in search of their next headline. Of politicians lining their pockets with falsified expense claims and crooked practices operate within the police force. Where government contracts can be bought and sold by those that have the Prime Ministers ear; that too, also on sale for the right price and banks and businesses making millions at the expense of the man in the street.A story of greed and corruption; where riots and civil unrest are turning the country upside down and a small group of men are attempting to use this anarchy that is spreading across the country to further their own aims.Into this is dragged a young man Adam, his girl friend Isobel and his brother Dan, a professional rugby player and England’s open side wing forward. These three are pursued by the faceless men who believe they are party to information that could comprise their mission and have two choices, to run or, to turn and fight for their lives.

Black Water Transit


Carsten Stroud - 2001
    So is Earl V. Pike. So is a smart, beautiful NYC detective named Casey Spandau. For Jack, it began when Earl asked for a little favor--one former soldier to another. With Jack’s son in serious trouble with the law and his shipping company, Black Water Transit, about to hit the big time, Jack saw a chance to be a good father, a good citizen, and a good CEO--by ratting out Earl V. Pike to the feds. It was a monumental mistake.Now Pike is mad. Bodies are piling up. And all the backstabbers are coming out of the woodwork in Jack’s rattled world. Jack’s only hope: detective Casey Spandau, who began her week hunting for a sex criminal and ended up with Earl V. Pike--a man using guile, skill, and one astounding long-range weapon to kill everyone who gets in his way. For Casey and Jack Vermillion, making Earl V. Pike angry has turned into a cross-country nightmare. But taking him down will be even worse.

Past the Headlands


Garry Disher - 2001
    The fall of Malaya and Singapore and the bombing of Darwin—what looked like the invasion of Australia—ebb and crash over a man’s long search to find a home and a woman’s determination to keep hers, connected by old memories and new betrayals. It is a thriller and a romance, a story of earth and water, air and metal—an unforgettable ride through the most precarious time in our region's recent history. Garry Disher writes: ‘Past the Headlands came from the same World War 2 research as The Stencil Man. I was struck by the power of two documents. The first was a letter written by a woman alone on a cattle station near Broome in 1942, at the time the Japanese were overrunning Malaya and Singapore and bombing areas of northern Australia. One day she found herself giving shelter to Dutch colonial officers and their families, who were fleeing Sumatra and Java ahead of the Japanese advance (many people like them lost their lives when Japanese planes shot up their waiting seaplanes in Broome Harbour in March, 1942). This woman stuck in my head (the isolation, the danger, the efforts to communicate, her bravery, etc). The second document was a war diary written by an Australian army surgeon who escaped Singapore ahead of the Japanese and was stuck in Sumatra, trying to get out. Here he treated many of the civilians (and Australian Army deserters) fleeing from Singapore. He was captured by the Japanese, but survived the war. But his last few diary entries detail how he and a mate were waiting for a plane or a ship to take them out, then one day he wrote, “Davis [his mate] left last night without telling me”. So much for mateship. I spent years trying to find my way into their stories. At one stage I spent a year writing 40,000 words before realising it wouldn’t work. I put it aside, then realised one subplot didn’t belong, so extracted it and turned it into a separate novel The Divine Wind, which has sold 100,000 copies around the world, won a major award and been published as both a young adult and a general market novel. But cutting it out like that freed me up to write about the woman and the man betrayed by his mate, in Past the Headlands.’