Book picks similar to
Compelled by Inge-Lise Goss


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Alternative Outcome


Peter Rowlands - 2017
    What if you published a book on the web, and it had unintended consequences? What if people who read it jumped to conclusions about your knowledge of real events?The leading character, Mike, has written a mystery novel as a diversion from the rat race of his day job, basing it very loosely on a true story. He opts for self-publishing as a way to get the book out there, and a sequence of unsettling events follows.One of the key characters in Mike’s book is loosely based on a girl he remembers from childhood. He never kept in touch with her, but now he is persuaded by well-meaning friends to try and track her down. Yet the harder he looks, the more intrigue he finds himself unravelling.As he starts piecing together the real mystery surrounding the missing girl, he finds himself pitched against increasingly persistent adversaries. Mistaken assumptions lead him down various false trails, but he gradually starts to unearth some surprises he wasn’t expecting.

Mia Kazmaroff Mysteries: Books 1-4


Susan Kiernan-Lewis - 2014
    She's able to tell the story behind any object simply by touch. It’s a gift that comes in handy when she solves cases with her partner, ex-cop Jack Burton. Together, Mia and Jack create a partnership that breaks all the rules, skirts every law, and lobs as many sparks and landmines at each other as if they were adversaries–which half the time they are—all while attempting to ignore their undeniable mutual attraction. (Buy the entire collection and it's no mystery how much you'll save!)

Stormcock


Robin Roughley - 2017
    For over five years Abe Mathews has been hunting the white-haired assassin. Obsession and vengeance drives him and at last he is close to bringing the man named Plymouth to justice. Though Plymouth is playing a deadlier game. One in which he is putting his life in the crosshairs in order to bring the guilty forward and he will stop at nothing to inflict his own horrific brand of retribution. However, as Mathews draws closer to his quarry he is forced to question the truth about the man with the blue eyes and savage smile. There are others who will cross any line to kill Plymouth those who have suffered beyond imagining at his hands. As the noose tightens and people start to die, Mathews must decide who he can trust before the clock stops ticking. Meanwhile, Plymouth relentlessly draws out those who want to see him dead in an electrifying game of life and death that will have a devastating impact on those unwittingly pulled into the vortex of violence.

Tangled: A Southern Gothic Yarn


Phyllis H. Moore - 2016
    Twenty-one years old and Annette Roberta Randall is searching, looking for herself. The perception and sensitivity she relied on to bolster her through an isolated childhood have disappeared and with them her sense of self. Nettie also seeks the truth, information about her dysfunctional family and the mysteries that whisper to her in their eccentric family home. She receives glimpses in the alcohol induced monologues of her mother, Delores Cecelia, “DeCe”. However, DeCe lost herself long before Nettie was born, and she buried her secrets so deep, even the spirits haunting her cannot unlock her soul. Pup, Nettie’s peculiar uncle, may have witnessed the most recent chaos, but he cannot communicate what he knows for sure. Nettie’s struggles are apparent to her extended family and neighbors, but only she can resolve to overcome the pull of the notorius Kirkland family and Berclaire mansion. The secrets fester and DeCe clings to them like the neglected ivy tendrils on the shadowed side of the mansion. Slowly, the truth will unfold, but will it be enough to free Nettie, or the undoing of her mother, DeCe? Nettie believed it was possible her grandfather, Old Nate, was responsible for the hauntings at the Berclaire mansion, but the more she learns of her great grandmother, Roberta, she decides he might have been a victim, also. DeCe had been taking pills and drinking alcohol from before the time she was a teenager, attempting to numb herself to her dysfunctional family. Nettie could only guess at a history during her drunken orations about DeCe's childhood. Nettie knows she is the seventh child born to DeCe, the others gone before Nettie was born. Some would filter back into her life, but would they help her learn more about her identity, or bring more pain?

Rope on Fire


Mark Parragh - 2016
    He’s all dressed up with nowhere to spy. Josh Sulenski is an Internet prodigy with some serious James Bond fantasies and more money than 37 countries. Together, they’re out to save the world…in style. John Crane bursts onto the espionage scene in Rope on Fire. On only his second mission for the top secret Hurricane Group, the U.S. Government suddenly shuts Hurricane down, leaving Crane an agent without an agency. Adrift in Key West, he's approached by Internet billionaire Josh Sulenski, who asks him to find out why one of his charitable projects is under attack deep in Puerto Rico's rain forest. Crane finds himself battling corrupt police officers and drug smugglers with no authority and no backup. For the first time, he's on his own. Branislav Skala is an aging gangster whose ruthlessness and ambition helped him claw his way up from the gutters of communist Czechslovakia to rule a criminal empire. Skala thinks he’s reached the top of the heap and is ready to retire to his palatial country estate—until he discovers a whole new game of transnational power blocs, capital networks, and vicious battles among competing factions. Skala wants a seat at this new table, and he has a plan to get one. It’s a plan that puts him squarely in John Crane’s sights. When their destinies collide, Branislav Skala will learn that this new game doesn’t follow the same rules he’s used to. And John Crane will find a broken laptop with the power to change his life forever. So join John Crane for freewheeling adventure in a world of glamour, intrigue, and action. Because spy stories are supposed to be fun!

Semper Fidelis


Johnnie M. Clark - 1988
    A machine gunner deep in the Vietnam bush, Shawn fought and won battles with no names, and watched brave friends give the ultimate sacrifice. Death chased him. Rain, leeches, and malaria sapped his strength. And back home in an ungrateful country, right and wrong were decided by what was easiest. Prayer was his last refuge, but it was hardest of all.

The Brambles


Leah Erickson - 2017
     Elizabeth Gray is found hanging from a tree. Her town is shocked to learn that Elizabeth had no birth certificate, no social security number, no record of education. Her mother, an independently wealthy woman, refuses to cooperate with authorities. But Elizabeth is not truly gone: she communicates in spirit with her three childhood playmates, driving them to investigate the true circumstances of her death. And in doing so, Mack, Lillian, and Vanessa discover the world of The Brambles, a mansion owned by the elderly movie star, Mitch Cooper. They meet John Leary, a defocked priest and Mitch's "caretaker." Drugs, a motorcycle gang, a corrupt medical doctor nicknamed "Honeybear." How are all of these things connected, and what is the secret to Elizabeth's true identity? Only three brave teenagers can find out. The Brambles is a more than a mystery, but an absorbing exploration of life, death, and how people navigate relationships around them. A book you don't want to put down, and when you do, your thoughts go back to it." — Ross Rojek, San Francisco Book Review Mature teens to new adults who want a story that begins with a ghostly presence and evolves into a much broader plot will find The Brambles creates a brooding set of circumstances that embrace everything it touches, making for an engrossing story that's thought-provoking and hard to put down. — Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

NEST: Retribution: An Alivia Morgan Story


David J. Antocci - 2017
    Instead, that crisp October morning turned into the bloodiest terror attack to strike the city of Boston in more than a decade. In the wake of the attack, the New England Special Terrorist Division—NEST—turned to their most senior and capable agent, Alivia Morgan. She was unwillingly ripped from her home and family, but didn’t have a choice. Though she had no idea just how deeply personal the fight would become. Now, it was up to her to find the extremists and stop another catastrophic blow that would drive the death toll higher. She was captured, alone, and armed only with her years of training and experience in Special Ops and the elite Army Rangers. Alivia quickly realized she was in a race against time as she struggled to escape with her life and stop the impending attacks. Could she do both?

Secrets & Suspense


M.R. GrahamTheresa Sederholt - 2019
    Thrilling suspense. Sinister happenings. Dive into crime and corruption, adventure and avarice, with this limited edition collection of nine fast-paced whodunits. Follow hardened detectives and amateur sleuths as they chase down clues and risk it all to solve the case. Discover ruthless villains and unfortunate scapegoats who will thrust you deep into worlds of murder and mayhem. Whether you prefer fast-paced thrillers, cozy murder mysteries, or historical whodunits, this collection comes with plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat… plus hours of binge-worthy reading to leave you turning the pages long after dark! Fans of James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, and Gillian Flynn will devour this collection where suspense, lies, and secrets are just the beginning. Featuring stories from… USA Today bestselling author, M.R. Graham USA Today bestselling author Sarah Biglow USA Today bestselling author Heather Marie Adkins Amy McKinley Amy Richie Emma Calin Alan Chaput Jess Reece Theresa Sederholt

The Scarry Inn


Shirley McCann - 2015
    Surely the owners, Dick and Thelma are simply trying to drum up business for their new motel by terrifying their guests.But when Kara is found brutally murdered, they realize the danger is real and they must find their way to safety before the secrets of the inn claim another victim. Making things even more difficult is the lack of cellphone service in the small town of Frighton, Arizona. With no clue as to who they can trust, the remaining threesome are now caught up in a fight for their lives.

Nightsong: A Neanderthal mystery


M.J. Rhodes - 2016
    When Bronwyn learns later that she was the only witness to the abduction of a young boy, she takes it upon herself to find the boy. Her obsessive search for the boy triggers deep memories of her own—Neanderthal—ancestor. Can these memories from 40,000 years ago help her to find the boy, and also help her to understand who she really is?

Celilo's Shadow


Valerie Wilcox - 2017
    No matter how much time has passed, it’s always there, ready to punch you in the chest when you least expect it. All it takes is something ordinary—a brief glance, a certain food, or a melody on the radio—and regret strikes hard and fast. For Odessa Feldman, the trigger is a Pacific Northwest storm. When the muddy bones of a murder victim buried over fifty years ago are discovered in the storm’s aftermath, Odessa overcomes her long struggle with guilt to finally reveal the truth. But her overdue confession comes with a difficult price—reliving her role in the tragic summer of 1956 and worse, betraying the best friend she’d ever had. Dessa and Ellie Matthews were both fourteen-years-old when they met that summer. Ellie’s father was a foreman at the dam under construction on the Columbia River. At least that’s what he said. But, like murder and the motives behind it, some things in life are rarely as they seem.

The Runaway Train


M.W. Griffith - 2014
    When another child vanishes into the creeping fog around a bus station, Kathryn and her partner, Selena Marrenger, embark on a mission to find the truth behind the disappearances. What they uncover is a hidden secret far more sinister than they could have imagined.As suspects begin to pile up, Selena is forced to leave the case for the FBI. Alone, and desperate for answers, can Kathryn find who's responsible before it's too late?

Monte Rio


Mark Joseph - 2018
    The Pirates rely on high-tech electronics, vintage technology, and old-fashioned nerve — just for fun, because they can.And when they are co-opted by the FBI to help improve security at the Grove, they stumble across a cell of genuine terrorists in the most unlikely of places. As the suspense builds, the Pirates' true mettle is put to the test.

A Storm of Stories


K.B. Jensen - 2016
    Swerving to avoid a hitchhiker out in a whiteout storm, Julie’s car ends up wedged in a snow bank. With the inches piling higher on the dark road, she can’t escape a man who makes little sense. Stranded in the freezing cold, the two tell stories to pass the time. From the Midwest to India, Denmark and Canada, they offer visions of lives and loves from young to old, far and wide. But as the hours blur together, and the snow and ice set in, it becomes less clear how their own story will end. A tale of love, craziness and impossibility.