Book picks similar to
The One That Comes Before by Livia Llewellyn


intriguing
skräck-weird-rysare
by-women
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The Prison


Amy Cross - 2014
    Now the prison is being re-opened, but as a new generation of prisoners arrive to fill the cells, something evil is waiting in the shadows. Amanda Weir doesn't remember killing her children. All she knows is that she woke up with their bloody bodies in her arms. Sentenced to life in prison, she arrives at Hardstone and tries to adjust to her new life. All she wants is to forget her old self, and to find some way to live with what she did. After all, there's no way she could be innocent... There's something else at Hardstone, however. Something lost and alone, something angry. The ghost of a little girl has been spotted several times, and the prisoners have learned a valuable lesson: whenever the ghost is seen, anyone who looks into its eyes will be dead within a matter of days. But what does the ghost want, and exactly how far has its influence spread in the lives of the prisoners? The Prison is a dark horror story about a woman who finds herself facing the truth about her own past, and about a dead little girl who refuses to accept that her life is over.

The Twelve Murders of Christmas


Tim Ellis - 2011
    Each day, victims are found stabbed with their clothes removed and their faces ripped off. A verse from the carol is daubed on the wall in blood. Will Quigg find the killer before he is forced to resign? Also, Quigg must choose between two women, or must he? And can he persuade the Chief to let Sergeant Begone be his partner on a permanent basis?

Inherited Magic


Andrew Gordinier - 2014
    The things that are hidden inside change his life forever. He is suddenly heir to a barbaric and bloody history of brutal glory as magic slowly dies from the world. Now John is stalked by powerful and petty mages as he struggles to learn the rules of the game, endangering himself and those around him. Then there is the half naked Tribesman, that only John can see, following him around. Confronting his own failings and struggling with the world he has found himself in, John still has to find a way to pay his rent on time. He would also like to not lose the girl of his dreams in the process. This book is NOT Young Adult it contains some language inappropriate for children under 15.

Voracious


Wrath James White - 2013
    His ethics, however, leave a bit to be desired. When the Aphrodite Aesthetic Reconstruction Clinic hires him to create a genetic weight-loss treatment, Doctor Adams uses a synthetic retro virus to transport pygmy shrew DNA into clients willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to be able to eat whatever they want without gaining a pound. Pygmy Shrews have metabolisms so fast they don’t store fat cells and have to eat every two hours, twice their body-weight in food every day, or they will die. When they are hungry, they will attack and consume prey more than twice their size. They have fangs tipped with a red iron ore, saliva that contains a paralyzing neurotoxin, are the size of a quarter, and are considered to be some of the most vicious animals on earth. When Doctor Adams’s clients begin burning more calories than they can possibly consume, he is afraid he has made one terrible mistake.

Thrall


Mary SanGiovanni - 2011
    Tucked away in the wilds of the northwestern corner of the state, Thrall has always been a very strange place to live. The town was a poison that affected people's minds, their souls, their bodies, and their perspectives. So Jesse abandoned his friends and the one woman he loved, and left everything behind.Seven years later, Jesse has found a reason to return — a reason that, in spite of his best attempts otherwise, he can't ignore. His old love, Mia Dalianis, has left him a voicemail message begging him to come back, if not for her, then for the daughter Jesse never knew he had. Jesse needs to go back. He's been running for a long time — from relationships, friendships, everything he is afraid of and feels guilty over. He realizes that the nightmares will never stop until he goes to Thrall. With help from Nadia Richards and some old surviving friends from Thrall, Jesse intends to find his daughter or die trying. He goes looking for redemption, but what he discovers about his old hometown may destroy him and everyone he's ever cared about.Black Voltage Series #7

Influence


Daniel Hurst - 2020
    But shortly after Ivy’s untimely death she is contacted by a secretive businessman who offers her the chance at the fame and fortune she so desperately craves.While Emily initially gets to experience the things she has always wanted, it soon becomes clear that her new employer had sinister motives for approaching her and it isn’t long before she discovers that the life of her dreams comes with the kind of conditions that are the stuff of nightmares. Social media isn’t life or death. It’s more important than that.

Nocturnal Academy Complete Series Boxset [A New Adult Prison Academy Series]


Margo Ryerkerk - 2020
    If I get lucky, the academy will mold me into a servant for rich vampires. If I’m not, I’ll become a courtesan.But if the vamps think I’ll take this lying down like a good little bitch, they’re wrong. I don’t have the means to escape Nocturnal Academy, but I have my eyes set on someone who does.Prince Preston Kallan, a handsome, pureblood fae teacher from the Summer Court, doesn’t know who I am yet, but he will soon. At least that was the plan. Because as it turns out, nothing goes the way I expect.Titles include:Wicked NoblesCruel ElitesVicious RoyalsSavage MonarchsFeaturing a kickass heroine, forbidden love, and dangerous magic, fans of The Mortal Instruments, Vampire Diaries, and A Shade of Vampire, will love Nocturnal Academy!

The Kilkenny Collection


Louis L'Amour - 2015
    One of the earliest creations from the master craftsman of Western fiction, Kilkenny featured prominently throughout the years in L’Amour’s work, his search for peace and quiet interrupted by one heart-stopping adventure after another. Now this rollicking eBook bundle collects the three full-length Kilkenny novels alongside three essential shorter pieces:   KILKENNY THE RIDER OF LOST CREEK THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY WAR WEST OF DODGE (SHORT STORY) MONUMENT ROCK (NOVELLA) A GUN FOR KILKENNY (SHORT STORY)   Kilkenny wasn’t looking for trouble when he entered the Clifton House stage station, but trouble found him when a reckless youngster named Tetlow challenged him, drew his gun, and paid for it with his life.   Looking to escape a reputation that he never wanted, Lance Kilkenny settles in the lonely mountain country of Utah, planning to ranch a high, lush valley. But the past is on his trail. Jared Tetlow is a powerful rancher determined to run his vast herd on the limited grasslands there—whether he has to buy out the local ranchers, run them out, or kill them. He’ll cut down anyone who stands in his way, especially a man he already despises: the gunman named Kilkenny—the man who killed his son.

'Nids


Ray Garton - 2006
    But after an enormous explosion at the facility, people in town start turning up dead...and in pieces.Something is loose in Hope Valley. Something big...and fast...and hungry. It has a lot of legs, a nasty disposition and a big appetite. This is one spider you can’t step on.

Lasses, Lords, and Lovers: A Medieval Romance Bundle


Kathryn Le Veque - 2019
     Welcome to this grand collection of bestselling Kathryn Le Veque novels, all in one bundle. This collection also includes an excerpt of a never-before published novel, The Champion. Brand-new material! Add this collection to your Kindle library or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Escape to a land where the lasses are fair and fiery, where the lords are strong and noble, and the lovers are passionate and true. All of these elements combine into a great new collection of novels. Medieval England and Scotland have never been so adventurous or romantic. This collection also contains BRAND NEW material - a never-before published excerpt from a future Le Veque novel, THE CHAMPION. You'll want to read this fun excerpt, starring the children of characters from existing Le Veque novels. This collection includes: An except from The Champion - spoiled and lovely Kira MacRohan pits two suitors against each other. The Savage Curtain - A great English knight in a forced marriage with a Scottish captive. Swords and Shields - A de Winter son marries a woman of deception... and loses a brother in the process. Great Protector - An older knight and a young woman find love amidst intrigue. While Angels Slept - A widow and a great earl find danger and adventure amidst the Anarchy. Get your copy of this limited edition collection before it's gone!

Abed


Elizabeth Massie - 1992
    You've seen plenty of stories of zombies, decapitation, "double-tapping" and gore...but if you've never experienced this story (now a film by Ryan Lieske...

Shark Hunting in Paradise Garden


Cameron Pierce - 2008
    Biblical sharks. Sharks that are bigger than city buses. Sharks that can swim through the air and through the ground just as easy as swimming through water. The Garden of Eden is swarming with these mammoth killing machines and they'll eat just about anything or anyone they come across. A group of fanatical religious tourists from the future travel back in time to meet Adam and Eve. Unfortunately, their time ship crashes, killing the majority of the crew (including the leprechauns) and leaving them stranded in this strange shark-infested land. Among the survivors are: Ernest who has the ability to turn people into mannequins, Ira who wields a razor-edged bible for a weapon, Wayne a giant wizard head with fat lizard legs, Donkey the hunchback halfwit, Anton the birdman, Rattlesnake Doctor, Ancestor, and Sturgeonwolf. This cult of deranged priests soon discover that Eden is a far more surreal and dangerous place than they ever could have imagined. It is going to take everything they've got in order to survive long enough to find another way back home. Shark Hunting in Paradise Garden is a crazy, wild ride of a story. It is what William Burroughs's imagination would look like if turned into Japanese anime.

The Innsmouth Syndrome


Philip Hemplow - 2011
    to investigate a cluster of inexplicable mutations among the young people of Innsmouth, a sickly and destitute town on the Massachusetts coast. Initially skeptical, she rapidly discovers that the true mystery is older and more horrifying than anything for which her training has prepared her. As the danger mounts, a double helix of history and urban folklore draws her inexorably to the door of a sinister, evangelical cult - and beyond the limits of her science and belief.

The Charlie Cooper Mysteries: Volumes 1 & 2


Deany Ray - 2018
    But hey, what do you expect from a secretary turned undercover detective? Enjoy the first two books in the Charlie Cooper Mystery Series: JAMMED: Charlie Cooper Profile: -Underpaid precinct secretary at the Boston Police -Grew up in Springston, 90 miles from Boston – but still not far enough -Weekend plans: toffee caramel ice cream, crime shows and the Laundromat -No friends, no pets, no hobbies -Special gifts: tripping over her own feet -Finding Mr. Right: negative -Healthy diet: cookies and all things sweet At age twenty-nine, Charlie Cooper’s life is not exactly a hit. Working as a precinct secretary at the Boston Police answering phones, making appointments and writing up crime reports means she might not be on the fast track to her ultimate dream job. And her living situation? She is the proud inhabitant of the most minuscule “master suite” she can afford to pay, where she can brush her teeth, get her clothes out of the dresser drawer and turn on the hallway light without getting out of bed. But when a job opportunity arises, she’s ready to take the bull by the horns and prove she is more than just a fast typist. Sure, she has to bite the bullet by returning to her hometown and living with her wacky family, but this is only the cover for her real assignment: finding clues involving a real big drug case. What starts out to be just harmless snooping turns into a pile of dead bodies, slashed tires and threatening notes. But Charlie is determined to solve the case and catch the killer before he catches her. Throw in two fearless waitresses and a hot fry cook who is not what he seems and you’ve got the perfect mix of a fast-paced and exciting mystery. PICKLED: Charlie Cooper Profile: -Underpaid undercover detective in her hometown, Springston -Living with her parents at the age of twenty-nine -Weekend plans: desperately looking for an apartment -2 new friends, still no pets, still no hobbies -Special gifts: hmm… -Finding Mr. Right: still negative -Healthy diet: more cookies and more things sweet Charlie Cooper begins a new life in her hometown, Springston. Granted, it’s not as glamorous as she thought it will be. Living with her parents and her brother again means waking up at 6 a.m. with the sound of rock music and putting up with her brother’s annoying video games. Still, she’s confident that a new apartment will bring her the peace and quiet that she needs. Only problem: lack of funds. But that should change soon! Together with her new companions, Marge and Celeste, she sets out to be the best undercover investigator the town has ever seen. When their first case comes rolling in, the girls have to bring an escaped red panda back to the zoo. It’s not exactly the dazzling detective work that Charlie had hoped for, but she’s determined to wrap up this case promptly. Things go south, when the girls not only find the panda, but also something else. Let’s just say it’s a body part that should definitely be attached to a person. The girls launch themselves into solving the missing body part mystery but what they get is more than they’ve bargained for. To top things off, Springston’s most handsome detective is constantly on their tail. Join Charlie, Marge and Celeste in this fast-paced, humorous and exciting mystery!

The Phoenix Affair


Paul Clark - 2013
    As al-Qaeda hunts the pair across Europe and the Middle East, Cameron must rely on his wits to survive relentless attacks designed to silence his Saudi friend and preserve a sweeping plan to attack the American homeland.From the subways of Paris to the parched dunes of the Arabian Desert, The Phoenix Affair is a fast-paced and intricately-wrought thriller that skips across three continents. Cameron is a natural survivor, and his is a sweeping tale of technology, tradecraft, quick-thinking and hard fighting from the first pages to the final climactic conflict.