Taboo


Casey Hill - 2011
    A first thriller co-written by Melissa Hill and her husband Kevin.The story is set in Dublin and features forensic investigator Reilly Steel who has moved from the US to Dublin to be close to her father.But what should have been a quiet period filled with training and Irish forensics team turns sinister and violent when body after body is found of people killed in what appears to be a twisted game.

Murder In Half Moon Bay


Nancy Jill Thames - 2010
    But a startling discovery draws Jillian and her garden club friends into solving a mystery that threatens her life and changes her future.The unlikely team helps the chief uncover a series of mysterious events that lead to solving several murders, both past and present. Could it be the mean spirited conference director? Perhaps it's the wealthy widow on the make for her next husband; or maybe the killer is the haughty business woman who shows no regard for her brow beaten husband.“Murder in Half Moon Bay,” Book 1 in The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series, introduces Jillian's little companion Teddy, a Yorkie who falls prey to danger but rises to become a sleuth dog in the next book.

The Salish Sea


Susan Lund - 2020
    She and her mother moved too many times to a series of cheap motels. There were too many men visiting her mother and none of them were her father. As for him, all Penny knew was that her father was rich and dead.When she was found abandoned on a deserted beach on the Salish Sea when she was four years old, Penny didn't even know her own name. Shunted from one foster home to another, she struggled to overcome the odds.When a Police Detective from the Victoria, B.C. Police Department calls about remains that were identified as belonging to her mother, Penny starts a quest to find out what happened to her and who her father really is. She enlists crime reporter Tess McClintock and Michael Carter to help her find her family, but when they start uncovering Penny's past, not everyone is happy to learn their connection to the girl with no name.The Salish Sea is a new standalone book in the Salish Sea Crime Thriller series.

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.

Sweet Tea and Secrets


Nancy Naigle - 2011
    Sure, Pearl was eighty-five years old, but everyone — particularly her granddaughter Jill — just assumed she would live forever. Now Jill must return home to settle Pearl’s estate, comfort a town in mourning . . . and face Garrett Malloy, the man who broke her heart years ago.Making matters worse, a string of break-ins at the Clemmons place has Jill and the rest of the town on edge. She can’t imagine what Pearl possibly could have had that is worth stealing. But when Jill’s safety is threatened, she and Garrett must join forces to unearth Pearl’s secrets before someone else — someone dangerous — gets there first. Garrett may have been the last man Jill wanted to see, but now, she may not want to let him go.

To Catch a Bad Guy


Marie Astor - 2012
    When she lands a job at one of New York’s premier boutique investment firms, Janet begins to hope that her luck is finally turning for the better. Not only is she happy with her new paycheck, but things also seem to be looking up on the personal front, as the company’s handsome attorney expresses keen interest in Janet. However, her euphoria is short-lived, as Janet soon discovers alarming facts about her new employer’s business tactics. When her boss dismisses her suspicions as groundless, Janet finds herself confiding to a cute IT engineer, Dean Snider. The closer she gets to Dean, the more Janet is tempted to break her rule of not dating co-workers, but what she doesn’t realize is that everything she knows about Dean, including his occupation and even his name, is a lie.Dennis Walker is a top-notch white collar crime investigator who will stop at nothing to put culprits away. When an opportunity for an undercover assignment at one of New York’s premier boutique broker dealers comes up, Dennis jumps at the chance, adopting a persona of geeky IT engineer, Dean Snider. While he may be an ace at his job, years of experience fail him when Dennis meets Janet Maple and finds himself torn between his professional obligations and his personal desires. Will he have to choose between his feelings and duty, or will he find a way to satisfy both?

Man of Wax


Robert Swartwood - 2011
    He doesn't know how he got there, he doesn't know where his family is, and written in dried blood on the bathroom door are the words LET THE GAME BEGIN. Soon Ben is contacted by Simon. Simon knows all there is to know about Ben, more than he cares to remember himself. If Ben wants to save himself and his family, he will have to do everything Simon says.As the game begins -- with stakes much higher than either man can imagine -- no one knows where it will lead or how it will end.Only one thing is for certain: this time the game will change everything.MAN OF WAX is 80,000 words long and the first book in a thriller trilogy where every day men and women must fight a power that threatens to destroy the world. Recommended for fans of Harlan Coben, Michael Marshall, and Dean Koontz. Praise for MAN OF WAX: "MAN OF WAX grabs you by the throat in the first chapter and never lets go. A suspense-filled thrill ride with plenty of shocks along the way. Read it!" -- F. Paul Wilson, author of the Repairman Jack novels

Maniacal


C.M. Sutter - 2016
     The newly promoted Sergeant Jade Monroe, and her partner, Detective Jack Steele, have just been informed of an unidentified male body found at a local lake. The town is in an uproar. The victim was nearly decapitated, and murder simply doesn’t happen in North Bend. As more bodies turn up, the single connection between all of the victims becomes clear—it’s Jade, herself. With each new victim getting one step closer to Jade, time begins to tick away. She must find the person responsible before her loved ones, or herself, are targeted next. Note: All Detective Jade Monroe books are standalone stories, yet they are best read in chronological order. #1 Maniacal #2 Captive #3 Fallacy #4 Premonition

Murder by the Book


Lauren Elliott - 2018
    But she didn't expect her sleuthing skills to come in so handy in a little seaside town . . .Addie left some painful memories behind in the big city, including the unsolved murder of her fiancé and her father's fatal car accident. After an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt, she's moved to a small New England town founded by her ancestors back in colonial times—and living in spacious Greyborne Manor, on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. Best of all, her aunt also left her countless first editions and other treasures—providing an inventory to start her own store.But there's trouble from day one, and not just from the grumpy woman who runs the bakery next door. A car nearly runs Addie down. Someone steals a copy of Alice in Wonderland. Then, Addie's friend Serena, who owns a nearby tea shop, is arrested—for killing another local merchant. The police seem pretty sure they've got the story in hand, but Addie's not going to let them close the book on this case without a fight . .

All Good Deeds


Stacy Green - 2014
    She's just taking out the trash. Don’t call Lucy Kendall a serial killer. She’s fighting for the innocent, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring justice. When a child disappears, Lucy quickly discovers the link to a predator she’s faced before–a man the state of Pennsylvania decided to turn loose on the streets. Determined to find the little girl and put a criminal behind bars for good, Lucy forces her way onto the case.As the search for the kidnapped child pulls Lucy into a web of evil beyond her darkest imagination, she’ll have to face her own dark truths to save the little girl–and herself.

Undertaking Irene


Pamela Burford - 2014
    To dead people.Life gets complicated for Jane and her Death Diva business when she’s hired to liberate a gaudy mermaid brooch from the corpse during a wake—on behalf of the rightful owner, supposedly. Well, a girl’s got to make a living, and this assignment pays better than scattering ashes, placing flowers on graves, or bawling her eyes out as a hired mourner. Unfortunately for Jane, someone else is just as eager to get his hands on that brooch, and he’s even sneakier than she is, not to mention dangerously sexy.Just when she thinks her biggest problem is grand theft mermaid, things take a murderous turn. But hey, when you’ve teamed up with a neurotic seven-pound poodle named Sexy Beast, how can you go wrong?

Inspector Proby's Christmas


John Gano - 1994
     Then another young woman is murdered…and another… Inspector Proby is assigned to the case. As a seasoned detective, it’s not difficult for him to figure out who did it, but proving it is another matter altogether. It will take all of his wit and courage to catch this killer before he strikes again. But his quest takes a dramatic turn when he finds out his own wife is sleeping with the killer. Was she involved with the slaughter? The chilling killer watches Proby…taunts him…thinking he’s got away with his crimes… With the superintendent away on holiday, and the Chief Constable threatening suspension, Proby is not sure he can rely on his own police department. Everyone doubts Proby’s ability to solve this case, but his instincts point him in the direction of one vital clue… The inspector must use the only person he can rely on as bait but is Proby willing to pay the ultimate price?

Emma Frost: Volume 7-9


Willow Rose - 2015
    They are ready to take on the world starting with their honeymoon to Egypt. Two years later, Mads is in a coma and Signe has vanished from the face of the earth.Meanwhile, Emma Frost is looking for her daughter whom the police believe is guilty of the hit and run that left Mads Schou brain dead. But was it really an accident, or is there more to the story than they first thought? Emma believes so but can't convince the police. To help her, Emma receives help from a couple many of Willow Rose's readers will recognize.˃˃˃ THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME:What is the worst that can happen?Maria and Jonas Boegh asked themselves that very question when deciding to sign the papers for their new house. It might be expensive. They might be in over their heads a little financially, but they were never happier than on the day they moved in. Everything was perfect. It was the house of their dreams. They had their entire life ahead of them.They were untouchable.When the couple’s bodies are found the very next morning by their next-door neighbor, Emma Frost, a series of strange things start to happen on the small Danish island. More people are killed, and soon, Emma is chasing a serial killer about whom she only knows one thing. He’s obsessed with the old classic movie, The Wizard of Oz.There’s No Place Like Home is the eighth installment in Willow Rose’s popular mystery series about the author Emma Frost and her friends and family on Fanoe Island.˃˃˃ SLENDERMAN:Ever Heard of Slender Man?They say he is always there. They say he is always watching. A tall guy in a suit and tie, with no face, and arms like tentacles.Some say he is an online myth; others will go very far to prove he is real, so far that they might even kill for him.Fanoe Island is busy with the mayoral election coming up, when suddenly, the sitting mayor is found killed. Rumors tell that a faceless man dressed in a suit and tie did it.In Emma Frost's house that she inherited from her grandmother, a box of letters is found that tells a story from a long time ago. A terrifying story revealing a painful chapter in the life of her own family half a century ago.Slender Man is a spine-chilling mystery from the bestselling author Willow Rose. It is the ninth in her Emma Frost-series.

The Charlie Cooper Mysteries


Deany Ray - 2020
    A light read with no gore or foul language, these books are perfect to unwind at the end of the day.GLAZED:Charlie’s life in her hometown, Springston, is not by far as dull as she expected it to be. Stumbling over dead bodies, being held at gunpoint or getting kidnapped in the back of a van would actually qualify as a pretty exciting life. If you like to live on the edge.Still, Charlie hopes her next case would not include dead people, guns or exploding cars. Well…one could at least hope.When Celeste’s nephew, Lucas, is suspected of attempted bank robbery and CMC Services – a.k.a. Charlie and her best friends, Marge and Celeste – is called in to help, the girls launch into crime-fighting mode yet again. Apparently, Lucas could be a key witness in what seems to be the new crime wave in Springston.Charlie soon finds herself trying to solve another murder, causing a small explosion involving one particular item in Marge’s black hole of a purse, dodging the advances of Celeste’s cousin, Eddy, and trying to get on board with her mom’s new healthy diet. All the while with Alex, Springston’s hot detective, right on her heels.Running low on caffeine and running out of time, Charlie has to step up her game and out-step a killer.DAZZLED:Charlie, Marge and Celeste are back! This time in Las Vegas. Las Vegas? That’s right. What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than to fly to Sin City?When Marge and Celeste surprise Charlie with tickets to Vegas, she decides it’s going to be the best weekend ever. I mean, how often does a gal turn 30?But Charlie wouldn’t be Charlie, if she didn’t stumble into a hot mess in the most unlikely place. She comes to realize that finding a small velvet bag full of diamonds does not mean you’ve hit the jackpot playing slots. Neither does finding a dead body when you at least expect it. Nor being chased by presumably some bad dudes for finding said body.Talk about bad luck in Vegas.How do you survive illicit bus rides, surprise guests and bachelor parties all while trying to stay alive…and getting rid of those darned diamonds?There is only one answer in Vegas: you either win…or you lose.BERRIED:Charlie Cooper, former secretary for the Boston PD, chocolate enthusiast and private investigator extraordinaire takes on her most puzzling case yet. Having to work for the grumpiest man in town, Edgar McMillan, the only clues she gets to solve her next case are a lurking shadow, a gunshot blast, possibly a Tony winner, some Ponies and Betty’s crew. Needless to say, nobody knows who Betty is. Or her crew.Oh, and there’s the dead body too. Charlie hates when that happens. Found in no other place than the client’s backyard just seconds after he was shot. But what was he doing there in the first place?Adding to the stress is Charlie’s mother, who’s current project is redecorating the house, meaning there are more cans of paint in the kitchen than a batch of fresh baked cookies. To top it off, Charlie’s love life takes a hit when her boyfriend, Detective Alex Spencer, is assigned the same case as she is.Together with Marge and Celeste, her best friends and business partners, Charlie sets out to find the killer and reinstall peace in her life.

Reckless


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 her only brother, a detective with the Atlanta Major Crimes Division, is murdered. Determined to find his killer, Mia reaches out to the one person in Atlanta she believes can help her—Dave’s ex-partner, Jack Burton. Unfortunately, Burton is also the prime suspect. 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. Can two people so different—one intuitive and inexperienced, the other cynical and by-the-book—work together to solve the murder? And can they do it before the killer turns his attention to Mia?