Book picks similar to
Running Scared by Linda Ladd


mystery-thriller
romantic-suspense
alpha-male
done

Secret Keepers: The Complete Series


Jaymin Eve - 2019
     Ready to break the rules? Emma, Callie, Maya, and Avalon have a few things in common: 1. They're all part of a secret society that exists within the human world. 2. They're big fans of Converse, great food, and sarcasm. 3. They're about to find themselves co-existing alongside some of the most alpha, frustrating, gorgeous men in both worlds. Yeah, that's right. Two worlds. Two worlds that might end if someone isn't ready to break the rules. Lucky these four have never been a huge fan of rules, and together with the overlords, they're going to figure out how to save everyone. Or die trying. **This paranormal romance series is over 350k words, filled with strong, sarcastic women, and alpha men. **

Scandal Never Sleeps


Shayla Black - 2015
    . .They are the Perfect Gentlemen of Creighton Academy: privileged, wealthy, powerful friends with a wild side. But a deadly scandal is about to tear down their seemingly ideal lives . . .Maddox Crawford’s sudden death sends Gabriel Bond reeling. Not only is he burying his best friend, he’s cleaning up Mad’s messes, including his troubled company. Grieving and restless, Gabe escapes his worries in the arms of a beautiful stranger. But his mind-blowing one-night stand is about to come back to haunt him . . .Mad groomed Everly Parker to be a rising star in the executive world. Now that he’s gone, she’s sure her job will be the next thing she mourns, especially after she ends up accidentally sleeping with her new boss. If only their night together hadn’t been so incendiary—or Gabe like a fantasy come true . . .As Gabe and Everly struggle to control the heated tension between them, they discover evidence that Mad’s death was no accident. Now they must bank their smoldering passions to hunt down a murderer—because Mad had secrets that someone was willing to kill for, and Gabe or Everly could be the next target . . .From the Trade Paperback edition.

Secrets from the Past (Love Inspired Suspense)


Jane M. Choate - 2021
    Choate will be available Apr 01, 2021.

Identity Crisis


Eliza Watson - 2018
    She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Security Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across the country to a family and a past she doesn’t remember. At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed that when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized. Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever? *This book was originally published under the name Eliza Daly.

Throwaway


Heather Huffman - 2010
    But even if Jessie could walk away from Spence, there are darker forces of evil who won't let her go that easily. In this romantic suspense, author Heather Huffman delivers an adventure from the vibrant streets of St. Louis to the caves of the Ozarks as Jessie discovers whether she can love another, whether she can love herself, and whether any of it is enough.Throwaway is the first installment in the surprisingly warm and funny series The Throwaways, twelve novels that don’t shy away from the dark corners of this world but always shine the light of hope. At the core of the series is a group of strong but often unlikely heroes and heroines coming from all walks of life whose lives intertwine as they fight for justice, for love, and to leave their indelible mark on this world.Immerse yourself in a world of suspense, laughter, and love with The Throwaways.

Wolves Of Silverwood Island (Silverwood Island Shifters)


Maia Starr - 2019
    Women on the run from dangerous past relationships. Can these shifters protect and claim these women as their new mates, or fail to protect them against the monsters hunting them? Find out in this full and complete series all wrapped into one boxset! Protected By Her Wolf To win Addison’s heart, Flint will need to protect her from a dangerous bear. But to do that, Flint will need to reveal his true wolf nature...a secret that might not sit well with Addison.Does Addison really have a choice? Flint is hot, sculpted from a deft hand, and he’s more than ready to put his life on the line for her. But he’s wild, his mind teetering on the edge of insanity. Can Addison accept what Flint truly is? Better yet, will Flint even be able to keep himself under control?Saved By Her WolfTo save Ginny and her children, Zander will have to release his snarling wolf inside. He just might be the only thing standing between Ginny and her crazy ex.
But Ginny didn’t flee her abusive past relationship only to deal with a man who claims to be a wolf. Sure Zander is sexy, chiseled to perfection, and more than a little charming, yet it isn’t until Zander reveals his true nature that Ginny gives him her trust, and her heart. But the question remains, is that love strong enough to keep her monster of an ex away?
Craved By Her WolfTo claim Sam as his mate, Brendan will have to earn her trust. But trust is hard won, especially when it comes to Sam’s shifter past.Ever since Doctor Sam dated her shifter ex-boyfriend, she’s known how dangerous and abusive shifters could be. But Brendan is different: he’s handsome, compassionate, a heartthrob beyond anything Sam has experienced before. And she’s also the only one who can save him after being heavily wounded by a rival. It’s clear he’s dangerous, but can Sam learn to trust this alpha before trouble brews, or will her abusive past catch up with her once again?Claimed By Her Wolf PackTo take Brooke for their own, three hot-headed shifters will butt heads.When Brooke is kidnapped from her abusive boyfriend, she’s shocked to find herself in the company of three hot, sizzling beasts. All three want to claim her for their own, but can Brooke choose just one? Will they even still crave her after finding out she hasn’t punched her V-Card yet? And even if they do, what will happen if her boyfriend tracks her down?All books in this series can be read as standalones, no cliff hangers, no cheating and HEA guarnteed!

Wild


Kenzie Macallan - 2021
    He’ll endure hell to bring her home. Sparks fly, but will romance die on the wrong side of a bullet?Security firm owner Sean Knight always follows the action. So the former Navy SEAL doesn’t hesitate to head to Afghanistan to extract a world renowned hacker. But when he finds his childhood best friend is being held captive, old feelings come flooding back and he’ll protect her with his life.Investigator reporter Jess Wilander doesn’t lack courage. So when she discovers her sister’s been kidnapped by an Afghan warlord, she agrees to write an article on him in order to stage a rescue. But her plans go sideways when the man sent to get them out is the guy who secretly broke her heart.As Sean seeks a way to free everyone, his growing attraction to the one regret from his past threatens to jeopardize the mission. And though Jess yearns to share her heart with him, she struggles to trust he won’t betray her again.Can these friends become lovers and make it out alive to finally find happily ever after?WILD is the first book in the pulse-pounding Deep 8 romantic suspense series. If you like steamy scenes, action-packed plots, and love rising above violence, then you’ll adore Kenzie Macallan’s scintillating tale.Add WILD to you TBR list and go on an international adventure!

Up Close and Dangerous


Linda Howard - 2007
    A year later, while flying from Seattle to Denver in a small plane, Bailey nearly dies herself when the engine sputters --- and then fails.Cam Justice, her sexy Texan pilot, manages to crash-land the aircraft. Stranded in the wilderness, and struggling to douse her feelings for the ruggedly handsome man by her side, Bailey begins to wonder whether this was a mere accident. Who tampered with their plane? Who's trying to reunite Bailey and her husband in the afterlife? Cut off from the world, and with little hope of rescue, Bailey must trust her life --- and heart --- to Cam, as they battle the harsh elements to find a way out of the unforgiving wilds and back to civilization ... where a killer may be waiting to finish the job.

The Amber Keeper


Freda Lightfoot - 2014
    Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken to hear that they blame her for the tragedy.Determined to uncover her mother’s past, Abbie approaches her beloved grandmother, Millie, in search of answers. As the old woman recounts her own past, Abbie is transported back to the grandeur of the Russian Empire in 1911 with tales of her grandmother’s life as a governess and the revolution that exploded around her.As Abbie struggles to reconcile with her family, and to support herself and her child, she realizes that those long-ago events created aftershocks that threaten to upset the fragile peace she longs to create.

Tainted Evidence


Robert Daley - 1993
    Now, the former deputy NYPD commissioner, "New York Times" correspondant, and acclaimed author of "Prince of the City" and "A Faint Cold Fear" presents his boldest novel ever. "Tainted Evidence" focuses on New York Assistant DA Karen Henning, a woman about to find her ambitions at war with her principles and her loyalties torn by her passions. When a desperate, drug-dealing murder suspect guns down five cops in a Harlem police raid gone wrong, the city's long-simmering racial unrest explodes in uncontrollable turmoil, both in the courtroom and on the street. Caught in the middle, Henning is tempted to break her own personal taboo. She falls in love with her star witness - and the storm it unleashes can shatter her life, and even the system she has tried so hard to defend.

Messenger


Scott Medbury - 2015
    His name was Death and Hell was following close behind...Book zero of the America Falls series is an action-packed novella that tells the story of a mysterious traveler with a hook hand who travels the post-apocalyptic eastern states of America spreading a message of hope about 'The Cities' and the budding rebirth of the United States.It isn't always smooth travelling at the end of the world though, and when he stumbles across a gang of cannibals out for the blood of the innocent, he must decide whether to interrupt his mission and risk death at the hands of psychopaths to help someone in need.

Come Home


Lisa Scottoline - 2012
    She is about to remarry, her job as a pediatrician fulfills her---though it is stressful---and her daughter, Megan, is a happily over-scheduled thirteen-year-old juggling homework and the swim team.But Jill’s life is turned upside down when her ex-stepdaughter, Abby, shows up on her doorstep late one night and delivers shocking news: Jill’s ex-husband is dead. Abby insists that he was murdered and pleads with Jill to help find his killer. Jill reluctantly agrees to make a few inquiries and discovers that things don’t add up. As she digs deeper, her actions threaten to rip apart her new family, destroy their hard-earned happiness, and even endanger her own life. Yet Jill can’t turn her back on a child she loves and once called her own.

Grave Peril


Mary Alford - 2018
    But when she arrives in her hometown, her uncle has vanished—and someone wants her dead. Jamie’s ex-boyfriend, CIA agent Gavin Dalton, is the only person she trusts…even if he believes her dad killed his father. But can he help her uncover a deadly conspiracy that goes deeper than anyone expected?

Cold River


Liz Adair - 2011
    She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. With the river rising and death a real possibility, will she find a reason to stay and chance the odds? Part romance, part cozy mystery, part thriller, Cold River, like many of Liz Adair’s books, is a novel about family ties and second chances. From The Deseret News: "Cold River" is a light read, with emphasis on romantic entanglements and small-town politics…Readers expecting a complex thriller or a dark suspense book may be disappointed with "Cold River," but those looking for light afternoon entertainment will enjoy it. The content is family friendly, with no sexual issues beyond a few kisses and a frank discussion about reasons not to let physical intimacy progress. While there is danger and some potentially violent situations, these are neither graphic nor overly threatening. The family relationships are well done. Especially entertaining is the sibling banter between Mandy and her young sister, who joins her in the backwoods and also falls in love ... not with a boy, but with bluegrass. From Alice Wills Gold’s blog: I’m so Funny (Sometimes): Sometimes I wonder where my brain is. It wasn't until I sat down to write this review that I realized how the title Cold River reflects the subject of the book. I swear I am blonde sometimes. The gist of the story-line in Cold River is a gutsy gal takes a job as a superintendent of schools in the small town in the upper mid-west of the US. She has never lived in such a small town and so when she ends up renting a house right on the river, the river and its surrounding landscapes are a comfort to her as she acclimates to the small town life. The river also has significance in one of the main plots, but I hate to give away spoilers in the reviews I write, so you will just have to read the book yourself. I fell in love with the male co-leads, if that's what we can call them. There are three cousins that are completely different yet equally hunky and mysterious. Once the story got going it was fast paced and intriguing and the suspense and romance only grew my interest up until the very end. I loved how the relationships all twist and intervene with one another; the mere idea is so consistent with small town living, especially because everyone is related in one way or another. I didn't guess the villain of the story until they were revealed and that is not easy for an author to do...I always guess what's going on, so I appreciated the surprise. It was a great surprise and I love when an author can get me shaking my head at myself for not guessing what was really going on in the story-line. I am personally connected to the three subplots of music in schools, literacy, and gaining emotional maturity and I agreed with the viewpoint of the author on them all and enjoyed how Adair wove them into the greater story. The end of the story was magnificent. I have a real hard time giving a book a good review if I don't think the end was spectacular. It has to be not only spectacular but real to life and feel-good. I know that limits me, but I don't think I am going to change now, so all you authors out there, write good endings.

A Dream of Ashes


Orlando A. Sanchez - 2016
     A Rogue Mystic.A Ruthless Killer. A Dark Secret. Ava James is a fire mystic with the Mystic Investigative Division. As a branch of the Enclave, a worldwide mystic organization, the MID is feared, respected and reviled. When the half-charred body of a Mystic is found, the Enclave sends her to investigate the strange death. Ava finds that all the clues point to the killer being a fire mystic, one of her own. Accused by the Enclave of working with the killer she must solve the case before a secret buried in her past is revealed and destroys her world. Can she save herself? Will she find the murderer? If you like hardcore, fast-moving action, complex mystical powers and an unstoppable heroine, then you’ll love Orlando A. Sanchez’ thrilling new series: Chronicles of the Modern Mystics. Buy A Dream of Ashes and join Ava on her adventure today!