Book picks similar to
Calculated Extortion by K.T. Lee


mystery
contemporary
y-u-illinois
g-f-era-contemporary

Beyond Secrets: The Art of Murder


D.B. Jones - 2015
    But little does she know the trail is leading her into the depths of someone’s dark obsession…and murder. The leads are mounting as fast as the body count, and the closer Madison gets to the truth, the more her own life is in danger.

Bone Set


Bette Golden Lamb - 2016
    Compassionate to most, downright lethal to those who would harm her patients. This is an action-packed, shocking, take-no-prisoners series about the dark rough and tumble side of the medical profession and its adjuncts. Fans of hard-boiled medical thrillers will eat it up ... as will lovers of strong women sleuths, hospital mysteries, and all medical fiction, especially fans of Tess Gerritsen, Carolyn McCray, Eileen Dreyer, Lisa Genova, and Robin Cook. BONE DRY (#1) Carl Chapman, a young man with an excellent prognosis, dies--and Gina knows he shouldn't have. Another patient’s acting weird and desperate; a third, a teen-ager, has actually run away. Gina soon learns Carl’s cancer treatment had gone missing, in fact finds out her patients are being subjected to a form of blackmail so diabolical Hanibal Lecter could have dreamed it up. … a medical thriller "not for the squeamish."-Publishers Weekly, SIN AND BONE (#2) "Help me quit killing redheads." That’s the plea RN Gina Mazzio hears when she gets an anonymous call the night before her wedding. The cops say it’s a crank call. Her fiancé says she’s altar-shy. Her fellow workers call her “silly”. But Gina’s got a bad feeling… And then it turns out two of her fellow nurses at San Francisco’s Ridgewood Hospital are missing. Instead of a honeymoon, she’s plunged into the dark world of the black market trade in human body parts. Need we mention this is not medical suspense for the faint-hearted? BONE PIT (#3) Why does a hospital need bars on the windows? And why is the parking lot empty? As RNs Gina Mazzio and her fiancé Harry Lucke arrive for their new assignment as travel nurses, they suddenly have the chilling feeling of being about to enter a Stephen King novel—only in rural Nevada instead of Maine. This adventure’s supposed to be a respite from San Francisco, with its numbing memories of murder and kidnapping, but they seem to have signed up to work at a hospital with no windows on the first floor and barred windows on the second.

9th Circle


Carolyn McCray - 2012
     Overview: A madman terrorizes Seattle, attempting to recreate the nine circles of hell by using the blood and bodies of the innocent. Detective Robi Darcmel, a gifted yet troubled savant, is the only man standing in the path of this pathological killer. As the fate of the Emerald City hangs in the balance, can Darcmel overcome his failings or will Seattle burn to ash?

The Malvern Mystery


Helen Susan Swift - 2017
    After Lorna Buchanan returns from her trip to India, she looks forward to a quiet life as a teacher in St. Ann's College. Instead, she gets tangled in a mystery involving murder and ancient, druidic practices. After Lorna is sacked by the tyrannical head teacher, she is recruited to solve the murder of Mr. Findhorn, a railway conductor. Liaising with Police Sergeant Caswell, their search for the murderer takes them deep into the world of deception, greed and age-old rituals. But is there something supernatural behind the crimes, or are they driven by a completely different motive? Praise for THE MALVERN MYSTERY: "I truly appreciated the author's historical details... An interesting and entertaining novel." - Amazon customer "I sincerely hope that this could be the start of a series." - Amazon customer

The Abducted Omnibus


Roger Hayden - 2016
    The Snatcher is presumed at large. Miriam’s daughter, Ana, is missing. Their home is violated with only a note left behind. The Snatcher wants to play, and the games have only just begun. Miriam must now enter a nightmarish world where danger awaits her every move. The clock is ticking as the Snatcher continues his taunts, and with Ana’s life in the balance, Miriam will stop at nothing to save her from the clutches of evil. But that’s just the beginning of the exciting journey through the dark, frightening world of the criminal mind. Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.     The stakes have never been higher in the new mystery thriller by Roger Hayden, best-selling author of the enormously popular EMP series, “Grid Down,” and the action terrorist thriller, “Sleeper Cell.” With “Abduction,” Hayden delivers his most suspenseful outing yet in a series certain to have readers locking their doors at night.

Murder Rites: A Johnny Sundance Mystery


Ronald J. Yarosh - 2016
    He is stabbed twenty-seven times. The killer is still on the loose. The police have exhausted all leads. Johnny takes the case and immediately runs into problems. His star witness is dead. The best suspect turns out to be innocent. Time is running out. Will Johnny solve the case before his client meets his own death? Will the assassin strike again? Murder Rites is the first book in The Johnny Sundance Mystery Series.

Hunted


Alison Golden - 2015
    Lydia is a loving mother and wife, who wants nothing more than the best for her family. John is her husband. He is an over-protective homicide detective who loves his wife and teenage daughter with everything he has. Their daughter, Diana, is a genius, with an IQ level far higher than most. This is a family that adores one another. A family, however, that is torn apart by tragedy. When Lydia is found dead at her workplace, John loses the love of his life. His heart breaks for himself and his little girl as Diana spirals out of control. The authorities rule the death a suicide, but when events don’t start to add up, the family that is left behind begins to suspect something isn’t right. Interview with the Author of the Series Q - So, what makes the Diana Hunter series special? A - When I set out to write these books, I wanted to create something that mirrored exactly the kind of books I like to read. My top picks are always mystery novels, especially featuring female protagonists with attitude. Diana is badass and I can’t tell you how many readers tell me she reminds them of themselves. She makes you feel you can do anything! The Diana Hunter books are a great mix of genres. There is nothing graphic or gratuitous in these books. Your Aunt Martha could definitely read them. But they are not “roses around the cottage door” –type mysteries. They are more hard-boiled with some romantic tension, suspense and thriller action to keep things interesting! Overall, the Diana Hunter series is designed to keep you turning the pages - and I've made sure there's never a dull moment. Q - In what order should I read the books? A - The Diana Hunter mysteries can be read and enjoyed in any order, however, Hunted is a prequel to the other books in the series. Unlike the other books, it is not a complete mystery. It relates the events that create the backdrop to the series and fills in some of Diana’s personality and motivations. You don’t have to have read the prequel to make sense of the later books but it helps. I’ve made sure not to include any spoilers for those who are new to the characters and any existing fans of Diana’s adventures will still find plenty of fresh action and mystery as well as perhaps a few answers. All in all, there is something for everyone. The events in this prequel take place a few years before Snatched, the first book in the Diana Hunter series of mysteries. If you do want to read them in order, I'd suggest the following sequence: - Hunted (prequel) - Snatched - Stolen - Chopped Q - So, why should readers give these books a try? A - Because the Diana Hunter series is a fast, fun, thrill-ride that takes no prisoners! Our heroine is kicks butt but has a soft center. We want her to win out even when she’s making poor decisions and alienating those who can, and want, to help her. I think most women will see a little, or a lot, of themselves in Diana Hunter. Ultimately, readers who enjoy lightning-fast pacing with a plot that twists and turns all the way to the end will get a kick out of this series. Thanks for reading! Diana Hunter Book Categories: - Mystery Series - Crime Thrillers - Cozy Mysteries - Women Sleuths - Hard-Boiled Mysteries

Identity Crisis


Debbi Mack - 2004
    A simple domestic abuse case turns deadly when the alleged abuser is killed and Sam's client disappears. When a friend asks Sam to find Melanie Hayes, the Maryland attorney is drawn into a complex case of murder and identity theft that has her running from the Mob, breaking into a strip club and forming a shaky alliance with an offbeat private investigator to discover the truth about Melanie and her ex-boyfriend. With her career and life on the line, Sam's search takes her from the blue-collar Baltimore suburbs to the mansions of Gibson Island. Along the way, she learns that false identities can hide dark secrets, and those secrets can destroy lives.

Bailey's Law


Meg Lelvis - 2016
    But it doesn't take long for Jack to realize Todd should've thought twice about what he did to several girls he dated. Was his murder justified?Jack Bailey, small town hard-boiled detective, must solve the crime, but his own unrelenting demons rising from his struggle with PTSD and buried family secrets complicate his task. Daily work at the station affords Jack distraction from the inner turmoil that penetrates his nights. Darkness brings unwanted memories, nightmares, and the realization he needs to face what happened ten years ago.Through the searing Texas summer heat, Jack's team of detectives works hard interrogating witnesses in an effort to discover Todd Kaplan's true character. But it's patrol cop, Denise Williams, who rises above her calling to assist in questioning a crucial witness. Smart and sassy, she holds her own with Jack's moody temperament. All the while, a new romantic interest with a woman who is off limits proves problematic for Jack as he tries to make the right decision.Was this small town murder an act of justice or revenge? Only a parent who has tragically lost a child can hold the answer in their hearts. Jack understands. Only too well.

Lost Orphans Omnibus


J.S. Donovan - 2017
     It's Christmas, and there's been another murder. Rachel Harroway, a homicide detective gifted in the arts and communication with the dead, tracks a serial killer lurking in the shadows for the last twenty-five years. The closer Rachel gets to solving the mystery, the more the unforgiving Appalachian winter weather and supernatural energies push back, forcing Rachel to decide how far she'll go for a man society has forsaken.

Abduction


Tim Kizer - 2017
    The ransom--16 billion dollars.           On July 21, Jane Shepard's 8-year-old daughter and husband vanish from her car without a trace while she's shopping at a grocery store. Days later, she's shocked to learn that according to state records, her daughter and husband died in a motorcycle crash on July 17. The police believe that her family's abduction is just a figment of her imagination, but Jane knows it's not true.     When she becomes the prime suspect in a murder case, Jane is sure she's been framed by the people behind her family's kidnapping. As she searches for answers, she uncovers a conspiracy masterminded by a top U.S. government official hell-bent on becoming one of the world's richest people.     To save her family, Jane has to find a treasure worth billions of dollars buried somewhere in South America.    The problem is, she has no idea where to look.----------Mania, a bonus novel  Richard Brower has killed a dozen people. Now someone is trying to frame him for the murders committed by another serial killer.Serial killer Richard Brower buried his cheating wife, Mary, in the woods on Saturday.On Monday, Mary calls her brother's girlfriend.A few days later, she calls her mom.Then Mary bumps into her friend at a mall.Are all these people lying or has Mary actually come back from the dead?Richard has no idea, but he will get to the bottom of this. Or at least he'll try.

The Feminine Touch


V.J. Chambers - 2017
    for fans of Chelsea Cain and Alexandra Sokoloff Nash Steven Wilt’s true crime podcast targets unsolved crimes. That’s how he ends up trying to unravel the murder of a man who was found buried in the woods, surrounded by bodies of women who’ve gone missing over the years. Then Nash sees a picture of the dead man’s wife, and he recognizes her as Siobhan Thorn, someone he knew in high school. Well, no one knew Siobhan. He tried to know her. She toyed with him for her own amusement. Funny thing, too. In high school, a bunch of girls went missing and no one ever found out what happened to them. Dead women now, missing girls in the past, Siobhan Thorn. Nash finds it’s not a stretch to believe that Siobhan did all of it, even though he knows that’s not typical behavior for a female serial killer. But Siobhan always was different. And now, he’s got to track her down, not only because it’ll make a dynamite podcast, but because, deep down, he still wants to know her.

The Final Cut


Catherine Coulter - 2013
    Then the centerpiece of the exhibit, the infamous Koh-i-Noor Diamond, is stolen from the Queen Mother’s crown. Drummond, American-born but raised in the UK, is a dark, dangerous, fast-rising star in the Yard who never backs down. And this case is no exception.Special Agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich from Coulter’s bestselling FBI series don’t hesitate to help Drummond find the cunning international thief known as the Fox. Nonstop action and high stakes intensify as the chase gets deadly. The Fox will stop at nothing to deliver the Koh-i-Noor to the man who believes in its deadly prophecy.  Nicholas Drummond, along with his partner, FBI Special Agent Mike Caine, lay it on the line to retrieve the diamond for Queen and country.

The Teacher


Emily Organ - 2017
    Enjoy this read in thirty minutes. London 1881. A young teacher dies at a school just weeks after her sister. A tragic coincidence or something more sinister? Fleet Street reporter Penny Green is suspicious but nothing suggests the sisters have been murdered. The police are disinterested and the school wants to move on from the tragedy. How can Penny persuade someone to listen to her? Penny risks taking matters into her own hands. But the risk might be a step too far.

Under Construction


Summer Ellis - 2011
    Now she'll just have to stay alive long enough to choose between one really bad good guy and one really good bad guy… * Contains Adult Content