Book picks similar to
Simple Treasures by Alexa Bourne


genre_romantic-suspense
romantic-suspense
u_bodyguard-security
fiction

The Russell House


Donna Foley Mabry - 2016
    The young military widow leaves dozens of messages for her father but receives no response. Looking for a copy of her mother’s obituary, Roxie reads an article in the newspaper and discovers her entire life is a web of lies, secrets, and deceit. The story sends her off in search of the truth about the man she idolized. She drives to her father’s birthplace—Manhattan, Kansas—and moves into her grandmother’s huge, three-story, hundred-and-fifty-year-old house. It’s been vacant for decades, but Roxie begins to believe she’s not the only occupant. She doesn’t know if there’s an intruder or if the spirit of her grandmother is watching over her. In only a matter of days, someone has made several attempts on her life. She calls in her best friend, Janice Tallchief—retired on a disability from the Kansas City Police Department—to act as her bodyguard. Can Jan and Roxie unravel the mystery before the killer succeeds?

Chasing Kate


Kelly Byrne - 2012
    She’s single, alone in a new city, and facing rock bottom again. And she’s not exactly child-friendly, so when she finds a tiny stowaway, five-year-old Sadie Beck, in the back of her Jeep on Halloween night, she’s in no mood to play.Then her world gets weird.Against her will, Kate begins to feel a surprising connection with the odd little girl. And when she realizes Sadie may be in real trouble, she vows to protect her at any cost.On their frantic journey across several state lines Kate rips through a complex landscape of moral choices her prior transgressions have left her woefully unprepared to handle. She begins, very seriously, to wonder who’s saving whom.When they exhaust all other options, Kate’s forced to go to the one place she swore she never would again, and to make the most difficult decision of her life.At once hilarious and heartbreaking, Chasing Kate is a raucous voyage of self-transformation, fueled by an unconventional love story, wending down the twisty road to redemption.

The Shivering Sands & The Secret Woman


Victoria Holt - 1983
    There, she finds herself caught up in the drama of that ancient house and the unusual members of the Stacy family. When Caroline Verlaine's sister, the archaeologist Roma, disappears, Caroline is forced down to Lovat Stacy in an attempt to discover what has happened. She finds herself caught up in the drama of the ancient house and with the unusual members of the Stacy family. But it is Napier Stacy, recently returned from years of banishment for apparently killing his brother, who she is especially drawn to. Napier is haunted by the tragedy, and Caroline becomes determined that he should put his past behind him and not allow, what she insists was an accident, to cloud his life for ever. At the same time, she becomes equally determined to solve the mystery of her own sister's disappearance. Why has Roma vanished? Was it an accident or has she been murdered? As the tension mounts Caroline soon realizes that this quest to uncover the truth is a dangerous one and is marking her out as the next victim. /////// 2) The Secret Woman (1970) - To all appearances, Anna Brett was a quiet, capable young woman whose only ambition was to carry on the profitable antiques business bequeathed her by a spinster aunt. And so she was - until the memory of a cherished moment with a blue-eyed stranger suddenly returned to haunt her with savage intensity. It was then Anna discovered the secret woman who waited within her - impetuous, daring . . . and dangerous.

The Law of the Sea : A Legal Thriller


Dave Gerard - 2021
    The rarest of these are worth colossal fortunes, and can make their finders fabulously wealthy in the blink of an eye.Against this backdrop, young Houston lawyer Jack Carver meets his newest client, Ashley Marcum. She is looking for help after the mysterious death of her brother, who died while working for a giant oil company. Jack and Ashley’s only clue about his death is a set of unidentified gold coins, of indeterminate age and value.As Jack and Ashley scramble to discover how her brother died and uncover the origin of the coins, the oil company sends their powerful lawyers to stop them. Jack and Ashley soon find themselves caught up in a legal battle to uncover the truth—a battle they are ill-equipped to win.As the saga unfolds, Jack and Ashley soon discover that the coins belong to an ancient shipwreck—perhaps one of the greatest of all time. As the oil company tries to subvert legal process and shut them out, Jack and Ashley are forced to fight a case that begins in Texas but soon spreads across the globe.Amidst twists, turns, and roadblocks, Jack and Ashley must race through a history shrouded in secrets, spurred on by a case that ignites a firestorm around the world.

Eddy Nugent And The Map Of Africa


Eddy Nugent - 2009
    

A Family Secret


Libby Ashworth - 2021
    Meanwhile, her older sister Peggy works as an apprentice at the Girls' School, hoping for a more prosperous future as a schoolteacher.Jennet and Titus Eastwood have always made decisions for their daughters' futures. But as the sisters near adulthood they are determined to make their own choices. And with temptation in the way, will the girls find love - or infatuation - leads them astray?Then an unexpected but familiar face arrives in town, and the family's future is threatened. For Bessie and Jennet, a difficult choice must be made - love or family . . .

Last Resort on the Coast


Sage Parker - 2021
    You have to come home. I can’t run this place on my own.”From Amazon #1 Best Selling Author...Sarah Edwards is living her dream as a highly acclaimed marine biologist, settled in a beautiful downtown apartment with nothing but a bright future ahead...That is, until she receives a phone call that changes everything.Her mother’s untimely death not only leaves her devastated - it leaves her with so many unanswered questions and responsibilities she’s not ready to take on. As an only child, she finds herself at the helm of a high-scale resort on the coast of California.Now she's faced with a life-altering decision. To sell the resort her mother dedicated her entire life to, or move back to California to run the resort - leaving behind the dream life she's worked so hard to build.While traveling across the country to comfort her grandmother, Sarah meets a charming stranger and offers him a complimentary stay at the resort in exchange for a lighthearted distraction.But when Sarah stumbles upon a letter written just weeks before the accident - her mother's final words leave her no choice but to continue on with the search in her place…Embark on this adventure filled with mystery, diversions, and unsettling details that might just be the answer to Sarah's biggest questions.This is Book 1 of 6 in the Search for Truth series.

JP Investigations


Lola Silverman - 2017
    5 books and NO cliffies! Book 1: Micah Lexi is everything a man like me should steer clear of. Mostly, that means she’s too good for someone like me. But when I realize that her brother is missing because of something that happened in my club, there’s really nothing for me to do but help her out. Something isn’t right around here and I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been a little blind to some stuff that was right under my nose. Lexi has woken me up in so many ways and I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same again. Book 2: Aaron I’m in Boston for one reason, to chase down a lead on my boss’s missing son. Joshua is the owner and CEO of Joshua Pettit Investigations and he tells me where to go and when. But it’s always up to me to find the best way to crack a case wide open. Of course this is the first time that my main informant in any case turned out to be a prostitute. For the moment she and I have mutual goals. But the more time I spend with Johanna, the more time I realize that there’s a lot more to her than anyone has ever given her credit for. Book 3: Zandry Coming to Denver in search of some runaway teens that might or might not be my boss’s kid is about the vaguest assignment I’ve ever had. Now I’m following runaway teens all over town and watching them pull off panhandling schemes that would make an experience thief green with envy. Something isn’t quite adding up here and it has nothing to do with the carnies coming to town. Of course hanging out with pickpockets occasionally means you get accused of doing the deed yourself. Fortunately for me there is a super hot cop that doesn’t mind coming to my rescue. Book 4: Liam Finding the bodies of dead runaway in a hole in the desert isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen, but it does come close. These kids are young and their lives had promise. But now I’m here in Albuquerque to see if my boss’s kid might be one of the unfortunates. I’m hoping not because the CEO of JPI is not the type of man who will take the murder of his son lightly. Fortunately for me I’ve happened onto a woman who is up to her ears in the business of runaway teens and also happens to look like an exotic angel come to take my poor Irish butt to heaven. Book 5: Joshua Beth is probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Of course that probably makes me an idiot for constantly telling her that we can’t be a couple. The problem is that I shouldn’t be sleeping with employees. And of course my kid ran away and I’ve been tapping all of my resources trying to find him. Now I’m in New Orleans with Beth following one last lead. Of course this also happens to bring my ex wife out to help. Between her theatrics, a sarcastic local cop, and a voodoo priestess who can’t keep her nose out of other people’s business, all I can hope for is a happy ending that doesn’t end with a permanent stay in one of the Big Easy’s famous crypts.

My Best Friend's Man 2


P. Dotson - 2015
    However, that doesn’t last long. With Brian’s constant demands for more than what she is willing to give, Savannah finds herself in a familiar place of loneliness. Finally, she calls it quits, but Brian isn’t willing to say it’s over unless it’s on his terms. Roxie’s dislike for Brian grows even stronger once she gets a hold of some confidential information. She’s determined more than ever to destroy her best friend’s man. Get ready for round two of this gritty tale of obsession in, My Bestfriend's Man 2.

The Little Ice Cream Shop By The Sea


Lizzie Chantree - 2021
    Their seafront business is failing with the loss of Genie’s grandmother and her legendary ice cream flavours. Genie is determined to be the one to save her family’s heritage, but suddenly her mother wants to sell to developers and leave their shared history behind.Buying the business and taking on a sixty-eight year old business partner, Ada, with a mysterious past and a gorgeous but distracting grandson, Genie sets out to prove her parents wrong.Ada’s grandson, Cal, wants to protect his gran from ‘pensioner persuader’, Genie, but soon realises that living in a little seaside town and away from the paparazzi in Hollywood can actually give him time to heal. Hiding in a seafront business with its fiery owner and working as kitchen staff, is the only way he can think of to keep his ex-Hollywood glamour-puss, gran from harm. But his meddling might also ruin Ada's second chance at love. Hiring a private detective and learning about Genie’s parent’s past makes Cal regret his own impulsiveness. The information he has unearthed could destroy their blossoming romance and turn Genie’s world upside down.Genie soon discovers that friends can become enemies and your closest family can have lied to you for your whole life.

Return to Sarah's Valley: Sequel to Sarah's Valley


Sharon Mierke - 2017
     In Sarah's Valley, Patrick Smithson meets Frank Lawdry. Frank, who prefers his Abenaki name, Winnipesaukee, spends the night recalling his life story. He and his sister, Sarah, were left orphans when everyone on a wagon train died in a horrific tragedy. It was their story of survival. Return to Sarah's Valley continues where Sarah's Valley leaves off. Now an old man in his nineties, Patrick meets Michael Lawdry, one of Winnipesaukee's descendants, and tells him how two Lawdry men influenced his life. This is a story of life during the Great Depression, struggles and heartache, but also the deep love that a man has for one woman.

Slanted


H.L. Wegley - 2019
    When she finds an orphaned girl, Sam, hidden in some bushes along the Rogue River, in an instant, a bond is formed. AJ quickly learns that Sam's and her guardian's lives are in danger from a team of hired killers. But AJ commits to helping eight-year-old Sam. A competitive athlete, AJ Scott isn't one to quit, give up, or do anything halfway, not even when she and Sam end up in a road race with killers in pursuit.When Hunter Jones's cousin dies, he becomes eight-year-old Samantha Wilson's guardian and sets aside any pursuit of personal happiness. Sam becomes his lot in life, and he loves her dearly. But Hunter, a big data analyst, will soon release a research report proving that the largest Internet search engine in the world is being used by its owners to influence American political thought with the intent of controlling elections. He hints at his findings in a radio interview and the news goes viral. Within hours, a team of hired killers attacks Hunter and Sam, intending to eliminate them and steal his research findings. Hunter hides Sam and eludes the killers. But when he returns, Sam is gone. Enraged, Hunter Jones will storm the gates of Hades to get her back, and whoever took her will pay a steep price.Set in Southern Oregon, Seattle, Washington DC, and Eastern Oregon, near Paulina Lake, Slanted is a gritty, high-action, romantic suspense adventure about commitment, sacrifice, love and faith.

Mistaken Identity


Stephanie Nicole Norris - 2016
    For Tiana, life is one challenge after another, but her greatest struggle is sharing a face with the sister she despises. Tired of living in the shadows, she comes up with a plan to finally have everything she ever wanted. Everything seems to come easy for Briana, including her beautiful children, loving husband and dynamic career. Briana's charmed life is ripped apart when she wakes up in the hospital with no idea who she is and no memory of her former life. With the help of the handsome stranger who saved her, Briana builds a new life and finds new love, while Tiana won't rest until Briana has no life at all.

In Search of Vindication


Ethan Westfield - 2020
    Deputy Marshal in Kansas for a great deal of his life. As soon as his brother Tommy stops answering his letters, he gets extremely alarmed and decides to take matters into his own hands. When he puts a plan in place to travel to Texas, little does he know that a shattering surprise awaits him there; his brother has been found dead, next to the body of one of the most powerful ranchers in town. Will Lee manage to unravel the truth behind these enigmatic and shocking deaths?While Lee is still aghast, the local sheriff declares Tommy's death a suicide, and also accuses him of attempting robbery and murder. On the spur of the moment, the case is considered closed, which makes Lee highly suspicious. Feeling that they drag Tommy's name through the mud, he decides to defy the law and seek vindication. Will he succeed in this lonesome yet risky mission? How will he solve this demanding riddle and clear his brother's name?Lee's hazardous quest begins, having Susan Marsh and Ki'Somma, a young Cherokee medicine man, on his side. Doubts, lies, deceits, serious injuries as well as many other roadblocks will derange their endless undertaking. Will they manage to join forces triumphantly and complete this challenging mission? Or will Tommy always be remembered as a ruthless criminal?

The Crocketts': Western Saga Two


Robert Vaughan - 2020