Book picks similar to
Saturday's Gift by A.E. Howe


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Way Down There


P.J. Fernor - 2020
    Now her sister is dead - a tragic hit and run accident - and Allie leaves her busy city life to come back to her hometown to raise her teenage niece. She's now in the role as mother instead of the 'cool, fun' aunt. Her niece is grieving the death of her mother and Allie has more questions than answers about what really happened the night Alex was killed. Sandemor is a sleepy town. A place not many would know or remember. Compared to the city detective life, Allie isn't sure how she's going to make this work. Trying to track down a missing cat isn't exactly what she signed up for. Then comes the day two frantic - and newly divorced - parents show up to the police station. Pointing the finger at each other, claiming the other forgot to pick up their daughter from dance class two nights ago. All Allie hears is that a little girl has been missing for about forty-eight hours. If that's not bad enough, both parents end up getting caught in lies as to what they were doing the night their daughter went missing. Allie is thrust into the disappearance case, but she's not alone. She didn't know Ben Welloski became a detective. Last time she saw him, he was working in his father's garage. The secret sparks between them are still there, but the focus has to be on finding young Jessie. Clues lead Allie to another kidnapping case in a different town. The lead detective is an arrogant jerk, and the man accused of the kidnapping swears he's innocent. Without enough evidence to make an arrest, Allie wonders if the man has struck again. Just as she begins to piece things together, a call comes in that a body has been found nearby. When Allie arrives and sees who it is, she suddenly feels like she's back in the big city again. Only here in her small town, any young child could be the next victim if she doesn't act fast enough.

Eve Lloyd's A Deadline Cozy Mystery


Sonia Parin - 2017
    Paying her aunt, Mira Lloyd, a.k.a. Elizabeth Lloyd, renowned historical romance author, a long overdue visit, she plans on spending a month on Rock-Maine Island lounging around and plotting the launch of her new life. Her ex-husband, however, has other ideas. As for her aunt… she’s gone missing. And now there’s a dead body to contend with and a murder weapon with her fingerprints on it. A mantle of suspicion hangs over Eve and everyone she encounters has a reason to want her out of the way. Unwilling to leave matters in the hands of swoon worthy Detective Jack Bradford… only because it’s her civic duty to provide a new perspective, Eve Lloyd engages the assistance of her new friend and fellow suspect, Jill Saunders. They both stumble their way through a long list of possible motives and suspects in a race to find the killer before either one turns into the next victim. Snuffed Out Eve Lloyd, a death knell? Eve refuses to believe her choice of words had something to do with inviting a killer to the island, but just to be on the safe side, she agrees to avoid all use of any and all words related to killing. However, it might already be too late… Her run in with a local artist, Reginald Bryant Burns, has put her in an awkward position. Trying to make amends, Eve resorts to bribery, but that only makes matters worse and now…She’s a prime suspect in a murder investigation. The timing couldn’t be worse. She has a date with Detective Jack Bradford and the killer is threatening to ruin it for her. All Tied Up It’s no accident. Eve Lloyd is a magnet for trouble. On the brink of settling into an uneventful existence, Eve Lloyd turns her attention to a new venture. She’s going to open an inn and she thinks she’s found the perfect house. It should all be smooth sailing from there, but she’s developed a knack for landing right in the thick of it. This time, she stumbles on a body in the least likely place and her fingerprints are all over the handcuffs found on the murder victim. As the suspects list grows, and the dream of running an inn evaporates, she becomes a target of the killer’s rage.Despite trying to keep her nose out of other people’s business, it seems the only way she can get her life back on track is if she sets a trap for the killer. The Last Bite Eve Lloyd’s childhood nemesis, Charlotte McLain, is getting married. Nothing will induce Eve to attend. Nothing except… blackmail.From the start, everything about this wedding rings alarm bells for Eve. The location, the groom, the guests. The bride. But that’s nothing unusual. The odds of everything going right are stacked in the bride’s favor. There have already been several deaths on the island. Lighting surely wouldn’t strike again…When the groom suddenly dies, all fingers of blame are pointed directly at Eve. After all, she had opportunity and plenty of motives.She’s been framed and despite trying to keep her nose out of trouble, she’s now been dragged right back into the thick of it. The list of suspects is extensive, but she’s sure she can narrow it down to… at least a half dozen people. The Final Cut “…What sort of business person would I be if I start killing off my guests?” Eve Lloyd has settled into her new life in Rock-Maine Island and is about to open up an inn - a costly venture now that she has her heart set on getting an expensive custom made stove.

Paper Girls


Alex Smith - 2019
     Haunted by his inability to track down and save his missing wife, DCI Robert Kett leaves the Metropolitan Police behind and moves to Norwich with his three young children, hoping to heal their broken family. But his newfound peace doesn’t last. Two newspaper delivery girls have gone missing in the city, and the clues point to a serial kidnapper. Kett is dragged into the centre of one of the darkest cases of his career — a case that pits him head to head against a horrifying evil. And a case that might uncover the terrible truth of what happened to his wife.

Death of a Lady


R.A. Bentley - 2016
    Set in the 1920s, it’s the first of a series of traditional murder mysteries featuring the amiable Detective Inspector Miles Felix of Scotland Yard and his shrewd but prickly assistant, Sergeant ‘Teddy’ Rattigan. It’s the spring of 1926. Following a macabre discovery, the Inspector investigates a fading aristocratic family where everyone seems to have a secret, even the servants.

Two-Faced: A Suspense Mystery


L. Selfman - 2014
    But things aren't exactly what they seem and her life soon spins out of control as she's sucked into a web of lies, betrayal and murder.

One Final Breath


C.R. Chandler - 2020
    . . and then they dieDeep inside a national forest, Special Agent Ricki James stands in the middle of a killing field that was never meant to be found. The victims are all naked, with no identification and no clues other than a single bullet hole in their skulls. With the carnage laying all around her, Ricki only knows two things for sure: they were all murdered execution-style, and a killer who goes to this extreme to hide his work, isn’t finished yet.Teaming up with the new, local police chief, she starts a dangerous hunt for a serial killer who moves like smoke through the forest and hides in plain sight within a crowd. The only common link between the victims that Ricki uncovers is one she shares with them herself. When she finds the blood-soaked remains of the latest murder, the body isn’t even cold before another person vanishes in broad daylight. But this time the killer struck close to home in a direct, taunting challenge for Ricki to follow him if she can.Now it’s no longer a game of cat and mouse, but a race against time. A race she must win, or someone she loves will die.If you like Melinda Leigh, Mary Barton, and AJ Rivers, it’s time you met Special Agent Ricki James!

David Wolf: Books 1-4


Jeff Carson - 2017
     FOREIGN DECEIT Sergeant David Wolf of the Sluice County SD headquartered in the ski resort town of Rocky Points, Colorado, receives word that his brother has committed suicide in the Alps of Italy. Devastation and resentment over his only sibling's selfish act quickly gives way to a nagging suspicion that he isn't getting the whole truth. Conviction alone is enough to pull Wolf from pressing events in his Colorado Rockies home town to the entirely foreign land of Northern Italy, and into a deadlier situation than he could have imagined. With the help of a beautiful officer of the Carabinieri, Wolf must piece together the mystery of his brother's last fateful night without ruffling too many feathers, or paying the ultimate price. THE SILVERSMITH Deputy Sergeant David Wolf has been waiting sixteen years for today's opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his late father and become Sheriff of the Sluice County SD, headquartered in the small ski resort town of Rocky Points, Colorado. What he's offered, however, isn't quite what he's expecting. And for Wolf, refusing turns out to be harder, and much deadlier, than he could have anticipated. When a rich and powerful enemy corrupts the SCSD from within, Wolf becomes hunted by his own department, along with a special forces killing machine whose psychotic lust for blood is never denied. In this action-packed, suspense filled adventure -- the second installment in the David Wolf series -- Wolf must draw on all his skills in the high Rocky Mountain forest and solve a disturbing mystery involving an item from his past if he wants to live to see another day. ALIVE AND KILLINGJust for a day, Colorado Sheriff David Wolf trades slogging through murky meltwaters and even murkier small-town politics for an overnight camping trip in the wilderness with his son. But when a man with fresh burns turns up on their trail, falling from the heavy load in his backpack and running wild from something, Wolf suspects his father-son camping trip may have just taken a turn for the worse. Unfortunately his instincts are spot on, and Wolf is forced into action with the last person he wants by his side in a deadly battle — his only son. In this stomach-dropping, action and suspense packed third installment of the David Wolf Mystery Thriller series, Wolf partners with a beautiful FBI agent to bust an inter-continental conspiracy threatening anyone who has the bad enough luck to stumble on it. DEADLY CONDITIONS The small town of Rocky Points, Colorado has just been hit with an epic snowstorm. When the snow removal process uncovers a dead body -- a young woman brutally murdered and clearly marked with some sort of cryptic message -- Sheriff David Wolf and his deputies are left scrambling to find a killer before he strikes again.

Ava James and the Ivy Grove


A.J. Rivers - 2021
    FBI Agent Ava James had a difficult entrance into the FBI.After shadowing famed agent Emma Griffin inside the disturbing underbelly of Windsor Island. Ava James is now ready to carve out her own path in the agency.But before she dives into the case awaiting her in Harlan, she receives an invitation to attend a special gala weekend.A gala honoring her aunt who has devoted her life to charity.Although still recovering from the shocking aftermath of the last island she attended.Ava does her best to put her best foot forward for the sake of her aunt.When a strange suicide mars the special event, it’s Ava that starts questioning what she sees. As the secrets of the Foundation start to bubble to the surface, Ava faces the realization that she may be more than just an invited guest.Truth, lies, and consequences.The only way off this island may be death...

Beneath the Book Tower


Steve Hamilton - 2011
     Before the tragic event that made him seek refuge in a remote corner of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Alex McKnight was a Detroit police officer.  It’s a warm summer night, and Alex is out riding the night shift with his partner Franklin.  There’s no shortage of trouble to be found on the dark streets of Motown.  But on this particular night, Franklin has his own agenda.

Gateway Investigations: 5-Books Private Security Series


Clara Kendrick - 2017
    Lots of suspense, mystery, and romance. No cliffhangers! Altering the Ego My boss told me to hire a psychiatrist to do an evaluation on a client. It should have been a simple thing. We were an investigative firm. Our client is most definitely not a serial killer. My task? Hire a shrink. Get her to agree that the client isn’t a psychopath. Boom. Except the boom wasn’t my task getting checked off my list. It was more like my life exploding into a million pieces because nothing is simple when it comes to Dr. Harley Seward. The woman is mental health dynamite and when I’m around her there is no shrinking going on. Cat’s Claw The world is full of a whole lot of sickos. That’s no real surprise. Since I’m a private investigator by trade, I might be biased. But right now I’m looking at a whole string of bodies and a justice system that wants to put the wrong man in jail. So pardon me if I’m not real impressed with the local detectives right now. And double pardon me if I have orders from my boss to get in their way and make myself a regular nuisance while I try to get these guys to do their job. Not that it’s a hardship since the guy I’m following around happens to be the best looking guy in the department. Of course he’s also a big of an odd duck. He seems to be immune to my charm and that is what I call a challenge. Judge Not Someone is threatening to kill my mother. Of course it’s not that I’ve never felt like the woman needed a few good threats, but I’m her daughter. That’s sort of my right. See my mother is a judge and someone really wants to sway her opinion on a case she’s currently presiding over. So what better way to do that than to threaten her family? Of course if the idiots knew her at all they’d focus on my sister. She’s the favorite. But me? I’m the tough one. My mother might be willing to turn down a little help from an outside private investigations company, but I’m not. If a super hot investigator named Zeke wants to help me find out who’s threatening my family. I’m all in. No matter what it takes. Bending the Rules I am sick to death of my job as a private investigator and ready for a change. Is there a man out there who doesn’t cheat, lie, or completely wimp out when the chips are down? If there is, I can’t find him, and that absolutely includes the parade of MMA fighters I’ve been dating recently. Of course my search for Mr. Nonexistent will have to wait until after I deal with the joker that my boss has ordered me to work with on his current pet project. Not only does he live upstairs, but he’s also a lawyer. The fact that he sort of fascinates me is irrelevant. Really. If my boss’s daughter wasn’t such a good friend, I think I would have walked away. When it All Falls Down Letting my wife divorce me was probably the stupidest thing I ever did. I would never say that out loud though and I’ll deny it if anyone asks. Colleen is an amazing woman. I just wish she would stay out of the way and let me use every resource at my fingertips to find our daughter. Does the woman not understand that the city is a powder keg and we’re running around out there with matches? I know what to do. I know where to look. I’ve got a crack team of investigators and I’ve assembled all of the specialists I could ever want. In the end though, it’s going to take both of us to find our little girl.

Raven Lane


Amber Cowie - 2019
    After vindicating eyewitness accounts morph into contradictory memories, suspicion, and unaccountable accusations, Benedict is arrested. Esme’s life, too, is changed forever.As the neighborhood largely turns against her and her family, Esme has time to think about her past and what to do next. Then her fellow residents start looking deeper, questioning one another, and themselves, about hidden lies and betrayals.Esme has more than her share of secrets. And the consequences of what happened on that fateful late-summer evening on Raven Lane are far from over. When the mask of civility slips, can friends and neighbors recover from seeing the monstrous truths beneath?

The Bomb Shelter (David Mapstone Mysteries Book 9)


Jon Talton - 2018
    Forty years ago, a Phoenix reporter was killed by a car bomb in one of America's most notorious crimes. Three men went to prison - but was there more to the story of Charles Page's assassination? More than three low-level players? Did a kingpin order the hit and get away with it? And what was the real motive? Despite the work of teams of journalists and law and legal professionals, no one yet knows why. It's a case custom-made for David Mapstone, the historian-turned-sheriff's deputy. And suddenly Mapstone's boss, newly re-elected Sheriff Mike Peralta, promises to reopen the investigation into the only murder of an American journalist, in the US, in modern times. Why? The promise triggers new murders. The crimes are reenactments of Phoenix's mob-riddled past, where gangsters rubbed elbows with the city's elite amid crosscurrents of corrupt cops, political payoffs, gambling, prostitution, and murder, all shielded by the sunshine image of a resort city. But who is committing them? A former soldier who is an explosives expert and deadly with a knife? A woman with screen-siren looks and extraordinary computer skills? Or someone out of Phoenix's seamy, swinging Seventies with secrets to keep, even though the major power brokers are dead? Mapstone will need all the help he can get. He enlists a PhD candidate and Black Lives Matter activist to help him comb through sealed archives of the original bombing. Mapstone's wife, Lindsey, a top hacker, rejoins the Sheriff's Office and plays a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the perp or perps - one that goes from the digital to the real and risky world. Somewhere in the house of mirrors surrounding the Page case they must find the key that connects the past to the present. In this swiftly paced, compelling new novel by journalist Jon Talton, the ninth in the David Mapstone series, a big city is trying to keep its darkest history off-limits.

The Irish Detective: A DCI Brendan Moran Omnibus


Scott Hunter - 2015
    Is there a connection? Returning to work after a short convalescence, DCI Brendan Moran's suspicions are aroused when a senior officer insists on freezing Moran out and handling the investigation himself.Death Walks Behind YouDCI Brendan Moran's last minute break in the West Country proves anything but restful as he becomes embroiled in the mysterious disappearance of an American tourist.   DCI Brendan Moran series eBook categories   Mystery Series Crime Thrillers Thrillers and Mysteries Best Sellers Thrillers 100 Must Reads Thriller Detective Series

In The Shadow Of The Hill


Helen Forbes - 2014
     Detective Sergeant Joe Galbraith starts what seems like one more depressing investigation of the untimely death of a poor unfortunate who was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. As the investigation spreads across Scotland it reaches into a past that Joe has tried to forget, and takes him back to the Hebridean island of Harris, where he spent his childhood. Among the mountains and the stunning landscape of religiously conservative Harris, in the shadow of Ceapabhal, long buried events and a tragic story are slowly uncovered, and the investigation takes on an altogether more sinister aspect. In The Shadow Of The Hill skilfully captures the intricacies and malevolence of the underbelly of Highland and Island life, bringing tragedy and vengeance to the magical beauty of the Outer Hebrides.

Lawfully Charmed


Kate Cambridge - 2018
    He doesn’t have the time or interest, but her father’s influence reaches far and wide. He has no choice.Claire is a strong-willed, independent woman traveling from Philadelphia to Bareglen Creek with two purposes: to comfort her sister after the recent loss of her husband, and ultimately convince her sister and brother to return home to Philadelphia — where they belong. She’s also running from a proposal from Edward Woodbury, one of the most sought-after bachelors in Philadelphia — well, sought after by every woman but her, that is.Sheriff Sully has preconceived notions about Claire, and 'annoyed' doesn’t even begin to cover how he feels about being tasked with protecting her. After Claire arrives, he finds himself creating a list of all the things he admires about her, and he’s surprised by the fact he wants to get to know her better. He wants to add more items to the ever-growing list of things he admires, but she’ll leave Bareglen Creek in less than four weeks unless he can give her a reason to stay.Claire finds herself intrigued by the handsome and intelligent Sheriff, yet chagrined that her father tasked him with her protection. She’s quite capable of taking care of herself—why won’t anyone listen to the fact that she doesn’t need a man for that?Or does she?When danger strikes at the heart of Bareglen Creek, and events begin swirling out of control, Claire wonders if she’s made a mistake. Her immediate attraction to Sheriff Sully shocks her, and she has no idea what to do with feelings awakened inside her, let alone with the danger that threatens.Will Sheriff Sully and Claire discover that some things in life are worth fighting for — and potentially risking your life for — before it is too late?Join Sheriff Sully and Claire on a whirlwind journey that includes danger, intrigue, kidnappings, Indians, Cowboys, and more.HERO HEARTS is a multi-author series featuring both historical westerns and contemporary Christian romance. Join Annie Boone, Hayley Wescott and Kate Cambridge in a world unlike any other; a world where Heroes are honored with unforgettable characters and beautiful, Christian love stories.The authors of this series are committed to writing stories of faith, hope, and love centered in fictional heroes who sacrifice daily to protect and save. A mix of historical and modern-day.