Book picks similar to
Rings of Smoke by Diane O'Toole


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Only Time Will Tell


James Kipling - 2014
    Will she make the right choice? An unknown woman is murdered and detectives Pierce Carson, Chelsea Madden and a new recruit, Dean Weston, are assigned to the case. Their search for the killer leads to several dead ends and a suspected drug connection, as even more people are killed. In the process of helping to solve the first murder and those that follow, Chelsea realizes that she is walking a very thin line between personal revenge and professional responsibility. She too has suffered at the hands of a murderer, who brutally snuffed out the life of her parents, giving her a reason to join the police force. To complicate matters, she finds herself attracted to Dean. She knows little about the newcomer to Homicide, only that he’d been a successful undercover agent. Normally a loner, she finds him surprisingly easy to talk to, as she unburdens herself of her past, kept secret for years. As the case becomes more complicated and passions are stirred, questions arise about a mole in the force, and Dean is on the list of possible suspects. Chelsea is torn between trust and doubt, fear and love; her desire for vengeance and belief in the system of which she is now a part. The strands of the plot become intertwined, with unexpected twists and turns, and Chelsea finds herself caught in a life and death struggle in a most unexpected way. Only time will tell if she survives to right the wrong or decides to let it go and find a new direction for her life. Detective Chelsea Madden is the cool, calm, and collected hero of Only Time Will Tell. Putting her life on the line, she doesn’t pull any punches, searching only for the truth, and for the person who takes lives on her watch. Intelligent, resourceful, and uncompromising, Chelsea will take readers on a memorable, white-knuckled journey in this suspenseful, gripping serial killer thriller. <

The Fixer


Rex Carpenter - 2014
    His clients call him a fixer. His enemies, a hitman for hire. For the right price, he’ll fix your problem. A call comes in. A meeting in a bar. A contract is agreed upon. But when the contract is for killing a US Senator, Bannister’s problems are just beginning. Worst of all, JC thinks he’s being set up. But the why and the who is just out of his reach. Bannister must find out who is behind the double-cross, complete the contract and satisfy his very powerful client before his solution changes the political future of the country. Or gets him and his entire team killed. The Fixer is an explosive new thriller series by Rex Carpenter that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last body drops. WARNING: The Fixer is for mature audiences. It contains strong language and violence. If it was a movie, it would be rated R. If it was on TV, it would be on cable. If it was an album it’d have a Parental... you get the picture.

One Slip


Gregg Bell - 2019
    Bakke Amazon VINE VOICE reviewer When Connie Silverstein agreed to babysit her friend’s four-year-old son, she never dreamed it would end in disaster. Now the usually dependable medical student finds herself responsible for the boy’s near drowning and subsequent brain damage.Connie is desperate to help the boy recover, but the grieving mother no longer trusts her. Consumed by guilt, Connie attempts to deaden her pain with alcohol. But there’s not enough vodka in the world to right the wrong she’s done. Family and friends attempt to intervene in her downward spiral, assuring her that tragic accidents can happen to anyone.But only Connie knows the terrible secret that what happened was no accident. What readers are saying about One Slip: ‘Like a riptide, this book pulls you in—and under.’—Cynthiareads‘hooked from the start’—Staci‘Fantastic! Grabs you right from the get-go and never lets go.’—Lisa‘…had me in knots…pushing throughout the night to find out what happened next…it felt heartbreakingly real’—Craves the Angst Book Review Blog‘…over the edge with wonderment at how someone could capture my attention any better’—Deb H‘…grabs you and takes you on a journey.’—Julie Blaskie‘This story tore me apart.’—Denice‘This story pulls you in, then under…at times you yourself may feel like you’re having trouble breathing.’—Julia Deaton‘…an emotionally charged roller coaster of a read’—Shannon Fetters‘…emotionally charged’—Amazon Customer‘My emotions were all over the place’—lamilo 1562‘I loved that it pulled at my heartstrings yet still had the edge of suspense that kept me guessing the whole time.’—April Shuffler‘If you get emotionally attached to characters, have a box of tissues on hand when you read this one. The ending is totally unexpected…but good!’—PTB‘The ending is perfect!’—escritora

The Caliban Program


Richard Fox
    A war Ritter isn't ready for. Al-Qaeda holds an American hostage, and Ritter's history with the kidnapper is the only hope to rescue the American before it's too late. While Ritter is a key player in the search, the CIA considers him an expendable asset. Contains an excerpt from the full length novel, Into Darkness.

The Kramski Case


James Ward - 2013
    Apparently, the killer is a retired SVR field-operative and former Kremlin protege named Dmitri Vassyli Kramski. True, the Cold War is long finished, but everyone knows Vladimir Putin is as unhappy for Russia to play second fiddle on the international stage as even the most strident of his Communist predecessors. Could this be the key to the riddle? Kramski's trail leads deep into London's immigrant community, forcing his pursuers into conflict with an unknown organisation bent on protecting him. Little by little, he begins to look less like a professional assassin and more like someone plotting to scupper the foundations of Western democracy itself. To compound matters, the Russians are as baffled by him as anyone.

Blue Blood Runs Cold


M.A Wallace - 2015
     When the blizzard passes that collapsed the roof of Ravney Hall and claimed the life of a student, a storm of even greater danger is only just beginning to brew. Students rebel. A cop is killed. Detective Michael Ross of the Shippensburg Borough Police Department and his partner, William “Billy” McGee, are called to the scene. It appears as an open-and-shut case, but soon it becomes a discovery beyond what anyone ever imagined possible at this small university in Pennsylvania. It seems whoever steps foot on “The Ship” has a chance of never making it back out alive… including Michael Ross.

The Crew


Andrew Barrett - 2021
    Everything is going well until he finds one startling piece of evidence that turns him into a target. Nelson is part of a professional gang of violent armed robbers who work their way around the country stealing large sums of cash. The gang arrives in Leeds, and Nelson decides to make changes to their successful formula. His plan is falling into place until he leaves behind a vital piece of evidence at their latest job. DI Wilbourne is tasked by New Scotland Yard to pursue the gang, to collect and collate the evidence they leave behind. But there’s something strange about him, and it has nothing to do with his dress sense or his nasal hair. Shannon is an observer, out with Eddie at a Post Office robbery. She’s about to discover that making the wrong decision can be fatal. This is one job where Eddie regrets having a keen eye.

Cherry Picking


Tim Heath - 2012
    He took his name from his early business successes, but in reality none of it was based on risk - only certain success.Every decision Nigel has ever made in business, people, sport or life had been based on some prior knowledge.When a stranger appears it shakes his rich world to the core.But Nigel has been waiting for him - and preparing.Now it's a fight to the death - there can be only one winner.

A Pair of Second Chances (Ben Jensen Series)


Brian Gore - 2011
    He is increasingly adrift in a modern world into which, more and more, he doesn't seem to fit. The sorrows and losses that have scarred his life and crushed his soul are close to taking what's left of the ranch and home his Grandfathers built. His self respect and his life are circling the drain when fate drops him into the path of Amanda Blake, a desperate young woman, and her son. The girl is struggling to escape a life of brutal slavery and give her son the chance at a decent life. Acting out of the habits of a long and un-gentle life, Ben finds he is unable to walk away from that life and death struggle of a helpless woman and her son. For him, there are no options. The Honor and Values of his ancestors, and everything he is demand, he must help. Along the way he discovers that there is indeed life and Love left in his heart, and a reason for fresh hope. As they struggle to survive, the idea begins to form that though they might be an unlikely pair; his need for her is as great as her need for him. Together, they find the courage to create for each other, A Pair of Second Chances.

Grind Their Bones


Drew Cross - 2012
    The original ‘Gray Man’ was Albert Fish - serial killer, rapist and cannibal - who was executed in New York’s Sing Sing prison in January 1936 for the murder of Grace Budd, but was believed to have been responsible for the deaths of up to one hundred people.Some tricks are worth repeating and some tastes never die, so enter the new ‘Grey Man’, a gourmet serial killer, who is itching to get his teeth into his next victim.And if the gruesome results of the killer’s classic cuisine are not chilling enough for Detective Chief Inspector Zara Wade who is leading the investigation, he claims to know her, and that she knows him.

Out of the Shadows


Tim Jopling - 2015
    Akira is a dangerous man, a man who has lost everything and has nothing to lose. Fuelled by the death of his beloved wife Madeline and desperate to seek revenge on those who took her from him, Akira is on a mission, a mission to rid the world of the corrupt West and everything it stands for and he has one man set in his sights. Thomas Deane, a fiercely loyal MI6 agent and one half of an elite partnership he is everything Akira despises - a patriotic man devoted to the service of his country, no matter what the cost. Assisted by the brave S.U.C.O. agents (Special Undercover Covert Operations) the elite MI6 team, are completely unaware of what lies ahead. Will they succeed in bringing Akira out of the shadows?

I Warned You (Matt Ryan #1)


Shawn Underhill - 2017
     Years later, his tiny home state of New Hampshire, known mostly as a vacation state for campers and skiers, is overwhelmed by the opioid epidemic. Lives are being lost, budgets are busted, petty crime is rising, and first responders are stretched thin. Ryan gets drawn into the mêlée when his small business becomes the hiding spot of $300K in cash, stolen from one drug distributor by another. With easy money up for grabs, cold-blooded opportunists begin prowling the sleepy postcard town of Fall River, competing for the seemingly easy score. Just one problem. They weren’t counting on running into a brick wall like Ryan, or his canine companion, Sharky the maniac. *This is a vigilante crime/action story with a touch of dry humor, not an addiction story or a police procedural. There is absolutely no romance. I mean none whatsoever. Unless you consider the bond between a man and his dog romantic. There's plenty of that.

The Hollow Places


Dean Clayton Edwards - 2014
     Simon delivers live bodies to a psychic creature in the water. He has a natural ability for the work and is even beginning to think he might enjoy it, until the creature asks for the life of his sister. He has less than 24 hours to save both their lives.

Dead Man Walking (Part 1 of 3) (Detective Mark Heckenburg, Book 4)


Paul Finch - 2014
    A killer thriller for fans of Stuart MacBride and Luther, from the #1 ebook bestseller Paul Finch.His worst nightmare is back…As a brutal winter takes hold of the Lake District, a prolific serial killer stalks the fells. ‘The Stranger’ has returned and for DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg, the signs are all too familiar.Last seen on Dartmoor ten years earlier, The Stranger murdered his victims in vicious, cold-blooded attacks – and when two young women go missing, Heck fears the worst.As The Stranger lays siege to a remote community, Heck watches helplessly as the killer plays his cruel game, picking off his victims one by one. And with no way to get word out of the valley, Heck must play ball…A spine-chilling thriller, from the #1 ebook bestseller. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and James Oswald.

Five Suns Saga I


Jim Heskett - 2014
    As a senior staffer to a US senator, he’s privy to all kinds of information, like details about the meteor hurtling through space on a collision course with earth. He also knows what the panicked public has been told isn’t the whole truth, and now he’ll have to decide if exposing the lie is worth trading his life.Part post-apocalyptic survival epic, part espionage military and political thriller, Five Suns Saga Omnibus Edition features the complete collection of eighteen interconnected short stories spanning the time before, during, and after the downfall of society. Each one follows a different character and unlocks another piece of the mystery of how the world became a dystopian nightmare.The Five Suns Saga is unlike any kind of post-apocalyptic dystopian epic you've read before. This collection brings a mashup of political conspiracy thriller style espionage storytelling like Tom Clancy, and then mixes that with a dystopian tale like Mad Max. Each story stands on its own, but also fits into the larger mystery of the series that asks the question: How did the world crumble?Contains FIVE SUNS OF TREASON and FIVE SUNS OF SEDITION