Book picks similar to
The Bench by Linda Rawlins


mystery
christian-fiction
fiction
thriller-suspence

The Wedding Caper


Janice A. Thompson - 2006
    Her husband's job at the bank makes him a potential suspect, but knowing him to be a godly man, she can't imagine it. Then again, there is that matter of the weddings to factor in. Twin daughters Brandi and Candy have just received proposals and two weddings are pending. Sure, Warren occasionally jokes about robbing the bank to pay for the ceremonies, but Annie knows him better than that. . .doesn't she?

Dead Running


Cami Checketts - 2012
    Running from the mercenaries who killed her parents. Running from a scheming redhead intent on making her life miserable. Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness. With two very tempting men competing for her attention, she hopes she'll finally have someone to run to, but can she trust either of them? When secrets from her past threaten her family, Cassidy decides to stop running and fight for her future. A light-hearted suspense with a side of PG-rated romance, Dead Running will have you lacing up your running shoes and impatiently waiting for the sequel. "Dead Running was everything I was hoping it would be, captivating, invigorating, and a page turner that I could not, would not, put down! Cami Checketts writes books that will make you think, and make you feel. She captivated me with The Sister Pact, and doesn't lose speed with her newest "must read," Dead Running." Sheila DeChantal Book Reviewer - Book Journey "Brilliant characterization, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a touch of humor make Dead Running a rare treat..." Wendy Davy Award winning author of Deadly Chase

The Carving Tree


Terry Thomas Bowman - 2015
    Forty-six years ago Jake pledged his love to Sadie by carving their names into the Carving Tree. Now newly retired, Sadie is eager to take on life’s newest adventures with Jake by her side. But when the symbol of their enduring love begins to wither and Jake is diagnosed with a heart condition, Sadie’s dreams are put on hold.Bitter towards God, Sadie is determined to nurse Jake and their beloved Carving Tree back to health on her own. Sadie’s luck takes a turn for the worse when she and Jake are threatened with a false lawsuit and Megan Thompson, an aspiring model, goes missing after leaving her young son in Sadie’s care. Overwhelmed with stress, medical bills, and Jake’s deteriorating health, Sadie’s notion of retired life is turning out to be quite different than she anticipated. Miles away, Megan Thompson’s world is also shaken. When what she thought was an audition for a modeling gig turns out to be a hoax, Megan � finds herself a victim of a human-traf�ficking ring. Terri�fied and far from home, Megan knows only one thing is certain: she must, against all odds, escape and return to her son.Will Sadie be able to regain her footing and � nd peace with God, and will Megan ever escape and return to her young son? Both women’s courage and resilience are put to the test in Terry Bowman’s captivating novel, The Carving Tree.

Cupcakes and Conspiracies


Katherine Hayton - 2017
    Small town. Big secrets. With a divorce pending and her career hanging in the balance, Holly Waterston returns to her hometown of Hanmer Springs to lick her wounds. According to her accountant, she also needs to sell the cupcake bakery owned and operated by her family for three generations. The bakery is the only place Holly's younger sister Crystal has ever worked. But when their mortgage holder suffers anaphylactic shock after eating a cupcake, Crystal is chief suspect for the attempted murder. Despite being labeled allergy-free, the cake was chock full of peanuts. Holly must dig in her heels and don an apron if she's to clear her sister's name, uncover the real culprit, and find out why their booming business is hemorrhaging money. If she can't, then Holly might lose Crystal to prison and lose the one place she can truly call home. This Sweet Baked Mystery is certified allergy-free of the following ingredients: No Swearing No Gore No Graphic Scenes and absolutely No Cliffhangers! Warning: May contain traces of danger and good humor. Scroll up to solve the conspiracy today!

Dark Water


Linda Hall - 2006
    Jake Rikker has been retained to find a stalker. A challenge that could help redeem his lifeâ?"if he doesnâ?t lose it first. A private investigator, kayak adventurer, and whale watching to

The Ice Cream Shop Detective: An Art Mystery


Ronnie Levine - 2014
    Twenty miles up the Hudson River from Manhattan and the contemporary art scene Lissa wants to avoid, Tarrytown has a charming Main Street where she can set up her easel and paint, immersed in her subject, the way her beloved French Impressionists did. Charismatic cop Nick Bellini, whose family owns the ice cream shop she's painting, soon notices her expertise and asks her to be on the lookout for phony masterpieces he's heard are being made in town. She hesitates, afraid of being sued by unhappy art collectors, but takes the plunge after seeing a questionable Monet in the home of a local power couple. The danger goes from professional to personal when, responding to a vague request for help from another artist, she walks into his studio and finds him dead. Is there a link to the forgeries? Is someone in the arts community a murderer? Will Lissa be the next target?

Mommy's Choice


Scott Curtis - 2007
     According to Stephanie, her last name is Tanner. According to everyone else, it’s not. According to Stephanie, her 22 year old son just simply vanished. According to everyone else, he did a little more than “vanish.” Has Stephanie lost touch with reality? Why can’t she figure out what happened between her and Jonathan? Perhaps returning to her old job (a job she apparently never had) and talking to her old friend Dave (who apparently never met her) could help uncover the clues necessary to answer her nagging question – What happened to her son & best friend Jonathan? It will keep you guessing up until the final page! This updated version of the original novel simply brings the story to more recent times, making it easier to relate to. For the most part, all the years in the timeline have changed, with minor changes throughout to keep the story properly connected. Scott McElhaney is the winner of the 2008 Christian Choice Book Award for his debut suspense novel "Mommy's Choice." With over 250,000 books downloaded worldwide, he is making nearly all of his novels available to Kindle readers at the very accessible price of only 99 cents. Scott is a veteran of the US Navy, a father of two teenage boys, and he has been happily married for more than 20 years. EDITORIAL REVIEWS: "McElhaney's story telling is deft, well-paced, and with an ear for conversation" ~ Beacon Journal Book Review "The author does a good job of sucking you into the moment and feeling as if you are the main character. The technology and scenarios are realistic enough for this sci fi fan and, if you like a good storyteller Mr. McElhaney knows how to do it." ~Top 50 Amazon Reviewer and Vine Voice Michael Gallagher

A Fool and His Monet


Sandra Orchard - 2016
    She's joined the FBI Art Crime Team with the secret hope that one of her cases will lead to his killer. Now, despite her mother's pleas to do something safer--like get married--Serena's learning how to go undercover to catch thieves and black market traders.When a local museum discovers an irreplaceable Monet missing, Jones leaps into action. The clues point in different directions, and her boss orders her to cease investigating her most promising suspect. But determined to solve the case and perhaps discover another clue in her grandfather's murder, she pushes ahead, regardless of the danger.

Deadly Harvest


Marissa Shrock - 2018
    Life, of course, has other plans.Georgia’s biggest challenge in the farming town of Wildcat Springs, Indiana, is figuring out how to win Evan Beckworth’s heart. Until the day she discovers the body of a former student in the woods. She assumes it was an accident. When she starts to suspect it wasn’t, it stirs memories of her father’s murder nine years earlier. A murder never solved. Georgia refuses to let that happen this time.Not necessarily the wisest decision. As Georgia works with the sheriff’s department’s newest detective, Cal Perkins, she finds her heart slipping into his hands. But her head is pummeled with conflicting evidence and anonymous threats of severe consequences if she digs any deeper. In the end, Georgia faces a paralyzing choice. Ignore the dark secrets inside the family and friends who surround her or be willing to risk her own life to uncover the truth.

The Two Crosses


Ernie Lindsey - 2010
    David Kreutzer just wants his wife's vision to stop failing before she goes blind. And then one day, their lives are changed forever when they suddenly find out that they have the ability to heal the sick with a single touch. With gifts so amazing, why does the mysterious stranger lurking in the shadows want to destroy them both, by whatever means necessary?

Death on a Deadline


Christine Lynxwiler - 2007
    but stop the presses! Jenna recruits her sister, Carly, and they go undercover to get the scoop on the murder. Will the next headline proclaim JENNA AND CARLY EXPOSE KILLER? Or will the sleuthing sisters end up the featured subjects in tomorrow's obit column?

Nipped in the Bud


Susan Sleeman - 2010
    But first you must help them unravel the mystery of how the city manager wound up dead in a mound of mulch in the city park that Paige was hired to landscape. Can Adam’s knowledge of the law keep her out of jail and win her love?

The Watch on the Fencepost


Kay Dibianca - 2019
    . .     This award-winning mystery/romance is the ultimate puzzle!      A mysterious gold watch propels Kathryn Frasier into a quest to prove her parents' recent deaths were not an accident. But when she solves the mystery behind the watch, she uncovers a dark family secret and stumbles onto a trail of cryptic clues that lead her to a remarkable cast of characters, all of whom had a connection to her parents: an actress with a talent for disguises, a politician with a secret of his own, and a handsome businessman who shows a sudden romantic interest in Kathryn.            But can she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?

A Murder in Hope's Crossing


Brooke Shelby - 2019
    Relocating to the idyllic New England town of Hope’s Crossing, where her family has settled since its founding, should be a welcome refresh. Aunt Clara is eager to retire and hand Maggie the keys to her store. And her new home might even help Maggie awaken her family’s rumored witchy powers. Maggie’s plans have all the makings of a spell for success—until the sorcery turns sour. Not long after the move, Aunt Clara is murdered in retaliation for an act of charity. Since Maggie inherits Clara’s small fortune, shop, and home, all eyes turn to her. With no witnesses and no suspects with an obvious motive, Maggie is framed as the perfect killer. Proving her own innocence is an uphill battle, especially when other descendants of Salem Witch Trial survivors like her are under constant threat and persecution in the pious town. To clear her name, Maggie will have to draw on the kindness of a few quirky residents, her aunt’s crafty cat, and her own blossoming supernatural powers. With a deadly criminal on the loose, the newest witch in town might be the best chance Hope’s Crossing has to defeat murder with magic…

A Precarious Homecoming: An Arabella Stewart Historical Mystery


D.S. Lang - 2021
    An immediate impediment arises when she becomes involved in a murder investigation. Helping solve the crime is crucial, but Bella must work with Constable Jackson Hastings. Once part of her life, Jax turned his back on Bella after her brother, his best friend, died in the trenches. His cold attitude hasn’t softened, but she can’t let that stop her. Both her hometown and family resort, once popular tourist destinations, may not survive if the crime isn’t solved quickly.Jax, a war veteran, faces his own challenges. Wounded in body and spirit, his dreams shattered, he finds himself doing what he said he’d never do—follow in his father’s footsteps as constable. When a wave of crimes hit the town, culminating in murder, his competence is questioned. In a struggle to find the killer and save his job, Jax needs all the help he can get—but he doesn’t want assistance from Bella. Not when he feels responsible for her brother’s death. But more is at stake than his job. He can’t stand by and let Moreley become a ghost town. Nor can he watch while Bella loses Ballantyne.Working together is the only way to solve the crime and offer hope—to their community and for themselves. Will their efforts succeed, or will it be a precarious homecoming?