Book picks similar to
Death at the Black Bull by Frank Hayes
mystery
mysteries
western
police-procedural
Scalp Dance
Lutricia Clifton - 2015
He’s a man of the Law—the letter of the Law—and he’sa man of his word. But he’s at a breaking point, ready to quit the force. Hisfather’s murder is ten-years cold, his young wife’s premature death haunts him,and tribal police in Oklahoma are being prevented from ensuring the Peoplereceive justice. A mix of tribal and non-tribal lands has created a checkerboardlaw enforcement community—federal, state, municipal and Indian—a land thatlawbreakers jokingly refer to as lawless. Indian women are the ones paying thehighest price. One in three can expect to be raped in her lifetime, and tribalpolice cannot arrest the assailant if he is not Indian. And then, Chitto isassigned to work undercover on a mystifying case. In pre-dawn light, a sacredChoctaw ceremonial ground is transformed into an execution site. The naked,beheaded corpse is the husband of a Chickasaw woman and stepfather to her youngdaughter. Except for the victim’s driver’s license, no evidence is left behind—with one exception: his freshly laundered clothes retain the odor of fabricsoftener. A series of seemingly unrelated incidents come together to help Chittosolve the case, but he is forced to make a decision that could not onlychallenge his personal code of ethics but also cost a man his life.
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.
An Ace and A Pair
Blake Banner - 2017
But he’s a dinosaur who belongs to another age. Detective Carmen Dehan has such a bad attitude that nobody at the precinct can stomach her. Captain Jennifer Cuevas wants them both out of the way and thinks they make a perfect pair. So she gives them the Cold Cases file – the cases nobody gives a damn about.She has no idea just how hot a cold case can get.Ten years back Nelson Hernandez and his four cousins were playing poker in a dive at Hunts Point. Somebody came in, blew them away and beheaded and castrated Nelson, leaving his head and his balls on the table. There was no shortage of suspects, the Jersey Mob, the Triads from Manhattan, or the 43rds own bent cop, Mick Harragan. But nobody was ever charged, and the night of the murder Mick Harragan went missing with Nelson’s wife, Maria.Now Stone and Dehan plan to find him – whatever the consequences…
Once Gone
Blake Pierce - 2015
A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing. Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined. A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #2 and #3 in the Riley Paige series are also available.
Original Sin
Brandt Dodson - 2006
But Angie looks like she could use a friend, so Colton has his first case.When the mystery is finally resolved, Colton is resigned to improve his parenting skills with his daughter--and while the pair still struggle with each other, "hope" finally gets a chance to grow.?First in the Colton Parker, P.I. series, from Brandt Dodson--a compelling new author with a family history in law enforcement spanning several generations.
A Dangerous Remedy: A Sheriff Matt Callahan Mystery
Russell Fee - 2017
Idyllic, peaceful, and sparsely populated, the island community hides a web of secrets Callahan and his young female deputy must uncover before a great city an ocean away explodes in violence and is thrown back into a half century of carnage. Irish paramilitaries, the British Royal Family, a century-old Irish enclave in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the long reach of modern terrorism, and the incendiary effect of a single spark on the lasting peace of a nation combine to make a volatile brew in this engrossing Midwest mystery.
Taboo
Casey Hill - 2011
A first thriller co-written by Melissa Hill and her husband Kevin.The story is set in Dublin and features forensic investigator Reilly Steel who has moved from the US to Dublin to be close to her father.But what should have been a quiet period filled with training and Irish forensics team turns sinister and violent when body after body is found of people killed in what appears to be a twisted game.
Desert Heat
J.A. Jance - 1993
She has Jenny, her adored nine-year-old daughter, and solid, honest, and loving husband, Andy, a local lawman who's running for Sheriff of Cochise County. But her good life explodes when a bullet destroys Andy Brady's future and leaves him dying beneath the blistering Arizona sun.The police brass claim that Andy was dirty -- up to his neck in drugs and smuggling -- and that the shooting was a suicide attempt. Joanna knows a cover-up when she hears one...and murder when she sees it. But her determined efforts to track down an assassin and clear her husband's name are placing herself and her Jenny in serious jeopardy. Because, in the desert, the truth can be far more lethal than a rattler's bite.
Summer People
Aaron Stander - 2000
The summer residents are settling in for the season and the tourists are beginning to flood the highways and beaches. But the idyllic vision of a summer at the shore is suddenly shattered by a gangland-style shooting. This murder is quickly followed by the deaths of three more summer residents, each taking place under suspicious circumstances. At times hindered by local politics and the proverbial tension between the summer people and the natives, Sheriff Ray Elkins searches for the possible links between the four victims. As he probes into their tangled lives and dark histories, he finds both the motive and the possible murderer.
Two Times Dead
Kinsey Grafton - 2014
Every chapter ended with so much drama and mystery I had to keep reading until I was done. - Janet Po “Grafton brings mystery and fast-paced action into one neat package. "One Last Time" is written like a cable show and is one great ride. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!” - Nancy Myers “Kinsey’s storytelling feels as real as Nora Robert’s. I picked up "One Last Time" and finished it in one sitting. - Mark Vetta “Kinsey Grafton does a fantastic job at keeping you hooked and engaged. I look forward to more from this talented author.” - Sue Mcdonald “Grafton is my new favorite author!” - Vince M. Sandy Brown needs a vacation, so she goes with her best friend on a trip they've always dreamed of to Mexico. The vacation is off to a great start; surfing, swimming, reading, and dancing, but then their little piece of heaven takes a hellish turn. Sandy witnesses a crime and tries not to get involved but can't help herself. Forced to fight for her life Sandy has to choose between legal justice and street justice. All Sandy wanted was a nice tan but now the question is: Will she survive her vacation?
Girl Jacked
Christopher Greyson - 2013
They were old friends. He knew only one way to deal with pain. Hunt it down and kill it."
Police Officer Jack Stratton is hiding. Hiding from the world. From pain. From the memories of losing his best friend, Chandler, in Iraq. Suffering from PTSD and isolated from those he cares about, the last thing Jack expects to hear is his foster sister Michelle, Chandler’s sister, is gone. The words cut straight to his core. Although the police think she just took off, he knows Michelle would never leave those she loved behind–like he did. Now he must take action, find Michelle, and bring her home or die trying. The first novel in the Jack Stratton Collection introduces us to handsome rogue, Jack Stratton. A debt of honor to his dead foster brother drives Jack into a world of deception and lies. As Jack’s walls begin to crumble, he must navigate the quirky characters that seep into the mystery of his foster sister’s disappearance. And in the sleepy community of Darrington, like so many places in this world, nothing is as it appears. The hidden mysteries that often go unnoticed begin to emerge as Jack and his new unpredictable sidekick begin to turn over the rocks. Following a trail that has grown cold, Jack must tread carefully to protect his job, his family, and his life. This stand-alone novel features rogue hero Jack Stratton. Look for other books in the Jack Stratton Collection including Jack Knifed, Jacks are Wild, and now Jack and the Giant Killer. They can be read in any order, however, they are best experienced in sequence.
Starvation Lake
John Carson - 2020
Every year on the anniversary of her incarceration, she taunts him with a phone call, giving him one message; when I get out, I'll kill you.Now, Bracken has transferred back to Edinburgh from Fife and is thrown into the deep end on his first day back on duty.There's a killer who is emulating Ailsa, threatening to surpass her body count.Bracken knows he needs her on board to help him track the killer down, but she's reluctant to get involved.Then the case takes an unexpected twist, and she agrees to help. But this new killer is taking them down a dark, twisted path, where nobody sees the outcome.Until it's too late.
Blood Land
R.S. Guthrie - 2012
L.A. Chicago. New York. But when a savage murder brutalizes a small town and neighbor turns on neighbor, a tough-as-nails cop is essential to restoring order. Blood Land is a gritty, emotional saga set in the Wyoming badlands with both greed and vengeance at its core.When billions of dollars in natural gas rights hang in the balance and the town's top law officer's wife is slain by her own blood, a reluctant hero is forced to battle his own demons and ultimately choose between justice, revenge, and duty.In the tradition of Dennis Lehane, Tony Hillerman and James Lee Burke, Guthrie's sparse, haunting storytelling compliments his talent for creating richly-drawn, unflinching law officers with human frailties and a sense of justice.
Detective First Grade
Dan Mahoney - 1993
Only a New York cop can win it.His claim to fame is finding guns on the bad guys, and Detective Second Grade Brian McKenna has just spotted the beard carrying a piece. What he doesn't know is that he's about to shoot his way into a war with a highly disciplined, well-armed enemy so treacherous, not even the NYPD knows they exist.Exiled from the bright lights of Manhattan for breaking one too many rules, pressured by his girlfriend to quit the job, this is McKenna's last chance to win back his reputation and make the coveted rank of Detective First Grade. But if his moves aren't swift and right, a new breed of criminal-- who has found a leader in an exotically beautiful and ruthless woman-- will own his city.From the savvy and experience of a cop who gave over 25 years of his life to the NYPD comes a stunning novel of undeniable authenticity and unrelenting suspense.