Book picks similar to
Deadly Contact by Lara Lacombe


romantic-suspense
harlequin
romance
scientist

Next Girl to Die


Dea Poirier - 2019
    Claire has finally carved out a life for herself as a homicide detective in Detroit, but the past comes calling when the local police back home ask for her help with a murder eerily similar to Rachel’s.Still haunted by Rachel’s cold case, Claire returns home, hoping to solve the crime and finally put her grief to rest. As she starts investigating, the last thing she needs is tenacious journalist Noah Washington asking questions she’s not ready to answer. But like her, Noah won’t give up until he finds the truth—and Claire reluctantly finds herself relying on him more and more when disturbing new details about Rachel’s death come to light.When the killer strikes once again, Claire knows he’s not done. Now he’s set his sights on Claire, who will have to find the courage she needs to survive a deadly confrontation years in the making.

Identity Withheld


Sandra Orchard - 2014
    But someone has found her—and wants her dead. If only she could trust the handsome firefighter who catches her fleeing from a suspicious fire. Jake Steele seems to think she's guilty of burning her own home. But how can she tell him who she really is and what she's been through without bringing danger to the widowed single father's door? Yet with the criminals quickly closing in, taking such a risk might be her only chance at survival. Because the price she'll pay for her silence could be her life.

Damsel In Danger


Olivia Jaymes - 2015
    With a little help from his friends, Logan Wright and Jared Monroe, he’s starting a new business and moving forward. He only thinks about the past during the long, dark nights. It’s then that he feels most alone. Brinley Snow has moved into her dream home. It’s everything she’s wanted and more although she's facing a mountain of renovation work. Luckily it came with the bonus of a sexier than sin neighbor. One sultry summer night, Brinley gathers up her courage and asks Jason to join her for dinner. They’re instantly attracted to one another but the evening quickly goes down hill as she ends up in the interrogation room of the local police. An unknown dead man had her address clutched in his hand. The authorities – and Jason – think she’s the key to finding a cold-blooded murderer. With a first date like that Brinley’s not sure she’ll survive a second. Then again she’s never met anyone like Jason. He’s not the typical boy-next-door. He’s all man. And with a little luck, he could become all hers. They just have to stay alive long enough to catch a killer.

Changing the Rules


Catherine Bybee - 2021
    Armed with an impressive set of covert skills, she’s more than prepared to tackle any job that comes her way…except one involving Cooper Lockman.Cooper and Claire used to work together before his feelings for her sent him packing to Europe for six long years. But now he’s back and determined to ignore the still-smoldering heat that lingers between them.Their current mission: go undercover together at a California high school to root out the mastermind behind a prostitution ring targeting young girls. The closer they get to the truth and the closer they get to each other, however, the deadlier their task becomes. As Claire and Cooper risk their lives to bring down their target, will their hearts be the final casualties?

Hunted


Beverly Long - 2014
    Although the former army helicopter pilot had grown up to be honorably protective—and ruggedly handsome—could she confess why she'd really come to this remote hideaway?Ethan could tell there was more to Chandler's "visit" than she'd say, but with secrets of his own to safeguard, he understood. Still, with unknown assailants suddenly hot on their trail and a brutal snowstorm bearing down on them, Ethan knew he'd do anything to keep the emerald-eyed beauty safe. And keep their spontaneous reunion from ending.

Bounty Hunter Guardian


Diane Burke - 2011
    Amanda has to meet her…even if it means jumping bail and praying she'll reach Alaska before law enforcement closes in.If Chance Walker has learned anything as a bounty hunter, it's that only the guilty run. When he captures Amanda, he's ready to bring her to justice. But attacks against Amanda make Chance reconsider. What if his target really is innocent? Will Chance put his life on the line to find the truth—and keep Amanda safe?

His Desire


Sheila Kell - 2014
    She’s independent. Together, desire will determine their future.Hamilton Investigation & Security leader, Jesse Hamilton, swears never to love again. The risk of losing his heart is too painful. Burying himself in work and caring for his daughter, he doesn’t expect strong-willed FBI Special Agent Kate Ross to break down his carefully constructed walls.When Kate is injured, Jesse pulls the full force of HIS into action to protect her. He refuses to be the reason behind another senseless death. Making a decision that could cost Kate her life, Jesse must decide just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman his heart desires.***HIS DESIRE is the first book in the HIS romantic suspense series.

Kidnapped


Suzanne Ferrell - 2012
    He’s been shot and if he can’t get help fast, two lives will be lost—his and that of the young witness whom he’s sworn to protect. Desperate, on the run from both the police and the Russian Mafia, he kidnaps a nurse from a hospital parking lot.ER nurse Samantha Edgars has been living in an emotional vacuum since the death of her daughter. Mentally and physically exhausted following a difficult shift, she’s suddenly jolted from her stupor when she’s bound and gagged, then tossed into the back of her car. Forced to tend a bleeding FBI agent and his injured witness, she’s terrified. But Samantha quickly learns the rogue agent and orphaned boy need more than just her professional skills. Danger is bearing down on them, and she must learn to trust Jake—and her heart— if they’re all going to survive.

Edge of Sight


Roxanne St. Claire - 2010
    . . The heartbreak she can't forget . . . The one man who can stop them both. When Samantha Fairchild witnesses a murder in the wine cellar of the restaurant where she works, the Harvard-bound law student becomes the next target of a professional assassin. Desperate for protection the authorities won't provide, Sam seeks help from Vivi Angelino, an investigative reporter who recruits her brother, Zach, to protect Samantha. A Special Forces vet with the scars to prove he's equally fearless and flawed, Zach takes the job, despite the fact that he and Sam once shared a lusty interlude that ended when he left for war and disappeared from her life. Now, as they crack a conspiracy that leads to Boston's darkest corners, Sam and Zach must face their fears, desires, and doubts, before a hired killer gets a second shot... "When it comes to dishing up great romantic suspense, Roxanne St. Claire is the author you want." -- RT Book Reviews

Witness Seduction


Elle Kennedy - 2011
    Grier won't be able to stay away from Kincaid--she's way too tempting...Day One: Kincaid's oblivious to the danger. Spends all her time renovating and doing sexy yoga. Damn, she moves her body in tantalizing ways.Day Three: If I see her curvy silhouette one more time I'm in serious trouble.Day Five: No sign of Grier, but after a few days of observation, things are getting incredibly...er, hard.Day Seven: I had no choice but to make contact with Kincaid. Now that I've touched her, it's impossible to stop. The investigation is jeopardized. Seduction is imminent...God help me.

Exit Strategy


Lena Diaz - 2015
    with a skilled operative putting his life—and his heart—on the line for a woman in trouble...When Sabrina Hightower awakens to the sound of an intruder, she figures he's there to rob her, murder her— or worse. She doesn't expect to be carried off by a muscle-bound stud with male-model good looks... or that he came to rescue her.Mason Hunt became an enforcer with EXIT Inc. to eliminate the bad guys—terrorists, militia groups, all those who would do America harm. But his latest target is innocent. If EXIT could lie about sultry, strong-willed Sabrina, what darker truths might they be concealing?Going rogue in the rugged North Carolina mountains, Mason risks everything to keep Sabrina close, especially now that EXIT's lethal assassins are chasing them down. The heat is on... but it's nothing compared to the slow burn of seduction.

Protection Detail


Shirlee McCoy - 2015
    The senator was a mentor to Gavin, and he'll stop at nothing to bring the killer to justice. With his team of elite K-9 cops and his loyal dog, Glory, at his side, Gavin discovers that a child at Cassie Danvers's nearby foster home may have witnessed the murder. He's drawn to the determined and beautiful woman, but she doesn't want him interviewing her traumatized charges. Yet trusting Gavin is the only way to stay one step ahead of the deadly gunman when Cassie becomes a target. Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

Colton's Secret Son


Carla Cassidy - 2017
    Embittered, the loner lawman heads home to Shadow Creek, Texas, a town full of unsettling memories for him. But Knox is floored when he discovers that the woman he loved and lost has a son that looks just like him.  Allison Rafferty thought she was doing the right thing by not telling Knox about young Cody all those years ago. Now the man she still loves insists on getting to know his son. And as a threat looms over Shadow Creek, they'll both discover just how far a Colton will go to protect what's theirs.

Marine Force Recon


Elle James - 2019
    Declan O’Neill’s US Marines career is over, but nothing can stop him from saving lives. When he starts an organization that aims to help people who can’t defend themselves, his first client is a woman desperate for answers. Grace Lawrence knows something happened to her roommate, and she’s certain she can trust Declan to uncover the truth…though she wonders if she can trust herself with a soldier like Declan.

Sea of Gold


Nick Elliott - 2014
    The first-person narrative, complete with ironic asides, is the perfect vehicle for a thoughtful and witty style that draws us swiftly into the shoes of its protagonist, a credible and consistent character." "The sense of place is utterly authentic. We are taken to far-flung locations - some exotic, some seedy - by an author who has not just visited them but has lived and worked in these places. Nick Elliott has an effortless elegance in his writing, and an ability to create characters who feel real. The story zips along at a fine pace, and the result is a gripping and immersive thriller." "Angus is good company as he unravels a very twisty plot and discovers an unexpected level of determination (stubbornness?) in getting to the bottom of the mystery and catching the villains, all the while trying to be loyal to his fiery Greek girlfriend while fighting his attraction to a woman from his past." DESCRIPTION ‘Whoever did this wanted to make very sure no one lived to tell the tale.’ Money, murder and love on the high seas In the world of international shipping, the rules are blurred and the oceans lawless When instinct tells maritime claims investigator Angus McKinnon that a wave of frauds must be connected, he thinks it’s just business as usual. Instead, he uncovers a ruthless conspiracy born of greed and the lust for power. As he starts to unravel a trail leading from the post-Soviet drabness of a Black Sea port to a sweltering anchorage in the Gulf of Thailand, a devastating explosion in the Indian Ocean changes everything. Facing down terrifying childhood memories, torn between two very different women and doubting old friends, McKinnon must navigate a precarious path between secretive government agencies, shady syndicates and avaricious crime lords towards an unpredictable endgame. Gambling everything on his faith in one man, can McKinnon beat the odds and come out on top? A gripping page-turner, Sea of Gold draws the reader into a world of extremes, the casual affluence of the super-rich contrasting with the dignified poverty of the desperate. Meanwhile, McKinnon’s two loves – the enigmatic Claire and his devoted, long-term lover, Eleni, vie for his attention. This debut thriller from Nick Elliott is packed with intrigue – if you love your action spiced with suspense, make Sea of Gold your next read.