Mysteries
Sunday’s Mystery eBooks
Blessing of the Lost Girls
by J. A. Jance
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Driven by a compulsion that challenges his self-control, the man calling himself Charles Milton prowls the rodeo circuit, hunting young women. He chooses those he believes are the most vulnerable, wandering alone and distracted, before he strikes. For years, he has been meticulous in his methods, abducting, murdering, and disposing of his victims while leaving no evidence of his crimes—or their identities—behind. Indigenous women have become his target of choice, knowing law enforcement’s history of ignoring their disappearances.
The Traitor
by Ava Glass
Rating: 4.3 #ad
An MI6 operative is found dead, locked in a suitcase inside his own apartment. Despite an exhaustive search, no fingerprints are found at the scene. Emma Makepeace and her handler, Ripley, know an assassination when they see one, and such an obvious murder can mean only one thing: Someone is sending a message.
As she digs into his past, Emma discovers that the unfortunate spy had been investigating two Russian oligarchs based in London. He’d become obsessed with the idea that the two were spies, aided by a third man—whose identity he had yet to uncover.
Robert Ludlum’s The Treadstone Rendition
by Joshua Hood
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Adam Hayes has stepped away from the field for the last time. He’s promised his wife that he won’t put his life on the line any more, and there’s nothing that will make him break a promise to his wife.
Well…almost nothing. With America withdrawing from Afghanistan and the Taliban closing in, Abdul Nassir reached out to his old friend. Ten years ago, he saved the American’s life, and the time has come for repayment. The Afghan is desperate to flee his homeland.
Star of Wonder
by J. Gunnar Grey
Rating: 3.8 #ad
The gorgeous woman leaned closer, almost into his personal space, her dark hair falling in gentle waves to her shoulders. Kennie glanced around, uncomfortable even in his fascination. But none of the joggers passing them seemed to notice her, and she wasn’t a woman to be ignored. “Do you believe in holiness?” she asked.
NATO Rapid Response sapper Captain Kenneth Rutland needs something to believe in. His life has gone too far off course, and he’s easily sucked in when a beautiful stranger gives him a chance to escape his cynical, disappointing reality. She offers her hand and he takes it, not caring what awaits him.
The Traitor Among Us
by Anne Perry
Rating: 4.6 #ad
Not far from the sprawling grounds of Wyndham Hall, the body of longtime MI6 agent John Repton is found, shot dead with a single bullet to the heart. The corpse’s proximity to the estate sends ripples of concern through the intelligence community: Repton was killed while surveilling the members of a household with alleged ties to fascists who threaten the security of the country, as Hitler’s influence spreads across Europe. Elena Standish is assigned the case, thanks to her new connection to the Wyndham family: Her older sister, Margot, is being courted by Lady Wyndham’s brother.
Don’t Let Her Stay
by Nicola Sanders
Rating: 4.3 #ad
Richard was over the moon that his daughter wanted to come back into his life. ‘You’ll love her,’ he’d said, beaming. ‘She’s very sweet. She just had a wobble about me marrying again, but that’s over now.’
Well, she was going to find out she had nothing to worry about. I’d been fantasising non-stop about the two of us becoming close. I had visions of us baking together while Richard was at work, chatting about her boyfriends, her studies, what kind of job she’d like to do…
Anyway, let’s just say things haven’t quite worked out that way.
DIEGO THE SMELLY DOG
by A.G. Russo
Rating: 4.3 #ad
Ava is a feisty little girl who loves dogs and likes bandaids. One day a large old dog follows Ava and Gramps home. Ava’s mom won’t let her have a pet so she can’t keep him. But she does name him Diego. He is smelly. They take him to the rescue shelter the next day but Ava and Gramps visit him there every week. Who will give Diego a home? A heartwarming adoption story of unconditional love.
Saturday’s Mystery eBooks
Widow’s Tears
by Susan Wittig Albert
Rating: 4.5 #ad
After losing her family and home in the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Rachel Blackwood rebuilt her house a hundred miles inland and later died there, still wrapped in her grief.
In present-day Texas, Claire, the grandniece of Rachel’s caretaker, has inherited the house and wants to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. But she is concerned that it’s haunted, so she calls in her friend Ruby—who has the gift of extrasensory perception—to check it out.
Break of Day
by Colleen Coble
Rating: 4.7 #ad
Annie Pederson’s happily ever after is finally within sight . . . If she can stay alive long enough to grasp it.
Law enforcement officer Annie Pederson’s life has been rocked by tragedy, but things finally seem to be heading in the right direction. Her relationship with the love of her life—who’s also the biological father of her precious daughter—has never been better, and it looks like an engagement ring is in Annie’s future. She’s also slowly building back trust with her sister, Sarah, after a separation that lasted for decades.
ONLY OUR DESTINY
by A.G. Russo
Rating: 4.4 #ad
The Mezzogiorno (Southern Italy).
Up to 85 per cent of Italian Americans have their roots in this region. The story of the Coriello family begins in the fictional fishing village of Punto Roccioso along the Amalfi Coast. Alta Italia (Northern Italy) looks down on their southern countrymen as uneducated peasants. With limited opportunities available, many southern Italians dream of escaping poverty by leaving the land they love for a better life in America. But like all dreams, hardships, sacrifices, and realities intrude.
The Bridge
by Matt Brolly
Rating: 4.4 #ad
Accident? Dangerous game gone wrong? Or murder? DI Blackwell faces her toughest case yet.
When the body of a young woman is discovered in a shipping container in Bristol, the police suspect she was an illegal immigrant whose death was a tragic accident. But their theory is shot down by two pieces of evidence: the container was due to ship out, not in; and, even more sinister, a video camera with a live feed was filming her from a hidden compartment.
Someone watched her die. Slowly.
Murder Most Royal
by SJ Bennett
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Evidence that an aristocrat has gone missing—and was possibly murdered—near Sandringham House sets Queen Elizabeth II on the path to discover unsavory family secrets and much more in this new installment of the series the New York Times Book Review calls “sheer entertainment.”
Queen Elizabeth II is looking forward to a traditional Christmas gathering with her family in Sandringham when a shocking discovery interrupts holiday plans. A severed hand has been found—but even more unsettling, she recognizes the signet ring still attached to a finger.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
by Roshani Chokshi
Rating: 4.0 #ad
A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past…
A Chill Wind
by Erica Einhorn
Rating: 4.1 #ad
When Jenna Leyton stumbled into the nineteenth century, she had no idea that she would find love there with the local sheriff. But when he rejects her after she confesses “when” she is from, Jenna decides that she wants to live in the old Red Bluff whether he likes it or not.
Sheriff Josiah Stone felt pleased with himself for running off all the outlaws in Red Bluff. But if he was so brave, why couldn’t he control his feelings for Jenna—the woman from the future whom he did not want to fall in love with?
Friday’s Mystery eBooks
The Quick and the Thread
by Amanda Lee
Rating: 4.2 #ad
When Marcy Singer opens an embroidery specialty shop in quaint Tallulah Falls, Oregon, she throws a soiree and a Stitch-In. Soon, Marcy’s sign- up sheet for embroidery classes fills up and everyone in town seems willing to raise a glass-or a needle-to support the newly-opened Seven Year Stitch.
Then Marcy finds the shop’s previous tenant dead in the store-room, a message scratched with a tapestry needle on the wall beside him. Now Marcy’s shop has become a crime scene, and she’s the prime suspect. She’ll have to find the killer before someone puts a final stitch in her.
Double Indemnity
by Robert Whitlow
Rating: 4.7 #ad
Someone stands to gain millions of dollars from a hunter’s accidental death . . . unless that death wasn’t an accident.
Matt and Elena Thompson present the picture of perfection. But their enviable life isn’t all it seems. Their marriage is on the rocks, and financial disaster looms. Then Matt is killed in a hunting accident, and the questions and accusations begin to mount.
Attorney Liz Acosta, newly arrived in the mountains of north Georgia after graduating from law school, plans to get some job experience on her resume before returning home to seek a position with a big-time firm.
Pandemic in Progress
by JK Lincoln
Rating: 4.4 #ad
As the pandemic sweeps across the United States, the President confronts a situation that may expose him to a new variant of concern. Should he worry about the virus, or should he be more concerned about the chicanery in the White House that could prove far more lethal? (Now available as an audiobook, too!)
Long Shadows
by David Baldacci
Rating: 4.6 #ad
When Amos Decker is called to South Florida to investigate a double homicide, the case appears straightforward: A federal judge and her bodyguard have been found dead, the judge’s face sporting a blindfold with two eye holes crudely cut out, a clear sign that she’d made one too many enemies over her years on the bench.
What at first seems cut and dry is anything but: Not only did the judge have more enemies than Decker can count—from violent gang members, drug dealers, and smugglers to a resentful ex-husband—but the bodyguard presents additional conundrums that muddy the waters even further. Who was the real target in this vicious attack?
Horses, Heartaches, and Hope
by Brooks Wright
Rating: 5.0 #ad
In the heart of Montana, two broken hearts find renewed faith, healing, and love on a horse farm. After losing her parents, Jessa decides to start anew on her family’s horse farm in Montana.
However, she soon discovers that farm life presents its own set of challenges with running a farm, but also when someone wants to harm her!
Sheriff Tate, a rugged man dealing with his own crisis of faith, unexpectedly becomes Jessa’s ally and protector.
Broken Rhodes
by Kimber Silver
Rating: 4.7 #ad
Kinsley Rhodes blows into Harlow, Kansas like a tornado, twisting Sheriff Lincoln James’ life into knots. Her grandfather has been murdered and she wants answers.
As if the town’s first homicide in twenty years wasn’t enough, the beleaguered sheriff now has to deal with Henry Rhodes’ bobcat of a granddaughter, plunging his life deeper into chaos. As a dark storm threatens, long-held secrets are exposed, placing Kinsley directly in harm’s way.
The Investigator
by John Sandford
Rating: 4.5 #ad
“Sandford fans rejoice! Davenport next generation has arrived and Letty is exactly the kind of cool-eyed, smart-mouthed, lethally dangerous heroine we’ve been waiting for.” –Lisa Gardner, author of One Step Too Far
By age twenty-four, Letty Davenport has seen more action and uncovered more secrets than many law enforcement professionals. Now a recent Stanford grad with a master’s in economics, she’s restless and bored in a desk job for U.S. Senator Colles. Letty’s ready to quit, but her skills have impressed Colles, and he offers her a carrot: feet-on-the-ground investigative work, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security.
Nona the Ninth
by Tamsyn Muir
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Her city is under siege. The zombies are coming back. And all Nona wants is a birthday party.
In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona’s not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger’s body, and she’s afraid she might have to give it back.
Dream Town
by David Baldacci
Rating: 4.4 #ad
It’s the eve of 1953, and Aloysius Archer is in Los Angeles to ring in the New Year with an old friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan, when their evening is interrupted by an acquaintance of Callahan’s: Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter in dire straits.
After a series of increasingly chilling events—mysterious phone calls, the same blue car loitering outside her house, and a bloody knife left in her sink—Eleanor fears that her life is in danger, and she wants to hire Archer to look into the matter.
Thursday’s Mystery eBooks
Temptation, Trouble & Murder
by Christa Nardi
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Caffeine à la corpse, anyone? The last thing Stacie Maroni expected to find in the break room was a dead guy. And even worse, a dead guy with her name, phone number, and office location in his pocket. If that’s not bad enough, a fellow member of the foundation she spearheads seems to be missing in action. Although these events don’t seem to be linked, Stacie is in the thick of things and sleuthing for her life.
Check out:
(A Stacie Maroni Mysteries)
The Father’s Tree
by Crystal Jencks
Rating: 4.2 #ad
The tale of the Garden of Eden is one of the most well-known and universally loved stories of all time, and Dr. Elise Harper and her team believe there’s more than a little truth to it. To prove the science books wrong and religious lore right, they trek into the Caucasus mountain ranges, amidst a world ravaged with war and apocalyptic tragedy. But shortly into the expedition, events pivot dangerously. Nature and hidden supernatural forces interrupt their mission, and the team’s motivation transforms from finding the Tree of Life to simply maintaining life itself.
Pure Evil
by Lynda La Plante
Rating: 4.2 #ad
It was supposed to be a simple case: a young man arrested for armed assault. But it was just the beginning.
As Rodney Middleton awaits trial, Detective Jack Warr is warned by his mentor DCI Ridley that they have only scratched the surface of the man’s crimes. Then DCI Ridley is suddenly removed from his post. No one is to contact him – and no one will say why. As Warr digs into Rodney’s past, Ridley calls pleading for help, now accused of a murder he insists he didn’t commit.
Sleeping Secrets
by A.W. Kaylen
Rating: 4.8 #ad
Brand New Release
A perfect storm of deception is brewing, and millions of dollars hang in the balance… How do you outwit a conman at his own game?
Hot on the trail of a shadowy career conman, Special Agent Heather Chase distracts herself from her demotion by throwing herself into the White-Collar Crimes division. Her sights are set on the infamous Nicholas Taylor – a suave and charismatic entrepreneur with an ego as big as his ambitions.
After That Night
by Karin Slaughter
Rating: 4.6 #ad
Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.
Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s.
They Came First
by Paul McGowan
Rating: 4.2 #ad
A gripping thriller you can’t put down
Ever wonder how we moved from cave dwellers to landing on the moon? After millions of years, it’s as if a light switch had suddenly been thrown. Was it extraterrestrials, gods, or supernatural beings that lit that spark? What if that ancient knowledge and those helping hands that lifted us out of the darkness of our caves and into the light of our easy chairs were closer to home?
Coroner’s Pidgin
by Margery Allingham
Rating: 4.3 #ad
World War II is limping to a close and private detective Albert Campion has just returned from years abroad on a secret mission. Relaxing in his bath before rushing back to the country, and to the arms of his wife, Amanda, Campion is disturbed when his servant, Lugg, and a lady of unmistakably aristocratic bearing appear in his flat carrying the corpse of a woman.
The reluctant Campion is forced to put his powers of detection to work as he is drawn deeper into the case, and into the eccentric Caradocs household, dealing with murder, treason, grand larceny, and the mysterious disappearance of some very valuable art.
Death Spins the Wheel
by George Bellairs
Rating: 4.4 #ad
When professional gambler Sylvia Garnier arrives at the casino on the Isle of Man, everyone is intrigued to see what drama unfolds. Knowing all the tricks and betting on all the right numbers, she seems to be enjoying a solid winning streak. That is until she’s found dead on the beach.
As theories about her murder run wild, Inspector Littlejohn is called in to get to the bottom of her mysterious demise. Dredging through years of family secrets and wartime betrayal, Littlejohn must untangle a conspiracy that takes him to France and Switzerland and leads all the way back to the French Resistance, if he is to solve this perplexing case.