Mysteries
Sunday’s Mystery eBooks
Lethal Lobster
by Hope Callaghan
Rating: 4.6 #ad
Assistant Cruise Director, Millie Sanders’ day is off to a shockingly bad start when her boss “volunteers” her to be his Guinea pig for a stun gun self-defense class in front of her fellow shipmates.
Loyal to a fault, she agrees but almost immediately regrets her decision.Meanwhile, several crewmembers have become violently ill and possibly on the verge of death after eating food prepared from the galley kitchen, operated by her best friend, Annette Delacroix.
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(Millie’s Cruise Ship Mysteries)
A Serpent’s Tooth
by Craig Johnson
Rating: 4.6 #ad
It’s homecoming for the Durant Dogies when Cord Lynear, a Mormon “lost boy” forced off his compound for rebellious behavior, shows up in Absaroka County. Without much guidance, divine or otherwise, Sheriff Walt Longmire, Victoria Moretti, and Henry Standing Bear search for the boy’s mother and find themselves on a high-plains scavenger hunt that ends at the barbed-wire doorstep of an interstate polygamy group. Run by four-hundred-pound Roy Lynear, Cord’s father, the group is frighteningly well armed and very good at keeping secrets.
Sherlock Holmes and the Vampire Invasion
by Suzette Hollingsworth
Rating: 4.3 #ad
“No blood, no teeth,and now no scullery maid! What else shall go missing? I hope we may all leave this house with our limbs.” – Mycroft Holmes
To kill for the sake of killing–to target those unknown to oneself–is the most demonic act of all. Is it a Satanic cult or a witches’ coven behind the murders? Or is the legend of “Varney the Vampire” true? Are these heinous massacres an act of greed or vengeance? Or both?
Mycroft’s exclusive Diogenes Club is targeted, with its members found drained of all blood, their necks punctured with wolf-like teeth marks. What is Mycroft hiding and why is the Diogenes Club being targeted?
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(The Great Detective in Love Mysteries)
Deep Focus
by Gloria Repp
Rating: 4.6 #ad
A scheming woman. A man she can’t fathom. A mystery that endangers her career. Is this how God answers Lindsey’s prayers?
Lindsey Dumont, photographer, travels to the rugged coast of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula to finish her photo essay on a rare breed of Makah dogs.But disaster looms for her project, and she decides to fight back. Now she must confront the man who deceived her and unravel a threatening mystery.
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(The Dumont Chronicles Mysteries)
The Lightkeeper’s Daughters
by Jean E. Pendziwol
Rating: 4.5 #ad
With the haunting atmosphere and emotional power of The Language of Flowers, Orphan Train, and The Light Between Oceans, critically acclaimed children’s author Jean E. Pendziwol’s adult debut is an affecting story of family, identity, and art that involves a decades-old mystery.
Though her mind is still sharp, Elizabeth’s eyes have failed. No longer able to linger over her beloved books or gaze at the paintings that move her spirit, she fills the void with music and memories of her family, especially her beloved twin sister, Emily. When her late father’s journals are discovered after an accident, the past suddenly becomes all too present.
I Heard You Scream
by Emerald O’Brien
Rating: 4.1 #ad
Packed with nerve-shredding tension, I Heard You Scream is impossible to put down. The complex characters, fast-paced plot, and shocking twists will keep you on the edge of your seat. For fans of Riley Sager, Lucy Foley, and Shari Lapena. Five can keep a secret if four are dead.
On a cold fall night in a small Canadian town, four of Chelsea’s friends are found dead, victims of a brutal stabbing—a selfish act of revenge.
The only witness, Chelsea spends the next five years struggling to bury her trauma. The victims’ families call her a hero. Her fiancé calls her the love of his life.
My MacArthur
by Cindy Fazzi
Rating: 4.1 #ad
The year is 1930. The place: Manila. Douglas MacArthur is the most powerful man in the Philippines, a United States colony. He’s fifty years old, divorced, and he falls in love at first sight with a ravishing young Filipino woman. He writes her a love note on the spot. Her name is Isabel Rosario Cooper, an aspiring movie actress. One glance at his note and she thinks of him as my MacArthur.
MacArthur pursues his romantic obsession even though he’s breaking numerous taboos. She reciprocates his affection because he could open doors for her financially struggling family. That MacArthur happens to be handsome compensates for the fact that he’s as old as her father.
When MacArthur is appointed the U.S. Army chief of staff, he becomes the youngest four-star general and one of America’s most powerful men. Out of hubris, he takes Isabel with him to America without marrying her.
Saturday’s Mystery eBooks
Night Ferry to Death
by Patricia Moyes
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Scotland Yard’s Henry Tibbett and his beloved Emmy have been traveling and are now headed back to England, where Henry is on the ferry out of Harwich. It’s a trip Emmy’s been looking forward to—but her excitement flags when it becomes clear that the cabins are all spoken for, and she and Henry will have to bed down in the “sleeping lounge” with a motley collection of their fellow travelers. By morning, one traveler has lost both his life and his fortune in Dutch diamonds. That’s bad enough, but a few days later, when Emmy’s unpacking at home, she makes a discovery that puts both Tibbetts in real danger.
Four Months in Cuba
by Luana Ehrlich
Rating: 4.8 #ad
Titus thought it would be a simple rescue mission. He was wrong.
CIA operative, Titus Ray, arrives in Cuba on a mission to rescue a fellow operative from the hands of the Los Zetas drug cartel. Sounds simple enough.
Except it wasn’t simple . . . An unconventional operative arrives to complicate the rescue.
Except it wasn’t a rescue . . . An unexpected situation turns the mission into an escape.
Except it wasn’t a mission . . . An unexpected discovery reveals a hidden assignment.
It wasn’t a simple rescue mission. It was much more . . . More about his survival. More about his faith. More about himself.
The Misery House
by David Kummer
Rating: 4.2 #ad
Sometimes the quietest little towns are haunted by the darkest secrets. A psychological thriller and a family you’ll never forget.
New Haven: This rural town has never seen a string of tragedies like this. A local store burns to the ground with two bodies inside. A newlywed couple goes missing, and all signs point to the abandoned house. With no answers, the townsfolk grow more and more worried.
The Woods family has lived here forever. But when their friends and their own children are put in danger, the threat hits home. This close-knit family must risk everything to find answers, but time is running out.
New Haven has secrets. And a haunted house like you’ve never seen before.
Siege of Darkness
by R.A. Salvatore
Rating: 4.7 #ad
The conflict between the drow of the Underdark and the dwarves of Mithral Hall comes to a head—and Drizzt Do’Urden and Bruenor find themselves on the frontlines.
While Mithral Hall teems with whispers of the war to come, chaos erupts both above and below ground. On the surface of Faerûn, the first signs of the Time of Troubles make themselves known, forcing deities to assume their mortal forms. Beneath them in the Underdark, all but one drow house has lost their magical powers, and Lolth has handed the reins of leadership over to the demon Errtu.
Oyster Bay Boogie
by Eric Wilder
Rating: 4.7 #ad
Visit Oyster Island and Leave Ordinary Behind
Escape to the Majestic Hotel & Casino, the Prohibition-era resort nestled on an island off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s an island of mystery where bats and ghosts live in the old lighthouse, and a Cajun werewolf prowls under the moonlit sky. Join Jack Wiesinski and Grogan ‘Chief’ la Tortue on their thrilling hunt for a mysterious treasure that includes gold doubloons and unopened cases of decades-old bootleg Dominican Rum.
The adventure doesn’t end there. They embark on a perilous journey with the arrival of the stunning Odette Mouton, a talented dancer. As the island’s secrets unfold, they discover the werewolf isn’t the only otherworldly presence lurking in the shadows.
The Perfect Spy
by Amy Martinsen
Rating: 4.6 #ad
She’s got the best undercover crew. But will a sinister secret undo them?
Kate Ross has lost way too much in the last six months. With her mother’s death from breast cancer, an agent she handled killed on the job, and her career in jeopardy, the beleaguered CIA officer’s faith in God seems like another casualty. So she’s relieved to be offered a shot at redemption by managing an innovative team of “mom spies”… until they saddle her with a more experienced man as a babysitter.
Battling self-doubt and a loss of confidence in her espionage skills, Kate directs a smoothly successful first mission for the unit…
The Girl Who Survived
by Lisa Jackson
Rating: 4.3 #ad
In this deviously volatile, deliciously creepy thriller from the #1 New York Times bestseller, the lone survivor of a brutal family massacre must uncover the awful truth about the fateful night that left her forever marked…
Has she already had her last chance to be the final girl?
All her life, she’s been the girl who survived. Orphaned at age seven after a horrific killing spree at her family’s Oregon cabin, Kara McIntyre is still searching for some kind of normal. But now, twenty years later, the past has come thundering back. Her brother, Jonas, who was convicted of the murders has unexpectedly been released from prison.
The Last Time We Met
by Trisha Ridinger McKee
Rating: 4.3 #ad
As a member of the richest family in town, Willow understands the importance of reputation. Her stern grandmother has taught her that family secrets are to be buried, and as the most popular girl in school, Willow follows that lesson with a smile covering up the darkness.
But when Walden, the new guy from the wrong side of town comes to her school, Willow finds her image slipping and the secrets of her homelife in danger of being exposed. As a scandal tears the couple apart and throws Willow into a new, unfamiliar life, she must choose between saving Walden’s future or risking it all for love.
Friday’s Mystery eBooks
The Body in the Lighthouse
by Katherine Hall Page
Rating: 4.2 #ad
Something was very wrong on Sanpere this summer . . .
To escape the misery of a sweltering August in Aleford, Massachusetts, caterer and minister’s wife Faith Fairchild and her family head for their cottage on Maine’s peaceful Sanpere Island in Penobscot Bay. But things have changed since their last visit. An aggressive developer is moving forward on plans that will destroy the unique ambience of the island, infuriating residents. Tensions are running dangerously high, and soon murder rears its hideous head. Faith discovers a corpse while exploring the grounds of Sanpere’s historic lighthouse.
Winter’s Black Christmas
by Mary Stone
Rating: 4.4 #ad
Jingle all the way…to murder. When FBI Special Agent Winter Black enters a luxurious Montana cabin two days before Christmas, she’s excited because all the people she loves will be joining her soon. Her joy is dashed when an unexpected blizzard hits the area, leaving her stranded and without any means of communication.
And she’s not alone. Instead of her friends and family arriving, a momma cat shows up at the cabin’s door, begging for help. Braving the snow, Winter finds more than just the feline’s litter.
She finds a dead body.
When I Know Your Name
by G.M. Lawrence
Rating: 4.6 #ad
They planned the perfect kidnap. Except for one thing – they chose Elena.
Elena Dumont appears to have it all: a charmed life, a handsome boyfriend and wealthy, successful parents. But when she is kidnapped, she is forced to confront the problems that lurk beneath her perfect facade.
Although she is terrified, Elena digs deep and shows resilience and courage. One of her captors notices her bravery and they develop an unlikely bond.
Elena is faced with a choice: should she trust this man who is supposed to be her enemy?
ASBO
by Iain Rob Wright
Rating: 4.3 #ad
Andrew Goodman has never been a victim. Until now. A local gang of youths has targeted him with their sadistic games, and there’s no escape.
With his wife and daughter in danger, Andrew must face the youths outside his door, because if he doesn’t fight back, they’ll ruin his life forever.
#1 Amazon Thriller inspired by real events. Visceral and Compelling, for lovers of Eden Lake and the Girl Next Door. A disturbing thrill-ride with hundreds of 5 star reviews and a plot that is a little too close to home.
The Oracle of Maracoor
by Gregory Maguire
Rating: 4.4 #ad
The Oracle of Maracoor, the second in the trilogy called Another Day, continues the story of Elphaba’s green-skinned granddaughter, Rain. That strange land, Maracoor – across the ocean from Oz – is beset by an invading army. In the mayhem, Rain and Cossy, a child felon, break out of prison. Helped by a few flying monkeys, they struggle to escape the city before it falls under siege. Their arresting officer, Lucikles, also retreats with his family to a highland redoubt. But safety eludes them all. Chaos thunders upon them in the form of warriors, refugees, and brigands. The very fabric of reality loosens, liberating creatures of myth and legend—huge blue wolves, harpies, and giants made of the very landscape.
Six Seconds
by Rick Mofina
Rating: 4.4 #ad
Three strangers scattered across the world become entangled in a terrorist plot of global proportions in “this well-crafted and timely thriller” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
An aid worker who lost her husband and child in a brutal attack saves the life of an American contractor in Iraq. Believing he can help her avenge her family’s deaths, she follows him back home to the United States . . .
Meanwhile, a California soccer mom arrives to pick up her son from school, only to discover that her husband has taken their child and vanished without a trace . . .
Cold Mountain
by Charles Frazier
Rating: 4.4 #ad
In 1997, Charles Frazier’s debut novel Cold Mountain made publishing history when it sailed to the top of The New York Times best-seller list for sixty-one weeks, won numerous literary awards, including the National Book Award, and went on to sell over three million copies. Now, the beloved American epic returns, reissued by Grove Press to coincide with the publication of Frazier’s eagerly-anticipated second novel, Thirteen Moons. Sorely wounded and fatally disillusioned in the fighting at Petersburg, a Confederate soldier named Inman decides to walk back to his home in the Blue Ridge mountains to Ada, the woman he loves.
Thursday’s Mystery eBooks
The Christmas Coroner
by Paul Austin Ardoin
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Buried secrets. A dead online celebrity. Just in time for Christmas.
Days before the town’s annual Christmas Parade, an up-and-coming celebrity chef is found dead in a mountain cabin. As Coroner Fenway Stevenson investigates, she uncovers the chef’s dark past, a war brewing between local farms, and a hidden identity that could blow the town apart. Can Fenway unmask the murderer before she becomes the next victim?
The Enthronement
by Charity Mae
Rating: 4.3 #ad
Five-hundred years bloody of civil war ends in massacre or redemption based on the heart of one actress who never wanted this power.
Kascia is shattered when they ask her to join the Enthronement. She wants to stop the horrific suffering of her people, but is it worth the cost of her heart and soul? She’s left broken and unsure of her existence when the men in her life, who should have loved her, pressure her to join the Enthronement – a contest to prove one girl a true princess and marry the crown prince – so she can let her father’s rebels in to assassinate the royal family.
Her confidence is further shattered when the truths she once held dear are challenged upon entering the palace. The royal family is not what she’d expected them to be.
Race Against Time
by Sharon Sala
Rating: 4.5 #ad
Sometimes fate brings you together—only to tear you apart . . .
Growing up in the foster system, Quinn O’Meara made a point of never getting involved. But when she discovers a crying baby amid a fiery crime scene, she knows she has no choice. Suddenly in way over her head, Quinn turns to the police, unintentionally positioning herself in the crosshairs of a deadly human-trafficking ring.
The last time homicide detective Nick Saldano saw Quinn, she was still the young girl he’d shared a foster home with. The girl who’d loved and cared for him when no one else had. Now here she was, gorgeously all grown-up—and in terrible danger.
Oath of Loyalty
by Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills
Rating: 4.6 #ad
With President Anthony Cook convinced that Mitch Rapp poses a mortal threat to him, CIA Director Irene Kennedy is forced to construct a truce between the two men. The terms are simple: Rapp agrees to leave the country and stay in plain sight for as long as Cook controls the White House. In exchange, the administration agrees not to make any moves against him.
This fragile détente holds until Cook’s power-hungry security adviser convinces him that Rapp has no intention of honoring their agreement. To put him on the defensive, they leak the identity of his partner, Claudia Gould. As Rapp races to neutralize the enemies organizing against her, he discovers that a new type of assassin is on her trail.
Learning to Kill: Stories
by Ed McBain
Rating: 4.4 #ad
A “gripping” collection of crime stories from the author of the acclaimed 87th Precinct novels (People).
Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct is “perhaps the finest police procedural series of all time” (Publishers Weekly). But before he turned to novels, McBain wrote short crime fiction under various names, for pulp magazines including Manhunt and Argosy. Collected in this anthology are twenty-five of these early stories, organized under headings such as “Women in Jeopardy,” “Private Eyes,” “Loose Cannons,” and “Gangs.”
Vows and Vendettas
by Multiple Authors
Rating: 5.0 #ad
Our underworld is filled with bloodshed and malice, and darkness dominates our lives. It’s our world… where limits are built of smoke, and their rules have no power.
And when we find the object of our deepest desires, we are ruthless. Nothing, not even their defiance, will stand in our way.
We cast our shadows on them, and they give our corruption a purpose. Before, we were breaking the rules for ourselves. Now, we are breaking every rule for them.
Kidnapped by a Client
by Sharon R. Muse
Rating: 4.2 #ad
“He promised to kill me when he got out. I believed him. If I wanted justice, I had to fight both him and the courts…maybe kill him first. If I didn’t do something, I was going to die.”
This is not a manufactured dialogue from a thriller but the words of attorney Sharon Muse. They came after she survived an attempted kidnapping, rape, and murder at the hands of Larry Morrison, a former client. On April 7, 2006, Muse miraculously escaped from the sociopathic Morrison, only to find that the threat to her life was just beginning. Ineptitude in the justice system threatened to release Morrison and allow him the opportunity to finish the job, which he adamantly pledged to do. Muse would have to fight at every step to ensure her safety.