Mystery Reads

Featured Book: TRUST: A Psychological Thriller by Sharon A. Mitchell

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lizabeth thought that after all they’d been through, the bad parts were over.

She was wrong, so very wrong.

After saving herself and her little boy from abductors, Elizabeth yearns to put the terror behind them, to cocoon with her son, safe and secure at home.

Court hearings confirm that they suffered the worst betrayal possible. She never dreamed that she’d have to battle the law to protect her medically fragile little boy when his life and sanity are on the line.

When her son is targeted and taken, Elizabeth will do anything to save him.

Ordinary people, thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

Read TRUST, Book Two of the psychological thriller series When Bad Things Happen.

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Featured Book: Ménage à Murder by Susan Kiernan-Lewis

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A shocking murder very near to Claire makes it clear just how far her father will go to get what he wants. Stunned by the brutality of the cold-blooded murder of an innocent, Claire will need to use every skill she possesses if she’s going to find the killer before he sets his sights on the next person she loves.

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Featured Book: DEATH IN POTTER’S WOODS by Betty Jean CRAIGE

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“Potter’s Woods,” a novel set in the north Georgia mountains, features two interconnected mysteries: the 1866 murder of Patrick Potter, the original owner of the 40-acre Potter’s Woods; and the 2019 murder of an environmental activist whose book Paving Gaia threatens to block the development of the old-growth forest.
The action develops from this email sent to the community of Witherston:

By midnight on Wednesday, December 25, exactly 3,000 of Francis Hearty Withers’s beneficiaries—that’s 75 percent of Witherston’s population—must each contribute $5,000 of their inheritance to the Indigenous Peoples Reparations Initiative, or Mayor Rhonda Rather will die, along with other beneficiaries who do not contribute.

All of Witherston’s current residents benefitted financially from a crime against the Cherokee Indians that occurred in the early nineteenth century. The theme of “Potter’s Woods” is the rectification of the general injustice perpetrated by the founders of Witherston against the Cherokees who had occupied the land for a thousand years and the specific injustice perpetrated against Patrick Potter. The story is told through narration, dialogue, documents, and articles and letters in OnlineWitherston, the local news source.

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Featured Book: The Penitent Priest by J.R. Mathis and Susan Mathis

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Free First in a 12 Book Series!

My wife died in my arms, the victim of a nameless killer’s bullet. I should have died with her. But God had other plans for me.

Fifteen years later, I’m back where it all happened. I just want to forget, but the past won’t leave me alone.

Now, I’m asking a woman who I left broken-hearted twenty years before to catch my wife’s killer.

I’m Father Tom Greer, a Catholic priest, and I’m playing with fire.

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Featured Book: The Woman He Used to Know by Helen Starbuck

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Detective Nick Ryan and Elizabeth Harper haven’t seen each other in five years after she married a man he despised. Her husband is dead, and she has many reasons to want him dead. Hasty decisions have brought Nick and Elizabeth to a strange and bloody crossroads. He’s worried his feelings for her will help her get away with murder, and she’s worried they’ll land her in prison. An old flame, a dead husband, and a compromised cop. What could go wrong?

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Featured Book: The Coniston Curse by Joseph Allen

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Two boys, Edward and Richard Coniston, vanish on their way home from an upper-class private school in Manhattan. Is it a kidnapping? No ransom demand shows up. Then the boys’ bodies are found in a forest area of Weschester County, having been chewed on by wild animals, including a bear and a Bigfoot.

Join Hugo, Ruth and Gabriele as they fly to Monte Carlo to check out a rich relative of the boys who might have been involved. Did the boys fall from a tower on their uncle’s estate? How did they get to Westchester from Manhattan?

It’s a tangled web based loosely on a real family tragedy from the late Middle Ages, transposed to current-day New York City. Thrills and chills aplenty.

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Featured Book: The Rislington Murders by Mike Willcox

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Kindle edition avaiable as free download.
This is the first in a series of short fictional detective stories set in the 1930s, so if you are a lover of mystery books, then this story is for you. The Rislington Murders (Simply Not Just Cricket) is set in the fictional village of Rislington in the United Kingdom with a unique twist in the plot, combining the philandering of a local woman, an extramarital affair and childhood rejection. Although the setting for this murder mystery begins at the local cricket club, the plot thickens when it becomes evident that the bases for all the murders are far from the cricket club.

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Featured Book: Escape to Osprey Cove by Luisa Marietta Gold

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Free Kindle Book Promo — October 24 — 26, 2021
What Doug finds in the secret compartment of his new red Corvette will forever change both his and Catherine’s life. Doug and Catherine come from two different worlds. Catherine’s world is one of privilege and wealth. Doug grew up dirt poor and full of envy of others who had the things that he wanted but could not have. His goal was to one day have all the things he coveted. Their worlds collide when Catherine, VP of a large New York City marketing firm, hires Doug. As soon as Doug learns of Catherine’s wealth, he sees Catherine as his ticket to all the things he covets. After a whirlwind courtship, they are married.

Poor boy meets rich girl should have resulted in happily ever after — not exactly. Doug quickly learns he also covets independence. Events begin to unfold in each of their lives. For Doug, it is his mysterious discovery in the secret compartment of the Corvette. For Catherine, it is a business meeting with Alex Droxell at the Osprey Cove Lodge. When Catherine enters the beautiful and serene lodge, it’s as though she is entering another place and time. The lodge is an escape from the nightmare she is living back home.

Authors Note: The Osprey Cove Lodge series is uniquely written, spanning seven geographic locations from the scenic Canadian region of the Rideau lakes to the beautiful shores of the Caribbean. An interesting web of mystery develops as the characters’ lives intertwine. The Osprey Cove Lodge series setting was born from my love of the beauty of this region in Canada. The description of the lodge is so beautiful and inviting that you will want to pack your bags and head there. The series is written in a continuing fashion; please be sure to read the books in the order written.

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Featured Book: Suite Suspicion by J.T. Kelly

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More insidious deeds are afoot in Suite Suspicion. If you crave heart-wrenching suspense and crime mystery, this third installment of the International Thriller series will keep you mesmerized with every twist and turn.

After the legal affairs of the slain Hugo DeMann are settled, his family proceeds with the development of DeMann Suites hotel on the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee in northern Indiana. During the construction of a new luxury pool, bones of ancient Potawatomi Indians are disturbed and fears of spirits are rising.

Two teenage sisters have now gone missing from DeMann Suites. Their father was the judge in the trial of DeMann’s murderer. Criminal elements may still hold a grudge against him for his role in their crony’s life sentence. Could they be behind the girls’ mysterious disappearance?

When the investigation moves to Europe, Interpol searches for a nefarious organization in Berlin. Intel from the CIA leads them to the masterminds behind the production of radioactive bombs. Suspected Nazi sympathizers involved in this dangerous scheme must be stopped before their weapons are delivered to the hands of Middle Eastern terrorists.

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Featured Book: The Secret of Heaven by Felix Alexander

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When investment banker Lazzaro de Medici is found dead, Professor of Biblical Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago Aiden Leonardo is the prime suspect. In possession of an encrypted letter given to him by Lazzaro, Aiden utilizes his extensive knowledge of Scripture to piece together clues that lead to a Lost Bible dating back to the time of Christ.

Hidden within the text is an ancient truth about the most controversial message Jesus left to His disciples. But as Aiden embarks on his quest to unravel the mystery of redemption and faith, a secret organization known only as The Group hunts him down to destroy the Lost Bible and tie up loose ends.

With the help of his fiancé Dr. Miriam Levin—a cultural anthropologist and a professor of historical archaeology in her own right, their friend Nagi, a philologist, religious historian and an eccentric cryptographer, Aiden soon realizes the Lost Bible was written by the only disciple who walked with Jesus and had his gospel omitted from Scripture.

Things are further complicated when a mysterious stranger warns Aiden that possessing the secret of heaven could cost him his life. Pursued by the F.B.I. for the ancient Black market relic and the Chicago PD in connection to the murder of Lazzaro de Medici, Aiden races against the clock to prove his innocence and fulfill his mentor’s dying wish.

Expose the secret of heaven…

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Featured Book: Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster

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Free!
“Perfect…Impossible to put down.” L. Levenson, CBS Legal Correspondent.
A prominent Judge is murdered, and a sixteen year-old girl, Hannah Sheraton, is accused. Only Josie Bates, an attorney with a shameful past, will defend her. But the more Josie digs the more she realizes that politics, privilege, and family connections are a combustible combination that will either free Hannah or destroy them both.

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Welcome to Mystery Reads

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Looking for your next great mystery? We are here to help you find it. From sleuths to suspense and even romance, we are looking for the best mystery books for you to read. Come join our newsletter to stay on top of our latest finds and maybe even win a book!

Let us know your favorite Mystery genre and what you would like to see on our site.

Featured Book: The Essence of Nathan Biddle by J. William Lewis

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About Featured Book: The Essence of Nathan Biddle by J. William Lewis

$2.99 for one week only! Amazon bestseller in Coming of Age and Classic American Fiction.

Protagonist Kit Biddle is a rising prep school senior who finds himself tangled in a web of spiritual quandaries and intellectual absurdities. Kit’s angst is compounded by a unique psychological burden he is forced to carry: his intelligent but unstable Uncle Nat has committed an unspeakable act on what, according to the Uncle’s deranged account, were direct orders from God.

The tragedy haunting his family follows Kit like a dark and foreboding cloud, exacerbating his already compulsive struggle with existential questions about the meaning of his life. When the brilliant, perhaps phantasmic, Anna dismisses him, Kit quickly spirals into despair and self-destruction. But when his irrational decision to steal a maintenance truck and speed aimlessly down the highway ends in a horrific accident and months of both physical and emotional convalescence, Kit is forced to examine his perceptions of his life and his version of reality. [Read more…] about Featured Book: The Essence of Nathan Biddle by J. William Lewis

The Man of Her Dreams by Dee S Knight

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The Man of Her Dreams by Dee S Knight

Cassandra Hudson has traveled across country to a small town in South Carolina to find a tall man with deep, blue eyes that she’s only met in her dreams. She “sees” that he’s in danger and wants to stop him from a possible death. But more than that, she’s desperate to solve a mystery that involves her husband who has been dead for over two years. Too bad for her, her dream man wants to solve the mysteries of her body more than help her find a solution to her problem.

When Dan Morgan stops to help a beautiful woman on the side of the road outside his hometown, he doesn’t realize that she will drag him into the world of the paranormal in an effort to find out what happened to her husband and the half million dollars he was accused of stealing. What he does realize is the strong attraction he feels for her, despite his distrust of anything mystical, and the undeniable power she holds over him using her sexy body as a lure.

Love—if they can capture it—will make it both easier and harder for them to find the answers they need.

Featured Book: The Spy Who Loved My Russian Tea Cakes by Marilyn Barr

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About Featured Book: The Spy Who Loved My Russian Tea Cakes by Marilyn Barr

Reiki Practitioner Cassie Bench is the black sheep of her family. She would rather work over the Christmas holidays than answer her family’s interrogation about her non-existent love life and career choices. She assures herself it has nothing to do with the handsome coma patient, Sergei Chekov who stars in her dreams.

Sergei wakes from blackness and dreams of a siren’s call. He isn’t sure who he can trust when the woman from his dreams walks into his room with his favorite childhood treat to jog his memory. Despite his attraction to her, he must escape to safety.

Cassie is heartbroken and left with nothing but questions. Who was the woman who convinced her to wake Sergei? Why is the FBI involved? And will she ever see Sergei again or will she be left to pine over the spy who loved Russian tea cakes?

This Romance book is available in these Formats: eBook

Buy Book Here.

Taken, A Detective Al Warner Novel by George A Bernstein

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Taken, A Detective Al Warner Novel by George A Bernstein

The corpse of a Miami hooker is discovered in the Everglades. As Detective Al Warner investigates, he learns other streetwalkers also have disappeared, and this homicide is now a case of human trafficking. Nicki, a female undercover cop, goes as a streetwalker, hoping to be taken so she can use a tracking device, but it’s stripped from her before she can activate it.
Meanwhile, Maggie is offered a lucrative deal as a birth surrogate for a secretive, wealthy couple. She’s living nine months in luxurious seclusion but begins to worry when another surrogate disappears a month before her term. Maggie discovers her fetus is a tool of extortion, and fears for her life. She attempts to flee the mansion, but her “hosts” refuse to let her go. Her life is trivial to them, but they need the child she carries.
Trapped at the bordello on a remote ’Glades island reached only by airboats, Nicki embarks on daring foray to find and activate the tracker. If she fails, she’ll become a sex slave like the other women imprisoned there, with little hope of rescue. Warner and his team eagerly await Nicki’s signal. Without that, there’s no clue to her location, and no idea of the deadly confrontation that awaits them. Warner is thrust into danger as he seeks to free the sex slaves and also rescue Maggie and a second infant before it’s too late. Lives are on the line, and only Al Warner can save them.

Featured Book: Pretty Killer by Nolon King

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About Featured Book: Pretty Killer by Nolon King

Revenge is served…

Twelve people bound by a secret arrive for an exclusive dinner only to find that the other guests are familiar in the most troubling of ways.

Ella Boyer isn’t looking forward to attending the Bayshore alumni dinner with her husband, Noah. There aren’t enough pills in the world to numb her fears of seeing her classmates again … especially after what she did all those years ago.

Her sorority sister Heidi Blanchard, equally guilty, will be at the same exclusive restaurant that night. In the aftermath of their secret shame, Heidi’s turned lying into a sport and has lost her compass for truth. She’s there for a job … or so she thinks.

Bindi Bridges, former guidance counselor at Bayshore, has no idea about the alumni dinner or Heidi’s job offer. She’s at Crave to learn who her husband’s been sleeping with, tipped by an unknown source.
[Read more…] about Featured Book: Pretty Killer by Nolon King

Featured Book: Living in Cleveland with the Ghost of Joseph Stalin by Marc Sercomb

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About Featured Book: Living in Cleveland with the Ghost of Joseph Stalin by Marc Sercomb

On sale for $0.99 from 11/19 to 11/24/2021!
It’s the summer of 1953. Calvin Jefferson Coolidge is thirteen years old when the ghost of Joseph Stalin appears to him in his Aunt Evelyn’s cluttered Cleveland attic and wants to dictate his memoirs to him.

“I want to tell my side of the story,” Uncle Joe tells him. “They’re giving me one year to set the record straight, so we need to get started right away.”

Calvin’s life is falling apart at the seams. He’s a misfit and loner whose only friends are famous dead people. He loves polka music and Westerns and sometimes wonders what it would be like to kiss a girl. His con man father is in Florida looking for his bipolar runaway mother. His cousin Buck is abducted and experimented on by aliens. The lady next door wants to coach him in the ways of love. His pastor thinks he’s headed straight for Hell. His English teacher thinks he’s a savant. The school psychologist wants to have him committed. His shrink thinks he’s just plain nuts. Sometimes, Calvin believes it too.

Everybody’s trying to figure out what makes Calvin tick in this quirky, fast-paced metaphysical romp through the heart and soul of 1950’s America.

This Fiction book is available in these Formats: eBook

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Featured Book: Killing the Secret by Donna Welch Jones

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About Featured Book: Killing the Secret by Donna Welch Jones

FREE on Amazon: November 17-21, 2021
Who is murdering the women who played on a championship basketball team twenty years ago? Sheriff Lexie searches for the sin that put the players on the kill list. Lexie's investigation intensifies when a local woman is murdered. The citizens blame her for the death. When Lexie discovers there are three secrets, she fears more will die while her investigation goes in multiple directions. One of the women may be the next first lady of the United States-provided she doesn't die first.

This Mystery book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

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