suspense

Featured Book: Spouse Trap by Cynthia Hamilton

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Blackmail, sabotage, and blood-chilling suspense converge in this psychological thriller meets detective mystery.

Madeline Ridley had it all: a handsome, successful husband, a place at the top of Santa Barbara society and every luxury money could buy. In all respects, her world was perfect…until she awoke in the early morning hours in an unfamiliar hotel room, alone, unclothed, with a splitting headache and no memory of how she got there.

When Steven Ridley comes home in the middle of a weekday and throws a sheaf of damning photos at her, Madeline’s enviable world collapses in a swirl of blackmail, sabotage and deceit. Hoping to convince Steven of her innocence, Madeline drives to his office and witnesses a scene that makes her realize who the enemy really is.

From that point on, Madeline deconstructs herself, reverting back to Madeline Dawkins while she tries to salvage what’s left of her life. In the process, she discovers where her true strengths lay. Utilizing those, she steels herself for battle, while her life hangs in the balance.

An action-packed ride full of unexpected twists. A must-read for fans of Ruth Ware, Karin Slaughter, and Mary Stone.

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Dare to Tell by Tara Fox Hall

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Dare to Tell by Tara Fox Hall

Urban single woman Jean Bane denies her dreams and ghostly visitations of impending death until a horrific active shooter event clarifies the messages as portents. In the aftermath, more ghosts visit Jean, saving her yet again in a car accident and asking for her to “come to Evergreen Hall”, to “bring it to justice”. Dreading their requests for aid, Jean ignores the ghosts and tries to go back to her former life. But after ghostly interference saves her life a third time, Jean leaves her boyfriend and friends for the small town of Blodgett Mills, to help restore the old estate called Evergreen Hall.
The new owner Carlton Fairhaven IV, real estate developer and recovering alcoholic, has grand plans for the family property, including transforming it into a bed and breakfast capitalizing on the Fairhaven family’s colorful history while downplaying the double series of murders of young girls decades before. But the crumbling mansion has ghosts of its own, many of which have witnessed or committed murder. When local young women began to go missing as they did ten years prior, Jean must decide if she dares to expose the hidden truth that has long festered within Evergreen Hall.

Escape to Osprey Cove by Luisa Marietta Gold

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Escape to Osprey Cove by Luisa Marietta Gold

The mystery begins with an unusual find in the secret compartment of Doug’s new Corvette, changing his and Catherine’s life forever. Doug’s mysterious behavior afterward forces Catherine to escape to The Osprey Cove Lodge, where she finds something even more valuable. The series spans seven geographic locations, from the scenic Canadian region of the Rideau Lakes to the shores of the Caribbean. An exciting web of mystery develops as the characters’ lives intertwine. The description of the lodge is so inviting that you will want to pack your bags and head there.

The Secret of Heaven by Felix Alexander

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The Secret of Heaven by Felix Alexander

A lost Bible dating back to the time of Christ, and written by one of his disciples, is at the center of the murder of disgraced investment banker, Lazzaro de Medici. Wanted for questioning in connection to the murder, Professor of Biblical Studies, Aiden Leonardo races against the clock to find the lost Bible, while flying from the F.B.I., the Chicago PD, and a secret organization intent on destroying the ancient relic and tying up loose ends.
With only an encrypted letter and the help of his fiance, Miriam, and their close friend Nagi, Aiden utilizes his extensive knowledge of scripture to unravel the clues and find the secret of heaven, lest it be lost to forever.

Featured Book: Escape to Osprey Cove by Luisa Marietta Gold

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Shadowed Souls by Mark Edward Jones

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Detective Henry Ike Pierce joins his colleagues to celebrate a destination wedding in Hawaii. Amid beautiful scenery and new friends, paradise has its surprises. A dying man on a beach utters seemingly disjointed words that may be a warning. Henry finds himself pulled into another maelstrom, pursuing elements of Miomir Kurić’s criminal enterprise, while a man seeks revenge for his father’s death, one caused by Henry Pierce.

His responsibility for the death torments Henry. The man’s lifeless face and staring eyes haunt his dreams, and Henry’s internal turmoil imperils his colleagues and endangers his loved ones. A friend warns him that our worst memories and grief hide in the shadows of our souls. This young detective’s guilt casts a long shadow.

Targeted Age Group:: Middle school and older

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I love Hawaii, especially Maui. The next book in my detective series needed a place for a destination wedding, so I thought of Maui. Writing about a place I enjoy visiting, made the writing all that easier.

Predator by Liz McCraine

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Some secrets don’t stay buried.

If sixteen-year-old Hannah doesn’t score big on her AP Biology exam, she won’t get into the pre-veterinary medicine program of her dreams. But between her biology teacher assigning her an absurd research project, her friend Livvy keeping secrets, and a former nemesis igniting sparks of attraction she can’t ignore, Hannah’s focus is as steady as a three-legged puppy.

Hannah is convinced the school year can’t get any harder… until Livvy is killed by a mountain lion. Struggling to accept her best friend’s demise, Hannah researches mountain lions for her project. As she digs deeper into the species’ hunting behavior, she unearths conflicting facts about her friend’s death and reaches a staggering conclusion.

Can Hannah catch the killer before it’s too late, or will she become prey in a final hunt?

Targeted Age Group:: 12-24

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
When I was a teenager, my family moved to a rural area in northern California. One of the first things our neighbors did when we arrived was warn us about mountain lion attacks. The big cats were prevalent in the area, and livestock had been killed. Since we owned horses, and one of our mares had recently given birth, our home was a prime target for an attack. We learned to make loud noises whenever we went outside, to walk in a line with the smallest child in front, and to keep yard lights on at night. We were constantly afraid. Now that I’m older and have moved away, I no longer look over my shoulder when I go outside. But I’ll never forget that time. It seemed too easy to use the fear I felt in one of my stories, and so, PREDATOR was created.

Featured Book: The Gouge by MH David

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Ebook On Sale: Only $0.99 Sept. 1- Sept 8

Carson ran away from Cypress Creek to escape his dark past—his father was the serial killer dubbed, “The Man in the Woods”. Twenty-two years have passed, and a simple text message threatens to bring all of his secrets out into the open.

The freshly slain bodies of two teenage girls have been discovered in the woods of Cypress Creek, and the methods by which the girls were killed are identical to those found nearly twenty-two years earlier on his father’s victims. The now retired detective who worked the first case has long suspected Carson Bates knew more than what he revealed during interrogations; now is his chance to prove it.

Carson returns to Cypress Creek to finally face his past, but it is soon clear that Carson isn’t the only person in that small-town harboring dark secrets about that fateful night in the woods.

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Featured Book: Serenity by Craig A. Hart

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Shelby Alexander knew one thing …

Trusting anyone would be a huge mistake.

But can he survive alone?

When Shelby moved back to his small hometown of Serenity after retiring from boxing, he was looking for a little peace and quiet. He was getting too old for all the high-octane nonsense of his prior life.

But when he finds a badly injured girl curled up by his barn, freezing in the winter chill, he knows the jig is up. And if the local sheriff has anything to say about it, Shelby will be spending a lot his retirement in jail.

Ah, well … it’s just another day in the small town of Serenity.

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When Push Comes to Shoot by Rena Koontz

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When Push Comes to Shoot by Rena Koontz

Emma Hunter’s tyrannical brother deserved to die, even if the manner of his murder was horror-movie gruesome. As a police lieutenant, she’s duty-bound to provide whatever assistance she can in hunting down her brother’s killer, but she doesn’t mourn his loss. Business acquaintances, former friends, and even his relatives agree the world is better off without the despicable bully.
With no clues and too many suspects, it looks like the murderer might be home free—until tenacious Detective Jared Jones’ suspicions turn to Emma’s sweet sister-in-law. Emma knows for a fact that her brother’s mentally and emotionally abused wife is innocent, but conflicting loyalties prevent her from speaking up and turning the investigation in the right direction. What’s best for her brother’s widow could cost Emma everything she values—her career, her reputation, even her freedom.