Crime/Mystery Books
Mystery novels are puzzles that need a solution. We enjoy the thrill of the chase, the narrow escapes, and follow the clues to guess how the story is going to end. The mystery genre has been around for more than two centuries now and there are reasons why it happens to be the most popular of all genres out there. Here are top picks from our passionate community of readers.
Desperation in Death
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Layla
When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.
Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.
Rising Tiger: A Thriller (Volume 21)
Deadly operative Scot Harvath faces down the country’s most powerful enemy
in #1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brad
Thor’s new white-knuckle thriller. An unprecedented, potentially
nation-ending threat has materialized on the world stage. Though the United
States has long been aware of the growing risk, administration after
administration has passed the buck, fearful of the global consequences of
engaging this enemy head-on. The clock, however, has now run out and doing
nothing is no longer an option. With the stakes higher than they have ever
been, it is time to unleash Scot Harvath. As America’s top spy, Harvath has
the unparalleled skills and experience necessary to handle any situation,
but this assignment feels different and appears doomed from the start.
Thrust into a completely unfamiliar culture, with few he can trust, the
attempts on his life begin piling up the moment he arrives. Someone,
somewhere, knows far too much. With democracy itself hanging in the
balance, Harvath will risk everything to untangle the explosive plot and
bring every last bad actor to justice. Read more
The Law: A Dresden Files Novella
From the number one New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, a
forthcoming novella that thrusts Chicago’s only professional Wizard, Harry
Dresden, back into battle–both a legal one…and the kind with explosions. Read more
Bad Actors
In London’s MI5 headquarters a scandal is brewing that could disgrace the entire intelligence community. The Downing Street superforecaster—a specialist who advises the Prime Minister’s office on how policy is likely to be received by the electorate—has disappeared without a trace. Claude Whelan, who was once head of MI5, has been tasked with tracking her down.
But the trail leads him straight back to Regent’s Park itself, with First Desk Diana Taverner as chief suspect. Has Taverner overplayed her hand at last? Meanwhile, her Russian counterpart, Moscow intelligence’s First Desk, has cheekily showed up in London and shaken off his escort. Are the two unfortunate events connected?
Over at Slough House, where Jackson Lamb presides over some of MI5’s most embittered demoted agents, the slow horses are doing what they do best, and adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation . . .
There are bad actors everywhere, and they usually get their comeuppance before the credits roll. But politics is a dirty business, and in a world where lying, cheating and backstabbing are the norm, sometimes the good guys can find themselves outgunned.1
Wild Prey: An Inspector Lu Fei Mystery
“[A] taut thriller on a topical theme perfect for readers longing for an
au courant successor to Eliot Pattison’s Inspector Shan Tao Yun mysteries”
–Los Angeles TimesThe search for a missing girl sends Inspector Lu Fei
undercover into the wild corners of Myanmar, and the compound of the deadly
and mysterious woman warlord responsible for the illegal trafficking of
exotic animals and possibly more, in the next book from Brian Klingborg,
Wild Prey.Police Inspector Lu Fei has an unfortunate talent for getting
himself into hot water with powerful and well-connected people. Which is
why he’s been assigned to a backwater town in a rural area of Northern
China and quietly warned to keep his head down. But while running a sting
operation on the sale and consumption of rare and endangered animals, Lu
comes across the curious case of a waitress who has gone missing. Her last
known whereabouts: a restaurant frequented by local elites, owned by
smooth-talking gangster, and known for its exotic — and highly illegal —
delicacies. As usual, Lu’s investigation ruffles some feathers, resulting
in his suspension from the police force. Lu figures he’s reached a
dead-end. Then he’s contacted by a mysterious government official in
Beijing who wants him to go undercover to track down the mastermind behind
an illegal animal trafficking network — and hopefully, the answer to the
fate of the missing waitress. The mission will require Lu to travel deep
into the lawless wilds of Myanmar, where he will risk his life to
infiltrate the hidden compound of a mysterious and ruthless female warlord
in a bloody and nearly hopeless quest for justice. Read more
The Dark Flood: A Benny Griessel Novel
From internationally acclaimed crime writer Deon Meyer, a new thriller
featuring superstar detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido in the wake
of their impulsive pursuit of state corruption that has left their
reputations hanging in the balanceHaving jeopardized their careers in an
unauthorized investigation that threatened to reveal the corruption in
South Africa’s halls of power, Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido have been
demoted from the elite Hawks police unit. While waiting to be transferred
from Cape Town to seemingly mundane duty in Stellenbosch, Griessel receives
a disturbing, anonymous letter: “I can only trust you and Captain Cupido.
There is an adder in our bosom. Be careful of phone calls.” Assigned to
investigate the disappearance of Callie de Bruin, a young university
student and brilliant computer programmer, they hit dead ends until the
trail, including the death of a fellow officer, leads to a series of gun
heists and the alarming absence of certain weapons from the police
registry, the ramifications of which could be devastating.As Griessel and
Cupido intensify their search for de Bruin, real estate agent Sandra
Steenberg confronts her own crisis: state corruption has caused the real
estate market to crash, exacerbating the dire financial straits facing her
family. When billionaire Jasper Boonstra contacts her to represent a major
property he wants to sell, she pushes aside her concerns about his
notorious reputation as playboy and swindler. And then Boonstra himself
disappears, and Griessel is forced to juggle between Boonstra’s bitter
wife, protective lawyer, and Steenberg, the last person to see him
alive.With propulsive and intricate plotting, sharp prose, and an ending
that takes one’s breath away just when the dust seems to have settled, The
Dark Flood spotlights the state capture and corruption that has overtaken
the country, lending political weight to a powerful story. Read more
The Marlow Murder Club
“An absolute joy to read. Funny, entertaining, and beautifully written.”
―B. A. Paris, New York Times bestselling authorA delightfully clever new
mystery from creator of BBC One’s hilarious murder mystery series Death in
ParadiseMeet Judith: a seventy-seven-year-old whiskey drinking, crossword
puzzle author living her best life in a dilapidated mansion on the
outskirts of Marlow.Nothing ever happens in Marlow. That is, until Judith
hears her neighbor shot while skinny-dipping in the Thames. The local
police don’t believe her story. It’s an open and shut case, of course. Ha!
Stefan can’t be left for dead like that.Judith investigates and picks up a
crew of sidekicks: Suzie the dogwalker and Becks the vicar’s wife.
Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.When another body turns up, they
realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle
they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never
escape…Robert Thorogood, has turned the Christie-mystery on its head with
this ever-so-sly cozy perfect for readers who love Richard Osmond’s
Thursday Murder Club and An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good.”Lightweight but
no-nonsense and genuinely brainy”―Kirkus Reviews”Damn right funny and
heartwarming…great fun”―Crime Time”I love Robert Thorogood’s
writing.”―Peter James, international bestselling author Read more
Triple Cross: The Greatest Alex Cross Thriller Since Kiss the Girls (The Alex Cross Thrillers)
James Patterson’s #1 bestselling hero Detective Alex Cross hunts down a
serial killer who targets entire families—and who will next be coming for
the Crosses. A precise killer, he always moves under the cover of
darkness, flawlessly triggering no alarms, leaving no physical evidence.
Cross and Sampson aren’t the only ones investigating. Also in on this
most intriguing case is the world’s bestselling true-crime author, who sees
patterns everyone else misses. The writer, Thomas Tull, calls the Family
Man murders the perfect crime story. He believes the killer may never be
caught. Cross knows there is no perfect crime. And he’s going to hunt
down the Family Man no matter what it takes. Until the Family Man
decides to flip the narrative and bring down Cross and his family. Read more
Dead Against Her
Sheriff Bree Taggert’s downfall is part of a killer’s cunning design in #1
Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s
novel of murder, lies, and revenge.Called to an isolated farm to check on
an elderly widow, Sheriff Bree Taggert finds a brutal double homicide. One
of the victims is Eugene Oscar, the bitter and corrupt former deputy she
recently forced out of the department.Working with criminal investigator
Matt Flynn, Bree discovers that she isn’t the only one who had a troubling
history with Eugene. But someone doesn’t want Bree digging up the past. She
becomes the target of a stranger’s sick and devious campaign calculated to
destroy her reputation, career, family, and new relationship with Matt. To
make matters worse, she’s the prime suspect in Eugene’s murder.When her
chief deputy goes missing while investigating the case, Bree refuses to
back down. She won’t let him become the next victim. His life and her
future depend on finding a killer nursing a vengeful rage. Read more
The King Arthur Case: A Brittany Mystery
The King Arthur Case is the seventh installment of Jean-Luc Bannalec’s
bestselling mystery series.The forest of Broceliande, with its picturesque
lakes and castles, is the last remnant of the fairy kingdom, if Breton lore
is to be believed. Innumerable legends spanning thousands of years are set
here, inclding the tale of King Arthur and the Round Table.It seems to be
an appropriate destination for Commissaire Dupin and his team to take a
late summer field trip. But when the body of a historian turns up, Dupin is
called upon to investigate in the brutal murder case. Before too long,
there are more victims. What knowledge do the assembled scientists have
about the most recent archaeological digs in the area? Where do they stand
on the controversial decision to turn parts of the forest into an amusement
park? And why is no one willing to talk? Even Nolwenn, Dupin’s unshakeable
assistant, is concerned. And that means trouble.Mysterious, ingenious, and
suspenseful: Dupin’s seventh case takes him and his team into the very
heart of Brittany. Read more
In the Blood: A Thriller (Volume 5)
“Take my word for it, James Reece is one rowdy motherf***er. Get ready!”
—Chris Pratt, star of The Terminal List, coming to Amazon Prime The #1 New
York Times bestselling Terminal List series continues as James Reece
embarks on a global journey of vengeance.A woman boards a plane in the
African country of Burkina Faso having just completed a targeted
assassination for the state of Israel. Two minutes later, her plane is
blown out of the sky. Over 6,000 miles away, former Navy SEAL James Reece
watches the names and pictures of the victims on cable news. One face
triggers a distant memory of a Mossad operative attached to the CIA years
earlier in Iraq—a woman with ties to the intelligence services of two
nations…a woman Reece thought he would never see again. Reece enlists
friends new and old across the globe to track down her killer, unaware that
he may be walking into a deadly trap. Read more
Every Cloak Rolled in Blood
In his most autobiographical novel to date, James Lee Burke continues the
epic Holland family saga with a writer grieving the death of his daughter
while battling earthly and supernatural outlaws.Novelist Aaron Holland
Broussard is shattered when his daughter Fannie Mae dies suddenly. As he
tries to honor her memory by saving two young men from a life of crime amid
their opioid-ravaged community, he is drawn into a network of villainy that
includes a violent former Klansman, a far-from-holy minister, a biker club
posing as evangelicals, and a murderer who has been hiding in plain sight.
Aaron’s only ally is state police officer Ruby Spotted Horse, a no-nonsense
woman who harbors some powerful secrets in her cellar. Despite the air of
mystery surrounding her, Ruby is the only one Aaron can trust. That is,
until the ghost of Fannie Mae shows up, guiding her father through a
tangled web of the present and past and helping him vanquish his foes from
both this world and the next. Drawn from James Lee Burke’s own life
experiences, Every Cloak Rolled in Blood is a devastating exploration of
the nature of good and evil and a deeply moving story about the power of
love and family. Read more
All Good People Here: A Novel (Random House Large Print)
In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast
Crime Junkie, a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she
becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the
disappearance of another girl twenty years later. You can’t ever know for
sure what happens behind closed doors.Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana,
remembers the infamous case of January Jacobs, who was discovered in a
ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six
at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In
the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a
big-city journalist. But she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it
could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been
brought to justice.When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle
after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s
walked into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembers—genial,
stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from
the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar
to January’s. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find
Natalie and to solve January’s murder once and for all.But the police,
Natalie’s family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And
the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance
she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could January’s killer
still be out there? Is it the same person who took Natalie? And what will
it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years
ago?Twisty, chilling, and intense, All Good People Here is a searing tale
that asks: What are your neighbors capable of when they think no one is
watching? Read more
The Gaiety
Victorian London, 1899. Seigfried Wallace, a lowly insurance clerk, is invited by Mr. James Spall, a friend from his upper management, to The Gaiety, a private gentlemen’s club for a evening’s social engagement. Somewhat begrudgingly, Seigfried accepts. Soon after, James disappears, and Seigfried sets about trying to connect his friend’s disappearance with the club. A second (somewhat mysterious) invite to a Christmas Eve gathering at the club draws Seigfried closer to the reasons for James’ disappearance, as well as engaging him in the club’s most secret purposes—those made privy only to its highest, distinguished members.
Dream Master
One reporter’s investigation into the strange and the unexplained. Reporter Billy Sloan receives a letter from a friend that her dreams are being invaded by the same shadowy figure that is invading her other female friends dreams.
The House at the End of the World
Soon no one on Earth will have a place to hide in this novel about fears
known and unknown by #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean
Koontz.In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie
lives alone in a fortresslike stone house on Jacob’s Ladder island. Once a
rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.The
neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research
facility. And now two agents have arrived on Jacob’s Ladder in search of
someone―or something―they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace
hangs over these men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so
strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.Katie soon
finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But
Katie’s not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent
squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie
landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the
end of the world. Read more
The Quarter Storm: A Novel (Mambo Reina)
Haitian-American Vodou priestess Mambo Reina Dumond runs a healing practice from her New Orleans home. Gifted with water magic since she was a child, Reina is devoted to the benevolent traditions of her ancestors.
After a ritual slaying in the French Quarter, police arrest a fellow vodouisant. Detective Roman Frost, Reina’s ex-boyfriend—a fierce nonbeliever—is eager to tie the crime, and half a dozen others, to the Vodou practitioners of New Orleans. Reina resolves to find the real killer and defend the Vodou practice and customs, but the motives behind the murder are deeper and darker than she imagines.
As Reina delves into the city’s shadows, she untangles more than just the truth behind a devious crime. It’s a conspiracy. As a killer wields dangerous magic to thwart Reina’s investigation, she must tap into the strength of her own power and faith to solve a mystery that threatens to destroy her entire way of life.
Murder on the Red River (A Cash Blackbear Mystery Book 1)
1970s, Red River Valley between North Dakota and Minnesota: Renee “Cash” Blackbear is 19 years old and tough as nails. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where she drives truck for local farmers, drinks beer, plays pool, and helps solve criminal investigations through the power of her visions. She has one friend, Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, who helped her out of the broken foster care system.
One Saturday morning, Sheriff Wheaton is called to investigate a pile of rags in a field and finds the body of an Indian man. When Cash dreams about the dead man’s weathered house on the Red Lake Reservation, she knows that’s the place to start looking for answers. Together, Cash and Wheaton work to solve a murder that stretches across cultures in a rural community traumatized by racism, genocide, and oppression.
These Tangled Vines: A Novel
If Fiona has learned anything in life, it’s how to keep a secret—even from the father who raised her. She is the only person who knows about her late mother’s affair in Tuscany thirty years earlier, and she intends to keep it that way…until a lawyer calls with shocking news: her biological father has died and left her an incredible inheritance—along with two half siblings.
Fiona travels to Italy, where the family is shocked to learn of her existence and desperate to contest her share of the will. While the mystery of her mother’s affair is slowly unraveled, Fiona must navigate through tricky family relationships and tense sibling rivalries. Fiona both fears and embraces her new destiny as she searches for the truth about the fateful summer her mother spent in Italy and the father she never knew.
Spilling over with the sumptuous flavors and romance of Tuscany, These Tangled Vines takes readers on a breathtaking journey of love, secrets, sacrifice, courage—and most importantly, the true meaning of family.
Morrow’s Con – Opening Gambit
A character like no other…
People call him Morrow. They aren’t sure if Morrow is his first name or last, and they don’t care. They call him when they’re in trouble. They call him when conventional methods don’t work. They call him when they need a solution that no one else can offer.
Morrow is a product of the streets.
At an early age, he learned to anticipate what people would do given a few choices. He became a self-educated student of human nature, and later in life, he became a con man. Morrow isn’t your normal hero. He’s barely six feet tall and he’s not muscle-bound. He’s not tougher or more experienced than his opposition. He’s just an average man who blends in and earns his living by out-planning and out-thinking his adversaries.
Morrow searches for situations that allow him to squeeze between two opposing forces. Then he picks one side to be his client and the other to be his mark. Now, after being tutored for years by a con mentor, he’s about ready to launch his first-ever full-fledged con. He knows his objective, he’s designed his plan, he’s selected his team, and he knows he’s ready to act.
It’s what he doesn’t know that could be his downfall.
The Club: A Novel
The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.
The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.
But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group’s CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that’s before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.
As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.
Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.