|
J.G. MacLeodâs provocative first novel explores the topic of relationship violence with honesty and grit. Controversial and insightful, Ms. MacLeod delves into the complexity of abuse and describes its impact on the characters in her story. Eighteen-year-old Liz is in her final year of high school when she meets James Macewan, an older student who is struggling academically and wrestling with his own demons. What begins as a simple tutoring assignment soon grows into her first dating relationship. Liz initially enjoys the excitement of being with James, but it does not take long before she cannot recognize who she is as an individual anymore. As James's own life begins to unravel, he compensates by attempting to control every aspect of Liz's existence. The situation eventually dissolves into a tale of violence and dehumanization that affects the characters' lives forever. J.G. MacLeod describes the fear and uncertainty that often come with the cycle of violence and allows readers to journey alongside Liz as she attempts to confront her abuser and heal from trauma. The author understands that the description of abuse can be triggering for some people, so she wishes to inform potential readers that the content in Abalone can be graphic at times. Please be aware of this before ordering your copy. |
|
Angel Eyes: The Haunting of January House by A.N. Willis Everyone in Ashton, Colorado, knows that January House is haunted. Tucked away on an isolated hillside, the place has seen grisly murders and unsolved disappearances. An artistsâ commune took up residence there in the 1970s, creating a controversy that still divides the town. Now, a reclusive painter has died in the crumbling house. The police say itâs natural causes. But they donât know why she fired a gun before she collapsed. Or why she called Bryce Wright, a man she hardly knew, and left a voicemail filled with her screams. Bryce turns to his sister, Penny Wright. Sheâs seen ghosts all her life, but sheâs reluctant to get involved with the mysteries of January House. But everything changes when Bryce meets Eliza Daviesâa young attorney whoâs just arrived to ready the old house for sale. Bryce is convinced that Eliza is in danger. When Penny agrees to help, she soon discovers that her hometown harbors more dark secrets than she ever imagined. And this time, it might be the living who pose the greatest threat of all. |
|
UNFURLING: A Tale of Friendship, Love, Mystery, and Mayhem by Tia Ray Dhar Can an unexpected turn of events, including a mystery, guide you towards a sense of purpose in life? Dr. Mandira Sharma (Mandy), a recent medical school graduate from Mumbai, doesn't feel passionate about her residency in internal medicine and feels devoid of a general sense of purpose in life. Currently, her happiness revolves around making new friends and spending time with them at work or outdoor venues. Her general feeling of isolation and disinterest in her medicine residency accentuates when her two close friends go overseas, and someone she loves and cares deeply about decides to part ways. She navigates through her daily routine devoid of zest or enthusiasm, trying to cope with the current painful scenario. However, tragedy strikes again when two meeting attendees find Mandy's friend and graduate student Latika's body floating in a pool on the premises during a blackout at a psychology workshop venue. An investigative team launches a detailed probe into the crime's motive and modus operandi, and the cohort of meeting attendees, including Mandy, come under the lens of suspicion. Can Mandy help solve the case? Will she find a sense of purpose? Any reader who enjoys a university campus-themed friendship and romance-based novel with a suspenseful murder mystery will enjoy reading this story. |
|
The Last Tiger by Anthony Lavisher Jon Galnia is a husband, a father, a Mafia Don, a man who believes that Fate and Destiny are two sides of the same fickle coin. Rich beyond his wildest dreams, his inherited empire expands beyond America, far beyond the streets of his bloody playground, currently far beyond the reach of the authorities desperate to pin even a traffic violation on him. Fate is about to intervene. Plucked from the sky by those who hate him, or perhaps by those who want what he has, Jonâs private jet crashes in central India, sabotaged by fate, though, perhaps, guided by destiny. Unbeknownst to him, Jon is about to play a daring hand in an even bigger power struggle, one that will shock the world and, perhaps more importantly, the self-centred, ruthless Don. A tale of corruption, of adventure and heroism, The Last Tiger is a thrilling tale of one manâs quest for survival and his uncertain hand on the pages of history. |
|
The Zero Day Proposal by Fabrina Glitchlace Daniqua was just a regular single woman; hungry, horny, and trying to make it on her own in the world. But her past came calling and now her weekend plans are FUBAR. Will she play her role, prevent nuclear annihilation, and win financial freedom? What will be her answer to The Zero Day Proposal? |
|
Waking the Witch by W. V. Fitz-Simon She never wanted to be a witch, but when sorcerers threaten her loved ones, what else should the 20th century woman do? Slip on her favorite Siouxsie Sioux t-shirt, touch up her makeup, and bring down the house. Literally. To Gosha Armitage, magic is a four-letter word, but in her mother's world of witchcraft, words have power, power Gosha will sacrifice everything to acquire. When a murderous sorcerer masquerading as a New Age guru conspires to consume the life force of her best friend, the reluctant witch has no choice but to embrace her heritage, submit to her mother's caustic authority, and descend into a clandestine world of magic and intrigue with only her wits, five spells, and her favorite lipstick to help her. After a lifetime denying her connection to witchcraft, will Gosha learn to trust her mother's training in time to save her friend? Waking the Witch is the first installment in The Witch of Cheyne Heath supernatural mystery series from author W. V. Fitz-Simon. If you like Absolutely Fabulous, Terry Pratchett's Witches of Lancre, and complex mother-daughter relationships, you'll love this arch and cozy spellpunk adventure. Buy Waking the Witch and step into the glamorous, enigmatic, dangerous world of Cheyne Heath today! |
|
Kept From Cages by Phil Williams No one returns from Ikiri. Reeceâs gang of criminal jazz musicians have taken shelter in the wrong house. Thereâs a girl with red eyes bound to a chair. The locals call her a devil â but Reece sees a kid that needs protecting. Heâs more right than he knows. Chased by a shadowy swordsman and an unnatural beast, the gang flee across the Deep South with the kid in tow. She wonât say where sheâs from or who exactly her scary father is, but sheâs got powers they canât understand. How much will Reece risk to save her? On the other side of the world, Agent Sean Taskerâs asking similar questions. With an entire village massacred and no trace of the killers, heâs convinced Duvcorpâs esoteric experiments are responsible. His only ally is an unstable female assassin, and their only lead is Ikiri â a black-site in the Congo, which no one leaves alive. How far is Tasker prepared to go for answers? Kept From Cages is the first part in an action-packed supernatural thriller duology, filled with eccentric characters and intricately woven mysteries. Click BUY NOW or READ NOW to start your journey to Ikiri today. |
|
Emergency Shift by Daniel Potter Never promise a fey anything. With magic leaking back into our world, working the nightshift as a paramedic comes with danger. But I handle it. Iâve got a shotgun for the zombies and my lycanthropic rage hasnât escaped my apartment. Life is normal-ish. All that changes when Iâm called to help a dying fey knight and I make a promise. Thereâs a little girl with big eyes and a heart-rending sniffle. I canât say no. Of course sheâs not human. Sheâs their key to opening the long-closed gates and feasting on humanity. Now an entire world I know nothing about is trying to kill me. And if I donât protect her, the teeth around my heart will finish the job. If I learn fast and bargain the right parts of my soul, the girl and I might make it out alive. Otherwise the cruelest winter will freeze even the warmest hearts in the city. Read my story now and ride along for a wild Emergency Shift. Fans of Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop will love this collision of shifter and fairy worlds. |
|
The Wayward Wizard by Alesha Escobar Iâm the last person a secret government agency wants to call for help. I spend my days selling New Age trinkets to humans and my nights drinking with a street-hustling alchemist. Not exactly the law and order type. But when monsters from our childhood nightmares become flesh and blood, snatching people from the streets, Iâm one of the few wizards alive who can uncover whoâs behind it. My past threatens to catch up with me, and Iâm not sure I can outrun it. After losing my family in a fire and being whisked away by my caretaker to train at the Akashic Academy, my life was further turned upside down when I emerged from my final test to find three dead master wizards. Despite being cleared of all charges, most in my community believe I killed them. They call me the Wayward Wizard. I may be a black sheep among magic-users, but I deliver results. Which is why this secret agency has dragged me out of bed, slapped the bottle of whiskey out of my hand, and placed me with Alanna Reid. Sheâs their best (and most uptight) agent whoâs been ordered to keep an eye on me and make sure I get the job doneâor, put a bullet in me. But as good as Alanna is, even she may not be prepared for whatâs coming. And if I canât shut down the mysterious wizard wielding stolen powers, then I have a demigod looking over my shoulder, salivating at the thought of bringing on the Apocalypse as punishment. Itâs like the teacher penalizing the entire class for one asshatâs actions, but on a cosmic level. Since I like living, the choice is clear. But something tells me that in unraveling the truth, Iâll also have to face my own monsters, which can be just as deadly. |
|
The Clarity of Cold Steel by Kevin Wright The kid disappeared two days ago. Missing. Abducted. Murdered. What have you... Just another in an endless line of indigent kids wrung from the dregs of the Machine City. And itâs my job to find him. Me. Avinash Shakteel, detective extraordinaire. Probably you ainât heard of me. Not if you run the straight and narrow and ply the right side of the tracks. Cause me? I ply the other. Two days missing⊠Two long days in the Machine City, last bastion of mankind in all its fallen glory. Where the sum total of lifeâs cheaper than in part. I hope I find the kid. By God, I do. But if I canât find all of him, I pray I find none. Join Detective Shakteel in this gritty steampunk thriller sure to set your blood to boil. |
|
EXODUS 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett Eco, sci-fi, thriller EXODUS 2022: "Bennett, after a neat Dean Koontzâstyle curtain-raiser, keeps raising the stakes⊠Deft storytelling and a riptide of action propel this cataclysmic narrative." --KIRKUS REVIEWS IS HE LOSING HIS MIND-- OR HIS WORLD? Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his young daughter. Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughterâs name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesnât have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-oldâs outburst on drugs. What they donât yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coastâfrom the Bering Sea to the Puget Soundâare suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns. With the help of his girlfriend, Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significanceâand Joeâs role in a looming global calamityâthey must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joeâs newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joeâs brain. |
|
The Murder Next Door by Sarah Bell July 1912 Leeds, England. A man is found dead on his study floor and his now-missing wife is the obvious suspect. To their neighbour, Louisa Knight, it's a shocking piece of news but nothing more. However, when she tells her 'companion' over breakfast, Ada Chapman nearly breaks their teapot and looks ready to run out the door. For Ada watched Mrs Pearce leave from the window of her painting studio. A moment's glance of a fearful face brings back old memories and gives her doubts. As far as the more pragmatic Louisa is concerned, Ada's determination to investigate is bound to lead them into trouble. Again. Yet Louisa's curiosity cannot be denied, and as the pair delve deeper into their neighbour's life what they uncover only clouds the issue further. The question soon becomes not just 'Who killed Mr Pearce?' but also 'Does that person deserve to hang for it?' Even if the couple can find the guilty party, will they be able to agree what should become of them? |
|
Privilege: A Trilogy by Bharat Krishnan In this epic saga about privilege and power, Rakshan Baliga will have to choose between the American Dream⊠and his own. New Yorkâs drug problem is Rakshan's solution. Getting his hands on a super drug called WP could earn him glory, power, and a chance to win back his ex. But stealing it from the Top 1% is costly, and if Rakshan isnât careful heâll pay with his life. Discover how Rakshanâs journey sets off a chain of events that changes his city, his country⊠and the world. This OwnVoices political thriller is perfect for fans of Oceanâs 11 and House of Cards. |
|
A Letter to Claudia by Barbara Avon A month after Luke changes the course of his life, he is overtaken by an intense desire to win back the very thing he lost. The ultimate sacrifice has caused him immense pain, but by employing the haunted Remington Typewriter, he sets out to change the future once more - as everything he types, comes true. Set in October 1972, and in the tradition of Twilight Zone, follow Luke as he attempts to win back the love of his life. "A Letter to Claudia" is the sequel to "Qwerty" - a book that readers have called "haunting, visceral, raw, and beautiful." |
|
The Broken Code by Ashish Rastogi Dr. Alisha Venkatesh faces death every day. She is an intensivist working in the ICU. However, this does not prepare her for the near-death situations of the two dearest people in her life. For Alisha, technology is like her second hobby. The first being medicine. She advocates for using tech to solve the world's health puzzle, a problem created by the system being broken at multiple places and in various ways. She also knows the dangers that technology presents. Alisha must use all her life's learnings to deal with an enemy who works right beside herâusing her medical and IT knowledge to track and decipher patterns that the dark side has camouflaged. Despite having to deal with her own emotions, Alisha works with the two New York detectives Nick & his friend Miguel amidst a series of murders to stop a cyberwar. |
|
Michael's Choice by Barbara Avon Michael Rossi is back! After the death of Ottawa's first serial killer, things in the city are just getting back to normal. The city's imposed curfew has been lifted, the nervous energy in the air has started to dissipate and demolition has begun on Hayden's Amusement Park. After suffering at the hand of Stevie Phelps, and putting the pieces of their lives back together, Michael and Nicole Rossi are living the dream. Business at Michael's Place is booming, their daughter, Maria, is just learning to walk and the newlyweds are more in love than ever. Without warning, the dream is shattered. A brutal murder takes place and everyone deems it the work of a copy-cat killer. Just like Stevie Phelps, known as "The Carousel Killer", had done with his victims, the killer removed the victim's eyes. Nicole panics and slowly retreats into herself until Michael starts to believe she is seeking comfort in the arms of another man. Then, one night, he overhears a conversation in his restaurant that makes his blood run cold. Phelps continues to haunt the Rossi family, forcing Michael to make a choice. A choice that will change everything and help them emerge from the nightmare that has become their life. Making the wrong choice, Michael soon realizes, is truly the only way out. |
|
Brooding, sexy, restaurant owner, Michael Rossi is determined to unravel the mystery behind the lady in the red coat. One secret can speak a thousand truths. Michael Rossi has an extraordinary talent. Every day, he sets out with his grandfather's camera to capture incredible images like the ones his Nonno used to take in Italy. His girlfriend recently left him with a broken heart and he's grateful for the distraction. One day, he sees through his lens, a beautiful woman kneeling at a headstone. He quietly snaps her picture and retreats to his two-bedroom home in the city, developing the film in his dark room. He returns to the cemetery daily and every day, the woman is also there. Finally, one day, Michael gathers the courage to approach her. It doesn't take them long to fall in love. Nicole harbors a secret, however. A secret that she is ashamed of and that has changed her in ways she can't describe. If spoken, it would threaten the love she shares with Michael. Ultimately, Michael becomes aware that something isn't right. The words unspoken between them, become the most powerful of all. |
|
Jonathan Peters once held a prestigious position at Tribeck Advertising. He was well-loved in his neighbourhood. A newlywed, he and his beautiful wife Andrea, were looking forward to being parents. Now he lives a solitary life, and works in a flower shop. Now, they call him the "simpleton". It wasn't his fault, really. He found her in the bathtub. "An accident", they called it. Or was it? When the haunting begins to steal Jon's identity, he changes into a different man. He recognizes the ghost, though. It's someone he once vowed to spend his entire life with, and there's something she wants to say. |
|
Alyssa Fairfield by Tiffany Christina Lewis Smart, talented and fun-loving, Alyssa Fairfield is a junior at UCLA. She believes she is firmly in command of her life until one harrowing, late-night run proves to her that not everything is in her control. After surviving a vicious assault, Alyssa becomes devoted to finding her attacker. Now she must fight her own demons while developing her skills as an investigator, and trying to apprehend a cunning and deadly assailant. You will love this #OwnVoices story about survival and triumph, fighting demons and rising above tragedy. |
|
El Jefe by Tiffany Christina Lewis In this third installment of the series, Detective Michael Taylor of the Oakland PD has a decision to make: Should he begin an investigation against his corrupt lieutenant? After being given a file of evidence against him, Michael is expected to act. He knows that after multiple attempts on his own life, opening this investigation would put himself, all of his loved ones and his partner Det. Alex Jamison in danger. As Michael contemplates the case, he and Jamison get a late-night call to the residence of Mia McDowell, who is found assaulted and murdered. Although it initially looks like a breaking and entering, Michael can sense something isnât right. Just as his momentum rises, Lt. Bruce Vega, the corrupt supervisor in question, arrives on the scene. As the two come head to head, Michael removes himself from the situation only to find that he has fueled Lt. Vegaâs fire, and he is now under a monthâs suspension. Now Michael has to make some choices: will he investigate Lt. Vega and risk everything or will he do nothing and risk losing himself? |
|
Stitches by Tiffany Christina Lewis Oakland Police Detective Michael Taylor is faced with another gruesome case: a dead man with no eyes and lips sewn shut. After catching a grisly Bay Area serial killer, Michael is hit on all sides by change. He starts his investigation with a rookie detective for a partner, his love life is in turmoil, and the pressure at the PD is mounting as the newly minted partners receive a second case that is being pressed as a priority. Michael, the consummate loner, has to manage all of his new relationships, keep his wits and juggle the demands of the PD as he tries to get justice for his victim. Just as the tag team start to hit a stride, the murder attempts start to pile up and Michael is in the crosshairs. The duo must work fast to defend their victim and save Michaelâs life. |
|
Inside Out by Tiffany Christina Lewis Detective Michael Taylor, of the Oakland PD, is the lead on a horrific serial killer case. For six weeks, he has been cleaning up mounds of the killerâs mess. Bodies of men have been found chopped up and left, skin down, for display. Michael, mysterious to many in his department, is desperate to solve this case. Michaelâs only form of stress relief, Candy, a stripper employed at a San Francisco club, begins to show genuine interest in him and they form a relationship amidst all the chaos that is Michaelâs life. Between interviews and police reports, Michael makes time for her. Candy, more commonly known as Vanessa, gets tangled in Michael's case as things unfold. A killerâs desire for retribution leaves her a victim of crime. Vanessa has to use her wit and charm to keep a killer at bay as she leaves bread crumbs for Michael to follow. The lovers must survive a serial killer's plot for vengeance while practicing trust and loyalty throughout. |
|
Preacher Sam by Cassondra Windwalker No one is more qualified to understand the blackest hearts than a disgraced, sex-addicted former preacher who is still in love with his estranged wife. Floundering for direction and beset by the needs of his well-meaning but aggravating atheist sister and her seven-year-old son, Sam Geisler is trying to put his past behind him when the murder of one of his former parishioners by another drags him back into the world he left behind. Sam may not be Broad Rippleâs favorite son, but his peculiar gift for listening has earned him the moniker murderer-whisperer, and the police need his help on what should be an open-and-shut case. Fighting for his marriage, fighting with his sister, and fighting against his own demons, Sam may be the only one who hears what the real murderer is all but shoutingâbut will it be enough to drive back his own darkness? |
|
Bury The Lead by Cassondra Windwalker Weekly newspaper editor Jeff Paine's mind is filled with the detritus of newspaper clippings, presidential tweets, crossword puzzles, and horoscopes. When his artist girlfriend Ada Grigori announces her intention to leave him, he becomes obsessed with findingâor manufacturingâconnections between otherwise unrelated events. Driven by professional curiosity and unrelenting cynicism, Paine uses his newspaper to manipulate the people of his hometown of Brisby, Colorado into revealing the ugliness lurking beneath their placid exteriors. A series of gruesome dog mutilations already have the town on edge when Paineâs carefully worded and technically factual stories stir up vigilante justice against a harmless old homeless man. Spurred on by the unexpected ease of his success, Paine sets his sights on exploiting the townâs hidden prejudices for financial gain and his own amusement. Meanwhile, no-one but Paine notices that a young transient man has gone missing. Exasperated with the plasticity of public sentiment and consumed by his own search for truth, Paine creates a trail of evidence that will ultimately both convict him of murder and set him free on appeal. The public will never know the truth of what became of Ada or of the young transient Brett, but the reader will have all the answersâŠif she can decipher them. Bury The Lead draws readers into the mind of a brilliant but highly unreliable narrator, forcing them to question their own perceptions of objective truth and the existence of a free press in a world where an unsubstantiated tweet can carry more power than an investigative report. |
|
All Richard Malachi wants to do is stop a co-worker from bawling her eyes out so he can get back to work. Offering to take her out for a drink, he finds that Lisa Jones is more than she appears, a lot more. He also discovers that Lisa has plans for Richard, plans that don't include a repeat romp in a hotel bed but do include letting him take the fall for her "activities." Find out what happens to Richard as he learns the definition of the term "patsy." The Patsy is available now on Amazon.com. |
|
Sunset Surfing by David Reynolds âI want a logo shot,â KSRF News Director Brenda Malone said in her authoritative no-nonsense voice to videographer Tim Abella. âGet me some surfers early for the 5 oâclock broadcast and some at sunset for 11 oâclock." Paying a visit to a Central Coast of California beach, Tim gets his shot of Cate Young, a marine mammal vet. Just before leaving, Tim gets a call from Brenda asking him to see why dolphins are suddenly beaching themselves at a popular tourist spot. Tim swims out and asks Cate to come with him, since her expertise might explain what's happening. When they arrive, though, the cause becomes evident: a juvenile great white shark. Tim has to race the shark before it feasts on a tasty morsel: a young child playing in the surf. Does the single father of a young girl get there in time to rescue the child? Does his jealous ex-wife try to ruin Tim's potential friendship with Cate? Find out by reading Sunset Surfing, available now on Amazon.com. |
|
A Sure Thing by Craig W. Robinson The only thing better than having lots of money is having lots of money that you didn't have to work for. That has been Colin Scott's approach to life for as long as he can remember. Whether it is selling test results, counting cards in the local casinos, or even fixing basketball games, he has never met a scheme he didn't like. If it can keep him from having to earn an honest living, it is at least worth a look. Unfortunately, nothing in life comes easy. There is no such thing as a foolproof path to a life on easy street, and casinos donât stay in business by making their customers rich. Or at least that was how things appeared until Colin encountered another gambler who could seemingly beat the casinos at will. Suddenly everything he thought he knew about how the world works is being challenged, and things that once seemed impossible are playing out before his very eyes. Could this person be the key he has been searching for to unlock that elusive guaranteed win? Suddenly the only thing he knows for sure is that he needs to find out. |
|
Bring My Baby Home by David Reynolds While taking his dog to the vet, one of the vet techs asks Mike for a favor: fill up his truck with a load of wood and take it to her remote mountain home. That simple act of kindness--and Mike's willingness to help Mary--leads to the beginning of a relationship neither expected. Turning a budding friendship into something more runs into a painful roadblock when Mary's violent ex-husband decides to get in the way and starts throwing punches. Can Mike and Mary make something happen for themselves and Mary's two young children or will her ex-husband destroy everything, including her family? Find out in Bring My Baby Home, available now on Amazon.com |
|
Hot Water, Cold Blood by David Reynolds A stolen T-shirt leads former computer hacker Andru Olshansky into a web of deceit, betrayal and a whole lot of pain. Hot Water, Cold Death begins with Andru having an angry confrontation with a ski club leader as he seeks to get his T-shirt back. Getting kicked out of his hotel, he is taken in by young, beautiful and rich Yvonne Savage. As they are getting to know each other on the ski slopes, the pair is attacked and badly beaten. Yvonne convinces Andru to hunt for her industrialist father. He disappeared on a plane flight to Germany nearly a year ago. As Andru starts digging into the disappearance, he befriends Roxanne, a former Navy SEAL. Roxanne is also looking for the plane crash because her sister was on it. Will Andru and Roxanne find the wreck before their own lives end? Find out by reading Hot Water, Cold Blood available know at Amazon.com |
|
Last Time She Died by Niki Kamerzell A rainy night. A slick road. A car crash. âA puff of yellow dust blew from the vent, and the car filled with a strong sulfur smell. Laughter whispered through the speakers, then blared at full volume.â Everything changes for Alexia Harper the night she leaves late from her waitressing job. When voices threaten her through the radio, she wonders if sheâs gone crazy. Then lightning explodes close by, and Alexia crashes. Following the accident, every day is the same. Every night the same nightmare stalks her. Itâs like her life is on repeat, but she canât shake the fearful warning her subconscious is screaming at her. When Leland starts working at the diner, Alexia is drawn to him. Heâs kind, funny and handsome, and heâsâŠfamiliar. Itâs like theyâve spent the past eight lifetimes getting to know each other. Now, the memory-like dreams make sense. She recognizes people she doesnât knowâand they are giving her clues; answers she desperately needs to stop the thing thatâs coming for her. Coming for all of them. Again. |
|
LOVE HIM/HATE HIM by Chris Bedell 17-year-old Connor doesnât believe his best friendâs death was an accident. Falling down the stairs was random, and Connor canât help but wonder if someone mightâve pushed her⊠Determined to find out the truth, Connor starts his own investigation. Along the way, he discovers Evelynâs affair with a married man and thought she was pregnant before she died. Connor thinks heâs found her killer, but an airtight alibi forces him to look in a new direction. Perhaps closer to home. Complicating the situation more is Connorâs own secret â an unexpected hook up with Evelynâs twin brother, Liam, at a party the previous spring. Afterward, Liam goes on a homophobic rant and punches Connor, leaving him confused. His confusion deepens when, after Evelynâs death, Liam apologizes and they start to hook up secretly. Liam is trapped between his attraction to Connor and his abusive father. Connor struggles with his growing attraction for Liam. Their secret rendezvous are fun, but if Connor is going to have more with Liam, heâll have to be honest about his feelings and his suspicions on who killed Evelyn. Will either survive the truth coming out? |
|
Alchemy of Chaos by Ruth Miranda FIfteen years after the suicide of two of his friends, Ezra King returns to the prestigious University of St. Cyr, this time as a teacher. Following on the footsteps of his former mentor Darren Whitford, he reopens the elitist study group specialising in Chaos Alchemy, guiding his students in the pursuit of results that will make life easier for all the Nonpareil.When those connected to the prior group, of which Ezra was a part of, start showing up dead, his own demons resurface, and the ghosts lying dormant in St. Cyr threaten to rise from their graves... |
|
Rusted Lies, a Dalton Rust P.I. Novel by Jacob Klop You'd think being a detective is a pretty good gig, but when Dalton Rust gets roped into his newest case he can't help but wonder why he ever got into the business. The Royals are looking for blood, the Harpers won't stop badgering him, and even his own cat, Thatch, keeps tripping him up. The news doesn't get any better when Rust discovers a cybermancer who's capable of turning invisible and tossing people around like paper plates is protecting the document he needs to retrieve. But it's not all bad. His coffee maker still works like a dream. Now if only Rust could figure out why a bunch of high powered families from the Hill are so interested in an average crank like him...but no one wants to talk, and time is running short. |
|
Money Matters A Novel by Brian Finney At once a painful coming-of-age novel, an exciting amateur sleuth tale and an intriguing narrative involving social issues (immigration and wealth disparity), Money Matters has mystery at its core. This emotionally charged debut novel is firmly embedded in Los Angeles culture over the 2010 mid-term election. Jenny, the 27-year old inexperienced protagonist, faced with the tragic disappearance of a friend, is forced to take on financial tycoons, corrupt politicians, and the treacherous Baja drug cartel in her search to uncover the truth. Jenny's investigation takes her into the twilight world of undocumented immigrants, which leads her to seek the help of the handsome director of an immigrant rights organization to whom she is strongly attracted. But will the deadly enmity of the rich and powerful thwart her search and end her budding romance? |
|
The Avenging Angel (The Malhaven Mystery Series #2) by Helen Whistberry When a series of escalating pranks at the Sisters of Mercy orphanage get out of hand, it's time for intrepid reporter Jim Malhaven to grab his trusty fedora and dust off his investigatory skills. A lost little girl with no voice and no past, an unpleasantly sinister pair of caretakers at a local mansion, and reported sightings of a heavenly visitor sporting a pair of wings. Can Jim and his friends get to the bottom of the mystery before evil triumphs over good? This is Book Two in the Malhaven Mystery Series, light noir novels with a cozy mystery feel and a touch of the paranormal that pay loving tribute to the wise guy detectives of the 40s and 50s. (This book was originally published under the title The Avenging Angel of Hasselwhite Hall in May of 2020. Content warnings: child endangerment, anti-Semitism, racism) |
|
The Weird Sisters by Helen Whistberry Jim Malhaven is a lonely hack reporter stringing along on assignments no one else wants at the local paper until he gets the scoop of his life. There's a mysterious wraith haunting the local cemetery, and it's up to him to get to the bottom of the ghostly goings-on. Along the way, he'll cross paths with a trio of weird sisters, uncover a sinister conspiracy, have more than one brush with death, and meet a gal with honey-blonde hair and a killer smile. Is she that certain someone he's been looking for all his life, or is there a villain hiding behind that lovely face? This twisty tale will leave you guessing until the final shocking revelation. This is Book One in the Malhaven Mystery Series, light noir novels with a cozy mystery feel and a touch of the paranormal that pay loving tribute to the wise guy detectives of the 40s and 50s. (This book was previously published under the title The Weird Sisters of Wynter's Hill. Content warnings: suicide, implied child abuse, drug use, child loss) |
|
Working Wonders by Thomas Allen The world-famous occult shop, Working Wonders, sits on the corner of 1st Street and Hurlbert, in the heart of the Business District, one of the areas of the city with the densest populations of supernatural beings. Two weeks before Christmas, a dead body is found crumpled on Hurlbert, not far from the abandoned Beasley Inn. Sergeant Thomas Parkland is suspicious, not just because of the location of the body, but also because it appears to have been mummified. Realizing he may be out of his element, Sergeant Parkland reaches out to members of the supernatural community, eventually finding himself inside of Working Wonders. However, the owner of the shop, and his two employees, are reticent to offer any assistance to the police. Quickly, it becomes clear that Sergeant Parklandâs hunch about the dead body is justified. By the time the owner of Working Wonders decides to help him solve the mystery, another dead body is found on a wooded pathway in Crockett Memorial Park, a mythical creature of death is on the loose, a violent agent from a clandestine government agency is prowling about, and the world itself may be in danger. Is it just a coincidence that the solution to Sergeant Parklandâs investigation resides in the upstairs storage room of Working Wonders? |
|
The Witch's and the Wolf's Curse by Julia Pazdro As the Witch entered the woods with her wolf close behind her, she knew that tonight was going to be difficult. Today was the long-awaited day. After 12 long years, she is finally going to attempt to break the curse. Will she succeed? What is the curse? Can she have a happily ever after? |
|
Donn's Hill by Caryn Larrinaga Ghosts. Psychics. Murder. Just another day in Donn's Hill. Mackenzie Clair needs a fresh start. The death of her father and a broken relationship rendered her old life unlivable. What better place to build a new one than Donnâs Hill, the most haunted town in America and her favorite childhood vacation spot? But returning to Donnâs Hill awakens more than nostalgia. As memories resurface, so does a lost psychic ability to talk to the dead... a power the poltergeist haunting Macâs apartment is eager to use. Aided by her new roommateâa spirited Tortoiseshell cat named Strikerâand the ghost-hunting crew of the Soul Searchers, Mac struggles to control her newfound talents. Sheâd better get a handle on them fast, because someone in town is hiding a deadly secret. If Mac canât divine the truth, Donnâs Hill will never be the same. First in a new series, this cozy supernatural mystery was the 2017 winner of the League of Utah Writers Silver Quill award. "A genre-bending gem of a book, cozy meets horror meets cat fancier in a unique town of psychic tourism and ghostly secrets." -Johnny Worthen, award winning author of THE FINGER TRAP, THE BRAND DEMAND and WHAT IMMORTAL HAND |
|
Eldritch Sparks: Shadows of Otherside Book 2 by Whitney Hill The deal that secured Arden Finch a measure of freedom came with strings, and now everybody wants to pull them. Arden has carved out a place for herself in Othersideâat a price. Pressure mounts as she juggles her day job as a private investigator with her new obligations, fraying relationships, and growing elemental powers. If that wasn't enough, a lich has appeared in the Triangle, sowing violence and raising zombies. Everyone wants Arden to get rid of itâ , including the gods. But the lich offers something Arden has always wanted: enough power to stand alone. All she has to do is put herself first for once...and betray everyone she cares about. Urban fantasy and paranormal fans of Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, Seanan McGuire, and the early Anita Blake series will find a kick-ass heroine in Arden. Praise for Eldritch Sparks: Shadows of Otherside Book 2 "A compelling book of Otherside that goes from strength to strength." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) |
|
Entanglement: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller by Alina Leonova Cay thinks he may be going insane. His partner isnât herself. He can only surmise that sheâs been replaced, which is impossible. And yet⊠In a desperate attempt to discover the truth, Cay gives up his identity and flees home. Cutting out the implant that connects him to society is an unforgivable crime, but it may be the only way to find the people who can help him. His path leads him to the underworld where he meets Vietra. She wants to run from her past but canât leave it behind. Together, they get a chance to discover why the world has set out to destroy them. Will the answers they find save them, or bring their downfall? Readers call Entanglement mind-bending, exciting, and unpredictable. This cyber-punk thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page. |
|
Intricate Deceptions by Jennifer Rayes Waking up in a desolate cell, Gaia realizes that she has been kidnapped by a human trafficking organization, doomed to be sold to the highest bidder and unable to remember anything before her capture. An opportune rescue by Raoul, the Prince of Kayamato, saves Gaia from a gruesome future, and she is thrown into a world of luxury and privilege. As she struggles to regain her memory, Gaia learns that her rescue was no accident and finds herself in even more danger, hunted by a powerful drug lord, targeted by a thrill seeking pirate, and betrayed by those she thought closest to her. Fighting for sanity and survival, she works to unravel the truth behind her capture, each revelation more shocking than the last. The intricate web of deceptions spun around her family will shatter her world, leaving her unsure if she will ever trust again. Through it all, she must survive to save a friend before itâs too late⊠|
|
Magister's Bane (Call of the Elements #1) by Yvette Bostic Magic canât be real, right? Tell that to the werewolf glaring at me with his near-black eyes or the handsome vampire in the corner. Did I enjoy growing up rejected by everyone I encountered because of my physical abnormalities? Hell no! The only thing I ever wanted was to be accepted by someone. Not everyone, just anyone. A normal job and one solid meal a day wouldâve been nice too. You know that old saying, âBe careful what you wish for?â Yeah, that one really sucks. After a vampire kidnapped me, I suddenly become wanted by all the wrong people. Why would those blood sucking fiends want a deformed, malnourished woman who looked more like a little girl? I only get more questions when an elemental mage steals me from the vampires and thrust me into a role I wasnât prepared for. I thought I wanted to know the answers, but discovering the truth forced me into a fight for my life. One I wasnât sure I could win. |
|
Hell Hound (Jane Doe Chronicles #1) by M.J. Sylvester A foul-mouthed bounty hunter and assassin, Jane Doe is not your average witch. Working for the ruling magical class in Britain - the Merlins - she takes on the jobs and creatures that other members of the magical community wouldn't touch with a six-foot spell staff. As rumours spread that a powerful being wants to free a horrific hound from its prison on Dartmoor, Jane and her assistant, Dawn, are tasked by their Handler to find the perpetrator and stop them using any means possible. |
|
Fade (The Faders #1) by E.G. Bateman An invisible enemy. A mysterious school. Can a troubled teen use her incredible powers to uncover the deadly truth? As the only child of a widowed father, Jenna Banks has learned to handle whatever the world throws her way. But when she encounters a strange boy who vanishes before her eyes, she never expected sparks of electricity to leap from her fingertips in response. Confused by her strange new ability, she barely has time to process the freak accident that kills her father and leaves her an orphan. Devastated and alone, sheâs sent to a prestigious academy filled with bloody deeds and dark secrets. As she meets her classmates, Jenna learns sheâs not the only one with powers. But until she controls her strange gift, sheâll never be able to track the vanishing creature bent on turning her world upside down. Can Jenna survive the school long enough to hunt down her target before her future fades away? Fade is the first book in an electrifying YA urban fantasy trilogy. If you like headstrong heroines, paranormal powers, and jaw-dropping twists, then youâll love E. G. Batemanâs exciting coming-of-age adventure. |
|
Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire by G.M. Nair Michael Duckett is fed up with his life. His job is a drag, and his roommate and best friend of fifteen years, Stephanie Dyer, is only making him more anxious with her lazy irresponsibility. Things continue to escalate when they face the threat of imminent eviction from their palatial 5th floor walk-up and find that someone has been plastering ads all over the city for their Detective Agency. The only problem is: He and Stephanie donât have one of those. Despite their baffling levels of incompetence, Stephanie eagerly pursues this crazy scheme and drags Michael, kicking and screaming, into the fray only to find that they are way out of their depth. They stumble upon a web of missing people that are curiously linked to a sexually audacious theoretical physicist and his experiments with the fabric of space-time. And unless Michael and Stephanie can put their personal issues aside and fix the multi-verse, the concept of existence itself may, ironically, no longer exist. |
|
The One-Hundred Percent Solution by G.M. Nair The Future Group is the cityâs biggest and most lucrative company even though no one really knows what it is they do. Michael Duckett has worked there for four years and he still has no clue. All he knows is that he hates his meaningless job and all the people in it. But it pays the bills. Bills that have been stacking up since his roommate and best friend Stephanie Dyer decided to open a detective agency â despite her chronic inability to commit to anything. When Michael is suddenly fired, he and Stephanie are forced to return to the world of private investigation against his better judgment. A mysterious woman wants to enlist the services of Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire to track down an assassin who has a bone to pick with Michaelâs former employer. Apparently, The Future Group has been harboring a deadly secret for decades. One that could put the world in the grip of an indescribable horror. It turns out Michael was lucky to get out of that job alive. Too bad he and Stephanie are being dragged back to work. |
|
Dames and Demons by G. Campbell Twenty years ago, a pandemic ripped through the world and forever changed society. Where Man once stood, now stand the Women and the Demons. They rule the city through magic and money. Men like Tom and Chris Redfield have nothing. The brothers live under the heel of society and fight over the scraps dropped by the upper classes. Or at least they used to. Things change with the discovery of a Demonic book. The brothers might have a shot at a better life, but theyâre not ready for the chaos the book unleashes. Suddenly, the Redfields are thrown into the tangled machinations of the spiteful Sororities and the fastidious lords of Hell. Forced to become players in an intricate game, the brothers will have to use their wits and all the magic they can afford if they hope to survive. Cock your pistols, sharpen your swords, and fill your magic reserve⊠Not everyoneâs going to make it out alive. |