She was the one that got away.
It was a dark and stormy night… No kidding, it really was.
I’d quit the police force only a couple of days earlier – that was back in 2008 – and I was on my way to a poker game at the Sorbonne when a shadow crossed in front of my car. It went by so fast I didn’t have time to stop. I hit the brakes hard and swerved into the mud at the side of the road.
I looked out through the deluge, but it was difficult to make out the figure coming towards the driver’s side window. Instinctively, my hand went for my gun and rested on the grip, but as the figure came closer I could see it was a girl. Her hair, dark, bobbed, was plastered to her head and face. The raccoon eye shadow smeared above her eyes had run in rivulets down her cheeks. She looked like one of the walking dead, but more than that she looked scared, really scared.
What the hell is she doing out here alone in this kind of weather? I wondered as I let go of my gun and rolled the window down a half-inch.
“Get in the back,” I yelled at her, and flipped the lock so she could open the door. And that’s how it all began. Had I known what I was getting myself into I might have done differently… No, I wouldn’t. Anyway, that’s how I became a private detective.
“I read a lot of what I consider to be well written mysteries. Sue Grafton, Martha Grimes, Margret Truman, etc. This one is every bit as good and I really could not put it down.” Amazon Reviewer
The Harry Starke Genesis series of mystery thrillers is recommended for fans of David Baldacci, James Patterson’s Alex Cross, Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar, Robert B. Parker’s Spenser, John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport, and Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon. $0.99 on Kindle
Genesis (Harry Starke Genesis Book 1)
Free: Escape to Osprey Cove
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.
Free on Kindle.
The Secret of Heaven
A lost Bible dating back to the time of Christ threatens to shake the foundations of modern religion. Pursued by the F.B.I., the Chicago PD, and a secret society, Professor of Biblical Studies Aiden Leonardo races against the clock to find the ancient relic and clear his name. With only an encrypted letter to guide him, he finds himself at the center of a centuries-old controversy about the divinity of Christ and the humanity of Jesus. $0.99 on Kindle
Free: Welcome To The Family: Blood In, Blood Out (The Morris Crime Family Book 1)
Roger joined the Morris crime family to buy his sick sister medicine but when he’s promoted to made man, everything changes. His life descends into a whirlwind of blood, chaos, and revenge.
To make matters worse, the boss’s obsessed daughter sets her sights on him. Can he refuse her advances? Does he even want to? Free on Kindle.
The Marcie Kane Thriller Collection
Marcie Kane is a strong, independent, and divorced woman living in St. Petersburg, Florida. The sometimes impulsive Marcie is a magnet for trouble as she becomes embroiled in one international crime related incident after another. Each book in this four-book series stands alone but the characters evolve. Marcie helps look for a friend’s missing wife, tries to help young women sucked into a human trafficking ring, races against time to try to prevent the assassination of the president of the United States and tries to stop a serial killer who is picking off his perceived enemies one by one using drones. Meanwhile, she finds time to become attracted to an FBI agent names Nathan Harris.
Buy this series and follow Marcie’s exploits as she travels around the world finding trouble wherever she goes, each time with deadly consequences.
And don’t forget Never So Alone, the exciting prequel novella to the series, where we learn more about Nathan’s background as he goes undercover in a drug operation.
From $0.99 to $1.99 on Kindle
Free: No Deadly Medicine
An elderly gentleman drops his notebook.
Verity Spencer picks it up.
A random act of kindness that plunges her into a world of corruption, cover-ups, deception and death.
When she attempts to return the notebook, Verity finds the old man shot and dying. He begs her not to hand the notebook to the police and reluctantly, she agrees. But someone is desperate for the information it contains and will stop at nothing to get hold of it.
Verity is in above her head. She needs to find new levels of resolve and determination if she has any chance of finding out what is going on, staying one step ahead of the criminals – and keeping herself alive.
No Deadly Medicine is the first book in the Verity Spencer crime thriller series. If you enjoy suspenseful mystery crime thrillers then you’ll love Trudey Martin’s action-packed page turner. Buy No Deadly Medicine to cheer Verity along her journey today! Free on Kindle.
Friend of the Devil
Joseph Soderini di Avenzano is America’s most celebrated chef.
Some believe he cut a deal with the Devil to achieve fame and fortune. Whether he is actually Bocuse or Beelzebub, Avenzano is approaching the twenty-fifth anniversary of his glittering Palm Beach restaurant, Chateau de la Mer, patterned after the Michelin-starred palaces of Europe.
Journalist David Fox arrives in Palm Beach to interview the chef for a story on the restaurant’s silver jubilee and quickly becomes involved with Chateau de la Mer’s hostess, Alessandra, unwittingly transforming himself into Avenzano’s rival. $2.99 on Kindle
Lullaby for Leo: A Novel of Discovery and Forgiveness
After Lisa’s mom is murdered during an intentional car wreck, the investigative journalist learns she has a Vietnam vet father she never knew existed. Her goal is to find him. Add in the rekindling of a romance with her first and only love, and the formula is almost set. They must be extra careful, though, and avoid the deranged killer who’s looking for misbegotten payback. $4.99 on Kindle
Dead Man’s Watch
SAVING ONE LIFE IS LIKE SAVING THE WHOLE WORLD
Half-sisters Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman stumble into another mystery in this second book in the Watch series. When a former acquaintance of Kathryn’s is accused of murder, she and Cece go on a mission to prove his innocence by finding the real killer. But things are never what they seem in this tangled web, and Kathryn’s spunky determination to solve the mystery pushes her closer and closer to a deadly climax. $0.99 on Kindle
The Secret of Heaven: An explosive mystery regarding the divinity of Christ vs the humanity of Jesus. (Aiden Leonardo Book 1)
“Well-researched thrill ride reminiscent of Dan Brown that will cause readers to think and wonder who to trust.” ~BookLife PrizeWhen 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 a 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… $0.99 on Kindle
The Redhead
Each year, precisely two naturally red-haired women disappear in Vancouver. Greta Morel was the first victim ten years ago, followed by another nineteen women until today. The mysterious people responsible for their disappearance left no trace while staging every abduction to look like each woman willingly left everything behind.
The lack of evidence of the potential crime had the Vancouver Police prioritizing the other cases.
However, when a piece of information regarding all the missing women gets passed on to Cliff Mason, an old-fashioned Chief of Police is forced to work on it with Buster McRoy, a devious Miami Detective whose celebrity career is built on lies.
But all hope shatters like a glass vase as yet another redhead gets abducted in front of their noses. $2.99 on Kindle
Absent Beauty (Agnes Taylor Mystery – Short Read Prequel)
A hauntingly beautiful face seen through binoculars. — Dr. Agnes Taylor’s well-planned trip to a conference at a Halifax university goes awry from the start. Her best friend keeps her in suspense. No one shows up for her philosophy talk. Then her mom cancels their luncheon date because of trouble over a student. All too soon, the quick trip to the foggy Maritimes turns into Agnes’s first brush with murder. . .
$ 0.99 (or free on KU) for this brand-new murder mystery novella! Absent Beauty introduces budding professor sleuth Dr. Agnes Taylor from Ontario, Canada. It is a Short Read Prequel, set a few years prior to Silent Sands (Book 1 of the Agnes Taylor Mystery series). The books in this series can be read in any order. $0.99 on Kindle
Torrent Witches Cozy Mysteries Complete Box Set (Books 1 – 10)
Torrent Witches Cozy Mysteries Complete Series Box Set!
All ten books in one!
Meet Harlow Torrent, part-time journalist and full-time Slip Witch and her crazy witch family in this ten-book cozy mystery box set. $0.99 on Kindle
The Repairman Series Volumes 1-3
Got a problem? Mike Reardon, the repairman, can fix it. Your son in debt to his dope dealer? Your captain steal your plane or boat? Someone put a hit on you? Mike Readon, as a Marine, was taught to search and destroy, now he’s got to do what he knows! Acclaimed action adventure writer L. J. Martin brings you the ultimate kick ass fiction…don’t pick this one up unless you’ve got time to read cover to cover. $0.99 on Kindle
Once Upon a Murderous Delusion
The year is 1980 in a sleepy New England town. A series of devastating murders threaten the community. A serial killer has begun a deadly game of catch-me-if-you-can with local police, who have dubbed the carnage, “The Mommy Murders.” Frightened residents believe the hospital psychiatric unit is somehow to blame. Nurses disagree. Can he be stopped? $0.99 on Kindle.
Dangerous Pursuits
Crisp Days. Cold Nights. Dangerous Pursuits.
The chill of fall brings with it a hint of peril in Dangerous Pursuits, a clean and Christian suspense anthology featuring some of today’s most popular female authors.
Start your fall off right with 15 gripping tales of Clean and Christian suspense from today’s most popular ladies of mystery and suspense. Join Mary Alford, Lisa Harris, Therese Heckenkamp, Cynthia Hickey, Gina Holder, Ronie Kendig, Loree Lough, Dana R Lynn, Ann Malley, Dana Mentink, J. Carol Nemeth, Cara Putman, Sharee Stover, Terri Reed, and Lenora Worth, as we take you on a dangerous journey filled with mystery and suspense that will keep you turning pages until the very. Last. One.
Just .99 cents until October 12th. $0.99 on Kindle
Hold Your Breath: A Clean Romantic Suspense (An Untapped Source Book 2)
A notorious Russian terrorist is hunting Kate. Aleksandr Zhuk is a sociopath who has evaded the CIA for decades. Kate humiliated him and now he wants revenge. And will stop at nothing to get it. Kate, John, and the U-Tap team of mom-spies must stop this ruthless killer before he releases a deadly chemical weapon on US soil. Can Kate’s faith in God give her the strength to face this madman? Or will hundreds die with just one breath?
Hold Your Breath is the riveting second book in Amy Martinsen’s romantic suspense series, An Untapped Source. If you like undeniable chemistry, page-turning tension, and Christian values in action, then you’ll love this thrilling second installment. $2.99 on Kindle
Free: Escape to Osprey Cove
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. Free on Kindle
Free: Bully Shack
The Kid learned the hard way that you can try to be a pacifist in a world full of clenched fists, stiff upper lips and mean looks, but it won’t get you far—and it might get you killed.
Olebark—The Kid—grew up in a community infested by fighting, bullying, organized fight clubs, gambling, and hoodlums. A world of few laws and fewer smiles and the backdrop to the incident that changed him forever. Traumatized and beaten at the age of six, The Kid decides to take things into his own hands—in fact, his own fists.
A fictionalized account of a true event, Bully Shack takes you on the intrepid journey of a boy that was initiated into his childhood through a brutal beating at the age of six. Traumatized and terrified, he vowed to fight his way out of his rotten world.
While The Kid fights his own battles, the institutionalized bullying and unwilling-sex-in-return-for-protection go on around him, ensnaring almost everyone he knows in its horrid web. Girls “put out” so that they are exempt from being mistreated, beaten and raped. Other boys are dragooned into a nightmarish Fight Club world—where nobody talks about it because they are too intimidated to do so.
To tell is to risk all.
In this true tale, one boy’s courageous battle against intimidation and emotional, spiritual and physical torture inspires those around him to rise up and fight—to fight for their lives. Free on Kindle
Sins of the Mother
At the top of a mountain, a cult of women pray for the end of the world. In the town below, a violent white supremacist thinks his daughter has been kidnapped. Caitlin Bergman’s search for her birth mother may set the world on fire. Perfect for fans of Julia Keller, Tess Gerritsen, and Michael Koryta – voted one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Thrillers of 2020. $1.99 on Kindle
Flames of Murder
Gun stores torched and the store owners burned alive.
Who would do something this horrible?
What do they have to gain?
Flames from a torched gun store bounce across the rooftop, consuming everything in its wake.
With the heat from the fire, bullets fly through the night air as the firestarter watches the scene. This is his first.
FBI Agents Mac and Spencer join a task force with ATF and an Atlanta PD fire investigator to stop the gun store torcher. The fires demolish stores and burn people alive as the firestarter feeds a need.
How many stores will he torch before he’s stopped?
How many people will he murder?
$1.99 on Kindle
Free: Heart and Soul
The completed Heart and Soul series is a tribute to lost souls who stumble from the shadows of who they were, and into the light of who they were meant to be.
After a tragic wreck claims Elaine Pearson’s family, she embarks on a solo hiking trek into the Blue Ridge Mountains. She only wants to escape her blighted past and the pain of her broken heart. But through a chance encounter with a protective, mysterious stranger, she is thrust into a world where dark creatures that haunted her childhood nightmares are now stalking her from the shadows…and trailing her up a mountain.
During a summer sabbatical, Duke University geneticist, Dr. Ian Kearney, finds Elaine stumbling along the Bartram Trail alone. His slumbering hybrid vampire/lycan soul slowly begins to awaken, and he is unable to resist or deny the persistent soul stirrings that leave him craving a mate. His forgotten human self, however, is also awakening…and the man within wants everything he knows he shouldn’t–her.
The first book in the series, Solace From Shadows, introduces Elaine, a young widow trying to make amends with her painful past; and Ian, a uniquely created hybrid who is searching for more than the hollow existence he’s carved out among humans. Their struggle to find peace, while coping with a resurrecting past, becomes a test of determination and fortitude when letting go is impossible.
R. W. Patterson recognizes the Heart and Soul series is recommended for Adult Audiences as they contain mature scenes and violence. Each book is not intended as a stand-alone novel. Free on Kindle.
SEAL of Silence
Three years after the love of his life is shot down over Syria, Navy SEAL James Cooper has finally accepted her death. The private security business he founded with his brothers-in-arms helps him focus on the present. Whole days go by when Coop doesn’t grieve for the dark-haired Air Force captain with the mesmerizing indigo eyes…until she returns from the dead. $0.99 on Kindle.
Free: Broken
Growing up can be tough. For Patrick Bellwood, growing up is already a challenge as a high school freshman in 1997. Dealing with the difficulty of high school bullies, crushes, and his own social awkwardness, Patrick struggles to fit in among his peers, especially his older, popular brother, Logan. As secrets come to light, tragedy strikes, rendering Logan, Patrick, and their sister Lillian, struggling to come to terms with a heartbreaking loss. Almost overnight, a threat to their family becomes a terrifying reality, as Patrick, Logan, and Lillian will soon find that some family secrets can not only be frightening, but deadly. Free on Kindle.
The Pearl Shore Inn
She thought they could rekindle their love. Then he vanished without a trace.
When Cade disappeared, Elizabeth Anderson’s life was thrown into chaos. Having thought that their newly inherited beach house would be the perfect place to refresh their marriage, she never believed the last time she would see her husband was the day he took their boat out to sea. With no body recovered and an investigation ongoing, a heartbroken Elizabeth is left to fear the worst.
But as she digs deeper into her husband’s disappearance, she begins to uncover a strange series of mysteries. With odd financial decisions and an enigmatic novel which he had been working on before his disappearance, she starts to worry that maybe he vanished on purpose…
Struggling to rebuild her life and take care of their two children, Elizabeth grapples with everything she thought she knew about the man she loved. As their world comes crashing down, she’s faced with the daunting task of navigating her new reality while clinging to the hope that her husband will return.
Perfect for fans of gripping mysteries set with a backdrop of suspense, drama, and a beautiful beachside setting, the Otter Bay Series will capture your attention from beginning to end. $0.99 on Kindle.
