Mysteries

Mysteries

Looking to download free and discounted mystery ebooks? Well then, you sleuth, you’ve found the right place. Satisfy your crime solving needs in this category, and never pay more than what you should. We routinely feature the best authors of mystery ebooks, and they always promote their ebooks to you--for free or for a discount.

 

Definition of "Mystery Genre": Fiction in which a detective resolves a crime or series of crimes.  This genre can also be referred to as detective or crime novels.  The plot of a mystery ebook focuses on the crime that needs to be solved, and the detective that will solve it.  Typical elements include the detective being in danger, a host of suspects with their own motives, and clues, motives and alibis.  The genre can vary greatly dependent on the time in which the mystery is set, as that will drive what tools the detective has at his/her disposal.

 

Some examples of the best mysteries of all-time include Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon), Agatha Christie (Murder on the Orient Express), Caleb Carr (The Alienist), Lyndsay Faye (Dust and Shadow), James Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice).  Of course, many of these are the best mystery ebooks of all time, as well as classics.  We try to bring you free and discounted mystery ebooks on their way to being the tops in their genre.

A Fresh Beginning & Murder (The Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by Miranda Brickett


Book 1 of the Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery Series.
Clean, wholesome fun (& murder) for all ages!


When Claudia Porter inherits a rundown farmhouse in a quaint prairie town, she hopes it will provide her with the fresh start she so desperately needs. Except then she discovers a body. Before she knows it, she's the prime suspect in a mysterious murder. She's desperate to restore the old fixer upper - and her reputation. All she has to do is try to get along with her notoriously grouchy handyman... and solve a murder. Easy, right?


A fun, casual read with a thirty-something amateur sleuth. Set in a charming rural town on the Canadian prairies, this series has quirky characters, no profanity, and plenty of cats. Each book is a full-length, standalone novel.

 
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Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick’s Day Murder in Dublin

by Jennifer S. Alderson


When an old friend is arrested in Dublin, tour guide Lana Hansen will need the luck of the Irish to clear him of the crime.

Lana is thrilled her friend Jeremy and his wife are on her tour to Ireland. The couple are having the time of their lives exploring the country’s rich literary and cultural history, until they run into Guy Smith, a reporter Jeremy recently exposed as a fraud.

A tussle turns into a fight and leaves each man vowing to destroy the other. Yet cross words and dirty looks tell Lana that Jeremy is not the only client on her tour who has a grudge against the reporter.

When Guy is murdered at the same pub Lana’s group is present at, Jeremy is the police’s number one suspect. But did he really murder the reporter? Or was it one of her other guests?

Lana keeps their tour going and her ears open for any clues that might help free her friend. Can she discover the true killer’s identity before their trip to the Emerald Isle draws to a close?

The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.

Books in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series:
Book 1 - Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest
Book 2 – Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris
Book 3 – Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam
Book 4 – Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh
Book 5 – Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome
Book 6 – Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick’s Day Murder in Dublin
Book 7 – Death by Flamenco: An Easter Murder in Seville
Books 8-12 – Coming Soon!!

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Fire and Sword (Sword and Sorcery Book 1)

by Dylan Doose


“An epic tale…”—Library Journal

A broken nation in need of a savior.

Ravaged by plague, decimated by dark magic, infiltrated by a foreign evil seeking to dominate from within, Brynth is on the eve of its dissolution. When all the good men are dead and gone, who is to answer the call and defy what is wicked for what is right?

A Twisted Tale of Three Unlikely Heroes.

Heretic monk turned Sorcerer, Aldous Weaver. Infamous crusader turned fugitive, Kendrick the Cold. Aristocrat, rogue, monster hunter, and legend in his own mind, Theron Ward.

Three men condemned to die for their crimes find in each other both the will and the means to survive. A dark brotherhood with Sword and Sorcery is forged, and all monsters meek and mighty do fear the three.

“Gritty, fast-paced and compelling!”

Honorable mention in Library Journal’s Indie Ebook Awards and a Shelf Unbound Magazine Notable 100!


Read all the books in the dark and gritty Sword and Sorcery Series!


Fire and Sword (Volume 1)
Catacombs of Time (Volume 2)
I Remember My First Time (short story)
The Pyres (Volume 3)
Ice and Stone (Volume 4)
As They Burn (Volume 5)
Black Sun Moon (Volume 6—a complete, stand-alone novel)
Embers On The Wind (Volume 7)
Graves of the Gods (Volume 8)—Coming Soon!

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Jungle Up (The Thomas Prescott Series Book 5)

by Nick Pirog


“Please find me, Thomas! Please!”

Two years ago, Dr. Gina Brady broke Thomas Prescott’s heart, but now her panic-stricken satellite phone call starts it beating again with a fury. Thugs kidnapped the good doctor from the remote jungle village where she was working, and now the retired homicide detective’s expert skills are desperately needed to save her.

Led by a colorful, but perhaps untrustworthy local guide, Prescott journeys deep into the Bolivian Amazon, plunging into a world where the only thing more dangerous than the gun-toting drug traffickers and the ruthless tribesmen, is the jungle itself.

When Gina’s trail leads to a chance encounter with an archaeological expedition, the search for the missing doctor takes on even deadlier consequences. But Prescott will not relent in this punishing quest until, once again, he holds Gina in his arms.

The books in The Thomas Prescott Series can be enjoyed in any order, so grab Jungle Up and get started today.

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The Money

by David Shawn Klein


Henry Krakow, loving husband, devoted dad, and lawyer for the down-and-out, tries to help a single father keep his two kids, but Henry’s good deed takes a wrong turn, and he has to fight for his family through an underworld of corrupt power brokers, Ukrainian mobsters, homicidal pole dancers, rap buskers, internet revolutionaries, and a conspiracy to rob the people of Coney Island of millions of dollars meant for rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy—a conspiracy that ultimately forces him to confront the legacy of his legendary father.

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Payback Jack

by Timothy Gene Sojka


"A full-throttle thriller, bristling with political, social, and ethical intrigue." –Luke Swanson, author of The Other Hamlet Brother

"Like William Munny in Unforgiven, Smith Driskill is tough and resilient." –Laya V Smith, author of The Lumbermill

When Smith Driskill, a 55-year-old east Texas farmer, widowed and abandoned by his children; dramatically executes child molester and murderer Rodney William Markum; he is unprepared for the ensuing media circus painting him as a hero or the political divisions that surface when he chooses death over a day in court. Why is Driskill determined to die on death row, and why have so many people pledged to stop him?

 

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Windfall: A Henry Lysyk Mystery

by Byron TD Smith


Henry has hit rock bottom. A fifty-year old mystery could save him – or finish him off.

"...a masterful work of mystery, drama, and criminally good writing." (K.C. Finn, ReadersFavorite.com)

Henry Lysyk’s life is a mess.

With his marriage over and his accounting career marred by scandal, he retreats to the anonymity of a rented suite in a house shared with strangers. But the trail of a decades-old crime leads a murderous treasure hunter to his doorstep, and Henry is baffled by his neighbors’ cover-up.

An unexpected visit from his adventure-hungry niece, Frieda, further complicates Henry’s efforts to lay low. With his houseguest refusing to stay away from the danger, Henry’s terrified they’re about to expose secrets someone would kill to protect. Not knowing who to trust, they must choose which parts of the past to uncover, and which to leave buried.

A real-life ransom, a shadowy past, unlikely allies, and ruthless murder. Can Henry unravel this cold case before he and Frieda become its next victims?

If you enjoy absorbing mysteries, original characters, and a dash of true crime, then you’ll love Byron TD Smith's clever “What if…” solution to the most captivating unsolved heist of the twentieth century. 

Windfall is the first instalment in the Henry Lysyk Mystery series. 

 

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A Good Man Gone (Mercy Watts Mysteries Book 1)

by A.W. Hartoin


~Part of the USA Today Bestselling Series~

It’s summer in St. Louis and Mercy Watts is on vacation from her parents. The great detective and his nosy wife are on a cruise and Mercy thinks she’s off the hook for doing any investigating for them. But when a family friend has a fatal heart attack, Dad has one of his famous feelings and orders Mercy to look into it. Mercy tries not to get sucked in. She really does, but she’s her father’s daughter. Soon Gavin’s death leads to a more grisly one, the death of a bride on her wedding day. Can the two be connected? Was Gavin murdered? Now Mercy can’t stop. You do for family. That’s all there is to it.

 
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The Girl Who Was Forgotten: An Action-Packed Mystery Thriller

by Amy Vansant


NEW - SAVE $3!

 

"If thrills, twists, turns, suspense, fast-paced books, and humor are your cup of tea, this series is for you!"


Action-adventure from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant - a novel packed with thrills, fun, romance and heartfelt family intrigue.

Life was supposed to start feeling like a permanent vacation.

After years on the run from a vengeful killer, Shee McQueen is home at her father’s beach hotel. The Loggerhead Inn doubles as a retreat for sunburned tourists and a haven for recovering ex-military --- men and women who help right wrongs for people in need of their particular skills.

What could be more relaxing?

Unless...

...Shee’s estranged boyfriend --- the only man she's ever loved --- has discovered her darkest secret and the reason she left him so many years ago...

...or her first job for her father has ended in a double homicide...

...or that her very presence is driving the hotel's regulars to prove their worth by starting dangerous covert missions of their own...

Wait. It couldn't be a botched kidnapping is started looking more like the work of a deranged serial killer?

Hm.

Maybe hold the tanning lotion.

This might take a minute.

The Girl Who Was Forgotten is the second explosive mystery-thriller in the Shee McQueen series, but can be read as a standalone. While the book has all the pulse-pounding action of a thriller, language, romance and violence is rated PG.

The unique female lead's funny, irreverent and all-too-human asides will have you rooting for her — and her whole pack of wild, wonderful misfit friends — until the breathless end.

Fans of Harlan Coban, Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, Sue Grafton, Kathy Reichs and Janet Evanovich will love this exhilarating page-turner.

Readers love Amy Vansant & Shee McQueen:


"Great book. I could not put it down until finished with THE END. Highly recommended!" - Amazon Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I find it hard to express how much this book affected me, not only the story line, but the mastery of the writing itself." - Amazon Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Well written and a certain must-read for any thriller/suspense lover. I can hardly wait for the next book. Amy Vansant nailed it!" - Amazon Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This book was absolutely spellbinding. As a fan of Vansant, I pre-order and read everything she writes." - Goodreads Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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It Began With a Lie (Secrets of Redemption Book 1)

by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)


An award-winning, gripping psychological thriller. All Becca wanted was a fresh start. That wasn’t what she got.

Becca was sure the move from New York to Redemption, Wisconsin was exactly what her troubled family needed. A way to get her crumbling marriage back on track, and to bond with her difficult 16-year-old stepdaughter.

But instead of a new beginning, Becca is thrust into a mysterious past she barely remembers. A past that includes the complications of interacting with her old teenage crush, Daniel, as well as living in her aunt's old house.

A house with a violent past. A house the locals swear is haunted.

But there's no such thing as ghosts. Right?

So, could there be something even more sinister out to destroy them?

And can Becca discover the truth before it’s too late?

2020 Voice Award–January LaVoy, who narrated the Secrets of Redemption series, won a 2020 Voice Arts Awards Best Mystery Audiobook Narration for her work on “It Began With a Lie.”
2018 PRG Reviewers' Choice Award First Place Winner for Best Book
2018 PRG Reviewers' Choice Award Second Place Winner for Best Book Series

 
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Murder in England: A Midwest Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman


When an employee of the English pub where you're staying during your vacation is murdered, and it happens on the first night you're there, it's definitely not the way to start a vacation!


A vacation in Northern England with three friends is a dream come true for Kat. Many famous authors lived and worked there, and Kat, who is an author, was looking forward to learning more about them. But the ugly hand of murder upset her plans when Sam, a popular employee at the pub, is murdered on his way home from work.

Kat's been involved in several successful murder investigations at her home back in Kansas (her husband is the local District Attorney), and she feels she has to help investigate his murder. And even though she'd promised her husband she wouldn't become involved in any more murder investigations, she can't turn her back on Sam's uncle, the owner of the pub, who has no idea what to do. She can see that he desperately needs her help.

Kat can't get rid of the thought that Bailey, Sam's Belgian Malinois dog, must have known who the murderer was because he didn't try to protect Sam from the killer. After all, he'd come to Sam's rescue before, so why didn't he protect Sam on the night the murder took place? Had he recognized the murderer? Was it someone Sam knew and was on friendly terms with?

Join Kat and her friends as they explore the Northern England countryside while they help the local authorities solve a murder.

This is the 10th book in the Midwest Cozy Mystery Series by a USA Today Bestselling Author. Plenty of dogs and recipes! Download now and start reading!

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Her Mother’s Pendant: An Atlantica Universe Adventure (John Chambers Book 1)

by Michael Anderle


ATLANTICA—the forgotten isle, the glittering gem in the cesspool of humanity's future. Anything you do inside your own home is allowed. 

Those with obscene wealth find it a haven, while every major country of in the world craves the secrets they believe are buried in the mist.

Where mystery happens, John Chambers can exist: ex-soldier, gritty realist, detective.

It's whispered that John “Dick” Chambers is the man you go to when you need someone who can't be bought. 

Do ethics matter if one can steal the answers from his cold, dead fingers?

John has accepted a job to find a pendant for a woman, a pendant that might uncover clues about Atlantica's past…if he doesn't die finding it.

Do those who desire Atlantica's secrets really care?

Find cover, release the safety, and rack your gun. John Chambers is on the case, and bodies are starting to pile up.

Go up, click the Buy Now or Read for Free button and grab Atlantica—Her Mother's Pendant right now.


But when the temptations of Atlantica grip your soul, don't say we didn't warn you.

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Cozy Power!: 12 SUPER "First-in-Series" Cozy Mysteries (full books!)

by Debra Burroughs


Discover your new favorite authors!

TWELVE First in Series COZY MYSTERIES by a dozen bestselling authors all in one pack!

Save while you enjoy nearly 2,000 pages of clean puzzlers with charming characters and amateur sleuths.

This is a special, limited time offer! Don't miss it - Get yours now!

 

The Cozy Power collection includes:

Pineapple Lies by Amy Vansant

Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan

A Murder Moist Foul by Summer Prescott

Mind Your Manors by CeeCee James

Beaches, Bungalows, & Burglaries by Tonya Kappes

Death Turns a Trick by Julie Smith

The Trailer Park Princess and the Middle Finger of Fate by Kim Hunt Harris

Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart

Apple Die by Chelsea Thomas

The Scent of Lies by Debra Burroughs,

Murder in Cottonwood Springs by Dianne Harman

A Dead Red Cadillac by R.P. Dahlke

 
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The Admirer's Secret (The Mental Madness Suspense Series)

by Pamela Crane


Now a national best-seller!

A standalone psychological drama about the masks we wear and the love that can destroy us.

Secrets are like dead bodies. They’re better left buried.

No one knows this better than Haley Montgomery, a woman haunted by loss. First her father, then her best friend. But when a woman’s body is found—and her death connected to the man Haley loves—is it a tragic accident, or murder?

Searching for answers that lead her into a disturbing revelation about her idyllic small town and her family, Haley is forced to dig into her past. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she risks. Chilling letters threaten to unearth her skeletons, unraveling a haunting childhood secret that decades later still consumes her. A secret that could shatter everything she’s tried so hard to bury. A secret that could cost her life.

But secrets aren’t the only things getting buried as an obsession soon turns lethal.

The Admirer’s Secret is a brilliant domestic noir thriller perfect for fans of BA Paris, KL Slater, and Teresa Driscoll’s I Am Watching You.

** Praise for Pamela Crane: **

"A twisted tale of love, secrets, lies, obsession, parenting, depression and forgiveness that may be fictional but also has a very heavy dose of gruesome reality." Nicki Richards - Reviewer

"This book knows how to grab you, throw your emotions around and then some" Nicki Murphy - Nicki's Book Blog

"What a gut punch! Pamela Crane perfectly captures the anguish that all moms feel at various times in their lives" Jeanne McAvoy - NetGalley Reviewer

"Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins, Pamela Crane introduces a mind-twist that takes everything you love about thrillers, pushes it outside the box, and electrifies you with clever prose and a plot that will terrify you.” Southern Editor Reviews

"A literary thriller from an up-and-coming suspense writer to watch for... a story that marries grit and powerful prose, murder and mind-twisting mastery." reader review

"Nothing could have prepared me for the ending - and I wouldn't have wanted to miss experiencing the middle." BBMoreB

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Eleventh Hour (An FBI Thriller Book 7)

by Catherine Coulter


From the #1 
New York Times bestselling author, Catherine Coulter, comes Eleventh Hour. The murder of a priest leads FBI agents Sherlock and Savich to their most baffling case yet, in this riveting novel of suspense.

Catherine Coulter won acclaim for her "fast-paced twists and turns, believable dialogue, and case of well-developed characters" (San Francisco Chronicle). Now Coulter delivers the suspense thriller of her career in Eleventh Hour.

When FBI agent Dane Carver's twin brother, Father Michael Joseph, is brutally murdered in his San Francisco church, husband-and-wife agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich take a personal interest in the investigation. Then Nicola "Nick" Jones, a homeless woman and the only witness to the shooting, is scared out of her mind because she's trying to hide from her own monsters - who are drawing closer and closer.

The chase goes from San Francisco to the Premiere Studios in Los Angeles and its new television hit, a show all about murder.

Packed with surprises, Eleventh Hour finds Catherine Coulter at her quintessential best.

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If She Dies

by Erik Therme


How far would you go to right a wrong?

Nine months ago, Tess’s five-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident. The driver, Brady Becker, was sentenced to two years in prison. It didn't make Tess’s pain go away.

Brady also has a daughter: A twelve-year-old named Eve who walks to Chandler Middle School every day. Tess knows this because she's been watching Eve for the last three weeks. It isn’t fair that Brady’s daughter gets to live, while Tess’s daughter does not.

When Eve goes missing, all eyes turn to Tess, who doesn’t have an alibi. But Tess isn’t guilty.

Or so she believes.

What readers are saying about If She Dies

“A beautiful read with unpredictable twists.”—Rabid Readers Reviews

“An engrossing slow burn suspense.”—Shalini’s Books & Reviews

“I could not turn the pages fast enough.”—Joyce Stewart Reviews

“The story had me glued to my Kindle.”—Nicki’s Life of Crime

“A harrowing psychological thriller.”—Well Worth A Read

“I read over 80% in one sitting.”—Kirsty’s Book Reviews

“A tense and twisty thriller.”—Beyond the Books

“I was holding my breath.”—Ginger Book Geek

“Kept me guessing.”—Rambling Mads

 

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The Bootlegger’s Legacy (Pacheco & Chino Mysteries)

by Ted Clifton


Joe and Mike, middle-aged losers, have discovered the promise of abundant riches and a better life; if they can only solve the cryptic clues from the past. Clues left by Mike’s bootlegger dad, who’s legacy is immorality and astonishing wealth. Mike finds a troubling family history and Joe discovers his love for someone already dead. This adventure of discovery may lead to happiness or misery; but they will not be able to stop themselves from unlocking the past. The answers will surprise everyone.

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Louisiana Longshot (A Miss Fortune Mystery, Book 1)

by Jana DeLeon

It was a hell of a long shot....

CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever—in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play. Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard.

Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation might blow her cover and get her killed. Armed with her considerable skills and a group of elderly ladies the locals dub The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late.

What authors are saying:

"Southern wit at its best!" - NYT Bestselling author Gemma Halliday

"Sinfully funny!" - NYT Bestselling author CC Hunter/Christie Craig

What readers are saying:

“If you like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, you’ll love Miss Fortune.”

“This was a hoot!!! If you like mysteries and Southern eccentrics, this is the book for you. More twists and turns than the Louisiana bayou.”

“It has a flavor of Miss Congeniality, but it is much more than that.”

“I read this book in one night, unable to put it down because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.”

“I’ve rarely thanked writers for the entertainment they provide. Nevertheless, I feel strangely compelled not only to thank this author, but to recommend this book to everybody and anybody – I give it five laugh out loud stars!”

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Ink & Sigil

by Kevin Hearne


New York Times bestselling author Kevin Hearne returns to the world of his beloved Iron Druid Chronicles in a spin-off series about an eccentric master of rare magic solving an uncanny mystery in Scotland.

“A terrific kick-off of a new, action-packed, enchantingly fun series.”—Booklist

Al MacBharrais is both blessed and cursed. He is blessed with an extraordinary white moustache, an appreciation for craft cocktails—and a most unique magical talent. He can cast spells with magically enchanted ink and he uses his gifts to protect our world from rogue minions of various pantheons, especially the Fae.

But he is also cursed. Anyone who hears his voice will begin to feel an inexplicable hatred for Al, so he can only communicate through the written word or speech apps. And his apprentices keep dying in peculiar freak accidents. As his personal life crumbles around him, he devotes his life to his work, all the while trying to crack the secret of his curse.

But when his latest apprentice, Gordie, turns up dead in his Glasgow flat, Al discovers evidence that Gordie was living a secret life of crime. Now Al is forced to play detective—while avoiding actual detectives who are wondering why death seems to always follow Al. Investigating his apprentice’s death will take him through Scotland’s magical underworld, and he’ll need the help of a mischievous hobgoblin if he’s to survive.

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The Trap (Billy Jo McCabe Mystery Book 4)

by Lorhainne Eckhart


On a cold and rainy night, Billy Jo McCabe receives a troubling phone call about a child in an abandoned house. But when she shows up alone, things quickly go sideways, and she realizes her mistake.


In her role as a social worker, Billy Jo rarely expects to walk into trouble, and the last thing she ever wants to do is call for backup from arrogant redheaded detective Mark Friessen, whom she’s beginning to depend on in the kinds of ways she shouldn’t. When she gets a call late one night about a child in trouble, Billy Jo doesn’t hesitate to drive out alone. However, she arrives to find the property abandoned, and with only one bar of battery on her phone and no cell service, she realizes far too late that she’s walked into a dark situation.



When Billy Jo doesn’t show up for work the next day, Detective Friessen is called in to find her. As he follows her trail and retraces her steps, he soon discovers her car abandoned in a field, and he has an uneasy feeling that her disappearance isn’t an accident. The more he searches, the more he fears that this is a trap—not for her but for him.

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