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.

The Long and Faraway Gone: A Novel

by Lou Berney


WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD, THE MACAVITY AWARD, THE ANTHONY AWARD, AND THE BARRY AWARD FOR BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

NOMINATED FOR THE 2015 LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE

With the compelling narrative tension and psychological complexity of the works of Laura Lippman, Dennis Lehane, Kate Atkinson, and Michael Connelly, Edgar Award-nominee Lou Berney’s The Long and Faraway Gone is a smart, fiercely compassionate crime story that explores the mysteries of memory and the impact of violence on survivors—and the lengths they will go to find the painful truth of the events that scarred their lives.

In the summer of 1986, two tragedies rocked Oklahoma City. Six movie-theater employees were killed in an armed robbery, while one inexplicably survived. Then, a teenage girl vanished from the annual State Fair. Neither crime was ever solved.

Twenty-five years later, the reverberations of those unsolved cases quietly echo through survivors’ lives. A private investigator in Vegas, Wyatt’s latest inquiry takes him back to a past he’s tried to escape—and drags him deeper into the harrowing mystery of the movie house robbery that left six of his friends dead.

Like Wyatt, Julianna struggles with the past—with the day her beautiful older sister Genevieve disappeared. When Julianna discovers that one of the original suspects has resurfaced, she’ll stop at nothing to find answers.

As Wyatt's case becomes more complicated and dangerous, and Julianna seeks answers from a ghost, their obsessive quests not only stir memories of youth and first love, but also begin to illuminate dark secrets of the past. But will their shared passion and obsession heal them, or push them closer to the edge? Even if they find the truth, will it help them understand what happened, that long and faraway gone summer? Will it set them free—or ultimately destroy them?

 

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Death in Holy Orders (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries Book 11)

by P. D. James


From the award-winning master of literary crime fiction, a classic work rich in tense drama and psychological insight.

On the East Anglian seacoast, a small theological college hangs precariously on an eroding shoreline and an equally precarious future. When the body of a student is found buried in the sand, the boy’s influential father demands that Scotland Yard investigate. Enter Adam Dalgliesh, a detective who loves poetry, a man who has known loss and discovery. The son of a parson, and having spent many happy boyhood summers at the school, Dalgliesh is the perfect candidate to look for the truth in this remote, rarified community of the faithful–and the frightened. And when one death leads to another, Dalgliesh finds himself steeped in a world of good and evil, of stifled passions and hidden pasts, where someone has cause not just to commit one crime but to begin an unholy order of murder. . . . 

“Gracefully sculpted prose and [a] superbly executed mystery . . . Death in Holy Orders is among [James’s] most remarkable and accomplished Dalgliesh novels.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer

“An elegant work about hope, death, and the alternately redemptive and destructive nature of love.”
The Miami Herald 

“Absorbing . . . [James’s] plotting and characterization [are] impeccable.”
Orlando Sentinel

“P. D. James is in top form.”
The Boston Globe

Open the exclusive dossier at the back of this book, featuring P. D. James’ essay on penning the perfect detective novel.

 

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No Pit So Deep: The Cody Musket Story

by James Nathaniel Miller II


How Much Should He Tell Her?

Cody is a professional athlete and a decorated US Marine haunted by a dark military past. Brandi is a gutsy investigative journalist and single mom who has exposed a child-trafficking ring. When terrorists attempt to abduct her at a public theater, Cody, a stranger, saves her, but the violent incident unlocks the malignant demons of Cody's past.

˃˃˃ Is There A Pit So Deep That Even God Can't Find You?

The couple is now forced to play a deadly game of hide-n-seek with the syndicate. Cody protects Brandi and her two-year-old daughter, but Brandi risks her life to learn the truth about the Afghanistan incident which plunged Cody into his deep mental abyss. Was there a cover-up?

No Pit So Deep is thrilling, tragic, heartwarming, funny and inspirational; a story of honor, courageous love, and finding faith.

"One of the best reads for 2017. OMG! This book draws you in, twirls you around, then leaves you asking what happened!"- Cheryl Berry

 

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The Judas Cypher

by Greg Dragon


When machine murders man, one detective is the world’s only hope of preventing an all-out-war…

Dhata Mays has become used to living on the fringes. Unlike most of humanity, the detective treats the synth population with the respect they deserve. But when a gruesome murder points to a synth as the perpetrator, Dhata must do everything in his power to discover an explanation before the case goes public…

In a race against time, Dhata discovers a scheme involving cypher hackers, synth prostitutes, and a pair of rival gang bosses that could tear the city apart. When the case puts his loved ones in harm’s way, the investigation becomes personal. For Dhata to keep the uneasy peace, he’ll have to track down the murderers himself, but no one said he had to take them alive…

The Judas Cypher is a sci-fi technothriller with an enticing noir vibe. If you like robust future worlds, action-packed cyberpunk, and mysteries that keep you guessing, then you’ll love Greg Dragon’s electrifying tale.

Buy The Judas Cypher to decode the futuristic suspense tale today!

 

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Miami Burn (Titus Series Book 1)

by John D. Patten


“Take The Equalizer, give him Mike Hammer’s fists, throw in some Pulp Fiction-like dialogue, add a splash of Bogie-Bacall banter, and you get Titus—a hard-knuckled action hero for a new generation.”

Former cop Titus arrived in Miami a broken man hell-bent on vengeance, but when a politician's wife begs him to find her missing daughter, Titus can't help but accept the challenge.

Titus is not the only one looking for the girl. With a professional killer closing in, Titus will need to conquer his personal demons and reclaim his noble self. He'll discover a secret that someone is willing to kill for, and the next victim might be Titus himself.

"Fans of Robert B. Parker, Raymond Chandler, and John D. MacDonald will love this book!"

"PHILIP MARLOWE MEETS 'MIAMI VICE.'"

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A Sound In The Dark

by Kyle Alexander Romines


For Zack Allen, it was supposed to be a chance to get away and relax. A weekend camping trip with a small group of friends seemed like the perfect distraction from a messy personal life, but as Zack and his friends made their way to the camping ground at Drifter’s Folly Memorial Park, he couldn’t shake the feeling something was terribly wrong.

Zack should have listened to his gut, because he and his friends aren’t the only ones in the forest. Someone else is watching—someone with dark intentions. And he wants to play a game...

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Life Without Shoes: The First Father Ambrose Mystery

by Emma Cyrus

New Life should be a place of rest and healing. So why would anyone dump a body in their orchard? Can the visionary Father Ambrose hold onto his own peace of mind, help his fragile community survive, and assist the police to catch a murderer? Life Without Shoes is a gentle newcomer in the world of clerical mysteries—welcome!
~ Donna Fletcher Crow, The Monastery Murders series

In the tradition of Grantchester, the Rabbi Small mysteries, the Cadfael Chronicles, and the Monastery Murders series, Life Without Shoes confronts a modern-day monastic with a horrifying crime.

It’s late summer and Father Ambrose is looking forward to an abundant and joyful harvest at New Life Ecumenical Retreat. That dream is shattered when someone dumps a body in one of their orchards.

As Abbot, Ambrose is forced into the role of protector of New Life and, eventually, private investigator, working alongside Sheriff Charlie Cormley to identify and bring the perpetrator to justice. He has no fondness for the world beyond the gates, but now he must put all that aside and do what’s best for his community.

Through meditation and his commitment to compassionate service, Father Ambrose finds himself engaged with the outside world in ways he couldn’t have predicted, and in the process, must prove the innocence of the New Life community or see it crumble around him.

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Wipe Out (Maggie PI Mysteries Book 3)

by Rose Pressey

"Rose Pressey's books are fun!" Janet Evanovich

A man is found murdered on the beach in Miami, and the contact information of a local private detective is found on his body.

Now P.I. Maggie Thomas is thrown into the case. Why had the murdered man been looking for her? But there's more than one murder to solve, and she's determined to prove that she has top notch detective skills, despite what handsome detective Jake Jackson thinks.

Lucky for Maggie she has the help of her orthopedic shoe-wearing assistant Dorothy Raye. Knitting needles make good weapons in a life or death situation, and Dorothy's not afraid to use them!

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Mercy Watts Box Set (Books 1-3, plus a Mercy Watts short)

by A.W. Hartoin

This box set includes the first three books of the Mercy Watts Mysteries series and the Mercy Watts Short, Coke with a Twist.

Coke with a Twist (A Mercy Watts Short)
Mercy Watts' P.I. father ropes her into another investigation, this time to find the truth behind a young woman's attack. The case takes her from a dive bar to sorority row to the gutter, and unless she solves it fast, the case will be her last.

A Good Man Gone (Mercy Watts Mysteries Book 1)
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.

Diver Down (Mercy Watts Mysteries Book 2)
A sunny place for shady people.
Vacations can be murder, especially when you’re Mercy Watts. She’s trying to get away from it all, including her godmother’s lawsuit and a certain situation with the mafia. So she heads to Roatan, Honduras, a place known for scuba diving and lawlessness. Mercy’s on the island less than twenty-four hours when she discovers that she hasn’t gotten away from anything. Her problems hitched a ride and increased tenfold. The deeper she dives, the more dangerous her vacation becomes. She must stop a murder or she’ll be the next on the hit list.

Double Black Diamond (Mercy Watts Mysteries Book 3)
Commit a crime. Save a child.
Mercy Watts is off to Colorado for a ski trip with her boyfriend and his parents. She thinks her biggest problem will be pretending to be a normal girlfriend. A girlfriend that doesn’t know how to pick locks and absolutely never gets her face on the national news. But a desperate friend asks a favor that cannot be refused. Mercy figures she can fit it in between trips up the lift and dips in the hot tub. Simple, right? Not quite. Before she has a chance to do much of anything a brutal crime is committed and Mercy becomes a suspect. Before she knows it she’s saddled with a pint-sized partner, a stalker, and a ticking clock. All she has to do is solve a crime in order to commit a crime. A child’s life hangs in the balance. No pressure.

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The Roses of May (The Collector Series Book 2)

by Dot Hutchison


Four months after the explosion at the Garden, a place where young women known as the Butterflies were kept captive, FBI agents Brandon Eddison, Victor Hanoverian, and Mercedes Ramirez are still entrenched in the aftermath, helping survivors in the process of adjusting to life on the outside. With winter coming to an end, the Butterflies have longer, warmer days of healing ahead. But for the agents, the impending thaw means one gruesome thing: a chilling guarantee that somewhere in the country, another young woman will turn up dead in a church with her throat slit and her body surrounded by flowers.

Priya Sravasti’s sister fell victim to the killer years ago. Now she and her mother move every few months, hoping for a new beginning. But when she ends up in the madman’s crosshairs, the hunt takes on new urgency. Only with Priya’s help can the killer be found—but will her desperate hope for closure compel her to put her very life on the line?

 

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Now You See Her

by James Patterson et al


Nina Bloom may be the perfect lawyer, wife, and mother . . . but when an innocent man is framed for murder in Key West, her past comes back to haunt her.

 
Nina's secret life began 18 years ago. She had looks to die for, a handsome police officer husband, and a carefree life in Key West. When she learned she was pregnant with their first child, her happiness was almost overwhelming. But Nina's world is shattered when she unearths a terrible secret that causes her to run for her life and change her identity.
 
Now, years later, Nina risks everything she's earned to return to Florida and confront the murderous evil she fled. In a story of wrenching suspense, James Patterson gives us his most head-spinning, action-filled story yet: a Hitchcock-like blend of unquenchable drama and pleasure.
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A Trace of Murder (A Keri Locke Mystery--Book #2)

by Blake Pierce


“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”
--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)

From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.

In A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter. Encouraged by the new lead that has landed, the first in years, she pursues it with all that she has, determined to find her daughter and bring her back alive.

Yet Keri, at the same time, receives a phone call from a frantic husband, a famed Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, who reports that his wife has been missing for two days. A wealthy socialite with no enemies and little reason to leave her life, he fears the worst has become of his wife.

Keri takes on the case, assigned a new partner whom she hates, as Ray still recovers in the hospital. Her investigation leads her deep into the elite Beverly Hills world of the idle rich, to encounters with lonely housewives, and those with shopping-addicted, empty lives. Keri, in over her head in this world, becomes increasingly puzzled by the conflicting signals: did this woman, with a stalker and a lurid, secret past, run away, or was she abducted?

Or did something far more sinister happen?

A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF MURDER is book #2 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

Book #3 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

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Serenity (The Shelby Alexander Thriller Series Book 1)

by Craig A. Hart


A bullet slams into a wall just past Shelby’s head. A drug dealer offers him $10,000 for information regarding his dead sister. The local sheriff has Shelby in his sights. It’s just another day in the small town of Serenity.


Readers of David Archer, John Sandford, Dustin Stevens, and Robert B. Parker will love this new series of suspense thrillers. Reviewers call Serenity “fast-paced,” “masterful,” “fantastic,” and “superb.”

Set in Serenity, Michigan, the Shelby Alexander Thriller Series stars an aging ex-boxer and retired fixer whose activities flirt with the wrong side of the law. Shelby moved to Serenity, his boyhood hometown, looking for a slower pace of life. But trouble follows men like Shelby, and he finds himself embroiled in an underworld of drugs and violence that may prove to be his undoing.

The first book in the new Shelby Alexander Thriller Series, Serenity is an action-packed read with a lovingly rendered cast, witty dialogue, and a main character who doesn't know when to quit.

If You Love These Authors, You'll Love This Book

  • Mark Dawson
  • John Sandford
  • Lee Child
  • Nick Stephenson
  • David Archer
  • Steve Hamilton
  • John Hemmings
  • Christopher Greyson
  • Robert B. Parker
  • Elmore Leonard
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The Bluff City Butcher: (NEW Edition - approved by author) (The Bell Trilogy Book 1)

by Steve Bradshaw


The Bluff City Butcher was once just an urban legend. Now a real monster has stepped out of the fog of a century-old mystery and thrown a midsouth community into unbridled terror. When world renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Elliott Sumner gets the call from the Butcher, he knows he's not dealing with just any serial killer. Not only is the BCB a genius and psychopath, he is the genetic recipient of a legendary mutation some would kill for.

Elliott's battle with his own inner demons could get in the way of stopping the very real monster. But will ending the reign of terror of the Bluff City Butcher solve the century-old mystery? Or will it put an end to the single greatest evolutionary leap for mankind?

 

 

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A Merciful Death (Mercy Kilpatrick Book 1)

by Kendra Elliot


Soon to be a TV series by Warner Brothers Television and Ellen Degeneres’s A Very Good Production.

FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been waiting her whole life for disaster to strike. A prepper since childhood, Mercy grew up living off the land—and off the grid—in rural Eagle’s Nest, Oregon. Until a shocking tragedy tore her family apart and forced her to leave home. Now a predator known as the cave man is targeting the survivalists in her hometown, murdering them in their homes, stealing huge numbers of weapons, and creating federal suspicion of a possible domestic terrorism event. But the crime scene details are eerily familiar to an unsolved mystery from Mercy’s past.

Sent by the FBI to assist local law enforcement, Mercy returns to Eagle’s Nest to face the family who shunned her while maintaining the facade of a law-abiding citizen. There, she meets police chief Truman Daly, whose uncle was the cave man’s latest victim. He sees the survivalist side of her that she desperately tries to hide, but if she lets him get close enough to learn her secret, she might not survive the fallout…

 

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The Lanvin Murders (Vintage Clothing Mysteries Book 1)

by Angela M. Sanders


All Portland vintage clothing store owner Joanna Hayworth wants to do is turn her back on the modern world and retreat into a carefully curated life of satin cocktail gowns, icy martinis, and old movies.

But when Joanna finds a key in a 1930s Lanvin coat cast off by an ex-showgirl, everything changes. The elderly woman turns up dead, and Joanna is pulled into a long-ago drama of back room deals, blackmail, and lost love. She must find a very real—and present day—killer before she becomes his next victim.

“As you dive into this intriguing mystery novel featuring vintage clothing dealer/sleuth Joanna Hayworth and a quirky cast of characters, prepare for an entertaining ride through long-buried crimes and Portland lore to solve the mystery of 'the woman in the Lanvin coat.' A truly enjoyable read!" --Christine Finlayson, author of Tip of a Bone, a Pacific Northwest mystery

"Slip on a pair of pink mules and a silk robe, mix up a shaker of martinis, and relax with this delightful mystery set in a Portland vintage clothing store. Populated by a charming heroine and a flock of odd characters, this engaging tale will satisfy the sleuth in you as well as the fashionista." --Ann Littlewood, author of Endangered, a zoo-dunnit

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Death's White Horses: A Jeff Trask Crime Drama (Jeff Trask crime drama series Book 3)

by Marc Rainer


What Began As A Routine Series Of Overdose Investigations Turned Far More Dire

Federal prosecutor Jeff Trask is back on the case, after a series of drug overdoses places investigators face to face with Los Zetas, the most dangerous of the Mexican drug cartels. What begins as an investigation of local heroin trafficking soon turns into something far more serious.


˃˃˃ Danger Hits Home


The cartel will do anything to protect its cash flow”"including a series of attacks against Trask’s team that cement Los Zetas’ status as one of the most ruthless criminal organizations of the century.


˃˃˃ Inspired By Actual Events


Drawing from Mexico’s real-life cartel wars, Death’s White Horses is Marc Rainer’s third book featuring federal prosecutor Jeff Trask. While showcasing the challenges faced by law enforcement on both sides of the border, it also highlights the deadly consequences seen on both ends of the US-Mexico drug trade.

With more than three decades of experience as a federal prosecutor, Rainer combines the excitement of a high-stakes thriller with the pinpoint accuracy and realism that has earned him a widespread audience in the field of law enforcement.


˃˃˃ Death’s White Horses is a standalone adventure that takes the reader on a thrilling journey into the world of Los Zetas, one of today’s most dangerous criminal organizations.

 

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So About the Money (Holly Price Mystery Series Book 1)

by Cathy Perkins


For a smart, funny new amateur sleuth series of crime and deception, trust in award-winning author Cathy Perkins!
 

Award of Excellence Finalist ~ Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements


When Holly Price trips over a friend’s dead body while hiking, her life takes a nosedive into a world of intrigue and danger. The verdict is murder—and Holly is the prime suspect. Of course, the fact that the infinitely sexy—and very pissed off—cop threatening to arrest her is JC Dimitrak, Holly’s jilted ex-fiancé, doesn’t help matters.

To protect her future, her business...and her heart...the intrepid forensic accountant must use all her considerable investigative skills to follow the money through an intricate web of shadow companies, while staying one step ahead of her ex-fiancé. She better solve the case before the real killer decides CPA stands for Certified Pain in the Ass...and the next dead body found beside the river is Holly’s.

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Axeman's Jazz:: (The Skip Langdon Series Book 2)

by Julie Smith


The SECOND book in the Edgar Award-winning Skip Langdon mystery series

"A multilayered masterpiece " -Andrew Vachss
Gritty, witty, & mesmerizing! Langdon is a splendid female heroine.” –People Magazine

WHAT’S THE PERFECT KILLING FIELD FOR A MURDERER?

A place where he (or maybe she) can learn your secrets from your own mouth and then make friends over coffee. A supposedly "safe" place where anonymity is the norm. The horror who calls himself The Axeman has figured it out and claimed his territory—he's cherry-picking his murder victims in the 12-Step programs of New Orleans.

And he's had the gall to name himself after a historical serial killer. He just needs to go down, and fast, because this is New Aw'lins, dawlin'—half the town is either alcoholic or co-dependent!

Who better to take him out than tall, funny, social-misfit Skip Langdon, now a homicide detective on the Axeman team, a gig that takes her into the 12-Step groups to meet the suspects (giving the author a chance for gentle satire). As Skip threads her fascinated way from one self-help group to another, she finds she has more in common with the twelve-steppers than just the murder—her mother, for one thing, whom she encounters at Overeaters Anonymous! And she knows what they do not: that among their anonymous numbers is a murderous, and dangerously attractive psychopath…

"Smashing . . . New Orleans Mourning was a tough act to follow. The Axeman’s Jazz is a wonderful, completely satisfying encore." -The Denver Post

"Julie Smith not only firmly establishes her claim to the New Orleans crime scene, but she explores an intriguing new franchise for the serial killer." –Sue Grafton

"Marvelous!" –Chicago Tribune

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The Kept Woman: A Novel (Will Trent)

by Karin Slaughter

 

The Skimm Reads calls it "a thriller that's part True Detective, part The Girl On The Train. All parts gripping."

Husbands and wives. Mothers and daughters. The past and the future.

Secrets bind them. And secrets can destroy them.

The author of Pretty Girls returns with an electrifying, emotionally complex thriller that plunges its fascinating protagonist into the darkest depths of a mystery that just might destroy him.

With the discovery of a murder at an abandoned construction site, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is brought in on a case that becomes much more dangerous when the dead man is identified as an ex-cop.

Studying the body, Sara Linton—the GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover—realizes that the extensive blood loss didn't belong to the corpse. Sure enough, bloody footprints leading away from the scene indicate there is another victim—a woman—who has vanished . . . and who will die soon if she isn’t found.

Will is already compromised, because the site belongs to the city’s most popular citizen: a wealthy, powerful, and politically connected athlete protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers—a man who’s already gotten away with rape, despite Will’s exhaustive efforts to put him away.

But the worst is yet to come. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case . . . and the consequences will tear through his life with the force of a tornado, wreaking havoc for Will and everyone around him, including his colleagues, family, friends—and even the suspects he pursues.

Relentlessly suspenseful and furiously paced, peopled with conflicted, fallible characters who leap from the page, The Kept Woman is a seamless blend of twisty police procedural and ingenious psychological thriller -- a searing, unforgettable novel of love, loss, and redemption. 

 

 

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