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Has the need for thrills lead you to our page to download free and discounted thriller ebooks? You’ve come to the right place. Satisfy your thrill seeking bones for bestselling thrillers in this category, and never pay more than what you should. We routinely feature the best authors of thriller ebooks, and they always promote their ebooks to you--for free or for a discount.
Definition of "Thriller Genre": The thriller genre is very broad and can be difficult to define. However, the focus of a thriller ebook is typically on action, danger and suspense. The genre can be broken into an almost infinite number of sub-genres, including action thrillers (think Clive Cussler ebooks), romance thrillers, psychological thrillers (think Psycho by Hitchcock), science fiction thrillers, and spy thrillers, just to name a few. Common elements can include car chases, gun shoot outs, explosions, or in the case of psychological thrillers, the elements of danger can be related to the mental manipulation of characters by other characters. It is an expansive genre, and one of the most popular at eBookHounds.
Some examples of the best thriller authors and ebooks of all time: Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), Robert Ludlum (The Bourne Identity), Michael Crichton (The Andromeda Strain), John Grisham (Time to Kill), John D. MacDonald (Cape Fear); James Patterson (Kiss the Girls). As you can see, ebooks in the thriller category vary widely in their substance, and the sub-genres can almost be considered genres of their own!
The “gripping… page-turner” (Time) hitting all the best of summer reading lists, Miracle Creek is perfect for book clubs and fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng
How far will you go to protect your family? Will you keep their secrets? Ignore their lies?
In a small town in Virginia, a group of people know each other because they’re part of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But then the chamber explodes, two people die, and it’s clear the explosion wasn’t an accident.
A powerful showdown unfolds as the story moves across characters who are all maybe keeping secrets, hiding betrayals. Chapter by chapter, we shift alliances and gather evidence: Was it the careless mother of a patient? Was it the owners, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? Could it have been a protester, trying to prove the treatment isn’t safe?
“A stunning debut about parents, children and the unwavering hope of a better life, even when all hope seems lost" (Washington Post), Miracle Creek uncovers the worst prejudice and best intentions, tense rivalries and the challenges of parenting a child with special needs. It’s “a quick-paced murder mystery that plumbs the power and perils of community” (O Magazine) as it carefully pieces together the tense atmosphere of a courtroom drama and the complexities of life as an immigrant family. Drawing on the author’s own experiences as a Korean-American, former trial lawyer, and mother of a “miracle submarine” patient, this is a novel steeped in suspense and igniting discussion. Recommended by Erin Morgenstern, Jean Kwok, Jennifer Weiner, Scott Turow, Laura Lippman, and more-- Miracle Creek is a brave, moving debut from an unforgettable new voice.
"An addictive first entry in the Julie Madigan Thriller series... fortunately for us, a second Julie Madigan book awaits." –Best Thrillers
Julie Madigan’s career with the New Mexico State Police ended in a puddle of her own blood after having her throat cut, barely able to lift her gun to shoot and kill the man who almost ended her life. But survival led to a year of recovery and left her desperate to hide the scars and to escape her past. She moved to Michigan, away from friends and coworkers who knew her secrets.
Now a Medical Examiner Investigator, Julie Madigan loves her job and her team, but when a killer sends her clues and evidence about two of his victims, taunting her with his unusual methods of murder, she is pulled into a twisted game that eventually targets those she cares about. The killer’s goal – to prove that not only will Julie kill again, but that she will enjoy it as much as he does. While trying to identify him, Julie discovers that this monster has been much closer to her than she ever imagined, leaving her in a race to save the victims he has selected, forcing her to choose who lives and who dies.
“A thoughtful and powerful page turner.”—People
Elvis Cole is just a detective who can't say no, especially to a girl in a terrible fix. And Jennifer Sheridan qualifies: Her fiancé, Mark Thurman, is a decorated LA cop with an elite plainclothes unit, but Jennifer's sure he's in trouble—the kind of serious trouble that only Elvis Cole can help him out of.
Five minutes after his new client leaves his office, Elvis and his partner, the enigmatic Joe Pike, are hip-deep in a deadly situation as they plummet into a world of South Central gangs, corrupt cops, and conspiracies of silence. And before the case is through, every copy in the LAPD will be gunning for a pair of escaped armed-and-dangerous killers—Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.
“Elvis Cole provides more fun for the reader than any L.A. private eye to come along in years.”—Joseph Wambaugh
“Elvis lives, and he's on his way to being crowned the king of detectives.”—Booklist
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, greed and corruption plague New Orleans… As 2007 begins, New Orleans is past due to begin its recovery from the devastation of the storm. A proposed real estate project in an impoverished minority neighborhood known as Bacauptown could ignite the City’s recovery. The conflicting agendas of three resolute men clash as their paths intersect in this project. Clint Johnson, Louisiana native and successful Baltimore banker, is beset by financial and marital problems from the stress of a severely autistic daughter. He commits a reckless act, and to redeem his career and troubled family life, he must go down a path of undercover intrigue in Louisiana. His work will bring him into a relationship with a beautiful Creole woman and into the crosshairs of a mob hitman. Joseph Pacello, a self-made real estate developer, borrowed mob money to keep his business afloat after the hurricane and now must close the Bacauptown financing to pay it back. As the wizard behind the deal, he must orchestrate all the bribes, bogus contracts, and political contributions necessary to grease the skids for a closing. Reverend Clarence Washington, the charismatic black minister who conceived the Bacauptown project, must contend with racism in the white community and fend off the greed of the black mayor and others who want to enrich themselves at the expense of the neighborhood and people his God-given vision will help. Aftermath is the engrossing tale of three men—aided or impeded by a cast of vivid characters—whose paths become entangled in a complex and dangerous series of events.
All the soft-boiled Bay Area adventures of hardboiled-wannabe Paul Mcdonald-- now in a two-volume box set at a great price!
Wise-cracking ex-journalist Paul Mcdonald’s main confidant is a cat named Spot; his best friend’s a burglar who’s trying to quit; his relationship status is commitment-phobic … what makes this Great American Novelist-in-waiting think adding “P.I.” to his resume is a good idea? Well, his boss was just poisoned in Paul’s living room right in front of him, and then somebody broke into his apartment; now he thinks they’re trying to kill him. Finally Paul’s got a story he can sell, if he can catch the murderer before the murderer catches him. And maybe he will … after all, there’s a Volume 2: HUCKLEBERRY FIEND, a risible treat for the rigorous bibliophile (and anyone else who loves a good puzzle) …
The FOURTH action-packed medical thriller in The Gina Mazzio Series.
WOMEN BEWARE—THIS HOSPITAL’S HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH!
After a particularly hair-raising travel assignment, Detective Nurse (AKA RN) Gina Mazzio is settling down to Ob/Gyn, one of the tamest jobs in her hospital, expecting babies, breast exams, and a total breeze, when suddenly she finds herself in an extremely unhealthy health care situation.
First a vibrant young woman suddenly dies of sepsis after an abortion. And two days later, it happens again. Murder, she thinks. In fact, murders. Definitely an inside job.
But no one else thinks so.
The good news is Harry Lucke, Gina’s fiancé and partner-in-crime-solving, takes an on-call job in the ICU unit. So now she’s got double eyes and double ears. But the bad news is godawful. Worse yet, it's personal, and there’s lots of it.
Her beloved brother Vinnie is so depressed and suicidal he’s received a medical discharge from a tour of duty in the Mideast. Vinnie needs all the help he can get. Worse, Gina’s ex-husband Dominick, whom she sent to prison for trying to kill her, is out and on his way to San Francisco.
As her investigation continues, she becomes the target of anti-abortion fanatics, as well as the hospital murderer; and Dominick--making for a truly action-packed medical thriller!
"I've been a scoundrel, a thief, a blackmailer and a whore, but never a murderer. Until now..."
The year is 1929. As the world teeters on the brink of a global recession, Bletchley Park plays host to a rather special event. MI5 is celebrating its twentieth anniversary and a select band of former and current employees are gathering at the private estate for a weekend of music, dance and heavy drinking. Among them is Sir Hilary Manningham-Butler, a middle aged woman whose entire adult life has been spent masquerading as a man. She doesn’t know why she has been invited – it is many years since she left the secret service – but it is clear she is not the only one with things to hide. And when one of the other guests threatens to expose her secret, the consequences could prove disastrous for everyone.
An Amazon Charts bestseller.
A missing child. A desperate mother. And a house full of secrets.
Two years ago, Julia lost her family in a tragic accident. Her husband drowned trying to save their daughter, Lily, in the river near their rural home. But the little girl’s body was never found—and Julia believes Lily is somehow still alive.
Alone and broke, Julia opens her house as a writers’ retreat. One of the first guests is Lucas, a horror novelist, who becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Lily. But within days of his arrival, the peace of the retreat is shattered by a series of eerie events.
When Lucas’s investigation leads him and Julia into the woods, they discover a dark secret—a secret that someone will do anything to protect…
What really happened that day by the river? Why was Lily never found? And who, or what, is haunting the retreat?
From the bestselling author of Follow You Home and The Magpies comes his most terrifying novel yet.
A “superior thriller”(Oakland Press) about a man, a dog, and a terrifying threat that could only have come from the imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.
On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods.
That morning, Travis had been desperate to find some happiness in his lonely, seemingly cursed life. What he finds is a dog of alarming intelligence that soon leads him into a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation...
The SECOND book in Edgar-winning author Julie Smith’s Rebecca Schwartz series.
DEATH TURNS A TRICK, FIRST IN THIS SERIES, IS NOW AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK!
A tasty treat of a San Francisco mystery—a crisp, tangy story you’re sure to get a rise out of.
"…a brisk and breezy item, which—like sourdough itself—has its own distinctive and satisfying flavor.” -San Diego Union
“…an awful lot of fun, and it will make you unbearably hungry for fresh-baked bread.” -San Jose Mercury-News
TO YOU, ITS JUST A FROZEN LUMP OF DOUGH; TO SOME, IT'S LIFE AND DEATH...
Especially to handsome Peter Martinelli, who wants to auction off the fabled sourdough starter from his family’s famous bakery. But who’d buy a frozen hunk of flour and water? Only, it turns out, every bakery in San Francisco, a national food conglomerate, and an upstart ringer with a mysterious backer.
Someone would even kill for it. And does.
Enter lawyer sleuth Rebecca Schwartz, whose client is her own partner, glamorous Chris Nicholson, Martinelli’s main squeeze before the ill-starred auction.
Rebecca noshes her way through the case in hilariously unorthodox style, tasting some great bread along the way, but also uncovering so many ancient jealousies, long-simmering feuds, and seething resentments that she barely escapes death by doughball.
NOTE: THIS STORY IS COMPLETELY REALITY-BASED! A SAN FRANCISCO BAKERY MADE PAGE ONE NEWS BY FREEZING THEIR STARTER --ONLY WITHOUT THE BLOODSHED.
The slapstick style, over-the-top action, and witty dialogue make Rebecca Schwartz an easy choice for fans of Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Bond, Dorothy Cannell, Elizabeth Peters, Sarah Strohmeyer, and Jennifer Crusie.
Samantha never intended to kill the President. As a doctor, she swore an oath to protect life – not take it. But that was before he ordered the murder of her family.
Swept from the frigid New York City winter, Dr. Samantha Bartlett returns to the Midwest to once again confront the sting of death – and face those she left behind. But she’s not alone. A strange man she dubs “Shades” haunts her every step as she seeks answers to the inferno which claimed her grandmother’s life, an eerie reminder of her parents’ deaths. The secrets Samantha uncovers forever shatter the image of those she only thought she knew.
Confronted by Shades, Samantha joins a secret underworld known only as the Elite, where a web of power and control is woven deep within governments worldwide. Their sights are set on the seat of domination behind the Resolute desk that is the powerhouse of nations – the presidency of the United States of America. Samantha becomes the Elite’s unlikely key to infiltrating the White House at its most intimate levels.
The Hippocratic Oath. All doctors swear by it. But the most despicable deeds must be avenged. The quest for blood swallows Samantha in a veil of darkness and threatens to destroy everything she once stood for.
And from the darkness there is no escape.
Books 7-9 of the Pineapple Port Mysteries - Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY Best-Selling author Amy Vansant introduces you to even more wonderfully lovable Pineapple Port characters in this three-pack collection of the hilarious mystery series keeping readers on the edge of their seats!
Fans of female-sleuth authors like Jana Deleon, Lilian Jackson Braun, Gina Lamanna and Janet Evanovich will love the Pineapple Port series' abundant humor and clever plots --- as well as Charlotte's sharp intellect and the love and loyalty she holds for the wacky 55+ community who raised her.
Pineapple Gingerbread Men
Sheriff Frank asks newly-minted private detective Charlotte to help him crack the case, but she has no idea those darn gingerbread men will start showing up everywhere. What did Santa do that made them so angry? And what's the secret in his colorful Christmas-themed bureau?
Charlotte is forced to split her time between searching for Santa's killer and helping Declan's crazy ex-Stephanie stop a corrupt district attorney in exchange for a book that could help solve more crimes in the future. She never thought she'd help calculating Stephanie with anything...but as this story comes to it's shocking ending, you'll find it could be Stephanie who's finally bitten off more cookie than she can chew..
Pineapple Jailbird
Book EIGHT of the hilarious Pineapple Port mystery series from Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY Best-Selling author Amy Vansant has Charlotte awaking to find Mariska and Bob gone, kidnapped from their home. Their disappearance is a message from a familiar killer: Help me or your friends will disappear.
To save her loved ones, Charlotte must find a way to clear her boyfriend's crazy ex of a killing. It may be the only crime the woman didn't commit...but things don't get any easier when someone mistakes Charlotte as a traitor and sends a madman with a distinctive "tattoo" and unusual gang of deadly pets to stop her.
Pineapple Puppies
Someone has left puppies on the doorsteps of Pineapple Port's residents, but the adorable balls of fur seem to be connected to the murder of a nearby millionaire with too many heirs of his own. Meanwhile, Mariska's been framed for baking a killer cake, and Charlotte must clear her name
PEOPLE MAGAZINE called Venetian Mask “…kaleidoscopic, satisfyingly intricate … a brainy, psychologically astute cut above most mysteries.”
THE NEW YORKER called author Michaela Thompson “An enthralling entertainer, and one familiar with every nuance of Venice and Carnival.”
MURDER AT CARNIVAL IN THE FLOATING CITY
The surreal splendor of Venice glitters and mesmerizes as six so-called friends who, it turns out, barely know each other meet at Carnival to play a malignant game that quickly turns murderous. Sally, the “Tallahassee lassie” spurned by the rest as a virtual hayseed, is swept up by a mysterious count, attending masked balls, operas, and Carnival revels even as she mourns her marriage and dodges a deadly pursuer. “Things should happen at Carnival,” says her unlikely protector, who resembles Harlequin in more than his costume. “If they go on just the same, there’s no reason for Carnival at all.” There’s absolutely no chance of that in this psychological tour de force of surging identities wrestling to emerge in people forced by violence to confront their inner Harlequins and Medusas.
The characters change costumes, alter egos, sex partners (and preferences), and most of all, their stories while Carnival swirls around them, each more desperate by the hour to solve the murder, commit another, save a career, escape a past…whatever it is that Carnival, as much a character as the humans, seems to command them to do. The guignol grows ever grander, the danger more heightened as the clock ticks toward midnight on Fat Tuesday and Sally finds she has more enemies than she thought.
Who will like it: Fans of THE SECRET HISTORY, Commedia dell’arte, French Comedy (there’s more than a little Molière here), and all things Venice, particularly Daphne du Maurier’s DON'T LOOK NOW, John Berendt’s CITY OF FALLING ANGELS, and Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti mysteries.
"The decaying splendor of Venice forms the backdrop for a complex and unusual murder mystery … an elaborate, surrealistic book ripe with atmosphere, plot and characterization.” —Publishers Weekly
"The plot is graphic and unapologetic....a novel for those who really have the stomach," Readers' Favorite.
After Jason is committed to a mental institution, he begins to uncover things he never knew before or things his mind shut out to protect him. Under the care of the facility's doctors, he finds himself questioning what's real and what's not. What is the truth? What happened to him? Is his mind playing tricks on him?
Wait a minute, what happened to his wife, Lisa? Where is Lea? Why can't he remember what happened?
Meanwhile, Jerry is dangerous and unpredictable. He envisions a world where boundaries are broken down and he is free to enforce his narcissistic belief that he has a divine mission. Technology allows him the freedom to use his position of trust to play with people's lives.
An explosive ending that is anything but expected, forgive yourself for shuddering throughout and after you close the book
Drawing inspiration from real cases, and with well-researched, realistic characters, A Predator and A Psychopath is not for the soft-hearted.
Get your copy now.
The FIRST book in the Kate Benedict paranormal mystery series.
SHE KNOWS WHO'S GOING TO DIE! BUT NO ONE WILL BELIEVE HER...
Life spins out of control for London architect Kate Benedict when she sees a dancing aura above certain people’s heads that seems to signal death. Suddenly she’s psychic. But that can't be! Psychic’s not acceptable in her circle, where the supernatural is strictly for the superstitious. And yet…people are dying. People close to her.
Kate's tentative attempts to talk about her new-found metaphysical gift are met with eye rolls, so much so that she can’t even tell the nice Scotland Yard detective who's investigating the death of a close friend, Rebecca Williams. And now Rebecca’s neighbor has an aura.
So what's Kate to do but try to save him by turning detective herself? A break-in and attack on her boyfriend confirm that the murderer’s catching on that Kate knows too much. But he (or maybe she) has no idea that what Kate knows is a little on the paranormal side.
Fans of traditional British mysteries (and female sleuths) will love watching competent, reasonable Kate try to harness supernatural abilities she not only doesn't understand, she doesn't even believe in! And those who love international mysteries will particularly enjoy the vivid scenes in Italy, where the story begins and, in some ways, ends.
WHO ELSE WILL LIKE IT: Anyone looking for a new, fresh female sleuth, as well as fans of paranormal suspense, traditional (yet not too cozy) stories, contemporary British women detectives like the ones found on the BBC’s ROSEMARY AND THYME and MURDER IN SUBURBIA, and mysteries with a metaphysical twist, like Kay Hooper’s Bishop Files series, Iris Johansen’s THE PERFECT WITNESS, and Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters books.
"Carrie Bedford is a real find, and The Aura is engaging paranormal suspense ... Bedford is a fine writer, an accomplished novelist, and a terrific storyteller whose characters ring true and pull us deep into the mystery." -Shelley Singer, author of the Jake Samson-Rosie Vicente mystery series and Torch Song, first in the Blackjack near-future thriller series.
"...a terrific book with a likable protagonist, skilled plotting and a supernatural spin. This gripping mystery had me hooked from the first chapter." -Janet Dawson, author of the Jeri Howard series
Lunar Discovery: US vs China vs Russia. Who will win?
When a Chinese rover discovers an alien technology on the dark side of the moon, it is up to Richard ‘Rock’ Crandon and his NASA team of scientists and engineers to devise a way to return before the Chinese and Russians.
Forced to deal with bureaucratic oversight and a complex team of personalities, Rock Crandon pushes his team to their limits.
With pressure mounting, the world is pushed closer to conflict and war as the NASA team finds itself seriously behind in the newly initiated space race. The future of mankind, its ideological and technological advances are at stake, as the world's super powers race to discover what lies on the dark side of the moon.
Who will get there first, and at what cost?
In this thrilling and suspenseful fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, an inn owner and her shape-shifting lodger find themselves enmeshed in danger and dark secrets.
Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others--vampires, shape-shifters, and even deadlier paranormal beings. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget....
After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns such as Vicki's don't have any distance from the Others, the dominant predators who rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what is out there watching you.
Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe--one of the shape-shifting Others--discovers a murdered man, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, ancient forces are roused by the disturbance in their domain. They have rules that must not be broken--and all the destructive powers of nature at their command.
An FBI agent risks her heart and closely guarded secrets in this pulse-pounding Romantic Thriller from New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson.
Computer expert Ashley Chen joined the FBI to fight against evil in the world—evil she experienced firsthand. She has mad skills and deadly secrets, and once she starts working with straight-shooting FBI agent, Lucas Randall, she also has big trouble. After years of pushing people away, she's finally falling for someone. The feeling is entirely mutual, but as Ashley intensifies her online pursuit of an international trafficking ring, her traumatic past collides with her present and suddenly Lucas can't tell which side she's on. As the case escalates into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, it turns out Ashley isn't the only one with something to hide.
If neither can trust the other with their secrets, how can they trust each other with their hearts?
2018 finalist in the Book Buyer’s Best contest for “Romantic Suspense and Mystery with Romantic Elements."
This edition features a brand-new cover.
Deuce Mora’s one tough cookie–-a female sleuth with a conscience and an attitude–fiery, tough, athletic, a dirty fighter when she has to be. The scrappy lead columnist for the Chicago Journal normally writes about politics, and, rather than shying away from fights, she tends to pick them, but every once in a while, Deuce’s search for a good story brings her face to face with more trouble than she was really looking for. In award-winning (including two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist) journalist Jean Heller’s first action-packed mystery featuring the intrepid sleuth, Deuce learns in short order that if you mess with organized crime, you have to be tough—and you’d better be as much detective as reporter. The second volume finds Deuce on the wrong side of the NSA, the FBI and the CIA. At a minimum. Exhausted by these two white-knuckle investigations in one year, Deuce is content to focus on her column until she gains information that could help catch the relentless arsonist whose Burning Rage is consuming Chicago. Fans of hard-boiled female protagonists should hang onto their fedoras-- this one’s an action-packed extravaganza!
"Good reporters do not always good novelists make, but Jean Heller is both." -- The Boston Sunday Globe
"Superb ... It reads like a multimillion-dollar movie thriller." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Deuce … finds dead-ends and danger at every turn. Part journalism procedural, part character study, THE SOMEDAY FILE is a humdinger of a mystery, the first of a welcome new series.” --Paul Levine, author of Bum Rap
THE SOMEDAY FILE
Deuce uncovers a series of crimes committed over nearly six decades, and, as her human interest story morphs into a hard-boiled, action-packed mystery, she finds herself dead center in a storm of threats and reprisals from the mob. Fortunately, she has many allies, but at least one of them, she suspects, is hiding a secret–- corruption? Murder? The veteran reporter knows: if you’re talking Chicago crime scene—it’s probably both.
THE HUNTING GROUND
The grisly discovery of a human bone while Deuce is out for a hike with handsome arson investigator Mark Hearst leads to the unearthing of a vast burial field, a human trafficking ring, and international intrigue. The pull-no-punches columnist-- and meticulous detective-- keeps turning up information, but the Journal’s lawyer appears daily, bringing warnings about “national security.” What, Deuce seethes, could be a greater matter of national security than the safety of the city’s children, who are being kidnapped and murdered?
BURNING RAGE
Whole blocks of Chicago real estate are falling to an arsonist, but no one knows why and everyone suspects the worst – terrorism. But no terrorist group has claimed the mayhem. From the moment she hears the earliest details of the first fire, her detective-instincts say the pieces don’t fit, and every other instinct tells the hard-hitting reporter she can’t walk away from the story – even though she knows she’ll regret it.
WHO WILL LIKE IT: Fans of Chicago private investigators VI Warshawski and Libby Fischer Hellman’s Georgia Davis, get-the-story-or-die reporters like Hank Philippi Ryan’s Jane Ryland and Kelly Lange’s Maxi Poole, hard-boiled female protagonists like Marcia Muller’s Sharon McCone and Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan; and anyone who admires tough-minded women sleuths who’re good in a fight.