murder

Deadly Trail by Marilyn Meredith

The peace of the town of Bear Creek in the Southern Sierra is disrupted by the unusual death of the owner of the local inn. Though resident Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s job is not to investigate a murder case, she feels compelled to get involved when her friend Nick Two John is arrested. She realizes there are several people who wanted the victim dead, including his wife. As she continues to discover clues she puts her job, her wedding planning, and herself in danger.

Death by Chocolate by Sally Berneathy

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Death by Chocolate by Sally Berneathy

Lindsay’s only secret is the recipe for her chocolate chip cookies, but she is surrounded by people with deadly secrets. Suddenly she finds herself battling poisoned chocolate, a psycho stalker, and a dead man who seems awfully active for a corpse. She will need more than a chocolate fix to survive…but that’s always a good start.

She gets help from her mysterious neighbor, Fred, an OCD computer nerd. Fred also has secrets. In spite of his mundane existence, he possesses tidbits of knowledge about such things as hidden microphones, guns, the inside of maximum security prisons and how to take someone down with a well-aimed kick to the chin.

Come for the Cookie Chip Cookies, stay for the murder, mayhem and fun!

Rogue Divorce Lawyer by Dale E. Manolakas

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✩ Depravity escalates to murder. “Great psychological thriller.” “Author truly gifted.” “Real life characters you can’t forget.” ✩

[Note: Sexual Subject Matter ~ Some Necessarily Explicit ~ Mature Readers]
Based on a real “Me Too” case—in this legal thriller for decades divorce lawyer Gary Stockton sexually harasses, abuses, and subjugates his “special” female clients. After his legal bills drain their money, the quid pro quo for his continued work becomes their bodies. To him, they are the perks of his practice.
When Stockton’s criminal depravity escalates to murder, this new craving leads to a shocking trial. A pillar of the community, this rogue divorce lawyer is unstoppable until a new client Eliana Thurston walks into his office—his lair.
✩Audiobook 4.0 Rating
✩ AMAZON REVIEWS 4.5: “The characters are as compelling as the story which is true. Have read this author before. Truly gifted.” “Couldn’t Stop Reading.”Put you into the courtroom.” “Great psychological thriller with an amazing trial. A real page turner. Could not put it down. This author has a particular talent for developing real life characters that you can’t forget.”
✩ GOODREADS: 4.33 Rating
SECOND IN SERIES ~ HOLLYWOOD ON TRIAL

Targeted Age Group: Adult
Genre: Thriller

Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster

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Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster

A judge is brutally murdered; a sixteen year-old girl is accused. Josie Bates, an attorney who left her high powered law practice when her skill inadvertently led to the deaths of two small children, cannot turn her back on this one. Reluctantly she takes on a case that will put both their lives on the line and change one of them forever.

Tree of Lives by Elizabeth Garden

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The riveting story of Ruth, a promising artist and her deeply troubled family’s horrific secrets. It’s also a story of survival and triumph as this determined woman navigates her thorny life path with wit, grit, art and a little luck. (The print version is illustrated.)

Targeted Age Group: 30 – 99
Genre: Thriller

Summary & Analysis of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by ZIP Reads

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Summary & Analysis of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by ZIP Reads

***UPDATED SINCE THE CAPTURE OF THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER!***
In her chilling and exhaustive true crime memoir, Michelle McNamara traces the trail of the Golden State Killer–a man who viciously raped and murdered dozens of people in California more than 40 years ago–and who evaded police just as long.

What does this ZIP Reads Summary Include?
– Synopsis of the original book
– Detailed Chapter-by-chapter summaries
– A guide to the detectives, victims, and crimes linked to the killer
– Gripping retellings of some of the original murders
– An in-depth editorial review
– Special addendum covering the capture of the killer
– Background on the author

About the Original Book:
In I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara leaves no stone unturned in her decade-long search for the Golden State Killer. Teaming up with detectives and amateurs alike, this case seemed to affect everyone who got close to it. Her book is expertly crafted and immediately draws you in. It is part memoir, part true crime novel, and will have you checking your locks before you go to bed.

DISCLAIMER: This book is intended as a companion to, not a replacement for, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. ZIP Reads is wholly responsible for this content and is not associated with the original author in any way.

The Man in the Blue Fez by Rik Stone

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The Man in the Blue Fez by Rik Stone

Victory or Death … there is no in-between

From a former death camp in the snowy Russian mountains of 1973, Jez Kord is sent into the freezing wastelands to prove himself fit. Returning to camp, the sky is filled with helicopter gunships and he watches a venomous assault end with the flaming liquid of napalm bombs swallowing up the entire complex. He makes a run for it, but a unit of Spetsnaz elitists are hot on his heels.

Jez’s wife Anna is on assignment in Turkey. Adam Mannesh and his twisted band of misfits have designs on a drug empire that Anna has been tasked to take down. Adam comes to her assistance, but betrays her. Now the only chance of survival hangs on Jez evading the Siberian pursuit.

The Man in the Blue Fez is the third book in the series of explosive Birth of an Assassin thrillers. If you enjoy suspense thrillers with complex characters and an endless flow of death defying situations, then you’ll love being drawn into these classic tales of betrayal and intrigue from Rik Stone.

Audio Book: Ring of Lies by Victoria Howard @VictoriaHoward_

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Daniel Elliot dies in a single-car accident one rainy English night. His wife, Grace, is grief stricken. Although their marriage was imperfect, sheltered Grace doesn’t relish the future alone.

She soon learns how little she knew about Daniel. There are secrets: an alias, a strange list of numbers, a house in Florida – and a mistress who’s a dead ringer for Grace.

Terrified but determined, she flies to Florida. Underworld figures stalk her…and so does the other woman. To her surprise, handsome FBI man Jack West takes the case. Grace has a past with the troubled agent. Despite her efforts, she finds herself falling for him all over again.

With danger around every curve, Grace and Jack navigate the criminal world of south Florida to find the truth behind the Ring of Lies

Targeted Age Group: Adult (17+)
Genre: Romantic Suspense

What was your inspiration for this book?
I was on vacation in Florida and admiring the stunning beach houses on Gasparilla Island. I wondered what it would be like to own one. That lead to the idea of my late husband leaving me his, only I had no idea he owned property in the USA, much less a million dollar beach house. How did he afford? Why did he keep it secret? Thus the idea for Ring of Lies was conceived. When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
Not at the time. I often listen to audiobooks as a way of relaxing, and thought how good it would feel to have one of my own novels recorded and marketed as an audiobook. As I am not a resident of the USA, Amazon’s ACX facility is not available to me. However, once the idea took hold, I wasn’t going to allow myself to be deterred!

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
As I mentioned, the Amazon ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) facility is unavailable to authors outside of the USA, which meant I had not only to find and audition a suitable narrator, but also find a producer who held an account with Audible. After much research and negotiations with various audiobook production companies I signed a contract with Dave Giorgio of BookRite Books.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
Dave Giorgio recommended Michelle Ford as a possible narrator. Michelle is British, although she now lives in the USA and has worked for the BBC, Disney, and has narrated books for many of the major publishing houses. Michelle was a perfect match for Grace, my female protagonist. And the rest, as they say, is history. The audiobook version of Ring of Lies was released just prior to Christmas 2013

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
Do your research! There are many companies offering audiobook production. Audition as many narrators as you can to find the best voice for your project. Your chosen narrator should enunciate clearly, but able to ‘act’ the part of your characters, portraying all the emotion necessary to bring the book alive. What else would you like to share with readers about your audio book?
I’m delighted to say that Ring of Lies has been awarded, what I hope, is the first of many 5 star reviews on Audible.co.uk!

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Audio Book On Amazon
Link to Audio Book for sale on iTunes
Link to Audio Book for sale on Audible

Online Samples
Link to Book on Soundcloud

Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/Victoria.Howard.Author
https://twitter.com/VictoriaHoward_
http://www.pinterest.com/victoriahoward3/

Zeke by Wodke Hawkinson

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Zeke is a dark novel of sexual obsession, psychological manipulation, and looming peril.

Sue Cox is a naive college student who falls for the exciting new clerk at the local used bookstore. Captivated by Zeke’s brooding good looks and menacing but irresistible charisma, Sue capitulates to his will, leaving her wide open for exploitation. Zeke begins to exert subtle control and entices her to leave town with him. As they travel, his behavior grows more deviant and increasingly volatile.

After Sue’s car is found deserted in an outlying cemetery, the police dismiss her parents’ concerns since it appears Sue left willingly. The Coxes immediately hire William Falstaff, a small-town private investigator. He begins his inquiry with only two objectives. First, to verify that Sue’s departure is voluntary. And second, to provide her family with information on her whereabouts. A simple case. However, he soon finds himself locked into a chase to save Sue’s life. Will he find her in time or will she become another victim of a cunning sociopath?

Contains mature situations.

Targeted Age Group: Adult
Genre: Suspense

What was your inspiration for this book?
It started as a romance and then took a bad turn. When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
No.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
We knew that many book lovers prefer to listen rather than read a book.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
Auditions.

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
To choose the right narrator for your story. What else would you like to share with readers about your audio book?
We feel like Michael Hanson did an excellent job of capturing the mood of the book, especially the character of Zeke. His versatility added a new dimension to our story.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Audio Book On Amazon
Link to Audio Book for sale on Audible

Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/wodke.hawkinson
https://twitter.com/WodkeHawkinson

Audio Book with Sample: Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster @Rebecca_Forster

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When sixteen-year-old Hannah Sheraton is arrested for the murder of her stepgrandfather, the chief justice of the California Supreme court, her distraught mother turns to her old college roommate, Josie Baylor-Bates, for help. Josie, once a hot-shot criminal defense attorney, left the fast track behind for a small practice in Hermosa Beach, California. But Hannah Sheraton intrigues her and, when the girl is charged as an adult, Josie cannot turn her back. But the deeper she digs the more Josie realizes that politics, the law and family relationships create a combustible and dangerous situation. When the horrible truth is uncovered it can save Hannah Sheraton or destroy them both.

Targeted Age Group: General
Genre: thriller/legal thriller

What was your inspiration for this book?
My husband, a Superior Court judge in California, presided over a criminal case in which he sentenced a sixteen-year-old boy to life in prison because he had been tried as an adult. It was a dramatic trial and it was the inspiration for Hostile Witness. When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
No.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
My son is a talent manager and his client, Tara Platt, is an award winning voiceover. I have to credit him for making it happen and Tara for bringing life to the characters I love.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
Tara actually did a sample reading for me. After I heard her voice, there was never any question that she would be the voice of Josie Bates and The Witness Series.

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
GIve your talent as much information as you can in as orderly a manner as you can. I wrote an overview for Tara of each of the primary characters – not just the main one – a short synopsis, plot points etc. I also gave her a copy of the book. What else would you like to share with readers about your audio book?
I am not sure I can adequately express the feeling of hearing this story told. I thought an audio book would feel a bit anticlimactic. After all, I knew who these characters were, I knew the story, I knew how it ended and yet I found myself caught up as if I it was unfolding for the first time. That was an amazing experience.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Audio Book On Amazon
Link to Audio Book for sale on iTunes
Link to Audio Book for sale on Audible

Social Media:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2518.Rebecca_Forster
https://www.facebook.com/groups/160652797421506/?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/Rebecca_Forster
http://pinterest.com/rebforster/

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