Best Crime Books 2021

“I know you want me. Petals.” His husky voice broke the silence in the room. “And I want you too.” My excitement spiked up as he ripped off my nightwear and did the same with his clothes exposing his well-built body. We were naked now, and his scrutinizing gaze made my heart race with anticipation. It was as if my mind had gained complete control of my body even as I willed myself to stay in control, it wasn’t working. “Uncle Ivor. This can't… you know Dad will–” I tried one more time, still in shock that this was happening. “This will stay between us. It will be our little secret, petals.” He whispered again, climbing the bed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Every girl has that time when they crushed on that one person they shouldn’t crush on and couldn't have, and it was quite the same for Renee Morse, especially when that harmless crush turned into something as endearing as obsession. She always dreamed about herself in the strong arms of her godfather and her dad’s best friend, Ivor Walker. His voice alone is enough to make her knees weak and nipples erect. Her body aches for him, her fantasies of him leaving her trembling, and her desires unrelenting. When her parents moved away for work and she had to spend her holiday with him, she took it as a sign from the universe and decided to seduce him until he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She succeeded, but little did she know that forbidden relationships always bring havoc and nothing is as simple as she thought. With enemies lurking and secrets from Ivor's past resurfacing, how long can they keep their relationship hidden? Will their love last the test of time, or will they drift apart?

Mistakes? I’ve made plenty. The biggest one? Falling head over heels for Brian Lockwood—my brother’s best friend and the captain of the school’s basketball team. For years, I lived in the shadow of my one wish: for him to see me as more than just Simon’s little sister. But how could he, with Lyla, his perfect girlfriend, glued to his side? Then everything changed. Lyla cheated, Brian’s heart shattered, and he was desperate for a distraction. That’s when he came to me with a deal—a no-strings-attached arrangement where we could give each other exactly what we wanted. I saw my chance. I thought I could make him fall in love with me. But I didn’t account for how messy things could get—how keeping it all a secret from Simon would twist everything. And when Brian crossed a line I couldn’t forgive, I knew it was time to let go of my high school crush. Fast forward three years. I’m over him. Or so I tell myself. Except now Brian’s back, no longer the heartbroken boy I knew but a leading basketball star with one goal: to win me over. I swore I wouldn’t fall for him again.

When Mia hooks up with her brother’s best friend Ethan, their one-night stand ignites years of hidden love, risking family betrayal and heartbreak.

I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to graduate top of my class, get into the best law firm, and make my brother proud. What I’m not here for? Sharing an apartment with Cade freaking West. My brother’s best friend. Tattooed, cocky, insufferable. A walking red flag on skates with a motorcycle named Roxie and a different girl in his bed every night. We don’t get along. We never have—especially not after what happened. He hates me for it. I don’t regret it. I was right. But the longer we’re forced to live under the same roof, the harder it gets to ignore the heat. The tension. The way he looks at me like he’s two seconds from ruining my entire life.

There was blood on his hands, and something worse in his eyes. And it terrified her to death. --- Crystal Peterson's only crime was to fall in love with her brother's best friend, Jaden Astor. She thought he loved her, too. Until he came back home one day with Valerie, the woman he was going to marry in two weeks. Already pregnant and disowned by her adoptive family, Crystal ran away from home without even a word to Jaden. Five years later, Crystal and her son, who had a terminal illness, were barely surviving and trying to make ends meet when she answered a knock on her door one day and found the one man she would rather stay away from all her life standing there and begging for her forgiveness. But forgiveness was something Crystal never had to offer Jaden. Not when she had to sell one of her twins just to keep the other twin alive. Not after being disowned and mocked by her family and everyone she once held dear, loosing everything she ever worked for, including her education. But what happens when she finds out who had actually bought one of her twins four years ago? Does she have a place for Jaden in her heart anymore, or she'd rather stick to Noah, the only man who was ever there for her when her world crumbled to the ground? *** Obsession. Possession. Love. Betrayal.

I never expected to fall for him, my best friend's father. From the moment I saw Marcus stride across the deck, water dripping from his shoulders, I knew this summer would change everything. I was eighteen now, no longer the little girl who used to play in his backyard. But to him, I was still just Lily's friend. Still off-limits. Still invisible. One vacation. One chance. I'd make him see me differently, even if it meant playing a dangerous game. Because some desires are too strong to ignore, and some men are worth every risk.

When Sylvia lost her last family and thought this was where her life as a rogue began, the most powerful Alpha dragged her to his mansion. "I owe your father a debt," he said to her. "Anything you desire, I’ll give it." But as he leaned closer—cedar and danger swirling in the air—all she wanted was: His teeth on her neck. His kiss like a brand.

In the wake of a tumultuous breakup, she finds an unexpected ally in her ex-boyfriend's wealthy and enigmatic uncle. As she navigates the complexities of post-relationship chaos, the uncle's incredible generosity thrusts her into a world of luxury and indulgence. Amidst the glittering façade, she must grapple with newfound desires, unanticipated challenges, and the blurry lines between gratitude and independence. In this tale of unexpected alliances, she discovers that the path to self-discovery is sometimes paved with surprises and silver spoons.

“Do you want to know how this works?” he whispered.“Yes!” I gasped in response to his tug on my hair. “I want to know.”“Yes, what?” he asked, causing my mind to swirl with the realization of what he was into.“Yes, sir. I can be a good girl.” ****For Becca, going to Miami brought up old childhood memories with her best friend, Tally. She needed the break after a rough year attending Yale and a break-up with her boyfriend, Chad. She didn’t expect for her summer of fun to include sleeping with James, the Italian Stallion–Tally’s father.Knowing it’s wrong, she allows James to pull her into a vortex of pleasure that has her breaching the surface of reality and grasping for survival. Can Becca endure this pleasure without Tally finding out?Or will her secrets cause her world to crash around her?Submitting to My Best Friend’s Dad is created by Scarlett Rossi, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

In my past life, my mate Marcus ran off to the forest to make love with my best friend Scarlett, who was eight-month pregnant. That’s when they'd be surrounded by a pack of rogue wolves. Scarlett, heavy with child, started bleeding heavily. Both of them desperately called for the Border Guard. As the Chief Warrior, I had risked everything to fight those rogue wolves. But Scarlett still died along with her unborn pup. My mate Marcus led others to accuse me of using my position for personal revenge. He personally severed both my hands with a silver blade. "A warrior without morals like you deserves to burn in hell!" he snarled. But I remembered clearly—when I drove off the rogues and got the pack healer to Scarlett, she barely had a scratch on her. Finally, Scarlett's parents arrived. I begged them to examine her body and investigate the truth. Instead, they reported to Alpha that I had neglected my duties. They claimed I was high on wolfsbane while guarding the border. Alpha exiled me for fifteen years. With both hands severed, I had no way to fight or shift properly. I survived by begging scraps from neighboring territories. Fifteen years later, I returned to the pack. I saw my mate Marcus walked through the airport's first-class terminal with Scarlett and their son. They were using my inheritance to fund their luxury vacation to the Maldives. They spotted me. Without hesitation, they pushed me into a silver pit to destroy all evidence. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Scarlett faked her death. This time, I took one look at the scene and declared them beyond saving. I told my assistant to send them to bury them directly.