best mystery novels stories

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Aurelia, an ordinary human finds herself trapped in a completely different world when she is mated with the King of the Werewolf race, King Alpha Asher Zane. Asher tries to fight the mate bond which compels him to make her his. But how can the Moon Goddess choose a human to be the Queen of the Werewolves? While Aurelia struggles to help Asher with his problems the truth about her past gradually unravels.

Hazel shouldn't have crossed the line. Her meeting with the suspect in the murder of a billionaire makes Hazel get terror from Calvin after the man escapes from prison. Calvin holds Hazel hostage to create a public uproar and eventually the prosecutors will drop their charges for the murder case they are accused of. But without them expecting the hostage-taking to turn into a forbidden love story that should not have happened between a judge and a suspect in a crime. Can Hazel and Calvin resist the temptation of love that is so strong that it ensnares them?

*(Dimitri's story) Can be read as a standalone novel* Alyanna Rosellini's life is on pause because of a murderer on the loose. Only being able to live through the present by holding on to the past while hoping for a better future, she will do anything she can to go back to her old life. Even if it is to act as bait to draw out the killer. Jayden Carlton is in a relationship with two women - his dead childhood sweetheart and a woman who won't leave him alone. Everyone has only one piece of advice for him - go to therapy and move on. But that advice is applicable to people who want to get better, not Jayden. How can he, when moving on also means letting go? Katerina Van Acker has a heart of gold but the world convinced her to use it sparingly. So she wore a bitchy attitude for armour, sharpened her tongue into a sword, and waged a war against it. But if she doesn't stop fighting, she might chase away everyone she cares about. And nothing short of her own guardian angel can convince her of that. Dimitri Volkov might be a prince but he is no guardian angel. Haunted by the memories of the one he was supposed to love and protect but ended up killing, he knows that he deserves no second chance. But fate has other plans. Now, his future rests in his shaky hands. Their life is on pause. The only way to move ahead is to reflect back on the past, learn from their mistakes, and make better choices this time around. Because with stakes higher than last time, they will either get everything they hoped for and more or lose more than their soul can bear.

***This is the sequel to "Second Chance Luna" and picks up where that story left off. I highly recommend reading that one before attempting to jump into this story.*** Update schedule is Mon. Wed. Fri. US Mountain Time Alpha Aleksandr Volkov had to fight hard for his second chance mate, a human named Rieka who has 4 children from her deceased human husband. After teaching her about the supernatural world, and rescuing her from rogues, they finally tied the knot, but just as they prepared to leave for their honeymoon, another alpha shows up to warn them that Rieka is still in danger. There is a secret in her past that even she doesn't know about. They have to work together with new allies to uncover her family history and ensure future safety of her and her children, all while navigating a new mate bond and the uncharted territory of a human mated to an alpha.

Nine students were invited to the mansion of the famous Artist Gregorio Santillan. But, the students were unaware of the danger that awaits them. What do Alyssa's dreams mean? Is that a warning or it just a dream? How Alyssa can save the eight students from the curse of every painting they sign if she is also a prisoner of the cursed painting?

Ruling his land with all his heart, he did no wrong but ended up falling his reign for a sin he never did. "Your Majesty, Do you have any last words for your people?" Being humiliated like a criminal who purged innocents, do he really deserve to recieve such disgrace? “Your homeland whom you loved… your people whom you cherished… your knights and warriors whom you sharpened… such a great present to receive…” Not a curse to bless upon them who have wronged him, not a words begging for his life, on his last breathe, the king accepted his fate. 'I have gave them what I can give. What kind of a ruler am I if I would hurt those whom I serve?' With the hands of his own child, the prince of the kingdom, his life ended in a flash. The last thing he can hear was the shouting of people, celebrating as if it was something to look forward. As he saw such sight… his eyes lit no light of hope… Huff huff huff “Good thing you are finally awake, hurry up before the others empty the bins” “Where… am I?“

Bekerja sebagai seorang anggota polis berjawatan tinggi cukup membuatkan ASP Jimmy sentiasa disanjungi. Namun, lumrah manusia. Dalam seribu menyukai, pasti ada satu yang membenci. Thufaila Ajwa, jiran setaman yang sentiasa menganggap ASP Jimmy hidup dalam dunia kepura-puraan. Apa yang pasti, gadis itu sangat membecinya kerana kisah silam mereka. Prinsip Thufaila hanya satu.Selagi kudratnya masih ada, walaupun sesaat dia tidak akan membenarkan dirinya di bantu oleh lelaki spesis Jimmy. “Sekarang ini memanglah engkau tak perlukan aku lagi. Tapi nanti, percayalah yang kau perlukan aku dalam hidup kau. So, if anything happens just call my name!" -ASP JIMMY “Aku rasa mata aku ni membawa satu sumpahan! Kadang, aku rasa aku nak butakan mata disebabkan mata aku boleh tembus nampak ke dinding.” -AHMAD Kehadiran Ahmad sebagai jiran sebelah rumah Thufaila, membawa seribu misteri. Karakter dingin dan penampilan Ahmad berkaca mata hitam sepanjang masa, menjadi tanda tanya insan sekeliling. Di sebalik gaya yang cukup misteri, hanya ASP Jimmy sahaja yang mengetahui kelebihan Ahmad yang mampu meneliti objek tersembunyi di sebalik dinding. Pandangan mata boleh tembus ke dinding? Macam cerita fantasi saja bunyinya. Tapi itulah realiti yang Ahmad hadapi. Datangnya membawa ASP Jimmy mengembara ke peristiwa yang lama. Kerana dia, lelaki itu sanggup mengkaji semula kes pembunuhan bersiri, dua puluh tahun yang lalu. Kebenaran di sebalik pembunuhan bersiri itu perlukan jawapan. "Kenapa tuan sibuk nak buka semula kes lama? Kita nak cari dalang sebenar untuk kes Razlan Ishak! bukannya kes pembunuhan bersiri yang dah basi." Kerana tekadnya untuk merungkai sebuah misteri, kini ASP Jimmy berdepan masalah. Orang yang disayangi menjadi sasaran dan berdepan bahaya. "Kalau engkau nak betina ni selamat, engkau serahkan Ahmad dekat aku! Sebab dia tu hak aku. Engkau pilih antara dua. Ahmad atau dia." ASP Jimmy buntu. Mampukah dia menjadi pelindung buat Thufaila sedangkan dia tahu si gadis tidak perlukannya? Mampukah dia menempuh segalanya andai hati berbelah bahagi?

**Strong language and sexual and violent situations** Lexi goes to Dallas to spend the weekend with her old high school friend, Brock Lockhart. However, the fun weekend turns into a death trap that Lexi might not walk away from. Will Lexi, Brock, and the other guests survive?

Happily married for 2 years, I thought all his grumpiness lately was only temporary. Maybe not the richest man, but he definitely puts his work as his priority, and I want to support him with all I have. I gave all the millions of dollars of my family wealth to him to build up his company, and didn't regret that. I love him. All I wanted was a family with him, a child for me to focus my attention on. But he often says he doesn't want a child before his career is stable. I understand, and I am willing to wait, until last night-- I found out that I had adopted his mistress's child thinking he was mine. On the day of our anniversary, I received a message from an unknown number. It's a picture of him with a woman in bed. And the text reads: he has been mine from the beginning. Three days later when he comes to the house that he shared with me in the past two years for one last time, he sees the divorce paper I left him, together with the necklace he gave the girl who saved him ten years ago! Pain and regret burst out in his chest, but this time he couldn’t find me anywhere. Five years later I came back to Arizona with beautiful quadruplets who have resemblance to the most powerful Alpha King in the world, but there's a problem: he isn't ready to let me go even though he's damaged and causes me nothing but pain.