Thriller And Romance Books

Welcome back to Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris Baker and Father Ward meet for a Saturday morning breakfast at The Skylark Diner to once again commiserate over the weird and terrifying secrets surrounding their town. Sheriff Baker shares with Father Ward the story of a journal discovered in the ruins of what was once an elaborate koi pond and flower garden, which regales a tale of regret, buried pain, and unfulfilled debt: “Sophan” – Jake Burns has always been a bit...off. Rude, awkward, sometimes brutish, he's tolerated by Nate Slocum and his friends because he hits a mean line drive, and because they all know but don't discuss the abuse he faces at the hands of his troubled father, a Vietnam veteran consumed by his demons. But Jake is suffering something far worse than domestic abuse, and when Nate discovers what, he faces an impossible choice: help Jake and put himself in the path of evil, or abandon him, only to damn himself in the process. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Being the daughter of a mafia boss and an assassin has led to an interesting life for Dasha Hatzis. The blood and knowledge of the women who came before her, taught her that if she’s going to be the only woman in a room full of men, to make sure she's the deadliest thing in that room. After finishing up a contract that ended with surprising results, she thinks that's the end of the matter. But what happens when her prey suddenly becomes her ally? Dasha finds herself teaming up with an unlikely partner as they attempt to stop a plot that has assassins unknowingly targeting other assassins . Tension and attractions rise, friends become enemies, and everything will be put on the line as Dasha fights to stay alive and secure her legacy as the infamous assassin known as Aconite. Codename: Aconite is the second book in the Codename trilogy and acts as a prequel to book 1. It can be read as a standalone book.

It’s end of October 1985 and the crumbling river town of Dubois, Iowa is shocked by the gruesome murder of one of the pillars of the community. Detective David Carlson has no motive, no evidence, and only one lead: the macabre local legend of “Boris Orlof,” a late night horror movie host who burned to death during a stage performance at the drive-in on Halloween night twenty years ago and the teenage loner obsessed with keeping his memory alive. The body count is rising and the darkness that hangs over the town grows by the hour. Time is running out as Carlson desperately chases shadows into a nightmare world of living horrors. On Halloween the drive-in re-opens at midnight for a show no one will ever forget. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

In the quiet of the forest, the darkest fears are born. The people of Dunballan, harbour a dark secret. A secret more terrible than the Beast that stalks the dense forests of Dunballan. A secret that holds David McCavendish, last in a long line of Lairds, in its unbreakable grip. It’s down to Sally, David’s lover, to free David from the sinister clutches of the Beast. But, with the whole town against her, she must ally herself with an ancient woodland force and trace Dunballan’s secret back to its bitter origins. Those origins lie within the McCavendish family history, and a blasphemous heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. Some truths are too terrible to face, and the darkest of these lie waiting for Sally, in the Quiet Places. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

I was nineteen when my life stopped being mine. Moving into Silas Kingston’s estate was supposed to be temporary. Just another step in my mother’s endless climb toward wealth and power. I thought I’d keep my head down, focus on my art, and survive it. Then I found out who he really is. His fortune isn’t clean... it’s built on blood, secrets, and a criminal empire powerful enough to erase people like me without a trace. I should have died the moment I discovered the truth. Instead, I became something worse... Obsessively wanted. Now I’m trapped between Silas and his dangerously unpredictable son, Julian. Every glance feels like a claim. Every moment feels like a test. And somehow, I’ve become the center of a power struggle I don’t understand, where my body is the battlefield and my silence is the cost of staying alive. My mother’s freedom hangs over me like a threat I can’t escape. I hold secrets that could destroy them all. And the price of keeping those secrets is an arrangement that strips away every rule I’ve ever lived by. But the most terrifying part isn’t them... It’s me. Because somewhere in the darkness, in the control, in the way they look at me like I belong to them... something inside me is changing. I’m not just afraid anymore... I want it. I want it all. As loyalties shatter and danger closes in, I have to decide who I am willing to become. The good girl I used to be or the woman they are turning me into. And in their world, there’s only one rule that matters. Survive.

The sleepy English locality of Middletown is about to get even sleepier, as a strange malady starts to affect the population. It spreads quickly, causing the authorities to quarantine this small city, and seek out the only person who might be able to help: Doctor Andrew Strauss. However, Strauss has a secret, one that has linked him to this place all his life, one that has linked him to a particular person there, though he doesn’t yet know who. But he’s not the only one hiding things – and as he ventures into Middletown to collect samples with an army escort, a mixture of UK and US troops, cracks soon begin to appear in the operation. Especially when his team comes up against the most terrifying threat humankind has ever known.

Sarah Killian is not your average thirty-year-old single woman. Foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, and a text-book-case loner. Also, she is a Professional Serial Killer. But a wrench is thrown into the clockwork of Sarah's comfortable lifestyle when, on her latest assignment, she is forced to take on an apprentice, Bethany—a bubbly, perky, blonde with a severe case of verbal-vomit. In short, Bethany is everything Sarah is not. Will Sarah be able to adjust and work with her new apprentice, or will she break her contract with T.H.E.M. and murder the buxom bimbo? ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Micah "Savage" St. Clair, is a deadly assassin who has never failed a mission. He's as lethal as he is gorgeous. His one Achilles heel is the one woman forbidden to him. The one temptation that his dark soul can't resist. Sophia has only ever desired one man. The man who had broken her heart. Will Sophia and Micah ever find a way to make their love work? Or will their forbidden love break their worlds?

In Westbush close there is few people, they all know each other and it has always been relatively quiet. However, a couple years ago everything changed, disappearances and sudden deaths started occurring. Soon it was Eleanor's family, and a mistake was all that was needed to make the youngest one their next victim. A hard time followed, a lot of pain, guilty and hatred, until she came back as a complete different person, almost as a complete different being.

The narrative unfolds around Rachel West, the eldest daughter in a family with strong moral principles. Despite her high moral standing, she harbors unrequited feelings for James Smith, a man she desires but knows she cannot win. A one-night stand with James leads to an unexpected pregnancy, altering the course of Rachel's life. Rachel, aware of her condition, is compelled to become James Smith's wife. However, James, while respecting her grandmother's wishes, is far from pleased with the arrangement. Settling into the villa as the lady of the house, Rachel becomes a subject of envy and ridicule, particularly from her younger sister. As Rachel adjusts to her new life, her world is further complicated by the presence of James's concubine, Melody. Tragedy strikes with the death of Rachel's grandmother and Melody's sudden disappearance. The events take a darker turn when James accuses Rachel of murder and kidnapping, leading to her imprisonment. In prison, Rachel gives birth to twins but is denied access to them by James. She believes her children did not survive, adding to her emotional turmoil. A twist was introduced when a fire incident at the prison nearly claims Rachel's life. A Good Samaritan rescues her, offering a chance for redemption. She secures a job as a personal assistant, providing a glimmer of hope in her otherwise turbulent life. Simultaneously, James believes Rachel perished in the fire, unaware of her continued existence. The story leaves readers pondering Rachel's resilience and the potential twists that might shape her destiny. What fate awaits Rachel? Rachel's journey is marked by tragedy, betrayal, and an ongoing quest for redemption. As the narrative progresses, readers are drawn into the complexities of Rachel's relationships, her struggles against societal expectations, and the unforeseen events that shape her path.