Here are 9 books that The MacKenzie Chronicles fans have personally recommended once you finish the The MacKenzie Chronicles series.
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I have been an avid reader since I could first decipher words. But I am also an author. I write compelling stories from the heart and love character-driven stories. Therefore, I gravitate toward reading stories that tick these boxes for me. I have read thousands of books in my lifetime, and still feel the same excitement when I open a new one that I felt when I first read the Dick and Jane primers and Grimm’s Brothers Fairy Tales.
I love reading fantasy when it is well-written and draws me into a world unlike any we know. This book does that in spades. Who knew there was a practice called necromancy, using dark magic powers to resurrect the dead? This author demonstrates great knowledge in the use of herbs, potions, magical elixirs, and other forms of ancient magical practices throughout the story. The characters, their motives, and their insights help move the story in such a way that the reader is caught up and involved. If you’ve never read a fantasy book or think you wouldn’t like fantasy, I invite you to pick this book up and give it a chance. I highly recommend it!
A healer with the talent to unravel death. A stillborn child brought to life. A father lusting for vengeance. And a son torn between justice, faith, and love. Caught in a chase spanning kingdoms, each must decide the nature of good and evil, the lengths they will go to survive, and what they are willing to lose.
A healer and dabbler in the dark arts of life and death, Barus is as gnarled as an ancient tree. Forgotten in the chaos of the dying queen’s chamber, he spirits away her stillborn infant and in a hovel at the meadow’s edge,…
I’ve always enjoyed mystery and suspense stories—Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark being two of my all-time favorite authors. Throw in some legends and folklore, and I’m hooked. I like well-crafted stories that keep me turning the pages. Those that stump me in figuring out the mystery are a plus for me. I love books with descriptive settings that place me, as the reader, in the heart of the action.
Dual-timeline, legends, and folklore drew me to this story. While it was co-authored, the dual story blends perfectly as if written by a single person. Past and present come together, and an age-old mystery is solved.
If you enjoy stories with a bit of supernatural, this one is for you.
One founding father. One deathbed curse. A town haunted for generations.
Ward Chatham, founder of Chatham Hollow, is infamous for two things—hidden treasure and a curse upon anyone bold enough to seek it. Since his passing in 1793, no one has discovered his riches, though his legend has only grown stronger.
In 1888, charlatan Benedict Fletcher holds a séance to determine the location of Chatham’s fortune. It’s all a hoax so he can search for the gold, but he doesn’t count on two things—Victor Rowe, a true spiritualist who sees through his ruse, and Chatham’s ghost wreaking havoc on the…
I have been an avid reader since I could first decipher words. But I am also an author. I write compelling stories from the heart and love character-driven stories. Therefore, I gravitate toward reading stories that tick these boxes for me. I have read thousands of books in my lifetime, and still feel the same excitement when I open a new one that I felt when I first read the Dick and Jane primers and Grimm’s Brothers Fairy Tales.
This book appealed to me on several different levels. First, I’m a sucker for a deep dark secret and the story begins with the indication that the character is hiding something huge. Secondly, it is a steamy romance with love scenes so hot the pages sizzle. Thirdly, the plot is so intricately woven that I couldn’t stop reading. The story takes the reader inside a religious cult and exposes practices that are shocking and frightening. I learned what makes people fall for the artful deception of the leader, and the dangers of escaping. I rooted for the characters all through the book, although at times, I wanted to shake both of them and get them to be honest with each other. If you love a sizzling romance with tons of suspenseful action, you’ll devour this well-written story!
Hide. That's all Pippa can do to escape the terror chasing her. But now that she's off the grid in a safe house, she finds plenty of interesting things to watch through the window. Like her new neighbor, with his startling green eyes, killer smile, and sexy bad-boy tattoo . . . Run. Malcolm West is fleeing the hell he unleashed in his last assignment as an undercover cop. A backwoods bungalow sounds like the perfect place to start over. Until he discovers he's been set up . . .
I’m an avid reader. I still love to hold them in my hands. Not long ago I went dumpster diving for an entire set of encyclopedias. To say I love books is an understatement. Books have always been my passion, destination, and my closest friend.
Sometimes, love is not all it takes to help the ones you love. Sometimes, love pulls you in different directions. If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers with twists, turns, and ultimately engrossing, uncomfortable, and an unpredictable storyline full of paranormal romance. Then I recommend reading Layla. Not my normal genre, but I will say this the writer had me turning pages and I had to read to the end.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love.
When Leeds meets Layla, he's convinced he'll spend the rest of his life with her-until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they…
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
As someone whose early career was spent in a family business, Arson and Americanos took me on a delightful trip down memory lane.
It was just like old home week as I cheered the familiar banter and playful bickering between third-generation spunky barista Hazel, her mom, and grandma.
Give me a whodunit like this one, starring an endearing cast and a loyal protagonist with heart and courage who is willing to step up and put everything on the line when it counts the most, and I’ll show you an unputdownable story you’ll be sad to see end.
When her family’s coffee shop goes down in flames, can this spunky barista prove it was arson?Hazel Hewitt loves being in the coffee business with her mom and grandma. But when their cafe burns to the ground, her mom’s beloved boyfriend appears to be at fault. Joe will lose everything if he’s blamed for this, and since he’s the closest thing Hazel has to a father, she knows she needs to step in.Hazel’s brother and the rest of their town’s police force think this is a simple case of negligence on Joe’s part. So when she’s not making plans with…
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
Two sisters check into a hotel in their Arizona hometown to celebrate one another’s birthdays.
Their celebratory getaway is abruptly interrupted when one of the sisters discovers the corpse of a nasty hotel guest. Both sisters are hopeless snoops who can’t mind their own beeswax. So, naturally, they stick their noses everywhere they don’t belong to sniff out the killer, much to the consternation of the homicide detective in charge of the case.
Give me a madcap cast that takes readers on a raucous, wild rollercoaster ride at a breakneck pace in a fun romp with a plot that has more twists and turns than a pretzel, plenty of motives and red herrings like this one any day of the week.
It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic, small town Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly…
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
As a long-time resident of Palm Springs, California, I’ve rubbed elbows with my share of entertainers; some beloved, others so obnoxiously full of themselves that I wondered how they managed not to get knocked off.
In A Murder in Palm Springs, antique appraiser Marty Morgan and her pal Carl are tasked to evaluate American Idol Jimmy Joseph's memorabilia collection. When Jimmy ends up dead, it's obvious not everyone was a fan. There’s no shortage of suspects, and Patron, Marty’s sister’s white boxer with paranormal abilities, can identify the culprit, but nobody’s asking his opinion.
Give me a whodunit with a whisper of woo-woo, and I’m a happy camper. Harman’s physical descriptions of Palm Springs are so spot on, you’ll be slathering on the suntan lotion and heading for the pool.
An aging American idol.A murder. A dog with paranormal abilities. Who knew walking to the mailbox could be so deadly?Join Marty and her dog, Patron, as they eliminate suspects in the murder of a beloved rock star in Palm Springs, California. This is book number eight in the bestselling High Desert Cozy Mystery Series by two-time USA Today Bestselling Author Dianne Harman. Enjoy!
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
Kate Tessler’s father and his retirement community coffee group come to her with a problem: their friend Larry's much younger wife claims her husband has dementia.
The group is convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, deadbeat kids are out to steal Larry’s money. But before they can authenticate the truth, their efforts are complicated when Larry is accused of committing a murder. Now they must prove Larry is both mentally competent and not a killer.
I love this saucy whodunit that came with the reminder that the term senior citizen doesn’t mean soft in the head. I cheered this fast-paced, witty cozy starring a gang of savvy seniors with humor, heart, and tenacity. Something Deadly on Desert Drive is perfect for fans of laugh-out-loud amateur detective stories who need no reminder that age is only a number.
Starting over at fifty might be hard, but it shouldn’t be deadly…
Still recovering from an injury that might have permanently derailed her career as an international war correspondent, Kate Tessler is living in her childhood bedroom and pondering her second act when another case lands in her lap. Kate’s father and his coffee group are worried. Their friend Larry married a younger woman who now insists he has dementia and won’t let any of his friends visit. They’re convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, dead-beat kids are out to steal his money. Can Kate help?
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
Caroline Popov is promoted to General Manager of the Night Hawk Casino in the California high desert.
I cheered as Caroline didn’t let anyone push her around. If, like me, you’re curious about the real story behind the gaming industry, but a trip to a casino isn’t in your future, this story is right up your alley.
I was blown away by gaming industry pro-Bertoia’s physical description of the casino, the emotional atmosphere that permeates the place, and the characters who play and work there that were so spot on. I checked my wallet to make sure I didn’t lose a bucket of bucks at the Blackjack table.
Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino where she is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.
Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk, in the High Desert town of Joshua Tree. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of often unique guests, and growing revenue while rooting out corruption.
In the process of rediscovering her inner strength,…
