78 Books Like Best Kept Secrets

This novel is an invigorating thrill ride along the streets of “Old Brooklyn” in a modern-day setting. As a former New Yorker who once listed Brooklyn as a hangout, it is rather easy to empathize with Sydney Green while she witnesses her cherished neighborhood being overtaken by invader investors perusing the streets in the guise of tourists. Something strikes her as peculiar when For Sale signs continue popping up at the existing homes with long-time neighbors suspiciously relocating to the suburbs. 

Ironically, Sydney encounters an unlikely helpmate in the form of someone whom she considers one of the intruders; Theo, a new neighbor. There’s a mutual distrust between them but it is not enough to override their suspicions about the things that are taking place. Is it overly accentuated paranoia or a genuine fear that compels the unlikely pair of sleuths to discover what is actually happening? Will their homes… show more.

Sasha Leone displays her mastery of the ability to draw readers into the clutches of events transpiring throughout the novel beginning with the first pages. The irony of her chivalrous Cousin Rian, heir apparent to the family’s criminal empire, serving as protector to his not-so-innocent younger female cousin is the ultimate oxymoron. Enter Gabriel Corso, a mafia prince from a merciless rival family, who is the source of a bitterness Bianca can’t understand but, still, can’t shake. Yet, she is drawn to him like metal to an unsuspecting magnet. A forced marriage to secure the family’s legacy proves more than she can come to terms with…or does it? Having lived a life "teetering on the line" dividing legality and morality, I found myself subconsciously drawn to the story's principal characters; sometimes even "telling" them what should be their next moves.

Maddy Hart is an author who is having almost as much difficulty managing her seemingly dormant creative passion as she is in the troubling relationship from which an escape is desperately needed. Her hasty acceptance of employment as a live-in caretaker at the unappealing Lakeview House on the shore of Lake Thirlmere provides a way out of emotional turmoil but into physical danger. 

Things had changed considerably on the lake, in ways that neither she nor the other residents could ever imagine. Even her uncharacteristically cordial relationship with Alfie was a might peculiar, given the fact that she’d never really taken to kids. Whereas most people viewed children as innocent, she said they frightened her. 

The longer Maddy stayed, the more unsettling her accommodations became. Something about the Lake House was eerily familiar but strangely unsettling. The brisk, cool air was laden with her increasingly vague memories of a previous… show more.

There is little in life, be it circumstances or people, which appear to be as they’re presented and Montgomery does a masterful job of exampling this fact in “Deception,” a captivating thriller. Finley Borders, the daughter of a prostitute; murdered by the drugged-out pimp assigned to the role of “father” when their daughter was just a child, embodies an ambition that pushes her from the Faraday Center for Children just as she reaches the age of emancipation. At a young age, she has seen much more of life than is warranted but understands there is so much more to be lived. Frequency at the card table during the late nights and early morning hours when she’d escape, unknown, from the center groomed Fin for a lifestyle amidst the underworld’s elite.

While sitting at a high stakes “by invitation only” poker table in Cannes, Findley receives an urgent phone call that… show more.

Emilie Jansson, a newly made partner at a law firm in Stockholm, is asked to collaborate with Teddy, the firm’s investigator. Teddy is an ex-con trying to stay out of trouble. A body is discovered after what looks like an attempted robbery. An injured man found at the scene becomes the prime suspect. Emilie takes on the role of his defence lawyer. But then the trail leads back to Teddy...

Jens Lapidus used to work as a criminal defence lawyer at a law firm representing some of the most infamous criminals in Sweden. His background gives him unusual insight and his books feel very exciting and fresh.

I am a huge fan of urban fantasy, and have written several myself, including my newest project.

Of all the UFs I have read, C.E. Murphy’s Negotiator series is my favorite. Heart of Stone, the first book in the sequence, introduces us to a magically reimagined New York City that is populated by dragons, vampires, and gargoyles that come to life at night and slumber in their stone form by day.

It also introduces us to Magrit Knight, a smart, powerful, fearless hero who will capture your heart and have you cheering (when you’re not breathlessly rushing to see what happens to her next)!

C. J. Sansom, a historian, died just recently, but he’s left a legacy of historical crime novels based around the time of Henry VIII. The main character is a charismatic, hunchbacked lawyer called Matthew Shardlake.

If, like me, you like books with strong characters, then, together with Sansom’s skill at weaving in the sights, sounds, smells, political shenanigans, and countless characters of Tudor England, Tombland is a fantastic read. It’s a long book (800 pages), so take your time on it, but I think this is historical crime fiction at its best. 

I love how nothing fazes Nicole, even when she gets into awkward situations. Her novelty socks (so not lawyerly) and occasional geeky lines make me smile, and I like the friends she finds in the middle of trying to prove—and solve—her uncle's murder.

I always take sides with characters whose parents have manipulated their life's path, so I feel Nicole's conflict over her profession and the distance it causes within her family. She comes into this story feeling like a failure, and I want to see her succeed. Plus, I like the potential for romance with the county medical examiner.

As a hardcore fan of psychological thrillers, I’m familiar with all the recurring themes of this genre. But this book was a surprise.

Masterfully written, the author took to my nerves with pliers and kept me hooked with great twists and suspense-craft. I definitely recommend Paper Ghosts to well-read thriller fans who want something fresh and most of all; an unforgettable plot. 

In my view, fellow Texan Tommy Thompson is the best true crime writer around.

That’s why I recommend Blood and Money, which paints a vivid picture of boom and bust Houston, Texas café society with all of its charity balls, gossip columns, infidelities, and murders.

Dr. John Hill, a social-climbing but not particularly hard-working plastic surgeon, was accused of killing his stunning wife, Joan Robinson, renowned for her show horsemanship and platinum blonde ponytail. Joan was also the daddy’s girl of oil baron Ash Robinson, who had a conniving history of breaking the law.

So when Ash’s freeloading son-in-law was set free, thanks to a hung jury and the slick work of famed attorney Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, the city’s headlines were quickly filled with another murder—that of Dr. John Hill.