Here are 85 books that Cape Refuge fans have personally recommended if you like Cape Refuge. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Her Darkest Secret

Elle E. Kay Author Of Grave Pursuits

From my list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an author of more than twenty Christian fiction books. I write true romantic suspense with equal parts engaging romance and thrilling suspense. My debut novel was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest, and many of my subsequent titles have reached bestseller status. I engage with readers through my blog, which is recognized as a top 25 Christian fiction blog on Feedspot, and my Facebook group, "Heartbeats and Hideaways."

Elle's book list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways

Elle E. Kay Why Elle loves this book

I loved this book by Jessica R. Patch for its perfect blend of relentless suspense and second-chance romance. The mystery kept me guessing with its clever suspects and red herrings. Asa and Fiona, seasoned FBI agents with a complex history, drew me in with their dynamic and emotional depth.

The tension and anticipation throughout this thriller made it impossible to put down. Patch's ability to weave crime-solving with romance kept me hooked and eager for more. This book was an unforgettable read for me as someone who loves mystery with heart.

By Jessica R. Patch ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Her Darkest Secret as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?



When a cold-case serial killer returns, FBI special agent Fiona Kelly has one last chance to stop him before he claims the prize he’s always wanted—her.

The sight of a goose feather at a murder scene modeled after a children’s poem is enough to make FBI special agent Fiona Kelly's blood turn to ice. Almost two decades ago, a feather was left with her sister's body—and with every subsequent victim of the Nursery Rhyme Killer. Now he's back. Only this time, his latest gruesome murder is a message to the only one who ever got away: Fiona.

Finding “Rhyme” is…


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Book cover of Fire Mountain

Fire Mountain by Dana Mentink,

Fire Mountain is a Christian, high-energy romantic suspense set in the shadow of an erupting volcano.

Book cover of The Inn at Ocean's Edge

Elle E. Kay Author Of Grave Pursuits

From my list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an author of more than twenty Christian fiction books. I write true romantic suspense with equal parts engaging romance and thrilling suspense. My debut novel was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest, and many of my subsequent titles have reached bestseller status. I engage with readers through my blog, which is recognized as a top 25 Christian fiction blog on Feedspot, and my Facebook group, "Heartbeats and Hideaways."

Elle's book list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways

Elle E. Kay Why Elle loves this book

I loved this book by Colleen Coble for its romance, suspense, and mystery blend. The unique storyline immediately drew me in, with the heroine’s repressed memories unraveling upon her return to the scene of her childhood trauma. 

The twists and turns in this gripping thriller kept me guessing. The female lead is relatable, and the love interest adds something special to the story. The subplot about the injured orca was an endearing addition to the novel.

By Colleen Coble ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Inn at Ocean's Edge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this USA TODAY bestselling romantic suspense, Claire's visit to a luxury hotel in Maine awakens repressed memories that undermine all she holds dear.

In 1989, Claire Dellamare disappeared from her own fourth birthday party at the Hotel Tourmaline on the island of Folly Shoals, Maine. She showed up a year later at the same hotel, with a note pinned to her dress but no explanation. Nobody knows where Claire spent that year-and until now, Claire didn't even know she had ever been missing.

But when Claire returns to the Hotel Tourmaline for a business meeting with her CEO father,…


Book cover of Cold Terror

Elle E. Kay Author Of Grave Pursuits

From my list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an author of more than twenty Christian fiction books. I write true romantic suspense with equal parts engaging romance and thrilling suspense. My debut novel was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest, and many of my subsequent titles have reached bestseller status. I engage with readers through my blog, which is recognized as a top 25 Christian fiction blog on Feedspot, and my Facebook group, "Heartbeats and Hideaways."

Elle's book list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways

Elle E. Kay Why Elle loves this book

I loved this book by Susan Sleeman for its gripping combination of action, suspense, and romance. The story hooked me right from the start, with forensic artist Hannah Perry's determination to solve a murder even while on vacation. Her strength and courage were truly inspiring.

The book's thrilling pace kept me on edge, especially when Hannah and her son faced life-threatening danger. Former SEAL Gage Blackwell's daring rescue and subsequent protectiveness added a powerful layer of romance. Their dynamic, filled with history and emotions alongside current threats, made the story engaging.

Susan Sleeman's writing is well-crafted and meticulously edited, making Cold Terror an even more enjoyable read. This novel beautifully intertwines faith, family, and friendship, creating a rich, multi-dimensional experience.

By Susan Sleeman ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cold Terror as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


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Book cover of Fire Mountain

Fire Mountain by Dana Mentink,

Fire Mountain is a Christian, high-energy romantic suspense set in the shadow of an erupting volcano.

Book cover of Convenient Lies

Elle E. Kay Author Of Grave Pursuits

From my list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an author of more than twenty Christian fiction books. I write true romantic suspense with equal parts engaging romance and thrilling suspense. My debut novel was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest, and many of my subsequent titles have reached bestseller status. I engage with readers through my blog, which is recognized as a top 25 Christian fiction blog on Feedspot, and my Facebook group, "Heartbeats and Hideaways."

Elle's book list on Christian thrillers with heartbeats and hideaways

Elle E. Kay Why Elle loves this book

I loved this book by Robin Patchen for its fast-paced action and compelling love story. The suspense grabbed me right from the start when the heroine fled Paris with her newborn, escaping her dangerous husband, a complex and well-developed villain if ever there was one.

The plot kept me on the edge of my seat as the heroine navigated the threats from her husband's crime family while seeking refuge in her childhood home. The reappearance of her first love added an emotional depth that enriched the story. 

Patchen’s skillful writing and well-crafted characters made this book impossible to put down. Convenient Lies is a thrilling read that perfectly combines suspense and romance.

By Robin Patchen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Convenient Lies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From a USA Today Bestselling novelist comes this edge-of-your-seat Christian romantic suspense story that'll keep you turning the pages all night long.

She married her enemy…

When investigative journalist Reagan McAdams discovers her new husband is part of an international crime family, she flees Paris with their newborn and returns to her childhood home in New Hampshire to gather enough money to disappear forever. She’ll do whatever it takes to protect her son from his criminal father. He never quit loving her.

Rae’s first love, Brady Thomas, discovers she’s home and in trouble. She won't tell him what's going on,…


Book cover of Kira-Kira

Kathryn Siebel Author Of The Trouble with Twins

From my list on bothersome brothers and sisters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in suburban Chicago as the middle of five children. My siblings were and are at the center of my world. Now I work with school-age children, and my fascination with the love/annoyance these relationships engender continues. I loved Little Women as a child, and stories of siblings, especially sisters, still tug at my heart. It’s no wonder my first middle-grade novel is just such a tale.

Kathryn's book list on bothersome brothers and sisters

Kathryn Siebel Why Kathryn loves this book

This beautiful, bittersweet novel tells the story of Katie; her sister, Lynn; and their brother, Sammy. Growing up in 1950s Georgia, in one of the few Japanese families in their town, the kids stand out and must struggle against prejudice, economic hardship, and Lynn’s eventual illness. What could be a bleak story is redeemed by Katie’s dry humor and the author’s portrayal of the deep bond between the children and within the family and the Japanese community. Lynn teaches Katie that however difficult life becomes, one must look for Kira-Kira—the things that glitter like the stars above. This book doesn’t flinch from hard topics: the labor conditions in the poultry industry, Lynn’s illness, racial prejudice. As a writer, I admire Kadohata’s willingness to tackle these issues and her faith that kids will learn from having such stories as part of their reading lives. 

By Cynthia Kadohata ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kira-Kira as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

A Japanese-American family struggles to build a new life in the Deep South of Georgia in this luminous novel, winner of the Newbery Medal.

kira-kira (kee' ra kee' ra): glittering; shining
Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on the street…


Book cover of What You Leave Behind

James L'Etoile Author Of Face of Greed

From my list on books with kickass women characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an author, it’s all about character for me. I like to find characters doing the unexpected, finding strength when they thought all was lost, and fighting back when it seems hopeless. I write these kinds of characters, and often it’s a woman in the lead role where they face additional challenges and obstacles in their path—solely because of their gender. Working for 29 years in some of the toughest prisons in the country, I worked with strong, kickass women. I can't but help for some of their influence to bleed out on the page. I know you’ll enjoy these titles as much as I did.

James' book list on books with kickass women characters

James L'Etoile Why James loves this book

I like to learn something as I get lost in a story. This book explores a phenomenon of “Heirs Property” that’s prevalent in many rural communities.

An older generation dies without a will, and the family home is at risk. Deena Woods is an attorney who, after suffering a huge triple trauma, returns home to rural Georgia. I loved the characters and family dynamics, and I loved watching Deena become more resilient. There might be a slight supernatural edge to the story too, which I found fascinating.

Cultural exploration, traditions, and a multi-dimensional main character ticks off all the boxes.

By Wanda M. Morris ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What You Leave Behind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Award-winning author Wanda Morris returns with a powerful, haunting thriller following a lawyer who after the mysterious disappearance of a local landowner and the death of his sister just months before, uncovers a conspiracy that dates back to Reconstruction and persists in half the United States today.

Deena Wood’s life has fallen apart in the aftermath of losing her beloved mother, her marriage, and her prestigious job at an Atlanta law firm. She needs what the Geechee people of coastal Georgia call a “dayclean,” a fresh start.

She returns to her childhood home in Brunswick, Georgia, to heal. But her…


Book cover of The Secret of Willow Inn

Kim Janine Ligon Author Of Polly's List

From my list on cozy mysteries with cold wet noses.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love cozy mysteries with a touch of sweet, clean romance, a splash of faith, and, best of all—a cold, wet nose and four paws. Animals bring richness and compassion to a story. They can provide comic relief, a sympathetic ear to be scratched, a built-in radar for identifying bad guys, and unconditional love when the protagonist needs it most. My love for this genre is probably why I was drawn to it for my debut novel, which came out in August 2022. The cover is a giveaway for who has the paws in this story. 

Kim's book list on cozy mysteries with cold wet noses

Kim Janine Ligon Why Kim loves this book

The mystery in this story is about the murder that happened years ago and three strangers who are drawn together in a small Georgia town. Memories come racing back to the residents in town when the woman who served prison time for the murder returns. The town is trying to survive and has lots of challenges.

Cody, the pet of Emily’s parents, is a link to them and a comfort to her. This is also the first story in a series. It makes you question everything and everyone in the small town. 

Book cover of The Darkest Child

Kimberly Garrett Brown Author Of Cora's Kitchen

From my list on celebrate the global resoluteness of Black women.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been drawn to stories where I see aspects of myself in the characters since I was an adolescent and found comfort in the pages of Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. As a Black woman, I find validation and encouragement in novels where other Black women navigate life's obstacles to reach the desires of their hearts. It makes my life feel more manageable, knowing that I am not alone in the face of fear, loneliness, and self-doubt or more challenging social issues like racism, sexism, and classism. These stories give me hope and insight as I journey toward living life to its fullest. 

Kimberly's book list on celebrate the global resoluteness of Black women

Kimberly Garrett Brown Why Kimberly loves this book

Set in Georgia in 1958, Tang Mae is the darkest of ten fatherless children and considered by her mother the ugliest. However, she is selected to attend a white school because she is gifted. This gives her an opportunity to change her life, but she must first break free from her mother's grasp.

There were many times I wanted to put this book down and not finish it. The brutality and abuse were hard to bear. And yet, I felt compelled to read the entire thing because I wanted to see Tang Mae succeed.

It inspired me that she never gave up on her dream of completing her education despite all the abuse and loss she experienced. I spent a lot of time thinking about this book long after I read it.  

By Delores Phillips ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Darkest Child as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Pakersfield, Georgia, 1958: Thirteen-year-old Tangy Mae Quinn is the sixth of ten fatherless siblings. She is the darkest-skinned among them and therefore the ugliest in her mother, Rozelle’s, estimation, but she’s also the brightest. Rozelle—beautiful, charismatic, and light-skinned—exercises a violent hold over her children. Fearing abandonment, she pulls them from school at the age of twelve and sends them to earn their keep for the household, whether in domestic service, in the fields, or at “the farmhouse” on the edge of town, where Rozelle beds local men for money.
 
But Tangy Mae has been selected to be part of the…


Book cover of White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism

Kyle Burke Author Of Revolutionaries for the Right: Anticommunist Internationalism and Paramilitary Warfare in the Cold War

From my list on the history of American conservatism.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a professor of modern US and global history at Hartwick College in upstate New York. I have been reading and researching the history of conservative and right-wing movements in the United States and the wider world for almost two decades. My first book, Revolutionaries for the Right: Anticommunist Internationalism and Paramilitary Warfare in the Cold War, was published by University of North Carolina Press in 2018. My articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in Jacobin, Diplomatic History, Terrorism and Political Science, H-War, and H-Diplo. I’m currently at work on two projects: a history of the transatlantic white power movement and a film documentary about the short-lived white supremacist nation of Rhodesia and its contemporary legacies.

Kyle's book list on the history of American conservatism

Kyle Burke Why Kyle loves this book

The rise of the right was in many ways a southern phenomenon as the Old South transformed into the Sun Belt. White Flight explores how white supremacy and fears over desegregation propelled the conservative movement in Atlanta and on the national stage. As federal initiatives spelled the end for segregation in the 1950s and 1960s, southern whites managed to preserve racial discrimination through more subtle avenues. Whites fled Atlanta’s urban core for its suburbs where they reformed the world of white supremacy, giving birth to new causes such as tax revolts, tuition vouchers, and the privatization of public services.

By Kevin M. Kruse ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked White Flight as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

During the civil rights era, Atlanta thought of itself as "The City Too Busy to Hate," a rare place in the South where the races lived and thrived together. Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, however, so many whites fled the city for the suburbs that Atlanta earned a new nickname: "The City Too Busy Moving to Hate." In this reappraisal of racial politics in modern America, Kevin Kruse explains the causes and consequences of "white flight" in Atlanta and elsewhere. Seeking to understand segregationists on their own terms, White Flight moves past simple stereotypes to explore the…


Book cover of A Feast of Snakes

Eli Cranor Author Of Don't Know Tough

From my list on football from a quarterback turned novelist.

Why am I passionate about this?

I scored my first touchdown at nine and went on to play quarterback at both the collegiate and professional levels. By twenty-six, I was the head coach of a backwoods high school in Arkansas. My debut novel, Don’t Know Tough, is a football-centric thriller and was named one of the “Best Crime Novels” of 2022 by the New York Times. After that book's publication, I’ve had readers reach out and ask about my favorite football novels, so I was thrilled to get the chance to compile them all into one list. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have. 

Eli's book list on football from a quarterback turned novelist

Eli Cranor Why Eli loves this book

A Feast of Snakes is about a washed-up high school football star. It’s heart-wrenching and hilarious. So much so, I can remember reading lines out loud to my wife more than once when I first encountered this book. Set in Georgia, Crews’s home state, this novel also features the “Rattlesnake Roundup," which I can promise, you won’t want to miss.

By Harry Crews ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Feast of Snakes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the acclaimed author of such novels as "Blood and Grits" and "Childhood" comes a wildly weird and breathtakingly original visit to the rural South that reveals the exotic subculture that erupts in all its glory at the Rattlesnake Roundup in Mystic, Georgia. "No number of adjectives in the thesaurus can do full justice to the dazzlingly bizarre nature of Crews' creations"-- "Washington Post Book World"


Book cover of Her Darkest Secret
Book cover of The Inn at Ocean's Edge
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