Here are 61 books that Last Resort fans have personally recommended if you like
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My travels have been quite adventurous, purposely or by accident. I’ve visited 32 countries, 5 of them Communist. I look below the surface. I love the jungle and even Mexican police. My young reader novels have elements of crime. I knew and know a lot of tough guys and use elements of them in my characters. Crime weaved through much of my 32-year firefighting career. Firefighter crime thrillers are rare. Firefighters do come in contact with crime: bomb threats, meth labs, child abuse, arson of all sorts, murder, assaults, drownings, and as they say ‘much, much more’. I’m glad to be retired.
The difference in this crime novel is that the protagonist is Mailer, a German investigator working for a Euro outfit.
His knowledge of Cambodia and their culture is wonderful. I’ve been to Cambodia and only saw a thin edge of this. Mailer is by far no super tough guy but he is dogged. Even though he is experienced and realizes there might be some danger he does end up in plenty of trouble.
His enemies attempt to obfuscate his investigation physically as well as his friends and contacts. Great imaging. Vater places you in Phnom Penh and villages with sounds and smells.
Detective Maier has a new case. This time it is a cold case: investigating the death of Julia Rendel's father, an East German culture attaché who was killed near a fabled CIA airbase in central Laos in 1976.
But before the detective can set off, his client is kidnapped right out of his arms. Maier follows Julia's trail to the Laotian capital Vientiane, where he learns different parties, including his missing client, are searching for a legendary CIA file crammed with Cold War secrets.
The real prize, however, is the file's author: someone codenamed Weltmeister, a former US and Vietnamese…
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
My travels have been quite adventurous, purposely or by accident. I’ve visited 32 countries, 5 of them Communist. I look below the surface. I love the jungle and even Mexican police. My young reader novels have elements of crime. I knew and know a lot of tough guys and use elements of them in my characters. Crime weaved through much of my 32-year firefighting career. Firefighter crime thrillers are rare. Firefighters do come in contact with crime: bomb threats, meth labs, child abuse, arson of all sorts, murder, assaults, drownings, and as they say ‘much, much more’. I’m glad to be retired.
So good it was made into a movie. The movie however didn’t catch the suspense, and the investigation took far longer in the book.
Set in Stalinist Russia, the book is depressing, as was Commie Russia. The investigator, Leo Demidov’s friend has a child gone missing and a cursory investigation by the state goes nowhere. Leo Demidov, a Moscow investigator looks into it and is told to lay off—or else—because he makes the state look incompetent.
He and his family are exiled far away from Moscow and scorned by everyone. But he continues and discovers 44 children have been murdered along a railway line. Suspense and peril in this story combined with a vengeful Communist bureaucracy and its astounding ego make for a real thriller.
I visited the USSR in the late 70s and that bureaucracy is not to be challenged in any way or form.
MOSCOW, 1953. Under Stalin's terrifying regime, families live in fear. When the all-powerful State claims there is no such thing as crime, who dares disagree?
AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER IN OVER 30 LANGUAGES
An ambitious secret police officer, Leo Demidov believes he's helping to build the perfect society. But when he uncovers evidence of a killer at large - a threat the state won't admit exists - Demidov must risk everything, including the lives of those he loves, in order to expose the truth.
For the last 19 years, I have worked narcotics K-9s for a private company called Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines. I recently retired from the K-9 work, but over the years, I loved seeing how dogs solve crimes in real life. Not only do they help us solve crimes, but dogs have a way of reaching people and changing lives. Dogs are quite literally “man’s (or woman’s) best friend,” and because of that, they become the best partners for many characters in books. There’s nothing better than discovering a new K-9 series that depicts the real-life love and bond between K-9 and handler.
I was excited to read another book with fascinating characters and of course, a great K-9. Nickless’ characters are well-developed and very believable. Her fictional K-9 Clyde is captivating and while he’s technically retired, still has the skillset to help his handler, Sydney Parnell.
I love the character arc with Sydney in each book as she recovers from the traumas of serving in the military. I also love that Nickless had Sydney return home to Denver to work as a railroad police special agent. This is a law enforcement job that I haven’t seen in any other book. I appreciated the thrilling storyline and how Nickless created strong tension that ratcheted up to a suspenseful ending.
A young woman is found brutally murdered, and the main suspect is the victim's fiance, a hideously scarred Iraq War vet known as the Burned Man. But railroad police Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell, brought in by the Denver Major Crimes unit to help investigate, can't shake the feeling that larger forces are behind this apparent crime of passion.
In the depths of an icy winter, Parnell and her K9 partner, Clyde-both haunted by their time in Iraq-descend into the underground world of a savage gang of rail riders. There, they uncover a wide-reaching conspiracy and…
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…
My travels have been quite adventurous, purposely or by accident. I’ve visited 32 countries, 5 of them Communist. I look below the surface. I love the jungle and even Mexican police. My young reader novels have elements of crime. I knew and know a lot of tough guys and use elements of them in my characters. Crime weaved through much of my 32-year firefighting career. Firefighter crime thrillers are rare. Firefighters do come in contact with crime: bomb threats, meth labs, child abuse, arson of all sorts, murder, assaults, drownings, and as they say ‘much, much more’. I’m glad to be retired.
This fabulous story is more or less historical fiction adventure.
From the first page when a Pakistani village wakes up, the exotic tone is set. Add a burned-out war correspondent and a young Afghan man with a wild, dangerous family steeped in warring traditions and you get a tale like no other. Crossing into Afghanistan for them is fraught with peril, suspicion, deceit, and suspense as both risk their lives in separate agendas. Loved it.
A slice of a time period in Afghanistan which is in a state of flux after the Russians retreat and before the U.S. gets involved. And a shocking twist.
The sun did not rise in Peshawar. It seeped - an egg-white smear that brightened the eastern horizon behind a veil of smoke, exhaust and dust. The smoke rose from burning wood, cow dung and old tires, meager flames of commerce for kebab shops and bakers, metal-smiths and brick kilns. The exhaust sputtered from buzzing blue swarms of motor rickshaws, three-wheeled terrors that jolted across potholes, darting between buses like juiced-up golf carts.' Into this smoky chaos of sprawling humanity comes Skelly, a burned-out American war correspondent, now in harness again thanks to a messy divorce and too many children.…
When I think of great novels, I don’t recall plot twists, beautiful language, or exotic settings. I remember the characters. How they met or didn’t meet, the challenges put before them. Great, unforgettable characters create great stories. They take risks, become friends with people society tells them not to, and don’t hide their motivations or fears. They show their humanity. A great character can make walking down a supermarket aisle an exciting adventure. Boring, one-dimensional ones can make a rocket launch seem like you’re reading about paint drying. All the books I discuss hit the character checklist tenfold.
Reading this book is like the first breath you take when opening a door to a winter blizzard. Your lungs freeze.
What I admired most about this muscular tale is Preus doesn’t pull any punches for her young readers. Like an ice ball covered in snow, she packs Nordic folktales and myths around the harsh realities of two Norwegian sisters who escape from a lecherous goat farmer to join their father in America.
The book title ties into the moment every day before total darkness takes over. The way I see it, this book shows that a good story, honestly told, sheds light everywhere.
In West of the Moon, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Margi Preus expertly weaves original fiction with myth and folktale to tell the story of Astri, a young Norwegian girl desperate to join her father in America. After being separated from her sister and sold to a cruel goat farmer, Astri makes a daring escape. She quickly retrieves her little sister, and, armed with a troll treasure, a book of spells and curses, and a possibly magic hairbrush, they set off for America. With a mysterious companion in tow and the malevolent "goatman" in pursuit, the girls head…
When I lost a baby late in my pregnancy, I was overwhelmed by grief. And then I learned that tens of thousands of babies died every day from preventable causes. I couldn’t save my own baby, but I wanted to know how to help others. I joined the board of World Vision and then other groups, including Opportunity International, MAP International, and International Justice Mission. I took numerous trips to developing countries and eventually headed a foundation dedicated to maternal health. I listened to the stories of women and tried to tell them to the world through a variety of international publications. I'm forever grateful to those who changed the way I see the world.
Human trafficking is a difficult subject to write about, yet the author makes the topic approachable and manages to offer both inspiration and hope in this book about the heroes fighting trafficking at the grassroots.
Whenever someone tells me it would be “too upsetting” to learn about trafficking, I urge them to read this book.
Award-winning journalist David Batstone reveals the story of a new generation of 21st century abolitionists and their heroic campaign to put an end to human bondage. In his accessible and inspiring book "Not for Sale", Batstone carefully weaves the narratives of activists and those in bondage in a way that not only raises awareness of the modern-day slave trade, but also serves as a call to action. 2007 brought the 200th anniversary of the climax of the 19th century abolitionist movement, and inspired the world to pay tribute to great visionary figures such as William Wilberforce of the United Kingdom…
The Duke's Christmas Redemption
by
Arietta Richmond,
A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.
Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…
I'm a dad, a grandfather, an alcoholic family survivor, a writer, and a Christian, and I do technology for a living. I'm pretty good with cybersecurity. This gives me a unique background to present modern stories. My novels so far feature technology elements, but never any Hollywood hacker scenes. I respect my audience too much for that. But look deeper to find ordinary people overcoming extraordinary challenges. I draw inspiration from my own life—Jerry Barkley is pretty much me with the benefit of an editor. But Jesse Jonsen is pure fiction. Look for the human element behind the technology in my stories. Enjoy the fiction. Use the education.
Any book featuring a sex trafficking victim is a horror story, and this book chronicles how a master manipulator dished out plenty of gut-wrenching, real-life horror against a vulnerable teenage victim who could have lived next door to me. I don’t like books that make me uncomfortable by hitting close to home. That’s why I liked this book: because the world needs to know about modern-day slavery in all its horror.
It made my top 5 list because Abby found a way to break free of her bondage, and a dedicated Canadian Member of Parliament led the Canadian government into passing helpful legislation. Both were ordinary people in extraordinary situations who found a way to reach beyond their limits and prevail through adversity.
This is the true story of the world of human trafficking in Canada. For years many people refused to believe that human trafficking was happening here in innocent, safe Canada to our very own Canadian girls. But they were wrong! It is estimated that between 12 and 27 million people are currently caught in human trafficking globally, and Canadian stats show that thousands are exploited for their labour or sexual services right across our own country. To begin combating the monstrosities represented by these numbers, it is essential that we recognize that trafficking is an industry and the sex trade…
I’ve been in love with horses since I was a toddler and have read more horse books than I can count. My favorite books are about horses and their humans – the bond that holds us together. No other animal reads a human’s soul like the horse does, and it’s one of the reasons for their success in equine-assisted activities and therapy programs. I’ve written horse stories since childhood and am proud of my three award-winning books in the Believing In Horses series featuring horse rescue, equine assisted activities, show competition, and dude ranches. I hope to create and inspire more horse and human connections through my stories.
What’s not to like about a racehorse mystery written by a former amateur jockey, horse breeder, and mystery writer? The author, Sasscer Hill, also hails from my home state of Maryland! I’ve read all of her books, and this one, in particular, grabbed my attention due to the human trafficking aspect. Hill spins a good yarn while creating characters one loves or hates and places them authentically in the horse racing world. If you want heart-stopping action from start to finish, you will enjoyThe Sea Horse Trade.
When Nikki works the January meet at Gulfstream Park near Miami, something about new racehorse owner, Currito Maldonista, worries her. Bad enough she’s expected to handle Maldonista’s evil-minded colt, Diablo, but Nikki begins to suspect Maldonista may be a Colombian drug lord. Worse yet, could he be abducting underage American girls and forcing them into the sex trade? Nikki’s world and Maldinista’s collide when Nikki’s oldest friend, Carla Ruben, comes to Florida to find Jade, the teenage daughter she gave up for adoption years ago. Jade’s adoptive parents are dead; and the exotically beautiful girl is missing. Could Maldonista be…
I love stories that show humanity persevering, stories that show life is lived through easy times and hard ones too. I like stories where there is something worth celebrating in everyday life. Stories that remind us we’re just human and that isn’t too bad and that no matter what hell we’re going through, there’s something on the other side worth enduring for. I have a passionate love for stories like this. I always seek out stories that give me a similar feeling. When I write, I try to write stories that make others feel like how I do when I come across a similar story.
Told in a series of vignette-style chapters, Sold tells the story of Lakshmi, a young girl from Nepal sold to a brothel in India.
The book charts Laksmi’s young innocence and contrasts it with what’s to come. Painted with tragedy, Sold takes time to focus on the people around Lakshmi who help her endure her hardships. In spite of everything Lakshmi suffers, she still holds onto what makes her Lakshmi, on what she's living towards.
It’s a story about resilience and hope that one day, things won’t be so bad and the experience won’t have been for nothing.
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What is this book about?
Lakshmi's family is desperately poor, but village life in the mountains of Nepal has its share of pleasures. When the monsoons wreck their crops yet again, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. She arrives at 'Happiness House' full of hope, but soon learns the unthinkable truth - she has been sold into prostitution.This new world becomes a nightmare from which there is no escape. But, very gradually, Lakshmi makes friends with others in the house, and gathers her courage, until the day she has to face the hardest decision of all:…
This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.
In these and other intimate conversations, the book…
I’m a mixed-race author passionate about amplifying diversity and diverse authors and committed to growing the category of “Upper Middle Grade” for readers who are ready for tough topics but not yet ready for the more socially complex YA category. As an author, I get to spend a lot of time with 5-8th graders when I visit schools, plus, I’m a mother of two (tween and teen), a parent leader in my kids’ schools, and a public education equity activist. These connections give me a close-up view into just how ready and eager this age group is to engage thoughtfully in big discussions.
This book tackles a big, tough subject: human trafficking; and it’s compulsively readable, which is why it’s on my list.
I love that Dunlap makes this issue accessible to any age reader; it’s a serious book, but it’s also got some really nice less-heavy moments with Julia and her beloved horses and the barn where she volunteers. While I related immediately to Julia’s friendship and social image challenges, I was also deeply grateful for a book that I could give to my tween daughter to add to the ongoing conversation about online safety.
Thirteen-year-old Julia would much rather work with horses at the rescue barn than worry about things like dating and makeup. But when her BFF meets a boy at camp, Julia's determined not to get left behind. After a makeover from her older sister, she posts a picture of herself online and gets a comment from Tyler―a seemingly nice kid who lives across town. As they DM more and more, Julia's sure that Tyler understands her in a way her family never has. Even better, their relationship earns her tons of attention at school.
