Here are 11 books that Murder Your Employer fans have personally recommended if you like
Murder Your Employer.
Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.
Stephen King is such an amazing writer, but if, like me, you don't read horror, your selection is limited. This incredibly inventive, incredibly researched, incredibly compelling book was one I couldn't stop talking about. My book club loved it too! And the ending--I couldn't guess how he was going to land that plane, but he did. Amazing.
Now a major TV series from JJ Abrams and Stephen King, starring James Franco (Hulu US, Fox UK and Europe, Stan Australia, SKY New Zealand).
WHAT IF you could go back in time and change the course of history? WHAT IF the watershed moment you could change was the JFK assassination? 11.22.63, the date that Kennedy was shot - unless . . .
King takes his protagonist Jake Epping, a high school English teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine, 2011, on a fascinating journey back to 1958 - from a world of mobile phones and iPods to a new world of…
The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.
The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.
Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…
Sometimes, the setting of a novel can stay with you long after the details of the plot and characters have faded. My debut novel, The Lindens, was inspired by my grandmother’s home in the Wiltshire countryside where I grew up. As much as the house itself, I wanted to bring to life the land and nature around it: the garden and the orchard, the meadows and the woods, the plants and the birds and the changing seasons. I hope it’s a home that readers feel they can inhabit – just like the ones on this list.
Come for the oil paintings and the glass doors, stay for a tender and poignant portrait of family life. The Philadelphia mansion at the heart of this novel casts a spell over its characters – it’s the childhood home that Danny and Maeve have been banished from but are inexorably drawn back to.
Ann Patchett is one of my favourite contemporary novelists – few writers unpack their characters’ emotional baggage with such warmth, wit, and compassion.
Lose yourself in the story of a lifetime - the unforgettable Sunday Times bestseller
'Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature' Guardian
Nominated for the Women's Prize 2020
A STORY OF TWO SIBLINGS, THEIR CHILDHOOD HOME, AND A PAST THAT THEY CAN'T LET GO.
Like swallows, like salmon, we were the helpless captives of our migratory patterns. We pretended that what we had lost was the house, not our mother, not our father. We pretended that what we had lost had been taken from us by the person who still lived inside.
In the…
An exploration of Lagos' complex biodome from a British, Brooklyn-based author?
This is a dream come true for me, as a creative writer who spent years in Brooklyn and grew up in West African culture—one that I consider my strongest affiliation, even before my native Brazilian heritage.
It is the story of a London girl who settled in Lagos with her husband. Suddenly, she disappears.
When the investigation hits a dead end, her aunt flies to Nigeria in search of answers.
It’s a complex whodunnit that swerves across timelines as it explores the ins and outs of Lagos' powerful hold on eager souls.
Well-constructed, culturally relevant, and faithful. A must-read for anyone interested in Nigerian customs and sharp crime thrillers.
'I was hooked right through to the shocking end' BERNARDINE EVARISTO
'An excellent read' GUARDIAN
'Beautifully written, immersive, thought-provoking' MARIAN KEYES
'Obsessed' KERRY WASHINGTON
'A shimmering success' DIANA EVANS
THE PERFECT WIFE. THE PERFECT MURDER.
Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of Lagos and a glamorous group of friends. She left London and a troubled family past behind to become part of a community of expat wives.
But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her so-called perfect life start to show. As the investigation…
The Guardian of the Palace is the first novel in a modern fantasy series set in a New York City where magic is real—but hidden, suppressed, and dangerous when exposed.
When an ancient magic begins to leak into the world, a small group of unlikely allies is forced to act…
I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, thought-provoking romp with a truly original premise: what happens when a woman returns home one day to a husband of 35 years that she's never met before? If that twist doesn't grab you, how about when that guy goes into the attic, a different husband descends? Once the narrator realizes what's going on, she can (sort of) control how long each man sticks around, which is where the story really gets interesting. Because with each husband, Laura finds herself in a whole new version of her own life. And it begs the question, When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living? Even though it's centered around love and relationships, you wouldn't call it romance. This book definitely makes you think about who you want to share you life with (if anyone).
'One of the funniest debuts for years' SUNDAY TIMES 'The most fun I've had reading in the longest time' MARIAN KEYES 'An absolute riot' THE UNMUMSY MUM
You wait ages for The One . . . then 203 come along at once
One night Lauren finds a strange man in her flat who claims to be her husband. All the evidence - from photos to electricity bills - suggests he's right.
Lauren's attic, she slowly realises, is creating an endless supply of husbands for her.
There's the one who pretends to play music on her toes. The one who's too…
In the near future, scientists have figured out how to create eggs and sperm from any bodily cell. Now there’s an illegal market devoted to stealing celebrities’ DNA so fans can have their babies.
This imaginative premise piqued my interest, and a series of well-paced plot developments kept me turning pages. The perspective shifts smoothly among three protagonists, allowing readers to explore this intriguing scenario from multiple perspectives. The science and technology advancements seem scarily plausible, and the story sizzles with twists and turns I never saw coming. The ending is one of the most satisfying I’ve ever read, a real humdinger.
When any biological matter can be used to create life, stolen celebrity DNA sells to the highest bidder–or the craziest stalker–in this propulsive thriller.. With a vivid imagining of the future, Gattaca meets Black Mirror in Kira Peikoff’s Baby X.. In the near-future United States, where advanced technology can create egg or sperm from any person’s cells, celebrities face the alarming potential of meeting biological children they never conceived. Famous singer Trace Thorne is tired of being targeted by the Vault, a black market site devoted to stealing DNA. Sick of paying ransom money for his own cell matter, he…
I loved how I connected with the characters, and how the author framed the fundamental question, "who gets to own miracles?" I wanted to share the book with everyone and ask them about their own magic and miracles, and how they would feel if they had to give them over for someone else's enrichment. I was simultaneously angry and intrigued. I also really loved what Bardugo did in the ending.
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * #1 INDIE BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“An immersive, sensual experience.” ―The New York Times
"Essential." ―The Washington Post
In a shabby house in the new capital of Madrid, a lowly kitchen scullion hides a gift for little miracles. But when her employer discovers Luzia Cotado’s secret talent, she demands Luzia use her illusions to win over the royal court.
Determined to forge a better life for herself, Luzia plunges into a world of power-hungry nobility, desperate kings, holy men, and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud blur. With the pyres of…
Aury and Scott travel to the Finger Lakes in New York’s wine country to get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings at the Songscape Winery. Disturbed furniture and curious noises are one thing, but when a customer winds up dead, it’s time to dig into the details and see…
I have a lifelong respect for the true sociopaths among us who just happen to side with the good rather than the bad element in society. From Sherlock Holmes’ disregard for the shackles of Scotland Yard and the totally criminal world of Don Pendleton’s Mack Bolan I have cheered on my champions for half a century. My heroes share a common trait – the willingness to break the law to uphold the law. The 21st century has brought an entire new set of protagonists whom I consider to be arbiters of justice. While I believe in jurisprudence, I also subscribe to the tenet that most often the end justifies the means.
The first Travis Magee novel hooked me. The image of a beach bum, living on a houseboat won in a poker game was enough. But when that bum transformed into a more modern version of Don Quixote all MacDonald had to do was to play me, gaff me, and pull me on board for the remainder of the series. Magee takes his retirement in chunks, righting wrongs and recovering that which was stolen. His life is full of brawling, babes, and bodies. All good stuff for the reader.
Travis McGee, beach bum and 'salvage expert' (he'll retrieve what you've lost for 50 per cent), lives on a houseboat in Fort Lauderdale.Instead of taking retirement at sixty, he takes it in chunks as he goes along. If he likes you he'll help you, and he likes Cathy Kerr, who has been robbed of everything but her dignity ...the first in the series establishes the fast-talking, wisecracking standard MacDonald maintained for over 20 years.
As a screenwriter I’ve always enjoyed noir stories, whether books or movies. Stories where the characters are not your squeaky-clean “good guys.” I like to see “ordinary” people; people who are flawed (like all of us), or maybe with a shady past, who are swayed or manipulated by dire circumstances into doing something they would not ordinarily do. I enjoy stories with unique, interesting characters that are not your run-of-the-mill private eyes, and whose moral compass might be a bit off. I particularly like stories where characters are forced to become investigators because of a situation they are thrust into, whether by accident or by their own dubious actions.
In this first book of The Shill Trilogy struggling actress Jane Innes is seduced by a handsome new arrival in her acting class. He admits he’s a con man and needs Jane to pose as a rich, carefree heiress to fulfill his intricate scam. I loved this book because Jane, being desperate for money, and love, agrees to help the con man that has seduced her. Is it love or money the reason she agrees? I believe there is no black and white, good or evil in characters when it comes to morals. I enjoy stories that show us the gray in us, and how one can be swayed to the dark side through desperation if given the right opportunity.
Struggling actress Jane Innes is seduced by a handsome new arrival in her acting class. He makes a proposition. He admits he’s a con man and needs Jane to pose as a rich, carefree heiress to fulfill her part in his intricate scam.
Would you agree? Or run the other way?
All goes as planned until Jane’s true identity threatens to surface and their scheme begins to crack at the seams.
It all leads to a tangled maze of deception, depravity and murder.
THE SHILL is part one of a trilogy from Shamus Award winning author, John Shepphird.
As a screenwriter I’ve always enjoyed noir stories, whether books or movies. Stories where the characters are not your squeaky-clean “good guys.” I like to see “ordinary” people; people who are flawed (like all of us), or maybe with a shady past, who are swayed or manipulated by dire circumstances into doing something they would not ordinarily do. I enjoy stories with unique, interesting characters that are not your run-of-the-mill private eyes, and whose moral compass might be a bit off. I particularly like stories where characters are forced to become investigators because of a situation they are thrust into, whether by accident or by their own dubious actions.
Set in the seventies, a sexy female celebrity journalist sets out to find the reason for the break-up of a singing/comedy duo alá Lewis and Martin and uncovers a gruesome murder. Full of sex, drugs, and behind-the-scenes entertainment business debauchery, this story is told in a masterful way that is funny, frightful, suspenseful, and disturbing. A truly unique noir tale where no one comes away clean. Just how I like it. And written by my good friend and former employer, Rupert Holmes. The same guy that gave us “Escape, The Pina Colada Song” and the Broadway hit The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
O’Connor, a vivacious, free-spirited young journalist known for her penetrating celebrity interviews, is bent on unearthing secrets long ago buried by the handsome showbiz team of singer Vince Collins and comic Lanny Morris. These two highly desirable men, once inseparable (and insatiable, where women were concerned), were driven apart by a bizarre and unexplained death in which one of them may have played the part of murderer. As the tart-tongued, eye-catching O’Connor ventures deeper into this unsolved mystery, she finds herself compromisingly coiled around both men, knowing more about them than they realize and less…
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
As a screenwriter I’ve always enjoyed noir stories, whether books or movies. Stories where the characters are not your squeaky-clean “good guys.” I like to see “ordinary” people; people who are flawed (like all of us), or maybe with a shady past, who are swayed or manipulated by dire circumstances into doing something they would not ordinarily do. I enjoy stories with unique, interesting characters that are not your run-of-the-mill private eyes, and whose moral compass might be a bit off. I particularly like stories where characters are forced to become investigators because of a situation they are thrust into, whether by accident or by their own dubious actions.
Okay, so this main character is Private Investigator, but I loved this book. A good flawed, dubious, tough-guy main character, a sexy femme fatale, dangerous mobsters, and lots of keep-you-guessing plot twists and turns. This page-turner, with great, witty, wise-guy banter, fulfills all that this Neo-Noir Crime Novel fan craves for.
PI Pete Fortunato, half-Italian, half-Jewish, who suffers from anger management issues and insomnia, wakes up one morning with a bad taste in his mouth. This is never a good sign. Working out of a friend’s downtown real estate office, Fortunato, who spent a mysteriously short, forgettable stint as a cop in a small upstate New York town, lives from paycheck to paycheck. So, when a beautiful woman wants to hire him to find her husband, he doesn’t hesitate to say yes. Within a day, Fortunato finds the husband in the apartment of his client’s young, stud lover. He’s been shot…
