Here are 97 books that The Hidden Gate fans have personally recommended if you like
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As a child, I read many Nancy Drew books and loved how she solved the clues. During the last couple of years I have developed a deeper interest in mystery and romantic suspense books. I enjoy trying to figure out the clues in other's tales and creating my own. The challenge is like putting a puzzle together for me when I write in this genre. Recently I wrote two short cozy mysteries and a romantic suspense that were published for the Christian market. I have a couple of cozy mystery works in progress that will soon be ready to share with readers. My other books often have hints of mysteries.
This is a well-crafted mystery with elements of suspense.
I sometimes read in children's and young adult genres and think this book would be a great choice for the Christian young adult market. Rae, the main character is independent due to questions about who her real parents are. She has discovered her father but now someone is making threats involving questions about who her mother was.
The story will leave the reader guessing about the threats and who is trying to make Rae scared. JPC Allen is a fairly new author and I hope to see more of her work.
Nineteen-year-old Rae Riley can barely believe her gamble paid off. After spending seven months investigating the identity of her father and whether he tried to murder her mother, Rae has been accepted by her dad, Sheriff Walter "Mal" Malinowski IV, and his immediate family with open hearts. And for the fi rst time in her life, Rae is making friends, jamming with three cute cops who play outlaw country music.
But someone is leaving Rae threatening notes, reminding her of her late mother's notorious past when Bella Rydell wrecked homes and lives during the few years she lived in rural…
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…
As a child, I read many Nancy Drew books and loved how she solved the clues. During the last couple of years I have developed a deeper interest in mystery and romantic suspense books. I enjoy trying to figure out the clues in other's tales and creating my own. The challenge is like putting a puzzle together for me when I write in this genre. Recently I wrote two short cozy mysteries and a romantic suspense that were published for the Christian market. I have a couple of cozy mystery works in progress that will soon be ready to share with readers. My other books often have hints of mysteries.
This book initially appealed to me because of the title and the dog on the front cover.
As a child, I was a big fan of all things related to the television and movie versions of the character Zorro. He wasn't in this book, but there was someone who left their 'Z' around town, painted on runaway dogs. I enjoyed the developing romance between the local game warden and the determined animal rescue worker, who would eventually figure out the mystery.
The story was well-written and had some great twists and red herrings to enjoy. This book is part of a series and I look forward to checking the other books featuring cozy mysteries involving dogs.
Cozy up with your favorite pooch and unwind with a small-town mystery in book 4 of the Gone to the Dogs series.
Strange happenings are afoot in Brenham, Texas, as dogs start showing up at the Lone Star Veterinary Clinic with a Z spray painted on them. The cops blame pranksters, while pet owners are blaming each other. Receptionist Cassidy Carter uses her social media expertise to try to get the culprit caught on camera, but Texas game warden, Jason Cameron, thinks online media attention is the last thing this case…
As a child, I read many Nancy Drew books and loved how she solved the clues. During the last couple of years I have developed a deeper interest in mystery and romantic suspense books. I enjoy trying to figure out the clues in other's tales and creating my own. The challenge is like putting a puzzle together for me when I write in this genre. Recently I wrote two short cozy mysteries and a romantic suspense that were published for the Christian market. I have a couple of cozy mystery works in progress that will soon be ready to share with readers. My other books often have hints of mysteries.
12 Days will keep you on the edge of your seat. The past will collide with the present for a retired policeman who struggles with his faith, his work, and his relationship with those who care for him.
This is a new author to me and I was impressed with how she intricately woven the story together providing plenty of surprises and twists. When his estranged girlfriend's life is on the line, the mystery will morph into a suspenseful game that will threaten them both.
His journey of faith was important to the story and I was glad to see that be an important part of the story.
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…
As a child, I read many Nancy Drew books and loved how she solved the clues. During the last couple of years I have developed a deeper interest in mystery and romantic suspense books. I enjoy trying to figure out the clues in other's tales and creating my own. The challenge is like putting a puzzle together for me when I write in this genre. Recently I wrote two short cozy mysteries and a romantic suspense that were published for the Christian market. I have a couple of cozy mystery works in progress that will soon be ready to share with readers. My other books often have hints of mysteries.
Home Away from Home is a cozy mystery woven in with a romance for an older couple.
Marigold has searched for her father for years. Her mother died in a terrible accident. Her obsession with finding her father since then has interfered with relationships and interest in marriage. In this delightful tale, she will finally unravel the mystery of what happened to her father and will discover things about herself and a family she never knew about.
She will finally be open to accepting love from a dear and faithful friend. I found this book to be an enjoyable and relaxing read. It is part of a series that I highly recommend.
Will Marigold and Johnny embrace love late in life?
The day before Marigold Hayes turned fourteen, her mother died in a car accident and her father went missing. Her memory of standing on the porch and waving goodbye haunts her. After forty years of digging for clues to her dad's whereabouts and ignoring her personal life, the hope she might find him fades. Through the years, she has made friends, but no one significant until Johnny Papadakis. He has stood by her for nine years and helped search records of people alive and dead. For the last six months. he…
I wear so many hats that if I murdered you, you wouldn’t know which one of me struck. I am a crime fiction writer, a producer, a public speaker, and an entrepreneur. I have to admit I am an accidental writer who wanted to leave a legacy behind and, ergo, wrote a book in 2010. But I found writing crime fiction so addictive I became a serial killer…err…writer. In my spare time, I read—spoiler alert!—crime fiction and binge-watch crime shows. I am an avid golfer, I love music and traveling, and I find something in the sound of water that encourages me to write and murder a few more people (fictionally, of course).
I’ve
always hated guests who overstay their welcome. And this story about unwanted
guests made me cringe.
I wanted to personally help Elliot, who invited
his wife, Gemma’s parents into his home. To Elliot’s surprise, his
in-laws settle into his house all too comfortably and start encroaching on his
life and privacy. Imagine that. And then as Elliot finds out: Gemma’s parents
have no intentions of ever leaving.
"Mark Edwards always delivers! Taut, gripping, scary and original - a fabulous read!"-Robert Bryndza, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author
A beautiful home. A loving wife. And in-laws to die for.
Gemma Robinson comes into Elliot's life like a whirlwind, and they marry and settle into his home. When she asks him if her parents can come to stay for a couple of weeks, he is keen to oblige - he just doesn't quite know what he's signing up for.
The Robinsons arrive with Gemma's sister, Chloe, a mysterious young woman who refuses to speak or leave her room. Elliot…
I’ve always been drawn to complex female characters in both reading and writing. Even in the 21st century, there are so many expectations placed on girls and women to conform to society’s narrow concepts of femininity. As a queer woman who grew up under the UK’s Section 28, I’ve always struggled to fit myself into these pre-assigned boxes, which is why I’m fascinated by those who step so firmly out of them. I teach as well as write and one of the most satisfying things about both is the time I get to spend examining character. I hope you’re as captivated by these difficult women as I am!
I read this gripping psychological noir about a woman escaping her past and falling into a steamy, lethal affair a few years ago, but it’s still vividly seared into my mind.
I found the writing utterly captivating, and I think Lippman is an absolute genius when it comes to plot. This twisty story of love, lies, betrayal, and revenge kept me guessing right until the very end–not to mention reading through the middle of the night!
WINNER OF THE eDUNNIT AWARD FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL NOMINATED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER
'Dark, gleaming. Read it.' GILLIAN FYNN 'Note perfect . . . Not to be missed.' MEGAN ABBOTT
Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other - dangerous, even lethal secrets.
Then someone dies. Was it an accident or part of a plan? By now Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other's lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away - or even if…
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’ve visited Amish communities for years as a tourist. An agent suggested I write it because of my faith in God. The Amish base their lifestyle and traditions on their faith in God, and she felt the books would be more authentic if the author felt the same. I’ve never been Amish, but the topic is fun to research, and some of the Amish are forthcoming in helping me. I love the fried chicken, homemade butterscotch pie, corn pudding, and beautiful quilts they have available when visiting the different Ohio and Indiana communities. They are not my typical audience.
Tracy shows the flaws and fears in her characters really well. She weaves in the romance just the right way. You’ll feel like you know the characters personally as you read the story. You’ll enjoy her stories as I do. She also helps you learn about the Amish lifestyles and traditions.
Her faith in the Lord has been tried beyond all measure. Can this fearful believer rest secure in God’s protective care for her life?
Anna Byler is paralyzed by fear and anxiety. While the young Amish woman is devastated after Simon Kauffman leaves the Amish community, she finds little comfort in her new relationship with Jesus to fill the void Simon left in her life.
Still wrestling with accepting God’s comforting peace, Anna sets out on a journey to uncover the truth behind Simon’s disappearance and then his untimely return to Willow Springs. But her discovery leads her to question…
All of the books I’ve listed above have flawed characters. Characters that deal with emotional and/or moral dilemmas. The plots: murder, missing children, or runaway husbands are secondary to me. What I look for in a book and what I write about in my Cole and Callahan series, are characters with flaws. People who struggle with truth. Cops or investigators that hide or skew evidence because the truth would cause more harm than good. It’s the moral dilemma I want. The angst we all feel when we are faced with a particularly painful decision. That’s what real life is and that’s what brings a book and a character to life.
Not A Happy Family is a Domestic Suspense novel. The Mertons have everything, money, a beautiful home, and plenty of vacations. So why, after Easter dinner with their three children are they found dead? The kids are distraught. Or are they? What childhood secrets do each of them carry and is one of them murderously vindictive? I come from a big family and always enjoy reading about dysfunctional families. Luckily, my own family was only semi-dysfunctional for the most part. Nothing I needed to kill my parents over.
I have been a fan of romantic suspense since I was a teen (many decades ago) and started writing my DAG Team Series in 2016. I adore everything about this genre – the puzzles, the intrigue and how they affect the budding relationship between the main characters. Dating is difficult when you are trying to catch a killer or on the run! Despite the central mystery, the focus is on the romance between the couple. The issues serve to add a layer of non-sexual tension.
Kidnap victim takes a repo agent and her child hostage in order to discover who blew his cover and is trying to kill him.She finds him locked in the trunk of a car she is repossessing. Daniel needs to find his kidnappers and find out how they found him in protective custody. I liked how Samantha worked hard to provide for her family and her courage in this odd situation. Again, features forced proximity!
When she swore off love, he was the last man she imagined would steal her heart.
If driving a tow truck through the seediest part of town with a gun beside her means putting a roof over her son's head, then single mother Samantha is going to be the best repossession woman on the books. But when she hooks her truck up to a flashy BMW, the last thing she expects is to find a beaten, bloody man in the trunk - or to be catapulted into a terrifying fight to survive.
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…
Sometimes I have to take a trip back to my reading "roots": gothic mystery and suspense. This list is a deep dive into some of my very favorite vintage gothic authors and ones that I consider to be icons of the genre. These writers formed the foundation not only for my reading tastes but also for who I have become as a writer. The memories of my younger self come flooding back when I revisit these authors and their works as I have done with this list. Some of these novels are hard to come by now but, in my opinion, the older and more beat-up paperback, the better.
I spent so many summer afternoons as a teenager reading Barbara Michaels’ novels.
She is another writer who managed to set in stone my love and fascination for tales gothic and truly inspired and informed my own writing.
This one with a copyright of 1973 has it all. Isolated, rural setting with a historic stone cottage, creepy, almost folk horror-esque townspeople, a twisted villain, and a supernatural edge.
But it also has something that Michael’s specialized in: dialogue that captures relationships in a very approachable and identifiable way despite the vintage year.
Witch captures her mastery of the gothic and ticks all the boxes of a great read in the genre.
A wonderful Gothic suspense story filled with clever twists and turns, Witch by Barbara Michaels will have you on the edge of your seat.
It was more than her dream house. For divorcee Ellen March, buying the secluded old house nestled in the pine woods marked the start of a new life. Now she could put her failed marriage behind her, enjoy the quiet solitude of small town life in Virginia, and get to know her new neighbour, the handsome Norman McKay.
But strange visions began to cloud her mind - the shadowy figure of a woman, a ghostly white…
