Mystery Writing Suspense

When Jack’s car breaks down in the middle of a cross-country road trip, the mysterious house at the top of the hill is a beacon of hope. If he can borrow a phone to call for help, he’ll be on his way in no time. But someone - or something - has other plans. Soon, Jack finds himself trapped in a nightmare that defies logic, where a depraved killer on the loose is the least of his problems. Will Jack escape before it’s too late?

When Penelope, the wife of a bestselling thriller author, walks into the Bookworm Bookshop and Café, she makes Gemma an offer she can’t refuse: to work for her as a private investigator. Penelope suspects that her husband is cheating on her and wants physical evidence before she files for divorce. Gemma agrees to help, but her investigation quickly leads her and her sidekick, the ever-curious Mavis into a web of literary egos and secrets that should have stayed between the pages of a bestseller, and not real life.

Three charming small-town cozy mysteries set in the heart of Derbyshire — perfect for fans of Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton, and classic British whodunits. Welcome to The Bookworm Bookshop & Café, where the coffee is warm, the friendships are strong, and murder is never far from the next chapter. Join Gemma, Mavis, and the rest of Belper’s quirky residents as they turn amateur sleuths. This collection includes the first three complete novels in The Bookshop Mysteries — over 21 hours of murder, secrets, and small-town intrigue.

Cyrus Shelton has spent the last twenty-three years locked up in the Huntsville State Penitentiary with only one thing on his mind - revenge on the arresting detective, Frank Windom, and his lousy defense attorney, Jonell Simone. Now paroled and having learned Windom had the nerve to die, he sets his sights on Windom's former partner, Jack West.

Gemma never expected to be invited to a total stranger’s will reading, and she’s even more baffled when she receives a vintage set of encyclopaedias and a letter with strict instructions to read it in private. The letter contains a cryptic code; a long sequence of numbers. Wanting to keep a promise to his late wife, but also unburden his conscience, the deceased man wanted to expose a long-hidden family secret connected to a sixty-year-old unsolved murder. Gemma, the owner of The Bookworm Bookshop and her sharp-witted business partner, Mavis, must solve the code and uncover the truth.

How to Write a Short Mystery Story: A Comprehensive Guide to Intrigue, Characters, and Clues reveals the secrets of compelling storytelling. This comprehensive guide shows aspiring writers how to create captivating short mysteries. Learn the fundamentals of the mystery genre, how to create an intriguing plot, and how to create complex characters. Learn how to plant clues and red herrings, keep the audience guessing, and deliver satisfying reveals. Explore the editing process to improve your narrative, develop your writing style, and successfully navigate the publishing process. Not only ...

Houston Homicide Detective Jack West is back at work. A fresh case he's working might be connected to a murder case fellow detectives Chang and Severson are working. The medical examiner's report shows some similarities to each murder, but the victims are strangers with nothing in common. A third murder victim found under a bridge on the Buffalo Bayou confirms Houston has a serial killer on the loose. Three very diverse people are dead—are these hate crimes, and if so, how many more will die? The clock is ticking; Jack and his team need to catch this killer before another body shows up.

Introducing Jack West a tenacious Houston Homicide Detective, a man who believes even the dregs of society deserve justice. After solving an exhausting murder case involving teenagers, Jack and his partner, Dawson Luck are assigned a cold case dating back 25 years. One case: an unsolved murder of a woman, found dead behind a seedy motel; the other about a missing prostitute. Digging into the cases, a fresh murder case is called in. A wealthy couple is found dead in an affluent residential area. It appears to be a murder- suicide and this new case takes precedence.

Julia Malmros is thriving. A former police officer making her way in the world of crime fiction, she’s turning popularity into fame by writing the next book in a world-renowned suspense series. To help her research, Julia connects with Kim Ribbing. More hacker than man, Kim bears a dark past that’s the very antithesis of the promising future she has planned for herself. They share an undeniable spark—yet it’s likely to implode. That’s the least of Julia’s worries. Hounded by publicity, Julia retreats to her cottage in the Stockholm archipelago.

When financial prodigy Tyler Rush stumbles upon a clandestine poker game where the world's elite manipulate global events, he's drawn into a treacherous world he never knew existed. Watching him closely is CEO Mike Hayward, a man hungry for global dominance, who sees Tyler as a pawn in his ruthless plan to unlock the Einstein Code-an AI algorithm that promises to reshape the future of intelligence and power.

Gemma loves the quiet life of her bookshop, the Bookworm—a haven for book lovers in a quaint town in the heart of Derbyshire. But everything changes when Gemma discovers the body of local author Dominic Westley during the shop’s latest book signing event. When the police rule the death as an accidental overdose, Dominic’s estranged widow points the finger at one of his past lovers. Gemma and her trusty assistant, Mavis, won’t rest until they uncover the truth. Was it an accidental overdose or something more sinister?

When Brea Cass, a young mother, is awakened in the night by the news that her loving husband, Paul, has been shot during a robbery, she is stunned. When she finally emerges from the fog of her life, it dawns on her that something is amiss in the way her husband died. As Brea searches for answers, she discovers things she never knew... and things she's not sure she wants to know.

Murder in a small town has taken the ho, ho, ho out of the holidays. A dead Santa under the mall's Christmas tree has turned the holiday season into a frosty whodunit that has everyone wondering who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. The dead man was dressed in a red Santa suit, furry cap and black shiny belt and boots. There was though one item of clothing obviously missing – his pants. The attention grabber, other than dead Santa’s lack of pants, was the chalk board sign resting in his lap. The sign read: “I’ve Been a Naughty Boy.” Pam and Paul and their Sunrise Harbor, ...

Do you want to write a thriller, murder mystery, romance or screenplay? Because you can....following this simple, understandable and practical writing guide. Discover the secrets to penning best-selling crime, mystery, romance and thriller fiction, from multi-published crime author Nicola Furlong. Youdunit Whodunit is a popular, clear and concise how-to guide to crafting page-turning fiction, offering many simple tricks and techniques to writing suspense-filled murder mystery and thriller novels. These are supported by concrete examples, which you can apply immediately to your first ...

Unlock the Secrets of Fear. Master the Mechanics of Dread. Whether you’re crafting a pulse-pounding thriller or slow-burning supernatural horror, Writing Suspense and Horror is your complete guide to gripping your reader—and never letting go. This comprehensive handbook takes you deep into the psychology of fear and the structure of tension. Learn how to create unforgettable characters, build dread scene by scene, and design plots that twist, tighten, and terrify. From atmospheric worldbuilding to heart-stopping finales, this book covers everything from genre history to hands-on craft. ...

Some grudges simmer beneath the surface until they boil over, leading to murder in a small town. Pam and Paul Bigelow were excited and honored to be hosting the Sunrise Harbor Maine Animal Shelter’s annual Valentine’s Day charity event. They certainly didn’t anticipate their elegant Victorian mansion turning into a cold-hearted crime scene. We’re talking a man strangled with a string twinkling lights, the disappearance of a treasured family heirloom, and shelter dogs cowering in fear. All this happening in the span of a five minutes, all in complete darkness, and none of it making a...

Olivia is taken from the sidewalk near her college and thrown into a van. Her captors, who she soon discovers are vile, sadistic monsters, abuse her immediately, both mentally and physically. Then she is taken into a house, into a locked room, where everything is cotton candy pink. The pink furniture is designed with rounded edges and corners bolted to the floor, and the seams at the bolts melted. This is where the nightmare begins. She is now a part of their collection.

Like other large cities, Miami, known for its beautiful beaches, night life, and cuisine, suffers from an ugly undercurrent of violence. AJ Docker is forced to face off with that subculture when a gang invades the emergency room and brutally murders one of his patients in front of him and threatens Doc himself. After he surmises that a woman and her young son may be next on the hit list, he and Banshee, his well-trained service dog, embark on a search for the killers to protect the innocent woman and child.

Grappling with an unplanned retirement and searching for purpose, former Special Agent Mick Nassau heads to Key West for a long-overdue break and finds himself in the path of a looming hurricane — and unexpected danger. What starts as a simple visit with his best friend, Jack, takes a dark turn when Jack is found critically injured aboard his boat under suspicious circumstances.

Chenoa Winterhawk is a battle-hardened member of Oregon's elite U.S. Army Indian Scouts, sworn to protect travelers across treacherous mountain terrain and dark forests whispering of ancient terrors. As the daughter of legendary Civil War hero Chief Jolon Winterhawk, Chenoa is also a warrior bound by duty, struggling with injustices brought upon the Nez Perce amidst the broken promises that have forced another relocation of her tribe.