Mystery Reads

5 SHORT STORY GEMS is a compendium of short stories written by New Zealand author Lance Morcan and published by Sterling Gate Books in 2019/2020. The stories, which have also been released as standalone Kindle ebooks, are aimed at lovers of thrillers, adventure, romance and historical fiction. Details follow… ONCE WERE BROTHERS – Life will never be the same for young Benjamin Thomas after disaffected Maoris abduct his identical twin brother in this moving short story adventure set in Nineteenth Century New Zealand. Mr. 100% – When New York defense lawyer Madison ‘Mr. 100%’ Harley ...

Cam Derringer sets out on a four-day cruise to Bermuda for a friend's wedding. Little does he know the danger that awaits him. With murder, deception, storms, and human sharks circling the boat waiting for their chance to strike, Cam and Diane must fight side by side to survive. A diabolical cartel leader has his own bone to pick with them also. When Malinda and Kailey show up to assist, some of the pressure seems to be released. Cam realizes what he was feeling is no more than false hope. They fight their battle from Bermuda to Key West and all points between. Cam lays his life on the line...

Family…however close or distantly connected…is still family. And no one knows that better than the many members of the McAdams family. Few understand the vast implications that come with a large extended family as Drew McAdams does…and especially now. His brothers and sisters are also beginning to understand just how complicated it can be now that the four of them are responsible for the equally vast and extensive McAdams Trust. The headaches have only just begun. Life as they knew it will never be the same. Drew McAdams strongly suspects that if another call or message comes into his...

Would you seek revenge for a vicious wrongdoing? Sister Michael Mary faces this predicament in this poignant, suspenseful and inspirational short story about fate and forgiveness. Suddenly, her life is forever changed. Now, Sister Michael Mary is burdened with a terrible secret. Can she put vengeance out of her mind, and continue to pray and to do good works as a sister of Saint Bartholomew’s? The compassionate and dedicated nun thought she could forget. She knew she should forgive. But when opportunity knocks, Sister Michael Mary plots revenge. Will she take action and break with the ...

If you liked the way your heart pounded when you read John Grisham’s The Firm, then Royce Wilson’s first book in the Preston Hollis series, The Diamond, is tailor-made for you. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be in business with organized crime, and want to get out? They say there is only one way in, and only one way out. The way in… is through someone else’s murder. The way out…well, you know. Detective Preston Hollis had never killed anyone during more than a decade in law enforcement. That all changes when one of his informants turns up dead and he is pulled, like a ...

When Abbie Coleman is asked to host a relaxing wellbeing retreat at the Hummingbird Hotel after a stressful photoshoot on board celebrity fashion designer Pierre Fontaine's luxury yacht, she knows it's the perfect opportunity to showcase the peace and tranquility on offer. But when a member of the local goat fraternity is discovered in a guest's room munching on a pair of his paisley boxer shorts, and a delicious avocado and kale smoothie has unexpected soporific properties, Abbie must once again join forces with local vineyard owner to unravel the mystery and save the hotel.

“This author is sheer perfection when it comes to using descriptions and locations that are richly done and offering sharp details throughout the entirety of the story.” – Suspense Magazine When art recovery expert Laurel Beacham’s personal and professional worlds collide, she learns no good theft goes unpunished. Incomplete intel and a missing source compel her to make a huge mistake, and she’s left with a divided team. Every retrieved masterpiece has a price—and the cost of forgeries can be deadly. This time Laurel could lose not only her best lead, but also her most trusted ...

When her new editor is murdered right next to her, Poppy knows she needs Ophelia's help to get justice for Ellie. The two of them quickly find themselves in the middle of a scandal rocking the world of professional chess that could lead them to the killer.

She’s waited years for this moment…for him. You can always go home…but what will you find when you do. Jonathan Hansen is about to find out. For years they’ve hidden a huge secret…an island that was home to their small town, the families and friends who live there, and the secrets they’ve kept for generations. But danger might be right beyond the water’s edge. Jonathan Hansen felt broken…but he would never break. He believed he had nowhere to go…no home, no family, no friendships or relationships to return to. But he was wrong. As he stood just beyond the island’s small ...

A teen with social anxiety is tormented by a dangerous and deadly stalker… After the deaths of his best friend and stepdad, seventeen-year-old Blake Thomas can't escape the memories of that night... the screams... the blood... the axe. Making friends at his new home seems impossible. As a way to slowly step back into social relationships, Blake joins a social media site called The Reading Buddy. Recovery seems to be within reach, but after three local teens pull Blake into their own circle, it appears that an online friend doesn't want to share. Soon Blake falls victim to a chilling game ...

Revenge when you least expect it… A terrorist bombing shatters a wedding destination. Was Nikki the intended target? Nikki Garcia, a private investigator, escapes to Spain with Eduardo, her fiancé, after a death threat on her last assignment. She puts the past behind her and turns the trip to Barcelona into their destination wedding. A few days after their wedding, Nikki and the love of her life find themselves caught up in a terrorist attack at one of the city’s major tourist attractions. As events unravel, Nikki discovers she is being stalked. Worse yet, she may have been the target ...

A mysterious nun. A missing jewel. Maybe tax returns weren’t so bad after all… Mary Catherine Mahoney, MC for short, never saw the nuns coming. When Sister Hildegard rolls into MC’s tax office, the former covert IRS agent never expected to hear about a secret society and a long-lost jewel with special powers. It’s too bad the nuns aren’t the only ones after the treasure… The hunt is on, and it makes MC occasionally yearn for her days filled with IRS paperwork. When a pair of jewel-hungry brothers looking to claim both the US Presidency and the Papacy clash with MC, she enlists ...

Spring is in the air. Gus is feeling pretty good about the change in seasons until an unknown man decides he would rather change from being alive to being dead. He clearly drank something toxic, and it didn’t agree with him. The question is, did he really decide to do that, or did someone make that decision for him. Only that question is buried under a lot of other layers of questions. Why did the man visit Gus a few days before his death proclaiming the end times were near? Why didn’t he take enough poison to kill him near instantly instead of lingering around for days slowly dying? ...

The recently rediscovered short story 'The Lost One', perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier, Santa Montefiore and Anya Seton. First published in Woman's Journal in 1960, and set against the backdrop of unfenced country and dark winding valleys at night, the aptly named 'The Lost One' features The Wind off the Small Isles heroine Perdita West, who brings her characteristic pluck and courage to this classic Mary Stewart tale of suspense and intrigue....

Lacy and Winston were just a regular happy couple. Well, that is, until Winston has to rush off, like usual, only this time life seems to take a different turn.

Family meant everything to Ayden Stratton. It always had even when he didn’t always allow it to show. Because of that, he understood the fury in Tobias Blaise’s eyes when they learned that his sister had been dragged out the backdoor of her restaurant despite every effort to stop her from being kidnapped. Fury didn’t begin to describe what he saw in his brother’s face. Cassidy Blaise might be Tobias’s sister, but she was Benjamin’s entire world. Tobias Blaise never expected to find any woman he wanted to spend his life with, let alone one who looked at him the way Ellis did, ...

Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog find excitement and adventure wherever they go in Enid Blyton's most popular series. In book four, the Famous Five stay at the large old house at Smuggler's Top. They discover secret hiding places and underground tunnels, and one night they catch people signalling out to sea! Are there still smugglers at Smuggler's Top?

Love can be just a hard ride away. Gunfighter Jack Cassidy is looking for a hot meal and a warm bed. When he tries to do the right thing, he winds up with a gun in his hand, a dead man on the floor, and a woman who needs his help. A sizzling romance set in the West, A HARD RIDE is a fast-paced, sexy read. "Nicky Sparks is one of the hottest new writers around." -RomanticTimes.net

Gus somehow won the church raffle. It was a miraculous feat given that he’d never entered it-the church or the raffle. He suddenly finds himself with two tickets to paradise and one of them premade out for Father Xavier. Paradise in this case being the Caribbean Island of Saint Hubbins. They’re joined at the hotel by two couples that appear to be engaged in a tangled web of extra-marital affairs with each other. Gus isn’t too interested in the affairs of others until one of them ends up dead. Another person is arrested by the local police for the crime. It’s not that Gus feels he ...

He thought he knew everything about his wife... He was wrong! Tom and Amy Pearce have built a seemingly perfect life - a loving marriage, a beautiful daughter, fulfilling careers, and a comfortable home. They couldn't ask for more. So why is Amy hiding something? When Tom stumbles upon an object he believed was lost in a tragic accident, memories flood back, catapulting him into an emotional whirlwind. A few days later, Tom observes an encounter between Amy and a mysterious stranger. The subtle shift in her demeanour piques his concern, stirring a deep unease within him. Desperate for ...