Small Town Crime

Twenty years ago, in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas, Annie Randall took her dog for a walk. The dog returned. Annie did not. When her body was found, cruelly broken and posed like a runner, there was only ever one suspect: Annie’s husband, Frank. Now he’s served his time and come home–but the locals won’t let him forget. Especially when there’s a new ‘running girl’ murder…

When Detective Maya Thorne is summoned back to Warragulla—the rural Australian hometown she swore never to revisit—she expects a routine investigation. Skeletal remains have been discovered in a drought-exposed creek bed at Billabong Station, likely from the bushfires that ravaged the region three years ago. But as the parched earth gives up its secrets, Maya finds herself excavating more than just bones. The remains belong to Cameron Lockhart, a local landowner who disappeared during the fires, and someone put a bullet in his head before burying him where the flames would erase the ...

A sparkling Christmas light display ends in a deadly shock when a body is discovered beneath the twinkling decorations. Can an injured community cop illuminate the truth before the celebratory lights blow a festive fuse?On medical leave, Sergeant Keya Varma channels her dedication and passion into creating mince pies and seasonal delights for her buzzing café. But her holiday cheer is challenged when a Christmas lights enthusiast is found dead amidst his dazzling display. With the police station in turmoil, this dedicated detective puts aside her medical leave to untangle the mysterious ...

Whether in Truman Capote’s detailed murder of the Clutter family or Ted Bundy’s small-town charm, criminals have always roamed rural America and towns worldwide. Featuring murder stories, criminal case studies, and more, The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns contains all-new accounts from writers of true crime, crime journalism, and crime fiction. And these entries are not based on a true story - they are true stories. Edited by acclaimed author and anthologist Mitzi Szereto, the stories in this volume span the globe.

It's week one of the Swedish elk hunt, and the sound of gunfire is everywhere. When Tuva Moodyson investigates the story that could make her career she stumbles on a web of secrets that knit Gavrik town together. Are the latest murders connected to the Medusa killings 20 years ago? Is someone following her? Why take the eyes? Tuva must face her demons and venture deep into the woods to stop the killer and write the story. And then get the hell out of Gavrik.

I don’t want a wife. But in the mafia, marriage isn’t about love—it’s about power. When the Family demands I marry Giovanni Lucatello’s sheltered daughter, I drown my frustration in whiskey and meet a woman who’s everything I shouldn’t want: bold, sharp-tongued, and tempting as sin. One night with her is unforgettable. But by the next morning, she’s gone. Or so I thought. When I walk into my engagement meeting, I see her sitting there, looking like innocence itself. Gianna Lucatello. The woman I’m bound to marry. I’ll make her regret what her father did to me. I’ll ...

'I hung at the edge of my seat to find out who done it.' Widowed cafe owner Anna Butler uncovers shocking secrets from her past as she tries to prove she did not murder her husband. Packed with twists and turns you never saw coming, every book in this series leaves readers wanting more. Leena Clover presents a heartwarming cozy mystery series about family, friendship and the pursuit of a lifelong dream. Recently widowed Anna Butler is busy testing cupcake recipes, trying to cope with the loss of her beloved husband. When the license for her dream cafe is rejected, Anna realizes the local...

She’s innocent. Desperate. In danger. And she’ll have to marry me if she wants to stay alive. I’m a dangerous man with demons in my past. Avery's my total opposite – an innocent who likes the quiet life. I have no business being close to a good girl like her, but she’s in danger. And I’m the only devil who can help. She’s being targeted by some vicious criminals. For her protection, I have keep her close. So close we both might just lose control. We have to crash a cartel wedding. Posing as man and wife. It’s just pretend. A fake marriage to keep her safe. Except the heat in...

The last thing I expected to find in my friend’s flower shop was a dead body. Surrounded by scattered flowers and shattered vases, Mr. Spruce, the former shop owner, lay sprawled on the floor—the fatal gunshot wound unmistakable. Rachel Kelly, the current owner and one of my best friends, is missing. And when Detective Bennett warns me to stay out of the investigation, I know I should listen. But when your friends lives are on the line, walking away isn't an option. With my rescue dog Sherlock’s nose for trouble leading the way, suspects and secrets are popping up like daisies all ...

In drought-stricken Warragulla, where record-breaking heat has pushed the landscape and its people to breaking point, Sydney detective Maya Thorne returns when local mechanic Frank Miller is found dead in his workshop during the worst heatwave in decades. What begins as a suspected heat-related accident soon reveals something far darker lurking beneath the surface of this isolated community. When evidence shows Frank's cooling system was deliberately sabotaged, Maya must navigate both the oppressive heat and the closed ranks of locals harbouring generations of secrets. As temperatures soar ...

Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, quiet Charon has had only two murders. But after years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface. Then a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student and the student is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes.

In the summer of ’84, fourteen-year-old Frankie Jubilee is shuttled off to Litani, Minnesota, to live with her estranged mother, a county prosecutor she barely knows. From the start, Frankie senses something uneasy going on in the small town. The locals whisper about The Game, and her mother warns her to stay out of the woods and away from adults. When a bullying gang of girls invites Frankie to The Game, she accepts, determined to find out what’s really going on in Litani. She’s not the only one becoming paranoid. Hysteria burns through the community. Dark secrets emerge.

This special operative is her only chance. How can he refuse her? After a major leg wound, Special Operative Chris Paxton is about to finally leave the facility where he’s been recovering. So when he wakes up with no clue where he’s at or who’s kidnapped him, things are about to get lethal. Jersey has no choice but to find herself a bodyguard. Who better than a man sporting enough military tattoos to be his own platoon? She hopes this guy’s as badass as he looks because her family is out for blood—hers. Not only are they gunning for her, but the clock is ticking before more people...

When Phillip is abducted, his family's hidden secrets and the town's dark mysteries come to light. Josie must confront the prejudices of their small community and uncover the sinister truth to bring her son home. A tale of courage and resilience, this story dives deep into family bonds and the shadows lurking in a seemingly peaceful town.

Tragedy has stalked Blake Larsen her entire life. After the violent death of her parents leaves her orphaned, her Green Beret brother Caleb is all she has left. He was there the day she graduated high school and the first person she called after she became a federal agent. Then the cops find him swinging from the rafters. The horrific discovery pushes Blake to the edge of despair. Then one of Caleb's closest friends is violently murdered outside her front door—and the killer snatches a folder from his dying fingers. It's clear Kyle was silenced moments before coming clean

Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, three girls go into a Minnesota forest. Only one comes out, dead silent, her memory gone. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation. Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide—a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. They’re both desperate to catch a killer before he kills again.

With Holding Lies, John Larison takes us deep into a thriving subculture of the Northwest, one born of the ferns and firs, rain and hot-springs, firebombs and whitewater. He takes us even deeper into the troubles of Hank Hazelton, a 59-year-old river guide, as he struggles to reconnect with his only daughter after a 14-year estrangement. His failure as a father haunts him, along with other deep regrets, tragedies, and longings. In the days before his daughter's arrival, Hank discovers a drift boat stranded below a rapid, empty except for a long smear of blood on its seat.

My wedding started out as a nightmare. Now, it's turning into my darkest fantasy. My life isn't going at all like I planned. First, I give up my college dreams to care for my sick parents. Next, I agree to marry a monster to save my family from bankruptcy. And then, on my wedding day, it all goes from bad to a hell of a lot worse. I’m kidnapped. Oh, and it isn’t just any brawny biker that breaks into my dressing room and throws me over his shoulder. It’s the man I've had a crush on for years... My older brother's best friend. He says he just wants revenge on my fiance. Except I see ...

She’s my enemy. A betrayer. And the only woman I’ve ever loved. As patched member of the Steel Reapers MC, the club is my only family. My loyalty to my brothers is absolute, But then I meet her. Then everything changes. Amelia’s my opposite – highly educated, law-abiding, kind. And the most dangerous woman I've ever met. With curvy hips and chestnut curls, she burns her name on my heart From our first fiery night, she belongs to me. Until she betrays me. Then it's war – with her and my heart. But then Amelia uncovers a dark secret. A secret that makes her the target of a somone ...

A woman in peril. A man willing to ride through the flames for her. He believes she walked away… Bad ass member of the Dark Falcons Motorcycle Club, Diesel, doesn’t think anything could be worse than the sweet and caring angel who tumbled into his life walking out on him—but he’s wrong. Learning she’s embroiled in a dark and criminal game and needs his help threatens to send him over the edge. She never thought it would hurt so much. Loyal to her family to the bitter end, Selena answers a cry to help her sister—then finds her world ripped to shreds. Losing Diesel is the worst ...