Looking for a thrilling but clean new novel to get you in the Halloween spirit? Check out these 12 suspense novels you won't be able to put down. Best of all, they're all available to read or listen to on Bookshelf PLUS!
by Traci Hunter Abramson
The guardians, the shadowy heroes of the top-secret program designed to protect members of the most elite government organizations, are being hunted down one by one. There is a single explanation: a traitor must be embedded somewhere in their midst. But if they themselves are the target, who will protect them?
CIA operative Renee Niezen has heard tales of the guardians, though she's never really believed in their existence—until she is approached by Charlotte, an old friend who desperately needs her help to stop the systematic destruction of the guardian program. Renee accepts the plea for assistance, but not everyone is thrilled to have her on the team. Kade—one of the last guardians standing—is unimpressed with Renee's qualifications and turns instead to the legendary Saint Squad for help. But when Renee is caught in the crosshairs, Kade must set aside his antagonism for the woman in order to protect her. Their grudging alliance soon develops into much more—but before the pair can examine their feelings, their investigation takes a dramatic twist. With lives on the line, Renee and Kade must use their spy training at every turn as they draw dangerously close to the shocking truth.
Safehouse, a brand-new release, is a sequel to Failsafe.
by Stephanie Black
Three years ago, the small town of Britteridge was rocked by the senseless murder of Gail Ludlum. Now the people most affected by the tragedy have returned to the place where it all began, and the scene is set for the perfect revenge.
Megan O’Connor’s life was shattered when she was unwittingly drawn into a kidnapping plot that ultimately led to the murder of an innocent woman. Though the road to redemption has been long, she’s finally found happiness with her recent engagement to a wonderful man, a pillar of the community. But amid the chaos of wedding planning, the return of Gail Ludlum’s son to Britteridge sets in motion a disturbing sequence of events. Soon Megan finds herself the victim of a series of cruel deceptions that indicate one thing: her past mistakes have not been forgiven or forgotten. As the mischief escalates to dangerous levels, it becomes clear that someone is determined to avenge Gail’s death. And he won’t rest until he’s taken a life for a life.
by Traci Hunter Abramson, Stephanie Black, Gregg Luke
Prepare for thrills and chills as three acclaimed authors unite in Twisted Fate, a spine-tingling collection of stories.
Hunted by Traci Hunter Abramson
The cabin in the woods holds horrifying secrets, and young Reagan has simply seen too much. She knows her abusive stepfather will stop at nothing to silence her and quickly realizes that escape into the murky forest is her only hope of survival. But who will believe her unbelievable tales?
The Death House by Gregg Luke
Even those who know its real name call it the Death House. But the abandoned mansion, the site of a grisly murder a century ago, beckons Adam. And when the force of his obsession drives him to embark on a late-night investigation of the property, he is horrified by what he discovers. Something deadly lurks inside, and nobody in its path is safe.
Haunting Reminders by Stephanie Black
Returning to her small hometown in Massachusetts, Jamie has had years to get over her broken engagement. But when her former fiance and his wife become the victims of a vicious stalker, all eyes turn to Jamie. When childish pranks escalate into a horrifying display of maliciousness, Jamie is desperate to clear her name—even as the attention of the perpetrator turns toward her.
by Stephanie Black
Gifted musician Catherine Clayton was born into a life of wealth and privilege. Following the death of her father, she makes a bold decision she hopes would make him proud: she's using the family money to establish a music school and offer free lessons to the underprivileged. A providential suggestion from an old college friend leads Catherine to select Riley, New York, as the perfect location for her new school.
Hit hard by the economic downturn, Riley personifies economic hardship: peeling paint, overgrown landscapes, and damaged buildings. But the damage runs much deeper than Catherine first realizes. Two years ago, Riley was rocked by weeks of vandalism followed by the brutal murder of beautiful elementary school secretary Olivia Perry. Everyone in town loved Olivia—but especially the two men with whom she was caught in a love triangle. Though the murder remains unsolved, Catherine receives ominous warnings that one of these men, Adam Becket, is responsible for one girl's death. Unimpressed by the lack of evidence against him, Catherine is drawn to the shy but endearing Adam. Could he really have been involved in Olivia's murder?
Just as Catherine is settling in and getting to know Adam, a vandal strikes again, and it's eerily reminiscent of the events surrounding Olivia's murder. The death threats splashed on the walls prove that killer is back—and this time, it's Catherine who wonders if she's come to the wrong place at the wrong time.
by Stephanie Black
After five patient years, Abigail Wyatt’s sisterly care is finally paying off: her younger brother, Derek, is abandoning his self-destructive lifestyle and seeking his parents’ forgiveness, thus ending the painful estrangement that wounded the whole family. But just as the pieces are falling into place for the prodigal’s return, a woman named Karen Brodie is murdered in a local park—and police name Derek as the prime suspect. Rather than standing firm and cementing the positive changes in his life, Derek succumbs to his cynical fears and runs from the law, leaving Abigail with her hands tied. Literally.
Derek’s raw panic convinces everyone that he’s the killer—everyone except Abigail, who doggedly maintains her brother’s innocence. With the help of Kyle, a charismatic new friend she might be falling for, Abigail digs deep into Karen Brodie’s troubled past in hopes of clearing Derek’s name. But as she uncovers a sinister plot of greed, envy, and vengeance, this loyal sister must face the painful truth that things—and people—are not always as they seem.
by Jeni Grossman
Griggsberg. A Safe Place to Raise a Family.
That's what the sign into town reads, and few people have any reason to think differently. From the stately church on the hill—its magnificent stained-glass windows visible anywhere in the town—to man-made Lake Shiloh dotted by beautiful homes along the shore, an air of peaceful tranquility seems to envelop all of Griggsberg.
But things aren't always as they seem. Years earlier, Lake Shiloh had been a rock quarry—a gaping scar near the outskirts of town. Under suspicious circumstances, the quarry flooded, and Liam Bennigan lost his life. Fifteen years later, his family is still convinced that the flooding and death weren't an accident, and Liam's two militant sons are bent on revenge, prepared to go to any lengths to bring the truth to the light of day—no matter the cost, no matter who gets hurt.
by Clair M. Poulson
With warm sand between his toes, private investigator Rocky Revada is finally taking a well-deserved vacation. But the emotional pleas of a pretty woman have somehow lodged inside the usually practical investigator’s head. As he mulls it over, probing the theft of an expensive roping horse seems much more interesting than the mundane pleasures of sun, surf, and dinners alone. However, when Rocky arrives at Glenn Gridley’s northern Utah ranch, he unearths far more trouble than he bargained for. Multiple horses have been stolen from the cantankerous rancher and have been mysteriously replaced with worthless look-alikes. Then Gridley’s attractive and persuasive daughter, Shanice, finds someone from her past on the family property—very much dead. What started as a simple investigation of theft has escalated into a murder investigation, and as Rocky edges closer to the truth, he is targeted as the next victim. Tensions peak and Rocky realizes he must shield Shanice and her daughter from an unknown enemy. It seems someone wants to destroy the entire Gridley family. Now Rocky must summon every bit of his faith and courage to protect the woman he has come to love as he is tested in the fires of his most dangerous case to date.
by Clair M. Poulson
Kaitlyn Glenn is alone in the world. Disowned by family after her baptism, her only friend is the beloved horse she rides as a champion barrel racer. But loneliness is the least of Kaitlyn’s problems. Her competitor’s jealous father has vowed to sabotage her success. And her former boss—the handsome, rich, and extremely dangerous Jace Landry—stalks every move of this beautiful and talented cowgirl.
Aided by a mysterious man in a black cowboy hat, Kaitlyn escapes Jace’s iron grip and flees. On the road, she finds protection and companionship with a loyal trucker named Celia. But when Jace puts seedy private investigator Myler Keegan on Kaitlyn’s trail, she must outrun two men who will stop at nothing to feed their violent obsession. And when her cruel stepbrother joins the hunt, Kaitlyn faces lethal danger from every angle.
With deft skill, master of suspense Clair Poulson serves up nonstop action that pulls readers into Kaitlyn’s pulse-pounding race to freedom—and love.
by Sian Ann Bessey
After an arduous assignment in the desert of Afghanistan, investigative journalist Ben Cooper is completely unprepared for what awaits him upon his return to Kabul. Two weeks ago, his twin brother, Jed, was killed in a car accident—and Ben was given guardianship of Jed’s daughter, Zoe. Setting aside his grief, Ben rushes to Salt Lake only to find escalating chaos—and a rising mystery. Jed’s heartless ex-wife and her powerful husband have taken Zoe, and forensic evidence indicates that Jed’s demise was no accident. Now Ben must draw on his arsenal of investigative expertise to uncover the truth about his brother’s death and to save his niece from a terrifying conspiracy more deadly than he could have imagined.
by Frank Holdaway
Going undercover in a Salt Lake City Mormon singles ward is not anti-terrorist agent Matthew Knight’s idea of a high-profile assignment. And he has deliberately avoided the Beehive State ever since his mother was murdered in Salt Lake City when he was 8 years old. Ready at first to defy his orders from Washington, he resolves to stick around when he’s attacked by a man with ties to his past. But this undercover assignment is unlike any Matt has encountered before. Not only must he find the bad guys, but he must also deal with eccentric roommates, a giant of a bishop who is also his boss, a boisterous ex-Marine who wants to engage Matthew in a public display of ultimate machismo, and a 75-year-old woman named Permelia who wants to marry him. And these are small distractions compared to the beautiful Hope Winslow, a woman with mountains of hair who adopts him as a surrogate big brother. But before he can think about love, Matt has to get rid of a few terrorists, including his mother’s killer—and his own inner demons.
by Traci Hunter Abramson
In this eagerly anticipated companion novel to Royal Target and Royal Secrets, readers are invited back to the shimmering Mediterranean paradise of Meridia, where two royal weddings in a year are more than stressful—they're deadly.
Lovely Meridian native Noelle Saldera years for adventure, but as the daughter of palace servants, working at Prince Stefano's royal wedding may be as exciting as her life will get. But her options change drastically when she finds herself in the unlikely position of diffusing a bomb at the ceremony and being enlisted as the newest member of Meridian Intelligence—another wedding is in the works, and there can be no more close calls when Prince Stefano's brother, Garrett, walks down the aisle.
The bombing attempt at the first royal wedding leaves few clues as to the assailant's identity. Desperate for answers, Meridian officials enlist CIA agent Jeremy Rogers to prevent a repeat occurrence at the upcoming nuptials. The beauty of the plan: the bride is Jeremy's sister, so his cover is foolproof. What no one could anticipate is the instant connection between Jeremy and Noelle. Now, with their hearts on the line, the pair must work together to stop a seemingly unstoppable enemy before time runs out.