Category: Mystery/Suspense

Title: The Sharp Edge of a Knife

Author: D.N. Giles

Publisher: Golden Wings

Release Date: March 2010

ISBN: 978-0979434020

Size: 142 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense

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Most people would have panicked, sitting bound and gagged on a boulder in the middle of the desert as I was, but for some reason, I didn’t. A strange kind of reassurance washed over me from somewhere deep within. Whether it was peace that I’d go quickly, or comfort that I was being protected, I wasn’t sure.

When Mel Petersen leaves for work on the morning of February 7, he has no idea what awaits him. A few miles from his house, Mel picks up a pair of young men who appear to be college students, hoping to prevent them from having to walk in the cold. What Mel doesn’t know is that the men are actually convicts on the run from the law who are desperate to get away by any means necessary.

When one of his passengers holds a knife to Mel’s throat, he has no choice but to submit to the demands of the criminals. Mel hopes he has what it takes to talk his captors into letting him live so he can return to his wife and children, but fears they will kill him before he has the chance.
Based on a true story, The Sharp Edge of a Knife follows Mel and his captors on an unforgettable ride that will have you questioning the depth of your faith and sitting on the edge of your seat as it grabs your attention from the first sentence and keeps you riveted until the very end.

Title: Secret Sisters

Author: Tristi Pinkston

Publisher: Valor Publishing Group

Release Date: March 16, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-935546-09-2

Size: 260 pages, hardcover

Genre: Mystery

This book is not eligible for a Whitney Award. (too short)

Ida Mae Babbitt, president of the Omni 2nd ward Relief Society, didn’t mean to become a spy. But when visiting teaching stats are low and she learns that one family under her care is in financial trouble, she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they have what they need. If that includes planting surveillance cameras in their home and watching them from a parked car in the woods, well, isn’t that what any caring Relief Society president would do?

With the help of her counselors Arlette and Tansy, Ida Mae soon learns that there’s more to the situation than meets the eye. It’s all in a day’s work for the Relief Society.

Title: Dangerous Connections

Author: Julie Coulter Bellon

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: March 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-1598119190

Size: 208 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense

Read Chapter One

Having just finished a tour of duty in Iraq, Dr. Tyler Winthrop is ready to join his father, Craig, for a little downtime in Paris. But when Craig disappears, Tyler is yanked back into the brutal realm of danger and the unknown, and his fate quickly becomes entwined with attractive French counterintelligence agent Isabella Floret as he looks for his missing father.

Risk escalates and trust dwindles as the pair uncovers ties between Tyler’s father’s disappearance and a terrorist plot that could take the war on terror in unthinkable new directions. As lines separating enemy and ally increasingly blur, Tyler and Isabella are sent on a pulse-pounding race through Paris while the security of nations hangs in the balance—and dangerous connections are the only aid to be found.

Title: Wrong Number

Author: Rachelle J Christensen

Publisher: Bonneville Books

Release Date: March 8, 2010

ISBN: 978-1599553641

Size: 208 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense

Read 1st Chapter

Book Trailer

“I think you have the wrong number.”

When Aubree Stewart answers her cell phone on the way to work one day, she isn’t prepared for her life to change. Someone dialed a wrong number, a simple mistake. But the call changes everything when Aubree overhears information about the murder of a government official. Now she must run for her life as the caller tries to eliminate her.

Aubree is placed in the witness protection program, but when the FBI’s protection fails, she heads out on her own. She soon realizes she’ll never stop running until she can solve the mystery behind the wrong number. Unable to trust anyone but herself, she’s cautious about accepting the help of a Park Ranger named Wyatt Erickson. As she struggles to keep herself hidden from the enemy, she finds it harder to protect her heart.

Teeming with government plots, a dash of romance, and plenty of intrigue, Rachelle J. Christensen’s Wrong Number will have your heart pounding the next time the phone rings!

Title: Devil’s Food Cake

Author: Josi S. Kilpack

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: January 22, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-60641-232-9

Size: 362 pages, 5.5×8.5, softcover

Genre: Mystery

Series: Lemon Tart (v1), English Trifle (v2)

Read Chapter 1

It’s been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the committee who invited the bestselling writer to speak at the library fundraising benefit, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect—right down to the homemade devil’s food cake she baked herself. Certainly, murder was not on the menu.

When Thom’s manager ends up dead on stage, Sadie jumps in to offer her guidance and expertise to investigators. But when the police refuse to take her seriously, Sadie has no choice but to pursue justice on her own. After all, is Sadie to blame if she keeps stumbling over information? Can Sadie turn her back when people intricately woven into the deception keep crossing her path? With her son, Shawn, at her side, her reputation on the line, and a full cast of suspicious characters, Sadie Hoffmiller is once again cooking her way through a case that offers far more questions than answers.

Title: Crossfire

Author: Traci Hunter Abramson

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: January 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-59811-943-5

Size: 256 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense

Special Agent Vanessa Lauton is living a lie. For the past year she’s been posing as a member of the Dominican Republic’s most powerful crime family in order to infiltrate a Caribbean terrorist organization. When her CIA contact has a heart attack, he’s replaced by U.S. Navy SEAL squad member Seth Johnson—the man Vanessa nearly married six years earlier. And suddenly the heat is on, in more ways than one.

Terrorist kingpin Akil Ramir sequesters Vanessa and Seth in his Nicaraguan fortress, where they learn of an impending attack on American soil. The Saint Squad is dispatched to calm the storm, but even their heroic efforts can’t stop multiple threats from escalating. Adrenaline rises as the squad confronts enemies who will stop at nothing to sabotage national security—and Vanessa finds herself caught in the crossfire.

Title: Missing

Author: Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

Publisher: Walnut Springs Press

Release Date: October 5, 2009

ISBN: 978-1935217305

Size: 265 pages, softcover

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

A BYU-Idaho choir tour in British Columbia turns out to be anything but ordinary when soloist Stacie Cox spots a kidnapped child from Rexburg during a performance. Before Stacie can alert the authorities, the little girl disappears. Stacie vows to find and rescue her, a choice that forces her to deal with her guilt-ridden past and another little girl that haunts her dreams.

When the handsome Matt Brennan helps Stacie in the search, she tries to resist the attraction she feels for him. Yet as he gains her friendship and trust, her resolve to never fall in love begins to crumble. And after a series of harrowing events, Stacie must decide if she is willing to sacrifice her life— and a possible future with Matt—to save a stranger.

Title: Murder by the Book

Author: Betsy Brannon Green

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: October, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59811-938-1

Size: 288 pages, 6” X 9”, softcover

Genre: Suspense

Small-town librarian Kennedy Killingsworth thought that Midway, Georgia, was the dullest place on earth-until a fateful day that begins with a speeding ticket and ends with a suicide. The ticket comes from Kennedy’s ex-husband, Deputy Cade Burrell, who seems desperate to find any reason to talk to Kennedy ever since his scandalous affair. And the suicide victim is Foster Scoggins, the leathery- faced resident who applied for a library card just hours before his gruesome death. Rumors fly that Foster took his life after being jilted by a mysterious love interest. But as the investigation unfolds, murder becomes the name of the game, and anyone might be a player-including the four men who recently started competing for Kennedy’s attention. Could the killer be Cade, who’s been more interested in her since the divorce than he ever was when they were married? Drake Langston, the dazzling billionaire who needed Foster’s cooperation to land a major development deal? Drake’s construction boss, Sloan, whose powerful build makes him a perfect suspect for the crime? Or could it be Luke Scoggins-Foster’s hazel-eyed nephew, the charming ex-Marine whom Kennedy just might be falling for? In Murder by the Book, celebrated suspense novelist Betsy Brannon Green skillfully weaves a rich tale of intrigue and romance in a Southern town that-for the time being-is anything but dull.

Title: Dead Wrong

Author: Clair M. Poulson

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: October, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59811-812-4

Size: 300 pages, 6c9″, softcover

Genre: Suspense

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.

Title: Shudder

Author: Jennie Hansen

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: October 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59811-768-4

Size: 256 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense

Darcy and Clare grew up as best friends, sharing trials and triumphs from preschool through college graduation. Now they’re sharing an apartment in Boise, Idaho, where Clare just landed a great job and Darcy is pursuing a teaching certificate. There’s only one problem: Blaine, Clare’s boyfriend. His chauvinistic, know-it-all ways set Darcy’s teeth on edge. Darcy vows not to let Blaine ruin her lifelong friendship with Clare, but when Blaine insists on moving in, Darcy suddenly finds herself alone. The estranged friends forge ahead on seemingly separate paths.

Engaged to Blaine, Clare becomes trapped in ugly family politics and vicious treatment from her fiancé. Darcy finds a temporary home with Karlene, an accident victim seeking live-in help, but a twisted plot soon threatens their safety. Clare’s wedding briefly reunites her with Darcy, yet the friends have never been farther apart. And when Clare finds herself in mortal peril and finally calls on Darcy to help, it might be too late.

Title: The Perfect Murder (The Last Stand, #6)

Author: Brenda Novak

Publisher: Mira

Release Date: September 29, 2009

ISBN: 978-0778327257

Size: 448 pages, 4×6″ mass market paperback

Genre: Mystery

Series: The Last Stand

Caution: This book may contain objectionable content.

Read Chapter 1 HERE.

Someone thinks he’s committed The Perfect Murder…

In trying to unravel the truth behind the murder of his ex-wife and son, Sebastian Costas has followed a ghost of a lead all the way to Sacramento. The evidence suggests a murder-suicide, but something he heard the week before the killings won’t allow him to accept that. He believes her second husband–a cop–killed her and the boy, then faked his own death. But proving it isn’t easy. He finally gets the break he needs when Jane Burke, an investigator with The Last Stand, calls him in connection with a separate crime–a crime that could lead him straight to the man he’s been looking for.

But that murder might only lead to more…

Once the wife of a serial killer, Jane has spent the past five years rebuilding her life and fighting against violence. The last thing she wants to do is fall in love again. But once she meets Sebastian, she’s determined to take that risk. She finally has a chance at happiness–if she can best the man they’re trying to stop before that man stops them.

Title: Depth of Deceit

Author: Betty Briggs

Publisher: Sunrise Selections

Release Date: September 18, 2009

ISBN: 978-0965630757

Size: 352 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Historical Romance

How does an intelligent woman find herself mired in a web of deception, abuse, and danger?

Stephanie Saunders is a lovely young attorney with a big heart, keen mind, and a trust in others that nearly proves disastrous. Her handsome and wealthy boyfriend strikes her as perfect, but is he too good to be true? Her boss hovers around her like a protector and friend, but is he? Stephanie’s work focuses on defending the indigent, and one client earns her trust and friendship, but why is he showing up at the oddest places? It seems that she can trust only the horses she trains and loves, magnificent beasts who remind her of life’s purposes and meaning.

In a dramatic turn of events, Stephanie must make a decision that will affect her life forever. While fans of the author’s earlier novels will be thrilled to discover a familiar character, this novel stands alone in plot and dramatic impact.

Title: The Perfect Liar (The Last Stand #5)

Author: Brenda Novak

Publisher: Mira

Release Date: September 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0778327240

Size: 448 pages, 4×6″ mass market paperback

Genre: Mystery

Series: The Last Stand

Caution: This book may contain objectionable content.

Read Chapter 1 HERE.

Obsession leads to lies…

When Air Force Captain Luke Trussell opens his door one Sunday morning, he’s shocked to find the police—and even more shocked when they charge him with rape. He knows he made a mistake in judgment the night before, but he certainly didn’t force his attentions on the woman who’s been stalking him for months.

Problem is…Kalyna Harter has the bruises—and the DNA evidence—to make her claim convincing.

And lies can lead to murder!

Determined to isolate Luke, Kalyna goes to victims’ rights advocate Ava Bixby of The Last Stand, hoping Ava will help put Luke behind bars. But Ava soon realizes she’s defending the wrong victim.

Problem is…switching her support to Luke could be dangerous—especially when she falls for him. Because Kalyna won’t tolerate losing the man she wants to anyone. Least of all Ava…

Title: Methods of Madness

Author: Stephanie Black

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: August 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59811-730-1

Size: 248 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense

It’s been three years since the terrible night Emily Ramsey suffered a double tragedy—the death of her sister and the disappearance of her fiancé. She deserves another chance at happiness, and gentle, adorable Zach Sullivan is the perfect man to mend her shattered heart. But from the moment Emily opens the hand-carved box holding a glittering diamond solitaire, she’s seized by an unshakeable fear: she’s going to lose Zach.

That’s exactly what Monica, Zach’s ex-girlfriend, is banking on. Bitter with envy, Monica will stop at nothing to sabotage Zach and Emily’s romance. Troubling notes show up in Emily’s mailbox, fanning the flames of suspicion. A bloody photograph sends her reeling. But when someone is brutally murdered, will Emily be able to escape suspicion and the possibility that she might be next?

Title: Shadows of Eden

Author: Timothy F. Bone

Publisher: Bonneville

Release Date: August 8, 2009

ISBN: 978-1599552682

Size: 256 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Mystery

A missing scientist. An unspeakable experiment. A dark intelligence erasing every trace of both. Del Price is no ordinary private detective and against all odds, he will find his way to the most unlikely of places, and there, in the shadows of Eden, he will discover the price for the knowledge of good and evil.

Title: The Perfect Couple (The Last Stand #4)

Author: Brenda Novak

Publisher: Mira

Release Date: August 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0778326670

Size: 448 pages, 4×6″ mass market paperback

Genre: Mystery

Series: The Last Stand

Caution: This book may contain objectionable content.

Read Chapter 1 HERE.

A mother faces her greatest fear.

Zoe Duncan’s thirteen-year-old daughter goes missing from her own backyard while she’s home sick from school. The police suspect Samantha’s a runaway—she’s not happy about her mother’s upcoming marriage—but Zoe knows Sam would never do that.

Terrified of losing the person she loves most, Zoe is willing to do anything to bring Sam home, even if it means giving up her job, her nice home and her relationship with the man she thought she wanted….

A detective faces his hardest case.

Jonathan Stivers is a private investigator who donates his time to The Last Stand, a victims’ charity in Sacramento. He’s good at what he does, the best. Which is why he’s called on to help Zoe Duncan find her missing daughter. But never has he had fewer leads to work with—or been more attracted to a client. He’s sure of only one thing: Sam was taken by someone close to the family. He doesn’t realize how close until he realizes that the “perfect” couple next door is anything but…