170 Book(s) Related to vance hopper death

I used to think I had the perfect family.
My husband Nico started coming home less and less, always saying he had a meeting. But the truth was, he had another woman, Alessia. And it had been going on for a while.
The affair I could've handled. What really killed me was that my son Leo and my daughter Mia had known all along. They'd even started calling his mistress "Mom."
They thought I was clueless. But I'd known for months, his assistant had told me everything.
I tried so hard to win them back. I did more for them, cared more, tried harder. But they kept choosing Alessia.
That day, I stopped trying.
They could all have each other—Nico, Alessia, Leo, Mia.
I hoped they'd be happy together.

I ranked first and snagged the most prestigious job offer in the city. Yet, not a single person congratulated me.
Because for the past twenty years, every top student who received this offer from the medical school "committed suicide" that very night.
Reporters blocked the school gates, grinning as they asked if I planned to jump off a building or swallow a bullet. My roommate grabbed my collar, screaming curses, wishing me dead.
Too bad they all completely miscalculated. I come from a filthy rich family, I’m perfectly sane, and top psychologists have signed off that I have zero suicidal tendencies. I have no reason to die.
So, I looked straight into the live cameras and declared: "If my body is found tomorrow morning, it’s not suicide. It’s murder!"
After all, for that final exam, I turned in a blank paper.

My husband, Victor Falcone, was a mafia godfather whose very name makes the entire underworld tremble.
A year ago, he barely survived an assassination attempt. The trauma gave him severe amnesia, completely wiping out the three months we spent keeping each other alive in the slums.
When he woke up, he was a different man—cold and ruthless. He treated my stepsister like his untouchable first love, spoiling her rotten.
And me, his legal wife? In his eyes, I was just a greedy, desperate woman who wouldn't take a hint.
"Drop the cheap pity act," he’d sneer. "You’re not worth a single hair on Lilia’s head."
Even so, I chose to stay by his side, desperate to spark his memory.
Until today. A rival cartel tied me and his precious "angel" to iron pillars on an abandoned pier.
Beneath our feet is a raging, pitch-black ocean. A thug has the ice-cold barrel of a gun pressed hard against my temple.
Which one of us will he choose?

“Nian Zhen,” a superstar known for his villainous roles, met an untimely death
when the safety wire snapped during a drama shoot!

At the very moment he thought his life was over,
a voice suddenly echoed in his mind…

Ding!!
[Contract successfully established with the Host.
Initiating transfer to the first mission world. Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]

He’s been kidnapped by a system and sent to a whole new world!
A world where he must play the role of a two-faced, manipulative "white lotus,"
constantly tormenting the male protagonist until he succumbs to darkness.

But every performance comes with a price.
So, you mischievous system—tell me, what’s in it for me?!

[The Host may ask for anything, including returning to your original world.
The system can even rewind time to before the Host’s death. Yay, yay, yay!]

Now that’s a deal worth discussing～
A rising star like Nian Zhen will make this performance utterly flawless!

Cindy and Mattheus, finally together, prepare to take time off and live together—when a stunning upset in their relationship tears them apart. Cindy flies home to New York, resigned to never work as a detective—and never see Mattheus—again.And then a shocking phone call comes out of the blue: it is Mattheus. A new body has turned up. Cindy at first refuses—until he tells her who it is: his wife. They finally found her, on the shores of Key West. Brutally murdered, they suspect, by an abusive boyfriend.Mattheus’ world is upside down, and Cindy has no choice but to fly back down to the islands and help him uncover what really happened. Why did she turn up now, after so many years? How did she turn up in Key West, so far from where he’d last seen her? Why had she never contacted him? Who was she dating? And have the police caught the right man?Their investigation takes them deep into the underworld of Key West, a gorgeous, idyllic place where the locals gather to watch the sunset every night with an evening drink. It is an enchanting place—but as Cindy learns, it is also a place with a dark underbelly. Cindy prods deeper into the murder and her investigation takes her into the world of an abused woman’s shelter. Soon, she is convinced the police have the wrong man. She and Mattheus, thrown together again, reconsider their feelings for one another. But there may not be time: Cindy finds out too much and comes in danger herself. As the murder hits too close to home, it may be too late for them both.DEATH BY DECEIT is both a stand-alone novel, and is also Book #5 in the Caribbean Murder series, following DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1), DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2) and DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3) and DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4).

DEATH BY REQUEST is Book #11 in the #1 Bestselling Caribbean Murder series, which begins with DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1). It is also a standalone novel.In Death by Request (Book #11 of the Caribbean Murder Series), Cindy and Mattheus are given a shocking case they have never faced before: a clear-cut case of euthanasia might turn out to be something more ominous. Tara and Owen Danden, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in Jamaica, are on the water, in a boat he rented, when the weather shifts and Tara falls overboard. As Owen tries desperately to save his wife, the boat spins and hits her head—sending her into a coma. Pulled out of the water, barely alive, Tara is airlifted to an elegant hospital on the island, and remains in a coma for two months. When she finally dies, however, there becomes a question of whether she truly died of natural causes. Based on scanty evidence, Owen is taken into custody and quickly hires Cindy and Mattheus to clear his name and find out who wanted Tara dead. Cindy and Mattheus’s journey takes us through an intriguing exploration of comas, euthanasia and what happens to those in altered states. As the investigation proceeds we watch Cindy and Mattheus’s relationship ripen, and take a new turn. We also meet Tara’s crazy family, learn the secret they’ve been hiding, and see what bearing it might have on the case. As a new suspect finally comes into focus, all is not what it seems to be…

DEATH BY MARRIAGE is Book #3 in the Bestselling CARIBBEAN MURDER series, following DEATH BY HONEYMOON (#1) and DEATH BY DIVORCE (#2). A well-known criminal lawyer is found dead in a back alley in St. Thomas, and Cindy and Mattheus are called in to investigate by the grieving widow. The local police have pinned her for the murder, and Cindy and Mattheus are her last hope in vindication. As Cindy and Mattheus dig deeper into the victim’s past, they learn that all was not as rosy as it seemed. They discover mistresses, gambling debts, vendettas, and a number of people who had motivation to want him dead. Most shocking of all, as they dig even deeper, they discover a whole secret life that he lead, one so lurid that the people who knew him best can hardly even conceive it. As a hurricane closes in and the police are insistent, despite all evidence, to arrest the widow, Cindy and Mattheus find themselves in a race against time to find the killer. When another body turns up, all involved realize the stakes may be even higher than they seem. And as Cindy and Mattheus develop feelings for each other, each grieving from the death of their own spouse, Cindy comes to realize there is even more at stake than she thinks. Books #4--#16 in the series are now also available.

DEATH BY DESIRE is Book #4 in the #1 Bestselling Caribbean Murder series, following the FREE book DEATH BY HONEYMOON (#1), DEATH BY DIVORCE (#2) and DEATH BY MARRIAGE (#3). In the midst of gorgeous St. Bart’s, a few days before Christmas, a Senator’s daughter is found stabbed and strangled on the beach—the day after her engagement party. While the rich and famous are pouring in to celebrate the holidays, the local police are desperate to keep it quiet and not cause an uproar. But the Senator’s family wants justice for their daughter, and they hire Cindy and Mattheus to solve the crime. As Cindy and Mattheus investigate, they meet the elite crowd surrounding the Senator’s family, an exclusive world of unimaginable wealth, of luxurious parties on yachts and private villas. They learn of all the people who may have wanted the young woman dead, all the jealousies and rivalries, the secret ex-es and affairs. They meet her devastated fiancé, her twin sister and her distraught Mom—all intent on the killer’s being found. They meet the corrupt police force, who wants them stopped, and a rich Russian mogul who controls half the island—and has his own agenda to bring down the senator. As they delve deeper, they learn the many secrets of this exclusive family and the young woman, and discover that all was not as perfect as it appeared to be. As they get close to the answers, Cindy faces personal danger, while at the same time her relationship with Mattheus grows deeper—and faces a crisis of its own. And as the two of them are about to leave the island, a sudden twist in events changes everything. Ultimately, they come to learn that on the pristine, perfect St. Bart's, everything is not always as it seems to be. Books #5--#8 in the series are now also available!

Cindy and Mattheus, still reeling from Key West, unsure where their relationship stands, prepare to take some time away from each other—when a shocking call arrives. A beautiful bride is missing, the night before her destination wedding in the magnificent Cayman Islands. The groom, the last one to see her alive during their scuba diving outing, is the prime suspect.But the groom’s family insists he is innocent, and they hire Cindy and Mattheus to find out the truth. Cindy understands the pain of an ocean accident all too well, and the case strikes uncomfortably close to home, evoking memories of Clint at every turn. Police and Coast Guard search the sea and land, but the bride, Allie is nowhere to be found. Family, wedding party and guests have all been detained at their luxury hotel to be questioned. Was it an accident? Did the bride run away? Or has someone killed her? Who could have wanted her dead?As Cindy and Mattheus investigate and interview those at the celebration, we journey into the incredible wealth and opulence of the Islands and the lifestyle of those who have come down to celebrate the wedding and vacation there. As their relationships are exposed, we see the effects of wealth, greed, and intense jealousy, and how it runs their lives. We also meet Mac, a charismatic, suave partner in the firm who develops an attachment to Cindy, and Vivien, a gorgeous guest, who no man can resist. As Vivien goes after Mattheus, and Mac pursues Cindy, we watch Cindy and Mattheus’s relationship struggle and become infected by jealousy and suspicion as well.In a shocking turn of events, Cindy finds out more about Allie than anyone knew. And as the investigation takes a deadly turn, Cindy’s life is in danger, not once but twice. Once again, we see the forces of darkness try to undermine the search for truth. Will Cindy and Mattheus untangle the web of secrets among the rich and famous before it is too late?DEATH BY JEALOUSY is both a stand-alone novel, and is also Book #6 in the Caribbean Murder series, following DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1), DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2) and DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3), DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4) and DEATH BY DECEIT (Book #5).

On the rugged, wild, eastern shore of Barbados, Cindy and Clint are enjoying their dream honeymoon, when paradise quickly turns into hell. Cindy finds her newly beloved taken away from her, drowned in a freak accident in the ocean. The local police are quick to declare it an accident, to insist that he was caught in a sudden riptide. But Cindy, left all alone, is not convinced.Cindy must return to her and Clint’s now-empty home in New York and face her in-laws, who never wanted Clint to marry her, and who did everything to make her engagement and wedding hell. She must deal with all of these women’s backbiting, gossiping and unspoken accusations, while she tries to get a handle on her own grief and to get clear on what really happened to Clint.Cindy is mailed an anonymous photo of a woman she had never met, addressed to Clint. As she tries to unravel the mysterious package, as she begins to dig deeper into Clint’s emails and files, she realizes how many secrets Clint had been hiding from his past. She realizes that she didn’t really know the man she loved. And she also realizes that Clint was murdered.She digs deeper, into the depths of Clint’s massive corporation, DGB oil, and as she starts to unearth information she shouldn’t, she goes too far. Soon her own life is in peril. On the run, she realizes that the only way to get answers, and to save her own life, is to return to where it all began: Barbados. As she heads into the dark underside of the island, into the heart of the local villages, she is shocked to discover what really happened to her husband on their honeymoon.But by then, it may already be too late.Books #2--#14 in the Caribbean Murder series (DEATH BY DIVORCE) are now also available!

“You're awake and safe." He said close to my ears, his viice eo deep it vibrated through my entire body.
Sparks and electricity jolts ignited from everywhere we touched which was practically all over my body as my entire form was pressed into his.
I was very still in his arms, my body so tense as confusion wrecked over me. The kind of things I felt earlier from Dylan appeared again, only that it was more intense this time.
Ariella thought her life would fall into despair after being rejected by her fated mate Dylan, but fate led her to meet her second chance mate, and everything became different.
She was afraid and wanted to reject the man in front of her - Ares, who was the king of this country and the leader with bloody hands, but gradually fell into his possessive love.
So, can she successfully overcome all obstacles and become a qualified queen?

The anonymous post’s warning came true. I was trapped in an endless loop of death.
In my first life, I took on a high-risk surgery, only to be brutally stabbed by a grieving family member afterward. Thirteen fatal wounds left me bleeding out on the floor.
In my second life, I faked an injury to avoid the operation, only to be shoved down a steep flight of stairs, resulting in extreme head trauma and a snapped neck.
In my third life, I performed the surgery alone. My reward was a cold gunshot straight through the skull.
In my fourth life, I live-streamed the entire procedure. The surgery went flawlessly, yet my throat was still slit, and my skull was crushed by a heavy blunt object.
On my deathbed, I finally glimpsed the horrifying secret hidden within the patient...

In my past life, my wife was in a car accident and became a vegetable.

I bankrupted myself trying to save her, going from billionaire to homeless vagrant.

When I finally died mysteriously in prison, I understood the truth:

My wife had been faking her coma all along. She wanted to steal my fortune with her lover—my own brother.

But now I've been reborn.

"Since she's already dead, let's harvest all her organs for donation," I told the doctor.

All because I was unaware that Sophia had followed me on the mission, leaving her stranded in the chaotic dockyard.
My husband, Dante, was furious. He ordered his bodyguards to throw me into a seafood transfer warehouse.
“Cool off in the cold storage. Maybe then you’ll understand how helpless Sophia felt trapped in that container.”
It was a refrigeration unit for seafood, kept at a constant zero degrees, the air thick with the smell of fish.
I pounded on the door, pleading for help, but only Dante’s icy voice came through the intercom:
“Stop the act. The temperature in there won’t kill you. Stay inside and reflect until you learn your lesson.”
He cut the internal communication.
The temperature in the cold room kept dropping—someone had switched on the deep-freeze mode!
Shivering uncontrollably, I beat against the door until my nails left bloody scratches on the wall.
In agony, I curled into a ball. My consciousness faded, and my body grew stiff.
On the third day, Dante finally remembered me while celebrating the takeover of new territory.
In a rare show of mercy, he decided to have someone let me out.
But what he didn’t know was that my heart had already stopped beating from hypothermia long before.

On a stormy night, a horrific crash unfolded on the overpass. The victim was brought to the city forensic center.
My husband, Ethan, slipped on his gloves and expertly examined my shattered body, his voice detached. "Record this: Female, approximately twenty-five years old, suffered severe trauma before death."
His assistant sighed. "That's rough. Not a single family member showed up."
Just then, the assistant slid a misshapen silver band off my mud-streaked finger.
"Sir, this ring... isn't it identical to the one you keep in your desk drawer?"
With a sharp clatter, the scalpel slipped from Ethan's hand and hit the floor.

When I woke up, I was locked at a round table, surrounded by four strangers.

A masked clown said: "Tonight there are only four gifts. The extra person... who could it be?"

The clown invited us to play a game.

The rules were simple—Liar's Poker.

Liars die. Those successfully challenged also die.

In the first round, the tattooed brute beside me lost and was dragged into the "Meat Grinder Ferris Wheel."

I heard the sound of his bones being crushed by gears.

The clown wiped blood from his hands, laughing: "Children who lie must be punished, you know~"

"Did you enjoy the game Penny prepared for you all?"

The moment he uttered "Penny's" name, everyone's faces broke out in cold sweat, because she had been dead for three years.

And everyone present... including me...

Remembered clearly.

Five years after breaking the mate bond, Vincent became one of the youngest Alphas of the North, worth hundreds of billions, with a fiancée who was a perfect match for him — the daughter of Silver Claw Pack’s Alpha.
But I had already disappeared from his world, my name now only whispered in rumors about me being a bar hostess at Midnight Howl Bar, catering to Alphas and nobility.
When someone mentioned my name to him, he simply held his fiancée’s hand with a cold look in his eyes.
"I don't know her."
At his bonding ceremony, everyone congratulated the "perfect match."
But I, floating in the air, watched as Vincent stood beside his dazzling Luna.
What he didn't know...
He was the only Alpha I ever loved.
What he didn’t know...
I had been dead for a year.
Before I died, I was desperately earning money just to get our daughter the treatment she needed.
Then one day...
He found me at the Midnight Howl Bar where I worked in life, catching a faint but familiar scent of me. That moment...
His wolf spirit completely lost control.

My fiancée abandoned our wedding just because of one word from her childhood sweetheart.

What's even more interesting is that she actually had her sexy sister take her place at the wedding.

This is just wonderful - if you leave, then don't come back.

I already have a legal wife now.

“The perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: DEATH AND BRUNCH is Book #2 in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Sophie Love, author of The Inn at Sunset Harbor series, a #1 Bestseller with over 200 five-star reviews! Marie Fortune, 39, a successful dog groomer in Boston, leaves the stressful life behind and heads to a small town in coastal Maine to create a new life. She remains intent on renovating the old, historic house her great-aunt left her and giving it a new life as a B&B. Yet there was one thing she couldn’t plan for: the house is haunted. Two things, actually: her great-aunt also left her a dog—and he is far from a typical dog.Other B&B owners have heard of Marie’s ability to expel ghosts, and she finds herself, to her own surprise, in demand for her “services” from neighboring towns. It seems there are many B&Bs that need to have their ghosts cleansed. With her B&B failing, Marie, her trusted dog as her sidekick, has nothing to lose.But when she arrives to her first client—and someone unexpectedly dies—Marie realizes she may be in for more than she bargained for. Once again, she may have to solve the crime to save her own future.A page-turning cozy, packed with mystery, love, hauntings, travel, pets and food—anchored around a small town and a B&B in need of renovation that will capture your heart—THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: DEATH AND BRUNCH is an un-putdownable cozy that will keep you turning pages (and laughing out loud) late into the night.“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)Book #3 in the series—MALICE AND LUNCH—is now also available!

Six years ago, Marlowe Kestrel drowned in the Duskhaven canals, or at least that is what the obituary said, what the empty coffin implied, and what every ruling House in the city has believed ever since.

In reality she swam two streets over, bribed a mortician with a forged signature, and built herself a new, gloriously unremarkable life as a small time magical forger who fixes other people's problems for coin and never, ever asks about bloodlines. It was a good plan.

It worked for six entire years, which is roughly five years and eleven months longer than anyone expected a Kestrel to survive in hiding. Then Jonas, the only man alive who knew her real name, turns up dead in his own workshop with a mark burned into his palm that Marlowe has spent her whole life trying to forget she carries too, and the only lead worth following belongs to Cassian Draven, heir to the most feared criminal House in the city, a man with a smile like a drawn blade and a family reputation built on making problems disappear as thoroughly as Marlowe once did herself.

Cassian recognizes her in under a minute, does not turn her in, and instead offers a deal she has no good reason to accept and every practical reason to take, pose as his fiancée at the season's summit of ruling Houses, help him smoke out whoever is hunting them both, and maybe, if she is very lucky and very careful, walk away with her second fake death arranged before anyone notices the first one was fake too.

The trouble is, the longer she spends pretending to love a Draven, the harder it gets to remember that hating him was ever supposed to be the easy part.

“Do I really deserve this?”
Dr. Xavier Brown asked the void after the woman he loved smiled and shoved him off a rooftop.

He died a brilliant, betrayed genius… only to wake up as the worthless secondary character in a trashy web novel.

The pathetic live-in son-in-law.
The disposable husband.
The man scripted to be humiliated, divorced, and killed so the protagonists could shine.

Died once.
Refused to die again.

Armed with every humiliating page of his own doom, Xavier signs the divorce papers with a smirk, takes the money, and kicks the first death flag into the dirt.

But the story doesn’t let go so easily.

When he saves the mother of Isabella Voss, the novel’s ice-cold villainess, using medicine this world has never seen, she doesn’t destroy him.
She builds him a kingdom: a hospital with top-notch facilities, an empire of shadows, and a love that feels dangerously real.

Then the truth rips the script apart.

He isn’t Alexander Rodriguez.
He is Alexander Winchester, erased heir to a hidden mafia family, legendary assassin king, memory wiped and chained as a live-in dog by the very people who now call themselves heroes.

Six deadly sisters descend to reclaim him.
A ruthless CEO. A ghost hacker, an assassin trainer, a pharmaceutical prodigy, a public opinion goddess, and the youngest who sees what’s coming before it breathes.

With a system that evolves from cold machine to snarky partner in crime, Xavier walks two paths at once:

The Healer who rewrites life, and the Ruler who burns false fates to ash.

But Karma never dies, Damien and Sophie met with their consequences

Every betrayal returns.
Every death flag screams.

“Do I really deserve this?”

Xavier smiles, scalpel in one hand, shadow in the other.

This time the answer is yes.

"Very entertaining. Highly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who appreciates a well-written mystery with twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!".--Books and Movie Reviews (regarding Murder in the Manor)SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF DEATH is Book #3 in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Fiona Grace, author of Murder in the Manor, a #1 Bestseller with over 100 five-star reviews (and a free download)!When Mia Bold, 30, learns that the pharmaceutical company she works for only cares about money, she quits on the spot, walking away from a high-powered career—and from her long-time boyfriend, who breaks up with her.With the podcast and TV show taking off, Mia’s career and life are finally starting to bloom again—when her uptight family makes an unexpected visit to Salem, to cast doubts on her passion and to urge her to return home.At the same time, Mia’s show must try to debunk a notoriously haunted house, now on the market for sale. Mia, unable to explain the phenomena, seems to have met her match—just as the real estate agent drops dead.Could this house be as insidious as it seems?Or might there be some other motive?A mesmerizing page-turner, packed with intrigue, mystery, romance, pets, food—and most of all, the supernatural—SKEPTIC IN SALEM is a cozy with a twist, one you will cherish as it has you fall in love with its main character and as it keeps you glued (and laughing) throughout the night.“The book had heart and the entire story worked together seamlessly that didn't sacrifice either intrigue or personality. I loved the characters - so many great characters! I can't wait to read whatever Fiona Grace writes next!”--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)“Wow, this book takes off & never stops! I couldn't put it down! Highly recommended for those who love a great mystery with twists, turns, romance, and a long lost family member! I am reading the next book right now!” --Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)“This book is rather fast paced. It has the right blend of characters, place, and emotions. It was hard to put down and I hope to read the next book in the series.”--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)

My name is Jack Morris, a bottom-rung janitor on the docks.
Every day, people walk all over me, and I live on moldy bread.
Until one day, an old man I saved handed me a photograph. "This is my granddaughter. She's being held at the Black Swan Casino."
That used to be my place. Ten years ago.
Her father was a brother who died in my place.
I was once the king of the underground.
And now, at the banquet celebrating the tenth anniversary of my death, they're treating that old man's granddaughter like a toy.
If my disappearance only made those animals more brazen...
Then they can finish that drink and celebrate their own deaths next.

My husband Dante's best friend Luigi died three months ago, and with his last breath, he made Dante promise to take care of his pregnant widow, Maggie. From that moment, Maggie invaded our lives, and I was only four months pregnant at the time.

Then Maggie got caught in a gang shootout. She needed an emergency blood transfusion, and she had this rare blood type—Rhnull. Turns out, I'm Rhnull too.

To save Maggie and her baby, Dante forced me to abort mine.

I served as the family's lapdog for ten years, only to discover that my entire family and my fiancée faked their deaths on a yacht, leaving me to pay for their $500 million debt and thirty lives.
Now the family's gangsters have blocked the entire building, the FBI is ready to arrest me, and my fiancée's senator father wants me dead to accompany his daughter to the grave. One trouble after another.
Since that's how it is, then you can all truly go to hell!
I coldly deleted their household registrations and accounts with a sneer.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense. A TRACE OF HOPE is the final book in the Keri Locke series, bringing the series to a dramatic conclusion.In A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, is closer than she’s ever been to finding her daughter. Finally, she gets a fresh lead—and this time, she will do whatever it takes to bring her home alive.At the same time, a new, urgent case is assigned to Keri: an 18 year old girl has gone missing after being hazed by her sorority. As the race is on to find her, Keri plunges deep into the world of pristine college campuses, and comes to realize that all is not what it seems.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF HOPE is book #5 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

One childhood crush. One unbreakable rule. One mansion where every hallway feels like a trap.

For fifteen years, Leighton Hayes has loved Noah Knight from afar, the untouchable older brother of her best friend Chloe. Now twenty-three, broke, and freshly homeless, Leighton has nowhere to go but the sprawling estate of the man who once barely noticed her. Noah remembers her all too well. The billionaire who built an empire from nothing has spent the last six months trying to become a better man, and the shy girl in oversized hoodies who just moved into his guest wing is the most dangerous temptation he’s ever faced.

Chloe’s single rule was always clear: her friends are off-limits. Especially to Noah, the reformed Playboy who used to burn through supermodels and headlines. But late nights, shared secrets, and one stolen shirt ignite a fire neither of them can extinguish. What begins as whispered confessions and almost-kisses explodes into a secret affair neither wants to end, even as the lies stack higher.

When Chloe discovers the truth, the betrayal threatens to destroy the only family each of them has ever known. Leighton must decide if love is worth losing her best friend. Noah must prove he’s finally ready to risk everything for the one woman he swore he’d never touch.

Some rules are made to be broken.
Some hearts refuse to stay forbidden.

Five years of cold marriage turned me into a stranger in my own home.
Ignored, unloved, I finally ran—taking the child he never knew about.
I thought he would forget me.
Instead, the moment I left, the ruthless CEO lost his mind… and started hunting me down.

Three months. That’s all I have left.
For years, I was nothing more than his invisible wife—cleaning up his messes, enduring his coldness, watching him love someone else.
Now I want freedom, not him.
But suddenly, he’s holding on… remembering my favorite meals, guarding me like I’m his last treasure, whispering for me to stay.
Too late. My heart has been shattered beyond repair.
And with the clock running out, love might not be enough to save me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry... I was just scared that I might end up causing trouble for everyone here if I stayed around. My boyfriend is so dangerous that he torments me so much, even in my dreams. I had a dream that he found my hiding place, he came here to get me, then he caused everyone trouble. That's why I wanted to leave."
"Don't go anywhere, Isabella. I want you here."
"Why don't you want to let me go?"
"I like you, Isabella."
Haunted by her past, Isabella flees the dangers of her life and finds herself ensnared by the alluring and mysterious Nate. As their attraction grows, so does the threat to their relationship. Isabella must decide whether to risk everything for love or run from the man who has become her salvation.

I’m Molly Johnson. At my own engagement party, I witnessed my fiancé’s betrayal with my stepsister right before my eyes. Devastated, I turned around and married Edward Howard—a wealthy heir rumored to be terminally ill, with not much time left to live.
Everyone laughed, saying I was in a hurry to become a widow. But little did they know, I leaned close to his ear, my breath warm and teasing: “Since you don’t have much time left, why not play a little game with me?”
I flirted with him, tempted him, watched as his indifference slowly melted into a blush at the tips of his ears.
Until one day, he cornered me against the wall, his eyes burning with longing. “Molly… tease me again. Please.”

For three years, I was his hidden wife. His secretary by day, his wife by night. No ring, no ceremony, no recognition. I gave up my medical career to save his dying company.
Then she came back. His first love. He announced her as his fiancée at his victory party. Right in front of me.
He asked for a divorce. I signed.
But he never knew the truth. That I was once the top student of a medical legend. That the secret drawing he found—the one he thought was another man—was actually him. That the woman he discarded is about to become the one he can never reach again.
Now? It's my turn to rise.

Five years. That's what I gave him. And what did I get? Another woman. And divorce papers he never believed I'd sign.

My husband, Zachary Francis, built his empire on my work—then handed my studio to his mistress and told me I wasn't good enough. On my birthday, he pushed me aside to rescue her from a fire she started herself. The day I finally signed? He laughed. He was sure I'd come crawling back.

But Jonathan Morris saw what my husband never did. He sees my talent. He sees me. A man who treats me like something precious, not a tool—he's offering me everything I once thought I'd lost forever.

Now Zachary watches me leave him behind. His company is falling apart. And the woman who replaced me? She's slowly turning into me.

And him?

He said I couldn't survive without him. Now he's the one begging. But I'm already gone.

For five years, I loved Daniel Wilson with everything I had—only to watch him kiss his new secretary at our celebration dinner. That was the moment I finally woke up.
Disillusioned with love, I agreed to a marriage of convenience. I thought I was marrying the notorious playboy, Ethan Williams. But when we signed the papers, the name on the marriage certificate was Benjamin Williams—the ruthless business king everyone calls the “King of Hell.”
He showered me with priceless jewelry, wiped out my enemies, and shielded me from every storm. But he never once said he loved me.
Until one night, he pinned me against the wall, his breath hot against my skin, and whispered,
“Sophia, how much longer do you want me to wait?”
Turns out, this marriage was never an accident. It was his plan from the very beginning.

Five years of marriage, and he never once looked at me with love. He called me a gold digger. He forced me to take birth control. And on our last night together, he moaned another woman's name in my ear.
I left with nothing but my dignity—and a secret I didn't even know I was carrying.
Six years later, I'm back. Not as the doormat wife he discarded, but as an award-winning scientist with a five-year-old son and a powerful family behind me. He's still engaged to his precious first love. And neither of them knows that the little boy calling me "Mommy" has his eyes.
He wants me back. He says he regrets everything.
But regret doesn't undo the past. And this time, I'm playing by my own rules.

I was once a brilliant researcher, but I gave up my career for my family. Everything changed during a camping trip—my husband abandoned me in the wilderness, and my son called another woman “Mom.” My husband openly favored his mistress, neglecting both me and our daughter. Heartbroken, I decided to divorce him and take my daughter with me, determined to reclaim my career and my life.

He thought I was just being petty, convinced that I’d have nothing once I left him.

But one day, when he showed up with our son and saw me and our daughter happily by another man’s side, he finally panicked…

I'm Sophia. After three years of marriage, my husband abandoned me for his first love, leaving me in danger and at the mercy of a stranger.
Desperate and pregnant, he accused me of cheating and even tried to harm our unborn child.
Five years later, I return with twins. With tears in his eyes, he demands, “Whose children are they? Who did you cheat on me with?”

I was declared dead in a car accident—while my husband was desperately trying to save the woman he truly loved.
Five years later, I return with top medical skills and two adorable children. Now, the world knows me as the renowned “Dr. Green.”
With red-rimmed eyes, Charles Windsor corners me and chokes out, “Diana, our children… are they still alive?”

That night, I thought I was just doing the decent thing—getting a drugged man back to his room.
The moment the door shut, the air turned white-hot. He caught my wrist and pinned me against the door, his breath scorching, his voice rough and fraying at the edges. “Don’t go.”
I should’ve walked away. Instead, his trembling fingers and the kiss that felt like a plea knocked every thought out of my head.
Fabric slipped, heartbeats slammed, sheets twisted into a mess. In the dark, I heard my own breath come undone—and I heard him call for me again and again, unable to say my name.
By morning, he remembered nothing.
He hadn’t seen my face, couldn’t trace who I was. But I knew exactly who he was—and how dangerous he’d be once he sobered up.
So I buried that night in silence, played stranger, didn’t let my eyes linger.
Because I knew—if he ever caught me, I wouldn’t get away.

Moving to a city and opening a tea shop was a good idea or Soma thought. But that idea soon took a turn for the worst when a Detective by the name of Marks targets her and puts her in the middle of a war between him and Oliver Stone, the Alpha of the Blood Moon pack. Oliver buys tea, and he is hit with Soma’s intoxicating scent exposing her as his mate. Detective Marks finds this out shortly after. Not wanting to scare her, Oliver wants to take it slow and introduce himself, but when Detective Marks burns her store down and almost kills her, Oliver is forced to expose his wolf side to save her. In the middle of a war between Lycan, vampire, and werewolf. Soma must overcome her fear and take her place and stop this war from pouring out among the humans.

Five years ago, at the engagement party, Alice was schemed against by her malicious sister Nova and was cast out of the family. Nova seized their mother's only inheritance.
Pregnant and unwed, Alice didn't know who the father was.
Five years later, Alice returned with her three children, determined to reclaim everything that belonged to her. To her astonishment, she discovered that the father of her children was none other than her fiancé from five years ago.
Mr. Hall: "You gave birth to my three children. Why won't you accept me?"
Alice: "I need love."
Mr. Hall: "I will make you feel my deep love!"
Alice: "You womanizer, always flirting around!"
Mr. Hall: "Baby, my heart has always belonged to you!"
（2/Day）

Wearing a straw hat and marked by dermal nevuses, Chloe Davis, an unattractive country bumpkin, is about to choose her husband from three dazzling heirs.
Scorned by Michael, mocked by Liam, and eyed strangely by the rest of the Martin family, Chloe is determined to change her fate.
After shedding her disguise and revealing her true beauty, Chloe captured the hearts of the three heirs of the Martin family.
She is the mischievous sweetheart in Grant's eyes, the princess he wants to protect.
She is the perfect on-screen partner in Michael's eyes, the future star of the fashion world.
She is the most stylish motorcycle goddess in Liam's eyes, the elusive figure he can never catch up to.
Let's guess, who will Chloe ultimately choose to spend the night with and share her life with?

“Jaxon,” she moans, her fingers twisting in my hair.
I reach her center, my fingers tracing the inside of her thighs. She’s soaked, and I know it has nothing to do with her shower. I can feel her clit throbbing, begging for attention. And God I'm going to give into it.


Jaxon raised by the Black Vipers since he was three, to those who know him, he’s nothing but a weapon—cold, untouchable, soulless. Across the city, Paige Taylor is the prized “Silk Tongue” of the Crimson Circle. Though innocent at heart, she has been trained from childhood to be the perfect translator and negotiato. Their paths collide during a high-stakes meeting that goes horribly wrong.

Yvonne possesses an effortless charm, wielded with precision to ensnare the resolute and celibate Elijah. Her relentless pursuit shatters his dedication to asceticism, yet she recoils as he yields to affection. With eyes tinged by the rawness of burgeoning emotions, Elijah grasps her hand, confronting her with a poignant enquiry, "Have you lured me into amour only to depart in such a manner?" Ultimately, it dawns upon Elijah that his infatuation with Yvonne's allure is an addiction from which he cannot, and perhaps does not want to, escape.

His last bounty is a fast paced, engaging and immersing good read. If you like plot twist and 'oh no, they didn't' this is the book for you! There is also something for everyone to connect with on some level. Whether it's the stressed out professional, a self tortured, alpha male, a psychopath or, a jolted ex-lover. And the list goes on- readers will identify with one of them. The book also has a romantic heart. It is one for the hopeless romantic for sure, though the Leads path isn't always easy they wind up living their dream. I also intend for there to be a follow up book to His Last Bounty. It will follow there as she becomes alpha which gives the readers a chance to get invested in the family and their future.

After three years of a cold, contractual marriage, Leon Cooper heartlessly divorced Tiffany Grey after a single night of passion. Realizing she had always been the villain in his eyes, Tiffany left, only to discover she was pregnant with triplets. However, after their birth, the mysterious disappearance of her second son left an indelible scar.
Five years later, Tiffany returned with her children, only to encounter Leon again. Her eldest son, Sam, recognized the little guy next to Leon as his missing brother. The two boys, united by their blood, swapped identities and devised a plan to make their proud CEO father win back their mother’s love.
The book is being serialized continuously.
（2/Day）

After reuniting with her biological parents, Zoey became a well-known failure. She sucked up in college, picked up fights, and skipped classes daily. Moreover, her engagement with the Scotts was called off due to her chaotic private life! Everyone was expecting her self-destruction. But unexpectedly, she slapped them in the face! She had a Ph.D. and was a renowned scientist. She was a national chess champion, a genius investor, a martial arts legend... As these undeniable achievements were uncovered one by one, countless people pursued her.
Meanwhile, Mr. Phillips, the business legend who once treated her with disdain, panicked: That's my wife! Get out of the way!
Thank you to the readers for your ongoing support.
The book will soon usher in a wave of updates.

When the world fell to monsters, Avery was just a girl with nothing but a name.

Now she's hunted by ancient Titans—creatures from myth that should never have been real—and saved by three deadly brothers bound in blood, magic, and secrets. Damien is cold and cruel, convinced she’s hiding something. Ezra is her reluctant protector, willing to defy his own blood for her. And Rowan… wears a muzzle for a reason.

They say she’s marked. Chosen. That the Titans want her for what she is, or what she’s becoming.

She says she just wants to go home.

But love in the ruins is dangerous, and Avery is about to learn:
you don’t survive the end of the world without breaking—or being claimed.

Riley leans in, pressing his lips to hers in a soft, gentle kiss. Sofia responds, her lips parting as she deepens the kiss. Danny and Leo watch for a moment, then join in, their hands roaming over Sofia’s body as they kiss her neck and shoulder.

I watch, my own body reacting to the sight of my girl being kissed by my best friends. I would lie if I said I wouldn't rather take her all to myself, but I know they care for her and like her so damn much, just the way I do, and I can't help but feel warm at the thought of her getting this much love for once in her life.


To everyone else, Sofia looks like a quiet, shy girl who loves books more than people. Some even wonder if she lives in the library. But there’s a reason why she’s scared to go home; she overheard her parents planning to sell her to some rich mafia man so they could become rich themselves. Trying her best to avoid her house, she gets kidnapped by four men who planned to use her to hurt her husband-to-be. But the more time they spend with her, the more they fall in love, yes, all four of them.

Will they push their feelings aside to take down the mafia leader, or will they keep her to themselves?"