103 Book(s) Related to ah crimson death

One night. That’s all Detective Samantha Cross wanted.
One night to forget the rules.
One night to feel something other than pressure, guilt, and routine.
One night to do something reckless—just like her friends begged her to.
But the morning after brings more than regret.
She wakes up in a hotel room… and walks straight into the biggest case of her career:
The Governor’s daughter, murdered in the room next to hers.

And her number one suspect?
The same dangerously charming stranger she just slept with.
His name? Rowan Drake.
His profession? One of the country’s most elusive con artists.
His alibi? Her.
Samantha knows he didn’t do it. She was with him.
But if she admits that, she risks everything—her badge, her reputation, her career.
Now, trapped between duty and desire, she’s forced into an impossible alliance.
To clear his name, she’ll have to work side by side with the man who could ruin her.
And as the lies close in and the body count rises, one truth becomes dangerously clear:
The real killer is still out there…
And he’s watching them both.

My husband and parents wanted me dead. All because my sister was "dying."

They shoved a divorce agreement and an experimental surgery consent form at me.

I was supposed to be her donor.

But they didn't know I was the one actually dying.

Three days ago, they told me I had terminal bone cancer.

One month to live.

So when they threatened me into some back-alley surgery, I smiled.

I was already dying anyway.

On our fifth wedding anniversary, I received a bouquet of red roses from my husband He Yu.

The card was filled with sweet nothings I hadn’t heard in a long time, and it invited me to dinner at Cloud Mist Restaurant.

That morning, he had called to tell me he had an emergency meeting at night and couldn’t come home.

So his so-called overtime was just a surprise for me.

I happily brought the flowers to my nose, but the next second I couldn’t stop sneezing five times in a row, my nose turning red and itchy at once. I’m severely allergic to roses, and I’d told He Yu that countless times.

I rubbed my nose and smiled awkwardly at the delivery driver: “Sorry, I’m allergic to roses. My husband must have forgotten in his rush.”

The delivery driver froze for a moment, then hurriedly pulled out a cake and another bouquet of champagne roses from his insulated box: “I’m so sorry, ma’am. This is yours. There were two orders under the same phone number—I didn’t check clearly earlier.”

Two orders, one phone number.

I stood frozen, all the blood in my body turning cold in an instant.

I closed the door, my hands shaking as I dialed Cloud Mist Restaurant, my voice trembling: “Hello, do you have any tables left for Mr. He Yu’s usual spot?”

“Sorry, miss. Mr. He booked our top-floor viewing seat a week in advance. There are no tables left for tonight.”

A chill crawled up my spine. I looked down at the stretch marks still fading on my belly, my hand unconsciously resting on my stomach—where our baby was growing.

I grabbed my coat, slammed the door shut, and took a taxi straight to Cloud Mist Restaurant.

He Yu, if you dare betray me, you can forget about keeping that CEO position!

I'm a blind girl, and I've always been close with the old lady living next door.
One day, I caught the smell of blood coming from her apartment.
Worried something had happened to her, I pushed her door open—and instantly realized my mistake.
I had walked right into a murder scene.
The killer was still there.
I had to take a chance.
Betting that my pale, sightless eyes could fool those blood-crazed ones.
I stepped into the blood-soaked room, smiled toward where the body lay, and called out,
"Ma'am, the store has oranges on sale—I brought some over for you..."

My mother stared at my body, fused to the sofa, and waited forty minutes before calling 911.
She cheerfully told my father the news, deciding they should celebrate with a nice dinner.
Of course.
After all, they could finally be rid of the burden I’d become—no more tormenting me, no more keeping me locked away.
They could go back to being the respectable parents everyone thought they were.
But—
Someone was bound to see the truth.

When I took my last breath, my boyfriend of five years was busy pulling strings to get his new model fling a runway spot.
Nobody knew he used to be a desperate stray I bought out of a dark alley. It started as a three-year contract. I burned millions to pave his way into the fashion elite, handing him top-tier campaigns until he became a global supermodel.
I stayed his dirty little secret so nothing would ruin his shot at "Model of the Year." He swore going public would kill his career, yet he had no problem parading around with young starlets—and letting them humiliate me behind closed doors.
His newest fling even smugly played a recording of him mocking me: "She’s just an ATM for brand deals. How could an uptight, older control freak ever compete with you?"
That was when I finally accepted it: love bought with money is just a transaction.
So, holding my terminal diagnosis, I signed over the last of my assets and quietly bowed out of his glamorous life forever.
I just don't understand one thing: if he was so sick of me, why did he completely lose his mind when he saw my death certificate? Why did he throw away everything he'd built, tearing the world apart to find me like a feral, abandoned dog?

From a young age, I understood that my asthma was a shackle for my entire family. My parents took turns caring for me, their hearts gripped by the fear of any sign of respiratory distress. In their fervent concern for my health, they even compelled my sister, Sophie, freshly accepted into university, to postpone her studies and return home to assist in my care.
At Sophie's eighteenth birthday celebration, I lingered at the edge of the crowd, my chest constricted, and my throat felt as if it were ensnared by invisible hands. I gently tugged at my mother's sleeve, my voice barely a whisper: "Mom, I... can't breathe. I want to go back to my room..."
In an instant, my mother whirled around, her eyes ablaze with fury, as though she had awaited this moment of eruption. She seized my inhaler and hurled it into the farthest corner of the room.
"If it's this painful, then go die!" she shrieked, her words cutting like a knife. "Stop using your illness to hold us hostage!"
The inhaler tumbled to the floor, rolling away like a forgotten piece of trash. I stared at it blankly, a sudden laugh escaping my lips.
And then, I truly died. Yet, in the wake of my passing, those who once found me a burden descended into madness.

M/M ||R18+ ||SENSUAL ||OBSESSION
“So, did it excite you?” I murmur, letting my voice drop. “Are you picturing it?” I sweep my gaze across the classroom, letting the silence of the empty desks stretch. “I bet the acoustics here would do wonders for your moans.”
His hand shoots out, pressing to my chest. “Michael.... that's enough,” he warns.
I grin, leaning just slightly into his hand, letting the warmth of his push press against me. “Fine, my moans then.”
And then he does something that surprises me, pushes me back against the wall. His hand is firm against my chest, and I can feel the tension coiling through both of us. His eyes are challenging, hesitant....but there’s no fear, not really. Desire is blazing there.
“Don’t push it,” he breathes.
“I don’t push,” I counter. “I accelerate interest until it becomes impossible to ignore.”
I can see the heat in his eyes, the flush creeping up his neck, the way his fingers tremble just slightly against me. My own pulse is hammering with the thrill of watching him wrestle with it, watching him fight and fail to keep that control he thinks he has.


Ryan Ashbrook teaches literature like a man who knows he’s running out of time. Terminally ill and painfully poetic, he’s made peace with dying.....just not with doing it alone.
Michael Foster, a burned-out editor drifting through life, hasn’t felt moved by anything in years.... until he meets the captivating teacher who feels every moment too deeply.
Their lives collide in a brief, breathtaking love that was never meant to last, one that might save them both, even as it breaks them.

On my wedding day, my entire family received Iris’s desperate plea for help.
“Mom, Dad, Brother! I’ve been kidnapped, come save me, quick!”
Everyone panicked—including my fiancé, Theodore.
They interrupted the wedding ceremony to rush to Iris.
I begged them through tears not to go. I said it was a trick, something Iris had staged herself.
“The ceremony would have been over in ten more minutes. Can’t you just wait ten minutes?”
My parents called me a heartless, ungrateful wretch. My brother, Ron, pried my fingers from his tuxedo lapel.
“Chloe, stop being so selfish! Even if Iris isn’t your blood sister, how can you be so cruel?!”
“All you care about is your own wedding! Do you really want to see her die?!”
My fiancé looked at me with disappointment. “Let’s cancel the wedding for now.”
“I just realized… the one I care about more… is Iris.”
Watching their hurried figures disappear, I picked up a knife and locked myself in the bridal suite.

Adira was the weakest Omega of the Crimson Pack a frail, mocked outsider who dreamed of joining. But her world came crashing down when Caspian, the strong Alpha and her fated mate, openly rejected her, thinking her unworthy to stand by his side. Betrayed by her own blood and blamed for a crime she didn’t commit, Adira was cast out, left to die in the wild.

When all hope seemed lost, destiny intervened. Granted a second chance by a strange force, Adira rises with a power she never knew she possessed. Stronger, smarter, and more determined than ever, she returns to the Crimson Pack under a new name, ready to uncover the web of lies, face those who betrayed her, and take payback on those who wronged her.

But as her path crosses with Caspian again, sparks flare, and old scars reappear. Caught between love and revenge, Adira must decide whether to trust the mate who once refused her or make her own path as a queen in her own right.

With enemies hiding in the shadows, truths about her past coming to light, and the fate of the pack hanging in the balance, Adira’s journey is far from over. Can the once-weak Omega rise to become the Crimson Pack’s best Luna?

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Parker. We couldn't save the baby."

My hand instinctively reached for my stomach. "So... it's really gone?"

"Your cancer-weakened body can't support the pregnancy. We need to end it, soon," the doctor says.

After the surgery, HE showed up. "Audrey Sinclair! How dare you make this decision without consulting me?"

I wanted to pour out my pain, to feel his embrace. But when I saw the WOMAN beside him, I gave up.

Without hesitation, he left with that "fragile" woman. That kind of tenderness, I’ve never felt it.

However, I don't mind that anymore as I have nothing now - my child, my love, and even... my life.


Audrey Sinclair, a poor woman, fell in love with a man she shouldn't have. Blake Parker, New York's most powerful billionaire, has everything a man could dream of - money, power, influence - but one thing: he doesn't love her.

Five years of one-sided love. Three years of secret marriage. A diagnosis that leaves her with three months to live.

When the Hollywood starlet returns from Europe, Audrey Sinclair knows it's time to end her loveless marriage. But she doesn't understand - since he doesn't love her, why did he refuse when she proposed divorce? Why is he torturing her during these last three months of her life?

As time slips away like sand through an hourglass, Audrey must choose: die as Mrs. Parker, or live her final days in freedom.

I was raised with the criminal underground’s most notorious crew turned government-sanctioned mercenaries in Texas and Colorado, known as the Death Kings. My uncle is one of them known as the Gator King. Now I walk in his footsteps, leading a crew of my own with his backing. To my family, my nickname is Seraphim, but in my kingdom, I’m the Viper King. Now the boys who left me, who swore they would stay by my side to protect me, are back in town. They are attempting to become like C.H.A.O.S. who run Palomino Bay, Texas. That will not happen because Grêle, Louisiana, is my stronghold. I have the backing of my father's MC and together along with my Serpents the city is ours. The person they need to protect is themselves because it isn’t me.
…They don’t know my secret, but I know theirs…

"Take me, please take me now. I love you, Damon." she moaned as he continued squeezing and toying with her breasts, especially her nipples.
“I am yours. But only for tonight." was his cold reply.

★

Alpha Damon owns the physical appearance of an angel but a heart inclined to evil because of his demon origin.

Ladies fantasize about him because of his extraordinary beauty and aura but Damon cares for no one. No one at all.

The Cold Heart one.

However, Damon would meet a human girl Jane, who he saved from a gang of rapists. And she will make him feel things like compassion and concern and ultimately love.
But before he could accept these feelings as true and real, Danger and Death would come like the shadow as he will be the center of a war between Demons and Witches as well as Werewolves and Vampires...

He broke down the morgue door, his guttural scream echoing off the cold tiles as he yanked open drawer after drawer.

"Emily!"

Ethan's hands shook violently as he pulled it open. She lay inside, a white sheet draped over her face. With trembling fingers, he peeled back the fabric. Her face was paper-white, lips bloodless, her eyelashes casting faint shadows. So still.

This wasn't the Emily he knew. The Emily he knew could smile, could cry, could clumsily try to warm his frozen heart. But now, she was just a corpse. A corpse because of him.

"Cancer... stage four..." he whispered, drowning in a tidal wave of panic.

He remembered all those times she had clutched her stomach in agony, and he had mocked her. He remembered demanding she give her heart to his lover. He remembered her final silent words through the surgical glass: "I hate you."

"AHHH—!!" A raw scream tore from his throat. He slammed his fist into the metal drawer, blood blooming across his knuckles.

He collapsed beside her, pulling her stiff, freezing body into his arms. She was so light. Like holding air.

"Emily, I was wrong. I was so wrong," he choked out, crying for the first time in years. "Wake up. Hit me. Hate me. I'm begging you..."

But death is the most absolute silence of all. How far will a man go when he realizes he murdered his only salvation?

Ava's ordinary life is changed when she Comes to the ultimate decision to Sell her Honor all so she could save her mother. Littl does she know the man she sold herself to was the ruthless, enigmatic Mafia Leader. A powerful man who operates in the shadows, and he claims Ava as his own, believing she was destined to be his.
Trapped in Dimitri's lavish Axton penthouse, Ava struggles against her captivity. She trieseverything short of killing herself But Dimitri's possessiveness is overwhelming, a mix of fierce protection and absolute control. His world is constantly under threat, a legacy shaped by his powerful father Antonio Andreas, who taught Dimitri that control is the only way to survive.
When ava gets Abducted, he was the one to rescue her but Ava was hesitant. between her and Ava, wants her freeedon and Dimitri is reluctant to let her go. Bending his rules, relenting an dgranting her some fredom does nothing it is short-lived. Ava, unwilling to live a life of gilded imprisonment, confronts Dimitri. In a shocking turn, despite his deep-seated need for control and his obsession. Dimitri makes the agonizing decision to set Ava free.
Little does Ava know that Dimitri lets her go just so he can keep her. The stroy Takes a new twist when a promising proposal is arranged for Dimitri by his father and Ava who faces problems after problems while Dimitri continues protecting her from the Shadows without her knowledge. Ava battles the internal war of her feelings for Dimitri.
This story explores the complex line between protection and imprisonment, and whether a love born from such dangerous circumstances can ever truly be free. It’s a tale of survival, power, and the ultimate test of can Dimitri have it all Power and weath including Ava.

I died. At my sister's eighteenth birthday party, the moment the champagne tower came crashing down.

While she stood under the crystal chandelier in her gown, soaking up congratulations from three hundred guests, I was tied up in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. The wound in my stomach was still bleeding.

I called my family. Only my brother picked up, sounding pissed off and disgusted. "What's your problem now? This is her big day. You better not ruin it."

I tried to explain. He hung up.

That was the ninety-ninth time they'd hung up on me.

Also the last.

They thought I was throwing a tantrum, deliberately skipping my sister's special moment. Called me ungrateful, said they regretted bringing me back from that backwater town two years ago.

Well, now they're off the hook.

Problem solved.

On our fifth anniversary, Caspian gifted me a luxury yacht bearing my name. Everyone said I was the luckiest woman alive.
But when I finally conceived his child and prepared to share the news, his mistress sent me photos—him cradling a baby she'd given him, his eyes filled with a tenderness I'd never seen.
Five years of waiting, five years of infertility—all an elaborate lie.
He once whispered in my ear: "Even if every man in the world betrays his wife, I never will. You're my life. Without you, I can't survive."
I quietly packed, left behind my pregnancy report and all the evidence, and drove away. Three hours later, he received the call: my car exploded on the highway. No survivors.
From that day on, the most powerful man in Valen City lost his mind completely.

I took a bullet for my husband five years ago. He married me in the ICU before the anesthesia wore off.
Raffaele Santoro—heir to the most powerful mafia family in Italy—told me I was his everything. He bought a castle and named it after me. He reserved a grave beside his parents so we'd lie together for eternity.
While I was pumping my body full of hormones for our fourth round of IVF, he was across town watching his childhood sweetheart give birth to twin boys.
He named one of them Dante—the name I'd chosen for our future son.
The night I found out, I was seven weeks pregnant with his child.
I didn't tell him.
I called my best friend and said: I need everyone to think I'm dead.

Everyone knows my fiancé, Alex, is the kind of madman who would call off a billion-dollar merger just for me.
For years, he convinced the world I was his one and only, risking the wrath of the board just to keep me by his side.
But that kind of devotion is mostly for show.
In reality, he already had a legal wife—and a baby on the way, carrying his blood.
When I learned the truth, I went straight to my best friend.
"Maya, help me stage a car accident. One where the body can't be identified," I said calmly. "It's the only way I can truly escape Alex."
The night I disappeared, he spent hours kneeling by the burned-out wreck.
He destroyed a high-profile marriage alliance, drove his pregnant wife to madness, and became a complete wreck himself.
But when he finally found me—
He realized I didn't love him anymore.

TRIGGER WARNING!!!

The second half of this book contains everything rated 18+. If you are not into dark romance, please do not read it in the name of everything holy.

Excerpt

"I own you, Reyana. You are mine... Mine to torture... Mine to claim... Mine to punish... and nothing will ever save you from me. Not even death!" His words were heavy and true. He meant every word he said.


Bound by an oath, the Blood Crescent pack has kept a prophecy hidden for over 300 years.

Alpha Randall, the most ruthless Alpha of his time was a god among men, rich in power, strength, wealth, achievements... No one comes close. He was the envy of all.

Wherever he went, he left a trail of death and darkness, and no one ever prayed to be mated to such a monster, but fate had a different plan for him.

His world began crumbling when he was mated to Reyana, his Beta's girlfriend, whom he hated with passion.

Reyana was doomed when Alpha Randall refused to claim her, neither was he willing to reject her, not only because he had a mistress, Visha, whom he loved so much... He had other reasons.

Torn between two women, the secret of the prophecy was on the verge of crumbling as, unknown to Randall, one of these women was meant to be his downfall, while the other was the key to unlocking the prophecy.

What happens when Randall's biggest nightmare is unlocked and the Dark-eyed monster whom he thought he killed years ago resurfaces, threatening his very existence?

Let's find out in this heart-racing piece filled with suspense, Steamy romance, and betrayal.

Brace yourselves. This will be one of the most twisted, mind-blowing stories you'll ever come across.

Trevor didn't start by loathing Sireen. Heck, he had always been nice to her. It all went downhill when Sireen's sister, Trevor's mate, Kylie, died in an attack, and a weak Sireen did nothing to save her. In his terms, she's a murderer. Ignoring her trauma, Trevor became Sireen's tormentor. Her bully. The bane of her very existence. So when he finds out at the start of second year that Sireen is his second chance mate, he definitely rejects her. But wait. Not before humiliating her in front of the entire school, exposing her guarded secret which was an outcome of watching her twin sister die.
When Sireen and Trevor are forced to breathe the same air as each other and see each other in and out of school everyfreakingday, at least one person is set to Lose. Their. Sanity.
How much torture can Sireen take?
And just how long can Trevor stand his rejected mate's presence? Delve in to find out!

Since when is eating a snack before dinner a capital crime? All because of a bag of gummies, my parents beat the hell out of me, and a judge coldly sentenced me to death. I was absolutely convinced the candy was laced! It wasn't until moments before my execution that I accidentally found out the truth: my family... were never actually my family to begin with.

Selene thought she'd found true love with Alexander Morrison. She was WRONG—she was just a stand-in for Jessa, the woman he really wanted.

When Alexander and his twin brother Adrian's yacht exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, Alexander came home with Adrian's ashes, claiming to BE Adrian. His goal? To steal Adrian's wife Jessa—the woman he'd always loved.

Selene knew instantly he was lying, but when she told everyone, no one believed her. Alexander called her "crazy from trauma" and locked her away in a mental facility. She was PREGNANT.

They drugged her daily. After she gave birth, Alexander told her the baby died. She broke completely.

Three years later, dying in that white hell, Selene heard Alexander's final confession:

"I always loved Jessa. Adrian just got to her first. YOU? You were just her replacement."

"The kid's alive. I gave him to Jessa. He calls her Mom now."

Selene died full of rage—then woke up reborn, back to the moment Alexander walked in with that urn.

This time, she'd expose his lies and make him PAY.

“He dies to grow stronger. The Tower wants him dead.”

On an ordinary night in Jaipur, the sky splits open and a colossal black tower appears above the city.

Within hours, the same towers rise across the world.

A mysterious voice echoes through every phone, every television, every mind.

“Welcome, players. Enter the Tower and earn power beyond imagination.”

Those who step inside quickly learn the truth.

The Tower is not a game.

It is a brutal trial where monsters roam, alliances break, and death is common.

Millions enter.

Most never return.

Arjun Rathore never planned to become a hero. He was just another engineering student trying to survive in a world that suddenly changed overnight. But on the day he enters the Tower, something impossible happens.

A strange message appears before his eyes.

“Hidden System Detected.”

“Karma Ability Activated.”

Moments later, Arjun is killed by a monster on the first floor.

But instead of dying… he wakes up twenty-four hours earlier.

The same day begins again.

At first, he believes it’s luck.

Then it happens again.

And again.

Every time Arjun dies, time rewinds.

Every mistake becomes knowledge.

Every defeat becomes experience.

But the Tower is watching.

And Arjun soon discovers something terrifying.

He is not supposed to have this power.

Somewhere inside the Tower, something ancient has noticed him.

Something that hunts players who break the rules.

Now Arjun must climb the Tower, uncover its secrets, and survive enemies far stronger than himself.

Because if the Tower discovers what he truly is…

Not even death will save him.

“A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. 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) FACE OF DEATH is book #1 in a new FBI thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. FBI Special Agent Zoe Prime suffers from a rare condition which also gives her a unique talent—she views the world through a lens of numbers. The numbers torment her, make her unable to relate to people, and give her a failed romantic life—yet they also allow her to see patterns that no other FBI agent can see. Zoe keeps her condition a secret, ashamed, in fear her colleagues may find out.Yet when a serial killer strikes across the Midwest, strangling women in remote places and seemingly at random, Zoe, for the first time, is stumped. Is there a pattern? Can there be no pattern at all? Or is this killer as obsessed with numbers as she is?In a mad race against time, Zoe must enter the diabolical mind of a killer who always seems to be one step ahead of her, and stop him from claiming his next victim before it’s too late. At the same time, she must keep at bay her own demons, which may ultimately prove to be even more threatening.An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, FACE OF DEATH is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Books #2 and #3 in the series—FACE OF MURDER and FACE OF FEAR—are also available for pre-order.

When Lena Vale's father dies, he leaves behind nothing but debt — and not the kind any solicitor can settle.
Bound by an ancient blood contract she never signed, Lena is given seven days to present herself at Ashveil Manor, deep in the shadow realm of Veth, and give one year of her life in service to Lord Dorian Ashveil — the most feared vampire in a world she didn't know existed. She arrives under protest. The estate, apparently, listens.
Dorian is nothing like what she expected. He is cold, yes — centuries old, commanding, and devastatingly careful with everything he allows himself to feel. But he is also unexpectedly honest. And he stands when she enters a room, every single time, as if she is worth the gesture.
Lena tells herself it means nothing.
She is wrong.
As the months pass inside Veth's eternal dusk, the line between captive and chosen begins to blur. But darker forces are closing in — a rival clan with a weapon that runs on Lena's blood, a secret her father sold that could destroy everything, and a choice that no contract can make for her.
She came to Veth to pay a debt.
She may stay for something far more dangerous.
Crimson Vow is a slow-burn vampire romantic fantasy for readers who like their heroines fierce, their heroes worth the wait, and their love stories earned one impossible moment at a time.

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!

“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.Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter, years before, never found. Still obsessed with finding her, Keri buries her grief the only way she knows how: by throwing herself into the cases of missing persons in Los Angeles.A routine phone call from a worried mother of a high-schooler, only two hours missing, should be ignored. Yet something about the mother’s voice strikes a chord, and Keri decides to investigate.What she finds shocks her. The missing daughter—of a prominent senator—was hiding secrets no one knew. When all evidence points to a runaway, Keri is ordered off the case. And yet, despite pressure from her superiors, from the media, despite all trails going cold, the brilliant and obsessed Keri refuses to let it go. She knows she has but 48 hours if she has any chance of bringing this girl back alive.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF DEATH marks the debut of 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)Book #2 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

DEATH BY TEMPTATION is Book #14 in the #1 Bestselling Caribbean Murder series, which begins with DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)—a free download! It is also a stand-alone novel.In DEATH BY TEMPTATION, Cindy and Mattheus arrive for a vacation at St. Lucia. The island has been recommended by Mattheus’s friend Rod, whose daughter is honeymooning there. But when Rod’s daughter, Kara, suddenly goes missing after going for a swim alone one afternoon, a frantic search grips the island. Swept up in the horror, Cindy and Mattheus immediately join in. When Kara’s overbearing father, Rod, arrives at the island, Matheus is torn away from the case to comfort his friend. And when the dead body of another young woman turns up a few days later at the same beach, Cindy is convinced the cases are connected. Alone, Cindy delves deeper into the investigation, but what she may find, is what she may never suspect…

Death by Seduction (Book #13 in the Caribbean Murder series)

DEATH BY DEVOTION is Book #9 in the Bestselling Caribbean Murder series, which begins with the free book DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)--a #1 Bestseller with over 100 five star reviews on Amazon! Before they get engaged, Cindy urges Mattheus to meet his long-lost Caribbean daughter, whom he has never met. Sixteen years ago, after a one night stand, the woman became pregnant, and Mattheus quickly left. Mattheus’ beautiful, volatile, fifteen year old daughter, Andrea, badly needs him, and she wants him to come to Anguilla, where she lives, so they can get to know each other. One caveat, though: he has to come without Cindy. Andrea has a mother, and one mother is enough. Mattheus feels his daughter is in trouble, feels compelled to go, and abruptly leaves Cindy behind. Convinced that her relationship with Mattheus is over, Cindy returns to the States, ready to start her life again. A few days after she gets back, amidst the excitement and a wonderful job offer, she receives a startling call from Mattheus down in Anguilla: Andrea’s stepfather has been killed and Andrea was found beside him, covered in his blood. Mattheus, desperate, begs Cindy to come down and help. Not only has his daughter been taken into custody—but now he is a suspect as well. Unable to say no, Cindy returns to the Caribbean to help find the true killer and to attempt to free both Mattheus and his daughter—but she soon finds that she’s up against an underground web of danger on the island, and it may be too late to save all of them—including herself. DEATH BY DEVOTION is both a stand-alone novel, and is also Book #9 in the Caribbean Murder series.

DEATH BY ENGAGEMENT is Book #12 in the #1 Bestselling Caribbean Murder series, which begins with DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)—a free download! It is also a standalone novel.In Death by Engagement (Book #12 of the Caribbean Murder Series), Cindy and Mattheus joyously head to Aruba to search for a wedding venue for their destination wedding. Thrilled, they enter the magical, romantic world of wedding planning and along the way, meet another recently engaged couple, also looking for a place to be wed. But the beauty of Cindy and Mattheus’s time together is suddenly interrupted, when they learn that the young woman they had just met has plunged to her death at a nearby cliff.Although she left a suicide note, the girl’s devastated father refuses to believe she took her own life. He begs Cindy and Mattheus to investigate and see if foul play was at work. Although Mattheus refuses, Cindy is compelled to give it a chance, a decision which causes increasing tension in Cindy and Mattheus’s relationship, and which brings out aspects of each of them never seen before.As Cindy explores the inner workings of the young woman’s life and family, many shocking surprises also take place in her relationship with Mattheus. Not only does Cindy have to remain strong and persistent in uncovering the cause of the death, she must go through many personal changes to deal with what’s happening in her own life.A surprise end on all fronts turns all expectations upside down.

DEATH BY BETRAYAL is Book #10 in the #1 Bestselling Caribbean Murder series, which begins with DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)--a FREE download on Amazon! Cindy and Mattheus part ways, and while he stays in the Caribbean to protect his daughter and her mother, she returns home. Cindy’s sister, Ann, meets her at the airport to welcome her back to this new chapter of her life. Cindy starts to settle back in, to meet old friends and make plans to take on a new job—when a shocking call suddenly comes. It is a call Cindy never could have expected in her wildest dreams, a call that rips her world apart. Someone close to her—too close—has been found murdered in Bermuda. Cindy has no choice but to get on the next plane to Bermuda and hunt for the killer. Before long, Cindy finds herself enmeshed in an underworld of big business and crime. Beside herself, hitting dead ends, Cindy is forced to call Mattheus to help. Once again, their stormy relationship deepens and takes a new turn, as they plunge into solving this crime together. But it all may be too late….

When an old friend’s husband goes missing, she calls Cindy for help. Fresh from her own tragedy, Cindy returns to the Caribbean, this time to the gorgeous, lush island of Grenada, to find him.Cindy, still grieving her own husband’s death, stays at her friend’s incredible villa on the ocean, as she does her best to help track down her friend’s husband, Ames. As Cindy investigates, she meets the different characters on the island, some local, some fantastically rich, all of whom seem to be involved with each other, either romantically or in shady business dealings. As Cindy uncovers secret affairs, odd money dealings and drugs, she realizes there is a complex web on the island, hidden from public view. And as she digs deeper into Ames’ life, she is shocked to discover how many secrets he had been hiding from his wife—and that she never really knew the man she loved. The police at first refuse to take her seriously, but they soon gain respect for her tough intelligence, courage and determination. Cindy’s relationship with one cop in particular, Mattheus, develops in unexpected ways, as they give each other solace from their losses.But Cindy digs too deep. Soon, she finds her own life in peril, as she heads into the dark underside of the island. Startling developments in the investigation lead to a shocking ending, as a body is discovered, and Cindy alone must find out if they’ve convicted the wrong person…DEATH BY DIVORCE is Book #2 in the Caribbean Murder series, following DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1).Book #3 in the series--DEATH BY MARRIAGE--and Book #4 in the series--DEATH BY DESIRE--are now also available.

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.

“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.

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.

“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!

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.