Suspense Mystery Twist

Whether you’re plotting your first whodunit or revising your tenth thriller, this comprehensive guide is your trusted partner in crime. Packed with practical advice, real examples from bestselling mystery novels, and a touch of wry humor, Writing Mysteries That Matter walks you step-by-step through the entire writing process—from crafting a gripping opening to planting clues, building suspense, and delivering a twisty, satisfying ending. You’ll learn how to: • Structure your story for maximum tension • Create complex, compelling protagonists • Plant clues (and red herrings) that...

Running is nothing new for Mo. She left her home and alcoholic mother straight out of high school. But leaving her older, abusive boyfriend, Lenny, takes more than courage. It requires planning. And it means leaving everything she knows and owns behind…everything but two over-stuffed suitcases and a one-eyed cat. With no direction or specific destination in mind, Mo finds herself in the small town of Smelt, Indiana, a place with endless cornfields and weekend craft fairs. As quaint and quiet as Smelt appears to be, it quickly becomes clear that peace of mind will be tough to find. Can Mo ...

Alone in the wilderness. Someone is watching. Can two women survive after they realize the secrets that haunt them have become the reason to hunt them? Best friends Kate and Veronica set out to forget troubles at work and home with a weekend camping trip in Yosemite National Park’s vast and rugged backcountry. But their laughter over old times gives way to a growing sense of menace—that explodes into violence, setting off a life-and-death pursuit. But who are the hunters—and who are the prey? What explains the two unlikely hikers who keep crossing their path? And why does a handsome ...

Stella McKinney has a great life. With a Malibu beach house, doting husband, and a flourishing business, everything is coming up roses - until it isn't. When her beloved husband Grant begins behaving out of character and devoting more time to his career, Stella has reason to question his fidelity for the first time in their marriage. As Stella's quest for the truth morphs into a sick obsession, the last thing she expects is a perfect stranger to show up at her door, a beautiful woman who knows intimate details about Stella and Grant that no one else could possibly know.

Sisters Anna and Jennie live in a historic bungalow on the Chicago River. They’re tethered to a disquieting past, and with nowhere else to go, nothing can part them from their family home. Not the maddening creaks and disembodied voices that rattle the old walls. Not the inexplicable drownings in the area, or the increasing number of bodies that float by Anna’s window. To stave off loneliness, Anna has a podcast, spinning ghostly tales of Chicago’s tragic history. But when Anna captures the attention of an ardent male listener, she awakens to the possibilities of a world outside.

RUNNING MAY BE THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS THEM ALIVE Celebrating their wedding anniversary out on a quiet lake, Robert and Helen Harris's night quickly turns from intimate to deadly when they are attacked by an intruder, leaving their young daughter, Jess, an orphan. Fifteen years later, Jess is an adult. Graduated from university and settled into a new city and job, she has found herself in an abusive relationship with her boss, Sean, who is a cruel and easily angered man. Seeing an opportunity to flee and make a fresh start, Jess runs. Living life simultaneously to Jess, Arina is ...

Murder is Easy. But the consequences are Deadly. Amy Sholes has a problem. An obsession. She's a murderer. A talented and prolific serial killer. To most, Amy is a monster--evil, a cancer on her soul. But to many, she is an angel, avenging, serving justice and helping those who could not help themselves. One rule, Amy only kills those who prey on others. Beautiful and sexy, Amy is a killer you'll want to root for. Book 1 follows Amy's Affair with Murder. She succumbs to the seductive draw of a dark society, risking everything for a little taste. Her desires lead her into a thrilling world ...

A small white plane hurtles from the sky, vanishing into the wilderness. Hiker Maggie Roby watches its final descent, certain that no one could have survived. But to her shock, a fifteen-year-old girl emerges from the wreckage, wounded but miraculously, impossibly alive. Maggie approaches with trepidation; she has secrets of her own, a past she can’t escape. Saving the girl means risking her future, but she can’t just abandon her, can she?

Wedding Shower Ends in Bride's Murder Everyone knows the groom's grandmother does not approve of the bride. But would she actually kill her? The richest family in town is implicated in murder and Jenny King reluctantly steps in to investigate. Jenny finds there are very few suspects and hardly any motive. Spring flings are in vogue and the pretty bride may not have been that innocent. Is the distraught groom just putting on an act? Jenny goes around in circles trying to separate the real clues from the red herrings. Meanwhile, Adam and Jenny are in no hurry to tie the knot. But the clock ...

Rookie Police Officer Gina Santoro has a tough night while on patrol on Christmas Eve, one she'll never forget. Her holiday eve takes a dirty turn at her lifelong parish church, and when she sees the aftermath of an impulse move, she holsters her sidearm for the last time. After pondering her future in law enforcement, she makes a career change that takes her from Cleveland's Little Italy all the way to Hawaii. Now working in landscape management, she finds her new home in a lush tropical forest a little too rustic. She also finds a dead body on her front porch. Tag along with Gina as she ...

Gwen Maner is a widowed single mom, returning to her Ohio hometown with her daughter. And thanks to former acquaintance Nicola Kimmel, this is the start of Gwen’s new and promising life. Nicola’s secured Gwen a lucrative job, rented Gwen a house on her same street, and won the heart of Gwen’s daughter, but she almost seems too good to be true. She’s so selfless. So charismatic. And so take-charge. Gwen is sure Nicola is yearning only for someone to get close to. After all, according to Nicola, her marriage is falling apart, and her best friend just up and left one day.

Ex-cop Gina Santoro lands in more trouble than ever when her family comes to Hawaii for a once in a lifetime visit. Gina gladly plays tour guide, but when murders plague Honolulu's beautiful Waikiki, trouble gets too close for comfort. When family blood starts to flow, Gina is forced into making a life-changing decision. Catch this 'till death do us part' suspenseful murder mystery that crosses lines drawn in Waikiki beach sand.

From the best-selling author of ADMIT TO MAYHEM of the Lillian Dove Mystery Series, comes this jaw-dropping, fun-filled thriller sent in the Pacific Northwest. Cookin' Up Murder by D.J. Adamson is a fast-paced, gripping mystery that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. When a high-profile baker is found dead under suspicious circumstances, private investigator Tuesday Welsh dives into a case that’s as complex as it is dangerous. As she uncovers a trail of secrets, lies, and hidden motives, Tuesday realizes the killer is closer than she thought—and could strike again at ...

When Diya Burman's best friend, Angie, dies unexpectedly, it feels like her own life is falling apart. Grief costs her friends, family and even her job. But that's ok, because now she's got a new job: working at Slough & Sons, a family firm that deals in cleaning up after the recently deceased. Old love letters. Porcelain dolls. Hoarded trinkets. Clearing away the remnants of other people's lives, Diya begins to see things. Horrible things. Things that get harder and harder to write off as merely her grieving imagination.

It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Zoe was sitting in her hotel room, in her perfect white dress, looking forward to the moment when she would make kind, handsome Toby her husband. Then, there was a blank. They said she must have fainted, overcome with emotion. But nothing felt quite right afterward. Did something happen in that missing time?

Taz is the ruthless leader of an elite group of bandits who rule the streets of Oklahoma City. No one has met the mysterious boss who gives them their orders via laptop, but the arrangement works for everyone involved. Their criminal enterprise keeps them rolling in dough, allowing them to purchase property and businesses all over town. When Taz falls in love with Sacha, an ambitious young lawyer, he makes an unexpected enemy. Cliff, another lawyer at the firm, wants Sacha for himself, and he'll stop at nothing to win her back from the thug she's with.

The first time Jemma and Matt were invited to Polskirrin - the imposing ocean-view home belonging to Matt’s childhood friend Lucas Jarrett - it was for an intimate wedding that ended in tragedy. Jemma will never forget the sight of the girl’s pale body floating listlessly towards the rocky shore. Now, exactly one year later, Jemma and her husband have reluctantly returned at Lucas’s request to honor the anniversary of an event they would do anything to forget.

Murder, jealousy, and deceit underscore three interlocking mysteries as Holmes and Watson take on a high-profile case at Windsor Castle, a boy drowned in the Serpentine, and a crusading women’s rights activist who suspects a traitor in her organisation. The cases send them into danger into locales as varied as the palace itself, a dockland cannery, an arts and crafts atelier, and a gypsy encampment. But is there peril underfoot as well – right at 221B Baker Street?

Jane Knudsen is an exceptionally private and intimidatingly beautiful workaholic attorney. Unflappable and cool, she’s the last person likely to suddenly snap and murder one of her firm’s senior partners. Yet she’s become the most likely suspect in the crime. She’s retained Allison Barton, her former law school roommate, to represent her. It’s Allison’s job to believe Jane, even if Allison never really knew her. No one did. Jane always made sure of that.

Fans of Blake Crouch, Tananarive Due and Paul Tremblay won't want to miss this electrifying thriller, where family, power, and the relentless pursuit of justice collide in a world turned upside down. DHS Special Agent Ruth Baker's life spirals into chaos when a subway hijacking reveals a cryptic countdown and chilling disappearances. Teaming up with Detective Rafiq Husain, who shares her unnerving experiences, they unearth a sinister conspiracy tied to a quantum virus named Vinash, engineered by Ruth's late husband, Ashwin. Summoned to the White House, Ruth uncovers the horrifying truth: ...