Books like 'Backwater Justice'
Readers who enjoyed Backwater Justice by Fern Michaels also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary science fiction mystery suspense
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A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options. In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy... -
Buried Too Deep by Karen Rose
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose comes another explosive novel in the New Orleans series, where some secrets are worth dying for—or killing to keep. Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead... -
Texas Bodyguard: Brax by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA baby in his care…A target on their backsA skilled security expert and bodyguard, Brax Patterson is ready for anything…except unexpected custody of his reckless half brother’s baby boy. Someone will kill to take young Walker—and silence his resourceful new nanny, Tessa Mahoney. With her help, Brax is breaking all the rules to keep them safe...Categorized as:
suspense mystery contemporary mafia military multicultural science fiction length-medium -
Leap by Michael C. Grumley
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsONE OF MANKIND'S GREATEST LEGENDS HAS BEEN DISCOVERED... A FIND THAT ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WOULD KILL TO POSSESS... ...AND IT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING. One year ago, a remarkable breakthrough changed what it means to be human. Now, from a new research center in Puerto Rico, Alison Shaw and her team are about to stun the world...again... -
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Maria's Journey by Karen Clow
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCompelling, Brutal and stretching every boundary of Love and loyalty to its limits; Maria’s Journey will leave you wondering how she ever survived and remained the lady she is.Continuing to chart the turbulent lives of Jimmy, Maria and Mickey, once again it delves into London’s violent, depraved, criminal underworld... -
Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIn all failed relationships there is a point that passes unnoticed at the time, which can later be identified as the beginning of the decline. For Helen it was the weekend that the Hidden Man came to Westbury Park.Croydon, 1964. Helen Hansford is in her thirties and an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital where she has been having a long love affair with a charismatic, married doctor... -
The Boy by Tami Hoag
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsNow a New York Times bestseller An unfathomable loss or an unthinkable crime? #1 New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag keeps you guessing in her most harrowing thriller yet... -
For Batter or Worse by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe Fairy Tale Cupcake crew must discover the truth behind a death sprinkled with suspicion before Mel and Joe can say I do", in the thirteenth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.Life is sweet and business is booming at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery--and the fact that Mel and Joe are getting married is the icing on the cake... -
Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O'Connor
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIn this enchanting new read in the fan-favorite series from a USA Today bestselling author, garda of County Cork, Ireland, Siobhán O’Sullivan and Macdaras Flannery, are about to get married at last... -
Sublime Target by Anna Carven
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJerik Garul wants a mate.As a former High Commander in the Kordolian Imperial Military, he's used to getting his way. Blunt-spoken and gruff, he has a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later.He doesn't know anything about humans and their mating customs. And he's mystified at how several of his battle-brothers—hard, ruthless, and lethal—have succeeded in securing their own females... -
Frequency by Lisa Harris
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSHE TRUSTED THE WRONG PERSON.Four deaths, most likely tied to arsenic-tainted water, leave the town of Shadow Ridge frantic for answers before someone else dies. But that isn’t the only nightmare Tess McQuaid is facing. She has proof someone attempted to cover up a murder as another arsenic death.HER LIFE DEPENDS ON FINDING OUT THE TRUTH... -
Abomination by Colleen Coble
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratings"Crackles with an ominous electricity, pulling you inside the mind of a killer who is terrifyingly twisted...terrifyingly real. The pages will race by as you read, but I guarantee your heart will race even faster." -T.L. Hines, author of "Waking Lazarus" A beautiful woman stands by the side of the road, barefoot and bleeding, a child in her arms...Categorized as:
suspense mystery contemporary science fiction christian historical futuristic length-medium -
Zinnia by Jayne Castle, Jayne Ann Krentz
New York Times bestselling author JAYNE CASTLE--Capturing the lively sensuality ( Library Journal ) of the passion-filled, near-future space colony of St... -
Fatal Fascinator by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHip hip beret! Hatmakers Scarlett Parker and Vivian Tremont return and must collar a killer when a castle wedding goes awry in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s new Hat Shop Mystery.It’s wedding season and Viv’s longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the headpieces for her “wedding of the year... -
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Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe crew from the Fairy Tale Cupcakes shop risks getting burned when they set out to find a murderer who is terrorizing their townLife is smooth as buttercream at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, and newlyweds Mel and Joe are stopping to smell the flours. But things start to crumble one night when an unknown gunman takes a shot at Mel... -
The Passengers by John Marrs
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsEight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide. When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course... -
Survival by Lisa Harris
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWelcome to Shadow Ridge, where Longmire meets Jericho.A dead body. A missing suspect. A town fighting for survival. In today’s world, law enforcement agencies across the country rely on forensic tools, DNA testing, and crime labs...Categorized as:
mystery suspense christian dystopian contemporary survival science fiction futuristic -
Amaryllis by Jayne Castle, Jayne Ann Krentz
New York Times bestselling author JAYNE CASTLE Acclaimed for her novels of “delectably entertaining paranormal romantic suspense” (Booklist), the wildly popular alter ego of bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz takes off on a star-dusted excursion to a rich civilization where danger and passion are just a heartbeat away. . . . Amaryllis Lark is one of the best psychic detectives on St... -
Skye Fall by Paige Edwards
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIsla Montjoy has it all, a new career in nursing and a police officer boyfriend she adores―until she stumbles across proof of her boyfriend’s corruption. Determined to protect his secrets, he attacks her and leaves her for dead. But against all odds, she lives...Categorized as:
suspense mystery contemporary christian science fiction forced proximity length-short -
Her Cyborg Lumberjack by Susan Hayes
Birds were her only passion… until she met him.Rin has dedicated her life to the study of birds. When the military uncovers a lost project that results in a new avian species, they hire Rin to investigate what they’ve created… and how to best use their newest assets... -
Dying for Devil's Food by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIt's going to take every recipe the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew has to whip up a quick defense for Mel Cooper when her high school reunion goes from a cakewalk to a car wreck.. -
The Paper Caper by Kate Carlisle
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsSan Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright loves a good book festival except when murder is the main event in this thrilling new addition to the New York Times bestselling Bibliophile Mystery series.Brooklyn is excited to be included in the Covington Library’s first annual Mark Twain Festival... -
Where Shadows Meet: A Romantic Suspense Novel by Colleen Coble
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHannah is distraught when her parents are murdered—but what makes it worse is that she should have been at home with them . . . not meeting her forbidden love, Reece. Unable to face the community and her guilt, she runs away and marries him.But Reece isn’t the man she thought he was... -
The Last Second by Catherine Coulter, J.T. Ellison
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling authors Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison comes a riveting thriller pitting special agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine against a private French space agency that has the power to end the world as we know it... -
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Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt's Christmastime, and this holiday season, things are heating up for the bakers at Fairy Tale Cupcakes, in the newest Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay... -
Captive by Loki Renard
I am more than an alien alpha’s captive.I am the personal possession of a saurian executioner. Avel is massive, dominant, and more than capable of handling his human prisoner.He has a complete mastery of the sky, the city - and me.I have been out of control for years.Operating well beyond the bounds of any law, I have roamed the universe striking fear into those I encounter... -
Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWedding bells and death knells are ringing for the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew in this latest mystery in the New York Times bestselling seriesWith Angie and Tate's wedding just around the corner, it's a happy--but very busy--time for Mel... -
Blaze Erupting: (Previously published as a 1001 Dark Nights novella) by Rebecca Zanetti
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLove ignites in the Apocalypse(First available as a 1001 Dark Nights novella).Hugh Johnson is nobody's hero, and the idea of being in the limelight makes him want to growl. He takes care of his brothers, does his job, and enjoys a mellow evening hanging with his hound dog and watching the sports channel... -
At the Drop of a Hat by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsCousins Scarlett Parker and Vivian Tremont's fashionable London hat shop, Mim's Whims, is visited by a new customer bearing an old hat box. Ariana Jackson is getting married and wants to restore her mother's bridal hat and veil for the occasion. The elegant item was made by Scarlett and Vivian's grandmother over thirty years ago, so Viv is delighted to take the job... -
When Dreams Cross by Terri Blackstock
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsJustin Pierce's brainchild, Khaki Kangaroo, is exactly the cartoon theme Andi Sherman needs for her world-class amusement park, Promised Land. In turn, Andi's park is the opportunity that can rocket Justin from obscurity to success. For both of them, spreading the Gospel through their creation is their passion--a shared dream that could cement a powerful partnership...Categorized as:
suspense mystery christian science fiction contemporary historical futuristic length-short -
A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death by Valerie Burns
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsOn the shores of Lake Michigan, influencer Maddy Montgomery has turned the bakery she inherited from her great aunt Octavia into a destination. There’s just one thing she won’t, the body in the freezer . . .Thanks to Maddy’s social media savvy, Baby Cakes Bakery is becoming a huge success—so much so that she’s attracted the attention of her former nemesis, the fiancé-stealing Brandy Denton... -
A Crime of Poison by Nancy Haddock
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Silver Six are known for their arts and crafts—but they’re about to be tested in the art of catching a crafty killer.It’s early October, time for the Fall Folk Art Festival and Bake Sale in Lilyvale, Arkansas. Every business along the town square will benefit from the event, including the craft store run by Leslee Stanton Nix—aka Nixy—and the Silver Six, a group of retirees... -
Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess
Rated: 3.65 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn this delightfully funny and heartfelt new novel from the author of the “bittersweet page-turner” (The New York Times) The Last Book Party, an American woman travels to the English countryside when she discovers tickets her late mother had purchased for a murder mystery simulation in a small British town.When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent... -
Sleeping With Anemone by Kate Collins
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsI, Abby Knight, hometown florist, refuse to be cowed into giving up my stance against the unfair treatment of dairy animals... -
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Eruption by Adrienne Quintana
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJace Vega has finally landed her dream job working for Omnibus, an up-and-coming tech firm. But a mysterious message from her future self sets Jace and her old friend Corey racing to piece together clues before Omnibus destroys their future and their past. This fast-paced thriller will keep you guessing till the very last page... -
Central Park by Guillaume Musso
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsFrom the #1 international bestselling author: a woman wakes up on a Central Park bench with no memory of how she got there in this “unpredictable and moving psychological thriller that keeps you holding your breath” (Métro)Alice, a fierce and respected Parisian cop, wakes up on a Central Park bench with no memory of the night before, handcuffed to a complete stranger—a musician named Gabriel... -
Poisoned Pages by Lorna Barrett
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsMystery bookstore owner Tricia Miles learns that nothing kills a good party like a murder in the latest entry in the New York Times bestselling Booktown Mysteries.Tricia Miles, mystery bookstore owner and amateur sleuth, throws a housewarming cocktail party in her new apartment and has cooked all the food by herself--quite a feat for someone who previously couldn't boil water... -
Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe town is all abuzz when a murder occurs in Jennie Marts’ debut cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Amanda Flower.As a successful mystery author, Bailey Briggs writes about murder, but nothing prepares her for actually discovering the dead body of the founder of her hometown of Humble Hills, Colorado... -
A Scone of Contention by Lucy Burdette
Rated: 3.98 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA murderer's out to spoil Hayley's honeymoon in national bestselling author Lucy Burdette's eleventh Key West Food Critic Mystery. Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow and her groom, police detective Nathan Bransford, thought Scotland was the ideal destination for two newlyweds... -
One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak comes a novel about finding family in unexpected places and the lifelong bonds that don’t need a lifetime to forge When Serenity Alston swabbed her cheek for 23andMe, she joked about uncovering some dark ancestral scandal. The last thing she expected was to discover two half sisters she didn’t know existed... -
Reading Between the Lies by Lynn Cahoon
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBookshop owner Rarity Cole is living her best life after surviving cancer—hosting book clubs, classes, and parties at her store, The Next Chapter, and giving back to her community in Sedona, Arizona. But an awkward outing to an art gallery is about to add a dark slant to the picture . . -
Breakthrough by Michael C. Grumley
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsONE OF THE GREATEST BREAKTHROUGHS IN HUMAN HISTORY. A SECRET THAT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE FOUND. AND A CRISIS THAT CANNOT BE STOPPED.Deep in the Caribbean Sea, a nuclear submarine is forced to suddenly abort its mission under mysterious circumstances... -
See How She Dies by Lisa Jackson
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLondon Danvers was kidnapped as a child from her wealthy family. Over the years, many women have claimed to be the long-lost heiress. Now Adria Nash has arrived in Oregon, claiming to be London - but she's different. She knows personal details only London could have known. And there is someone who does believe her . . -
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao
Rated: 3.64 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this laugh-out-loud murder mystery, three women dating the same man band together to get revenge, but when they discover his body, they'll need to solve his murder before they go down for it.The body in the closet was going to be a problem. Kathryn Hu knew it...Categorized as:
mystery suspense heroine sleuth new adult humor contemporary science fiction length-medium -
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Singer Distance by Ethan Chatagnier
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe odds of the planet next door hosting intelligent life are—that’s not luck. That’s a miracle. It means something.In December 1960, Crystal Singer, her boyfriend Rick, and three other MIT grad students take a cross-country road trip from Boston to Arizona to paint a message in the desert... -
A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper
A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a marriage proposal planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two).Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving...Categorized as:
suspense mystery contemporary humor science fiction heroine sleuth length-medium behind-doors -
Murder at Madame Tussauds: The gripping historical whodunnit by Jim Eldridge
Rated: 3.87 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLondon, 1896. Madame Tussauds opens to find one of its nightwatchmen decapitated and his colleague nowhere to be found. To the police, the case seems one killed the other and fled, but workers at the museum aren't convinced and Scotland Yard enlists 'The Museum Detectives' Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton to aid the investigation... -
The Forever Summer by Jamie Brenner
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 34 ratings*A USA Today Bestseller* Named one of Coastal Living's 50 Best Books for the Beach, one of Fort Worth Magazine's 10 Must-Read Beach Books,one of 11 Summer Reads for "maximum vacation enjoyment" by Bustle.com and one of PopSugar's "Favorite Books of the Year (So Far)." When a DNA test reveals long-buried secrets, three generations of women reunite on Cape Cod for the homecoming of a lifetime... -
Rescued by the Robot Enforcer by Alexandra Norton
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsIn danger, protected by a faceless killing machine. I fight not just for survival, but to keep my heart in one piece.Tisha Varda is the lone witness against a crime boss who rules the city with an iron fist. When the police fail to stop multiple attempts on her life, she decides she's had she's out. Or she would be, if the cops hadn't forced a masked robot enforcer upon her to make her testify.. -
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan
In this sun-dappled mystery from New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan, a risk-averse bibliophile gets in over her head when strange notes in a book draw her into a real-life investigation. Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault. She has to be. Between her high-demand job and taking care of her grandmother and her cats, she has little time for anything else...
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