Most Anticipated Book Releases Fall & Winter 2016: Mystery & Suspense

Pointe and Shoot by Alison Stone (Waterfall Press, Oct 4) – Jayne Murphy has always put family first. That’s why she abandoned her dream of joining the police force to run her ailing mother’s dance studio.

When one of the studio’s most talented instructors dies in a car crash, Jayne isn’t convinced it was just an accident. Relentlessly pursuing her hunch, she teams up with Officer Danny Nolan, the best friend and partner of her brother Patrick, who died in the line of duty. Haunted by Patrick’s death, Danny has begun to question whether he should still be a cop at all.

As Jayne digs deeper, suspects emerge, including the victim’s clingy ex-boyfriend and a jealous foe from the cutthroat dance world. Her evolving insights into the case rekindle Jayne’s passion for police work. Danny, too, feels a renewed sense of purpose…and a definite attraction to his unofficial partner, which seems to be mutual. Now, if Jayne can only keep herself out of harm’s way, she and Danny both might get a second chance—with their careers and each other.  Goodreads | Amazon

Lakeside Peril by Lenora Worth (Love Inspired Suspense, Oct 4) – Chloe Conrad suspects foul play in the plane crash that killed her sister—and she’s determined to hire private investigator Hunter Lawson to prove it. But convincing the former Special Forces operative to help isn’t easy, especially since he blames her family for his sister’s death.

Hunter sees something familiar in Chloe’s hunt for justice—and he can’t leave her unprotected when he realizes the killer’s switched focus to her.

As they search for clues, he’s beginning to wonder if his enemy’s daughter could be the person who helps him heal from his painful past. But neither of them will have a future unless they find a way to unravel the twisted conspiracy that threatens both their lives…  Goodreads | Amazon

Abducted by Dana Mentink (Love Inspired Suspense, Nov 8) – When the high school sweetheart she never expected to see again bursts through the door of her medical mission clinic, nurse Sarah Gallagher can’t hold back her shock.

But Dominic Jett isn’t there to catch up. He’s trying to save a life, and the thugs on his tail will stop at nothing to catch him.

Now abducted and imprisoned on a remote island, Sarah and Jett become pawns in a tug-of-war between a powerful drug lord and a devious madman. And their only chance for survival is working together to find the valuable painting the dangerous men are searching for.

But with someone trying to kill them at every turn, can they locate it in time to keep their reunion from turning fatal?  Goodreads | Amazon

Finding Margo by Jen Turano (Gilead, Nov 15) – International pop star Margo Hartman could use a night off. A grueling tour and overbearing entourage have sent her over the edge. It’s time for this diva to disappear. And who would think to look for the superstar in a small Dutch town in Ohio?

Sheriff’s deputy Brock Moore is undercover as well. He knows Margo isn’t who she appears to be, but her uncanny resemblance to a local Amish woman is raising all sorts of questions…the kind that make her a target for a killer.

Both are determined to find answers, but their mutual attraction stands in the way of either of them doing it alone. Is finding Margo the solution to Brock’s problems or just the beginning…?  Goodreads | Amazon

Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl (Bethany House, Nov 1) – Mercy Brennan followed in her father’s footsteps in a law enforcement career, but she has no interest in any other connection to him. A U.S. Marshal in St. Louis, Missouri, she’s assigned to a joint task force with the St. Louis PD that puts her back into contact with her father and in the sights of St. Louis’s most powerful gang.

When the gang has reason to believe Mercy has possession of some highly sensitive and incriminating information, her boss assigns Mark St. Laurent–a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Mercy’s ex-boyfriend–to get her out of town until they can guarantee her safety.

Initially unaware of the danger she’s in and uncomfortable working with Mark, Mercy’s frustration escalates when she discovers the extent her boss and Mark have been keeping her in the dark. It isn’t until a freak ice storm hits, stranding them at a remote location and out of contact with the district office, that the full severity of their situation becomes clear. As the storm worsens, the forces of nature combine with a deadly enemy closing in to put their lives at imminent risk. Can they survive long enough for help to arrive–if help is even coming at all?  Goodreads | Amazon

Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig (Bethany House, Dec 6) – Four years after a tragic mission decimated his career and his team, Cole “Tox” Russell is persona non grata to the United States. And that’s fine–he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action.

Partnered with FBI agent Kasey Cortes, Tox has to pull together a team to begin a globe-spanning search for answers–and a cure. As their quest leads them from continent to continent, it slowly becomes clear they’re not just fighting a plague–but battling against an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden.

With time running out and opposition growing on every side, the key to everything may rest in an antique codex, the Crown of Jerusalem–but will Tox and his team be able to trust each other enough to break this century-spanning conspiracy of silence?  Goodreads | Amazon

Christmas Conspiracy by Susan Sleeman (Love Inspired Suspense, Dec 1) – It’s a typical day at Rachael Long’s day-care center—until a masked gunman tries to abduct one of the children in her charge.

First response commander Jake Marsh manages to diffuse the situation before anyone is harmed…but not before Rachael unmasks the would-be kidnapper.

Now Jake must lead a manhunt and protect Rachael from the criminal who’s turned his focus on her.

But the case is reawakening painful memories for Jake, and Rachael’s treating emotional wounds of her own.

And with danger mounting as Christmas nears, they must learn to let go of the past in order to outwit a killer…and find the peace that’s always eluded them both.  Goodreads | Amazon

Classified Christmas Mission by Lynette Eason (Love Inspired Suspense, Dec 1) – Days before Christmas, CIA agent Amber Starke is on the run with her murdered best friend’s special-needs son. And they’re next on his criminal father’s hit list.

Amber failed her undercover mission to bring down her friend’s husband for his crimes, but she won’t fail to protect her friend’s son.

Now that the killer knows she’s not just a nanny but an agent, she must rely on her childhood crush, Deputy Lance Goode.

The handsome lawman was burned in love by his first wife, who was killed while evading the law. But he’ll do everything he can to help Amber, except offer his heart. Unlocking the secrets in Amber’s autistic charge is the key to their survival, but with the killer on their trail, one mistake could cost them their lives.  Goodreads | Amazon