Best Selling Books by Michael Ledwidge

In the full-throttle, noir-soaked tradition of Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly, the acclaimed author of Bad Connection delivers a "powerful, fast-moving" (James Patterson) and edgy thriller pulsating with raw, urban energy. Decorated NYPD Officer John Coglin always thought his picture on the front page of the newspaper would be one for the scrapbook. That was before he had the bad luck to be forced into a witness-free, kill-or-be-killed confrontation with a drug-dealing thug. It''s of no help to him that the incident took place during the run-up to a bitter mayoral election campaign, and that his adversary was sixteen years old and black. Now, instead of another commendation, Coglin is staring down the barrel of a media- and politics-stoked murder rap. But on the eve of his sure conviction arrives a fateful telephone call. It''s not the governor, but his long-lost uncle, Aidan O''Connell. A veteran of the IRA and a recently released guest of San Quentin Penitentiary for armed-to-the-teeth robbery, Aidan offers his nephew a pardon that has nothing to do with lawyers. Coglin is about to find out that the type of amnesty Uncle Aidan is proposing is the kind that involves a beautiful but dangerous Mafia widow, a car trunk full of M-16s, and thirty million dollars in jewels smack dab in the middle of Rockefeller Center. Before the Devil Knows You''re Dead is a highly entertaining, deliciously gritty, super-fast thriller that takes us on a cutthroat ride into an urban realm where criminal intent collides head-on with the vagaries of fate and the inscrutabilities of the human heart.

“Flawless”—James Patterson The explosive new thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of James Patterson’s Michael Bennett series When a Gulfstream jet goes down in the Bahamas carrying a fortune in cash and ill-gotten diamonds, expat diving instructor Michael Gannon is the only person on the scene. Assuming himself the beneficiary of a drug deal gone bad, Gannon thinks he’s home free with the sudden windfall until he realizes he forgot to ask one simple question. Who were the six dead men on the plane? Gannon soon learns the answer to that fateful question as he is thrust into an increasingly complex and deadly game of cat and mouse with a group of the world’s most powerful and dangerous men who will stop at nothing to catch him. But as the walls close in, Gannon reveals a few secrets of his own. Before he retired to the islands, Gannon had another life, one with a lethal set of skills that he must now call back to the surface if he wants to make it out alive. As a decade-long James Patterson writing partner, Michael Ledwidge is a pro at writing fast-paced, in-the-moment prose, tightly choreographed action set pieces and plot twists that drop at exactly the right moment. With this novel, he kicks off an unstoppable, gripping new thriller series. Don''t miss Michael Ledwidge''s upcoming novel, Run for Cover!

A one-night stand spirals into a web of dark secrets in James Patterson''s steamy thriller of love, lust, and murder. Lauren Stillwell is not your average damsel in distress. When the NYPD cop discovers her husband leaving a hotel with another woman, she decides to beat him at his own game. But her revenge goes dangerously awry, and she finds her world spiraling into a hell that becomes more terrifying by the hour. In a further twist of fate, Lauren must take on a job that threatens everything she stands for. Now, she''s paralyzed by a deadly secret that could tear her life apart. With her job and marriage on the line, Lauren''s desire for retribution becomes a lethal inferno as she fights to save her livelihood-and her life. Patterson takes us on a twisting roller-coaster ride of thrills in his most gripping novel yet. This story of love, lust and dangerous secrets will have readers'' hearts pounding to the very last page.

“I''ve said this before, and I''ll keep saying it - Michael Ledwidge is the real deal! You''ll thank me for getting you to read Run for Cover. I read it in a day. Great characters, great storytelling, great Ledwidge." -James Patterson The next installment in the pulse-pounding Gannon series, featuring murder, intrigue and a deadly new mystery that may just be his last… Fresh from a lethal entanglement with some of the deepest and darkest players in the global intelligence services, Michael Gannon heads to the safest place he can think of: deep in the wilds of Utah on the ranch of one of his oldest and closest war buddies. But when his friend’s brother is found dead in the rocky foothills of Grand Teton, Gannon realizes there are some things more important than keeping your head down. Is his death just one in a string of grisly murders mysteriously occurring around national parks—or a part of something even more sinister? Flushed from cover, Gannon soon finds himself teamed up with tenacious FBI agent Kit Hagen on the trail of a dangerous mystery and a head-on collision course with a ruthless killer whose skills at war are as deadly as they come.

As he faces a devastating personal loss, Detective Michael Bennett is about to take on the most sinister challenge of his career: a kidnapping crisis that could destroy the most powerful people in America. The nation has fallen into mourning after the unexpected death of a beloved former First Lady, and the most powerful people in the world gather in New York for her funeral. Then the inconceivable occurs: Billionaires, politicians, and superstars of every kind are suddenly trapped within one man''s brilliant and ruthless scenario. Bennett, father of ten, is pulled into the fray. As the danger escalates, Michael is hit with devastating news: After fighting for many years, his wife has succumbed to a terrible disease. As New York descends into chaos, Bennett has lost the great love of his life and faces raising his ten devastated children alone-and rescuing 34 hostages. Day after day, Bennett confronts the most ruthless man he has ever dealt with, a man who kills without hesitation and counters everything the NYPD and FBI throw at him with impunity. As the entire world watches and the tension boils to a searing heat, Bennett has to find a way out-or face responsibility for the greatest debacle in history.

Alex Cross has Washington, D. C. The Women''s Murder Club has San Francisco. Detective Michael Bennett has all of New York City, chaos capital of the world. The son of one of New York''s wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. But this kidnapper isn''t demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury . . . and wrong answers are fatal. Detective Michael Bennett heads the investigation. With ten kids of his own, he can''t understand what could lead someone to target anyone''s children. When another student from a powerful family disappears, the FBI sends in its top abduction specialist: Agent Emily Parker. Bennett''s job and love life suddenly get even more complicated. Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI''s intrusion on his case, the killer mastermind changes his routine. His plan leads up to the most devastating demonstration yet: one that could bring cataclysmic ruin to every inch of New York City.

In this thrilling novel from the world’s #1 bestselling author, a crime lord has declared war on America—and only Detective Michael Bennett knows why. Manuel Perrine doesn''t fear anyone or anything. A charismatic, ruthless strongman, he slaughters rivals as effortlessly as he wears his trademark white linen suits. Detective Michael Bennett is the only U.S. official ever to succeed in putting Perrine behind bars. But now Perrine is out—and vows to find and kill Bennett and everyone dear to him. Bennett and his ten adopted children are living on a secluded California farm, guarded by the FBI''s witness protection program. Soon Perrine begins a campaign of assassinations, brazenly slaughtering powerful individuals across the country. The FBI has no clue where Perrine is hiding or how he is orchestrating his attacks, forcing Bennett to risk it all: his career, his family, and even his life. With intensity, speed, and explosive action rivaling James Bond movies at their best-and featuring one of the most complex and chilling villains ever created—Gone is James Patterson at his astounding best.

From bestselling team James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, Nina Bloom must confront the killer she thought she escaped forever to save the life of an innocent man. The perfect life A successful lawyer and loving mother, Nina Bloom would do anything to protect the life she''s built in New York--including lying to everyone, even her daughter, about her past. But when an innocent man is framed for murder, she knows that she can''t let him pay for the real killer''s crimes. The perfect lie Nina''s secret life began 18 years ago. She had looks to die for, a handsome police-officer husband, and a carefree life in Key West. When she learned she was pregnant with their first child, her happiness was almost overwhelming. But Nina''s world is shattered when she unearths a terrible secret that causes her to run for her life and change her identity. The perfect way to die Now, years later, Nina risks everything she''s earned to return to Florida and confront the murderous evil she fled. In a story of wrenching suspense, James Patterson gives us his most head-spinning, action-filled story yet--a Hitchcock-like blend of unquenchable drama and pleasure.

Detective Mike Bennett takes on New York''s most terrifying epidemic in James Patterson''s gripping blockbuster novel. A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York''s elite, it is a call to terror. Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. As time ticks down and his children fall ill, he has only hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the world''s #1 writer, discover an electrifying story of action, thrills, and heart-stopping suspense.

NYC''s #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem-the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified! When a rash of horrifying crimes tears through the city, the city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside retreat with his ten adopted children. Not only does it tear apart their vacation, it leaves the entire family open to attack. Immediately, it becomes clear that the crimes are not the work of an amateur, but of a calculating, efficient, and deadly mastermind. Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Emily Parker. As his affection for Emily grows into something stronger, his relationship with the nanny takes an unexpected turn. All too soon, another appalling crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer''s pattern and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan. From the creator of the #1 New York detective series comes the most volatile and most explosive Michael Bennett novel ever.

THE NEXT THRILLER BY THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING COAUTHOR OF JAMES PATTERSON''S MICHAEL BENNETT SERIES While he''s hiding out off the grid on a trout stream in the middle of rural New England, the last thing Mike Gannon is looking for is any more trouble. But then he bumps into an old girlfriend who is an investigator up from New York City looking into the mysterious death of a student at a nearby prestigious college. And soon what Mike wants and what he’s about to get become two very different things. First a whistleblower comes forward with evidence of a deadly scandal. Then shortly after arrives a group of dangerous men who will do anything to keep secrets buried. Then the lights go out. No Safe Place is Mike Gannon’s most nail-biting, most hair-raising, most suspenseful and satisfying and thrilling adventure yet.

In this New York Times bestseller, Detective Michael Bennett must race against time to save New York City from chaos by tracking down the source of two mysterious attacks. New Yorkers aren''t easily intimidated, but someone is doing their best to scare them, badly: why? After two inexplicable high-tech attacks, the city that never sleeps is on edge. Detective Michael Bennett, along with his old pal, the FBI''s Emily Parker, have to catch the shadowy criminals who claim responsibility—but they''re as good at concealing their identities as they are at wreaking havoc. In the wake of a shocking assassination, Bennett begins to suspect that these mysterious events are just the prelude to the biggest threat of all. Soon he''s racing against the clock, and against the most destructive enemy he''s faced yet, to save his beloved city—before everyone''s worst nightmare becomes a reality.

In James Patterson''s pulse-racing New York Times bestseller, violent animal attacks are destroying entire cities-and two unlikely heroes must save the world before it''s too late. All over the world, brutal animal attacks are crippling entire cities. Jackson Oz, a young biologist, watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the violence to come becomes terrifyingly clear. With the help of ecologist Chloe Tousignant, Oz races to warn world leaders before it''s too late. The attacks are growing in ferocity, cunning, and planning, and soon there will be no place left for humans to hide. For 36 years, James Patterson has written unputdownable, pulse-racing novels-and Zoo is the thriller he was born to write. With wildly inventive imagination and white-knuckle suspense that rivals Stephen King at his very best, Zoo is an epic, non-stop thrill-ride from "one of the best of the best" (Time).

A crime lord has declared war on America. Only Detective Michael Bennett knows why. Manuel Perrine doesn''t fear anyone or anything. A charismatic and ruthless leader, Perrine slaughters rivals as effortlessly as he wears his trademark white linen suit. Detective Michael Bennett once managed to put Perrine behind bars, the only official in the US ever to accomplish that. But now Perrine is out, and he has sworn to find and kill Bennett and everyone dear to him. Detective Bennett, along with his ten adopted children, their nanny, and his grandfather, are hidden safely on a rural California farm, with guards courtesy of the FBI''s witness protection program. Perrine begins to embark on an escalating series of assassinations across the country, killings whose brazenness and audacity bring into question the possibility of safety and law in the US. The FBI has no choice but to ask Detective Bennett to risk it all in Perrine''s war on America. With explosive action and fierce villainy that rivals James Bond movies at their best, GONE is the next astounding novel by James Patterson.

The next pulse-pounding Michael Gannon thriller by the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of James Patterson''s Michael Bennett series It''s springtime in Key West, and Michael Gannon is busy supporting his son’s dreams of making it in minor league baseball. But a late-night encounter with a seemingly harmless Australian at a dive bar turns deadly when Gannon unwittingly becomes the prime suspect in a convenience store shoot-out. Seeking the mysterious Australian to clear his name, Gannon uncovers a deadly conspiracy involving a global banker on the run from a shadow paramilitary force that will go to any lengths to stop him. From the Florida Keys to Wall Street, Gannon’s quest for answers takes him deep into the middle of a deadly game of power where one wrong move could be his last. Closing Time is Michael Gannon''s most pulse-pounding and audacious adventure yet.

Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents'' footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence of Earth and another planet are at stake.

Detective Michael Bennett finally returns to New York City—and to the most unsettling, horrific case of his career in this #1 New York Times bestseller. At last, Detective Michael Bennett and his family are coming home to New York City. Thanks to Bennett, the ruthless crime lord whose vengeful mission forced the Bennett family into hiding has been brought down for good. Back in the city that never sleeps, Bennett takes over a chaotic Outreach Squad in Harlem, where he receives an unusual call: a man claims to have seen a group of well-dressed men holding a bizarre party in a condemned building. With no clear crime or evidence, Bennett dismisses the report. But when a charred body is found in that very same building, he is forced to take the demented caller seriously—and is drawn into an underground criminal world of terrifying depravity.

A Honey Pop November TBR Pick! "The Girl in the Vault is Ledwidge''s best."—James Patterson They stole her dream. Now getting it back will take… The perfect crime. It’s summer in New York City and Faye Walker has it all. She’s not only scored one of the most highly coveted internships in all of Wall Street, she’s also just met the head-over-heels love of her life. With her natural-born gift for numbers and a work ethic that knows no bounds, Faye is a shoo-in for a full-time position at the illustrious merchant bank Greene Brothers Hale. Then, just as she awaits her offer and her signing bonus, a treacherous betrayal arrives to shatter Faye’s plans and her young life. But what her high finance masters-of-the-universe bosses don’t know is that Faye isn’t like any of the other interns. Having made her way past her humble small-town beginnings, for Faye, going back is not an option. That’s why Faye now has a new plan. One that involves Swiss watch timing, nerves of steel and ten million dollars in cold hard Wall Street cash.

"Michael Ledwidge writing solo is even better than Michael Ledwidge and James Patterson. Beach Wedding is his best yet. Incredible wealth, beach houses, murder, dysfunctional families—how can you beat all that? READ THIS BOOK!" —James Patterson on Beach Wedding A high-society wedding party stirs up new evidence in an unsolved murder in this thrilling stand-alone from the New York Times bestselling coauthor of James Patterson’s Now You See Her and The Quickie. Hamptons sand… Hamptons money… Hamptons murder… When Terry Rourke is invited to the spare-no-expense beach wedding of his hedge fund manager brother, he thinks that his biggest worry will be flubbing the champagne toast. But this isn’t the first time Terry has been to the Hamptons. As the designer tuxedos are laid out and the flowers arranged along the glittering surf, Terry can’t help but take another look at a decades-old murder trial that rocked the very foundations of the town—and his family. He soon learns that digging up billion-dollar sand can be a very dangerous activity. The kind of danger that can very quickly turn even the most beautiful beach wedding into a wake.