Most Popular Paperback Books in Mystery & Thrillers

Determined to protect herself from the horrors of her childhood, a young woman finds her remote island refuge terrorized by ruthless mercenaries and heads to the open seas in a perilous race against time to find the site of a lost city before it is too late. Reprint.

Now in a mass market edition, George D. Shuman’s third riveting thriller featuring Sherry Moore, a blind psychic who can see the final moments of a dead person’s life. Blind psychic Sherry Moore is summoned to the Caribbean by a mysterious and powerful philanthropist to find the murderous kingpin of a human trafficking network. Frantically searching for clues in the remote jungles of Haiti, she finds a legendary voodoo priest—a man with abilities eerily similar to her own.

Homicide police detective Nan Vining and her partner and lover, Jim Kissick, arrive at the Berryhill compound, a healing ground for the rich and famous, to investigate several high-profile murders that are linked to Vining''s own mother, who was a friend to one of the victims. Original.

A follow-up to 18 Seconds finds blind psychic Sherry Moore as she telepathically witnesses the brutal acts committed by a ruthless serial killer from the perspective of the final moments of his victims. Reprint.

When the residents of a French Alpine village accuse a beardless local of being a werewolf and killing a sheep breeder, eccentric Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg teams up with his ex-girlfriend, the victim''s adopted son, and a shepherd to investigate clues linked to the village''s history. Original. 17,500 first printing.

Desperate to become a priest in the Catholic Church, Aleksandra Kowalski turns to Thomas Patrick O''Reilly, one of the wealthiest and most successful trial lawyers in Houston, Texas. Tommy believes the Catholic Church has no basis under United States law to exclude women from the seminary and files suit against the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and Archbishop Jorge Sierra for sex discrimination without justifiable cause. The Catholic Church hires Monsignor Enrico Renzulli, the General Counsel of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops. Renzulli, a priest and Harvard-educated attorney, has substantial trial experience and has taken on and beaten lawyers considerably smarter than O''Reilly. He believes the lawsuit should be summarily dismissed because the First Amendment of the United States Constitution grants all citizens the freedom of religion, and it prevents a federal court from interfering with the ecclesiastical rules of any church, including the Catholic Church. But watching and waiting in the wings is an extreme and tyrannical sect unaffiliated with the Catholic Church. As the trial unfolds and the legal proceedings begin to undermine the sacred Catholic Church teaching, a right-wing extremist and a member of the Holy Mother Church concocts a plot to stop the heresy against God that includes kidnapping and murder. Will the First Amendment protect the Catholic Church and supersede all? Will Tommy O''Reilly come through? Will Aleksandra Kowalski survive this ordeal? Find out in R.A. Brown''s gripping legal thriller,Created Equal.

"Fans of TV''s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation should be in heaven" (People) stepping into the world of forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan, star of Kathy Reichs''s electrifyingly authentic bestsellers. Her life is devoted to justice -- for those she never even knew. In the year since Temperance Brennan left behind a shaky marriage in North Carolina, work has often preempted her weekend plans to explore Quebec. When a female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in trash bags, Tempe detects an alarming pattern -- and she plunges into a harrowing search for a killer. But her investigation is about to place those closest to her -- her best friend and her own daughter -- in mortal danger....

Discovering the skeleton of a young girl in the neighborhood of a childhood best friend who had gone missing thirty years earlier, Tempe Brennan investigates suspicions that the victim and her friend are one and the same and that the case is related to two other unsolved deaths. Reprint.

Next to Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, no other place on Earth holds as much esoteric symbolism as France''s Rennes le Ch''teau. Its location and design are the subjects of countless rumors, myths, and legends. Mysteries of Templar Treasure and the Holy Grail, formerly published as The Secrets of Rennes le Chateau, delves into the reality behind the action and adventure of The Da Vinci Code. Rennes le Chateau has plenty of secrets: buried treasure, unsolved murders, supernatural powers, codes on parchments and tombstones, not to mention clues concealed in statues and paintings, enigmatic priests who controlled immense wealth, and secret societies that are still active today. The authors survey the arcane history and secrets of Rennes le Chateau, including its relationship to the Merovingian bloodline of Christ. The Chateau is a possible location of an immense treasure, such as a Templar, Cathar, or Priory of Sion hoard. The final resting place of a famous artifact like the Ark of the Covenant, the Spear of Longinus, the Emerald Tablets of Hermes Trismegistus- or even the Holy Grail. The authors also examine Rennes le Chateau''s proximity to Cathar and Templar fortresses, its mystical layout, and its location on the same Paris meridian as so many other esoteric mysteries. Extensive appendices in the book offer possible solutions to secret cryptograms, point out odd connections and commonalities between Rennes le Chateau and J.R.R. Tolkien''s Lord of the Rings, and suggest the possibility of fourth-dimension/tesseract implications.

Receiving evidence that a plane crash that killed his wife may not have been an actual event and that she may still be alive, Cork O''Connor travels to Wyoming to investigate allegations about the pilot''s identity and is confronted by a series of deadly interferences.

Robin, too poor to purchase a prom gown, is unable to resist secretly borrowing the beautiful lace dress she found hanging in her elderly employer''s attic, and discovers too late that the dress is cursed.

More than fifty years after members of an archaeological team are found murdered after making a truly amazing discovery, an Israeli and Palestinian team up to solve the mystery.

LAPD homicide detective Alex Hartwick tackles a perplexing case in which all the victims in a series of murders are on the FBI''s Most Wanted list, a situation that is further complicated when his own nephew is implicated. Reprint.

When Regency novelist and amateur sleuth Jane Austen is sent by Lord Trowbridge to Netley Abbey to retrieve secretly a parcel hidden among the ruins, she gets more than she had bargained for when she also stumbles upon a dying man. By the author of Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House. Reprint.

Working as an assistant camera operator for a major news network, Rune discovers a tape in the network''s archives of a man convicted of murder, and, convinced of his innocence, she begins resurrecting the old murder case.

Unwittingly entered into a dangerous contest along with his young daughter, doctor Stephen Swain is placed into the labyrinth of the New York Public Library from which only one of seven contestants will emerge alive. Reprint.

The discovery of the body of an unknown rape and murder victim sends Detective Inspector Beck of the Stockholm Homicide Squad on a six-month search to determine the identity of the victim and her killer from among dozens of suspects. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.

Erin reluctantly accompanies her family on a summer vacation, during which she meets Sam, the mysterious boy in Room 13 at the Arcadia Inn who is capable of making her wishes come true. Original.

When the man accused of killing a cop is found hanging in his cell, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Holden investigates a bizarre case involving drugs, money, sex, and corruption. Reprint. NYT.

Struggling to remain sober and overcome a debt to a local thug, Jack Taylor accepts a job tracking down a woman who once befriended the thug''s mother, an assignment that proves increasingly challenging and dangerous. By the author of The Killing of the Tinkers. 35,000 first printing.

When a local artist she has recently met is found slumped over the murdered body of a woman, librarian and bookmobile driver Minnie Hamilton investigates in order to clear his name and catch the real killer.

Criminal investigating officer Hanne Wilhelmsen considers the possibility of a serial killer as she tracks down a series of numbers written in blood appearing on walls all over Oslo in this new novel from the author of 1222. Original. 30,000 first printing.

During her resort''s "Mayhem and Mystery Week," Jane finds herself investigating a real murder when the winner of the scavenger hunt is found dead.

Awakening to Awe is a self-help meditation on one of the most profound experiences of living—the sense of awe. Awe is the humility and wonder—amazement—before creation. It is also an attitude that can be both healing and life-transforming, particularly in our "awe-depleted" age. Through an in depth focus on people''s life stories (including that of the author), this volume explores the nature and power of awe for individuals, for societies, and for the potential course of humanity.

Investigating the death of a fellow tribe member, Charlie Moon hopes that the victim''s senator boss will be forthcoming with information and wonders how the disappearance of a young college student may be related. Reprint.

When his wife, an investigative reporter working on a story about Germany and possible Cold War secrets, and their young daughter are killed by a car bomb, John Pavlak finds himself the prime suspect and sets out to find those responsible.

Driven by visions of the dead, former NYPD detective Charlie Bird Parker tracks a serial killer from New York City to the American South--and confronts a monster beyond his imagining. Reissue.

When exotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake moves into a carriage house in tony Greenwich, Connecticut, she''s hoping to find some new clients. Instead she discovers a corpse in the garden-and a knack for solving murders . . . Pet-sitter Belinda Blake doesn''t rattle easily, but move-in day has been eventful, to say the least. The python in her care tried to slither to freedom-just as she met Stone Carrington V, her landlords'' disarmingly handsome son. With the constrictor back in its cage, she heads out to the garden, only to discover a designer shoe poking out of the boxwood hedge-attached to a woman''s dead body. The victim, Margo Fenton, was a Carrington family friend, and no one in their circle seems above suspicion. Between client trips to Manhattan and visits to her family in upstate New York, Belinda begins to put the pieces together. But though she''s falling for Stone''s numerous charms, Belinda wonders if she''s cozying up to a killer. And soon, daily contact with a deadly reptile might be the least dangerous part of her life . . . "A humorous series debut with exotic pets and a zany cast of characters. Gilbert''s cozy will make you smile." -Amanda Flower, USA Today bestselling author of Premeditated Peppermint "Cozy fans will root for pet-sitter Belinda Blake as she unravels this cleverly-crafted mystery in a delightfully-deadly new series by Heather Day Gilbert." -Elizabeth Spann Craig, author of the bestselling Myrtle Clover Mysteries "Smart and fresh, with a compelling mystery at its heart, Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass is an enchanting cozy that will hook you from page one. As will amateur sleuth Belinda Blake, a delightfully original heroine you''ll want to meet again and again." -Karin Kaufman, author of the bestselling Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery Series "Snakes rank only slightly more favorably with me than spiders, leeches, and ticks. So you can imagine my surprise when, by the end of this book, the snake was my second favorite character after Belinda herself. On top of being a great book for animal-lovers (trust me, you''ll love even the snake), this was a fun read with a smart sleuth. I can''t wait to see what Belinda does next, where both pets and perps are concerned." -Emily James, award-winning and bestselling cozy mystery author

Hired as a bodyguard to faded actress Clarissa Lisle, the recent recipient of numerous death threats, Cordelia Gray accompanies the actress to an island castle, whose owner collects funeral paraphernalia.

In the first in this cat-filled cozy series, aspiring mystery author Sabrina Tate is about to discover that when it comes to solving murders, her new feline friend Hitchcock is a master of sleuthing... Sabrina has never been the superstitious type. Still, when she moves to Lavender, Texas, to write her first novel and help her Aunt Rowe manage her vacation rental business, Sabrina can''t avoid listening to the rumors that a local black cat is a jinx--especially after the stray in question leads her directly to the scene of a murder. The deceased turns out to be none other than her Aunt Rowe''s awful cousin Bobby Joe Flowers, a known cheat and womanizer who had no shortage of enemies. The only problem is that Aunt Rowe and Bobby Joe had quarreled just before the cousin turned up dead, leaving Rowe at the top of the long list of suspects. Now it''s up to Sabrina to clear her aunt''s name. Luckily for her, she''s got a new sidekick, Hitchcock the Bad Luck Cat, to help her sniff out clues and stalk a killer before Aunt Rowe winds up the victim of even more misfortune...

Lieutenant Horatio Caine and his team of forensic specialists investigate the murder of crime boss Kurt Wallace amid the underworld power struggle for control of Wallace''s Miami crime empire. Original. (A CBS television series, produced by Jerry Bruckeimer, starring David Caruso, Emily Proctor, Rory Cochrane, Adam Rodriguez, & Khandi Alexander) (Suspense)

Following the brutal rape of his ten-year-old daughter, Carl Lee Haily, a black man living in a small Mississippi town, kills the two white men accused of the crime

A blind psychic possessing an ability to see murder victims'' final moments of life, Sherry Moore is reluctantly enlisted for help by New Jersey police Lieutenant Kelly O''Shaunisy, who is being targeted for her father''s role in a freed serial killer''s capture years earlier. Reprint.

The fifth book in the Bunnicula series follows the fur-raising adventures of Harold, Chester, and Howie as they investigate strange goings-on at the "guest-home" for pets.

Determined to keep her patrons happy and well read, librarian Minnie Hamilton, along with her rescue cat, Eddie, must throw the book at a killer when one of her volunteers dies on the bookmobile''s route. By the national best-selling author of Tailing a Tabby. Original.

When the jealous wife of a local tycoon is found dead, Brandy Borne, her ever-eccentric mother, and their sleuthing shih tzu investigate clues surrounding a super-secret high society bridge group.

With his bestselling debut, Downtick, Regan C. Ashbaugh took thriller audiences by storm, drawing immediate critical comparisons to James Patterson and Thomas Harris. He earned additional praise for his exceptionally accurate portrait of Wall Street, allowing readers to experience a world Ashbaugh himself has inhabited for nearly twenty years. Now Ashbaugh returns to "the Street" he knows so well, a place where greed burns bright...but the desire to kill is the hottest flame of all. The top executives at the multibillion-dollar investment firm Morson-Grayhead are among the most powerful men on Wall Street. But all of their wealth can''t help them when a killer descends on their quiet Westchester mansions. Their wives are brutally murdered. Their homes burned to the ground. And the growing panic inside Morson-Grayhead has sent shockwaves ripping through the market. It''s up to Chief Fire Marshal Jake Ferguson, one of the shrewdest arson investigators in the tristate area, to bring this homicidal pyromaniac down. For Jake, it''s personal -- firefighters have given their lives. And each new victim rekindles the burning pain of having tragically lost his wife, Danielle, four years earlier -- a pain that''s suffocating his current relationship, Jake''s first since her death. Feeling like chum in shark-infested waters, Ferguson and his deputy dive headfirst into an investigation that opens their eyes to the high-stakes game played on Wall Street. All Ferguson knows is that there is precious little time before the killer strikes another match. Little time before he becomes the next victim. Explosive and full of shocking twists, IN THE RED cements Regan C. Ashbaugh''s place among today''s topthriller writers.

Full Length, Thriller Characters: 1 male, 4 female Scenery: Interior Mike and Liz have a rocky marriage. She is an alcoholic and he is a philanderer who is having a fling with a young neighbor and a serious affair with his wife''s doctor. Mike and Liz have a secret: years ago they left a girl dying at a hit and run accident. Mike fakes dying, hoping the shock will kill Liz, but she rushes to the clinic where the doctor finishes her off. But then Liz bursts through the door and murders her "dead" husband and the doctor kills her again, taking revenge for the death of her daughter. "Nothing absolutely nothing is what it seems in this smart, riveting ... yarn full of gut wrenching plot twists and hairpin turns ... surprising special effects and tart wit." News Journal, Wilmington. "Serves to remind you that in the right hands, live theater can provide a thrill a minute." WDEL Radio, Wilmington. "Full of thrills and spills ... One of the best plays I''ve seen." Derby Trader.

In winter 2003, at the height of a terrible blizzard, when a pile of blood-soaked children''s clothing is found on a Brooklyn beach, Russian-born New York City detective Artie Cohen is drawn into a case involving the death of one child, the disappearance of another, and the fate of his missing godson. Reprint.