Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved a good crime drama/suspense thriller novel–the way they keep you glued to the pages, and you think you’ll just sit down for a quick couple of chapters before dinner, and the next thing you realize, it's 12am, and you’re on the last chapter. The depth of the character studies that you get with this genre is the other reason I enjoy it so much, there’s nothing worse than having main characters that are one dimensional and unreachable as a reader. I have always tried to create this kind of character depth and gripping narrative in my own books.


I wrote

Steele's Eden: Part One

By Kaeleb LD Appleby,

Book cover of Steele's Eden: Part One

What is my book about?

Reinhart Steele returns to the city of Eden to unravel his father's murder and expose the corrupt control the syndicate…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Jade City

Kaeleb LD Appleby Why did I love this book?

What I enjoyed most about this book was the story and plot that the author wove together.

This story takes thrilling, unexpected twists that kept me engaged with the characters and the plot. Its intensity is matched by its excellent pacing, delivering surprises at every turn.

Just when I thought I'd figured out where it's headed, it veers in another direction.

By Fonda Lee,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Jade City as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD

'An epic drama reminiscent of the best classic Hong Kong gangster films but set in a fantasy metropolis so gritty and well-imagined that you'll forget you're reading a book' KEN LIU

'Gripping!' ANN LECKIE, author of Ancillary Justice and The Raven Tower

'Lee's astute worldbuilding raises the stakes for her vivid and tautly-described action scenes' SCOTT LYNCH, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora

*****Shortlisted for the Nebula Awards, the Locus Awards, the Aurora Awards, the Sunburst Awards and an Amazon.com Best Book of the Month*****

TWO CRIME FAMILIES, ONE SOURCE OF POWER: JADE.…


Book cover of The Devotion of Suspect X

Kaeleb LD Appleby Why did I love this book?

What I liked most about this book was the cat-and-mouse game between the two main characters, who are both geniuses and friends.

One is the murderer doing everything he can to derail the investigation, and the other is the lead investigator. The interactions between the two characters are brilliant, and the author's delving deep into the psyches of both of them is incredibly well done. 

By Keigo Higashino, Alexander O Smith (translator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Devotion of Suspect X as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now a major motion picture on Netflix, Jaane Jaan

Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor. Overhearing the commotion, Yasuko's next door neighbor, middle-aged high school mathematics teacher Ishigami, offers his help, disposing not only of the body but plotting the cover-up step-by-step.
When the body turns up and is identified, Detective Kusanagi draws the case…


Book cover of The Godfather

Kaeleb LD Appleby Why did I love this book?

I really liked the way Puzo really nails the intricate plot with his straightforward writing style. He takes you through intricate events that jump around in time, keeping you hooked and on the edge of your seat.

The progression of the characters is another great bit. As a reader, you watch as Michael turns from a war hero with the potential to be a great guy into a ruthless mafia boss, almost as if it were destiny or repercussions for his father’s mistakes. 

By Mario Puzo,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked The Godfather as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

_________________________________
The classic novel that inspired 'the greatest crime film of all time'

Tyrant, blackmailer, racketeer, murderer - his influence reaches every level of American society. Meet Don Corleone, a friendly man, a just man, a reasonable man. The deadliest lord of the Cosa Nostra. The Godfather.

But no man can stay on top forever, not when he has enemies on both sides of the law. As the ageing Vito Corleone nears the end of a long life of crime, his sons must step up to manage the family business. Sonny Corleone is an old hand, while World War II…


Book cover of Death Note, Vol. 1

Kaeleb LD Appleby Why did I love this book?

I enjoy everything about this series, particularly the main protagonist and antagonist. However, the lines between the two are very blurred, and that’s another great thing about it.

I loved the way Light planned everything out meticulously and then the way L would counter—like a gripping game of chess almost.  

That might sound a little boring, but this series is far from dull. 

By Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Death Note, Vol. 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Noteto rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?

Light tests…


Book cover of And Then There Were None

Kaeleb LD Appleby Why did I love this book?

I like how Agatha Christie takes a darker turn in this book. Most of the time, I associate her works with a comfortable crime mystery, but that is not the case with this title. The mind games and mystery created within these pages made for an enthralling read that kept me guessing to the end.

The other aspect I loved was how the environment and setting were really a character all of their own and had a profound effect on the characters there on the island, as well as the reader.

By Agatha Christie,

Why should I read it?

18 authors picked And Then There Were None as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Agatha Christie's world-famous mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.

Ten strangers, apparently with little in common, are lured to an island mansion off the coast of Devon by the mysterious U.N.Owen. Over dinner, a record begins to play, and the voice of an unseen host accuses each person of hiding a guilty secret. That evening, former reckless driver Tony Marston is found murdered by a deadly dose of cyanide.

The tension escalates as the survivors realise the killer is not only among them but…


Explore my book 😀

Steele's Eden: Part One

By Kaeleb LD Appleby,

Book cover of Steele's Eden: Part One

What is my book about?

Reinhart Steele returns to the city of Eden to unravel his father's murder and expose the corrupt control the syndicate of Sovereign has over it. Entangled with The Company, a criminal cartel ruling the city's underbelly, Steele navigates a perilous game between mob bosses Jimmy Peirce and Clara Causewell. 

A game of cat and mouse ensues as he delves deeper into Sovereign's web and The Company’s influence, leading to a final showdown that will redefine Eden's power structure. Family ties unravel, old loyalties crumble, and Steele faces a truth darker than imagined.

Book cover of Jade City
Book cover of The Devotion of Suspect X
Book cover of The Godfather

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You might also like...

Defection in Prague

By Ray C Doyle,

Book cover of Defection in Prague

Ray C Doyle Author Of Lara's Secret

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing for many years, and my main preference is political thrillers with criminal overtones. I first became interested in politics when I worked at several political conferences in the 60’s and 70’s. I have been involved in several criminal cases, including my own, and within my family, I have a nephew in the police force. For many years I have had the opportunity to mix with the upper tiers of society as well as the criminal classes and this has given me great insight into creating my characters and plots.

Ray's book list on mysteries with complicated plots and risky characters

What is my book about?

Pete West, a political columnist, travels to Prague to find a missing diplomat, later found murdered. He attempts to discover more about a cryptic note received from the diplomat and is immediately entangled in the secret Bilderberg Club’s strategy to form a world federation.

Pete meets a Czechian agent who wants asylum. She has a murdered EU Commissioner’s diary containing clues to the civil unrest planned by the club, encrypted in algebraic chess notations. West seeks answers and links up with retired MI6 officer Tosh. While escaping would-be captors, they decode enough chess moves to reveal the anarchy of the…

Defection in Prague

By Ray C Doyle,

What is this book about?

Pete West, a political columnist, travels to Prague to find a missing diplomat, later found murdered. He attempts to discover more about a cryptic note received from the diplomat and is immediately entangled in the secret Bilderberg Club’s strategy to form a world federation.

Pete meets a Czechian agent who wants asylum. She has a murdered EU Commissioner’s diary containing clues to the civil unrest planned by the club, encrypted in algebraic chess notations. West seeks answers and links up with retired MI6 officer Tosh. While escaping would-be captors, they decode enough chess moves to reveal the anarchy of the…


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