Why am I passionate about this?

Since I began reading, two things have fascinated me the most, that is, history and mystery. My voracious appetite for mystery began with Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. History has always been my best subject in school. To me, history isn’t about people, achievements, and dates. It’s about lives lived through the tragedies and triumphs that we all face and can relate to. It is the origin of stories. History doesn’t have to be boring. It can be the greatest and most intriguing story that you have ever read. Mystery is history’s great friend—to convert a huge range of readers into history lovers.


I wrote...

Book cover of Wisps of Gold

What is my book about?

Rose Wood is fresh out of finishing school where her father, taken by gold fever, deserted her five years ago.…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Rebecca

Leah Lindeman Why did I love this book?

There's nothing like embroiling yourself in a mystery only to realize there is no true face to pin the secrets upon. Everyone hides secrets even those you believe you trust the most. That’s what Rebecca learns to face in her first days as the new mistress of Manderley and new wife of Maxim de Winter, a widower whose late wife’s passing is shrouded in intrigue. Do you love to keep secrets close and discover the secrets of others? This gem can be your new secret obsession.

By Daphne du Maurier,

Why should I read it?

41 authors picked Rebecca as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

* 'The greatest psychological thriller of all time' ERIN KELLY
* 'One of the most influential novels of the twentieth century' SARAH WATERS
* 'It's the book every writer wishes they'd written' CLARE MACKINTOSH

'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .'

Working as a lady's companion, our heroine's outlook is bleak until, on a trip to the south of France, she meets a handsome widower whose proposal takes her by surprise. She accepts but, whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory…


Book cover of Almost Ruth

Leah Lindeman Why did I love this book?

The small town of Asheville’s history is upheld by rituals, myths, and strange stone ruins. It beckons you to stay and be unsettled as you read of the gravedigger Abel Cunningham’s tragic story and how breaking one small rule sets off a series of unexplainable happenings that will keep you from sleep. Your heart will break, yet be comforted by Jones’s incredible prose and emotional depth.

By Tyler Jones,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Almost Ruth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ashville is a town with a secret history. Ancient structures lie hidden in the woods, and strange rituals are performed to keep the dead where they belong. For gravedigger Abel Cunningham, it is also a town filled with regrets. And when Abel is tasked with an unusual burial, he discovers there are more than just corpses in the cemetery.

Set in an unsettling vision of the Old West, Almost Ruth is the new nightmare from the author of Criterium and The Dark Side of the Room.

“Tyler Jones writes with the lyrical complexity and haunting tenderness of masters like Matheson…


Book cover of These Shallow Graves

Leah Lindeman Why did I love this book?

Jo Montfort cannot be chained by the expectations of others for long. The monumental event of her father’s “accidental” death triggers her to break free to discover the dirty truth that was once veiled in brittle glamour. A strong heroine and scandalous outings in the nights makes this read a thrilling ride to savour in the late-night hours.

By Jennifer Donnelly,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked These Shallow Graves as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

From Jennifer Donnelly, the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of A Northern Light and Revolution, comes a mystery about dark secrets, dirty truths, and the lengths to which people will go for love and revenge. For fans of Elizabeth George and Libba Bray, These Shallow Graves is the story of how much a young woman is willing to risk and lose in order to find the truth.
    Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing…


Book cover of The Woman in White

Leah Lindeman Why did I love this book?

For readers with dark tastes, what’s not to love when Gothic horror is mixed with psychological disturbances to produce an eerie classic such as the Woman in White. Two of the greatest strengths of this book is the sister relationship between Marian and Laura—the lengths Marian would go to protect her sister from injustice. The other is the fascinating villain Count Fosco.

By Wilkie Collins,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Woman in White as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.

'The woman who first gives life, light, and form to our shadowy conceptions of beauty, fills a void in our spiritual nature that has remained unknown to us till she appeared.'

One of the earliest works of 'detective' fiction with a narrative woven together from multiple characters, Wilkie Collins partly based his infamous novel on a real-life eighteenth century case of abduction and wrongful imprisonment. In 1859, the story caused a sensation with its readers, hooking their attention with the ghostly first scene where the mysterious 'Woman in White'…


Book cover of Shadows of Swanford Abbey

Leah Lindeman Why did I love this book?

Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie in Julie Klassen’s Shadows of Swanford Abbey. Rebecca is bidden by her recluse brother to get his manuscript published by an author residing at the abbey. A mysterious death occurs for which Rebecca is a suspect. Even worse, the man she used to care for is the presiding magistrate. Klassen is always faithful in detailing Regency elements in every single area of her work from the clothing, jury procedures, customs, architecture, etc. The mystery was seamlessly woven into the history.

By Julie Klassen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shadows of Swanford Abbey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this atmospheric Regency tale brimming with mystery, intrigue, and romance.

When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favor: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother's desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey's cloisters. For all…


Don't forget about my book 😀

Book cover of Wisps of Gold

What is my book about?

Rose Wood is fresh out of finishing school where her father, taken by gold fever, deserted her five years ago. She journeys the Cariboo Wagon Road to return to her father’s side at the 108 Mile Hotel. Once she arrives, a rotting stench greets her at the door—her father’s corpse left for her to find.

Whispers abound he was killed for his treasure. Blackmail and veiled threats from an unknown enemy compel her to search for her father’s hidden gold vein. Eager to squash the rumours once and for all, she sinks deeper into the mystery of her father’s death. Danger abounds everywhere as the lines between friends and foes become blurred. 

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Holy Terror

By John R. Dougherty,

Book cover of Holy Terror

John R. Dougherty Author Of Holy Terror

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have felt a spiritual call in my life from as early as I can remember having memories as a young child. Being a life-long Christian has always drawn me to try to see God in everything around me, from people I encounter, to creation itself, to songs, to movies, etc. So, reading books which contain Christian allegory – symbols, meanings, underlying Biblical references – is very exciting for me. I enjoy trying to decipher that symbolism and try to understand the undertones that the book’s author is trying to communicate indirectly. I find that to be a personal challenge as I read, but also I find it very inspiring as well!

John's book list on Christian action books allegorical references

What is my book about?

None of them knew what was coming, and none of them will ever be the same again...

Detective Jelani is a tough, veteran cop. His younger partner, Detective Madigan, is brash and confident. But they were not prepared to become embroiled in a series of cosmic events they could never have dreamt of. As has been the case since the beginning of time, God and His heavenly host are facing off with Satan and his hellish host.

Caught in the middle is Thumos, a warrior angel, "quickened" by God for one thing: battle. But Thumos has become a disgruntled warrior…

Holy Terror

By John R. Dougherty,

What is this book about?

None of them knew what was coming, and none of them will ever be the same again...

Detective Jelani is a tough, veteran cop, who earned his stripes in the rough-and-tumble streets of St. Louis before relocating to Miami.  His younger partner, Detective Madigan, is brash and confident.  But they were not prepared to become embroiled in a series of cosmic events they could never have dreamt of.  In a world where the angels of heaven and the angels of hell bring their ageless battle to Earth, how will these men and their families overcome such insurmountable challenges?

As has…


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