Fans pick 100 books like Genuine Deceit

By Joy York,

Here are 100 books that Genuine Deceit fans have personally recommended if you like Genuine Deceit. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Haunting of Chatham Hollow

Joan Hall Author Of Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira

From my list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always enjoyed mystery and suspense stories—Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark being two of my all-time favorite authors. Throw in some legends and folklore, and I’m hooked. I like well-crafted stories that keep me turning the pages. Those that stump me in figuring out the mystery are a plus for me. I love books with descriptive settings that place me, as the reader, in the heart of the action.

Joan's book list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore

Joan Hall Why did Joan love this book?

Dual-timeline, legends, and folklore drew me to this story. While it was co-authored, the dual story blends perfectly as if written by a single person. Past and present come together, and an age-old mystery is solved.

If you enjoy stories with a bit of supernatural, this one is for you. 

By Mae Clair, Staci Troilo,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Haunting of Chatham Hollow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One founding father.
One deathbed curse.
A town haunted for generations.

Ward Chatham, founder of Chatham Hollow, is infamous for two things—hidden treasure and a curse upon anyone bold enough to seek it. Since his passing in 1793, no one has discovered his riches, though his legend has only grown stronger.

In 1888, charlatan Benedict Fletcher holds a séance to determine the location of Chatham’s fortune. It’s all a hoax so he can search for the gold, but he doesn’t count on two things—Victor Rowe, a true spiritualist who sees through his ruse, and Chatham’s ghost wreaking havoc on the…


Book cover of The First Eagle

Joan Hall Author Of Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira

From my list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always enjoyed mystery and suspense stories—Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark being two of my all-time favorite authors. Throw in some legends and folklore, and I’m hooked. I like well-crafted stories that keep me turning the pages. Those that stump me in figuring out the mystery are a plus for me. I love books with descriptive settings that place me, as the reader, in the heart of the action.

Joan's book list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore

Joan Hall Why did Joan love this book?

My interest in stories involving Native Americans and my love of the southwest drew me to Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee books. Once I read the first one, I was hooked on the series.

I feel as if I’ve come to know more about the Navajo people in reading this series. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but The First Eagle is at the top of my list. Not only do we have classic Leaphorn and Chee, but the author also delves deeper  into their personal lives.

Did I mention setting? I always feel as if I’m transported to the American Southwest when reading a Hillerman novel. 

By Tony Hillerman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The First Eagle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From a brilliant new voice comes a brilliant new epic fantasy saga of war, prophecy, betrayal, history, and destiny.

When Acting Lt. Jim Chee catches a Hopi poacher huddled over a butchered Navajo Tribal police officer, he has an open-and-shut case—until his former boss, Joe Leaphorn, blows it wide open. Now retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, Leaphorn has been hired to find a hotheaded female biologist hunting for the key to a virulent plague lurking in the Southwest. The scientist disappeared from the same area the same day the Navajo cop was murdered. Is she a suspect or another…


Book cover of Dead Mountain

Joan Hall Author Of Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira

From my list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always enjoyed mystery and suspense stories—Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark being two of my all-time favorite authors. Throw in some legends and folklore, and I’m hooked. I like well-crafted stories that keep me turning the pages. Those that stump me in figuring out the mystery are a plus for me. I love books with descriptive settings that place me, as the reader, in the heart of the action.

Joan's book list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore

Joan Hall Why did Joan love this book?

Real-life mysteries intrigue me, and one of the strangest unsolved cases involved a group of nine Soviet hikers in the area known as Dyatlov Pass. Preston and Child took this story, set it in the mountains of New Mexico, and weaved an enticing tale that kept me turning the pages and guessing right up to the end.

This is the fourth book of their Nora Kelly series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. 

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Dead Mountain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 2008, nine mountaineers failed to return from a winter backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. At their last campsite, searchers found a bizarre scene: something had appeared at the door of their tent so terrifying that it impelled them to slash their way out and flee barefoot to certain death in a blizzard. Despite a diligent search, only six bodies were found, three violently crushed and missing eyes and tongues. The case, given the code name “Dead Mountain” by the FBI, was never solved.
 
Now, two more bodies from the lost expedition are unexpectedly discovered in a cave,…


Book cover of Fox Creek

Joan Hall Author Of Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira

From my list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always enjoyed mystery and suspense stories—Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark being two of my all-time favorite authors. Throw in some legends and folklore, and I’m hooked. I like well-crafted stories that keep me turning the pages. Those that stump me in figuring out the mystery are a plus for me. I love books with descriptive settings that place me, as the reader, in the heart of the action.

Joan's book list on mystery and suspense…with a bit of legends and folklore

Joan Hall Why did Joan love this book?

After reading the first book of the Cork O’Connor series some twenty years after its initial publication date, I got hooked and quickly devoured the other books.

I’ve come to love many of Krueger’s recurring characters. Not only does he weave a good mystery but paints vivid descriptions of the Minnesota wilderness. This nineteenth book of the series is my favorite so far.

By William Kent Krueger,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The latest in the New York Times bestselling Cork O'Connor Mystery Series from the "master storyteller" (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author) follows Cork in a race against time to save his wife, a mysterious stranger, and an Ojibwe healer from bloodthirsty mercenaries.

The ancient Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has had a vision of his death. As he walks the Northwoods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life. But peace is destined to elude him as hunters fill the woods seeking a woman named Dolores Morriseau, a stranger who had…


Book cover of Everyone Burns

Kathleen Harryman Author Of The Other Side Of The Looking Glass

From my list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a thirst for mystery and puzzle-solving, which has expanded into books as I've grown. For me, emotions play an important role in any tale. Suspense novels that bring a personal element allow the puzzle to unfold meaningfully. Like slotting the last piece of a jigsaw in place, I want to feel their emotions—the fear that makes their hearts pump in rapid beats. Their sorrow and happiness. I want to know I have been on a journey when I finish. And one, I didn’t travel alone. I hope you, too, go on a journey with the books I have recommended.

Kathleen's book list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots

Kathleen Harryman Why did Kathleen love this book?

This is an entertaining and addictive suspense.

This is a craftily written tale of murder against the breathtaking backdrop of the Thai Island of Samui (the Land of Smiles). The blend of local traditions and colorful characters lured me in until I could smell the spices and hear the beeping of car horns.

I love characters that are quirky and unpredictable, and private detective David Braddock is just that. He’s a man battling with his past and bad habits, keeping the Chief of Police satisfied and solving the murders before he gets sidelined by his superiors.

By John Dolan,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'He opens a drawer of his desk, casually takes out a pistol, flicks off the safety catch and points it at my head.
He says almost sorrowfully, "Do you imagine me to be a gangster, Mr Braddock?"'

It is January 2005, and the charred remains of two Europeans have been discovered on the Thai island of Samui.
Local Police Chief Charoenkul, sidelined by his superiors, enlists the reluctant David Braddock, a burnt-out private detective, to assist in an ‘unofficial’ investigation.
But Braddock has problems of his own, including an affair with the same Police Chief’s wife ...

Peppered with irreverent…


Book cover of Naked Came the Detective

Kathleen Harryman Author Of The Other Side Of The Looking Glass

From my list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a thirst for mystery and puzzle-solving, which has expanded into books as I've grown. For me, emotions play an important role in any tale. Suspense novels that bring a personal element allow the puzzle to unfold meaningfully. Like slotting the last piece of a jigsaw in place, I want to feel their emotions—the fear that makes their hearts pump in rapid beats. Their sorrow and happiness. I want to know I have been on a journey when I finish. And one, I didn’t travel alone. I hope you, too, go on a journey with the books I have recommended.

Kathleen's book list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots

Kathleen Harryman Why did Kathleen love this book?

This is not your average detective story.

This was a different and enjoyable read for me. An escort turns detective when one of her customers is murdered. While this delves into the life of an escort, it is a ‘murder mystery’ with the focus on solving the murder of her client, and not her services.

The main character is delightfully forward in her reasoning, and I was invested from the start. So much so, and very intriguingly, while the story is told in the POV of the escort, I did not learn her name at all. And even stranger, it was only at the end that I realized this.

By Glendall C. Jackson III,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Naked Came the Detective as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sex. Murder. An Escort. A Mystery.
WINNER: 2023 Best Indie Book Award
WINNER: 2023 Paris Book Festival
WINNER, best novella: 2024 International Book Award
WINNER, best novella: 2024 American Fiction Award
WINNER, best novella: 2023 Firebird Book Award
WINNER, best noir mystery: The 2023 BookFest Award
WINNER, best private investigator mystery: 2024 Book Excellence Award
DISTINGUISHED FAVORITE, novella: 2024 Independent Press Award
RUNNER-UP, sleuth-mystery: 2023 PenCraft Book Award
BRONZE MEDAL, novella: 2024 Independent Publisher Book Award
BRONZE AWARD, mystery: 2024 Reader Views Literary Award
FINALIST: 2024 Hawthorne Prize
FINALIST, novella: 2023 Best Book Awards; 2023 American Writing Awards; 2024 Next…


Book cover of The Memory

Kathleen Harryman Author Of The Other Side Of The Looking Glass

From my list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a thirst for mystery and puzzle-solving, which has expanded into books as I've grown. For me, emotions play an important role in any tale. Suspense novels that bring a personal element allow the puzzle to unfold meaningfully. Like slotting the last piece of a jigsaw in place, I want to feel their emotions—the fear that makes their hearts pump in rapid beats. Their sorrow and happiness. I want to know I have been on a journey when I finish. And one, I didn’t travel alone. I hope you, too, go on a journey with the books I have recommended.

Kathleen's book list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots

Kathleen Harryman Why did Kathleen love this book?

While this may not be classed as a suspense novel, it is just that for me. It is a brutal, honest, and heartbreaking story that lived on long after I finished reading it. Touching on dementia and Down Syndrome, the author weaves a magic web of true understanding and heartfelt emotions. 

Irene's strength, sense of responsibility, family, and love for her husband, Sam, make this a beautiful read. For Irene, it isn’t only about coming to terms with the loss of her sister, Rose, but finding out what happened the night that Rose died… and the truth is very different from what Irene thinks she saw.

By Judith Barrow,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Mother and daughter tied together by shame and secrecy, love and hate.

I wait by the bed. I move into her line of vision and it’s as though we’re watching one another, my mother and me; two women – trapped.

Today has been a long time coming. Irene sits at her mother's side waiting for the right moment, for the point at which she will know she is doing the right thing by Rose.

Rose was Irene's little sister, an unwanted embarrassment to their mother Lilian but a treasure to Irene. Rose died thirty years ago, when she was eight,…


Book cover of A Rose for Sergei

Kathleen Harryman Author Of The Other Side Of The Looking Glass

From my list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a thirst for mystery and puzzle-solving, which has expanded into books as I've grown. For me, emotions play an important role in any tale. Suspense novels that bring a personal element allow the puzzle to unfold meaningfully. Like slotting the last piece of a jigsaw in place, I want to feel their emotions—the fear that makes their hearts pump in rapid beats. Their sorrow and happiness. I want to know I have been on a journey when I finish. And one, I didn’t travel alone. I hope you, too, go on a journey with the books I have recommended.

Kathleen's book list on suspense with twisted and unpredictable plots

Kathleen Harryman Why did Kathleen love this book?

This is a true story of a Russian spy that I found poetically sad yet uplifting.

This is a tale with no happy ending. And yet, ex-KGB naval intelligence officer Sergei leaves behind a compelling legacy of strength and bravery. His fight to ‘do the right thing’ and leave behind a regime that would eventually kill him is very real.

This is a plunge into a world of spies, murder, mistrust, and suffering. It filled me with awe and sadness, and it is not one I will forget easily.

By K. Kidd,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Rose for Sergei as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**SILVER / 2ND PLACE WINNER - 2019 FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS**

He was a Soviet defector – She worked for the U.S. Federal Government.
“Do we really know what we are getting ourselves into…”
Sergei Kourdakov jumped from a Russian trawler in 1971 and barely survived the treacherous swim to the rocky shores of Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada. The handsome, twenty-year-old ex-KGB naval intelligence officer had defected—leaving behind a horrific life he could no longer face.

K. Kidd’s search for independence and a career with the Federal Government led her on a journey that far surpassed any expectations. A year…


Book cover of Sistersong

Jelena Dunato Author Of Dark Woods, Deep Water

From my list on folklore and fairy-tale inspired fantasy for dark winter nights.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an art historian, curator, and speculative fiction writer from Croatia, and I’ve always been in love with folklore, mythology, and all things ancient. In my work, I always try to blend real historical details with magic, and I adore secondary worlds that are immersive and solid enough to walk into yet different from our own.

Jelena's book list on folklore and fairy-tale inspired fantasy for dark winter nights

Jelena Dunato Why did Jelena love this book?

This book is an enchanting, heartbreaking tale about three sisters in the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, trapped in a web of a broken family, treachery, and lies.

I loved this book because the author took an ancient folk ballad, “The Twa Sisters,” and turned it into a beautiful story. I was pulled in by the dreamy, poetic tone of the book, the underlying sadness and sense of loss, and the atmosphere of a disappearing world.

By Lucy Holland,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In a magical ancient Britain, bards sing a story of treachery, love and death. This is that story. For fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, Lucy Holland's Sistersong retells the folk ballad 'The Twa Sisters.'

'A beautiful reimagining of an old British folklore ballad, Sistersong weaves a captivating spell of myth and magic' - Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

King Cador's children inherit a land abandoned by the Romans, torn by warring tribes. Riva can cure others, but can't heal her own scars. Keyne battles to be seen as the king's son, although born a daughter. And Sinne dreams of love,…


Book cover of Bulfinch's Mythology

Hester Velmans Author Of Slipper

From my list on forgotten fairy tales every adult should read.

Why am I passionate about this?

At the age of seven, already a devoted bookworm, I came upon a large stack of early-20th century children's magazines filled with stories, poems, and especially fairy tales, some the classic kind, and some weird, scary or unfamiliar. I don't know where those dog-eared, well-thumbed annuals came from, or what happened to them afterward – they were lost or given away when our family moved, I suppose. But I have never forgotten them, or the effect they had on my imagination and longings. I've been searching for those long-lost tales ever since... and it finally led me to decide I would just have to write a few of my own.

Hester's book list on forgotten fairy tales every adult should read

Hester Velmans Why did Hester love this book?

When I was young I devoured Bullfinch's Mythology from cover to cover. Looking back, I am amazed that I had the time and the devotion to read the whole 900-odd pages, which give short, matter-of-fact recaps of the Greek and Roman myths, as well as the legends of King Arthur and Charlemagne. You'll find these tales far more beautifully told in the original Ovid or Virgil versions, I suppose, but if you just want the facts, Ma'am, the who's who of it all, then this is a fine place to start.

By Thomas Bulfinch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bulfinch's Mythology as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Legendary tales of myth and romance written so everyone can enjoy the stories!

Can’t keep all your gods and goddesses straight? Wondering about mythological references in classic literature? Bulfinch’s Mythology offers approachable accounts of ancient legends in a compilation of the works of Thomas Bulfinch, banker and Latinist. This volume includes all three of Bulfinch’s original titles: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, and The Legends of Charlemagne. Bulfinch states his purpose for the book clearly: “Our work is not for the learned, nor for the theologian, nor for the philosopher, but for the reader of English literature...who…


Book cover of The Haunting of Chatham Hollow
Book cover of The First Eagle
Book cover of Dead Mountain

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