Fans pick 26 books like The Silent Corner

By Dean Koontz,

Here are 26 books that The Silent Corner fans have personally recommended if you like The Silent Corner. 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 My Sister's Grave

Arthur Coburn Author Of Murder in Concrete

From my list on women facing dark and dangerous obstacles.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an ex-lawyer, ex-army officer, and ex-Hollywood film editor who loves stories about females in danger who dig deep to solve problems and survive. I can’t claim to be an expert, but I marvel at the breadth of female styles–from delicate, feminine, and sweet to brave, adventuresome, and tough. I have edited films about various women characters, from Charlize Theron’s killer in Monster to Cate Blanchett’s spiritual medium in The Gift and Diane Lane’s brave romantic survivor in Under the Tuscan Sun. I have three successful step granddaughters: an accountant, a lawyer, and one getting a PhD in computer studies. Smart, talented, and interesting women people in my life.

Arthur's book list on women facing dark and dangerous obstacles

Arthur Coburn Why did Arthur love this book?

I loved this book despite the butterflies in my gut as I read of Tracy Crosswhite’s pain about her sister, Sarah, missing for years. I shared Tracy’s pain about the devastating murder trial.

I rooted for Tracy’s hard work to become a homicide detective so she could track down killers. And I squirmed when authorities found Sarah’s body in the Northern Cascades in Washington State and when Tracy learned dark secrets about her past.

By Robert Dugoni,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked My Sister's Grave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first book in the series that has garnered millions of readers across the globe, from New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah's disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn't believe that Edmund House-a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah's murder-is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers.

When Sarah's remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains…


Book cover of Bad Axe County

Tracey S. Phillips Author Of Best Kept Secrets

From my list on fearless female detectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

Haven’t we all seen things? Done things? Felt guilt or remorse over stuff that happened? I’m fascinated by the darkness within and I’m an eternal student of psychology. I was a musician first. I’ve played piano since age three and studied music at Berklee College of Music. Later, I found my artistic calling when I began to write. Those life experiences have added up and it’s not all roses. My characters have good hearts but they’re struggling with demons—like we all do. I hope my readers can relate and if not, maybe they see something true.

Tracey's book list on fearless female detectives

Tracey S. Phillips Why did Tracey love this book?

Bad Axe County is placed in my home state, Wisconsin, during the spring. Galligan captures the crazy weather—from blizzard to melting and freezing runoff—using it as the backdrop to this fast-paced thriller. Police detective Heidi White has unanswered questions about her parent’s murder-suicide. But that’s in the past and everyone tells her to leave sleeping dogs alone. In this dark, twisted thriller, she must capture a monster to finally learn the truth. I loved Heidi’s fearless plunge into the dark.

By John Galligan,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Dennis Lehane meets Megan Miranda in this "dark beauty of a novel" (William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author) about the first female sheriff in rural Bad Axe County, Wisconsin, as she searches for a missing girl, battles local drug dealers, and seeks the truth about the death of her parents twenty years ago-all as a winter storm rages in her embattled community.

Fifteen years ago, Heidi White's parents were shot to death on their Bad Axe County farm. The police declared it a murder-suicide and closed the case. But that night, Heidi found the one clue she knew…


Book cover of And Now She's Gone

Delia C. Pitts Author Of Murder Take Two

From my list on featuring Black private eyes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a nerd by temperament (raised by a psychologist and a librarian, what else could I be?) and by profession (decades working as a U.S. diplomat and an academic administrator honed my people-watching faculties to a fine edge). So, of course, I’ve always been drawn to my opposite: that cynical loner whose pursuit of justice requires hard fists and a bent moral compass. Private eye mysteries are my perfect place. In them, I can exercise my passion for intellectual puzzles and my love for thrilling action. I enjoy the combination of social commentary and sheer entertainment I find when I dive into reading (or writing) a private eye mystery.

Delia's book list on featuring Black private eyes

Delia C. Pitts Why did Delia love this book?

Los Angeles investigator Grayson Sykes is hired to track down a missing woman who may have disappeared for excellent reasons. As she digs into the secrets and betrayals surrounding her quarry, Gray uncovers unexpected commonalities with the missing woman. I enjoyed the intricate dance between two damaged and complex women, a dance that kept me shifting my loyalties and sympathies as the mystery deepened.

By Rachel Howzell Hall,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked And Now She's Gone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Sharp, witty and perfectly paced, And Now She’s Gone is one hell of a read!” ―Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before

Isabel Lincoln is gone.

But is she missing?

It’s up to Grayson Sykes to find her. Although she is reluctant to track down a woman who may not want to be found, Gray’s search for Isabel Lincoln becomes more complicated and dangerous with every new revelation about the woman’s secrets and the truth she’s hidden from her friends and family.

Featuring two complicated women in a dangerous cat and mouse game, Rachel Howzell Hall's And Now She’s…


Captain James Heron First Into the Fray: Prequel to Harry Heron Into the Unknown of the Harry Heron Series

By Patrick G. Cox, Janet Angelo (editor),

Book cover of Captain James Heron First Into the Fray: Prequel to Harry Heron Into the Unknown of the Harry Heron Series

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Patrick G. Cox Author Of Ned Farrier Master Mariner: Call of the Cape

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Why am I passionate about this?

On the expertise I claim only a deep interest in history, leadership, and social history. After some thirty-six years in the fire and emergency services I can, I think, claim to have seen the best and the worst of human behaviour and condition. History, particularly naval history, has always been one of my interests and the Battle of Jutland is a truly fascinating study in the importance of communication between the leader and every level between him/her and the people performing whatever task is required.  In my own career, on a very much smaller scale, this is a lesson every officer learns very quickly.

Patrick's book list on the Battle of Jutland

What is my book about?

Captain Heron finds himself embroiled in a conflict that threatens to bring down the world order he is sworn to defend when a secretive Consortium seeks to undermine the World Treaty Organisation and the democracies it represents as he oversees the building and commissioning of a new starship.

When the Consortium employs an assassin from the Pantheon, it becomes personal.

Captain James Heron First Into the Fray: Prequel to Harry Heron Into the Unknown of the Harry Heron Series

By Patrick G. Cox, Janet Angelo (editor),

What is this book about?

The year is 2202, and the recently widowed Captain James Heron is appointed to stand by his next command, the starship NECS Vanguard, while she is being built. He and his team soon discover that they are battling the Consortium, a shadowy corporate group that seeks to steal the specs for the ship’s new super weapon. The Consortium hires the Pantheon, a mysterious espionage agency, to do their dirty work as they lay plans to take down the Fleet and gain supreme power on an intergalactic scale. When Pantheon Agent Bast and her team kidnap Felicity Rowanberg, a Fleet agent…


Book cover of Tracking Game

Neil Plakcy Author Of In Dog We Trust

From my list on crime-solving dogs.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I met my husband, he had two dogs—Gus the collie and Charlie the Yorkie. When the collie crossed the rainbow bridge, we brought another big dog into the household—a golden retriever. Charlie let Sam know that my husband was HIS human, and Sam could have me if he wanted. That began a beautiful twelve-year love affair. I knew I had to write about the relationship between man and dog, and chose the mystery novel as my framework. I spend hours every day researching my books – walking my current goldens, Brody and Griffin; feeding them; grooming them; playing with them; and observing how they interact with the world.

Neil's book list on crime-solving dogs

Neil Plakcy Why did Neil love this book?

Mizushima’s husband is a veterinarian, and her home is always filled with animals. She brings that attention to animal behavior to her mysteries, in which a police deputy and a veterinarian solve crimes in the fictional mountain town of Timber Creek, Colorado.

The dog in question is Robo, a German shepherd trained in patrol and narcotics detection, and he’s Deputy Mattie Cobb’s K9 partner. Because he’s a police dog, he has a large role in the book, and the series, tracking fugitives, searching for evidence, sniffing out drugs, and rescuing people.

By Margaret Mizushima,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Tracking Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

November 2019 Top Pick, Library Reads

Two brutal murders, a menacing band of poachers, and a fearsome creature on the loose in the mountains plunge Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo into a sinister vortex.

An explosion outside a community dance sends Mattie Cobb and Cole Walker reeling into the night, where they discover a burning van and beside it the body of outfitter Nate Fletcher. But the explosion didn't kill Nate--it was two gunshots to the heart.

The investigation leads them to the home of rancher Doyle Redman, whose daughter is Nate's widow, and the object of one…


Book cover of Take the Monkeys and Run: A Barbara Marr Murder Mystery

Maria Schneider Author Of One Good Eclair: A Nutrition Mafia Mystery

From my list on humorous, non-paranormal, cozy mysteries.

Why am I passionate about this?

Cozy mysteries tend to exist in a simpler world, one without extreme violence and heavy swearing. They are often set in bucolic settings, but they deal with murder! I love many of the cozy tropes—tea, cats, dogs or other pets, family shenanigans, food. I think it’s family nuances that draw me the most to cozies. Whether it’s a romantic comedy or just one full of capers and laughter, cozies are my favorite genre.

Maria's book list on humorous, non-paranormal, cozy mysteries

Maria Schneider Why did Maria love this book?

This is soccer mom meets the film True Lies, with monkeys thrown in for good measure. This caper has laughs, fun, romance, and pacing that had me finishing it in one sitting. Barbara Marr’s mid-life crisis doesn’t end in divorce and finding new love—no, this is more clever.

And after book one, Barb and her friends continue finding dead bodies and household crisis’ that anyone over forty can appreciate. The whole neighborhood is often involved in Barbara Marr capers, each one a tangled mess of clues, mishaps, and criminals.

By Karen Cantwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Take the Monkeys and Run as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Film lover Barbara Marr is a typical suburban mom living the typical suburban life in her sleepy little town of Rustic Woods, Virginia. Typical, that is until she sets out to find the missing link between a bizarre monkey sighting in her yard and the bone chilling middle-of-the-night fright fest at the strangely vacant house next door. When Barb talks her two friends into some seemingly innocent Charlie's Angels-like sleuthing, they stumble upon way more than they bargained for and uncover a piece of neighborhood history that certain people would kill to keep on the cutting room floor.Enter sexy PI…


Book cover of Angel Killer

Gigi Pandian Author Of Under Lock & Skeleton Key: A Secret Staircase Mystery

From my list on mysteries with solutions you’ll never see coming.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been drawn to locked-room mysteries, the baffling mysteries where the crime looks truly impossible. The mystery becomes not only who did it, but also how. It’s the ultimate puzzle. The best locked-room mysteries include gothic elements that make you wonder if something supernatural is responsible, but then are resolved with a satisfying rational explanation—like Scooby-Doo for adults. I’ve written more than a dozen mystery novels, but until now, I’ve only focused on locked-room mysteries in my short fiction. In my new Secret Staircase mystery series, I’m focusing on these puzzles in my novels. Here, I’m sharing some of my favorite locked-room mysteries that feature truly ingenious puzzles. 

Gigi's book list on mysteries with solutions you’ll never see coming

Gigi Pandian Why did Gigi love this book?

Multiple ingenious impossible crimes feature into the first Jessica Blackwood thriller by magician Andrew Mayne. A killer calling himself the Warlock claims to be using supernatural powers to perform deadly miracles, and only former stage magician Jessica Blackwood, now an FBI agent, can see through his tricks. Because magicians create misdirection for a living, they’re perfect characters to unravel seemingly impossible crimes. As a bonus, Jessica Blackwood is a terrific character you’ll root for. 

By Andrew Mayne,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Meet Jessica Blackwood, FBI Agent and ex-illusionist.

Called in because of her past to offer expertise on the mysterious 'Warlock' case, Jessica must put all her unique knowledge to the test as the FBI try to catch a ruthless killer.

Needing to solve the unsolvable, and with the clock ticking, they're banking on her being the only one able to see beyond the Warlock's illusions.

The first in a brilliant new series, Angel Killer will have you feverishly turning the pages, and in Jessica Blackwood, Mayne has created a complex, sassy and unforgettable new heroine.

'Professional illusionist Mayne introduces a…


Book cover of Don't Lie to Me

Sharon A. Mitchell Author Of Gone

From my list on psychological thrillers to stimulate your mind and heart.

Why am I passionate about this?

The human mind fascinates me. Perhaps that’s why I got a PhD in Psychology, and have spent decades in the counseling field. That, of course, brought me in touch with all kinds of minds. Why do people do the things they do, make the choices they live with? We learn patterns in childhood that keep us safe. What if those patterns no longer work in adulthood, or worse, were built on false beliefs? Do life’s events shape us or do they merely show who we were all along? In my psychological thrillers, I explore such things. Even the bad guys have their stories.

Sharon's book list on psychological thrillers to stimulate your mind and heart

Sharon A. Mitchell Why did Sharon love this book?

I love kids. Maybe that’s why a child in peril story pulls me in. I can feel the parents’ desperation and the urgency of the detectives. A book like this shows the terror, without any gore. Not only do we feel for the families, but the detective has her own story and personal demons. The story is full of twists, and you don’t truly know who the bad guy is until the end.

By Willow Rose,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Don't Lie to Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When twelve-year-old Sophie Williams went on a Girl Scout summer camp, she never returned home.

Three months later, her body is found inside her sleeping bag in the most frequented area of Cocoa Beach, and the town is outraged.

The girl isn't just any child. She's the town's most beloved surf idol, and it was believed that she could be the next Kelly Slater.

As another child, the son of a well-known senator is kidnapped, and the parents receive a disturbing video, FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas — who has just returned to her hometown, divorced and out of a…


Book cover of Have You Ever Seen?

Barbara Ann Mojica Author Of Little Miss History Travels to Mount Vernon

From my list on for all ages to enjoy.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a parent, grandparent, retired educator, historian, and children’s book author, I am an avid reader and advocate for children’s literacy. My forty years of experience working with children and their families gives me the background and expertise to identify high-quality books and the types of subjects that children will want to read and adults in the family will enjoy sharing with them.

Barbara's book list on for all ages to enjoy

Barbara Ann Mojica Why did Barbara love this book?

I adore the Auntie Lily character who has a penchant for telling silly stories. Each of these stories composed in clever rhymes feature a silly animal doing something outrageous. Children become interactive partners visualizing and acting out the hijinks like a stork riding on a subway train or a fly that works for the FBI. The fun continues because readers get ten riddles to solve at the end of the tale. This book is fun for the whole family from preschooler to grandma!

By Sarah Mazor,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Have You Ever Seen? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Have You Ever Seen? is a perfect read right before sleep, as you lighten the mood with Auntie Lily's silly rhymes and thus guarantee bedtime with a smile :)Silly Auntie LilyWho’s tall and also smallImagines silly thingsThat make no sense at allShe tells us silly storiesAnd does so all in rhyme'Cause silly Auntie Lily Is silly all the timeHave fun and help your child develop with Have You Ever Seen? - the hilarious first in the READY TO READ children's books series about funny, silly, and nonsensical situations that will have you and your kids rolling with laughter.


Book cover of In the Twinkling of an Eye: A Novel of Biological Terror and Espionage

Kenneth Dekleva Author Of The Negotiator's Cross

From my list on espionage/spy thrillers that tell very human stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a psychiatrist and former American diplomat, who served overseas in Europe, Russia, Mexico, and India. My regional diplomatic travels took me to over 70 countries over several decades. I have always loved spy thrillers because they highlight the intrigue, drama, psychology, and history of different cultures, which brings out the humanity, courage, and tragedy of the characters therein. Good spy thrillers also capture a sense of place, culture, and history, and possess an authenticity that gives them a broader, universal appeal.

Kenneth's book list on espionage/spy thrillers that tell very human stories

Kenneth Dekleva Why did Kenneth love this book?

I loved this work!  And its realism truly frightened me. 

James Lawler, a legendary CIA officer, has followed his brilliant debut novel (Living Lies: A Novel of the Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program) with a very frightening and all-too-contemporary thriller about bioweapons. This is not science fiction, and the fields of bioweapons and neuro weapons - think ‘Havana Syndrome’ or lethal viruses such as COVID and EBOLA - have been extensively studied by America’s adversaries.

Jim has told a gripping, taut, and exciting tale of Russia’s and North Korea’s collaboration in the development of such bioweapons. The characters are fascinating and believable, as is the plot line.  Lawler’s novel combines espionage, mystery, and science fiction – or not! – in a terrifying, real-world, 21st-century mystery thriller.

By James Lawler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In the Twinkling of an Eye as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"In the Twinkling of an Eye" is a story about espionage, family love, and loyalty, focused on a Russian-North Korean conspiracy to develop a devastating biological weapon for assassination, terror and genocide, as written by a senior CIA operations officer whose career was devoted to battling the spread of weapons of mass destruction. This is the second book in the thrilling Guild Series!

In 1986, a Ukrainian teenager loses his father and his own left eye to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but he escapes and becomes a top-notch genetics engineer at Moscow State University. There, he is seduced into joining…


Book cover of A Cold Dark Place

C.F. Francis Author Of Sanctuary Island

From my list on romantic suspense twists to make your head spin.

Why am I passionate about this?

I walked to the library every Saturday to find a new mystery. I think I read everyone and read some more than once. As I matured, I discovered the mixture of romance and suspense I was hooked. I literally read every book in the genre’ at my local library. 

C.F.'s book list on romantic suspense twists to make your head spin

C.F. Francis Why did C.F. love this book?

A romantic suspense with an unlikely hero with a dark, murderous past and a female FBI agent with a history that haunts her.

It is packed with action and an ending that will shock you. It’s a story of redemption, self-forgiveness, and righting wrongs. A real page-turner.

Alex Parker has become one of my all-time favorite characters. A former CIA agent and now a computer wizard is forced to kill those that escape justice to settle a debt. 

By Toni Anderson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Cold Dark Place as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She's an FBI agent hunting her twin sister's killer. He's an assassin who'll die to keep her safe. His secret will destroy them both.

Read this award-winning novel from a New York Times bestselling author with over five-thousand 5-star reviews on Goodreads!

FBI agent Mallory Rooney spent the last eighteen years searching for her identical twin sister’s abductor. With a serial killer carving her sister’s initials into the bodies of his victims, Mallory thinks she may finally have found him.

Former soldier Alex Parker is a highly decorated but damaged war hero with a secret—he’s a covert government assassin who…


Book cover of My Sister's Grave
Book cover of Bad Axe County
Book cover of And Now She's Gone

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