When all hope is lost. When there's no-one else left to call... Dudley the Labrador is a cadaver dog specifically trained to sniff out human remains. His handler, Jennifer, suffers from an unusual phobia which has left her socially isolated. When together they uncover the corpse of a missing child, Jennifer begins to feel a deep, personal connection to the case. Dissatisfied by the direction of the official police investigation, she resolves to unravel the mystery herself. In doing so, she must first unravel herself... Readers' comments (final chapter): 'great book', 'superb' 'wonderful, incredible, fantastic!' 'wow, just wow', 'wonderfully satisfying', 'I love this book' Status: completed Genre: mystery/suspense Target readership: adults Narrative style: psychological depth, frequent twists, semi-literary Length: 75,000 words (approximately 300 standard novel pages) Author: Michael D Smith, Wattys award winner (The Painted Altar, 2020, literary fiction) Extract: It was then that the barking came, somewhere a hundred or so metres off to my right. Not his usual playful response, but instead a focused, constant noise - a quick-fire volley of woofs like rounds from a machine gun. His 'found something' bark. My heart quickened along with my step, the flashlight boring through the darkness. The moist barks of the trees deflected against my outstretched hand; pernicious branches whipped at my thighs, my chest, my face. "Stay there boy! You just stay right there." The barking was incessant, grew louder with each step. At last the thick maze of tree trunks relented and there he was, framed in the soft-edged beam of the torchlight in the centre of a small clearing. His tail swooshing manically, snout directed at the ground. Stooping myself down beside him, I slanted the flashlight to the earth, squinted in close examination. Nothing - just dirt, twigs and damp leaves. A shallow grave. The lifeless body of Meghan Shaw had been tossed into a shallow grave.

What if it came to the starkest of all choices: kill, or else suffer the loss of a loved one? Readers' comments: 'simply the best', 'one of the best books I've read', 'loved it', 'amazing', 'great reading', 'stumped me to the very end' and others Plot: When a pregnant doctor is brutally murdered in her own kitchen, the husband claims to have some weeks earlier received an anonymous and darkly menacing letter. For the small town of Ravensby, it's just the start of a living nightmare - one in which nobody is spared from the murderous cross hairs, and which will drive Detective Inspector Kubič to the edge of his own sanity... Genre: suspense/thriller Status: completed Length: 70,000 words (approx. 275 standard novel pages) Target readership: Though aimed primarily at adults, the novel features several teenage characters and so may also appeal to a younger audience Extract: "Warn you sir, not a pretty sight in there." Kubič took a deep, preparatory breath, his footsteps slow and leaden as he moved towards the kitchen door. Not for the first time over the years, he found himself wishing he'd chosen an entirely different sort of career. Paper-pushing, something out of doors. Anything at all. He'd always been reasonable enough at woodwork back at school, he recalled. Why hadn't he done that, he thought? Become a cabinet maker or some damn thing. A reluctant hand pushed open the door... "Oh dear Christ." The words escaped his mouth forcefully, involuntarily, like blood gushing from an open wound

WATTYS WINNER 2020 Two interconnected murders, 64 years apart. One woman's search for truth and identity. Readers' comments: 'a masterpiece', 'impeccably written', 'amazing', 'superbly crafted page-turner', 'hauntingly beautiful', 'tremendous plot and character development', 'one of a kind', 'fantastic story telling', 'loved this book', 'a wonderful read", 'absolutely beautiful', 'brought tears to my eyes' and many more Wattys judging panel: 'This is VERY good. We were HOOKED from the beginning, and the writing and plot hold up throughout. This is a very unique, polished, well-written and well-researched piece.' Plot Set partly in rural England, partly on the sun-kissed coast of southerm Italy, The Painted Altar is a murder mystery mixed with romantic and historical elements (World War Two). Given away at two days old, Mary Rice has spent her life in the shadows. When discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding her biological mother's death, she embarks on a journey which will shine a light not only on the truth but also on her own identity. Brief extract Suddenly, the door had inched open, half a wrinkled face visible behind the tautened chain. "Hello. Who is it?" The words I was going to say had of course been well-rehearsed, repeated over and over in my mind like a mantra, but now that the moment had arrived I found myself struggling to remember them. "Mrs Harvey... I think that you might... well, that you might be..." The door closed, then slowly opened once more, the chain this time unlatched. And there she was before me - half a metre away, within arm's reach. Thin lips gradually crooking upwards at each corner like the slow beatific kindling of a summer's dawn. "Oh yes love, I know who you are." Length: 70,000 words About the author: Originally from England but for the last 16 years I've been living in Italy. I hope therefore that the Italian aspects of the novel will have a certain gloss of authenticity.

Full version available on Amazon! https://a.co/d/8Mj3nhv Fidelia Atwell, a fiery red-headed American, will do anything to protect her sister during the war of 1812: even marry her enemy, the British spy Lord William Greyville. **** When British spy Lord William Greyville promises to protect the American sisters of his childhood friend in exchange for his life, fiery American Fidelia Atwell finds herself married to her enemy to protect his cover and her sister's life. The couple immediately butts heads, but Fidelia soon discovers her handsome husband to be a gentle and loving man who softens her feisty temper. When new dangers threaten Fidelia's life and William's cover, she finds herself playing the part of the spy to protect the man she loves and end the war that keeps them apart, but a traitor and an old enemy mean that failure will be something worse than death for William and the Atwell sisters. As spies, they could both lose their lives. As husband and wife, they could both lose their hearts. (Book One of the "In The Arms of My Love" Series) [[Winner of the Watty's 2020 Historical Fiction Award!]] [[Runner-up in the 2019 Covenant Communications StoryCatchers Contest]] [[Featured on the Editor's Picklist! (4-29-21)]] Highest Rankings: #17 for Historical Fiction! Content warning: this book contains PG-13 rated violence with some descriptions of blood, gunshots, and sword fights.

Katy Fairchild is an orphan and knows that no respectable man will marry her. But when a storm throws her into the arms of a mysterious stranger, will she fight society's opinion of her low status to pursue a forbidden romance? ***** At the age of nine, Katy Fairchild was brought to the small village of Wilshire to live with her distant relations, the Banes family. Brought up as a companion to their daughter, Eliza, Katy has lived a life according to her low rank and limited opportunities, and without complaint. But one day when she is nineteen, she gets caught in a dangerous storm with a handsome man who is unlike anyone she's met before. The encounter throws Katy into a world she never knew. For the first time, a better life may be just around the corner, but is she prepared to fight for it? [[word count: 70,000 - 80,000]] Cover designed by Cil Ojumo

{WATTY'S 2020 WINNER & EDITOR'S PICK.} Hopeless romantic and aspiring writer Mare Atwood has fallen madly in love with her childhood correspondent. There's only one catch-she doesn't know who he is. When the beaus of Star's Crossing return from boarding school to begin the courting season, Mare is determined to uncover the identity of her writer, flout her family's intentions of orchestrating an advantageous marriage, and procure the life of writing and romance she's always sought. But as in the tales she so adores, it won't be easy. Galas, masquerades, picnics, and hunts-alongside an old friend, a former teacher, and an unlikely ally, Mare delves into an investigation that leaves her torn between three clever, deceptive, and wealthy young bachelors. If Mare can confirm which is her writer and claim his hand before the courting season ends, she'll have her wish: the love of her life, a valuable marriage, and a future of writing romance. But with the eyes of Star's Crossing upon her, a business plot forcing invisible hands, and the unwillingness of her writer to come forward-Mare's future may not end in triumph, but tragedy. Set against the gilded Victorian backdrop of coastal Connecticut and lush with pre-war luxury, fans of Jane Austen, Margaret Mitchell, and Louisa May Alcott are sure to enjoy this lighthearted, lyrical novel of young love, independence, and identity. #1 Literary #1 YA Romance #1 Victorian #1 Lyrical #8 General Fiction

This book contains reviews of my favorite stories here on Wattpad. Note: Suggest and recommend me your favorite stories and I might just add it in this book :) Feel free to comment it or inbox me #68 in Random 【6/20/16】

Stephanie Morgan will not let anything derail her career as a top international lawyer. So when she comes face-to-face with the one man she hoped she'd never see again, Stephanie has no choice but to double down on her lies... Because if he finds out the truth, nothing will ever be the same again. ***** Six years after a weekend fling with her law school nemesis, Michael Wellington, Stephanie is hiding a secret that could change the lives of many. The last thing she wants is for Mike to find out. Groomed for success from the day he was born, with a powerful family whose wealth and influence go back generations, Mike is everything she's not. His charming arrogance makes him the last person she wants to deal with, even if she can't deny the attraction between them. So, as Stephanie takes the world by storm as one of the most successful international lawyers, she keeps up the lies and the facade that she started with her twin sister all those years ago... But what will she do when the house of cards comes crashing down? [[word count: 80,000 - 90,000 words]] Cover designed by Jenna Conrad

Her worst enemy is the one man she can't resist. Maria Martinez thought it was a dream come true when Ritchie Perez - a sweet and sexy guy she met volunteering at a soup kitchen - took her delinquent little brother Joey under his wing. But her dream becomes a nightmare when she discovers Ritchie is the same man who put her twin brother Tito in prison for 10 years. Now Joey's in trouble, and Ritchie's been appointed his temporary guardian. He'll be moving into Ritchie's luxurious waterfront Miami home - unless he'd prefer a juvenile detention facility. And if Maria wants to be with him, she'll be moving in too. Now a hugely successful attorney in private practice, Ritchie made his reputation as a tough prosecutor who didn't make deals with drug dealers and gang members. But that history comes back to haunt him when the woman he's falling for believes he's responsible for convicting an innocent man, and destroying her family. Ritchie wants to stop Joey from making the same mistakes his brother did. And he wants Maria in his bed. But as desire heats their blood, will the past reach out and destroy their future?