Sidney Cromwell--the teenage gossip queen. She loved a juicy secret, especially those she could exploit to her own benefit. So when she's found murdered in her bedroom, the news makes waves in the small town of Grovesville, California. As leads in the case dry up, all hope seems lost for her family and friends. That is, until it's revealed that Sidney's diary of secrets was stolen by her killer . . . and the killer wants to have fun with it. Now the people closest to Sidney are forced to untangle a web of secrets, lies, and betrayals while battling their own demons. There's Samara, Sidney's best friend, who's still grieving the loss of her father. Jerome, whose family isn't what it seems to be. Giovanni, who was in love with Sidney. Kelly, who's struggling with a dark secret. And Derek, Sidney's twin brother, who can't remember the night she was murdered. The killer seems to be everywhere and seems to know everything. And it's a hunt to find out their identity in a dangerous, twisted game . . . one that proves to be deadly. _______________ Highest Ranks: #1 in Mystery/Thriller #1 in Horror #1 in Teen Thriller _______________ Credit goes to @moonlight_aesthetics for the story cover

[2022 Wattys shortlisted story] A missing family. A twenty year old murder. An old ghost story. And a private detective from London. But what do they all have in common? It's the job of DCI Neo Denzel to figure it all out. In the quiet town of Marton, Shropshire, a place where nothing really happens, a car sits abandoned. The Bennett family have simply disappeared without a trace. It's the job of the town's DCI to find them, but with so little evidence it could prove impossible. Until Charlie Hoggins is hired to find the missing family. It doesn't take long for the DCI to get his feathers ruffled by the interloper into his case, and yet she may end up being one of his most useful assets, as long as he can remember that the case comes first. As their feelings change for each other, will they ever solve the case and finally put their ghosts to rest?

Standing with the person whom you love, who has been shot, in the middle of an abandoned warehouse with random shadows appearing at corners is not very soothing. ****** Jen felt her throat go dry. She licked her dry lips. She started sweating profusely. Suddenly, she could not see the shadow in the corner anymore. It was too late before she realized that the shadow was right behind her. She felt something breaking against her head before unconsciousness slowly swallowed her. Her hand brushed against Sean's while she fell on the ground. I guess this is goodbye, Sean. The words kept repeating in her head until she fell down, not moving. ****** Jen and Sean are your average highschool kids. Their lives change forever when they find out that there has been a murder in their locality. Facing various challenges throughout their endeavours, the duo try to avenge the victim's murder. What will happen when they find out the murderer's out for them? More importantly, WILL THEY MAKE IT OUT ALIVE? ***** HIGHEST RANKING: #9 in Mystery/Thriller on 24/3/18

Since her father's sinister murder three years ago, Charley Green's life has never been the same. She finds her family shattered and frozen in the tragedy that derailed their lives that fateful Christmas morning, in which her father's lifeless body was discovered mutilated and gunned down in a motel. Desperate for closure, Charley decides she is done waiting for outside forces to grant her salvation. As her father's old friends re-enter her life, she finds that what lies beneath their smiling faces may be more ominous than what she anticipated. With each layer that is peeled back, their intentions become more questionable, their relationship with her father more sinister. As Charley soon begins to realize, sometimes the darkest truths lie beneath the honeyed masks of those closest to you. Those truths are best left buried. [THIS STORY IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING EDITED]

Months after the killer of the Hunt has been locked up, a new string of deaths are pulsating through Bottle Island. This time, the police are quick to insist on simple causes: suicide, accident, unexplained heart attack. Anything except murder. But Luca Fern is seeing a pattern. The winter break has arrived and boatloads of tourists are settling on the island, creating a stream of faces that come and go. When a previous victim of the Hunt returns to Altswood and unveils a revelation, it is clear that the case has not been solved. Bottle Island has more secrets than truths, and Luca refuses to believe her paranoia has finally won over her. The Hunt has come to an end, but the killings have not.

When a well-known teen is found murdered four people find their lives turned upside down ... each of them holding on to a life-threatening secret of their own makes it hard to not point a blaming finger especially when the only person who knew of these secrets is the one who ended up dead. * * * It's summer in the small town of Roxie Cove, and the smell of freshly cut grass and sizzling barbeques fill the air. Every summer, the teens are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to spend their time at Saint DeLuca, a campsite on the outskirts of town. It is a place where they can be as reckless and as sneaky as they want without their parents finding out. That's all thanks to the camp counselors. This year's core five are Kian Sullivan, Avani Grant, Dawson Hunt, Nadine O'Connor, and Marcel Bailey, and they want to make it their mission that the campers have the summer of their lives. But, when Avani Grant is found floating in the lake with stab wounds so severe she's almost unrecognizable right before the campers are supposed to show, the cops shut down Saint DeLuca. With Kian, Dawson, Nadine, and Marcel the last four to see her alive, of course, they're the main suspects. With the town on edge and Avani's web of clues slowly untangling, it's a tale of whodunnit. But as the investigation pursues, it turns out Avani held onto secrets many would want to take to the grave. Now it's time to find out who took that meaning a little too serious?

Once the blue-blooded heirs of Queens Erlington Academy are arrested for murder, bloody secrets start to spill. After all, even blue bloods have blood that runs red. [BLUE BLOOD SEQUEL]

A steady job, good house, and all around good life. What could possibly go wrong here? A small storm could make things go wrong... Warping your perception of reality, going from the road into... a forest? Such things aren't logical, surely, SURELY you're dreaming... right?

In the quiet town of Northwood Pines, symbols began to appear-carved into the skin of the dead. As victims fall, Ethan steps into the shadows of city that hides more than it reveals. With every clue, a darker truth surfaces: a killer among them, masked in plain sight, experimenting on lives as if they were science projects. A web of lies, betrayal, and chilling brilliance-where every ally could be the enemy,and every step forward might be a trap. (Snippet) Mark's eyes narrowed. "That means Andrew never submitted the evidence." ............... ............... Mr. Marcus' voice hardened. "I thought you were a good man, like your father. But it seems I was wrong. You're not only a suspect but also aiding another criminal." Read on to discover whether Ethan could prove his innocence and uncover the mastermind behind the deadly trail of symbols. *********** Copyright © [2025] [PRATYUSH PRATEEK MISHRA] All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means without the author's prior consent or written permission. *********** AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first book, and I've poured my heart into it. I've tried my best,but if you come across any errors or feel there's room for improvement, I'd truly appreciate your feedback. Your suggestions will help me grow and do better in my future books. Thank you for reading! (AVG LENGTH OF EACH CHAPTER :10,000 WORDS) *********** GRATITUDE NOTE: A heartfelt thank you to my dear friends-your constant support, encouragement, and belief in me meant the world. Whether it was helping me brainstorm, reading drafts, or simply cheering me on, you've been a huge part of this journey. This book wouldn't be complete without you. *********** CONTENT WARNING: This story contains detailed descriptions of murder, torture, hacking,and other elements related to crime. Some scenes may be disturbing,or triggering for certain readers.Reader discretion is advised.

NOTE: If you read Untraceable, please consider POSTing an honest review on Amazon (or other platform). If you post a review, email me the review link at shelli@srjohannes.com and I will offer you a free copy of Uncontrollable (Book 2)! :) Limited Offer! Untraceable is an award-winning teen wilderness thriller. Uncontrollable (Book 2) & Unstoppable (Book 3) are out. Book 4 is coming soon! :) "With wilderness survival, a juicy love triangle, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this fast-paced novel had me holding my breath until the very last page!" - Kimberly Derting (author of the popular Body Finder series, The Pledge series, and her the Taking sci-fi series ) "This thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance. The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page."- Kirkus Review ======================= Grace has lived in the Smoky Mountains all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he's dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she's enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it's going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.