Temo McCarthy works in the call center for Passion Financial. He spends his days "dialing deadbeats", convincing broke, desperate customers to pay their overdue credit card bills. Every year, Passion's CEO gives $100,000 to the top earner in the call center. Temo sees the award as a chance to give his new family the life he never had growing up in a broken home. When his main rival is gunned down in the company parking lot, Temo realizes he must find the killer in order to prove his own innocence. - Wattpad Top 10 Ranking in the Mystery/Thriller category. "Dmitri Ragano is a creative, unconventional author who knows how to tell a story that other people aren't telling. He takes the hooks of the mystery/thriller genre and fills it in with ambitious themes and compelling original characters. Prepare to be intrigued and entertained!" -- Seth Harwood, Best-selling Amazon Mystery Author.

When Isabelle Donovan disappears without a trace, her case eerily resembles another woman's unexplained vanishing just a year before-raising chilling questions about what truly links these two mysteries. Isabelle Donovan doesn't show up to work, which causes immediate concern. Known for her impeccable attendance, Isabelle would never miss a day without notice. The police launch a swift investigation, with initial suspicion falling on her estranged husband, Scott Donovan, from whom she separated six months earlier. Scott claims ignorance regarding Isabelle's disappearance, but his alibi begins to unravel when her best friend comes forward with unsettling new information. A year earlier, another young woman vanished under eerily similar circumstances. Though her body was never recovered, police remained convinced her husband was responsible-despite lacking proof. As the search for Isabelle intensifies, troubling questions emerge. What truly led to the end of Isabelle's marriage? Is Scott harboring secrets, or is he a scapegoat for a deeper mystery? And could Isabelle's case be linked to the earlier disappearance? If so, does that clear Scott-or deepen his guilt? In this story, innocence is elusive and every character harbors secrets. Because here, nobody is innocent.

A simple domestic abuse case turns deadly when the alleged abuser is killed and Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae's client disappears. When a friend asks Sam to find Melanie Hayes, the Maryland attorney is drawn into a complex case of murder and identity theft that has her running from the Mob, breaking into a strip club and forming a shaky alliance with an offbeat private investigator to discover the truth about Melanie and her ex-boyfriend. With her career and life on the line, Sam's search takes her from the blue-collar Baltimore suburbs to the mansions of Gibson Island. Along the way, she learns that false identities can hide dark secrets, and those secrets can destroy lives. This is the first book in the Sam McRae Mystery Series. I'm putting this up online, one chapter per week. But if you just can't wait to read the whole thing, you can buy it at any of the retailers listed here for just 99 cents: http://www.debbimack.com/project/identity-crisis/

"For a place called Paradise City, this island sucks. I don't think a single day has gone by that I haven't thought about stabbing the shit out of myself," he said. "Especially since I'm forced to live with you every second of every day." "Sh. I'm trying to science," I said, not looking up from my binoculars. "See anything interesting?" "Not really. My vision's a little clouded from the fog and rain clouds you constantly emit." He laughed. "You never fail to amuse me, Rea." "But you just said-" "I just said you make me want to stab myself. Interpret that however you'd like." With a love for whales and all life (besides maybe humans), Reagan Winebrenner had never even seen an ocean until her senior year in high school. But the moment she saw her first humpback, she knew she had found her passion and future career. A few years later and an invitation to Paradise City in hand, Reagan has her entire summer laid out for her, working on the project of a lifetime. But with five other students completing their projects as well, will they discover something worthwhile, or will they end up a psychology lesson for future generations? A New Adult Watty Winner 2019

Mia Evian has to piece together the mystery of Zack Maddox, the bad boy whose life she saved, while simultaneously keeping her own crumbling life together before Zack ends up in trouble again - or worse yet, dead. ***** This is a love story. When Zack Maddox, a notorious bad boy, meets Mia Evian, a nobody with a disdain for arrogant pretty boys, the two teenagers' lives are thrown into chaos. Zack is a mystery Mia can't unravel, and as her family is torn apart by her father's infidelity, her newfound thrill-seeking attitude is the only thing keeping her head above water. As Mia's behaviour turns increasingly reckless, Zack becomes the lifeboat keeping her afloat. Mia thought she had a good grasp of the world, but she's beginning to realise the people around her are far more complex than she could have ever imagined. Worse still, she may not be the only one who needs a lifeboat. This is a love story - just not the kind you might expect. ***** Content warning: This story contains mild drug and alcohol use and themes of mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Cover designed by Lucas Fisher

Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer's mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing. Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined. A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series-and a beloved new character-that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #2 in the Riley Paige series is now available.

Even a Diamond can be shattered... After the owner of a security company is murdered, his sharp-edged wife goes on the run. Forced to abandon everything she holds dear - her home, her friends, her job in special ops - she builds a new life for herself in England. As Ashlyn Hale, she meets Luke, a handsome local who makes her realise just how lonely she is. Yet, even in the sleepy village of Lower Foxford, the dark side of life dogs Diamond's trail when the unthinkable strikes. Forced out of hiding, she races against time to save those she cares about. But is it too little, too late? **WARNING** If you want sweetness and light and all things bright, Diamond's not the girl for you. She's got sass, she's got snark, and she's moody and dark, As she does what a girl's got to do. Thanks to my awesome readers for taking Pitch Black to #1 on the Mystery/Thriller Hotlist!

"Dance with me." While I knew it wasn't a demand, it wasn't a question either. I hesitated and he noticed. "Come on Grace, give this gentleman the honor of a dance." "I don't see a gentleman anywhere." He chuckled, stepping closer and tucking his thumbs into his tight jean pockets. He looked like every woman's dream--dark jeans that hugged him sinfully, golden-tanned skin contrasted by his white-fitted shirt, a black, wide-brimmed cowboy hat, and a smile that could send any woman on her knees. Not to mention a voice that coated your skin like silk sheets. I hated how much I noticed. "You're right, but I would like the honor anyway... ma'am." ********************* Meet Grace--living the city life, reserved, eager to please, loyal to a fault. Feeling empty for reasons she's not yet sure of, she's adamant on chasing anything that makes her feel free. Meet Colt--living the country life, private, stubborn, outspoken. Feeling empty for reasons he's well aware of, he hides in his daily routine. Grace can't seem to figure out why she holds nothing back when it comes to Colt. He's absolutely infuriating. Colt can't seem to understand the affect Grace has on him, and why he cares what she does. She's entirely maddening. When the two get lost in the wilderness, it's up to Colt to get them back. Can they put their differences aside long enough to survive? Is it Colt who will save Grace, or is it she who will be his saving grace? Wattpaders have said: "Seriously if you get this published I will be the first to buy it!!!!" @LivingRed "Wow man!! I am speechless. I feel like I an watching an orchestra with you as the orchestrator. The characters tend to run wild...yet completely under your grip. You have earned yourself a fan! Beautiful!!" @DrNamanGoel "That was unnecessarily cute" @whitegirl9 Started: October 1st 2020 Completed: March 31st 2021 Word count: [50,000+] Top Ranking: #1:Timing #1: Horses #1: Country #1: Cowboy #47:Love #37:Romance

Nadia Hayden has never been one to open her heart to people. Abandoned as a child and forced to spend a major part of her childhood in foster care, Nadia was always wary of letting people into her life. However, when her best friend's cousin turned out to be the one person whom she had always admired and the owner of the one corporation, she always wished to work for, Nadia let her guard down for once. And regretted it instantly. Dylan VanAssche, a ruthless businessman who runs the biggest security company in the country, has power and resources. A man who is respected and feared even beyond the business world. Reading people effortlessly as a part of his job, he was never wrong about them, not until he met his cousin's best friend. They started on the wrong foot but what will happen when they meet again, two years later? What happens when the past comes tumbling to haunt their future? Vacant roads. Empty cars. Missing people. A quest for truth. And lives at stake. Will it all drive them apart? Or will they stay together until the very end?

[COMPLETED] #1 Teen Mystery GET READY FOR A KILLER SUMMER! For sixteen year old Ryleigh Bennett, summer has always meant going away to a different sleep away camp and experiencing new things. She's excited to go to New Mexico where she expects to go hiking, swimming, and maybe even sleep outside under the stars. But as soon as she arrives on a small isolated island, it's obvious this is no ordinary camp. Suddenly, she is held captive with a group of other teenagers and they need to work together to escape. Ryleigh must push herself to new limits in the fight of her life in order to survive. REVIEWS: "From the first to the last page, the author creates an incredibly tense atmosphere that leaves the reader in constant anticipation about what's going to happen next. The desperate scramble for survival on unfamiliar terrain is often reminiscent of The Hunger Games. Each character brings something different to the table, from the caring Cal to headstrong Will, but is everyone who they say they are? Once you start reading this story, you won't want to stop." - DesignWizard "This book is one of my favorites! I love it! Your other books are amazing too!" - seejanereading "So much suspense! I thought this would be another typical teen fiction book but it's not. It's sooo good!" - JensanAplus "I'm OBSESSED! Love love love this book!" - Carriesgotone2