Damian suddenly decided to leave, or perhaps return the mantel of Robin to its previous owner, Tim Drake, without any explanation or discussion with his family. No one knew why. Only Damian knew why, and it was probably for the best.

When Helene Lovell finds herself a penniless orphan, she is swept into the world of manners, money, and etiquette, where her cruel Aunt Lady Dorothea is the ringmaster, and never ceases to remind her of her burdensome existence. The only consolation is Henry, who shows Helene friendship and kindness in a place of sadness. Fast-forward a few years, where grown-up Henry and Helene meet again, but Helene must battle her ever growing feelings for him. As she stays as a guest at Henry's families residence, she is unwittingly submerged into the middle of family drama, tragedy, and love. Will Helene be able to overcome her social position, shyness and rank and follow her heart, or simply conform to what is expected of her? ~Dedicated to my grandma, who recently passed away but was the best story teller I knew~ UPDATE: I wrote this book a few years ago on a whim, and also to help distract me from the grief of losing my grandma. As such, it is very unedited! I am leaving it up because it was my first book on Wattpad, and came straight from my heart. I don't really plan on editing it so I am sorry if you notice any errors/holes/mistakes, but hope you can enjoy it in its very rough and unpolished form nonetheless :-)

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.

BOOK ONE OF THE WICKERNHAM TRILOGY - WATTYS AWARD WINNER - - #1 IN SCIENCE FICTION - After a close brush with death, Jarod ends up in a hospital, traumatized but alive. He thinks he is lucky to get off with minor injuries, but he soon realizes that something is wrong when he starts behaving abnormally. Eventually, Jarod finds out the truth behind his erratic behavior―that there is someone in his head. From that point on, he is launched into a series of fast-paced and gripping adventures as he tries to find out the identity of the person in his head. But, as he digs deeper, Jarod uncovers more and more shocking truths that has been buried for decades, and is faced with deceptions so devious that they almost cost him his life at several points. Will he defy the odds and find the answers he so desperately seeks? Click the "Read" button to find out! NOW AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT ON AMAZON.COM PURCHASE A COPY (it's only $0.99) AT: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015898UUE OR READ IT FOR FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED "Someone's In My Head" is the first book in The Wickernham Trilogy. Feel free to read, vote, and if you loved it (or hated it), please comment what you think of the story below! You can also watch the video trailer for this book at: https://youtu.be/9s2bor7qRQE Thank you! Cheers! :) #teamSIMH Highest rank for Someone's In My Head: #1 in Science Fiction

Some beauty secrets are more dangerous than others... When Beauty Box beautician Tammy Smith is discovered with a pair of hair shears in her back, there are suspects and secrets aplenty in her small Southern town. Octogenarian Myrtle Clover, bored by bingo and bridge, is intrigued by the crime...and her neighbors' secrets. But discovering, and blabbing, secrets got Tammy killed and Myrtle soon learns her sleuthing isn't just dangerous...it's deadly.

Not much ever seems to happen in the Appalachian coal-mining town where Ginny lives with her family. That all changes at the start of the summer of 1940, when a letter addressed to her mother shows up in the mailbox. Prompted by news in the letter, her mother announces that she will be taking care of family matters elsewhere - and leaving conniving tomboy Ginny and her introverted older brother Kody at home - while she does so. When Ginny finds herself consumed by the mystery surrounding a strange old house, she sets out to solve it once and for all. Little does she know what secrets it holds. And neither she, nor Kody, is prepared for how much the summer will change them, or for what they will discover.

All he wanted was a regular job... Paul Trouble may not hold the most exciting job in the world as a pencil pusher and finance controller in Strom Industries' Mergers and Acquisitions department. But for the former elite soldier and CIA spy, still mentally recovering from the injury that forced him out of the spy-game, this is his shot at a normal life in a normal job with normal problems. One hundred million dollars missing... Until his boss asks Paul to investigate the mystery of one hundred million dollars missing. The plan is simple: Ask a few questions, make people nervous, and see what happens. Turning into a deadly cat and mouse game... What first looks like an inside job soon turns into murder and mayhem where pencil and stapler are exchanged with knives and bullets, giving a literal meaning to the term "troubleshooter." Troubleshooter is the first Corporate thriller in the ongoing "Troubleshooter" series. You can find the follow up novels "Troublemaker", "Troubleseeker", and "Pieces of Trouble" in all major formats at most eBook sellers.

Christopher's illusion of having his life under control is shattered when the mysterious Amaryllis appears in his small town in Fife, bringing new ideas, confusion and ultimately chaos in her wake.

A dark foe. A forbidden love. A deadly, high-seas quest. Mercenary sailor Jack's past comes back to haunt him when his crew receives a commission during the height of hurricane season. Charged with returning the all-too-familiar Prince Valory to the capital by way of the isles, Jack and schooner Windjammer battle storms and sea-monsters alike in Oceana's treacherous waters. Jack's new patron, however, is no ordinary nobleman. A hardened soldier and powerful commander, Valory boards Windjammer to scour the isles for signs of the mysterious new threat at Oceana's borders: an evil that burns innocents alive and smashes ships to pieces. Yet Jack isn't without secrets of his own -- secrets that unravel under the growing intensity of a forbidden attraction to his patron. Forced to reclaim his lost title, Jack comes face-to-face with the past he thought he'd outrun. As Windjammer races to defend Oceana from invasion, he and Valory must work together to untangle the threads of the dark alliance threatening their home, crew, and kingdom -- or risk losing everything in the process. [Book One of a Fantasy/LGBT+ Romance series. This is a sample; the full draft is available on Patreon.] ★

A glamorous bridal show. A sophisticated jewelry heist. Can Annabelle track down the baubles and nab a burglar? Wedding planner Annabelle Archer knows that the only thing as crazy as a wedding day is a bridal show. When DC's most stylish bridal showcase is disrupted by a jewelry heist and a quarter of a million dollars worth of diamond rings disappear, Annabelle and her team are determined to find the bling to help the jeweler and save the show. One problem: the jewelry was stolen during a blackout and no one saw a thing. With the clock counting down to show time, Annabelle and her sassy assistant, Kate, must hunt for a sophisticated jewel thief and unravel a clever caper. Dead Ringer, a novella, is the fourth book in the Annabelle Archer cozy mystery series. If you like charming characters, fast-paced comedy, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the wild world of weddings, then you'll love the latest in Laura Durham's Agatha award-winning mystery series. To read the previous books in the series, visit www.lauradurham.com. Or get the first book in the series free by signing up: freebook.lauradurham.com