Books Tagged With potential trigger - murder

Word Count: Click here to reveal65,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: There are vipers in Arajon, from the Valley to the Bronze. Grace Harrington, the Dowager Archon of Arajon, is approaching her first anniversary on the throne she claimed following the death of her husband, slain at her own hands. But her position is so precarious that even the unwelcome presence of the former assassin Nathaniel Morgenstern, watching over her at her father’s behest, cannot protect her from her enemies. The city’s press has turned against her, the Bronze is rallying behind Odessa White, and her last hope of support from the Druids has gone up in smoke. The lies are adding up. A coup is coming for Grace, and she is running out of people in the city to trust…

Word Count: Click here to reveal98,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: "I'm coming back to take what's mine, and you better not get in my fucking way." Richard Mason  Addiction and anger issues are causing the ex-mafioso CEO sleepless nights. Self-control is on a knife-edge, not helped by the return of his sultry ex, Pagan. Only being dominated helps ease his troubled mind. Tino Santini-Mason Richard’s beautiful, cross-dressing husband is slowly falling in love - with Pagan’s man. He believes he has a polyamorous solution for both couples to fulfil their desires, IF he can keep Richard under control. Pagan Sandhurst She’s back! This curvy domestic goddess is determined to have it all. Loyal to her family, yet her friendship with Tino brings mischief, mayhem and sexual hijinks. Marcus Sandhurst Outwardly a stern doctor, Marcus secretly craves Richard’s brutal punishments. His love for Pagan and Tino can only end in one mighty crash which will affect them all. Third and final book in the Switchblade Romance series can be read as a standalone dark romance.

Word Count: Click here to reveal269000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Someone is out to murder his husband and he might just be the reason they succeed. Imperial Crown Prince Darshan knew his journey home wasn’t going to be the modest one he hoped for, especially not after eloping with Hamish, a former prince—and now exile—of Tirglas. When he thwarts a clumsy attempt on his husband’s life during a soirée hosted by his long-standing rival and half-sister, he figures the worst is behind them. Yet, the threat of death continues to shadow them across the empire. Someone is intent on making the rumours of his husband’s demise a reality, someone who can erase the memory of their very presence from people’s minds. Darshan must discover who is behind the attempts before they succeed. But who can he trust when the culprit is capable of slipping by the most vigilant of guards? Don't miss the next step in Hamish and Darshan’s story of mystery, magic, romance and more!

Word Count: Click here to reveal95000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Nine months ago, Rowan Ward thought he had it all. Now he’s fighting to pull his shredded life together, buried in work and battling the kind of grief that destroys a man’s soul. When fires spring up around Cincinnati threatening Rowe’s friends and clients, he’s thrilled to find his old Army buddy, Noah Keegan in town. They were a hell of a team when they served together, so in-sync, it was rumored they could read each other’s minds. Noah thought devoting his life to the Army would be enough. Then he realized he had no family and only one friend he cared about. When his enlistment was up, he found himself standing on Rowe’s doorstep, looking only for friendship but secretly hoping for more. He needs to know if their one unbelievable night together years ago wasn’t a mistake. Caught in a dangerous game of fire and bullets, neither expects the inferno of emotion that ignites between them. One Rowe isn’t prepared to accept. One that could break Noah.

Word Count: Click here to reveal67000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealPansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: A jaded mage-hunter. A mystery that's better left unsolved. And a choice that tests morals against codes. For years, Tracker’s life has had two facets: Hunting spellsters and entertaining strangers in his bed. Few doubt he's good at both, although only one is considered acceptable amongst the King's Hounds. His trip to Toptower should be just another task in an endless string of routine. Take down any dangerous spellster he finds and send the timid ones to Demarn’s tower prison. It is a role he was born to play. One he has grown weary of. But there's something off about the spellsters he’s encountering. The people he typically finds aren't usually this powerful or anywhere near as lethal to a man immune to magic. It's as if something, or someone, is releasing them with an eye to weaken an already harried kingdom. To what end, he cannot be certain of. History is littered with the dangers of magic running unchecked. He must uncover the truth, and quickly. But with all leads pointing one way, will he be able to uphold the code of the King's Hounds once he finds it? *This book contains violence, gore and explicit adult themes.*

Word Count: Click here to reveal86000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: One merman. Two lives. A love so powerful it tore apart a city and broke the heart of a god. Caspian, the Atlantean God of Justice, has devoted his eternal life to protecting the merfolk. He has no time for romance, not even when the merman he now watches over is his former lover reincarnated. Phoebus, a merman living in the sunken city of Atlantis before the Atlanteans were banished, never intended to fall for Caspian, the most promiscuous of all the gods. Yet, when Caspian offers him immortality, Phoebus doesn’t know if he can pay the price, even if refusing means breaking the heart of a god. Back in the present, Marin remembers the love he once had for Caspian, but he’s not the same merman now. Caspian might have loved him as Phoebus, but he knows the god cannot give him what he needs. Marin doesn’t want Caspian’s protection. He wants revenge, and he is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to get it, even if it means breaking Caspian’s heart a second time

Word Count: Click here to reveal65000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealPansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: Raj continues his pursuit of knowledge about what the government of Tar is secretly doing to hollow-boned, hoping to save his people from experimentation, or worse. Even still, he tries to get Quill, the pale beauty he dumped at the Sentinels of Light headquarters, out of his mind. He can’t help wondering if what they had was real. Should he have trusted the man? Meanwhile, Quill is confined to headquarters pending a trial. He is now seen as a traitor, a fallen hero. To make matters worse, his health continues to decline and no one will help him figure out why. Lamenting his wasted life, he finds himself thinking about Raj and what could have been. While the famed Red Raven becomes more merciless with his victims, the shamed Sentinel is left to waste away. What will become of our two lovers? Can they put their differences aside?

Word Count: Click here to reveal108000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Genderqueer, Non Binary (Click here to hide)

Summary: Fire. Water. Burn. In the two months since the All Hallows’ Eve party, Tally has courted Haru, buying expensive gifts, taking the two of them to upscale restaurants and trying to find a balance in earning Haru’s fragile trust while being new parents to the Cohen joeys. Tally sees hope in the new domesticity the family has settled into, despite having some bumps along the way. Gifts and treats have satisfied Haru’s otter, but the human half remembers the brutal lessons of giving their trust away. How can two lijun who barely know each other anticipate what will happen when times get tough? There are circumstances Tally doesn’t understand yet, and Haru struggles to find their feet with an Urusar who doesn’t know the rules. A revelation not only throws the tentative relationship between them askew, but also starts Tally and Haru down a path the two of them can’t escape, one so heart-wrenching Haru’s not sure their heart will survive. Traditionalist concerns that have always nipped at the Bastille clan’s heels come roaring to the forefront with demands and ultimatums. Tally needs to fall in line or face further threats to his otter, his family and his clan. Haru needs to find the strength to believe in the good despite the bad. In an environment where it’s vital to know ally from foe, Tally and Haru need to stand united or watch the community Tally’s family has built fall under the thumb of heartless, greedy autocrats.

Word Count: Click here to reveal31600 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Gay, Non Binary (Click here to hide)

Summary: Can love last when one won’t leave, and the other can’t stay? Fear of moving farther away from his family had cost Eer the love of his life, but now, after twenty-five turns, Kat has returned…with a son, and Eer’s feelings resurface as if it had been only yesterday since they’d first kissed. But any hope Eer has of rekindling their love seems doomed to fail when a murderer’s taste for revenge forces Kat to choose between endangering their family or running… and leaving Eer behind, again. ___________________________ wordcount: 31,600 words TALES OF THE FOREST is an ongoing series of standalone stories linked by a forest world. Content warnings are available in the book's front matter and on the author's website.

Word Count: Click here to reveal85000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A steamy, queer retelling of The Postman Always Rings Twice After a beef with the mob, Sal Minovich has to get out of New York City pronto. He gets as far as Beacon, New York, otherwise known as Nowheresville, and talks his way into a situation working as a handyman at a fading motor lodge. It’s not a bad place to hide out for a while and sock away some cash until he figures out his next step. Then Sal meets the young manager, Will, and things get a whole lot more interesting. Pushed out by his homophobic father, Will hooked up with a small-time real estate investor, and now, six years later, he’s trapped in an unhappy relationship that might also be abusive. Sal thinks he and Will should run away together and leave their pasts behind. But Will won’t leave without a payout for all the time he’s put in. Do they have to get George out of the way to have their happily-ever-after?

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A brilliant scientist out to save the world. A jaded agent looking to save the one he lost. And a conspiracy that spans oceans, reaching into the deepest parts of American national security. Lennon is a genius. He’s devoted his energy and his time to designing products to save lives. He’s gotten rich doing it, too. This time he’s created something to revolutionize war, crime, and policing -- a bullet that heals. He’s on top of the world and the one thing he needs is someone to share it with. The one he loved disappeared without a trace years ago, and until he gets closure he can’t commit. Ben is an agent with an agency so secretive for years people didn’t know it existed. He screwed up years ago and fell in love with the man he was supposed to be guarding. Now his lost love is in danger again. He’s developed a product bad actors all over the world will want to get their hands on. When Ben’s superiors order him back to Lennon’s side, he goes without hesitation. There’s only one catch -- Lennon can’t know he’s there. When one of those bad actors strikes, all the rules go out the window. Can Lennon overcome his mistrust once he knows the truth about Ben? When the enemy turns up the heat, will Ben manage to save Lennon from people who want him to kill?

Word Count: Click here to reveal95,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: "Death will come da capo, suddenly silent, and you will not hear your final applause. Fail us, and you die." Blackmail, a death threat and an opera. The Clearwater Foundation is to be launched with a charity gala at the City Opera House where Archer's old friend, Cadwell Roxton, is to star. But Roxton has a dark secret. He will be murdered during his performance unless he exposes Lord Clearwater's homosexuality. Archer's lover, Silas enlists the help of the new footman, James to unlock the mystery and save Roxton, the performance and the viscount's reputation — without raising suspicion. With only three days to go before the gala, it's a race against time that takes us from the notorious Cleaver Street brothel to the Royal Opera House and a thrilling climax with love, liberty and lives at stake. While in the background, enemies old and new plot Clearwater's ultimate downfall. Part three of the Clearwater Mysteries, 'Unspeakable Acts' follows on from 'Twisted Tracks.' The series is best read in order. "Another entertaining, well plotted, action-packed, triple mystery set in the imaginary, Victorian era of England 1888. Jackson Marsh has got me hooked!" Amazon review.

Word Count: Click here to reveal125000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay, Genderfluid, Lesbian, Non Binary, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: This city of fools will be brought to order! Deposed, her father presumed dead, her friends slaughtered and the cavern in chaos, Grace Harrington is on the run and entirely alone. The only ally she has left is the man she hates most in the world: Nathaniel Morgenstern, the assassin who murdered her mother and seduced her father. Grace’s only hope of reclaiming the throne and saving her people is to seek the aid of Éamon Tadhg, the High Druid of Arajon. But she needs to survive the hostile streets of Iole City before she can even think about fleeing to the Violet Valley. Nathaniel made a vow to Doran to protect Grace, but he could never have imagined how quickly and horrifically their lives would fall apart. Grieving the dual losses of the man he loved and his new friend Tsa Lien, Nathaniel devotes himself to the service of the overthrown Lady Archon who despises him – even if it costs him everything he is.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: After three months, vegan Kyle Slidell is getting the hang of being a werewolf, and of being the predestined mate of the pack Alpha, Tobias Rogan. Now Tobias is bringing Kyle to a gathering of alphas at the home of the regional leader,  where their pack will receive full recognition and Tobias will formally declare Kyle his mate, cementing their bond permanently. But their happiness is dampened by conflict with Alpha Saul Hughes, who has the power to control all other werewolves–and a grudge against Tobias. Working with the wolf who changed Kyle, Saul sets his sights on taking over both Boston packs and removing Tobias permanently. On the night of the full moon, as the werewolves hunt, tragedy strikes at Saul’s command. In the aftermath, Kyle is left to fight for his pack and mate while Tobias fights for his life. This book was originally published in 2012. The current version has been revised and re-edited, with some content added. The book also includes the Christmas-themed short story “Tofurkey and Yams,” originally published as a separate short story in 2011. This book includes on-page discussion of off-page abuse and sexual assault; depictions of PTSD; gun violence; and a main character losing his temper with his mate and coming far too close to crossing the line between consensual and coercion.

Word Count: Click here to reveal70000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Every assassin has an exit strategy – their ultimate plan for leaving that dangerous life and disappearing. They just never expect to live long enough to enact it. Gabriel Prescott was no different. But everything changed when he met fellow mercenary Justin Mallory. Now he’s racing across Europe with Justin to put to rest old threats before they can end both their lives. Of course, it will also mean coming clean to Justin about exactly who he is and who wants him dead. Gabriel can only hope that Justin will still want him when the truth comes out.

Word Count: Click here to reveal41495 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A bitter drunk meets a lonely paraplegic with a target on his back. Almost on the rim of the Arctic Circle, they’ve both run out of places to hide. Dirk Black is a lost soul with a troubled past. When the washed-up cop happens to see an odd notice in a newspaper, his unshakable sense of irony sends him to a remote point in Scotland’s Shetland Islands. There he discovers something he’s never wanted and bloody hell doesn’t need—a computer nerd and recluse who’s confined to a tiny promontory in the North Sea. Stephan Tavish is a scholar and business entrepreneur who’s managed to run from his family and from society, hoping for peace of mind in the solitude of his own land and his ancestor’s old isolated lighthouse. But karma has bitten him in the arse. He finds himself in a very dark place where he needs to ask for help, from a stranger who’s lost himself in a whisky bottle. Two alienated men, each with a mystery to solve, end up working together at the edge of nowhere. Together, they discover that something in their own past may hold the key to a very intriguing future.

Word Count: Click here to reveal67,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: In the hottest summer on record, Iron Lake reservoir is emptying, revealing secrets that were intended to stay hidden beneath the water. The tragic story of a missing man is a media sensation, and abruptly the writer and the cop falling in love is just a postscript to horrors neither could have imagined. Best Selling Horror writer Chris Lassiter struggles for inspiration and he’s close to never writing again. His life has become an endless loop of nothing but empty pages, personal appearances, and a marketing machine that is systematically destroying his muse. In a desperate attempt to force Chris to complete unfinished manuscripts his agent buys a remote cabin. All Chris has to do is hide away and write, but he’s lost his muse, and not even he can make stories appear from thin air. Sawyer Wiseman left town for Chicago, chasing the excitement and potential of being a big city cop, rising the ranks, and making his mark. A case gone horribly wrong draws him back to Lancaster Falls. Working for the tiny police department in the town he’d been running from, digging into cold cases and police corruption, he spends his day's healing, and his nights hoping the nightmares of his last case leave him alone.

Word Count: Click here to reveal81000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Shirzah holds a position of honor as a Preparator of the Dead in the great Necropolis of Abdon. His skills assist souls in their journey to the next life, a worthy occupation. But when a body comes into his care bereft of its soul and heart, Shirzah finds himself launched into a chaotic web of murder, intrigue, and fearsome events that force him out of his comfortable, pleasant existence, and give him no choice but to seek out a former friend, lost years ago to the service of the gods. The priest Set-Imbe holds power now, as a priest of the Fourth Rank. Kept to the Pantheon grounds by binding oaths, trained to serve the god Toth, still Seti is delighted when his old friend Shirzah seeks him out, ending eight long years of loneliness and separation. Their joyful reunion nearly overshadows the reason behind Shirzah's visit, all the more so when their old friendship bursts into a new flame of forbidden passion. Frightened by the strength of his attraction to Seti, Shirzah nearly abandons his attempt to secure the priest's help. But the horror of desecrated bodies drives him forward into a whirlwind of events. A demon terrorizes the town of Abdon, feasting upon souls. And a purely inner demon torments Shirzah, as he realizes the strength of his love for Seti, a thing forbidden by his entire society.  And what of the gods? Once, they walked the streets of Abdon, but they haven't been seen in decades. Even the highest ranking priests have had no contact with their deities beyond vague, fuzzy visions once in a while. Where are they now, when a demon is feasting upon their followers? Shirzah and Seti discover an underlying web of corruption powered by death and greed in their quest to defeat the demon and free their missing gods. Will they succeed in saving Abdon and its people? And more, will Shirzah overcome his fears of the love he feels for Seti?

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Bisexual, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Straight, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Once an exile, Matthias returns to lead his home Enclave and settles into a new life with his beloved Solomon. Struggling with his new role and responsibilities toward the new town of Sanctuary and the people who had once rejected him, he knows that the relative peace he’s found is temporary—the forces that destroyed Haven are still out there, and he knows that they’ll come looking for him. Until they do, there are alliances to make, mouths to feed, and people who look to him to protect them. Then tragedy strikes, sending Matthias, Solomon and Tam out once more, seeking answers in the forbidden north; answers that may lead to new beginnings, or to the end of everything they’ve ever known.

Word Count: Click here to reveal34650 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: When Kirk Stanford moves into his new home, strange things begin to happen. Messages appear in the steam on his mirror, warning him of a nameless threat. Then someone keeps breaking into his house, looking for something Kirk can't identify. With the help of his boyfriend, Damon, Kirk digs into the house's history, and discovers not just the previous owner's brutal murder, but threatening letters written to him from someone named Sam. As the intruder strikes again, Kirk and Damon find themselves fighting not only to solve the mystery, but to keep from being murdered themselves.