Books like 'This Isn't What It Looks Like'
Readers who enjoyed This Isn't What It Looks Like by Pseudonymous Bosch, Robert Petkoff, Joshua Swanson, Cassandra Morris, Bryan Kennedy, Peter Kim, Gabra Zack, Suzanne Toren & Gabra Zackman also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy mystery action / adventure comedy supernatural humor magic children time-travel
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Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe eighth instalment in the biggest, funniest, most thrilling comedy-horror-adventure series in the universe - and the follow-up to 2012’s number-one bestseller, Kingdom of the Wicked…War has finally come.But it's not a war between good and evil, or light and dark – it's a war between Sanctuaries...Categorized as:
children female-mc humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic paranormal action-adventure -
The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe ninth book in the original, jaw-droppingly stupendous Skulduggery Pleasant series.Valkerie. Darquesse. Stephanie. The world ain’t big enough for the three of them. The end will come…The War of the Sanctuaries has been won, but it was not without its casualties...Categorized as:
children female-mc humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic paranormal action-adventure -
Kingdom of the Wicked by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe seventh instalment in the biggest, funniest, most thrilling comedy-horror-adventure series in the universe…Magic is a disease.Across the land, normal people are suddenly developing wild and unstable powers. Infected by a rare strain of magic, they are unwittingly endangering their own lives and the lives of the people around them...Categorized as:
children female-mc humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic paranormal action-adventure -
Charms & Witchdemeanors by Amanda M. Lee
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTillie Winchester’s past is about to come back to haunt her, and what she sees as fun and games someone else sees as a recipe for murder. When a local woman is poisoned at Hemlock Cove’s senior center, Aunt Tillie is the prime suspect. Bay, Thistle and Clove don’t believe their great-aunt is guilty – although Thistle is fine if the police want to haul her away for a long weekend... -
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The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe third bone-breaking, belly-busting adventure in the series that puts the “funny” back in, um, funny series... -
Brief Cases by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsBrief Cases is the sequel anthology of Side Jobs, and will be released before Peace TalksSet to include the following stories:An exclusive novellette from the perspective of Maggie and Mouse.“Curses” — from The Naked City, edited by Ellen DatlowTakes place between Small Favor and Turn Coat...Categorized as:
humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal suspense action-adventure -
Ghostly Serenade: by Colleen Helme
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn unsolved murder, a mob boss out for revenge, and a message from a ghost? Just another day in the life of Shelby Nichols. Shelby's family trip to meet the New York Manettos is not turning out to be the enjoyable break she'd hoped for...Categorized as:
female-mc humor law-enforcement paranormal suspense action-adventure adult amateur-sleuth -
Beguiled by Darynda Jones
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNewly indoctrinated witch, Defiance Dayne discovers there’s more to life after forty than she'd ever imagined possible. Especially if one is a charmling, one of only three in the world, with enough magics to make her a target for every power-hungry warlock out there. When one of them sends a hunter to town, she knows it’s time to take her talents seriously before the hunter takes her life... -
The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsAlex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner... -
Resurrection by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe skeleton detective is coming back to life...again! It's the tenth, triumphant novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and it will rearrange your world.Skulduggery and Valkyrie are back in the tenth instalment in the best-selling Skulduggery Pleasant series - an incredible and unexpected treat for the legions of fans around the world...Categorized as:
children friendship humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic paranormal action-adventure -
Crossing Danger by Colleen Helme
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShelby Nichols isn’t your average soccer-mom turned private investigator. She’s more on the quirky side with a little wild thrown in. That’s because a near-fatal gunshot wound to the head left her with the ability to read minds. This lands her in all kinds of trouble, and this time is no exception. Helping a reporter, Billie Jo, get the low-down on a case is just the tip of the iceberg...Categorized as:
female-mc humor law-enforcement paranormal suspense action-adventure adult amateur-sleuth -
Tales From the Hood by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe Fairy-Tale Trial Of The CenturyIn Ferryport Landing, everyone gets a day in court- even the Big Bad Wolf. Mr.Canis is put on trial for past crimes, and Mayor Heart's kangaroo court is determined to find him guilty. It's up to the Grimms to uncover evidence to save their friend, though Sabrina starts to wonder whether they would all be safer with the Wolf in jail...Categorized as:
children female-mc humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic paranormal action-adventure -
Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsHere, together for the first time, are the shorter tales from Jim Butcher's DRESDEN FILES series — a compendium of cases that Harry and his cadre of allies managed to close in record time. The tales range from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious. Also included is a new, never-before-published novella that takes place after the cliff-hanger ending of the new April 2010 hardcover, Changes... -
You Have to Stop This by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe finale to the New York Times bestselling Secret Series! I always feared this day would come. A secret is meant to stay secret, after all. And now we've come to this: the fifth and final (I swear!) book in my saga of secrets... -
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Playing with Fire by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsSkulduggery and Valkyrie are facing a new enemy: Baron Vengeous, who is determined to bring back the terrifying Faceless Ones and is crafting an army of evil to help him. Added to that, Vengeous is about to enlist a new ally (if he can raise it from the dead): the horrible Grotesquery, a very unlikable monster of legend...Categorized as:
children female-mc humor law-enforcement magic paranormal action-adventure audiobook -
This Book Is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBetween the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you..Categorized as:
children female-mc friendship humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism -
The End of the World by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSkulduggery and Valkyrie are back, in an exclusive World Book Day novelette, set after the momentous events of Death Bringer…Hey, punks! Skulduggery and Valkyrie are about to make your day…15-year-old Ryan is running away from home, looking for escape and adventure. But unfortunately, sometimes people DO get what they wish for...Categorized as:
children female-mc humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic paranormal action-adventure -
Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSabrina and Daphne's adventures continue in their hometown of New York City as they bring Puck to Faerie to cure the wounds. With the help of Granny Relda, the girls must figure out who killed Puck's father, King Oberon, while navigating the warring factions of Everafters that make their homes in every neighbourhood of New York City... -
A Mind Full of Murder by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA bone-shaking new trilogy begins – the latest adventure in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant seriesSIX YEARS AGO, THE UNIVERSE ENDED.When it restarted, blinking back into existence, it brought with it a darkness that remains hidden from the mortal population.A week ago – fuelled by unimaginable hatred and unstoppable rage – a masked sorcerer killed one of those mortals. Then he killed another... -
Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsCharley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she cant help but wonder what Cookies up to... -
Twilight by Meg Cabot
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThis time it's life or death.Suze has gotten used to ghosts. She's a mediator, after all, and communicating with the dead is all in a day's work. So she certainly never expected to fall in love with one: Jesse, a nineteenth-century hottie. But when she discovers that she has the power to determine who becomes a ghost in the first place, Suze begins to freak... -
The Son of Sobek by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsIn this audio e-book short story narrated by Rick Riordan, Carter Kane is investigating rumored sightings of a monster on Long Island when he runs into something else: a mysterious boy named Percy Jackson. And their meeting isn't exactly friendly. . . . Includes a sneak peek chapter from HOUSE OF HADES, Book Four in the Heroes of Olympus series... -
The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe Hanging Tree was the Tyburn gallows which stood where Marble Arch stands today. Oxford Street was the last trip of the condemned. Some things don't change. The place has a bloody and haunted legacy and now blood has returned to the empty Mayfair mansions of the world's super-rich. And blood mixed with magic is a job for Peter Grant.Peter Grant is back as are Nightingale et al...Categorized as:
humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal suspense 21st-century -
Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe seventh book of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.The Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal suspense -
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The Mane Attraction by Shelly Laurenston
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsEven the king of the beasts can find himself unexpectedly tamed by the right woman. Weddings have the strangest effect on people. Exhibit 1: Sissy Mae waking up in Mitch Shaw's bed the morning after her brother Bobby Ray's nuptials. Exhibit 2: the gunmen trying to kill Mitch. Exhibit 3: Sissy Mae escorting a bleeding yet sexy lion shifter to her Tennessee Pack's turf for safe keeping... -
Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil - an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common garden serial killer?Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case, a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.So far so London...Categorized as:
humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal suspense 21st-century -
Demons in Disguise by A. Kirk, E. Kirk
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIt's the Gotta Have Book 3 in the Bestselling Divinicus Nex Chronicles! Continuing the action-packed Divinicus Nex Chronicles, Aurora and fan-favorite hotties The Hex Boys are back with more mystery, non-stop action, romance and laugh-out-loud humor that makes this thrilling series irresistible. Come along for the ride where..Categorized as:
female-mc high-school humor law-enforcement magic medieval paranormal action-adventure -
Spirit Witch by Helen Harper
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsIf anyone appreciates what it means to be dead to the world, it's Ivy Wilde. Barely recovered from her brush with necromancy, Ivy is flung once more into a world of intrigue, adventure and potential death and disaster. It's not her fault - it just so turns out that she's now the only person in the entire world who can communicate with the dead. And they're a chatty bunch with a list of demands... -
Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn Tufnell Park, North London, a pair of railway tracks diver under a school, taking train to and from Kings Cross. Wet, filthy, dangerous. Lovely place. And one Sunday before Christmas a sweet (sort of) kid called Abigail took me and my long suffering colleague Lesley May down there to look for a ghost.We found one...Categorized as:
humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal suspense 21st-century -
Midnight by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSkulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back in their most gripping story yet, as book 11, Midnight, picks up where Resurrection left off – and runs.For years, Valkyrie Cain has struggled to keep her loved ones safe from harm, plunging into battle – time and time again – by Skulduggery Pleasant’s side, and always emerging triumphant...Categorized as:
children humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic paranormal action-adventure audiobook -
Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsPeter Grant—cop, magical apprentice, and Londoner to the core—is being forced out of his comfort zone and into the English countryside. His latest case involves the disappearance of children in the small village of Herefordshire, and the local police are unwilling to admit there might be a supernatural element involved...Categorized as:
humor law-enforcement magic magical-realism paranormal suspense 21st-century action-adventure -
Size Matters by Robyn Peterman
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA few hard truths...Don’t bet on Hasselhoff, Bigfoot might actually exist, and searching for the impossible may lead you to your heart’s desire...It’s a big fat hairy deal when I lose yet another bet to my best friend, Rena... -
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsBeware!Dangerous secrets lie between the pages of this book.OK, I warned you. But if you think I'll give anything away, or tell you that this is the sequel to my first literary endeavor, The Name of This Book is Secret, you're wrong...Categorized as:
children female-mc friendship humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism -
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, Tom Percival
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsMeet Skulduggery PleasantAce DetectiveSnappy DresserRazor–tongued WitCrackerjack SorcererandWalking, Talking, Fire-throwing Skeleton—as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old.These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil.The end of the world?Over his dead body... -
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Grim Tidings by Amanda M. Lee
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsGrim(ace) while you work ...Aisling Grimlock is having a bad week. Well, actually, she’s having a bad life -- not that she's complaining. Okay, she's totally complaining.After being laid off from her secretarial position, she has no choice but to join the family business, and now she’s a full-time grim reaper. That’s right. She collects and transfers souls to the hereafter.Cool, huh? Not quite... -
Dead Case in Deadwood by Ann Charles
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"Nothing good ever happens at the butt-crack of dawn. No doubt, the headless corpse on the autopsy table in front of me would agree."-Violet Parker Real estate agent. Violet "Spooky" Parker stumbles upon a body-part theft ring at the local funeral parlor and suspects her caustic coworker has a hand in it or maybe a foot...Categorized as:
female-mc humor law-enforcement paranormal suspense action-adventure adult audiobook -
Mischief in Mudbug by Jana Deleon, Johanna Parker
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsReading time 8 hours, 38 minutes.Description: Sabine LaVeche needs to locate a blood relative fast--her life depends on it. The late Helena Henry shows up offering to help, and Sabine knows she's really in trouble when it's the best idea she's heard in a while. Then PI Beau Villeneuve takes on Sabine's case. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2009. This recording is available courtesy of Audible, Inc...Categorized as:
female-mc humor magical-realism paranormal suspense action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsArtemis’s mother has contracted a deadly disease—and the only cure lies in the brain fluid of African lemurs. Unfortunately, Artemis himself was responsible for making the lemurs extinct five years ago. Now he must enlist the aid of his fairy friends to travel back in time and save them. Not only that, but he must face his deadliest foe yet... his younger self... -
Darkest Hour by Jenny Carroll, Meg Cabot
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsWhat - or who - is buried in Susannah's backyard?When the nineteenth-century ghost of Maria de Silva wakes her up in the middle of the night, Suze knows this is no ordinary visitation - and not just from the knife at her throat, either. In life, Maria was the fiancée of Jesse - the same Jesse who was murdered a hundred and fifty years before. The same Jesse Suze is in love with... -
Stealing Time by Christine Gael
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Paranormal Women’s Fiction with a bit of class, and a lot of sass, for anyone who feels like age is just a number!Just when Cricket thought things couldn't get much worse, Mee-maw's a witch now too! And she might be the most powerful of them all.The Crow's Feet Coven of three is finally complete, but hell if any of them know what to do next...Categorized as:
female-mc humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal action-adventure -
The Mystery of Montague House by Emma Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith enough rooms to fill a Cluedo board several times over, Montague House has often been the subject of rumour and gossip. Tales of strange goings on, an owner who disappeared one day and was never seen again, not to mention the treasure that rumour has it lies at its heart... But now the present owner has died and the house is to be sold...Categorized as:
female-mc humor law-enforcement paranormal suspense action-adventure adult amateur-sleuth -
West Side Gory by Elise Sax
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“With quirky characters reminiscent of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and a small-town heroine redolent of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse.”—RT Book Reviews*Gladie is back with the sixth installment of the hilarious Matchmaker Mysteries series.*Life is going great for Gladie Burger... -
Vanished: When Lightning Strikes / Code Name Cassandra by Meg Cabot
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA gift…or a curse? Jessica Mastriani has never liked attention. All she wants is to make it to high school graduation like any ordinary girl. But when Jess is struck by lightning, she becomes anything but ordinary: suddenly she has the ability to locate missing children. Now Jess is getting noticed in all the wrong ways and by all the wrong people. The media is obsessed with her and her story... -
Haunted by Jenny Carroll, Meg Cabot
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsIs it possible to be haunted by someone who isn't even dead?Suze is used to trouble, but this time she's in deep: Ghostly Jesse has her heart, but Paul Slater, a real flesh-and-blood guy, is warm for her form. And mediator Paul knows how to send Jesse to the Great Beyond. For good.Paul claims he won't do anything to Jesse as long as Suze will go out with him... -
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Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsDetective Thursday Next has had her fill of her responsibilities as the Bellman in Jurisfiction. Packing up her son, Friday, Thursday returns to Swindon accompanied by none other than the dithering Danish prince Hamlet... -
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNow in hardcover, the eighth book of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm...Categorized as:
humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal 21st-century action-adventure -
Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream... -
The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe Mighty Shandar, the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, returns to the Ununited Kingdoms. Clearly, he didn't solve the Dragon Problem, and must hand over his fee: eighteen dray-weights of gold... -
The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWarning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances...Categorized as:
children female-mc friendship humor law-enforcement low-fantasy magic magical-realism -
Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsDrake Vireo, the green dragon of Aisling's dreams, is finally ready to make an honest woman of her-if she can ever get him to the altar. Being stood up cools Aisling's jets, but not her passion, which is a good thing when Drake disappears and it's up to Aisling to find him. At least her doggie demon Jim is always at her side. Just call him a Guardian's best friend...
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