Books like 'Penance'
Readers who enjoyed Penance by David Housewright also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
mystery crime investigator suspense hard-boiled political-intrigue politics vigilante justice
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Smoke Signal by L.T. Ryan, Brian Christopher Shea
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSome people can't start over.Some pasts you can't outrun.And when Rachel Hatch's past comes back to haunt her,The only thing she can do is what she does best.Fight.Rachel Hatch returns to Hawk's Landing after closing the chapter on her father's death. She wants nothing more than to reconnect with her family and to find a new sense of normal... -
![Lethal Defense by Michael Stagg]()
Lethal Defense by Michael Stagg
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA client savagely kills a man to protect a friend. A lawyer with secrets must prove it was justified.Attorney Nate Shepherd left a big firm to go out on his own. He sees nothing but opportunity when an out-of-town lawyer wants to hire him as local counsel on a high-profile murder case. Though his family worries that the case hits too close to home, Nate joins the defense team... -
![Justice by D. Camille]()
Justice by D. Camille
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“The fool speaks, the wise man listens.” ~Ethiopian Proverb The saga continues…Justice Black is the heir to the Black legacy. Now ready to show that he’s more than the rich, handsome playboy…Justice sets out to prove that he can handle his own... -
![The Girl and the Deadly End by A.J. Rivers]()
The Girl and the Deadly End by A.J. Rivers
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSmall towns have secrets. The dark mysteries of Emma's life are ready to be told.It has been more than a year since Emma Griffin stumbled upon a clue behind the dangerous secrets of her past. Now, she has the answers at her fingertips.The only question is will she survive long enough to find them?As Greg struggles to recover, Emma keeps watch over him... -
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![The Girl in the Woods by A.J. Rivers]()
The Girl in the Woods by A.J. Rivers
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI’m all alone now… But I just have to make it there.I need to keep going… Keep…A beautiful woman's body is found frozen on the ground.And many questions that no one can answer arises.When Emma Griffin joined the FBI, she had hopes that she could find out the truth about her own past. But over time she realized that it was more than just herself. She wanted to be a voice for the victims... -
![Without Measure by Scott Blade]()
Without Measure by Scott Blade
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter a long night trying to sleep in the cab of a truck—hauling bullets, of all things—Jack Widow gives up trying to catch some sleep. He gets out at the next stop, a small town in the northeast corner of California with two industries: a small arms manufacturer and a Marine base on the verge of being forgotten...Categorized as:
crime investigator political-intrigue politics action-adventure adult book espionage -
![Divided Loyalties by Heather Atkinson]()
Divided Loyalties by Heather Atkinson
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRachel Maguire finally has it all. Matriarch of the powerful Maguire family, whose name is feared and revered throughout the city of Manchester, she is wealthy, contented and more in love than ever with her husband Danny. Working in conjunction with their one time arch enemies, the Law Family, life for the Maguires has never been more peaceful... -
![The Frost Killer by L.T. Ryan, Biba Pearce]()
The Frost Killer by L.T. Ryan, Biba Pearce
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe cool hand of winter settles in over the town of Hawk's Landing and brings with it a killer. Hiding among the quiet mountain landscape, he begins his reign of terror.The dust has settled on Savage's tainted past as he puts to rest the demons of his previous life... -
![Time of Justice by Robin James]()
Time of Justice by Robin James
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThis trial should be a slam-dunk. A faceless powerbroker has other ideas… Small-town prosecutor Mara Brent must be tough as nails to succeed in her male-dominated profession. But she harbors a soft spot for the victims who rely on her courtroom skill, especially the wheelchair-bound rape survivor she’s known for twenty years... -
![Never Cry Mercy by L.T. Ryan]()
Never Cry Mercy by L.T. Ryan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEven a drifter has to stop once in a while... Jack Noble has crossed the country, never staying too long in one spot. He's not running or hiding. He's buying time. Simply living until the day he can disappear and provide his daughter with a normal life. But when his Jeep dies outside a small Texas town, he finds a reason to stick around for a couple days. An old friend... -
![Red Square by David Archer]()
Red Square by David Archer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTeam Cinderella has been sent into Russia to "fake" an assassination of a Russian Deputy Minister, in order to cover up the fact of his defection to the United States. They accomplish the mission, but then are compromised during their own escape and captured. They are quickly disavowed by the US Secretary of State, and sentenced to a public execution in Red Square only a week hence...Categorized as:
suspense crime vigilante justice political-intrigue politics action-adventure mystery -
![Justice Lost by Scott Pratt]()
Justice Lost by Scott Pratt
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn the Wall Street Journal bestseller, lawyer turned rogue Darren Street faces the most personal and ruthless vendetta of his life.After forfeiting years serving time for a false murder conviction, former criminal defense attorney Darren Street finally got his freedom back and is trying to build a regular life... -
![Desert Heat by L.T. Vargus, E.M. Smith]()
Desert Heat by L.T. Vargus, E.M. Smith
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe desert holds its kill up to the sun. A human body draped over the limbs of a cactus. Sand scouring the naked flesh every time the wind blows.A shocking death launches Special Agent Victor Loshak on a new investigation with an ominous message: They know everything... -
![Clint Wolf Boxed Set: Books 4 - 6 by BJ Bourg]()
Clint Wolf Boxed Set: Books 4 - 6 by BJ Bourg
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBooks 4-6 (But Not Forever, But Not For Naught, and But Not Forbidden) of the Clint Wolf Mystery Series by award-winning author BJ Bourg now available as a boxed set! BUT NOT FOREVER After a year of working as a tour guide in the swamps of Louisiana--and the day after a man’s body is found in a canal--former Police Chief Clint Wolf realizes he can’t stay away from law enforcement work... -
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![The Spike by Matthew Iden]()
The Spike by Matthew Iden
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRetired DC homicide cop Marty Singer witnesses a horrific murder and the family of the victim hires him to find the killer. But when he peels back the cover on the case, Marty discovers a rotten core of corruption, graft, and violence that runs from the lowest city street to the top of the political food chain... -
![Joey Mancuso Crime Mysteries Vols 1 - 7 by Owen Parr]()
Joey Mancuso Crime Mysteries Vols 1 - 7 by Owen Parr
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKnown as The Last Advocates of the Victim, Former NYPD Detective Joey Mancuso and his half-brother, Father Dominic O’Brian are private investigators... -
![The Depth of Darkness by L.T. Ryan, Sean Patrick Hopkins]()
The Depth of Darkness by L.T. Ryan, Sean Patrick Hopkins
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDetective Mitch Tanner's life hangs in the balance. He clings to the daughter in his care. He agonizes over the disappearance of his son and estranged wife. Twelve months has yet to turn up a solid lead.While investigating the apparent accidental death of Dusty Anne Miller, Mitch and his partner Sam Foster find themselves in the middle of a fiendish plan that strikes too close to home... -
![Never Too Late by Sally Rigby]()
Never Too Late by Sally Rigby
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA vicious attack. A dirty secret. And a chance for justiceEx-police officer Sebastian Clifford is quickly finding that life as a private investigator is never quiet. His doors have only been open a few weeks when DCI Whitney Walker approaches him to investigate the brutal attack that left her older brother, Rob, with irreversible brain damage... -
![The Handler by L.T. Ryan, C.R. Gray]()
The Handler by L.T. Ryan, C.R. Gray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA dead police officer...A department desperate for answers...Maddie Castle must take on the role that nearly took her life...She must once again become The Handler.NEW from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author L.T. Ryan with C.R. Gray!Wounded in the line of duty, former K9 Handler Maddie Castle finds herself back to square one... -
![The Betrayal by S.R. Jones]()
The Betrayal by S.R. Jones
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf you find out your whole existence, everything you ever knew is a lie, where does that leave you? I am Star and I'm a sacrificial offering for my people. A thing to be sold to the highest bidder. Then I'm bought and nothing is as it seems. Up is down, and good is bad. My new master is a hardened mafia soldier named Markos. He wants to save me. I don't want to be saved... -
![Murder Served Cold by Nancy Skopin]()
Murder Served Cold by Nancy Skopin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPI Nicoli 'Nikki' Hunter is blindsided when someone close to her is murdered, and their body dumped in an alley. Detective Bill Anderson catches the homicide and, knowing Nikki, doesn't even attempt to discourage her from conducting her own investigation, which, in this case, takes a village... -
![The Nightmare at Manhattan Beach by D.D. Black]()
The Nightmare at Manhattan Beach by D.D. Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the city where he lost everything, he'll stop at nothing to learn the truth.Former NYPD detective Thomas Austin has spent three long years haunted by his wife Fiona's unsolved murder.Three years searching for answers.Three years finding little.Until one lead changes everything... -
![Over The Edge by Lisa Regan]()
Over The Edge by Lisa Regan
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen retired Philadelphia detective turned private investigator Joselyn Rush is rear-ended, her knee-jerk response is anger, especially when the well-dressed woman driving tries to flee the scene. But as Jocelyn watches in disbelief, the woman jumps off the bridge, plunging to her death in the Schuylkill River one hundred fifty feet below... -
![The Clockmaker's Secret by Jack Benton]()
The Clockmaker's Secret by Jack Benton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA buried clock holds the key to a decades-old mystery. On holiday to escape the nightmares of his last case, disgraced soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy comes upon something buried in the peat on Bodmin Moor. Unfinished and water-damaged but still ticking, the old clock provides a vital clue to an unsolved missing-persons case... -
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![Past Crimes by G.K. Parks]()
Past Crimes by G.K. Parks
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEight years ago, he covered up a murder. Now Alexis Parker has to prove he didn't do it. Except, she's not convinced he isn't guilty.Ever since Alex went to work for Lucien Cross, nothing's been the same. She's always been wary of him. Now, she finally knows why.The police discovered a body and enough evidence to put Cross in a cell for the rest of his life. He won't offer an explanation... -
![Hairspray and Lighter by J. Jupes]()
Hairspray and Lighter by J. Jupes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll Detective Eckerly wanted to do that day was place a bet on a horse. He didn't expect Darlene Johnson to walk into his office with her chocolate box. And certainly didn't expect what followed. . Book One of the Detectives That Don't Fit Series... -
![Manhunt by Remington Kane]()
Manhunt by Remington Kane
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom REMINGTON KANE, the author of the Taken! SeriesMANHUNT - A Tanner Novel - Book 46Tanner works with Team Predator... -
![The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz]()
The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan, the latest New York Times bestselling Orphan X thriller--when everything changes and everything is at risk.As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program...Categorized as:
crime justice political-intrigue suspense vigilante action-adventure adult assassinations -
![Hard Escape by Debra Kayn]()
Hard Escape by Debra Kayn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA sexy, gripping romantic suspense… He leads. She follows. She might have Stockholm Syndrome. Heidi Lundin has lost her name, her identity, and her past. She's just another homeless person trying to make it through the night. Until the biker from Notus Motorcycle Club keeps saving her and won't let her drift back into the shadows... -
![Elusive Charity by Wayne Stinnett]()
Elusive Charity by Wayne Stinnett
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSince the recent death of a wealthy but perverted businessman, Charity Styles has been hiding in plain sight, as if challenging anyone to come after her.She’s on her own once more, living day to day on her beloved Wind Dancer, anchored near a quaint little Gulf Coast town in the Florida Panhandle... -
![Rising Storm by Wayne Stinnett]()
Rising Storm by Wayne Stinnett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMiles from the laid-back lifestyle of No Name Key, and just shy of the raucous nightlife of Miami and South Beach, lies Coconut Grove, a tropical oasis with a distinct Bohemian flair. Lately, a seedy underside has emerged along the Grove’s waterfront, preying on adventurous young women. Somewhere amid all the glitz and glamour, hides a thief who stole a fortune in Aztec emeralds...Categorized as:
crime vigilante justice investigator political-intrigue action-adventure mystery fiction -
![One Way Street: A gritty and addictive crime thriller. For fans of Val McDermid and Ian Rankin by Trevor Wood]()
One Way Street: A gritty and addictive crime thriller. For fans of Val McDermid and Ian Rankin by Trevor Wood
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe second gritty Newcastle-set thriller in this unforgettable series about a homeless veteran turned local sleuth and vigilante. Follow up to the highly acclaimed The Man on the Street.'FRESH, ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC AND GRITTY' - LEE CHILD'CHARACTERS ARE EXCELLENT. RIVETING ... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - PATRICIA GIBNEY'A TRIUMPHANT SEQUEL .. -
![Steel Force by Geoffrey Saign]()
Steel Force by Geoffrey Saign
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe stood up for justice. Now they want him dead. Can he defeat a conspiracy before he becomes the next hit?The Jack Steel series is now in development for a major motion picture. Black Ops expert Jack Steel believes in honor above all else. But he’s horrified when his latest covert mission orders him to terminate a site full of innocent civilians... -
![Screams in the Dark by Anna Smith]()
Screams in the Dark by Anna Smith
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA gritty, page-turning thriller perfect for fans of Martina Cole.Refugees are disappearing in Glasgow. The mutilated body of one has been found, but the police aren't interested... -
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![The Warhol Incident by G.K. Parks]()
The Warhol Incident by G.K. Parks
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsArt thieves...An international crime syndicate...And mortal peril...A year ago, Alexis Parker turned her back on everything she knew. Walking away from the Office of International Operations proved to be both the easiest and hardest thing she had ever done. However, her newfound life in the private sector is turning out to be anything but the cushy desk job she imagined... -
![Red Means Run by Brad Smith]()
Red Means Run by Brad Smith
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMickey Dupree is one of the most successful criminal attorneys in upstate New York, having never lost a capital murder case. That is the upside of being Mickey. The downside—Mickey has a lot of enemies and one of them drives the shaft of a golf club through his heart, leaving him dead in a sand trap at his exclusive country club... -
![The Dead Man by Joel Goldman]()
The Dead Man by Joel Goldman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIf you like John Grisham's twists and turns and James Patterson's page-turning thrills, you'll love Joel Goldman's The Dead Man, the second book in the Jack Davis Thriller series! "A masterful blend of rock-solid detective work and escalating dread. The Dead Man is both a top-notch thriller and a heart-rendering story of loss, courage and second chances. I loved it... -
![Love and Rage by Kaylie Hunter]()
Love and Rage by Kaylie Hunter
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRun? Living the rest of my life in hiding?Or fight back? Starting with the man who hurt me in the worst of ways…After everything I survived, am I strong enough to do either? Am I strong enough to walk away from the protection that my family offered? The loving arms of my only son?And, if I fight, while already injured and barely holding on to reality, can I survive yet another war?Her enemies... -
![Cold Fire by Dustin Stevens]()
Cold Fire by Dustin Stevens
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAs a DEA agent, Jeremiah “Hawk” Tate was one of the best at taking down drug traffickers. Then the cartels struck back—and destroyed everything he held dear.Five years later, Hawk has retreated from society and is living a quiet life as a Montana wilderness guide. He’s done with the DEA, done with the criminals, and done with the pain left over from his past. But his past isn’t done with him...Categorized as:
crime hard-boiled justice political-intrigue politics suspense vigilante action-adventure -
![Buried Alive by G.K. Parks]()
Buried Alive by G.K. Parks
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA questionable alliance has private investigator Alexis Parker concerned not only for her client’s safety but for her own... Supervising a new branch of Cross Security was never on Alex’s to-do list, but given her boyfriend’s current job commitments and her boss’s insistence to expand the business, she doesn’t have much of a choice... -
![Warning Signs by G.K. Parks]()
Warning Signs by G.K. Parks
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSecrets prove deadly in Alexis Parker's latest case...Alexis Parker is used to humdrum work assignments. Running background checks and tailing cheating spouses is common place for her and most of the private investigators at Cross Security. But she doesn't particularly enjoy digging up other people's dirt and shining a light on their nastier habits. However, it's a paycheck... -
![The Long Game by G.K. Parks]()
The Long Game by G.K. Parks
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA con artist. A serial killer. And ten million dollars. This time, everything is at stake. When a man is murdered in front of Alexis Parker, it sends the private investigator into a tailspin that leads to a case of million dollar proportions. In order to get her mind off death, Alex agrees to help Don Klassi, a Martin Technologies board member, with a personal problem... -
![Friends and Foes by Kaylie Hunter]()
Friends and Foes by Kaylie Hunter
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSmoking hot men, amazing friends that can drink me under the table, and plenty of money for food and booze – What else could a girl ask for in life?Oh – Yeah, to rescue my son from my evil nemesis and hopefully end her for good in the process.Those same hot men and amazing friends have no idea why I work so tirelessly to build my business and my bank account... -
![Past Haunts by Kaylie Hunter]()
Past Haunts by Kaylie Hunter
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPAST HAUNTS - Book Two of the Kelsey’s Burden Series: I’m Kelsey Harrison, former Miami cop, former mother, former everything. Almost three years ago, I went home and found my entire life ripped to shreds. While trying to find those responsible, I triggered the execution of innocent lives. I fled... -
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![Missing Time Murders by Stacy M. Jones]()
Missing Time Murders by Stacy M. Jones
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn elusive killer targets couples in the dead of night – murdering the women and leaving men with their memories wiped clean. Private investigator Riley Sullivan faces her toughest case yet, and this time it’s personal. Her friend and business partner, Cooper Deagnan, is a suspect when he wakes to find a dead woman next to him in his bed. The murder pits Cooper against his friend, Det... -
![Free Fall in Crimson by John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiaasen]()
Free Fall in Crimson by John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiaasen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMcGee tracks killers who brutally murder an ailing millionaire. He renews unfinished adventure with Hollywood actress who leads him into a nasty nest of murderers involving a motorcycle gang, porn movies, and mad balloonists. And Mcgee relearns old lesson. Only close to the edge of death does he feel completely alive... -
![Miami Requiem by J.B. Turner]()
Miami Requiem by J.B. Turner
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA gripping race-against-time crime thriller for fans of Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter.She wanted the truth. They wanted her dead.Since her first day on the Miami Herald, rookie reporter Deborah Jones has been agitating for a shot at one particular story. William Craig is on Death Row, convicted of killling Senator Jack O'Neill's only son... -
![When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block]()
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDowning a bourbon or two with a couple of cronies, Scudder witnesses a heist. The Morrisey brothers who run the joint are strangely submissive during the raid, but eager to see Scudder track down the thieves without involving the regular forces of law and order...Categorized as:
crime hard-boiled investigator political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure adult -
![Dark Guardian: A New Dawn by Ammar Habib]()
Dark Guardian: A New Dawn by Ammar Habib
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFollowing the events of DARK GUARDIAN, Ethan Daniels has fully embraced his alter ego of The Guardian. His mantle has become a symbol of hope for his nation. After two years of spearheading his mission against the corruption and injustice that has ruled over Crown City for so long, his mission is finally nearing its end... -
![Racing Through Darkness by G.K. Parks]()
Racing Through Darkness by G.K. Parks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNo matter how far or fast I run, some things are inescapable. My past is one of them. After everything that happened, I thought I was done. Then Nick called, and all hell broke loose.Alexis Parker has been a lot of things, from a federal agent to a corporate security analyst...
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